Re: Migration Route to Iowa 1840s and 1850s Greetings, I am seeking advice regarding migration routes from others who may have had pioneers in their families who went to Iowa in the 1840 sand 1850s from Wyoming County, New York. Several families I am researching were called by adventure and the opening of new lands. The first family to go west that I am researching was the Cyrus ROOD family. Cyrus and his wife, Susan Pettingell Rood, and their grown children migrated from Orangeville Township, Wyoming County, NY, about 1843. They settled in Union Township, in Van Buren County, which is in the southeastern part of Iowa. In 1847, their daughter Adaline married Volney KNIGHT at the home of the bride in Winchester. Although Volney’s residence at the time of his marriage was listed as Des Moines County, he soon moved to Van Buren County where they were enumerated in the 1850 U.S. census near her parents and siblings. I have wondered if the Johanna Knight who married A. S. Scovel was Volney’s sister? I have also wondered if the Knights and Scovels came from Wyoming County, too? In 1850, Cyrus Rood’s occupation was listed as a [stone] mason and Volney Knight’s as a wagon maker. The other Rood children were Isaac P., Calista, James, and Maryette. About 1854 lands in Webster County, Iowa, opened up for settlement. A Webster County history mentions that Volney Knight and family arrived to settle their claim in the summer of 1854. It is thought that it may have been the Knights who wrote glowing letters to friends and relatives in Wyoming County encouraging and convincing them to come west to Webster County. Of those who did indeed migrate in 1854 or 1855 were: David P. Rood and his wife Elizabeth Boddy Rood, and their little son, Eli Rainforth Rood (in the fall of 1854); Elizabeth’s father and brother, Galen and Joseph BODDY; David Rood’s brother Zera Tanner Rood; and Benjamin GRANGER, and possibly William Hatfield. All of them were from Wethersfield Springs-Hermitage area. David and Zera Rood were the nephews of Cyrus Rood. (Cyrus and their father, Eli(hu) Rood, were brothers, and had come to Wyoming County, then Genesee County, from Hampton, Washington County, New York, in the early 1820s, along with other family members including two of their sisters, Lydia and Sarah, who were married to Ormus and Reuben Doolittle. They were of the seven children born to (Captain) David and Sarah (Rogers) Rood who were married at Sandgate, VT, about 1784, but who lived at Salem, Washington County, New York, until before 1810 when they moved to Hampton). What migration route would they have taken from Wyoming County in 1854 to Iowa? Did they travel by steamer from Buffalo to Chicago via the Great Lakes and from Chicago by railroad to Galena, Illinois, and then across the Mississippi River by ferryboat to Dubuque, Iowa, and from there procuring wagons and oxen teams for the overland journey to Webster County? OR, did they travel by covered wagon along the Seneca Trail from Buffalo to Toledo and from there by river barge down the Ohio River to Cairo and then north up the Mississippi River? Or, did they travel from New York City by ship to New Orleans and then continued by steamboat up the Mississippi River to Iowa? Did they first go to Cyrus and Susan Rood’s in Van Buren County whereby possibly the men folk traveled north along the Des Moines River to Webster County to secure their claims before winter, returning to Van Buren County until springtime, leaving Volney and possibly bachelors Isaac and James in Webster County to protect their land from claim jumpers? Both of the land deeds for David P. Rood and Joseph Boddy were dated June 1855 and secured at the Ft. Des Moines Land Office. A land office in Webster County would not open until the winter of 1855. About 1855 Calista Rood married Benjamin Granger. Was Benjamin the son of Ephraim Granger of Wyoming County? In 1860 James Rood married Elizabeth Greensides and Isaac P. married an Isabelle. Both Isaac and James served in the Civil War---all the Roods did…it is believed they were influenced by their famous uncle James Rood Doolittle the great senator from Wisconsin who was a close confident and personal friend of Abraham Lincoln. James was killed during the war in Arkansas. David P. Rood also served in the Civil War, but from Wyoming County…he had returned to reside in New York during the winter of 1855 after his wife’s tragic drowning in the Mississippi River. Joseph Boddy returned to Wyoming County in 1858, but just long enough to marry Mary Warren, the daughter of Russell and Emily (Thompson) Warren of Orangeville Center. Joseph and Mary Boddy returned to his farm near Ft. Dodge where their first two children were born, Carrie and Frank Boddy, in 1859 and 1860, respectively. However, some time in 1860 they, too, returned to Wyoming County, New York, where the family lived until 1879 when they migrated to Norton County, Kansas. Cyrus and Susan Rood and their children and families continued to live in Webster County, Iowa, until the 1870s when they moved to Polk County, Iowa, settling on farms near Grimes. Also, moving to Polk County was the Scovel family. How very often does cluster migration figure in the lives of our ancestors! I would very much like to hear from others who had Wyoming County-ites who migrated to these counties in Iowa. I would also be grateful for any insight you could provide regarding migration routes they might have used. Thank you. Sincerely, Patricia Boddy Tharp [email protected] (underscore between p_tharp) _________________________________________________________________ Check out MSN PC Safety & Security to help ensure your PC is protected and safe. http://specials.msn.com/msn/security.asp

