Worse than a Brick Wall

My great-grandfather's name is John Ellsworth Wolf. I think. At least that was his name from 1917 on. I located his Draft Registration card on Ancestory. It says that he was born in Omaha, Nebraska on 10 April 1894. He registered for the draft on 8 June 1917 in Rushville, Nebraska. At that time, he lived in Antioch, Nebraska and worked for a man named Fred Smith. On 3 March 1927, he was issued a title for a homestead near Lance Creek, Wyoming. It was there that my grandfather and his twin were born. He died on 17 April 1949 in Hot Springs, South Dakota in the Veteran's hospital. He is buried in the Veteran's Cemetary there.

Now on to the family story. There is no real knowledge of John before 1917 when he registered for the draft. According to family legend, his parents died in a flood in 1900 and John was placed in an orphanage. He was adopted and ran away from his adopted family.

Here is where the questions lay. Was John Ellsworth Wolf his birth name? During the time in question, there was no way to prove name changes. Did his parents really die in a flood in 1900 or did he just run away from his real family? I believe that he must have changed his name at some point because we cannot find any record of him before 1917. If his parents did indeed die in a flood, did he even go to an orphanage?

The biggest question here seems to be his birth name. Was he always John Ellsworth Wolf or did he change it somewhere along the line?

If anyone can break down this brick wall, I would sure appreciate it. My family has been trying to find the truth for decades.

Thanks,

Connie J.