Hello, I am researching my ancestor Gideon Mills b. 1798 New York, died 11-4-1870 Fulton Co IL. The earliest record for Gideon Mills in Fulton Co IL is 1836, he first settled there on Copperas Creek, then later moved to Deerfield twsp, Fulton Co IL, where he lived until death. He was in Fulton Co IL from at least 1836 thru 1870, his death date. I would like to discover where he was living in 1830 census. He should have been approximately 32 years old. I do not know who his first wife was, or where they married. My only clue is that he had a son named William H. Mills born about 1827 at IL, or NY, or VA. His census statement is not consistant. In a review of 1830 census records listed with the name of Gideon Mills, we find the following nation wide: 1. Moriah, Essex Co, NY 2. Penn, Morgan Co OH 3. Streetsborough, Portage Co OH 4. Hudson, Portage Co OH I feel that the best possible choice for my ancestor is Moriah, Essex Co NY. The men listed for Streetsborough, and for Hudson, OH I believe are Father and Son. I believe that man is identified as: Gideon H. Mills b. 9-1-1802 Simsbury, Hartford Co, CT., he died 9-6-1884. He married Matilda Case 3-19-1828 at Hudson, OH. He was the son of Gideon Mills b. 2-2-1774 Simsbury, CT. (source: Jeffrey Mills jamills@mac.com via rootsweb.com family tree listing) This man was refered to as Squire Mills of Hudson, OH as of 1826, he was recorded as marrying a couple, therefor he was either a Minister, or a Justice of the Peace there. Squire is normally a title used on OLDER prominate men. Could this title identify this man as Gideon Mills b. 2-2-1774 Simsbury, CT, who was the father of Gideon H. Mills b. 9-1-1802 Simsbury, CT, who moved to Streetboro, OH? Gideon H. Mills (b. 9-1-1802 CT) was elected Constable on 4-2-1827 at Portage Co OH. The first settlers came to Streetsboro, Oh in 1798, by 1822 the area was divided into lots of 100 acres, and was selling for $2.00 per acres. The big industry at Streetsboro, OH was CHEESE production. Streetsboro and Hudson, OH are very close to each other, they are found North of Akron, and South of Cleveland. I do not know much about the Gideon Mills listed at Penn, Morgan Co OH, except that according to Ohio Records ansd Pioneer Families, there is a Gideon Mills Family Bible on record. This makes me believe this would not be the same man as my ancestor, because my ancestor spent the majority of his life in Fulton Co IL. I believe this man must be another man with the same name. The name Gideon Mills seems to be very popular, in certain areas. Especially so in the area of Hartford Co, CT, the communities of West Simbury and Canton. There is a very long list of men name Gideon Mills. Several of them seem to have been Ministers of the gospel. I will try to list here the ones that I know of so far, thinking that my own ancestor's name perhaps was given to him in honor of a prior wel known Gideon Mills. 1. Rev. Gideon Mills b. 8-15-1715 Windsor, CT., s/o Peter, s/o Pieter Wouterse van der Meulen b. 1622 Holland, d. about 1702 CT, immigrated from Leyden, Holland in 1650, in the 1660's he was in CT, he was of Dutch ancestry, he changed his name to Peter Mills. Rev. Gideon Mills married Elizabeth Higley, he was the second installed Minister at the Congregational Church, organized in 1750, located at Canton, CT, this church was formerly of West Simsbury. He was installed about 1759 or 1761, he died in 8-4-1772 Canton, CT. This man is perhaps the FIRST Gideon Mills in this family line, or area? I am just beginning research, so I might be wrong. 2. There was another famous Gideon Mills, he was married to Ruth Humprey, he was said to have been a Revolutionary War Vet, there daughter was Ruth Mills b. 2-16-1771 West Simsbury, CT, d. 12-9-1808, m. Owen Brown 2-13-1793. Their son was John Brown b. 5-9-1800 Torrington, CT, d. 12-2-1859 Charleston, WV, buried at North Elba, Essex Co., NY. Some of the children of John Brown were born at Hudson, Portage Co OH. This Gideon Mills is also called a Minister/Reverend. John Brown was a famous man in US History, he was an abolitionist, meaning he was against the concept and practice of Slavery in America, he died because of his anti-slavery beliefs, and the actions that he took to fight slavery. Some called him fanatic, some called him insane, some called him a criminal, he was controversial. John Brown was grandson of Gideon Mills of CT, and was settled for a period at Hudson, OH during 1836-1837 time frame, at the same time there was also Gideon Mills of Simsbury, Hartford Co, CT also settled there, in fact 2 men by that name, who I think are father and son, one in Hudson, OH as of 1830 census, the other at Streetsboro, OH nearby in the same 1830 census. I think there is possibly a connection between these people. John Brown was buried in Essex Co NY, were the Mills families of Essex Co NY also related to the Mills families of Hartford Co CT? Was there a migration of Mills families from Hartford Co CT to Essex Co NY? The Mills names which appear on the census of Essex Co NY are: 1800 census Timothy Mills, Jay, Essex Co NY 1810 " Aaron " Schroon Lake, " " " Stephen " " " " " " Richard " " 1820 " David " " " " " " Samuel " " " " " " Silas " Ticonderoga, " 1830 " Gideon " Moriah, " I looked at the 1830 census immage of