Paternal Family Migration:

My father's family left Tarboro, Edgecombe Co., NC for Greencastle, Putnam Co., IN. They came to Greencastle between November 1879 and January 1880 in a group of approximately 250 AA's recruited by the Rev. John H. Clay, of the A.M.E. Church. Their migration is noted in Indiana's African American Heritage edited by Wilma L. Gibbs in a case study by Arnold Cooper titled Rev. John H. Clay and the 1879 Black Exodus to Greencastle, Indiana: A Case Study of AME Church Leadership. My father then migrates from Greencastle, Putnam Co., IN to Piqua, Miami Co., OH. Somewhat of a circular pattern ....North and West from NC to IN and then back East from IN to OH. Time period is from the 1870's to 1915.

Maternal Family Migration:

I've been able to trace my mother's enslaved family from Goochland Co., VA to Martin's Station, KY (1778), when KY was still a part of VA, then to BlueJacket's Town, Logan Co, OH as captives of the Shawnee Indians (1780), then to Malden, Essex Co., Ontario, Canada as slaves of Alexander McKee (1790), then as FPOC to Urbana, Champaign Co., OH (1810), then to the Piqua,Miami Co., OH 1915). This path is West from VA to KY, then North to OH & Canada, the back South to OH. Not exactly a straight line, time period ca 1778 to 1915.

Documentation used to determine my family's migration patterns include; Family Bibles, Vital Records, Census Records, City Directories, Newspapers, Draper Manunscripts and the above mentioned Book.

Art Thomas

p.s. I was born much later than 1915