Lewis and Margaret were married on Sept. 8, 1839 in Madison County, Kentucky. Lewis was listed as a resident of Daviess County, Indiana in 1850. He was residing in Washington Township. In 1852,the Helphinstine family joined the wagon train and traveled overland to California.

Four of their seven children didn't survive to adulthood.

Biographical Sketch of Lewis Harrison Helphinstine from "History of the State of California and Biographical Record of the Sacramento Valley, California" by Prof. J. M. Guinn, published in 1906:

"The strongest material in the foundation of the western statehood came, as a rule, from the families of the middle west, the Mississippi valley giving to the Pacific coast the men and women whose lives as pioneers have made California what it is today. Of these early settlers prominent mention belongs to Lewis H. Helphinstine and his wife, who are remembered in Colusa county as staunch upbuilders of it's best interests, although the former has been dead some years and his widow makes her home in North Berkeley. Mr. Helphinstine was a native of Indiana, born May 4, 1813, a son of John Helphinstine, a pioneer of both Illinois and Indiana, removing from Kentucky to the above-named states, where he engaged as a general farmer and stockman. He died in Indiana, while his wife, formerly Nancy Wolf, died in Illinois. Besides Lewis H., two of their other sons came to California, one of whom, John P., crossed the plains in 1852 and died in Los Angeles.

Lewis H. Helphinstine was reared to young manhood in Indiana, whence he removed to Kentucky, the ancestral home of the family, where he engaged in farming for a livelihood. Near Richmond, in Madison county, in 1840, he was united in marriage with Margaret Brown Padan, who was born in that section January 5, 1819. She was a daughter of Thomas and Lucy (Sappington) Padan, the former of whom died when Mrs. Helphinstine was an infant, and the latter, a native of Kentucky, survived to her sixty-first year, dying in the vicinity of Princeton, Colusa county. Of their four children, Thomas died in Missouri; James died in California; and Mary became the wife of John P. Helphinstine, and now makes her home in Berkeley. In 1852 Mr. Helphinstine and his wife outfitted with mule teams for the journey across the plains, and after its safe accomplishment they located on a part of the Thomas O. Larkin grant, farming a tract of sixteen hundred acres extending west from the river. They improved and cultivated the place, and at the same time conducted what was known as the Ten-Mile house, the first public house in the county. They remained in that location until the death of Mr. Helphinstine, which occurred February 17, 1893. For many years he had been known through his carrying of the mail between Princeton and Tehama, as well as through his management of a hostelry and as an agriculturalist In religion he was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church South and helped erect a building of this denomination in Princeton. Politically he was a strict adherent of the principles advocated in the platform of the Democratic party. Until a few years ago Mrs. Helphinstine continued to reside on the old home place near Princeton, since which time she has made her home with her daughter, Mary E. Rush, No. 1607 Walnut street, North Berkeley. Of the eight children born to herself and husband, but three attained maturity, namely: John W., who died in Sisson, Cal., in 1890; Henry Russell, located on the old homestead; and Mary Elizabeth, the widow of Robert R. Rush. Mrs. Helphinstine is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church South."

From Will S. Green's, "The History of Colusa County, California and General History of the State, Sacramento, California", Sacramento Lithograph, 1950

(Reprint of Colusa County, California, Illustrations Descriptive of its Scenery, Fine Residences, San Francisco, Elliott & Moore, 1880)

"L. H. Helphinstine was born in Fleming County, Kentucky, May 4, 1813, married Margaret Padan September 1, 1839. Had eight children born to them, only three of whom are now living. Came across the plains in 1852, and reached the place where he now resides August 26, of the same year. Like everybody else who settled along the road at that date he kept a hotel, but soon began to raise stock, and was one of the first in the county to begin farming operations. The land upon which he settled, three miles below Princeton, was supposed to be government land, but it was soon found that it was claimed under a Mexican grant by the children of Thomas P. Larkin. In 1858, Mr. Helphinstine purchased half a mile fronting on the river and running back in a parallelogram five miles and a half."