Gideon Mills, and found the household looked like this: there were 2 little boys under 5 yrs of age, 1 young man aged 15-20 yrs, 2 young men aged 20-30, 1 little girl aged under 5 yrs, 1 little girl aged 5-10 yrs, 1 girl aged 10-15, and 1 lady aged 30-40. Gideon Mills who is listed as Head of Household then must be one of the young men aged 20-30, and my ancestor should have been 33 yrs old at the time. This would make a 3 year discrpency on the age, but it is close enough to study further as possible. It would appear the 2 young men are not married yet, unless one was married to either a young girl, or an older woman. Either case could be true. If this census is indeed my ancestor Gideon Mills, then one of the little boys would be William H. Mills born about 1827, and either Gideon Mills was married to a girl younger than he, or older than he, or perhaps the mother of William was dead by then? In the 1860 census, at Moriah, Essex Co NY there is listed a man named William Mills, he is living in the household of Cheney Simpson 50, and his wife Mabel 46. I think that William Mills aged 87 born NY is probably the father of Mabel Simpson. Nearby in the Mineville Cemetery, Moriah, Essex Co NY is buried William Mills b. about 1770 d. 3-9-1861, his wife Hannah Mills b. about 1780 d. 2-10-1852. I believe this is the same man in the 1860 census at Moriah, NY. How does William Mills b. abt 1770 relate to Gideon Mills b. 1797 NY, my ancestor? Is my ancestor Gideon Mills related to any of the various Mills families in Essex Co NY? Was my ancestor born in or around Essex Co NY? Who did he marry, and when did he leave for Fulton Co IL? Also listed in the 1830 census, but at Smithtown, Suffolk Co NY is a Gideon Mills b. 1788, he died 9-19-1834 (tombstone erroneous engraved as 1854), Will 6-16-1834, Will proved 10-30-1834, codicil to Will 9-16-1834, he married Mary Akerly, d/o John Ackerly and Deborah Smith, d/o Simeon Smith and Hannah Smith. Gideon Mills b. 1788 had sons named Selah A., Mills and Charles Alonzo Mills. Gideon Mills b. 1788 , s/o Jonas, s/o Jonas, s/o Timothy, s/o Jonathan, s/o George. This man is not my ancestor Gideon Mills b. 1798 NY, and from the research of Ned Smith, S. Hotchkiss, and others, can see no relationship between my Gideon Mills and the various Mills families of Suffolk Co NY. Therefor I am not trying to connect my ancestor Gideon Mills b. 1798 NY to Suffolk Co NY area. My ancestor Gideon Mills b. 1798 NY arrived sometime prior or about 1836 in Fulton Co IL, on the 1860 census all listed at Fulton Co IL are the following Mills names, who I believe are related: 1. Gideon Mills (b. 1798 NY) living at Deerfield, Fulton Co IL (my ancestor) 2. Alonzo Mills (b. 1810 NY) living at Banner, Fulton Co IL 3. Ira Mills (b. 1809 ) living at Banner, Fulton Co IL 4. William H. Mills (b. 1827 ) living at Canton, Fulton Co IL (my ancestor, s/o Gideon) Ira Mills apparently never married, he had built a one story log cabin in a landing area on Copperas Creek, Fulton Co IL, this area became known later as Banner. Ira lived next door to Alonzo Mills, Alonzo was married with many kids, but Ira is always listed alone in his own household, I think he remained a batchelor. He was a deficult man to his neighbors, and was not easy to get along with. In 1853 Ira Mills sued Gideon Mills in Fulton Co Court, for this reason I feel there was a relationship between the 2 men, since relatives often have grievances between them. It is stated in the History books of Fulton Co, that my ancestor Gideon Mills first lived at Copperas Creek, before moving to Deerfield, so this would put Gideon Mills, Alonzo Mills, and Ira Mills all at the same spot on Copperas Creek together. I think they may be brothers, but without any proof. Let me now list the names of the children of Gideon Mills and Alonzo Mills, incase this may shed light on this discussion: Gideon Mills b. 1798 NY first married an unknown woman and had a son William H. Mills b. about 1827 in an unknown location, he then moved to Fulton Co IL as of 1836 and remarried to a widow named Emeline Bishop, d/o Ira Bishop b. 1799 CT. The children of Gideon Mills and Emeline Bishop were: David 1841 IL, Nelson 1843 IL, Ann 1844 IL, Sarah 1848 IL, Mary 1850 IL, Francis C. 1854 IL. Alonzo Mills b. 1810 NY, married Sarah (unknown last name) b. 1828, the names of their children are: David b. 1849 NY, Isaac b. 1853 NY, Marcus b. 1855 MO, Ellmore b. 1839MO, Franklin b. 1854 NY. (this Sarah must be a second wife). William H. Mills b. about 1827, s/o Gideon Mills b. 1798 NY, married Rosilla Douglas Simmons, d/o Lebbeus, s/o Lebbeus Simmons who died at Waldo, Maine, who was a Rev War Vet from Mass, married to Mary Douglas, d/o John. William H. Mills and Rosilla had the following children: George b. 1851 IL; Charles b. 1855 IL, John Oscar b. 1853 IL, Lebbeus Gideon b. 1860 Il, Estella Mae b. 1865 Il, Ellen b. 1862 IL. Edward b. about 1855 IL. Please hlep me to identify who is Gideon Mills b. 1798 NY. All help is very welcome and appreciated, and thanks to all the many researchers who have helped me to prepare this report. Best regards, Lilly Martin, d/o Emily, d/o Charles, s/o Pearl Daphne Mills b. 1880, d/o John Oscar Mills b. 1853, s/o William H. Mills b. about 1827, s/o Gideon Mills b. 1798 NY.