The HELM family arrived in Champaign Co about 1853 (maybe as late as 1855). The parents, James Madison Helm & Agnes Carter Helm, were married and lived part of their lives in Ohio (Guernsey and Knox Cos, at least). However both were born in Virginia, and Madison Helm probably grew up there as best we can tell. They left Ohio about 1844 for Grant Co IN along with many of Madison's brothers. Finally they moved to Crittenden about 1853 as I said. One of J M Helm's younger brothers, Benjamin F Helm, also lived in Illinois altho he spent most of his adult life in Kansas & Indiana. I don't yet know where he settled in Ill -- some of his children were born there -- it was probably in the decade before the Civil War. Some "allied" families also made the same trek. The BONNELL family was heavily involved with the Helms in Guernsey Co OH (neighbors, court officials). Cindrilla Bonnell married Francis Helm, James Madison's brother. Cindrilla's brother Jonathan Milburn Bonnell moved to Champaign Co about 1860 from Grant Co OH. Francis & Cindrilla, & Cindrilla's mother Ruth, stayed in Grant Co IN. Alfred BOCOCK was an early settler of Grant Co IN; he was from Highland Co OH originally. About 1850 he moved his family to Crittenden TWP. I have a feeling he may have persuaded or supported Madison Helm's move to Crittenden a few years later; he sold land to Helm around 1855 and they surely knew each other from Grant Co IN if not earlier. James Madison Helm's son Benjamin married Emma Bocock. I think that the WILSON family, that James Madison's son James William Helm married into, is also from Ohio. Quite a few folks went on to Kansas. Two of James Madison Helm's children did; several of his brothers and/or their children made that trip; mostly in the 1880's. I was reading 1881- era Champaign Co Gazettes recently and there are frequent mentions of trips out to Kansas & Colorado: something like, "if you're going on a buying trip to Kansas, don't overlook the comfortable and swift direct train to Kansas City now offered by the ICRR". I haven't looked at the whole web of people that these folks were involved with, but there is sure a story there about how migrations worked in the 19th century.