Most of us grew up learning about the Wilderness Trail to Kentucky. Our history books had pictures of Daniel Boone in his coonskin cap leading pioneers through the Cumberland Gap to Kentucky. In reality, the Wilderness Trail was only one of a number of trails to Kentucky. Many of our ancestors trekked north to what is now Pittsburgh where they boarded boats and floated down the Ohio to Kentucky. Others followed the Great Wagon Road to Staunton and then crossed the mountains to White Sulphur Springs and on to the Kanawha River and finally the Ohio, still others traveled north following the New River to the Kanawha and then into Kentucky.

These were people trekking south and west. Others moved into the Carolinas east of the Blue Ridge over the Carolina or Rogue’s Road which led to Salisbury and eventually, if you followed it far enough, to Georgia . Still others followed the Great Wagon Road to Big Lick (Roanoke) where they passed through the Staunton River Gap to connect to the Carolina Road at Danville.

Our ancestors followed a variety of trails in their travels; some moved south then west, some moved directly west. Most moved in increments. A family might begin in New Jersey, Pennsylvania or Maryland, move to northern Virginia, and then to Southside Virginia. Members might choose to move to Carolina and on to Georgia then back up to Tennessee and into Kentucky. Others would move directly to Kentucky. Some would stay a few years, others a generation. Young, old and in between—rich and poor–they followed the siren call. Following them is not easy. As Lynda Suffridge notes in her article in the latest NGS Newsletter “Migration is, nevertheless, quite complex encompassing a myriad of questions about economics, demographics, geography, agriculture, religion, politics, family dynamics, slavery, race, class and gender.”

We frequently fail to track our ancestors because we make unwarranted assumptions about why they moved, what trail they followed, what stops they made, even where they could go in a given time period. An ancestor living in Kentucky in 1850 who was born in Virginia may well have spent time in North Carolina and/or Tennessee before arriving in Kentucky. Although he or she may appear to have arrived alone he could have moved with in-laws or collaterals or even married female siblings. Many migrants traveled with a religious or ethnic group. While some moved because of economic reasons, others moved because of Indian attacks, or war. Whether we are tracking 17th century or 20th century migrations, we need to learn all we can about who they were and what it was like both where they were and where they went if we are to be successful in tracking them.

Last updated: September 26, 2008