Hi Folks, I've been trying to find information on my ggreatgrandparents, Marcius Blodgett Williams(1812-1893) and Julia Miner(1824-1884), who married in Homer, NY, in 1836. I have not found the reference as yet in the Homer town records or the Congregational and Methodist Episcopalian records. Marcius was a lay minister in the latter. They moved to Pierce Co., WI, in the mid 1850's. I have been able to trace Marcius quite easily back to the original settler, Robert Williams, and his wife Elizabeth Stalham, but have been largely unsuccessful finding Julia Miner's roots. There is fairly strong evidence that she was an older sister of Reuben Fletcher Miner, whose parents were Charles Miner and Lucinda Dunham, both of Seneca, NY.... perhaps. I haven't been able to verify this connection, nor find the parents of Charles and Lucinda. I have information on Marcius and Julia's children, but he was married twice before: (1) Almira/Alvira Barnes? (1812-1843) and (2) Sarah Swan (1810-1845). I have found nothing as yet re these two women, either. Do any of these names "ring a bell" with anyone??? Thanks Judy

I'd love for an historian to chime in here, but my amateur opinion is that it may have been less what was happening in NY and more about the land opening up in the Midwest. Virtually everyone I'm related to came to the Midwest in the mid 1800s, from New York (Cortland Co!), Connecticut, the Netherlands, the UK... One of the stories I've unearthed was about my relatives from the Netherlands who were led first to Colorado with a whole entourage who dumped their life savings into the effort only to find that the promises of fertile land were empty....they were "rescued" by a church and brought to Minnesota, where they lived in poverty for many, many years, but they did get their land. I think the promise of land brought people here, and the homesteads in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, etc. were "given away" with a promise to stay and farm. I think. Suzanne Stenson O'Brien a Minnesotan again suzzo@bitstream.net Pam wrote: > My BROOKS and BURR ancestors moved from Cortland County, NY to Franklin > County, Iowa prior to 1860. Does anyone know what might have been happening in > Cortland County to have caused this migration? > -- > Peace and Gentle Sunsets, > Pam > > ==== NYCORTLA Mailing List ==== > > ============================== > Ancestry.com Genealogical Databases > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/rwlist2.asp > Search over 2500 databases with one easy query!

My BROOKS and BURR ancestors moved from Cortland County, NY to Franklin County, Iowa prior to 1860. Does anyone know what might have been happening in Cortland County to have caused this migration? -- Peace and Gentle Sunsets, Pam

Greetings, I am a new member of this web server and would like to share the information regarding my family who resided at Cortland Co., NY in the 1830s-1850s: David Darling, b. 21 Oct 1761, Mendon, MA. marr (1) Eliz Goldwaite on 5 Feb 1784, Smithfield, RI. marr (2) Mercy Phillips abt 1791, Glocester, RI. They had eight children born in RI. Of these children the following removed to Cortland Co., NY with their parents David and Mercy Darling: Darius, b. 1793 settled at Virgil; Artemus, b. 1798 settled at Virgil and LaPeer; Stephen, b. 1807, resided Virgil (1835 census of Virgil) and went onto Calhoun Co., MI; David Jr., b. 20 May 1805. David Darling died and was buried in Cortland Co. According to the "Abstract of Graves of Rev. Patriots" by Patricia Law Hatcher, David Darling was buried at Virgil Cemetery, Cortland Co., NY and the grave was located by NSDAR in 1936 and accordingly a plaque was placed at this site. I would like to find the location of this grave. I have checked Online sources for cemeteries for Cortland Co., but could not locate this grave. Mercy is listed in the 1850 Census for Norwhich, Chenango Co., NY as a "widow." David Darling Jr. married to Polly/Mary Gates, b. abt 1806 in NYS - possibly at Virgil, Cortland Co., NY. Parentage unknown. They resided at Virgil, Cortland Co., NY in the 1830s. They had six daughters: Mary E., b. 1833; Mercy Ann b. 11 May 1835 at Virgil; Adelia; Olive G. d. 15 Jan 1852, Fairview, IA; Emmaline Lovinia b. abt 1841 marr Mr. Sipes and had a son George b. abt 1859; Amanda b. abt 1842. David Jr. migrated to Iowa abt 1850/52. He is not in the 1850 Census for Cortland Co., NY. He is in the 1852 Census for Fairview, Jones Co., IA. I believe that the daughters all went with David and Polly to Fairview, Jones Co., IA. I have extensive data on this family beginning with their settlement at Fairview, IA about 1850/52. Were there other families that migrated to Iowa from Cortland Co., NY at about this same time? Would someone know where the burial place of David Darling, Rev. War Patriot is located in Cortland Co.? I have a J. Gates who is buried next to Polly (Gates) Darling and her daughter Olive at the Norwich Cem., Fairview, IA. His information is: J. Gates 1777-1854 - they share the same plot. Anyone that may have information relating to the Gates family in Cortland Co., NY would be appreciated. I believe it may be Polly's father or mother. Thank you. Mark Allen at Niseilat@aol.com

