gconley on Family Tree Circles

This is my first-time posting. I have for some time been up against a brick wall, namely my great-grandfather, whom we have listed as Benjamin B. Bryan. He COULD be a "Jr.". Our records show that he was born somewhere in Kentucky about 1833, married to Elizabth Nixon about 1866 (also in Kentucky), and died in Sacramento, CA in 1882. Census records viewed so far locate him in Marysville, CA in 1860 as a single man, then with Elizabeth and family in 1870 and 1880. Elizabeth was from New York; their youngest child, who apparently died in infancy, was born in New York about 1867. Theory: Benjamin went west to CA to seek his fortune (there in 1860), returned to KY and was married about 1866, then moved his family to CA again (Sacramento is rather close to Marysville). Except for the aforementioned infant, the other children were born in CA, the earliest about 1869. I tried to get a death certificate from CA, but they weren't keeping them at the time (I DO have a transcription of an obituary notice). Nowhere have I been able to locate any birth or marriage records; thus, I have no information on his parents. I DO note that there is a Benjamin Bryan (Sr.??) who married a Sally CLAY; this interests me because one of my Benjamin's sons was named William CLAY Bryan, the only place I've seen the name CLAY used in our family. Anyone out there with any related (even remotely possible) information, please let me know. Thanks.