Hi list, I'm curious about the migration in the 1850's from Ohio to Wayne Co. I'm also curious if there were any earlier migrations in the 1830's? I'm searching for a family of Wm James Riggs, wife Violena Dye and their 7 children who supposedly went west to Iowa in the 1830's. The parents died and the children were brought back to Ohio and all turned up in later censuses and went on to marry. Is it possible that this family stopped in Wayne County on their way west? According to Iowa history many families did just that. Are there any land records from the 1830's? This is a long shot I know. Anyone have any ideas about Iowa records? Thanks, Bridget Couch

In reply to Bridget, I too wondered why Wayne County to stop off and start building homes and having families. I did a bit of searching on the net for migration routes and why, and this is what I discovered. THE NATIONAL ROAD The National Road was originally called the Cumberland Road because it started in Cumberland, Maryland. By 1825, it was referred to as the National Road because of its federal funding. The enabling act for admission of Ohio to the Union in 1803 contained provisions for construction of a road linking the East and West. Congress then passed "An Act to Regulate the Laying Out and Making a Road from Cumberland, in the State of Maryland, to the State of Ohio." In 1811, contracts were signed for construction of the first ten miles west of Cumberland. The road reached Wheeling in 1818. It entered Columbus in 1833, and Congress made its last appropriation for the road in 1838. During the 1830s, Congress had begun to turn the road over to the states for administration and maintenance. Construction was suspended in the early 1840s because of lack of congressional appropriations. Indiana completed its intrastate segment in 1850. The road then continued on to Vandalia, Illinois, but it did not continue on to Jefferson City, Missouri, as had been planned, the idea being that the road was to go through state capitals as it moved westward. The old National Road became part of U.S. 40 in 1926. Cumberland, MD Allegheney Grove, MD Frostburg, MD Grantsville, MD Keyser, MD Oakton, PA Addison, PA Somerfield, PA Farmington, PA Uniontown, PA Brownsville, PA Beallsville, PA Scenery Hill, PA Washington, PA Claysville, PA West Alexander, PA Valley Grove, WV Point Mills Station, WV Fulton, WV Wheeling, WV Bridgeport, OH St. Clairsville, OH Zanesville, OH Columbus, OH Springfield, OH Richmond, IN Indianapolis, IN Terre Haute, IN Effingham, IL Vandalia, IL Many families crossed at St Genevieve into Missouri, or traveled the river system north, but were confronted by Indians and were turned back to safety. They traveled in groups of families for safety sake, some finding it safer back in civilized territory thus returning to the last town of population on the established trail. Interesting I would say, with the information, seems that the National Highway ended in Vandalia IL for our Wayne County ancestors, the end of the line so to speak, and there they set up their establishments. Any other ideas?

[email protected] wrote: > I'm curious about the migration in the 1850's from Ohio to Wayne Co. the HEADLEY, BRICKER, DURHAM and other families came to Wayne Co., IL from Columbiana Co., OH in that decade. Terry Harper