[APG Public List] Kentucky travel early 1800s
JFonkert at aol.com
JFonkert at aol.com
Sun Mar 27 18:33:39 MDT 2011
Thank you, Barbara. The accounts from diaries that you and a few others
have offered give interesting insights. Regarding water vs. land, I think
most people would guess that river transport was cheaper than land. I suppose
that the cost of building a raft or boat was one factor. As for people
returning to Virginia via the Wilderness Road, that makes sense to me because
upstream on the Ohio would be a challenge.
For those interested in this subject, a map in C. O. Paulin, Atlas of the
Historical Geography of the United States, shows travel times from New York
- central Virginia, 7 days
- western Virginia, 3 weeks
- Kentucky via the Ohio, 3 weeks
- KY Bluegrass via Cumberland Gap, 3+ weeks
One's travel speed would obviously depend on the size of the party and what
belongings people carried.
In a message dated 3/27/2011 3:49:54 P.M. Central Daylight Time,
bvlittle at earthlink.net writes:
River travel was more expensive. Francis Taylor's diaries note the move of
his kin with livestock and slaves to Kentucky by traveling north from
Orange County (central Piedmont Virginia) and then down the Ohio; however, when
they made return trips for business it was via the Wilderness Road.
From: "Elissa Scalise Powell, CG" <elissa at powellgenealogy.com>
Sent: Mar 27, 2011 10:23 AM
To: apgpubliclist at apgen.org
Subject: Re: [APG Public List] Kentucky travel early 1800s
I can volunteer one such data point which may or may not be helpful in this
case. From Northampton County, Pennsylvania to Wayne County, Ohio, it took
two families 25 days to travel by horse and wagon in 1832.
I would think that anytime there was a river involved, such as the might
Ohio River, they would have taken it, especially in the time period of the ea
rly 1800s. It was at least a “clear roadway” and boats could carry a lot
more weight than horses.
Elissa Scalise Powell, CG
CG and Certified Genealogist are Service Marks of the Board for
Certification of Genealogists, used under license by board certificants after periodic
evaluations by the Board.
From: On Behalf Of LaDonna Garner
Sent: Sunday, March 27, 2011 8:49 AM
The first thing that comes to mind to assist in determining the length of
travel for that time period would be to locate journals or diaries from
someone who traveled those early routes and making a time line from their
</elissa at powellgenealogy.com>
Barbara Vines Little, CG
PO Box 1273
Orange, VA 22960
bvlittle at earthlink.net
Jay Fonkert, CG
Saint Paul, MN
Director, Association of Professional Genealogists
(professional profile at _www.apgen.org)_ (http://www.apgen.org)/)
Member, Genealogical Speakers Guild
(professional profile at _http://www.genealogicalspeakersguild.org/)_
Member, International Society of Family History Writers and Editors
CG (Certified Genealogist) is a service mark of the Board for
Certification of Genealogists, used under license by Board-certified associates after
periodic competency evaluations.
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