“GOING NORTH” STOPPIN’ IN OHIO:FOLLOWING THE DAVIS & MARSH FAMILIES

1858-1867

Fredericksburg Family History Day 2016“Connecting Our Stars”

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter –Day Saints, Fredericksburg, VA

Presented by Shelley Murphy

INTRODUCTION You will hear about two “Colored” families, one

migrating before the Civil War and the other after the Civil War, both families “stoppin” in Ohio before homesteading in Michigan

You will be guided on tracking your ancestors from one location to another and what questions you can to ask and what resources you will need to ensure success.

The goal is to help you make a Plan & Ask questions, which will help determine how to start your research for “moving ancestors”.

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Overview• Determine your GOALS for your research.

• INFORMATION: make a list of what you know about your ancestor and what records do you have to help determine what records are still needed. What’s important?

• RESOURCES & RECORDS USED: make a list of records and resources you need and use. Once you have the resources what do you do with them? Tips to combat genealogy challenges and brick walls.

• SHARING THE STORY: Bringing it all together –tracking the Davis Family from PA to Ohio to Michigan and tracking the Marsh family from WV to Ohio to Michigan

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WHAT’S YOUR GOAL?

Think about your expectations? Establishing goals for your research, it will

help to stay focused. Examples of goals:Locating information about my ancestors and

why and when they migrated from one place to another.

Locating the area where my ancestor’s owned land was located.

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MY GOALS Determine when the

families left their home states

Have a basic understanding of Ohio records and resources

Locate where both families lived in Ohio

Look for any information of life in Ohio (births, land, etc.)

Locate the documents of the purchase and sale of property Ohio

Locate information and documentation of homesteading in Michigan 5

Making a Plan-Genealogy 101

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YOU WILL BECOME SUCCESSFUL IN COLLECTING PIECES OF PAPER…

7If you do not have a system for filing, saving, or retrieving.

INFORMATION- Make a list of what you know, noting how you

know the information, and who told you and when (date). “ORAL HISTORY”

(On May 19, 1971, Grand Rapids, Mi, Mom told me that her great grandfather owned land in PA, also that they sold the land & moved to Ohio. Also, William Davis was a child of a slave and plantation owner)

Determine the records/information you need in order to track your ancestors (i.e., land, birth, death, etc.)

Don’t forget to contact someone in your family that might need to be interviewed (oldest living relative or historian in the area)-CALL! 8

RECORDS/DOCUMENTS YOU WILL NEED?

Land Ownership records for each location Records & maps

Seek information on land laws

County or city information, state migration information (i.e., routes, etc)

Census records (1790-1870)

Determine who you are researching? Immigrants, Free People of Color or Slaves? 9

PUBLIC RECORDS (VITAL STATISTICS: BIRTH, DEATH, WILLS, MARRIAGE, ETC.) Research everyone in the family-the parents and

all their children, siblings, cousins, ALL.

It is critical to not overlook the fact that one of the children’s records might have key information on one of their records.

Example: Death record-typically tells where the deceased was born, also it can list their parents and where the parents were born. Each parent can have different information as well as each child’s record. Remember records are created from records and what laws? (ask me about this). 10

WHERE DO YOU FIND WHAT YOU NEED?

Land records, maps: court houses, state & federal level land records, seek out the state & county information, historical societies

Courthouse: public records, wills, mortgages, deeds, trusts, anything recorded

Vital Statistics (Birth, Death, Marriage, Divorce, etc) typically at the state level-Google for the state vital statistics records

Home records-bibles, letters, books, family stuff…is there a person in the family that is the holder of information?

Online resources, websites, blogs, & family pages 11

CHALLENGES & BRICK WALLS

Something not being recorded Records being destroyed Wrong information/incorrect oral history Making assumptions without checking a lead

out Not asking enough questions

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So why do people relocate? People move to a new place for various

reasons, they might leave to get away from something or if they move, they will gain something, like employment

After Civil War folks traveled from South to North…or folks were Going West!

Do you know if there was a big migration out of the area, such as free people of color travels?

