Hello everyone; Just a few things to add to the thread. Many came to Ogle Co., IL. during 1833 through the early 1850's were most likely seeking lands at a fair price in which to raise their families. Although the farming was getting unstable in Washington Co., MD. and the eastern states due to bad weather conditions in those times, many had heard of a great vast land that was available at low prices, and much was available in Ogle Co., in those times. Just as my ancestors who migrated from Washington County, Maryland in 1844, with a great exodus of German Baptist Brethren by wagon train... These families would write back home and tell of fertile and rich lands of Ogle County, Illinois... I have a few letters that were sent back east by family members trying to pursuede other members of the family to join them. In my case my ZELLERS family came to Ogle County after my GGG Grandparents Daniel and Elizabeth (FRIDLEY) LONG sent information regarding Ogle Co. they arrived in 1836... Only one of the families children stayed in Washington Co., MD. The rest migrated to Ogle Co., IL... Many things had a important role in many migrations from the east and I am sure there are many different reasons for these that occurred in the early to mid 1800's. Many never took place till after 1832 when the Blackhawk Wars raged the lands of Ogle Co., IL... Some earlier settlers never made it and were killed by Indians trying to make their way to the new lands... After the Blackhawk Wars in 1832 that is when most migrations took place.. For some knew and feared the wars and they knew it was wild and extreme land to try and migrate to, after the wars were completed, then news was sent east and the ok was sounded for many to come to Ogle Co., Illinois... Have a Great Day David Lee Zellers ----- Original Message ----- From: "Concetta Franco" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, October 07, 2003 8:27 AM Subject: [ILOGLE] Re: Question of migration patterns > Hi! > > I'm guessing that there were ads and people touting the great opportunities of Illinois just like the ads and people that came through the NY Finger Lakes area (where my father's family is from) that touted the great and fertile state of Michigan! > > And then, later on, the California advertisers were in Illinois, which is how my Graves (my mother's family) ended up there, touting the farm opportunities in the Southern portion of the state. > > People have to remember that the immigrants really held on to the idea that America was the place that they could own a piece of land, and come to prominence of their own hard work, rather than being born to it like in the old country. > > Most people today are too cynical to grasp this concept, but it would have been a large motivating factor to most of our immigrant relations. I, for one, would not be moving cross country today unless it came with a huge pay increase :-) > > Just a thought, > > Concetta > > > > ==== ILOGLE Mailing List ==== > If you have a family genealogy web site with Ogle Co., IL connections, please send the URL address to Roger Cramer at [email protected] and I will place a link to it on the Ogle Co. Genealogy Site. > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 >