Thanks, Marty. That's very interesting! I have another "contingent" that came down into Gallia from Jackson County, too, and at about the same time as the ones from Monroe, and then there was another group that came down out of Muskingum. Maybe I'm just simply trying to attach meaning to something that was pure coincidence, but it strikes me as odd that people were moving into essentially the same area during the same period of time and from different directions. As you know, there are all kinds of mysteries in genealogy, but this one seemed like one I might have been able to solve, but maybe not. Oh, well. Marty Cassidy wrote: > Hi Beth. It's not often I take the opportunity to post something on the > list, but your question fits with my interests in Gallia more than most. > > The Ohio River was the end of the United States in 1790 or so, which > meant that there wasn't military protection against the original owners, > and it was generally regarded as held by the French. The first organized > excursion into the area was the Jackson Salt Lick, which drew brave > people from south of the river to manufacture salt. This was also the > first attempt to apply the new technique of surveying land in straight > lines. > > The salt processing brought many people to the operation in Jackson. My > particular people were horsemen and cattle folk, supplying goods and > services to the operation and it's residents. First settlers were from > Kentucky, Virginia, and Pennsylvania mainly. > > The population quickly went outside the original surveyed square and > found land in nearby areas for grazing and feed-raising. > > I've been unable to locate any records of this settlement. Gallia County > was formed some years after this operation was built. > > I suspect my view of the history of Gallia differs somewhat from most > people: I say the original settlement was in Jackson, and the vendors to > the salt operation drifted south to what is now Gallia County. Then the > folk moved across the river to the current county as it was surveyed. > > That's my story.... > > > > Beth Haney wrote: > >> I've read a number of pieces about the movement into Ohio and points >> westward, but does anyone have a clue why so many people from the Monroe >> County, Virginia, area moved specifically into Gallia and Lawrence >> counties? I know there were early settlers in both places shortly after >> Ohio became a state, but either the traffic picked up a whole lot during >> the 1830s and 1840s, or my perception has been tainted by the number of >> >> > > >