Migration Patterns- The Firelands

A major development in the migration to the west was the Military bounty lands that were located in the Northern Portion of Ohio. The first area to cause people to migrate to Northwest Ohio was the region known as the Firelands. This area was located just west of The Connecticut Western Reserve. The land today is present day Erie and Huron counties. Some of the land is also located in Ashland County.

The area was twenty five miles wide. It was established to compensate those residence of the State of Connecticut that had property destroyed by the British during the Revolutionary War. The raids occurred in the towns of Danbury, New Haven, Fairfield, Norwalk and New London. Families in these area were greatly effected by the raids. Many of these town names were used for areas in the Firelands region. Approximately 500,000 acres were put aside in 1792 to compensate these people. It took over thirty years after the war for the claims to take full effect and many of the claimants were either to old or had passed on. These claims would also be sold to other people that would then move to the area.

Migration Patterns- Northwest Ohio 1780-1850

Millions of people traveled from the east to settle or pass through Northwest Ohio during the latter part of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The main road block in the early days was the habitation of the Native Americans in this area and the Black Swamp.

Northwest Ohio had a large Indian population located primarily along the Maumee River Basin. Many tribes were in this area from Ft. Wayne, IN to the mouth of the Maumee at Toledo. It was not until after the War of 1812 that these tribes began their journey out of this region further west. After this time Europeans began to locate in this area in larger numbers. When water travel improved on the Great Lakes this became a common way of traveling to this area.

The use of water travel was best due to the Black Swamp that covered this area. The swamp area covered wide parts of Lucas, Wood and Fulton counties. Travel by land was very difficult and created a natural barrier to settling this area and western travel. It was not until the 1830's that farmers started coming into these areas to drain the water from the land. What was left after the water was removed was some of the best farming land in the world. This would become a major attraction for the migrants looking for farm land. This would mark the beginning of this area becoming the bread basket of America.

Background

Bio- Derek S. Davey- 6/07

Derek is a professional genealogist and sales manager for an Ohio Industrial Distributor. He has been researching his own family since 1974 when he was thirteen years old. Primary areas for professional research are Northwest Ohio and South Eastern Michigan for the past fifteen years. Lectures on a variety of topics related to genealogy in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana. Currently working on a transcription project of the 1900 US census for NEHGS. Specialty areas are computer genealogy, civil war research and New England research. Member of the National Genealogical Society, NEHGS and Association of Professional Genealogist. Graduated with a BA degree from the University of Toledo in History. Derek is married and has one son. Lives in the Toledo, OH area