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Historic American
Roads, Trails and
Migration Routes

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Resources & Strategies

Information Websites

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Major Frontier Regions Where American Migration

Occurred Between the 17^th and 19^th Centuries

Northeastern U.S. Roads, Trail & Paths

Routes to Virginia, Carolinas, & Georgia

Trans-Appalachian Roads, Trail, & Paths

Routes to the North Central Plains States

Routes to the Southeastern Gulf Plains

Routes to the Central Plains States

Routes to the American Southwest

Trails to the Western Mountain States

Trails to the Pacific Coast

This website has been divided into nine regions of the United States where migrations occurred between the 17^th and 19^th centuries. The historic American roads trail and paths shown in the index of this database have been categorized by where the route terminated. For example to find what historic migratory routes went to Kentucky look in region 3 Trans-Appalachian Roads, Trail and Paths, or if your ancestors migrated to a county in eastern Texas take a look at the routes listed in region 5 entitled Routes to the Southeastern Gulf Plains.

INTRODUCTION

Finding your American ancestors can sometimes be difficult because they may have moved so frequently. You might begin your search by asking yourself why your ancestors migrated from one locality to another. Some possible reasons for migration may have included: opportunity to obtain land, crop failures, military bounty land, follow a religious leader, religious persecution, follow relatives or friends, economic reasons, change of climate, improve social and poverty conditions, political reasons, military transfer, wars, follow construction projects (such as canals and railroads), and other reasons.

Understanding migration trails in the localities where your ancestors resided may help to trace their migration to a previous place of residence. Travel in America was usually along existing trails and roads, such as the National Road that extended from Maryland to Illinois, or along rivers, lakes, and canals, such as the Erie Canal, Hudson River, Ohio River, or Mississippi River.

Roads and river travel improved throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The Boston Post Road was used by many people and extended from the New England states to New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and into the Southern states.

The westward migration that resulted in the rapid settlement of the continental United States is perhaps the most compelling and important theme in American history. In no other place or time have individuals settled such an immense region so quickly and small groups

Rates of Travel in 1800

of settlers who operated independent of, and at times in direct violation of, governmental policy. Usually considered the area where the settled portions of civilization meet the untamed wilderness, the frontier moved west over time with the migrations of American settlers. The improvement of existing Native-American trails as well as the development of new roads was of great importance in determining the relocation and redefinition of the frontier thus in many ways came to define the process of westward migration, both as a delineating marker between settlement and wilderness and as a gateway to the "West."

Tracing your own family’s paths of migration can prove crucial in identifying previous generations and eventually, figuring out where and how they arrived in the “New World” as well as where they eventually settled. Knowing the network of trails American pioneers traveled can help you guess where to start looking. The trail descriptions provided on these pages will assist you in understanding the routes your ancestors may have taken to find new homes and opportunities in the vast area now encompassed by the United States.

What we hope to accomplish with this resource is to provide the researcher with some of the basic facts of the major routes that were created and utilized during the 18^th and 19^th centuries. The routes are generally grouped according to the area of the United States to which our migrating ancestors were heading. Of primary importance is information regarding where the trails began and ended, as well as other names by which they were also known.

INDEX OF ROADS, TRAILS AND PATHS

Index of Roads, Trails, and Paths

The following named routes are linked to the page which provides information about the frontier region of the United States in which they are primarily found. Many early American roads are known by several names. As such it may be confusing as to which route is being discussed. In an effort to clarify this problem we are listing all names as they are identified though our on-going research. With regard to different routes with the same name a numerical suffix such as (6) has been included to designete the area of the United States in which the route is included. Any additional information concerning this topic would be most welcome.

