At 02:57 PM 8/6/99 -0700, you wrote: >Anyone know the migration route from Tennessee (also eastern part) to >Arkansas to Hopkins Co., TX early 1800's. > >E Z Campbell from TN b ca 1803 and wife Charlotte from eastern TN b ca >1810. Their children were born in AR starting around 1828. > >Ruth > 1828......most settlers from TN were going to Independence Co AR - much larger than it is today. In other words, they were using rivers so they settled western bank of Mississippi and spread west from there. Campbell family early settlers of Searcy Co Arkansas - same family? there is supposed to be a Campbell book. Check with a great researcher in that area - James Johnston at [email protected] Look at eastern TN.....if they wanted to go to northern AL, they used Tennessee river. they might also have used it to get to Ohio River. There was a good trail to Nashville, where they would pick up the Cumberland River which also went into Ohio not far from where the TN River emptied in. Or they sometimes went thru Cumberland Gap and picked up the Cumberland River, traveling back to Nashville, then back north to Ohio. Once on the Ohio, it goes into Mississippi River. the very earliest route was this. Later, there were land routes. Also realize that Nashville and Knoxville Tennessee where really the center of all the land trails and river routes. Nashville - you could pick up the Natchez Trace. You could go either way, south or north into KY, to Ohio and PA. There was a trail from near Greensburg PA, on the river to KY, from Paris KY down to Nashville. From Nashville on Natchez Trace to Natchez Mississippi, from there to New Orleans. they usually took the river when going from east or north to New Orleans, then took land routes when going back home. Unless they had money for steam boat travel, but that was later. Anyway the route around 1820s to AR from eastern TN was usually pretty much by river, till they got to Arkansas, then overland. And of course, Arkansas was not a state till I think 1834 or so, so it Missouri Territory in early records. Since your family was in AR in 1828 or before, you might want to check the Territorial papers on them. I was surprized to find my family there in late 1820s, I did not realize some of them had arrived so early. I tell you, after War of 1812....which ended in early 1815, those guys from eastern TN and middle TN just went everywhere. Seems 1815-1818 or so they all went into Alabama - many had seen the land when they marched with Jackson to Mobile Bay. Then in mid 1820s, the area of Arkansas had a real draw, but NW part was not open for white settlement till 1834. So before 1834 you find them in Independence or that area. Some were around Ft Smith, especially if on spouse was part Native American. Remember, Jackson was after the Indians to move them in 1830s. Part of the Trail of Tears went right thru Arkansas. but in 1820s there were a lot of families out of TN with one spouse part Indian going to AR. Expecially if they were Choctaw or something other than Cherokee. there was a land trail across Arkansas - from the north-east corner to kind of the south-western corner - that a lot during that 1820 time used going from eastern TN to Texas. Again, think of the rivers in getting to some parts of Texas or LA from eastern TN. At one point, in eastern TN seemed everyone was going to Texas. Every year new routes, short cuts, etc. would be found. Railroads did not go thru middle TN till around 1850s I think, or in much of the south. So I would say river route from TN to AR in 1820s, they stayed there a while, then used the land route to continue to Texas. Mary Turney miller [email protected]