Mary, Thanks for your help. This is a complete paternal listing of the line I'm researching. I'm pretty much stuck in 2, with 1 being rumor only. 1. Peter Joseph Blair, Sr. - ???? A big fat rumor if this is the right name or not. 2. Peter Joseph Blair, Sr. - Beaujolaise Dawhday (???) The 1883 "History of Defiance County, Ohio" mentions a JOSEPH Blair, but a distant cousin says that his name was Peter Joseph Blair. (The autobiography of Nathaniel Ladd Blair, grandson of this man, is the focus of the 1883 sketch, and is reproduced below.) 3. Peter Joseph Blair, Sr. (1808-1870 born in Detroit, MI) - Sarah Gordon (???-1874) This is the generation that I am fairly sure about. Peter is buried in BLAIR Cemetery in Delaware Township, Defiance County Ohio. 4. Peter Blair, Jr. (1850- Mary Elizabeth Merris 5. Harry Merris Blair (1888-1966 born in Sterling, KS) - Eva Lena Kidwell (1894-1994 born in IL) 6. Maurice Kidwell Blair (1912-present) - Jane Shepherd 7. Randall S Blair (1941-present born in Goshen, IN) - Betty Jean Bohyer (1939-present born in Sturgis, MI) 8. ME! Randall S Blair, II (1967-present born in LaPorte, IN) History of Defiance County, Ohio. Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co., 1883. Nathaniel M. Blair was born March 28, 1843, on the farm on which he now resides in Delaware Township, distant about two miles from the village of Sherwood. Here he has always lived on the old homestead and now owns the same, having bought out the other heirs. He was married November 9, 1865, to Miss Emily Jane Tharp, who was born in Farmer Township, April 17, 1842, and daughter of Elisha Tharp, one of the first pioneers of Farmer Township, who is the only person now living in that township who voted at its organization for its first officers. The fruit of this marriage has been four children, viz.: Clarence D., born July 5, 1867; Elsie L., born July 17, 1869, died December 9, 1877; Leota E., born January 6, 1871; Annie S., born February 7, 1876. Mr. Blair's grandfather, Joseph Blair, came from near Detroit to this county in the spring of 1817, and was a squatter at Defiance until the land sales, when he entered the farm on which Stephen Harsey now resides, on the banks of the Maumee at which place he died 1824, aged about eighty-five years. He was in the war of 1812. Peter Blair (father of Nathaniel) was born February 13, 1808, near Detroit, and came to this county with his parents when a boy of nine years, and grew up on his father's farm. In November, 1834, he was married to Miss Betsey Hughs, by whom he had four children, three boys and one girl, viz.: Mary A., Joseph, Nathaniel L. and Benjamin F.; of these, two are dead; Joseph died in infancy, Benjamin F. died November 27, 1880. Mary A., married Thomas Gordon, now deceased, lives in Marks Township. Mr. B. settled on the farm now occupied by his son Nathaniel, in 1845 or 1846. His first purchase was ten acres, upon which he built a log-cabin then purchased from time to time in addition thereto, amounting to 243 acres. While living in his cabin on the river bottom in times of a freshet, when the river overflowed its banks and the water came rushing around his cabin, the family were obliged to take refuge in the loft until the waters subsided. The sudden rise of the river often caught his hogs napping in their pens or in the field, and on such occasions Mr. B. had to get into his log canoe and paddle around and rescue them as best he could. There was an abundance of fish in the river and game of all kinds in the woods, deer in droves, turkeys in large flocks, bears were plenty and sometimes quite troublesome among the shoats. Mr. B. kept no gun ( a rare circumstance for those days) and very often had to go out accompanied by his little dog and with club in hand, club them! away. Indians were numerous, but peaceable and friendly. Mr. B. never had any trouble with them except on one occasion, when he caught one of their dogs committing some depredation and Mr. Blair killed him. The Indian threatened the life of Mr. Blair and was armed with a large knife. In the altercation, Mr. Blair gave the Indian one kick which ended the controversy in the death of the Indian, for which Mr. Blair was obliged to pay $32. In the year 1847, Mr. Blair married for his second wife, Miss Sarah Gordon, of this county, and to them were born the following children--Thomas J., Peter, George, Nancy, Laura, Harriet, Evaline and America. Mr. Blair died on his farm, December 27, 1870, aged sixty-two years. Nathaniel L. thinks the first schoolhouse built in the township was built on this farm about the year 1850, and the first teacher was one Mr. Fay, now residing at Bryan, Williams County, Ohio. Preaching was held at private residences and schoolhouses until quite recently. Mary Powers <[email protected]> wrote: Rev. Randy, I'm updating info on the New England Blairs and have some information regarding Blairs from Canada to Michigan. However, I'd need specific info -- name of Blair, spouse if known, any more specific dates, etc. Many Blairs of the Massachusetts line also ended up in Michigan, some after having lived in Upstate New York and Ohio. Go to the BSGR website, BlairSociety.com -- they have members linking to Michigan Blairs. Mary Powers, editor, Blair Family Magazine ----- Original Message ----- From: "Blair" To: Sent: Sunday, January 30, 2005 12:05 AM Subject: [BLAIR-L] Canadian Blairs > Hey there, Blair folk! > > Any ideas where I can get some info on Blairs migrating from Canada (New France) in the late 1700's early 1800's to Detroit Michigan? (They later moved to Williams/Defiance County Ohio). > > > Yours in Christ, > Rev. Randy Blair > Chaplain - Foundation for Children's Rights - www.fcr4kids.org > President - Michigan victims of CPS PAC - www.michiganvictimsofcps.org > J.A.I.L. Warden for Oakland County Michigan - www.jail4judges.org > > "All I asked for was to be removed from the Central Registry because I am NOT a child abuser." > > > > > > > > > > ==== BLAIR Mailing List ==== > If you are unsubscribed from the Blair list unintentionally, just resubcribe. A full mailbox, computer error, or spam may cause you to be unsubscribed. > > ============================== > Search Family and Local Histories for stories about your family and the > areas they lived. Over 85 million names added in the last 12 months. > Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13966/rd.ashx >