"Darrah's Genealogical Seminar at Willard Library"

' Yesterday, I attended a genealogical seminar at Willard Library where a fellow Indiana Society SAR member, Ron Darrah, presented two programs on immigration routes into the Midwest & Indiana. He mentioned "National Roads" that made migration easier. He suggested reading William Dollarhide's "Map Guide to American Routes, 1735-1815" (published in 1997). Afterwards, I decided to check out this book of Dollarhide's (I have his U.S. Census book for 1790 to 1920 showing county changes). This is what I learned about one road that clearly links a strong probability of how my WEST family came to Granville Co., NC. During the decade of the 1740's, the water transportation routes were no longer adequate to gain access to new farming areas. The upgrading of trading trails to full-fledged roads for wagon traffic was necessary. Filling this need was the Upper Road which began at Fredericksburg, VA (on the King's Highway that continued along the coast line) and continued across Virginia to North Carolina, but lying west of the Fall Line Road. In the mid-1740's, the propriety governor of the Granville District began issuing land grants to Quakers, Scotch-Irish and others from the tidewater counties of NC & VA. From Fredericksburg, the general route of the Upper Road was west of present day Interstate 85... and then at the state line the road followed closely to Interstate 85 southwesterly to Charlotte, NC & into Spartanburg & Greenville, SC. In VA this road went through current counties of Caroline, Louisa, Amelia, Lunenburg & others right into Granville County, NC. For those of us who claim Thomas West, Sr. to be their ancestor (or apparent ancestor), all of the above just might be extremely important. Thomas West, Sr. born before 1718 and died in Chatham Co., NC in 1808 can first be found in Granville Co., NC in 1750 when his son, Ignatius, claims to be born there in 1750. There is no earlier record of Thomas prior to this date. There exists tax lists & deed records that establish Thomas in Granville Co. during the 1750's with several of his sons. At least some of this line of the WEST have connections to Quakers. Migration routes from VA would bring many farmers from the Louisa Co. area directly to Granville Co. Three children of William Meacham from VA. married offspring of Thomas West, Sr. including Ignatius and two daughters of Thomas West, Jr. Another family inter-marrying West family members was the Buckners who also migrated from Caroline Co., VA where the Meachams were from. Caroline County was south of Fredericksburg adjoining Hanover County which adjoins Louisa Co., VA. This all suggests that (possibly) Thomas West, Sr. migrated along the Upper Road from the Caroline/Hanover/Louisa County area of VA to Granville Co., NC between the 1740's to just before 1750! From y-DNA, we have learned that we have West family connections to Hanover & Louisa County areas. Further, it would seem that Thomas West, Sr. should be found in this Caroline/Hanover/Louisa County area of VA in the time frame of the 1730's thru 1740's. Sometime before 1739, Thomas became an adult; and, we know he was in Granville Co., NC by 1750 making a window of time of about 10 to 20 years! This information may be very helpful to many who might read this since this is how many that ended in Kentucky, Tennessee or Georgia migrated from Maryland,Virginia & the Carolinas. - Compiled by JGWest

THE CAPTAIN'S LOG –TSGS News

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Janet Carol Goebel...

...died this 01 Oct 2009

She was a genealogist, an LDS Family History Librarian, and a friend. At the May meeting of this year Janet was scheduled to give us some tips for researching at her library. She worked at Sam's as a food product sample promotion lady. Becky & I would see her 2 or 3 times each month. She attended some of our TSGS meetings, but the LDS Library was open on the same night and she had to be there. Her and a friend usually had an LDS table at our seminars. Janet always was friendly and had a great smile that made you feel good to see her. We will dearly miss her.

Here is her obiturary from the Sunday Evansville Courier & Press:

Janet Carol Goebel, 71, of Evansville, services 10 am Monday at The Church of Latter Day Saints, entombment at Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation is Noon to 6 pm today [04 Oct] at Browning Funeral Home and 9 am to services Monday at the church.

John G. West, TSGS President

"Good Time & Learning for All at Workshop"

Ron Darrah presented his workshop on "Obscure Genealogical Sources" inside Willard Library while several organizations & book vendors were under tents outside in the library's park.



