I too had some Hockersmiths migrate from Madison County, Ky to Randolph County, Mo Does anyone have any idea what motivated these people to make that move? Could it have been promise of land? Missouri passed a premption act that would allow people to settle on some acreage, clear it, or a part of it, build some sort of building to serve as a residence and remain there for a year..then they could apply and unless someone contested it ..buy it for $l.25 an acre. This was true down here in southeast Missouri where I live..course in the 1830's it was a swamp heavily forested. Some of my own maternal line came in here and bought land for $1.25 an acre that is now worth sometimes $2,000 an acre... Just a thought we had several Hockersmiths migrate to Randolph County, Mo and some up into Illinois. La Wanda Douglas