G

H

Hardyville–Prescott Road; Helena Road; Helena-Carroll Road; Honey Lake Wagon Road; Honeymoon Trail; Hudspeth's Cutoff; Hudson River Road; Huerfano County Territorial Road; Hundred (100) Mile Route; Huntington Wagon Road;

I

Ioway Road; Iroquois Trail;

J

Jackson’s Military Road; James River-Kanawah Turnpike; Janos Trail; Jericho Turnpike; Johnson Cutoff; Jones and Plummer Trail; Jonesborough Road;

K

Kanawah Route; Kearny Trail; Kelton Road; Keowee Path; Kiowa Trail; King’s Highway(5); King’s Highway(2); King’s Highway(1); King’s Road; Kingston Pike; Kittanning Path; Knoxville Road; Koncow Trail of Tears;

L

La Bajada Hill Wagon Road; La Bahía Road; Lac Vieux Desert Trail; LaJunta & New Mexico Road; Lake Tahoe Route; Lander Road; Lane’s Trail; Laredo Road; Las Animas City & Fort Union Wagon Road; Lassen Trail; Leavenworth-Pike’s Peak Express Route; Lewis & Clark Trail; Lexington Spur; Liberty-Nacogdoches Road; Limestone Road: Limestone and Chillicothe Road; Lincoln Highway; Logan Trace; Lolo Pass Trail; Louisville- Vincennes Road; Lower Creek Trading Path; Lower Post Road; Luther Pass Trail;

M

Mackenzie Trail; Mackinac Trail; Macon-Montgomery Trail; Mahonig Trail; Main Street of America; Marquette Trail; Maysville Pike; Maysville Road; Maysville Turnpike; Maysville-Lexington Turnpike; McAuley Cutoff; McCleary’s Road; McCoy’s Cattle Trail; Meek Cutoff; Meeteetsee Trail; Michigan Road; Middle Creek Pass Toll Road; Middle Post Road; Midland Trail(6); Midland Trail(9); Military Road (NE); Millerton Road; Mingo Trail; Minsi Trail; Mohawk Trail; Mohawk Turnpike; Mojave Road(7); Mohave Road(9); Mormon Trail(8); Mormon Trail(9); Mosca Pass Wagon Road; Mother Road; Mount Hood Road; Mount Hope & Lumberland Turnpike; Mount Jesus Trail; Mountain Monarch Wagon Road; Mountain Route; Moxahala Trail; Mullan Road; Music Pass Toll Road

N

Nashville Road; Natchez Trace; Nacogdoches-Neches Saline Road; Natchitoches Trace; National Old Trails Road; National Road(4); National Road(5); Nevada City Road; Nevada Emigrant Trail; Nemacolin’s Path; Nickajack Trail; Nobles Emigrant Trail; Nobles Road; Nome Cult Trail; North Side Alternate (Oregon Trail);

O

Oakfuskee Path; Occaneechi Path; Ocean-to-Ocean Highway; Oceechee Road; Ohio Connection Trail; Ohio River-Wills Town Trail; Oketo Cutoff; Old Alabama Road; Old Connecticut Path; Old Los Angeles Trail; Old Military Road; Old Miami Road; Old North Carolina Road; Old Northwest Turnpike; Old Plank Road; Old Portage Road; Old San Antonio Road; Old Santa Susana Stage Road; Old Sauk Trail; Old Spanish Trail; Old Spanish Automobile Trail; Old Texas Trail; Old Traders Trail; Old Trading Path of the South; Old Walton Road; Old Wire Road; Old Yankton Road; Ontario and Genesee Turnpike; Opelousas Road; Oregon Central Military Wagon Road; Oregon Trail; Osage Trace; Overland-Cherokee Trail; Overland Trail; Oxbow Route;

P

Palo Doro Trail; Parallel Road; Parkview & Fort Garland Freight Road; Pass Creek Toll Road; Path to the Catawba; Path to the Choctaw Nation; Pawnee Trail; Pembina Trail; Peoria-Galena Road; Placerville Route; Point Douglas to Superior Military Road; Point Douglas to St. Louis River Military Road; Ponca Trail; Portage Road; Potomac Trail; Pennsylvania Road; Pequot Path; Philadelphia-Lancaster Turnpike; Pony Express Trail; Pueblo and San Juan Wagon Road;

Q

Quaker Trace;

R

Raton Wagon Road; Raystown Path; Red River Road; Red River Road(TX/KS); Red River Trails(ND/MN); Rice Road; Richmond Road; Rincon Sea Level Road; River Road; Roller Pass-Truckee Trail; Roosevelt Midland Trail; Route 66; Ruckles Road;