Hello List: Does anyone know if there are any records that could be a substitute for the 1810 census which is missing for Cortland County? I am trying to find my gggrandfather's parents in 1810. My gggrandfather, Giles Ransom, was born in Truxton, Cortland County, NY, in 1812. The later censuses state that his father was from Massachusetts and his mother from Rhode Island, but I don't have names for them at the present time. Any help that any of you could give me would be greatly appreciated. Thanks very much Mary Alice near Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

<<Were there other families that migrated to Iowa from Cortland Co., NY at about this same time? >> Very interesting, Mark. Most of my info about Cortland Co. Van Hoesens comes from censuses, so I don't have exact dates for marriages or moves. But, Robert C. Van Hoesen, wife Electa had three children born in NY in c. 1846, 1847 and 1850. Sometime before the 1860 census they moved to Clarksville, Butler Co., IA. Their son, Albertus (1847) is my gggrandfather. Looks like Jones Co. IA is about four counties or so away from Butler. Patti

<<Anyway, all that to say that now that I'm back in the land of the living, I'll continue the series shortly (before it all falls out of my head!).>> Dear Tim, This is my first post here, but I wanted to say that I enjoyed hearing about your trip and look forward to hearing the rest. Patti Hobbs in Missouri-descendent of the Van Hoesens of Preble.

I guess ya'll are wondering where the rest of the series went to? Well truth be told, after my last episode on 4/4, I got sick with a severe sinus infection that had me bedridden with headaches and a generally awful feeling from 4/5 through 4/8. Then as I was getting better, the pollen levels went to historical highs - we had gone from a count of 300 to 5711 in about 5 days. It has not been the best allergy season. I'm now down to that feather in your throat tickle which is bearable unless I get too hot too quickly. Not much chance of that for the next couple of days as we went from the mid-80's last week to snow flurries today and 35-40 mph winds as ole man winter decided to pay us another visit. The air was running last week, the heat is running tonight. Then Uncle Sam demand another chunk of my time ending this past weekend. Anyway, all that to say that now that I'm back in the land of the living, I'll continue the series shortly (before it all falls out of my head!). Tim

-----Original Message----- From: Joan Young [SMTP:joan@rootsweb.com] Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2001 5:54 PM To: GC-ANNOUNCE-L@rootsweb.com Subject: GenConnect server offline for full system backup tonight The GenConnect server will be offline from approximately midnight tonight until approximately 5 am Mountain Daylight Time, Wednesday, April 11, for a full system backup. The GenConnect Team ==== GC-ANNOUNCE Mailing List ==== ============================== Search over 1 Billion names at Ancestry.com! http://www.ancestry.com/rd/rwlist1.asp

FYI regarding BYU's project. ====== Molecular Genealogy links individuals together in "family trees" based on the unique identification of genetic markers. This is accomplished by using the information encoded in the DNA of an individual and/or population to determine the relatedness of individuals, families, tribal groups, and populations..... BYU's Molecular Genealogy project information site... http://molecular-genealogy.byu.edu/ Check this website for an event near your location... http://molecular-genealogy.byu.edu/events.htm ====

