In a message dated 00-01-12 18:07:25 EST, you write: << Does anyone know if there was some catastrophic situation occurring in Oneida Co between 1840 and 1850 that might have resulted in these children leaving NY for WI (the oldest was 22 in 1850). >> Hi Colleen, I doubt there was some catastrophic situation in Oneida County during those year, but I could be wrong. What probably happened was that the government probably purchased large amounts of land from the Indians out west and openned it up to homesteaders. Free land, if you stay so long enough to work it. You may find something on your family in early histories of WI towns were they settled. I have one BUTLER family that I had found a lot of information on the family from 1630 to about 1800 in CT, then they moved to upstate NY and were almost invisible until about 1840 when they moved to OHIO. The Ohio county history book gives a great biography of the family and the in-law families. It takes them back 3 generations and ties me into what I have documented in CT. The children grow up in NY, married there, etc, then moved onto Ohio to homestead on free farmland. The head of the household was a blacksmith and carriage maker. I quess those skills were in demand in new towns and the children probably help with the newly aquired land. The surname Button could have been mis-read by the census index makers in the years you can not find them. You may find them under Butter or Butler, Butten, Buten, Buton, etc. in the indexes. I know I have found BUTTENs in the index that actually were some of my BUTLER family. The person making the index didn't know the family and took their best guess at reading the old script handwriting. Good luck with your search. Dave in PA