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Maybe I am unreasonable?

I am from the northeast (NJ). Many of my ancestors were among the earliest settlers in this area and further north. None of my ancestors moved west or even south. (Wash DC was the furthest and that was only for a short time). I find it is VERY frustrating to engage in online groups and surname queries because a majority of entries are inquiring for everywhere except HERE.
Has anyone else experienced this? Any theories on why?

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Permalink Reply by Jane Devlin on August 5, 2009 at 6:34pm
They might be included in the series of Massachusetts Vital Records to 1849 or 1850. I just searched on my site http://www.dunhamwilcox.net/ for SANDS, then refined the search first for Massachusetts & then for Vital. The search engine notes 40 hits for that combination so they might be worth checking.
Permalink Reply by Kate Steere on July 21, 2009 at 7:22pm
Hi Eileen-

I'm in Virginia, but most of my direct line in either from RI, or PA, once they arrived here. They mostly stayed put. So, I look for groups who focus on those areas, and other groups that I just find interesting. :)

hugs
Kate
Permalink Reply by Doug Tallman on July 21, 2009 at 8:24pm
My family got kicked out of Holland ages ago, landed in New York and New Jersey and pretty much stayed. But there's an entire bloodline of German Tallmans who landed in Rhode Island about the same time, and then moved one county west with every generation. By the time of the great westward migration, there were Tallmans all over. I see all sorts of online queries about the Tallmans in Indiana or the Tallmans in Oklahoma. Nobody much cares about my line.

It is frustrating. Maybe we need our own group. The Homebodies? Families That Lacked Adventure? Crossing the Atlantic Was Hard Enough, Why Should We Cross a State Line? Sign me up.
Permalink Reply by Eileen Cogan on July 21, 2009 at 8:28pm
LMAO that is so funny. "Crossing the Atlantic Was Hard Enough, Why Should We Cross a State Line?"

I prefer to look at it as being devoted. In spite of the bad rap New Jersey has, I am VERY proud to belong to some of the original settlers.
Permalink Reply by Beth Gatlin on July 21, 2009 at 9:24pm
There is nothing wrong with New Jersey! I was born and raised there and still live there. You should be proud! :)
Permalink Reply by Ellen Healy on July 29, 2009 at 4:20pm
I love it! I am really laughing out loud! ".....Why should we cross state lines?" Sounds like you might have known my family! Hah!
Permalink Reply by Heather Wilkinson Rojo on July 22, 2009 at 11:23am
Why don't you start a discussion group for your area and your surnames on this and other forums, and see who else contributes? You might be pleasantly surprised as the response. There are probably lots of other people thinking along your lines, just waiting for the appropriate forum.
Permalink Reply by Eileen Cogan on July 22, 2009 at 11:24am
Thanks for the suggestion. I opted for a blog as a forum. I can use tags there and they should show up on searches
Permalink Reply by Eileen Cogan on July 29, 2009 at 5:07pm
Doesn't that stink? My family thinks I am obsessed (or maybe possessed?). They couldn't care less. Of course, part of that has to do with the fact that if you are not familiar with looking at gene data, I imagine it is very difficult to take in and understand the magnitude of it.
Permalink Reply by Ms. Gerry Hill on August 2, 2009 at 12:38pm
You can try USGENFORUM.com which is free-then type in your state, then your area-county.
You can try Genforum.com -and again, there will be one for your particular area.

Mine all came to Georgia-and did not leave-so I know what you mean. But after a few years-we all get interested in the LATERAL LINES- and they go all over!

More than 20 years and counting- Ms. Gerry Hill gerryinga@yahoo.com
Permalink Reply by David on August 3, 2009 at 4:36pm
Eileen,

Two resources I would suggest to you, if you haven't seen them already, are:

Free Newspaper Archives

and

NewspaperArchive.com

Search just the NJ newspapers, and see what you find. From a quick look, both turn up newspaper articles on NJ Cogans, so maybe there's something there on your family. Let me know if you need any help searching these resources.
Permalink Reply by Eileen Cogan on August 3, 2009 at 5:49pm
Thanks David but my Cogans were not in NJ until the 1900's. They were in NYC, Wash DC and Philadelphia before that. However, it seems the NJ archives are all in North Jersey except for the one for Atlantic County.

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