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More reasons people migrated Moving could be connected to their church or

religion group

To be with other family who already relocated

New opportunities for land-Homestead Act of 1862, military service and land opportunities

Any other reasons?14

MIGRATION PATTERNS Davis Family Franklin County, Pennsylvania

Wayne & Medina Co. Ohio, then on to Benzie County, Michigan-arriving1863

Marsh Family Jefferson Co., West Virginia to Morrow Co. Ohio and Manistee,

Michigan, arriving about 1867.

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Date Event Location Resource Notes Other records

1830 Census PA 1830 Census

ancestry.com,

Antrim,

Franklin PA,

page 389,

NARA Roll

M19-151;

Family history

film: 0020625

Tax records,

public records,

land, births or

deaths

1839 Birth son,

Joseph Brand

Davis

Chambersburg,

Franklin

County, PA

Baptism

record, mother

should be

Mildred Brand

Davis, b.

Richmond, VA

1825

Announcement

s, newspaper,

church

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Resources What is available?

CENSUS Online resources At home repository Local resources

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WHAT’S AVAILABLE FOR YOU TO USE: CENSUS Federal Population Census-1790-1940 The 1880 they show each person's parents'

birthplaces. The 1850-1870 censuses show birthplaces

for individuals but not for their parents. Check to see if the state you are researching

took their own state census, for an example, Iowa, did a 1905 and 1915 state census.

Make note of the birth places of the children, often children are born while on route.

Review the neighbors, any relatives, who’s there, note their occupations.

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RESOURCES Google is your friend Ancestry.com ( population distribution maps

for surnames) Cyndi’s List(Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites

on the Internet has a section on "Migration Routes, Roads & Trails" where you can find maps and articles about the various routes.http://www.cyndislist.com/migration.htm)

Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness (www.raogk.org)

Afrigeneas.com (from Africa to the Americas, records, forums, chats & resources)

Familysearch.org, genealogybank.com, etc. 19

MORE…LOCAL Resources: historical societies, libraries,

Town histories, watch for boundary line changes (The Handy Book for Genealogists by Draper)

LOCAL Newspapers: There are migration clues in local newspapers. Think about the "Golden Age" of newspapers, and from the end of the Civil War into the 1920's & 30's. 

BOOKS: Central New York Genealogical Society published A Migration Study of the Thirty-two States and Four Organized Territories Comprising the United States in 1850. (Eleanor Myers, compiler; Syracuse, New York: CNYGS, 1977)

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NEW LANDS OPENED After the Revolutionary War to 1802, the

thirteen states ceded their western lands to the United States.

Out of these lands were created the “Northwest Territory in 1787” (now Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and part of Minnesota), the Territory South of the River Ohio, also known as the Southwest Territory in 1790 (now Tennessee), and the Mississippi Territory in 1798 (now Alabama and Mississippi). Kentucky remained part of Virginia until it was admitted to statehood in 1792.

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During the Colonial times the main path of migration typically not across the mountains but southwesterly along the valleys of the eastern ranges.

Some used the same trails as the Native Americans. Traveling on foot, horseback, and wagons. A lot of the trails were located on rivers.

Free land (bounty land) was granted to soldiers of the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and other wars from 1775 to 1855.

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HOMESTEADING President Abraham Lincoln on May 20, 1862, the

Homestead Act encouraged Western migration by providing settlers 160 acres of public land.

In exchange, homesteaders paid a small filing fee and were required to complete five years of continuous residence before receiving ownership of the land.

After six months of residency, homesteaders also had the option of purchasing the land from the government for $1.25 per acre.

The Homestead Act led to the distribution of 80 million acres of public land by 1900. http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/Homestead.html 23

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BLM’s Eastern States Office maintains the land records for the 13 public land states under its jurisdiction: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, and Wisconsin

Land Patents-document that transfers federal land to individuals

http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/support/default.aspx

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THINGS TO THINK ABOUT-THE ERA-WHAT’S GOING ON? Time frame-1858 thru 1867-what was going

on? Civil war had not started yet, rufflings of

trouble were going on (John Brown, etc.). 1860 a census was taken. People are being born, dying and getting

married, etc. Tracking your ancestors will involve learning

about the places your ancestor’s left and about the places they migrated too. Think about how & when they traveled-water routes, trails, etc. 27

What is going on in Ohio?

