Hi All.. thought I would add my husband's family story of Kansas migration. Benjamin F Simpson went to Kansas in 1857,urged on by family friend Wilson Shannon( from Blemont Co) who had been appointed Gov of the Kansas Territory. Benjamin Simpson ended up being a founder of this state, the youngest signer of the Kansas constitution at age 21.. he was the first state Attorney General, a US marshall ( friend of Wyatt Earp's), a State senator and representative ,Speaker of the House, a representative to the Republican National Convention, etc..he really did make his mark on the new state of Kansas, locating in Paola, Miami Co, Kansas. His brother Basil joined him after the Civil War and was the publisher and editor of one of the leading newspapers there. To add considerable interest and intrigue to this whole family story is that their father William P Simspon, in St Clairsville,a lawyer and the Sheriff of Belmont Co went to the State Penitentiary having been convicted in a sensational trial in Belmont Co for horse stealing,( we think for Gen Morgan) this was a 63 year old man who went to Kansas to plead with his sons to fight on the "right" side in the Civil War, William P being a "states rights" man from Maryland, who had tried to join the confederacy. It must have created quite a stir in Belmont Co. William P & Gen Morgan were in the same prison in Columbus and he died within days of General Morgan escaping from this infamous prison in Columbus. We suspect colusion and the guards being enraged. My husband and I traveled to Columbus to see the prison before it was taken down and to look at the prison records.. we had to laugh, William P Simpson was the only "attorney at law" in the prison, convicted for horse stealing at age 63!! So we really do have a horse thief in the family. Sadly we have never found where he was buried, if family came to claim his body, etc. His sons however did make their mark on Kansas and we have a great story out of all of this and it makes for interesting research!! Barbara in Tennessee

Barbara, What a great story that is! Incredible! So revealing about the times. And it also reminds me that, for men with ambition or daring, a new country like Kansas must have been full of opportunities. Jae On Nov 3, 2006, at 7:34 AM, NLyon@aol.com wrote: > Hi All.. > thought I would add my husband's family story of Kansas > migration. Benjamin > F Simpson went to Kansas in 1857,urged on by family friend Wilson > Shannon( > from Blemont Co) who had been appointed Gov of the Kansas > Territory. Benjamin > Simpson ended up being a founder of this state, the youngest signer > of the > Kansas constitution at age 21.. he was the first state Attorney > General, a US > marshall ( friend of Wyatt Earp's), a State senator and > representative ,Speaker of > the House, a representative to the Republican National Convention, > etc..he > really did make his mark on the new state of Kansas, locating in > Paola, Miami > Co, Kansas. His brother Basil joined him after the Civil War and > was the > publisher and editor of one of the leading newspapers there. To > add considerable > interest and intrigue to this whole family story is that their > father William P > Simspon, in St Clairsville,a lawyer and the Sheriff of Belmont Co > went to > the State Penitentiary having been convicted in a sensational trial > in Belmont > Co for horse stealing,( we think for Gen Morgan) this was a 63 > year old man > who went to Kansas to plead with his sons to fight on the "right" > side in the > Civil War, William P being a "states rights" man from Maryland, who > had tried > to join the confederacy. It must have created quite a stir in > Belmont Co. > William P & Gen Morgan were in the same prison in Columbus and he > died within days > of General Morgan escaping from this infamous prison in Columbus. > We suspect > colusion and the guards being enraged. My husband and I traveled > to Columbus > to see the prison before it was taken down and to look at the > prison records.. > we had to laugh, William P Simpson was the only "attorney at law" > in the > prison, convicted for horse stealing at age 63!! So we really do > have a horse > thief in the family. Sadly we have never found where he was > buried, if family > came to claim his body, etc. > His sons however did make their mark on Kansas and we have a > great story > out of all of this and it makes for interesting research!! > Barbara in Tennessee > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to OHBELMON- > request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message