Sandra, >> John Johnson has on one cencus that he was born in Ky then another Tn then on the 1880 he put NC << The first thing that comes to my mind, is that you may be dealing with 3 different John Johnson men. John and Johnson are very popular names. There could very well have been more than one man named that in your particular area of research. If you have ascertained that you have the correct man, please continue below. >> my question is, do you think he might have traveled this route and that is why the different states, the other thought is that NC changed to Tn later? << Kentucky, Tennessee, and North Carolina could have all been part of his heritage. As the boundary lines changed, a person's mindset didn't always change with it. As far as where he was born; he only knew what he was told. If that location later became part of another state or county, this probably didn't affect what he had remembered of his birthplace. Also, a lot of times, if a couple had just moved to a particular area, the wife would often go back home to her parents to have the baby. It is difficult to figure out for certain where anyone was born prior to birth certificates. A person growing up in the late 1700s or early 1800s, would probably have heard stories of where their family had resided in the early years, and might have confused this location with where they were actually born. After 1850, and more info was available on the Federal Census records, it was easier to guess where they were born. Especially if both parents' families lived in the same county. I recently purchased a first edition copy of THE SOUND OF CHARIOTS: By Helen Topping Miller, 1947. This book gives great details of the way of life in TN, KY, GA & the Carolinas during the late 1700s and early 1800s. The book revolves around the State of Franklin. From 1784 to 1788, much of the TN area was known as The State of Franklin. I don't believe I've ever seen that state mentioned on a Federal Census as a birthplace. But, you can be certain that hundreds of people were born in the State of Franklin. William A. Mills ==========>>> On Sat, 22 Apr 2000 12:44:01 -0700 "Sandra and Wayne Riner" <[email protected]> writes: Billy this is excellent please keep going with it I`m sure if you were standing in front of us you would get a big applause!! I have a question and I know this is pure speculation on yours or anyone else that would like to share there opinion. My ggg-grandfather John Johnson has on one cencus that he was born in Ky then another Tn then on the 1880 he put NC where I think he was born but my question is do you think he might have traveled this route and that is why the different states, the other thought is that NC changed to Tn later I live in Hawkins Co Tn now and I know at one time it was NC. any ideas??. Sandra --------------original message------------- Houston County Researchers: About 8 years ago, when I was compiling my MILLS family history, I utilized the Migration Trails to try to figure out where my ancestors came from, and where they were heading. In Central GA, Perry is known as the "Crossroads of Georgia". This isn't just because of the contemporary criss-crossing of Highways 41 & 341. Prior to Houston County's formation in 1821, this area of the state of Georgia was occupied by Indians. And, these Indians utilized major trails to travel between their settlements and hunting camps ... <snip> ________________________________________________________________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.