Thousands of African Americans who participated in the Great Migration settled in Ohio.

The Civil War occurred from 1861 until 1865,. President Abraham Lincoln issued the

Emancipation Proclamation, which freed slaves in areas in rebellion on January 1, 1863.

http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=570&nm=African-Americans 28

Lincoln issued this document as a war measure, hoping that, by freeing the slaves, the South would have a more difficult time continuing the struggle. While the Emancipation Proclamation did not free slaves everywhere, it was only a matter of time before the institution ended.) (http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=570&nm=African-Americans)

Free colored had to registered in 1861 if they came into the state of Ohio. This was not done in all counties. You can get the microfilm from the Ohio Historical Society Microfilm department or order from FHL.

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http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~maggieoh/Gwen/migration.htm

MEET THE DAVIS FAMILY (what I know) William Davis b. 1818 PA, son of a

plantation owner (William Davis) and an unnamed African slave. Free!

Wife Mildred Brand b. in 1825 Richmond, VA, assumed there were married about 1838. She is mulatto, her father was from Scotland.

Children: Joseph Brand-1839, James Buchanan-1849, Susan Ann-1850, William Otterbien-1857, all born in PA, Alma & Henry Allen born in Ohio, John K. first born in Benzie Co. MI., and George. 31

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1850 ANTRIM TWP FRANKLIN CO. PA

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DAVIS They had 11 acres and sold for $1,000 and

headed to Ohio, first settling in Wayne County, Ohio (how did I know they settled first in Wayne County?) then purchasing 25 Acres in the neighboring County of Medina.

Davis was located in the 1860 Ohio Census and obtained the deed.

Davis sold the land in 1863 and headed to Michigan (Civil War is going on).

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1860 WAYNE CO. OHIO, LINE 31

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WELCOME TO MEDINA COUNTY OHIO

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1860 MEDINA CO. WESTFIELD TWP, OHIO

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1859 DAVIS PURCHASED 25 ACRES, MEDINA

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Davis Property in Medina Ohio

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DAVIS SOLD LAND TO ANSWORTH 1863

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HENRY A. DAVIS B. MEDINA CO. 2ND WIFE CLARA (MARSH) DAVIS

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MEET THE MARSH FAMILY George W. Marsh, (slave) b. 1834 VA d. 1892 Wife: Mary Catherine Goens/Goings (free

born), b. Jefferson County, VA, now WV 12 children: Virginia Ardella, b. in Jefferson Co.

VA/WV, Sara born in Ohio, Cora, Jesse, Hattie, Clara, Mathew, John K, George Jr, Warren & Frank all born in Michigan. Left WV headed to Morrow Co. Ohio, and then on to Homesteaded 160 acres in Manistee Co. Michigan by 1867.

Met Leonard Reed & family on the trail to Michigan. The Reed family was coming from New York. Mr. Reed had already laid claim on his 160 acres. They homesteaded next to each other and the families remain friends today. 42

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MORROW CO. OHIO Morrow County only came into existence in

1848 when parts of Richland, Knox, Marion, and Delaware counties were made into Morrow County

There wasn't a large population of families of color in Morrow county in the later 1860s, although a pretty large percentage of the population in that area served in the Civil War.

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BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER

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•Tell the story, Tell your story•Write a timeline and biography•Share your findings

Review

Make a Plan…Set your goals & expectations List what you know and what you don’t know Research the whole family Make a list of what records & resources you

need to access Join a local genealogy group Learn the local history of the areas you are

researching Utilize the online genealogy groups, blogs,

and personal websites Bring it all together and tell the story. 48

DO YOU HAVE ANY…

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THANK YOU AND GOOD LUCK!

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