S

Sacramento-Coloma Road; Saginaw Trail; Saguache & Medano Pass Wagon Road; Salisbury Turnpike; Salt Lake Cutoff; Saluda Gap Road; San Antonio-Laredo Road; Sangre de Cristo Wagon Rd; Santa Fe Road; Santa Fe Trail; Santa Susana Wagon Road; Santiam Wagon Road; Sault-Green Bay Trail; Scioto Trail; Sedalia Trail; Seneca Road; Seneca Trail; Seneca Turnpike; Sepasco Trail; Seven Islands Road; Shamokin Path; Shawnee Indian Road; Shawnee Trail; Shawnee Trail (WV); Sheshequin Path; Shiawassee Trail; Shoo Fly Trail; Shore Trail; Silver Cliff & San Luis Valley Toll Road; Simpson’s Route; Siskiyou Trail; Smoky Hill Trail; Snake River Cutoff; Sonora Route; South Carolina State Road; South Pass Road; South Side Alternate (Oregon Trail); South Texas Trail; Southern Emigrant Trail; Southwest Trail; Springfield Road; St. Joseph Trail; St. Louis Trace; St. Paul Trail; St. Paul-Pembina Road; Stagecoach Trail; Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike; State Road; Sublette-Greenwood Cutoff; Summit Creek & Wagon Creek Toll Road; Susquehanna Turnpike;

T

Tahoe Wagon Road; Tascosa-Dodge City Trail; Telegraph Road; Tennessee River-Ohio-Great Lakes Trail; Texas Cattle Trail; Texas Road; Thomas and Ruckle Road; Three Chopt Road; Three Notch'd Road; Tod's Trace; Trading Path; Trail of the Sac and Fox; Trails of Tears; Trammel’s Trace; Trapper’s Trail; Traveler’s Road; Trinidad & Costilla Road; Trinidad & Moreno Valley Wagon Road; Trinidad, New Mexico & San Juan Road; Trinidad- Raton Wagon Road; Truckee Route;

U

U.S. Road; Ulster and Delaware Turnpike; Ulster and Salisbury Turnpike; Unicoi Road; Upper Creek Trading Path; Upper Road; Upper Post Road

V

Valley Pike; Valley Turnpike; Venango Path; Vincennes-St. Louis Trace; Virginia Path; Virginia Road; Virginia Turnpike; Volcano Road;

W

Wabash Way; Walker River-Sonora Route; Warrior’s Path; Wayne Trace; West Plains Trail; Western Cattle Trail; Western Road; Wetzel Trace; Wheeling Road: Wheeling-Limestone Road; Whitman Trail; Wilderness Road; Will Rogers Highway; Willamette Valley and Cascade Mountain Wagon Road; Woods Trail; Wyalusing Path;

X

Xenia State Road;

Y

Yreka Trail;

Z

Zane’s Trace; Zanesville Pike;

OUR ANCESTRAL MIGRATION ROUTES

The following pages in this website are dedicated to the persons in our databases that have been identified as having traveled these various historical American migratory routes during the 18^th and 19^th centuries.

Bozarth, Peiffer, Quigley, Rhubart and allied families

The LINK below will take you to a page containing specific information about the migration dates, places, and routes of many direct ancestors named within this database.

MIGRATION ROUTES - Bozarth; Peiffer; Quigley; Rhubart; and allied families

Moreland, McVicker, Pinnell, Scruggs and allied families

The LINK below will take you to a page containing specific information about the migration dates, places, and routes of many direct ancestors named within this database.

AMERICAN MIGRATION ROUTES - Moreland; McVicker; Pinnell; Scruggs; and allied families

Dellinger, Knecht, Pfeffer, Silar and allied families

The LINK below will take you to a page containing specific information about the migration dates, places, and routes of many direct ancestors named within this database.