Sunday, March 18 dawned with another 5 inches of new snow! I decided to take my cousin and his wife out for Sunday dinner. We went to a little restaurant in Norwich, Carmen's Cafe. After lunch we went to see my cousin's brother-in-law on a high hill east of South New Berlin, in Otsego County. He has a grand view of the valley but it's a tad windy and bitingly cold there. I was able to see and snap a photo of my uncle's previous home in the valley. It was a somewhat awkward visit, as his wife, my cousin, had passed away last May. I'd not seen them in 6 years prior to her untimely death from a brain tumor. The house is just as she left it and they had been married 29 years before her passing. All I can say folks is, visit or call your relatives while you still have them. Don't delay. Leaving there we went north along the river road in Otsego, more or less paralleling the meandering Unadilla River. We turned left at the first crossroads and came into New Berlin across the two span metal bridge on the south side of the village. There are so many memories that spring to mind as one travels over and again roads traveled as a child. Just past the bridge and before one rejoins State 8, the old roadbed of the Unadilla Valley Railroad lies. My mind goes back to the time in 1958 or 1959 seeing a small diesel engine pushing a lone boxcar across that intersection of road and rail-line. Going north we pass the old stone inn - a structure I've never been in but imagine would be one of the finest in the area. We turned beside it, traveling back to Green Street, where my grandparents once lived and where the old shoe factory building still stands. The place where my grandparents lived is now a parking lot for an insurance company. The remaining houses now seem so small - yet certainly remain large in my mind of yesteryear. Leaving our friend's house we traveled north on State 80 to Five Corners, then northwest to Columbus, then west to Sherburne, Smyrna, Upperville, and a bit beyond to see the matriarch of the family - my Dad's cousin's wife - who has outlived the cousin now by 38 years, and another husband besides. She's 83 and in failing health - a leaky heart valve. But what a treat to see her once again - still the warm smile, the years melting away as we talk of old times, those no longer with us - and out of the blue - a new bit of information as she tells me of the folks the property was brought from so many years ago (pre-1909). It seems that there were two families - one whose name escapes me at the moment - but the other (CARD) had owned part of the land. It was a name I'd seen a lot of in my scrapbooks - and here was the key as to why! A side note here - the stone for the Smyrna village tribute to its war dead came from this farm. A blurb of that will be added to the web site. It is non-characteristic stone for that region of the State, being a pink granite. Well that's it for this edition. It's 3 AM...bedtime! Tim Stowell Moderator Chenango County mailing list Coordinator Chenango County, NYGenWeb pages http://www.rootsweb.com/~nychenan

Yes there is a part 0 - seems I left out a crucial point in my note of the other day. You see I met with a gentleman in Binghamton, on my way in on Friday. He is the one formatting the data for the St. Andrew's transcription to be included on the Chenango cemetery site. We talked for a couple of hours about the best way present the data, cross-reference and so on. We also talked about the area, what we each do for vocations outside of genealogy. As we parted, I gave him a jonquil (yellow flower) for his wife - the promise of spring - picked from my garden Thursday morning. Arriving at my cousin's house, I presented his wife with a vase full of these same kind of flowers. It made her day as she said they'd not seen their yard since sometime in October. What I thought were bushes outside covered with snow was instead a 5 foot or so snowbank. Of course I had to have my picture made by this! A side note regarding Maple Grove cemetery in Otselic - contains some of my MARTIN, WHALEY, GARDNER ancestors. End of part 0 Tim Stowell Moderator Chenango County mailing list Coordinator Chenango County, NYGenWeb pages http://www.rootsweb.com/~nychenan

My visit to Chenango County from March 16 - March 24 was a resounding success far exceeding my expectations. First of all shortly after my arrival Friday evening, the 16th - 3 inches of new snow came. Now I realize for those of you who see gobs of the stuff it's more pain than pleasure. However, for a down South guy, who only sees snow about once every 3 years....well it was a special treat. Early Saturday morning found us headed north on State 8 to Scribner's Cemetery to visit and uncle, aunt and cousin's grave. I do have a transcription of this on-line - at least up to a point. Next we went into New Berlin to see if the library was open. As it was not, we proceeded to St. Andrew's Episcopal church and cemetery. A transcription of this cemetery was done last summer by a group of volunteers. A subsequent on-line listing is in the works. We also visited the village cemetery adjoining. Later that day I got to meet a new volunteer who is interested in assisting me get material for the web site to share with the rest of you. The day was supposed to be snow flurries - but turned into snow - another 5 inches. Yay! :) Having heard of the county farm for years and having never seen it, my cousin whom I was staying with during my visit, showed me around the county - and we went to see the old county farm in Preston, now an old folks home - way out in the boonies. From there we drove to East Pharsalia and Pharsalia. Along the way, I ran into a perfect photo op, a straight empty road, trees lining it and a neat snow fall. Shortly had we been out of the car than someone stopped to see if we were ok! After Pharsalia we turned southwest and wandered into Cortland County through Lower Cincinnatus (didn't know such a place existed), Cincinnatus and Taylor before returning to Chenango County and Pitcher. We proceeded northeast on State 26 to North Pitcher's churchyard where my grandmother's brother (PARKHURST) is buried. Of course having seen the grave before in the summer, and finding it under knee deep snow proved to be a different matter. Some graves buried under the snow could be distinguished by the humps in the snow while others had to be found by tromping around and stomping here and there to see if stones could be found. During this adventure I twisted my knee and worked my way out and back to the car. While I did 'see' some relatives there, I was unable to find the one I'd been seeking. >From North Pitcher we headed north passing through South Otselic and Otselic - and Maple Grove cemetery - where I've a few more relatives. As the 'road' into that cemetery is wicked even in the summer, no attempt was made to visit there this time. :( Moving further north to Georgetown, in Madison County, then east past Evergreen Cemetery - blocked by snow plow drifts - to the area known as Texas Hill where another group of my relatives (WHALEY and MARTIN) once lived. This is now State land. We got so far and then as the road was not plowed out, we had to retreat and go another route (Upham Road) south to Otselic. The road home took us to Upperville, Smyrna, Sherburne Four, North Norwich, Norwich, and to the country east of Springvale. On the road between Sherburne Four and North Norwich another photo op presented itself in the form of clouds/fog descending on a hill top with big fir trees and the snow falling neatly around it. Once again, we'd barely got our photo taken than someone stopped to make sure we were ok. (Amazing this Southerner - not the stereotypical Yankee we in the South often hear about! :) ). Actually nearly everyone I met during my trip in central New York were kind, friendly and inviting folk. End of part 1 Tim Stowell Moderator Chenango County mailing list Coordinator Chenango County, NYGenWeb pages http://www.rootsweb.com/~nychenan

