Rose, please provide more details on your Welkers. I have found a Daniel Welker b. before 1784 m. Mary Edenger. From the McCubbin collection in the Rowan library: Book 21 page 671: Feb. 8, 1804, Daniel Welker & wife Mary let Peter Myers--all of Rowan Co., Nc--have 100 acres on east side Abbots Creek next the decreased Christopher Edenger's old lot (which was given on July 2, 188 to said Mary, a daughter of said Edenger) next Salisbury road, for $280.00, witnessed by Jacob Myers & (?)ritain Jo. Haymoore & proved by the latter in Feb. 1810. Book 23 page 398: Sept. 2, 1814, John Grimes--no wife signs--lets Hugh Yokely (both of Rowan Co., NC) have two adjoining tracts of 70 acres each, (being the dividends laid off for Christopher & Phillip, the heirs of decreased Christopher Edenger, who let said Grimes have them) or 140 acres on Abbots Creek next Frederick Edenger, Phillip Edenger, ---Grimes, Solmey Edenger & Joseph Edenger, Peter Shuler, Peter Fine, ---Bodenhammer & Adam Grimes, for $600.00, witnessed by Joseph Waggoner, (?)ritain Js. Heymoore & proved by the latter in May 1815. I have seen more with the Welker name, but did not find them in my database. Sheila -----Original Message----- From: Rose Green [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2005 7:50 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [RowanRoots] Wachovia settlement Can anyone enlighten me about the Wachovia settlement? I have some ancestors (WELKER) who sometimes were in Surry, other times in Rowan county (mid to late 1700s). I understand that the border between the counties switched around a couple of times due to wanting to include or exclude the Wachovian settlement. Since I haven't been able to get my Welkers out of NC, I'm curious if they were part of this group, and if so, what info is out there on them. Thanks! Rose Green ==== ROWANROOTS Mailing List ==== RowanRoots is a genealogy/history discussion list. Please stay on topic.

Here is a good description of where the Wachovia tract was and the progression of counties............. "Wachovia is the name given to the entire tract bought by the Moravian Church in North Carolina about 1752/55. The village of Rural Hall, in Forsyth County, is almost exactly on the north line of the Wachovia Tract. The South line of Forsyth County follows the old Wachovia line from the East to where it borders Clemmons Township. The West line is just West of Muddy Creek. Walkertown is on the East line. The Wachovia Tract contained about two thirds of what is now FORSYTH County. Bethabara, Bethania, Salem, Friedberg, Friedland and Hope settlements, were all inside the Wachovia Tract. The deeds to the Wachovia Tract are on the books in the county seat of ROWAN County. The Moravians selected their lands in ANSON County, they settled in ROWAN County, they went through the Revolutionary War in SURRY County, through the War of 1812 and the Mexican War in STOKES County, through the Civil War in FORSYTH County, -- AND THEY ALWAYS STAYED WHERE THEY STARTED. (Extracted from a letter dated April 17, 1941 from Miss Adelaide L. Fries (Archivist) to Mrs. Braun." Also a map of the Wachovia tract land can be found at:www.moravianarchives.org/map.htm Susan Gall Winston-Salem, NC

Rose, The entire area was at first all Rowan Co. then when counties started breaking away, even without moving, your family could have then been in Surry Co. which became a county in the mid 1700s. I'm not sure where your Welkers were but depending on where in the mid 1800s they could have then been (without moving) in Yadkin County or Forsyth County if they were considered to have been in the Wachovia or Moravian settlement. The Wachovia tract which the Moravian communities of Bethabara, Bethania, Salem, Friedburg and others were a part were in large part in what eventually became Forsyth County (where I now live in Winston-Salem, NC) and iin Davidson County (once also part of Rowan). It does get confusing. Susan Gall On Wed, 25 May 2005 07:50:09 -0500 "Rose Green" <[email protected]> writes: > Can anyone enlighten me about the Wachovia settlement? I have some > ancestors (WELKER) who sometimes were in Surry, other times in Rowan > county > (mid to late 1700s). I understand that the border between the > counties > switched around a couple of times due to wanting to include or > exclude the > Wachovian settlement. Since I haven't been able to get my Welkers > out of > NC, I'm curious if they were part of this group, and if so, what > info is out > there on them. > > Thanks! > > Rose Green > > > > ==== ROWANROOTS Mailing List ==== > RowanRoots is a genealogy/history discussion list. Please stay on > topic. > > >

Can anyone enlighten me about the Wachovia settlement? I have some ancestors (WELKER) who sometimes were in Surry, other times in Rowan county (mid to late 1700s). I understand that the border between the counties switched around a couple of times due to wanting to include or exclude the Wachovian settlement. Since I haven't been able to get my Welkers out of NC, I'm curious if they were part of this group, and if so, what info is out there on them. Thanks! Rose Green