MIGRATION ROUTES - Dellinger; Knecht; Pfeffer; Silar; and allied families

RESOURCES AND STRATEGIES

U. S. Migration Resources & Strategies

Migration Maps

A number of Internet sites contain maps showing migration routes in America. Ancestry.com maintains a “Map Center” which features several hundred historical maps of interest to genealogists and historians. See especially the heading “Migration.” www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/reference/maps/main.asp

“The American Migrations Web Site” attempts to have an online database of immigration and migration records. members.aol.com/gedsearch/migrate.htm

“Cyndi’s List: Migration Routes, Roads & Trails” identifies westward migration routes, trails, roads, mailing lists, newsgroups, maps, gazetteers, publications, and more. www.cyndislist.com/migration.htm

Migration Sources

Federal census schedules and state census records after 1850 are useful in tracing migration. The 1880 U.S. Census was the first to show the parent’s birthplace (state or country). Sometimes church records show where an individual or family migrated, or a notation may have been made in the church records in the new locality showing where they came from (previous place of residence). Land records sometimes will show a previous place of residence. Gravestones sometimes show where a person was born. Military records are very useful in tracing migration. Printed sources, such as biographies and compiled genealogies are useful as a beginning source. Computer databases, such as the International Genealogical Index, should be used as a first step in the research process (see “Search for Ancestors” at FamilySearch Internet). www.familysearch.org

The following list of sources may be useful in tracing migration of individuals and families in America (listed alphabetically, not in order of priority):

· Bible records and home sources

· Biographical works (sometimes known as “mug books”)

· Census schedules (federal, state, and local census records, especially after 1850)

· Church records

· Compiled genealogies and family histories

· Court records

· DAR genealogical collections (Bible records and other transcriptions)

· Divorce records

· Gravestone inscriptions and cemetery records

· Land and property records (land grants, patents, deeds, bounty lands, etc.)

· Local histories (town, county, regional, and other histories)

· Manuscript collection (may include unpublished compiled genealogies)

· Military service and pension records, unit histories, other military records

· Mortality schedules, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880 (some records are incomplete)

· Naturalization and citizenship records (since 1790)

· Newspapers (obituaries, marriage notices, biographies, local news, etc.)

· Passport applications (since 1795)

· Passenger lists and immigration records (since 1820; many earlier records published and indexed by P. William Filby)

· Patriotic and lineage society records (DAR, SAR, Mayflower Society, etc.)

· Periodicals (genealogical and historical periodicals and newsletters)

· Probate records (wills, administrations, probate case files)

· Tax lists (Kentucky tax records are one of the best examples)

· Vital records (births, marriages, and death records)

· Voting registers

Selected Bibliography

· Atlas of American History. 2nd ed. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1984.

· Billington, Ray Allen and Martin Ridge. Westward Expansion: A History of the American Frontier. 5th ed. New York: Macmillan Publishing, 1982.

· Condon, George E. Stars in the Water: The Story of the Erie Canal. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday & Co., 1974.

· Holbrook, Stewart H. The Yankee Exodus: An Account of Migration from New England. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1968.

· Merk, Frederick. History of the Westward Movement. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1978.

· Steckmesser, Kent L. The Westward Movement: A Short History. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1969.

· Unruh, John D., Jr. The Plains Across: The Overland Emigrants and the Trans-Mississippi West, 1840-60. Urbana, Ill.: University of Illinois Press, 1979.

· Western Writers of America. Water Trails West. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday & Co., 1978.

Source: Ancestry.com - American Migration Sources

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This search engine may

provide you with additional

information to assist with

your research about this topic.

American Migration Fact Sheets
Map guide to American migration routes,1735-1815
Migration Book Store
Early Migration Routes
The Overland Trail Links--Ancient Indian Trails
American Westward Expansion
Migration Message Boards – Ancestry.com
The African-American Migration Experience
Migration Trails – map of many U.S. trails
Migration Information & Maps By Ethnic Group

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Our Genealogy
Reference Library

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The following Link will take you to our library of genealogy reference books. Here you will find books about historic American roads, trails, and paths. In addition, there are texts that pertain to ethnic and religion groups, history, geography as well as other books that will assist you with your research.

Research Library – Table of Contents

This Link will take you to our

collections of reference books.

Image Gallery

During our research we have collected images and photographs that are of general interest to a variety of American migration routes, roads and trails. Some of them are presented on this website because we believe they tend to provide the reader with additional information which may aid in the understanding of this topic as well as our ancestors past lives.

Historic American Migration Routes

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-- This webpage was last updated on --

01 July 2012