Photo above taken by Lyn Martin right at the end of the four programs conducted by Ron Darrah far left. Going from Ron to the right is Bob Johnson (longtime TSGS member), Vannetta McDowell (Willard Staff Member, past TSGS Board Member), Graham Denby Morey (TSGS Member) and John G. West (TSGS President). I learned from this program that the 1930 US Federal Census includes two questions to help identify veterans... this I was not aware of. We all learned a lot more that may be available through school records. Graham & I attended Evansville College (U of E) together and are both members of the Ohio Valley Chapter of the Indiana Society Sons of the American Revolution (INSSAR). Ron is a member of INSSAR, as well.

This photo was taken by Don Pierce, just before I packed up the TSGS books to go back in the library's TSGS closet. This was the first time for me to set-up and man the TSGS table... I can honestly say that I now appreciate the work so many others have done in the past events working the TSGS table! Thanks to all of them! We did sell two books and got two membership renewals. The Posey County Historical Society (PCHS) members can be seen in the background taking down their information booth. Many working it were also active TSGS members. As a fund raiser for their cemetery preservation project, they were selling chocolate suckers (bars on a stick) that were in the shape of tombstones. They used Halloween candy molds to make them... really neat!

Several other vendors were present: Pat Gooldy of Ye Olde Genealogie Shoppe (one of the Evansville area all-time favorites) came all the way from Indianapolis and Brenda Joyce Jerome (TSGS Secretary) had a table of her publications with two or three other vendors there as well. Brenda watched the TSGS table while I was inside learning new things in the workshop.

It was a chilly, breezy, overcast day and we had a few light mists of rain... mixed with some sunny periods, too. Nice day for vendors outdoors (as long as you had a light jacket or sweater)!

Lyn Martin, Peggy Newton, Vannetta McDowell and several other Willard staff members did a great job of organizing and keeping this workshop going for Willard's first free all-day genealogical workshop. Congratulations and a big thank-you for a successful event. After 50 years of researching... I still learned a lot from this one day. Thanks to Ron Darrah for a very well conducted workshop. Many of us know him through the Indiana Society of SAR and others through his involvement in the Indiana Genealogical Society (IGS).

"Tree Roots: Using More Obscure Genealogical Sources"

Willard Library's Free All-Day Genealogy Workshop

I hope the only thunder we hear today is from the river's "Thunder on the Ohio" hydroplane races. We will have outdoor vendors at the workshop with the workshop conducted inside by Ron Darrah.

Session Topics: •Each Session last 45 mins. • (2) Breaks 30 mins • Lunch 1 1/2 hrs. 9:00 to 9:45 : “Dying to Help Out: Probate Records for Genealogists”10:15 to 11:30: “School Days: A Great Records Source”11:30 to 1:00: Lunch (Order Lunch Or On Your Own )1:00 to 1:45: “Special Census Schedules: Going Beyond the General Population Rolls”2:15 to 3:15: “Show Me the Money: Work, Jobs and Our Ancestors”

"Free Genealogy Workshop"

Tree Roots: Using More Obscure Genealogical Sources -
Free Genealogy Workshop sponsored by Willard Library
Saturday 22 Aug 2009 (9:00 am to 4:00 pm)

Although this is a free workshop, reservations are strongly recommended due to limited seating. (Please make reservations for each individual session that you plan to attend.)

Ron Darrah will inform us about the more obscure places to look for our ancestors.

Session Topics: •Each Session last 45 mins. • (2) Breaks 30 mins • Lunch 1 1/2 hrs.

9:00 to 9:45 : “Dying to Help Out: Probate Records for Genealogists”
10:15 to 11:30: “School Days: A Great Records Source”
11:30 to 1:00: Lunch (Order Lunch Or On Your Own )
1:00 to 1:45: “Special Census Schedules: Going Beyond the General Population Rolls”
2:15 to 3:15: “Show Me the Money: Work, Jobs and Our Ancestors”

Event Location:
Willard Library Special Collections Department,
Second Floor, 21 First Ave.Evansville, IN 47710

I know Ron Darrah through our involvement in state meetings & events of the Indiana Society Sons of the American Revolution (INSSAR). Ron & I are active in the INSSAR Color Guard, as well. I am looking forward to his workshop this Saturday!

- submitted by JGWest