Looking for info on FLETCHERs in Rowan county, late 1700s. A Nancy Fletcher married Adam WELKER in 1793, and a Sarah Fletcher married him around 1802. I've run across various Fletcher children orphaned in the area, but don't know any more about Sarah or Nancy than I did before. Rose Gree

GeriAnn: In some of my reading, the characters of the 1750s time period say that they rode "in company" with one another, and mention that they often travelled together for safety. Someone else has probably let you know, but just in case: the Boone List has several knowledgable Wilcoxson/variant sp. researchers; someone there might be helpful in your search. Kathryn [email protected] wrote: > > Subject: > > ROWANROOTS-D Digest Volume 05 : Issue 41 > > Today's Topics: > #1 Migration from PA, MD, DE, NJ ["GerriAnn Lockman" <[email protected]] >

Does anyone know where (which cemeteries) in Union County, IL. There are headstones that have persons names and listed on headstone is "born in Rowan County, NC)? Dan Patterson GoRowan.com

We tend to think of our pioneer ancestors traveling in those big covered wagons along tree lined roads through tall forests, shooting game from the wagon seat for the evening meal and a couple of milk cows following behind the wagon, children picking berries as they ran along the trail but was it really like that for most families, I doubt it. Many families did not own a wagon and made do with an ox cart and a couple of steers, and it was possible to put a yoke on the milk cow and get there. We must also remember that many trails were not suitable for wagons and people carried all their worldly possessions on two poles pulled by a horse with the small end of the poles dragging over the rocks and through the creeks. When Daniel Boone was sent by Henderson to clear the road to their fort site in Kentucky, the trail was so narrow and rough, Henderson and the settlers he had gathered had to leave the wagons in the vicinity of Powell Valley and use pack horses to carry the necessary supplies into Kentucky. Moving to the frontier settlements was never easy. Many times wagons had to be dismantled and moved over rough places on the trail and reassembled and reloaded when the road got better ahead. Our ancestors who got up the courage to make such moves were either very brave or just plain "crazy" but they moved westward inspite of all the obstacles they faced, we should be proud of their accomplishments large and small... G. Lee Hearl Authentic Appalachian Storyteller Abingdon, Va.

Mamie Wrote: Don't forget the rivers used for traveling. Mamie <<<<<<<<< Actually, there are no rivers which pass through the Blue Ridge mountains which one could travel when moving from Pa., Md and the upper Valley of Va which would carry settlers to Rowan Co. NC. The Potomac River flows out of Pa. Md and the northern part of Va. into Cheaspeake Bay. James River and Roanoke River break through the Blue Ridge but both flow east and could not be used to get to the settlement area along the Dan and Yadkin Rivers. The South Fork and North Fork of the Holston River carried some settlers west but, generally speaking, this waterway was not large enough for river traffic westward and southward until it reaches Kingsport Tenn. The Austin family moved from Wythe co. Va. to Missouri by river boats but traveled overland almost to the Ohio River before building boats to finish the journey by river. Much commerce was moved by river such as tobacco and produce in early times before the railroads but the direction the rivers flow in Virginia made them unuseable for transportation of the pioneers. G. Lee Hearl Authentic Appalachian Storyteller Abingdon, Va.

I agree. Actually, I think most groups moving down the wagon roads moved in groups, whatever you call that kind of formation. It would certainly make sense, and there are many instances of groups relocating from one church in one area to establish a church in another area. And family groups would relocate together. Also, I have read that people would join the groups along the way, for the comfort and protection of traveling with others, and then individuals or families would leave the group at various points, depending on their own needs. It's not a "western style" wagon train, but it is still something that occurred from points in the PA/MD area to the points in VA/NC/SC, according to my readings over the years. While there were probably individuals or individual families who moved alone, I would imagine the majority would band together with other travelers for the duration of the journey, for obvious reasons. Katherine

Haven't I read in the Moravian Chronicles that the second group of Moravians, the actual settlers, did travel in a large party from Pennsylvania to Wachovia? That would literally constitute a wagon train? Just being picky I know but... Best of wishes, Billy

