A concept many researchers utilize when trying to trace a particularly family, or any family for that matter, is the FAN Club concept. FAN stands for family, associates and neighbors. Back in the day, it was highly unlikely that a single family would migrate hundreds of miles all by themselves. The number one reason for this was safety. There is safety in numbers and they were heading out into the wilderness where there might not be a lot of other friendly people. If a family migrated to a new location, they would usually go with other family units or neighbors who lived nearby. We can get a feel for who belongs to a particular FAN club if the same names appear in proximity to each other on various documents, the most common being the census records. These families also tend to intermarry so that is another thing to watch for in the documentation.
As I sort through the information on William DeMoss and those who are thought to be his siblings, I will be applying the concept of the FAN club, especially with migration of family units during the 1800s. This first FAN Club post will summarize the migration pattern of William’s descendants. Only those children who are known to have off-spring will be discussed.
Thomas DeMoss (1828-p 1870) – Thomas was one of the two boys listed in the 1830 Census but had moved off the family farm by 1850. He married Mary Gilley and had six children while living in Daviess County, Indiana. Their children remained in the general area spreading into Greene and Knox Counties in Indiana and Wabash County in Illinois. The grandchildren, who were mainly born around the turn of the twentieth century migrated a bit further, landing in the South Bend area. There was also one granddaughter who found her way to Oregon.
Isaac DeMoss (1833-1900) – Isaac was married twice, first to Louisa Reeve then to Laura Johnson. He settled in Edwardsport in Knox County where he lived out his life. His children and grandchildren also remained in the Knox County area.
John DeMoss (1835-1908) – John was married to Sarah Burris and they made their home in Daviess County, Indiana. After her death, John did move down the road to Wheatland in Knox County. Their children seemed to migrate in a westward direction, a few settling here and there along the way. A couple children made their homes in southern Knox County in the Decker area, while a few others continued on to the west, finally making roots in western Illinois and further into Pemiscot County, Missouri. Several of the grandchildren eventually ended up in the Los Angeles, California while others remained in the St Louis area.
William Henry DeMoss (1837-1876) – William’s first wife was Mary Reeve, sister of Isaac’s wife Louisa. William and Mary did attempt to migrate to Missouri, according to family lore, however, they returned after a short period of time. Of their four children, two stayed in the southwestern Indiana area and the other two found their way to the Spokane, Washington area. For the most part, the grandchildren remained in the general areas of their parents.
As I delve into the other possible siblings of William J DeMoss, it will be interesting to see if any/many find their way to St. Louis, Los Angeles, Oregon or Washington. This will help to support possible ties between the various families.