Family Research Can Lead to Suprises!

Last week was a busy week for MCHS. We had victors from all over the country, but Friday was interesting. I had a gentleman come in from Virginia. He said he was traveling across the country researching his wife's relatives. One such relative came to the Irving area in the 1860's. He was researching a certain 2nd great grandfather who was born in New York, traveled to Iowa, to Nebraska then to Kansas. He was only in Kansas just a couple years. 

The big question was, why did he come to Kansas and why did they leave in such a short time? We found he served in the New York militia, and it was possible he was given or bought 160 acres of land. This is according to the Bureau of Land Management records. So, he married, and him and his 7 children came to Kansas.  

Unfortunately, being in Kansas was not in the family's cards. They went bankrupt and lost the farm. They returned to Iowa where he became a very successful horse dealer. So, even though they were not successful here, they were in Iowa. 

Family stories can be filled with surprises.