Scotch-Irish-L Archives

Archiver > Scotch-Irish > 1999-03 > 0920854952


From: "Virginia W. Beck" <>
Subject: Re: List Encouragement
Date: Sun, 7 Mar 1999 17:02:32 -0800


Just a thought -- I belong to the Southern Trails list, which is doing a
similar thing, but concentrates only on the South. Perhaps this idea could
extend to the migration patterns for those who started out farther North.
Virginia.
-----Original Message-----
From: Mac McCutchan <>
To: <>
Date: Sunday, March 07, 1999 4:46 PM
Subject: Re: List Encouragement

Hi, all

Linda Merle wrote:

"How about instead we engage the community? Lets start a discussion on
this. Anyone want to compile the good stuff? Then we can do "roll
out" much faster....Ie, I create a link on the central webpage to the
new pages and we're off because they just need put into HTML. (Which I
can do)."

Ron Gaddis wrote:

"What exactly are you discussing? A new list to go with a new web
site? There are lists already established for Dauphin Co., PA and
Lancaster Co., PA. What would you do differently? Concentrate on the
region and the SI folks only? Create a web site with data which
pertains to SI with links to relevant databases?."

Linda Schreiber (supported by Cynthia Russell) wrote:

"A vast number of family hunters will eventually need to research the
cluster of counties where the Scotch-Irish and German (and a few Welsh
and English) migration folks 'stopped off' for a generation or so and
then went on, moving west across PA/OH or south to VA and NC/SC and then
west. I would propose a single list to cover the 'cultural-functional'
cluster of counties, rather than a cluster of lists. This would
include...what.....4 or 5 PA counties? and 3 or 4 MD counties that used
to be PA but were all part of the pattern."

All good points, it seems to me. If we concentrate solely on Lancaster
Co., were duplicative, and were hemmed in on both sides (how our
ancestors got there, and where they went when they left, assuming they
did). Linda Schreibers concept is very attractive, although broad.
Another way to look at this (and maybe even to name it) would be that it
constitutes the upper one-third of The Great Wagon Road. As Linda S.
pointed out "it would need to be fairly specific to the migration
pattern, not just a conventional query list for all those counties."
Perhaps the Great Wagon Road would provide a good historical/cultural
focus for the list. Its how they got there, and how most of them left
and it covers the whole trek, from the Delaware River and Philadelphia
on to wherever we want establish as the cutoff point. Linda Schreibers
concept certainly works for me, whether its a cluster of counties, or
the road through them. Linda (Merle), would that be too broad for your
needs?

Just checked my mail...several more messages that seem generally
supportive of a list/website that's migration pattern-speficic,
including one from Linda M...What think?

Mac McCutchan

This thread: