Rivers in migration routes - Family History & Genealogy Message Board

river migration

kgloyne0931 — 21 Mar 2005 5:44:45 GMT

I would be interested in anyone with knowledge of people who used the rivers to migrate from state to state, and people who sold or peddled their wares by river. Does anyone know about this type of travel, and trading? Since I'm the first one on this list/board guess I'll have to wait for a while to contact anyone.

Our ancestor John Adams b Va 1802 used the Ohio River to peddle wares in the 1840s(or before) to probably 1850s.He had lived in TN, KY and Saline/White Cos IL, died ca 1857.It was told that he would buy wares in the Cincinnati (spell) Ohio area, and go downstream selling till he got to Cairo IL or another Mississippi River port, sell his raft and go home either by foot or buy a horse and ride home. Is there any place that I could read about this type of occupation? So IL calls them "River Rats", must have been many who did this???

New York to Missouri 1854

ljames621 — 19 Oct 2006 4:17:38 GMT

My ancestor got off a ship in New York Harbor on May 9th 1854. She ended up in central Missouri by November or December 1854. I think she would have taken the easiest route for traveling with an 18 month old and 3 year old child. I believe she could have very easily taken a train to Wheeling PA, correct me if I am wrong. She bought a young slave along the way who was born in Ky. This leads me to think she may have taken a boat from Wheeling along the Ohio River all the way to Missouri. Does anyone have any suggestions for reading up on this route? or was this a route used frequently? Thanks!
Lisa James

The TRIBE family migration via the St., Lawrence River

Shirley_Sundberg — 16 Dec 2002 8:35:37 GMT

Iknow that when the Tribe family came from England in 1832 and docked in the Montreal area of Canada..they came down the St. Lawrence River to what is known as Toronto today...

Does anyone know what kind of boats etc. were used at that time for this trip down the St. Lawrence??...or any info on this would be greatly appreciated...

Shirley

IN to MO, 1850

shebbear — 23 Jul 2004 10:18:19 GMT

I have ancestors who migrated from Hendricks Co, IN (near Indianapolis) to Laclede and Polk Co, MO in about 1850. I'm really interested in learning how they might have traveled. Would they have used the rivers for part of their journey, or would they have gone mostly overland? Do you know of any sources that descibe such a journey?

Thanks,
Cindy Kennedy

Gila river TX-CA CASNER family

ncunningham — 28 Oct 2002 3:40:53 GMT

my new web site
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~nancygcunningham/ca...

C&O Ship Canel - Potomac River

Mary — 4 Jul 2002 4:15:38 GMT

Is anyone working on the C&O Ship Canel which runs something like 184 miles from Cumberland, Maryland to Washington D.C.....on the Maryland side of the Potomac River. Passes places such as Harpers Ferry, Falls Church, etc.

On our recent vacation, we saw parts of this canel, and I am interested in life along it during its heyday. I understand a lot of the canel boats were built at Cumberland, Maryland.....that something like 2,000 mules were used to pull the boats....that an industrial revolution took place along this canel at places such as Harpers Ferry (the Arms factories of the Federal Government).....tons of coal moved on this canel....

just wondered if anyone else might be interested in the canel say 1820s to Civil War time.

I know George Washington lost a lot of money trying to build a canel......

Mary hlm@qtm.net

Missouri River Migration

MMatthews1889 — 28 Jul 2002 5:59:25 GMT

I am searching for a lost ancestor and am wondering he his family may have worked on the Erie Canal