I am looking for ideas to help me locate missing family. Ayny ideas are greatly appreciated. Here is my scenario: 1860 my family is in Randolph Co., NC. 1870 family is still there minus the father and oldest child which happens to be a daughter, Ann(a). 1874 Anna and husband John have a child in Wayne Co. IN. 1880 a family resembling mine minus oldest children appears in Clay Co. AR and my family disappears from NC. Between 1860 & 1870 how does one travel from NC to the west (IN and AR)? What means of transportation and route? Why would people go to IN and AR at that time? What happens if someone is traveling on census day? Thanks, Brenda in TX

I'm no expert, but I can tell you about my family's similar history. My family (Moses Robbins) also was well entrenched in Randolph County, NC in the early 1800's, then showed up in Wayne County, IN in about 1816. I wondered the same questions, until I found the answer for them and quite possibly for your kin. Randolph County, NC was heavy Quaker Country in the early 1800's. Many Quakers, like my family, were so opposed to slavery that they uprooted and moved en masse, to Wayne County, IN where they later participated in operating the "underground railroad" under which slaves were smuggled out of the south by sympathizers, MANY of which were Quakers who had similarly relocated. Many Quakers remained in Randolph County and organized that end of the railroad, and many others moved to Wayne County, IN to operate MAJOR waystations on the underground railroad. (Wayne County is situated along the crossroads of the major north-south and east-west highways of the day). Though my family moved to Wayne County before the civil war, they may have been on opposite ends of the railroad from yours. Perhaps after the war, your family, their work done, may have made the move to be re-united with old friends. How did they get there? In the case of my family, they walked! Ten children, in-laws and friends. Herding their animals alongside the wagons, they spent months walking to their new home. Eventually, this situation resulted in cousins fighting on opposite sides during major battles of the Civil War. You didn't identify the names of your family; Was it also Kerr? A side note of interest about the Moses Robbins family. At the time of their involvement in the underground railroad, the son, Moses Robbins, Jr, (1804-1879) lost 5 children within 8 days to scarlet fever, while his brother Harlan Parker Robbins lost 2 children at the same time to the disease. I can't imagine the grief and pain. And we get angry if our computer doesn't download fast enough for us. Hope this helps. Steve Davis ----- Original Message ----- From: "Charles and Brenda Kerr" <hiredesign@houston.rr.com> To: <WAYNE_IN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, August 16, 2003 4:02 PM Subject: HELP! need ideas > I am looking for ideas to help me locate missing family. Ayny ideas are greatly appreciated. > > Here is my scenario: > > 1860 my family is in Randolph Co., NC. > > 1870 family is still there minus the father and oldest > child which happens to be a daughter, Ann(a). > > 1874 Anna and husband John have a child in Wayne Co. IN. > > 1880 a family resembling mine minus oldest children > appears in Clay Co. AR and my family disappears > from NC. > > Between 1860 & 1870 how does one travel from NC to the > west (IN and AR)? What means of transportation and route? > > Why would people go to IN and AR at that time? > > What happens if someone is traveling on census day? > > > Thanks, > Brenda in TX >

There is a wedge of land (also called a "gore") in SE Indiana that starts on the Ohio/IN state line north of present day Wayne County (near Fort Recovery) and extends from that point south west to the mouth of the Kentucky River on the Ohio River. It was created by the Indian Treaty of 1795, known as the Greenville Treaty. The eastern 50% of present day Wayne County was included in this Sale of land in this area by the Federal govt began as early as 1804. My Stevenson family bought land in Wayne County IN in 1807. As to how to travel. The transcontinental railroad was built 1863-1869. Indiana became a state in 1816, so was well settled by the 1860's, and probably had its share of railroads to the east. Best guess would be that they traveled by railroad. Also, you have to take account of the Civil War period. My guess was that there was no travel between NC and IN which was part of the North during the years 1860-1865. Like the time after the revolution, the years after the end of the Civil War led to major movements of people, as Southerners that couldn't make a living after the war moved to places where they could. George Stevenson At 06:02 PM 8/16/2003 -0500, you wrote: >I am looking for ideas to help me locate missing family. Ayny ideas are >greatly appreciated. > >Here is my scenario: > >1860 my family is in Randolph Co., NC. > >1870 family is still there minus the father and oldest > child which happens to be a daughter, Ann(a). > >1874 Anna and husband John have a child in Wayne Co. IN. > >1880 a family resembling mine minus oldest children > appears in Clay Co. AR and my family disappears > from NC. > >Between 1860 & 1870 how does one travel from NC to the >west (IN and AR)? What means of transportation and route? > >Why would people go to IN and AR at that time? > >What happens if someone is traveling on census day? > > >Thanks, >Brenda in TX -------------- George Stevenson gstevenson@nc.rr.com