Migration as pertaining to specific religious sects to Jefferson County, Ohio

Migrations in history explore the nature and complexity of the movement of peoples, cultures, ideas, and objects. Drawing from the vast collections available in the library, historical societies and the Internet, this newsletter will feature some of the reasons why our ancestors came here with emphasis on their religious and economic movement westward.  We will also examine the genealogical information of migration patterns – what happens when people move, what they take with them, what they leave behind, and how they make their new place home.
{Written & Compiled by Flora L. VerStraten}

Raise your hand if you had ancestors that migrated from western Pennsylvania to the Ohio Valley Region.  Many of us that have ancestors that either settled in Jefferson County or came through the county can find a connection to PA. For this reason, this newsletter will focus primarily on our emigrant ancestors from PA. We will examine maps of the Panhandle of VA (now WV) and the western bordering counties of PA. We will attempt to explain the close relationship that OH had to VA (now WV) and PA  and  what impact those states could have on our researching tactics today.

While we as researchers are interested in NAMES, it is important for us to study and learn history! There will be several pages devoted to the religious migrations of our ancestors. Knowing their religion in many cases can aid us in our research efforts. We must also consider reasons why our ancestors migrated to OH such as: free land, religious freedoms, following family migration patterns, employment opportunities such as; farming, mining, various trades, commerce, and industry. So remember this: If you haven’t found your ancestor or a record of your ancestor in Jefferson County, try searching right across the river in WV and PA.