At 10:23 PM 4/1/01 -0400, Daniel H. Weiskotten wrote: >Tim Stowell pondered: >>Upon returning home, I found out that General US Grant's horse had >>been named Cinncinnatus. This got me to wondering what that name means >>and if the town or horse got its name from one or the other? Since the >>name is very close to that of Cinncinnati, I was also wondering if they >>come from the same root word. >> >>Does anyone have info on what the signifigance of this name is regarding >>history, its definition or what it was named for? >Tim: > Firtst, I hope you had a good trip. Last time I was up north I spent a >day running necessary erands and got nothing accomplished and saw no one. >So much to do so little time! > Cincinnatus gets its name from the classical hero of the same name. You >will find classical names all across central new York in the area that was >the New Military Tract, i.e. Onondaga, Corland, Cayuga Counties ... Homer, >Virgil, Pompey, Marcellus, Fabius, ... and several others that are no >longer used. First of all - thanks to everyone who has passed along the info on Mr. Cincinnatus, gentleman farmer and stand-in dictator. Ya gotta wonder how they picked him to be the general. Did they see him chasing his livestock around with that pitchfork and figure he'd do ok with the rabble invaders? :) Secondly Dan, imagine my surprise when I wandered into the library in Cazenovia to ask your whereabouts - hoping to see you, only to find you live in one of the Virginias! But then this belief caught up with me for the Cortland County host - Vicki - finding out that she like myself lives in the Deep South! Go figure! Tim

Sorry, The reference did not go out with the paragraph on Cincinnatus, Lucius Qintus. The New International Encyclopaedia, Dodd, Mead and Company, 1926 Cincinnatus, Lucius Qinctius - A hero of the semilegendary period of Roman history , regarded by the later Romans as the model of antique virtue and simple manners. Cincinnatus appears to have been an uncompromising patrician. About 460 B.C. he was chosen consul, and two years later was made dictator. The story says that when the messengers from Rome came to tell Cincinnatus of his new dignity, they found him plowing on his small farm on the Tiber. He soon rescued the consul Lucius Minucius, who had been defeated and surrounded by the Aequi. After a dictatorship of 16 days, Cincinnatus returned to his farm. When 80 years old, he was once more made dictator (439 B.C.), and suppressed a threatened plebeian insurrection. Speculation: Cincinnati is the plural of Cincinnatus. (A community of people of like behavior.) Dick Miller

Cincinnatus, Lucius Qinctius - A hero of the semilegendary period of Roman history , regarded by the later Romans as the model of antique virtue and simple manners. Cincinnatus appears to have been an uncompromising patrician. About 460 B.C. he was chosen consul, and two years later was made dictator. The story says that when the messengers from Rome came to tell Cincinnatus of his new dignity, they found him plowing on his small farm on the Tiber. He soon rescued the consul Lucius Minucius, who had been defeated and surrounded by the Aequi. After a dictatorship of 16 days, Cincinnatus returned to his farm. When 80 years old, he was once more made dictator (439 B.C.), and suppressed a threatened plebeian insurrection. Speculation: Cincinnati is the plural of Cincinnatus. (A community of people of like behavior.) Dick Miller