Hi Patricia, My ancestors came from Cattaraugus County, NY to here in Iowa a bit after your ancestors came to Iowa from Wyoming County. Railroads came here to Iowa by 1852. One of the main end points here in Iowa, for the railroad, was Iowa City. I'm sure there were other main stations, but I do know that Iowa City (Johnson County) was one of the main stopping points for the railroad during that time period. Brenda Hare Cedar Rapids, Iowa ----- Original Message ----- From: "Patricia Tharp" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, April 15, 2004 2:32 PM Subject: [NYWYOMIN] Migration routes from Wyoming County to Iowa in 1840s and 1850s > Re: Migration Route to Iowa 1840s and 1850s > > Greetings, > > I am seeking advice regarding migration routes from others who may have had > pioneers in their families who went to Iowa in the 1840 sand 1850s from > Wyoming County, New York. > > Several families I am researching were called by adventure and the opening > of new lands. > > The first family to go west that I am researching was the Cyrus ROOD family. > Cyrus and his wife, Susan Pettingell Rood, and their grown children migrated > from Orangeville Township, Wyoming County, NY, about 1843. They settled in > Union Township, in Van Buren County, which is in the southeastern part of > Iowa. In 1847, their daughter Adaline married Volney KNIGHT at the home of > the bride in Winchester. Although Volney's residence at the time of his > marriage was listed as Des Moines County, he soon moved to Van Buren County > where they were enumerated in the 1850 U.S. census near her parents and > siblings. I have wondered if the Johanna Knight who married A. S. Scovel was > Volney's sister? I have also wondered if the Knights and Scovels came from > Wyoming County, too? In 1850, Cyrus Rood's occupation was listed as a > [stone] mason and Volney Knight's as a wagon maker. The other Rood children > were Isaac P., Calista, James, and Maryette. > > About 1854 lands in Webster County, Iowa, opened up for settlement. A > Webster County history mentions that Volney Knight and family arrived to > settle their claim in the summer of 1854. It is thought that it may have > been the Knights who wrote glowing letters to friends and relatives in > Wyoming County encouraging and convincing them to come west to Webster > County. Of those who did indeed migrate in 1854 or 1855 were: David P. Rood > and his wife Elizabeth Boddy Rood, and their little son, Eli Rainforth Rood > (in the fall of 1854); Elizabeth's father and brother, Galen and Joseph > BODDY; David Rood's brother Zera Tanner Rood; and Benjamin GRANGER, and > possibly William Hatfield. All of them were from Wethersfield > Springs-Hermitage area. David and Zera Rood were the nephews of Cyrus Rood. > (Cyrus and their father, Eli(hu) Rood, were brothers, and had come to > Wyoming County, then Genesee County, from Hampton, Washington County, New > York, in the early 1820s, along with other family members including two of > their sisters, Lydia and Sarah, who were married to Ormus and Reuben > Doolittle. They were of the seven children born to (Captain) David and Sarah > (Rogers) Rood who were married at Sandgate, VT, about 1784, but who lived at > Salem, Washington County, New York, until before 1810 when they moved to > Hampton). > > What migration route would they have taken from Wyoming County in 1854 to > Iowa? Did they travel by steamer from Buffalo to Chicago via the Great Lakes > and from Chicago by railroad to Galena, Illinois, and then across the > Mississippi River by ferryboat to Dubuque, Iowa, and from there procuring > wagons and oxen teams for the overland journey to Webster County? OR, did > they travel by covered wagon along the Seneca Trail from Buffalo to Toledo > and from there by river barge down the Ohio River to Cairo and then north up > the Mississippi River? Or, did they travel from New York City by ship to New > Orleans and then continued by steamboat up the Mississippi River to Iowa? > > Did they first go to Cyrus and Susan Rood's in Van Buren County whereby > possibly the men folk traveled north along the Des Moines River to Webster > County to secure their claims before winter, returning to Van Buren County > until springtime, leaving Volney and possibly bachelors Isaac and James in > Webster County to protect their land from claim jumpers? > > Both of the land deeds for David P. Rood and Joseph Boddy were dated June > 1855 and secured at the Ft. Des Moines Land Office. A land office in Webster > County would not open until the winter of 1855. > > About 1855 Calista Rood married Benjamin Granger. Was Benjamin the son of > Ephraim Granger of Wyoming County? In 1860 James Rood married Elizabeth > Greensides and Isaac P. married an Isabelle. Both Isaac and James served in > the Civil War---all the Roods did.it is believed they were influenced by > their famous uncle James Rood Doolittle the great senator from Wisconsin who > was a close confident and personal friend of Abraham Lincoln. James was > killed during the war in Arkansas. David P. Rood also served in the Civil > War, but from Wyoming County.he had returned to reside in New York during > the winter of 1855 after his wife's tragic drowning in the Mississippi > River. > > Joseph Boddy returned to Wyoming County in 1858, but just long enough to > marry Mary Warren, the daughter of Russell and Emily (Thompson) Warren of > Orangeville Center. Joseph and Mary Boddy returned to his farm near Ft. > Dodge where their first two children were born, Carrie and Frank Boddy, in > 1859 and 1860, respectively. However, some time in 1860 they, too, returned > to Wyoming County, New York, where the family lived until 1879 when they > migrated to Norton County, Kansas. > > Cyrus and Susan Rood and their children and families continued to live in > Webster County, Iowa, until the 1870s when they moved to Polk County, Iowa, > settling on farms near Grimes. Also, moving to Polk County was the Scovel > family. How very often does cluster migration figure in the lives of our > ancestors! > > I would very much like to hear from others who had Wyoming County-ites who > migrated to these counties in Iowa. I would also be grateful for any insight > you could provide regarding migration routes they might have used. Thank > you. > > Sincerely, > Patricia Boddy Tharp > [email protected] (underscore between p_tharp) > > _________________________________________________________________ > Check out MSN PC Safety & Security to help ensure your PC is protected and > safe. http://specials.msn.com/msn/security.asp > > > ==== NYWYOMIN Mailing List ==== > Visit the Wyoming Co. GenWEb > http://www.rootsweb.com/~nywyomin > > >