With regard to the "year without a summer", as I recall it was 1816; it was caused by a reduction in the sun's radiation and coincided with an unusual minimum in the sunspot cycle. Snow or frost was experienced every month of the summer in New England---and there was widespread crop failure. I know nothing about a second occurrence in the 1830s---William Lester ----- Original Message ----- From: "Marilyn LeVeque" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, July 28, 2005 10:04 PM Subject: [NYCAYUGA] Migrations from New York to the west > Hello Shelly & all, > > Well, in my limited time doing my own genealogy, I have discovered that > migrations west (to Ohio, MI, IN, IL & other areas) occurred as the > territories became safer, also when the Rev. War & War of 1812 & Civil War > ended the veterans were awarded land to settle. > > In 1815 or so & again in the 1830's (if I recall correctly) NY & New > England experienced what was call "a year without a summer". It was cold > & dry and dust in the air and no one could plant crops. This caused > poverty and malnutrition. They left so they could find rich soil to plant > crops & survive. > > When there was an epidemic that caused death our ancestors blamed it on > "bad air", especially in areas with growing populations and poor > sanitation. I have a letter written to an ancestor in the early 1870's > asking her sister to move to MN where the "air was clean & there is no > sickness". Overcrowding in the East led to TB or "consumption". MI has a > death index called "MI GENDIS" and you can search the site & see the > causes of death for a lot of our NY to MI ancestors. > > Then there were the Loyalists who left New England & New York, who went to > Nova Scotia & Ontario, Canada or "Upper Canada" & when the Wars were over > they, our ancestors, migrated back, especially through Detroit, MI. > > Also, parents usually left land to their older sons & younger sons had to > leave the area, as the population grew, from the large families & arrivals > from Germany, Scandinavia, England & Europe who settled in New York > crowded them out. > > Then the government offered these adventourous men/families incentives to > settle in the Midwest, so many left, especially after the Erie Canal was > built. Again, I have a biography of my great great grandmother, Louisa > Kelsey McOmber, of Vermont, telling of her experiences on the Erie Canal > to Kalamazoo, MI. > > Then in the 1860's, after the Civil War, men moved to the West to claim > land offered to them for their service. > > And, of course, there was the CA gold rush, but all the mitigating > reasons, basically were, in my opinion, age old, to improve their life, > either increase their wealth, to improve their health, and ensure the > safety of their family, just as their/our ancestors left England in the > 1600's to escape London's overcrowding. > > Aren't we lucky? I thank my ancestors for wanting to improve their life > and keep their genes safe. > > Today the new legal immigrants/"pilgrims", especially here in CA, are > Fillipino, all with the same desire to work hard, become citizens and > improve the life of their children. Many are the nurses I now work with & > every Thanksgiving I tell them they are the new "Pilgrims". > > I love history, geography, sociology, & science and genealogy includes all > these wonderful areas to study. > > Sincerely, > > Marilyn > > > ==== NYCAYUGA Mailing List ==== > Have you visited the NYGenWeb project home page lately? > http://www.rootsweb.com/~nygenweb > > ============================== > Jumpstart your genealogy with OneWorldTree. Search not only for > ancestors, but entire generations. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13972/rd.ashx

I'd heard the same thing. Out of curiosity I did a quick search and found the following excellent article about this: http://www.islandnet.com/~see/weather/history/1816.htm also see: ----- Original Message ----- From: "William Lester" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, July 29, 2005 10:54 AM Subject: Re: [NYCAYUGA] Migrations from New York to the west > With regard to the "year without a summer", as I recall it was 1816; it > was caused by a reduction in the sun's radiation and coincided with an > unusual minimum in the sunspot cycle. Snow or frost was experienced every > month of the summer in New England---and there was widespread crop > failure. I know nothing about a second occurrence in the 1830s---William > Lester > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Marilyn LeVeque" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Thursday, July 28, 2005 10:04 PM > Subject: [NYCAYUGA] Migrations from New York to the west > > >> Hello Shelly & all, >> >> Well, in my limited time doing my own genealogy, I have discovered that >> migrations west (to Ohio, MI, IN, IL & other areas) occurred as the >> territories became safer, also when the Rev. War & War of 1812 & Civil >> War ended the veterans were awarded land to settle. >> >> In 1815 or so & again in the 1830's (if I recall correctly) NY & New >> England experienced what was call "a year without a summer". It was cold >> & dry and dust in the air and no one could plant crops. This caused >> poverty and malnutrition. They left so they could find rich soil to >> plant crops & survive. >> >> When there was an epidemic that caused death our ancestors blamed it on >> "bad air", especially in areas with growing populations and poor >> sanitation. I have a letter written to an ancestor in the early 1870's >> asking her sister to move to MN where the "air was clean & there is no >> sickness". Overcrowding in the East led to TB or "consumption". MI has >> a death index called "MI GENDIS" and you can search the site & see the >> causes of death for a lot of our NY to MI ancestors. >> >> Then there were the Loyalists who left New England & New York, who went >> to Nova Scotia & Ontario, Canada or "Upper Canada" & when the Wars were >> over they, our ancestors, migrated back, especially through Detroit, MI. >> >> Also, parents usually left land to their older sons & younger sons had to >> leave the area, as the population grew, from the large families & >> arrivals from Germany, Scandinavia, England & Europe who settled in New >> York crowded them out. >> >> Then the government offered these adventourous men/families incentives to >> settle in the Midwest, so many left, especially after the Erie Canal was >> built. Again, I have a biography of my great great grandmother, Louisa >> Kelsey McOmber, of Vermont, telling of her experiences on the Erie Canal >> to Kalamazoo, MI. >> >> Then in the 1860's, after the Civil War, men moved to the West to claim >> land offered to them for their service. >> >> And, of course, there was the CA gold rush, but all the mitigating >> reasons, basically were, in my opinion, age old, to improve their life, >> either increase their wealth, to improve their health, and ensure the >> safety of their family, just as their/our ancestors left England in the >> 1600's to escape London's overcrowding. >> >> Aren't we lucky? I thank my ancestors for wanting to improve their life >> and keep their genes safe. >> >> Today the new legal immigrants/"pilgrims", especially here in CA, are >> Fillipino, all with the same desire to work hard, become citizens and >> improve the life of their children. Many are the nurses I now work with >> & every Thanksgiving I tell them they are the new "Pilgrims". >> >> I love history, geography, sociology, & science and genealogy includes >> all these wonderful areas to study. >> >> Sincerely, >> >> Marilyn >> >> >> ==== NYCAYUGA Mailing List ==== >> Have you visited the NYGenWeb project home page lately? >> http://www.rootsweb.com/~nygenweb >> >> ============================== >> Jumpstart your genealogy with OneWorldTree. Search not only for >> ancestors, but entire generations. Learn more: >> http://www.ancestry.com/s13972/rd.ashx > > > ==== NYCAYUGA Mailing List ==== > Going on vacation? Unsubscribe from NYCayuga-L by sending a message > to [email protected] (or NYCayuga-D-request.com if you > receive the digest) with just the word "unsubscribe" (no quotes) > > ============================== > Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the > last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx > >