Vickie,
Many of my ancestors that went to Noble County, Indiana started out
in
Richland County, Ohio. They seem to have migrated to Noble County between
say 1855 and 1865. What was going on in Noble County at that time? I have
communicated with other researchers who had noticed the same phenomenum.
Great question and one that I would like to have answered also! I haven't
studied this area of the U.S. enough to give a qualified guess but having
done genealogical research for over 20 years I do know that when one family
left an area and went to a newer region where land was just opening up (and
at a cheaper price); other related families and neighbors weren't far
behind. This could have been a partial reason as Indiana lands were opening
up and Richland Co, OH was fairly well populated by then. Letters went back
home in those days as well and as the old saying goes.... the grass looked
greener!
My families went to Noble County, IN a little earlier than yours. The names
I am researching in both places are BREWER, BARNUM, CLARK, HILLS and
possibly TRUAX as I'm still unsure of my BREWER line and some of the name
were related to the TRUAX family that was in both places. Their migration
to IN took place prior to 1850; the BREWER in 1842.
This was not the first migration that these families made together either.
My BREWER line was in Dutchess Co, NY prior to 1800 and then migrated to
Broome Co, NY which was to the southwest on the border of NY and PA. The
BARNUMs and HILLS followed this same pattern and then they all went to
Richland Co, OH in the 1820s to 1830s. I have found ties between the BREWER
and HILLS families back into the 1770s so either there are relations that I
don't know about or they just liked traveling together!
I have found other locations in IN and elsewhere that have been populated by
people coming from the same former locations also so the transplanting of a
population from one area to another would not be uncommon but would love to
know if there were other reasons that I'm not aware of. Thanks for bringing
up the subject.
Kathy Buffington Willett
KBWillett(a)worldnet.att.net