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 1840

After 1820 the movement into this area increased at a very quick pace. The routes to get into Northwest Ohio were greatly expanded. The Seneca road was extended along the Erie shore past Cleveland and into Toledo. Two routes sprung up coming from the south that came from the area of current day Columbus. The water routes also increase dramatically over Lake Erie and the creation of the canal systems.

The overland routes were improved now to handle a steady group of migrants. Travelers were able to have some of the comforts from the East with the establishment of lodges and taverns. The roads were now built to better handle the wagons that were bringing folks to Northwest Ohio. The roads from the South went to Sandusky which during this period was a much more active area than Toledo. These routes would bring many people from the Mid Atlantic and Southern states. Travel on these routes was still very slow. Coming from Buffalo would take months to get to Toledo and some times years. Stop offs and temporary settlement along the way were common.

The water routes were the cheapest and quickest forms of travel. Buffalo was a very popular departure point for those folks coming out of New England that had traveled across the Erie Canal. The completion of the Erie Canal was a major boom to migration to the Midwest and Northwest Ohio. People were able to travel on a boat all the way from Boston to Toledo. Along the coast of Lake Erie Huron, Sandusky, Milan, Oak Harbor and Toledo became major stop off points. They also became major trading centers, because of the development in the overland routes. Items grown in Ohio had found a cost effective way to be transported back to the large populations located on the east coast. This would help in adding capital to fund the future growth of Northwest Ohio.

The canals that were built into Northwest Ohio helped to bring people from the south to Northwest Ohio. The Miami and Erie Canal was built from Cincinnati to Toledo. Many Irish and German immigrants moved into Northwest Ohio as a result of this route. The Irish helped dig the route and the Germans helped in designing the many locks that were necessary along the route. Counties like Allen, Putnam and Henry in Northwest Ohio were the benefactors of this route. The Wabash Erie Canal followed the edge of the Maumee River from far down into Indiana up to Toledo. The economic impact of these two routes to the area were tremendous as it brought migrants and capital to the area.

Migration Patterns- Northwest Ohio 1820

Prior to 1820 the migration routes into the Northwest Ohio region were limited. As mentioned yesterday this was limited by two major factors. The Black Swamp that covered a good portion of Northwest Ohio and the American Indian.

During this early stage the major route overland was the Seneca Road which began in Buffalo and went as far as current day Cleveland. Two major trails moved back to the east coast traveling through the New England states. The southern route was the National Pike that came through the mid section, but during this time period there was no real extension up to the Northwest.

The roads during this time period were extensions of paths that had been created by the American Indians and had been used by them for centuries to travel between tribes. At this time they were not designed for wagon travel and many of the early settlers were forced to widen the roads as they traveled. Some of the early expansion of these roads occurred by the soldiers that were fighting during the War of 1812. Travel none the less was a long and difficult journey. Northeastern Ohio became a common stopping area on people's migration trails west.

Navigation of Lake Erie was also taking place during these early stages. The cities of Sandusky and Toledo became common areas for port arrival. Food also was transported out of these ports in very small quantities. Water travel was by far the easiest, but as of yet had not developed enough to become a major factor. The Erie Canal out east was also just in the early stages of development and would become a driving force in migration after 1820.

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