> Does anyone have info on what the significance of this name [Cincinnatus] is > regarding history, it sdefinition or what it was named for? Tim, Cincinnatus was the name of a 5th-century-BC resident of Rome, a retired nobleman, who, according to legend, left his plow standing in the field in order to respond to a call to defend Rome against an enemy at the gates. The towns in New York and Ohio, Grant's horse, and all other modern uses of the name refer back to this classical original. In the days when ancient Greek and Roman models were better known than they are today, George Washington was often referred to as a Cincinnatus -- an aristocrat who had withdrawn (more or less) from public life to his rural estate, but who returned to leadership at the call of his country. Many of the towns in this part of New York were similarly named for classical people or events. Marathon, for instance, is named for a battle at the town of Marathon, near Athens, the site of a Persian invasion of Greece in the 5th century BC. After the Greeks had repulsed the Persians in the battle of Marathon, a messenger (according to the legend) ran from Marathon to Athens to announce the victory, then dropped dead from the strain. Our modern marathon race is based on the length of the run that messenger made from Marathon to Athens. To make this vaguely genealogical: I am researching the family of James JONES/Sarah LEACH, who lived in Texas Valley, Marathon, Cortland County, in the early 19th century. Any other Jones family members out there? Ardis Parshall AEParshall@aol.com

Tim Stowell pondered: >Upon returning home, I found out that General US Grant's horse had >been named Cinncinnatus. This got me to wondering what that name means >and if the town or horse got its name from one or the other? Since the >name is very close to that of Cinncinnati, I was also wondering if they >come from the same root word. > >Does anyone have info on what the signifigance of this name is regarding >history, its definition or what it was named for? Tim: Firtst, I hope you had a good trip. Last time I was up north I spent a day running necessary erands and got nothing accomplished and saw no one. So much to do so little time! Cincinnatus gets its name from the classical hero of the same name. You will find classical names all across central new York in the area that was the New Military Tract, i.e. Onondaga, Corland, Cayuga Counties ... Homer, Virgil, Pompey, Marcellus, Fabius, ... and several others that are no longer used. Cincinnatus was a Roman citizen. When Rome was threatened by invading barbarians, he was called upon to save the city. Although a wealthy Roman landowner, Cincinattus liked to farm his own land. When the heralds asked him to command the legions, he put aside his pitchfork, hurried to Rome, and took command of the army as the Dictator. He led the Roman army against a barbarian horde about to attack Rome itself. After several days' worth of fighting, Cincinattus returned to Rome triumphant. On the very day that he returned, he resigned his command and went back to his farm and picked up his pitchfork again, foregoing power, glory and fame. It was a grand name to have in the early days of the US, or as that period of 1780s to 1825 is called, the "New Republic" Such heroic names were used in many facets of society, and good old Cincinnatus lent his name (or had it taken) to be used in many places and for many functions which evoked the image of the heroic warrior and noble citizen. You recall the Order of the Cincinnati, which was a brotherhood of Revolutionary War officers who felt that they followed the footsteps if Cincinnatus and after fighting valiantly in the war returned to their place in society and carried on, many of them as gentlement farmers. George Washington of course was the presindent, and it was open to nearly all high ranking officers. Ben Franklin had no use for it for he felt that the membership was to be hereditary in the line of eldest sons, like titles of nobility. He believed that an organization whose members would be selected according to birth rather than merit was unwise. Dan W.

Searching for Lovina CRANDALL, b. Cortland County, 1809. Married Harmon HATCH, Yates County, prior to 1832. Anyone researching Crandalls and have heard of her, I'd be interested. Thank you -- Jeanne Bel Air, MD

My visit to Cortland County two weeks ago Saturday was very brief. It was snowing off and on that day and was quite cool. I drove in on State 23 into Lower Cinncinnatus and then to Cinncinnatus before turning northeast towards Taylor on State 26 heading back to Chenango County's town of Pitcher. Upon returning home, I found out that General US Grant's horse had been named Cinncinnatus. This got me to wondering what that name means and if the town or horse got its name from one or the other? Since the name is very close to that of Cinncinnati, I was also wondering if they come from the same root word. Does anyone have info on what the signifigance of this name is regarding history, its definition or what it was named for? Thanks, Tim