Carol A. Steele: > Some of my ancestors, Benedict STEEL (1813-1869) & William HADDEN >(@1790-@1850), came from Maryland to Muskingum Co., OH, and then to >Hocking Co., OH, while one, Benedict A. LOWE (@1796-1862) came from >Maryland to Guernsey Co., OH, and then to Fairfield Co., OH. > Has anyone researched why so many came from Maryland to Ohio in >the early part of the 19th century? Mine were too young to have been >veterans of the Revolutionary War - any other ideas? Carol: The basic reason people left Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia and other places for Ohio in the early 19th century is that is when land in Ohio really began to open up for settlement. In addition, the population pressures were steadily growing in the older states. Farmers in particular wanted larger amounts of land than were available east of the mountains and they wanted at cheaper prices. -- Karl Seitz researching SEITZ and BEERY in Fairfield County.