I've got an idea, but I'll see if anyone takes a bit on this...
The barn on the farm my 3rd great-grandparents settled on has their last name and the year they "settled" on the farm painted on it.
It's the barn on the farm west of Carthage, Illinois, currently owned by the estate of Alice Habben--whose husband was a great-grandson of the settlers.
I realize that tax and land records are also good sources of this information--but they don't necessarily prove residence.
Has anyone cited a barn as a source?
This is a good question! I've often photographed plaques on the sides of ancestor's homes that state their residence with dates. These plaques are often installed by Historical Societies or the town Historic Commission. Who painted the sign on your barn?
ReplyDeleteMy great-uncle (now deceased) had it painted on the barn. Here in the Midwest, we aren't quite as formal with plaques and the like (grin)--and our barns are not as old as they would be on the East Coast. The date given is not the date the barn was built, but rather intended to be the date the family settled there.
ReplyDeleteIn my case, the year is off--because passenger lists have them arriving a few years later.
Here is my suggestion:
ReplyDeleteEdward Habben Farm (Hancock County, Illinois, west of Carthage on Highway 136, southeast corner of the southeast quarter of section 21 in Prairie Township), barn, personal observation by Michael John Neill, September 2012.