Laura1853@aol.com; It was not the farming but it was where the trail led. It was the modern highway of the time. Indians lived in certian areas of what is Tennessee now. They had to by pass the area and one route led down through the tip of southern Illinois through Johnson and pope Counties are. That is where my ancestors settled. The other Route was through Lincoln County Tennessee and the middle of the state of Illinois to Missouri. When people traveled through the route to the tip of Illinois they Settled in the counties that were near this road way. Most of the area away from this road way was unsettled and they had to live near areas where they could get ahold of supplies. My Ancestors came to pope and Johnson county where there was very little people and there was plenty of Wild game and water. There was several large cities near by where they could get supplies when they needed them. Greg Simmons