Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Thinking of doing this

I have been doing some genealogy on my family and have noticed that almost all of them came over here in the late 1600's to middle 1700's and most of them arrived in Pennsylvania and then some went to Ohio from there. Some people think I am a little crazy to go looking for people who have been dead over 200 years ago but if I do not do it I feel I may regret it later when I am unable to do it.

So here I am thinking about getting ready to make this trip, where to go, what to see, how long to spend in each place, who and how I will contact that may know something about our ancestors? The states they were in were Virginia (back then included West Va., and Kentucky) Ohio, and Pennsylvania. My ancestors are Halterman, Bryan, Cissnie, Smith, Sloan, Dappen.

This is my first blog so I am not sure if it is going to get started correctly but hopfully I will have the kinks worked out before I leave.
July 2, 2010
I have firmed up my thoughts on this trip some and in a week or so I think I am going to try it. I have my camper fixed up and ready to go, I think but most people that camp will tell you than you never know with one of those things.
My first stop will be Pulaski County, Kentucky where the Hales, Smiths and Sloans started out and I feel there are probably some of them left there. There is a Sloans Valley, Ky which I cannot help to think was named for some of them.
I figure a couple days there and then I will head for Pike County Ohio where my great great grandfather Henry Halterman was born and lived before he left for Nebraska. Also in Fairfield County Ohio is where the Bryan's lived at one time before moving to Iowa.
Monroe, Ohio is where some of the Cessnie's were at one time. This was my maternal grandmothers family. This would probably take me about 4 days maybe.
Then I will head for Pennsylvania. This will be the longest part of the trip and not sure how long it will take. The Haltermans were around Lancaster, Pa and there are Halterman's that run large car dealerships in East Strausburg, Pa. The Cessnies were in Friends Cove and Shippenburg, Pa. The Bryan's were in Dublin and Huntington Pa.
The Haltermans and Bryans were also in Virginia but I am not sure I will have time to go there.

My wife is not interested in trying to find people who have been dead for long so she will not be going with me. I have to admit that I am a little uneasy about doing this but most trips are that way anyway, it is a little more on this one because it is only the third time I will be camping with the trailer.