I do not know the answer to that question although I'm sure someone does, but I have found the same thing. My best guess is when their people came to America and landed in the East, they began their way across the county through Virginia, the Carolina's etc. through Tenn, KY into IN, IL, MO, (as there was river transportation and jobs there especially with the railroad) but then they seemed to go on to Ark, TX and finally ventured their way out west. Back then there were no roads like there are today so my guess would be they all traveled pretty much the same passages as did the family before them. No sense venturing out a totally different direction. There were no street maps to get you back on course. My personal knowledge is that of Independence Rock in I believe Wyoming which is a landmark (rest stop) and is indicated that this was known as the half way point to the West for the new settlers. Right on Rt. 80. Some children are buried on the North side of the rock. It is a very humbling experience being at the rock. It looks like a blimp hanger plunked out in the middle of nothing. It probably provided shade, protection, etc for the travelers. They just continued on till they reached a nice place to settle that had water, land, trees, and eventually communities started up. That's why to this day there is still no one who lives in the middle of Wyoming. LOL

I have a lot of family that moved from White Co IL to Howell Co MO (not far from Ripley). In my case, it was due entirely to land patents that had been opened up and were available. It was a good opportunity to establish a good sized farm of one's own, and thus an opportunity for economic advancement and stability for their families. I imagine the same may have been true in Ripley Co. Janis Walker Gilmore Pawleys Island SC & Seattle WA ----- Original Message ----- From: <JRay38s@aol.com> To: <ILWHITE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, October 02, 2002 4:26 PM Subject: Re: [ILWHITE] White & Edwards Co. Illinois to Ripley Co., MO. > I do not know the answer to that question although I'm sure someone does, but > I have found the same thing. My best guess is when their people came to > America and landed in the East, they began their way across the county > through Virginia, the Carolina's etc. through Tenn, KY into IN, IL, MO, (as > there was river transportation and jobs there especially with the railroad) > but then they seemed to go on to Ark, TX and finally ventured their way out > west. Back then there were no roads like there are today so my guess would > be they all traveled pretty much the same passages as did the family before > them. No sense venturing out a totally different direction. There were no > street maps to get you back on course. > > My personal knowledge is that of Independence Rock in I believe Wyoming which > is a landmark (rest stop) and is indicated that this was known as the half > way point to the West for the new settlers. Right on Rt. 80. Some children > are buried on the North side of the rock. It is a very humbling experience > being at the rock. It looks like a blimp hanger plunked out in the middle of > nothing. It probably provided shade, protection, etc for the travelers. > They just continued on till they reached a nice place to settle that had > water, land, trees, and eventually communities started up. That's why to > this day there is still no one who lives in the middle of Wyoming. LOL > > > ============================== > 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 >