Disasters in Our Ancestors Lives This page was updated August 4, 2009
All too often we researchers get caught up in an area. For example; there are many researchers within the Owen County area that simply don't think to look in surrounding counties. Our ancestors did tend to migrate quite frequently- much more then we would think.
Likewise we as researchers tend to "lock" our ancestors into certain geographic areas. I receive emails all the time wondering how they got clear across the country.
There were several what you might call "land rushes" or what appear to be migrational episodes during various times. There seems to be a certain period just prior to the Civil War when many in Owen county areas migrated to Missouri. This was for many a political decision. Many left other states in the early 1900's for Missouri as it promised better farm land.
Nobody can forget the Homestead Act when many left for Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma as well as other states such as the Dakotas.
There seems to be a time frame when many went to Illinois as well as Iowa. Still others went to California (for the Gold Rush) or to Texas with it's promise of wide open spaces.
For that reason, the researcher must be ever vigilant to occurences/disasters that effected a great many lives in these areas. The researcher must consider the possibility that your ancestor may or may not have been in those areas. Especially if they were found there prior to the disaster or if they left Indiana and later vanished.
For these reasons, I have decided to include on this website a section pertaining to these disasters that may well have had an impact on our Indiana ancestors when they migrated. There are things that happened that many just don't think of as a reason that they may have vanished.Take some time to check these if your ancestors left this area.
San Francisco Earthquake April 18, 1906
Galveston Hurricane September 8, 1900
Home
Website Owner