Don't forget the rivers used for traveling. Mamie ----- Original Message ----- From: "G. Lee Hearl" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, May 21, 2005 3:38 PM Subject: Re: [RowanRoots] Migration from PA, MD, DE, NJ GerriAnn, I don't think there were "wagon trains" coming down to NC like were organized to move to the western states, California, Oregon etc. Of course there were people traveling in groups at times and as history tells us, the people moving south from Pa came down the Valley of Virginia and very likely families in Virginia joined them. No, wagon trains did not pass through DE or Maryland (just a narrow neck of Md.) to get to NC. The earliest settlers (before 1740-50) coming from eastern Pa to NC came through a narrow neck of Maryland, down through the Northern Neck of Va. and south of the Blue Ridge Mountain. The later ones traveled down the Valley of VA and crossed the Blue Ridge Mountain at Bedford, Va. or Salem, Va., the mountain was easy to cross at those two places. The Great Wagon Road crossed at Salem, Va. down through Rocky Mount, Va., Martinsville, Va. into NC. Many families knew each other in northern Va. , Pa and Md before they moved south, even if they didn't move together. G. Lee Hearl Authentic Appalachian Storyteller Abingdon, Va. ==== ROWANROOTS Mailing List ==== To unsubscribe from RowanRoots-L send a message from the address you subscribed from to [email protected] with the word unsubscribe in the message body.

Ann,, that was lovely thank you. Even if it doesn't work for the Halls it was great to read. I was listening to bagpipe music at the same time while reading!! There were two other Wellcox, Willcox families in Chester Co in the same time frame and I see in Jo White Linn's Tax List book there were several in Rowan. I will have to track them down. Thanks again, GerriAnn GerriAnn Lockman [email protected] Why Wait? Move to EarthLink.

Thanks for the message. My ancestor Samuel Hall married Elizabeth Wellcox, Willcox 1746 Holy Trinity Old Swedes Church New Castle Co DE (Chester Co PA). They were in Rowan Co by 1768. Samuel's land ran against George Willcockson's land for a long distance and Samuel brought a law suit against George in 1768 maybe over the land. Samuel Hall's father Samuel sr. was a weaver in Kennet, Chester Co PA. I'm trying to find a family for Elizabeth Wellcox. Thanks again, GerriAnn GerriAnn Lockman [email protected] Why Wait? Move to EarthLink.

Now that I know a little more about the migration is anyone researching any Wellcox, Wilcox, Wilcocksons in Rowan Co? This is the same family who married into the Boone family. I have read Dorothy Wulfecks book "Willcoxson and Allied Families" but would like to find more about George Wilcoxson in Rowan Co. Thanks for all help, GerriAnn GerriAnn Lockman [email protected] Why Wait? Move to EarthLink.

Thank you to all who have sent messages about early migration to NC. I thought they were probably not called "wagon trains" but didn't know what else to call them. GerriAnn [email protected] Why Wait? Move to EarthLink.

GerriAnn, I don't think there were "wagon trains" coming down to NC like were organized to move to the western states, California, Oregon etc. Of course there were people traveling in groups at times and as history tells us, the people moving south from Pa came down the Valley of Virginia and very likely families in Virginia joined them. No, wagon trains did not pass through DE or Maryland (just a narrow neck of Md.) to get to NC. The earliest settlers (before 1740-50) coming from eastern Pa to NC came through a narrow neck of Maryland, down through the Northern Neck of Va. and south of the Blue Ridge Mountain. The later ones traveled down the Valley of VA and crossed the Blue Ridge Mountain at Bedford, Va. or Salem, Va., the mountain was easy to cross at those two places. The Great Wagon Road crossed at Salem, Va. down through Rocky Mount, Va., Martinsville, Va. into NC. Many families knew each other in northern Va. , Pa and Md before they moved south, even if they didn't move together. G. Lee Hearl Authentic Appalachian Storyteller Abingdon, Va.

Dan Patterson's website has some information: http://rowanroots.gorowan.com/ And I have several maps on the Guilford NCGenWeb site shown below, under Local History. If you can locate a copy of the book The Great Wagon Road by Parke Rouse, Jr., that will also tell you a great deal. Katherine Dick Benbow County Coordinator, Guilford County North Carolina USGenWeb http://www.rootsweb.com/~ncguilfo/index.html

I know there are some folks on the list who have read a great deal about the migrations from the above states to Rowan NC. I would like to get a better picture of how this took place. I am always curious about how people who lived so far apart from each other met and married in Old Rowan Co. When a wagon train was organized to go south from say PA did only PA residents travel on that particular trip. Did they pick up other families as they travel thru other states? If a wagon train left PA would it have gone thru MD and DE to get to NC? Thanks to anyone who can help. GerriAnn GerriAnn Lockman [email protected] Why Wait? Move to EarthLink.

The main path from PA to NC was the Great Wagon Road. You can do a Google search and find a number of references. Here are a couple: http://www.electricscotland.com/history/america/wagon_road.htm http://lelawhisnant.net/journeysthrutime/id114.htm Rick Saunders http://genealogypro.com/fsaunders.html