Don't forget, Railroads began to be part of the migration routes by 1850 but it took a little more money to put your worldly belongings in a Box car and get a seat for each family member. My wife's dad, Alvin Norman Riley married Fannie Ash in Cleburne, Texas about 1920 and they took a box car to Big Spring, Texas with their worldly possessions.His mother and step dad, Mr. Spence and Alice Marie Renfro and Mr. and Mrs. Ash all died in his home after living their "Retirement years " in his home with his 7 kids. Actually, no one retired - they found easier tasks dependint on health. All could care for milk cows and chickens and drive wagons while younger folk gatherred corn and Milo heads with a knife. Cattle were moved by rail before then, but windmills and irrigation made it possible to move west to Ranch land. When he moved to Levelland, Texas from Arkansas there were no rural roads, just wagon rut trails and Levelland had no courthouse. Now it has a Junior College. He used his team and equipment to help build the foundation for the court house. This would give him Tax exemption on his farm that year. In 1920's farmers in Erath County could pay their taxes by helping build bridges or county roads, or pay them in cash. My wife's grandad James Whitcomb O'Riley left Ireland about 1850 , age 12 and the Captain signed him on as a Tinker (Sheet Metal Aprentice . as children under 21 could not immigrate without parents. Also, the Orphan Trains from Eastern cities were moving orphans west and stopping at towns , where childless families would look them over and meet them and adopt them Some were little above a slave, but many found loving homes, and felt important and often assumed their Parent's last name. Now that could make a Geneaologist climb the wall distinguishing their birth family from their adopted family. Take care, Charles A. Wyly On Thu, 17 May 2001 19:59:07 EDT CHASMID@aol.com writes: > Sandy, I'm afraid that that story was the only one that I have any > basis for > knowing the route that they took. And that was because several > people from > the Hempstead Co., AR Historical group got out several years ago > before some > of these people died and got them to tell the stories. > > Another of my ggrandfathers left Georgia and went to Arkansas and I > can only > conjecture which route he took and how they traveled. Within a year > after > they left GA, (I know the approximately time because one of my aunts > said > that her father was three when they left) they were in Bosque Co., > TX, which > is west of Waco. Four or five years later they were in Hempstead > Co., AR > where his only daughter was born. One of his sons settled in > southern LA. > Did they travel through LA on the way to TX? Maybe. But I have > recently > found that his wife's father was in Hempstead Co., about the time > they left > GA. Did they travel through AR on the way to TX? I'm afraid that > all the > one's who could tell me that are no longer around and I didn't ask > them when > they were here. > > For those who still have someone to ask, ask. > > Charles > > > ============================== > Shop Ancestry - Everything you need to Discover, Preserve & > Celebrate > your heritage! > http://shop.myfamily.com/ancestrycatalog >