[northwest_al] Re: Fw: Reasons to move.
- From: "Mike Sullivan" <mikesull@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <northwest_al@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 21 May 2003 13:12:48 -0500
Nice posting. You've not only advanced yourself in genealogy but, I
believe, with the rest of this group.
Mike Sullivan
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Sullivan" <sulliv812@xxxxxxx>
To: "northwest_al" <northwest_al@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2003 2:08 AM
Subject: [northwest_al] Fw: Reasons to move.
> Please forgive the extra header. I had a bad link and did not wish to
retype my post. I hope not to ever do this again. thanks!
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Mike Sullivan
> Sent: Monday, May 19, 2003 5:33 PM
> To: Nwalfreelist
> Subject: Reasons to move.
>
> Hi!
> A few of you folks may remember me from the NW-ALABAMA list and know
that I have a soft spot for newbies. I also declared to be barely past the
newbie stage myself. I have been reluctant to post on this list because I
wanted to see where it might go, in as far as topic. Sue has started this
list for us, so that we would not be bound by topic subjects. It would be
nice for us to try and keep our surnames to people that moved to and from
the NW AL area.
> I also have held back from posting for fear of coming across as a
know-it-all, or preaching. My reasons for posting are first to give a little
help to any newbies that might read them. We should encourage those folks.
If you are stuck at a brick wall, it is highly possible that a newbie might
see something that you missed.
> Also, a newbie might have a different look at things. Everyone has
different ways of thinking and if you have gone around that same old bush
more than a few times, I believe it would be wise to listen up to those new
ideas. Should you know that person is barking up the wrong tree, have a
laugh and respectfully tell them where they are wrong.
> That is the second reason why I have made some postings. I am aware
there are some seasoned researchers on this list. (or the other list) I have
been hopeful someone would be able to correct me or steer me in the right
direction if my sky was a different color of blue than it should be.
Learning research techniques, unless academically trained is a hit and miss
affair until not only you get your feet wet but get to the point of sink or
swim.
> I will only mention analysis techniques to say that I have just begun to
approach that area of genealogy and if you don't believe that the deeper you
get in your studies the more regimental things become, just wait until you
get to the analysis stage. I have heard that getting old is not for sissies.
Well neither is advanced genealogy. As I have said before, genealogy is what
YOU make of it and if that guy on TV is happy that he found out he was
related to the Wright brothers on some website, let's cheer in HIS success.
> I would love to see more traffic on this list, so will start with a
topic that again might be helpful to someone or maybe someone can correct
me. I'm certain many can add to the topic of reasons for migrations and I
beg you to jump in. It is easy to see the need for western movements because
as the eastern coast became populated, the need for more land became
greater. Why would people need so much land?
> Anyone familiar with modern day gardening, knows that a half acre for a
family of four would be considered a big garden. That's the key, modern day
home gardening practices. First, a family of four would be a rare thing in
the days of our ancestors. I will limit my discussion to home gardening
because there were of course planters of large plantations but most people
didn't have that luxury.
> The need for land grants of 100 acres or more, stems from the soil
itself. There wasn't any 8-8-8 fertilizer to be found. Unless you had plenty
of farm animals, which took lots of land to raise crops to feed, you might
have to buy manure and other natural fertilizers, so you needed land to
raise some sort of cash crop. People would raise corn for both man and beast
and you could take your corn to a mill that would grind it for you, for a
share of that corn. You would need a cash crop to buy things like coffee,
sugar, wheat flour, salt and pepper.
> I watched a program called Appalachian Stories a few years ago where an
old timer explained that the first year you cleared land, you would get a
decent crop. The next year would be even better but the third year, you will
be lucky to have a crop. It took lots of time to clear all of that land. A
person would farm maybe 10 acres while clearing another 10 acres for future
crops.
> As people cut down trees, they would pile up logs to sell to lumber
mills. Many of these mills would move around as timber was being harvested,
so there is another reason why some families would move. Eventually, the
soil would become torn out. Lands opening up in the west would provide a new
beginning. It's hard to think that people would get so very little for their
land but most would really sell their house for whatever they could get for
it and the land just came with the transaction.
> I hope that others will pick up this topic, correct and/or add to my
post.
> Bye, Mike
>
>
>
Other related posts:
