Dave:
Only you can decide whether it's worth the drive, but I'd suggest you exhaust
local resources first. Mine every ounce of data out of the on-line data bases. Then do the
same to the Mormons' microfilms. The 19th century court records of Decatur County are
all available at nominal fees through a local Family History Center.
There must be one near you. I have extracted copies of deed records of interest back into
the 1830's. They have clarified a few relationships and revealed where people were
living then. The microfilms also include Probate Court Daybooks, wills, guardianships,
etc., which have revealed an unknown great aunt and great uncles my
wife never heard of. Look at
www.familysearch.com and follow the links to Library and to
Library Card Catalog. They also have an on-line locater to find you closest FHC.
Ancestry.com offers on-line access to census records for about $100/year.
The land office site offers free on-line access to the original land patents. See:
http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/PatentSearch/
If you have ancestors who moved there in the 1800's it will be well to check for them
in those records. Once you locate their land, it is easier to track them. No reason to
look in Westport if they settled in New Point. My wife's previously unknown GG
grandfather bought land from the land office as late as 1849.
$200 spent on these resources will be cheaper than a week or two on the ground in
Greensburg. By the time you do go you should have much more focussed questions to ask.
And I suggest you WILL need to go. Most records are NOT on-line. Some NEVER will be. But
take advantage of whatever you can right at home.
Good luck and happy hunting.
Myron E. Williams
Crossville, TN
daboide wrote:
Hi all,
Haven't been working on this project for a while, and am not sure where I left some
of the conversations I'd gotten started, but have enjoyed reading what some of the
rest of you are getting done. I've also enjoyed and appreciated all the work
that's being done on the Decatur records on line. That's genuinely impressive.
I used some of the information to enter a search in the Indiana Marriages Through 1850
document and came up with what may be the next link in the work I'm trying to do.
When I entered newman, sarah and spouse first name henry, I got back that Sarah married
Henry Myers in Decatur Co. 4/30/1845. That agrees with information I found on
FamilySearch.com and gives me some hope that there's more info out there to tie all of
it together. Henry could be my GGG-grandfather.
Is there anything more readily available on Henry & Sarah? Is there enough to
justify a drive over to IN from IA? I'd gladly do it if I had reason to think
it'd be worth while.
Thanks in advance for anything you can share.
Dave Boyd
==============================
To join
Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to:
http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237