ABSTRACT
Pioneer Migration to the
Western Fringe of Settlement:
1837–1850
H. Jason Combs
Assistant Professor of Geography
The Platte Purchase region did not become part of the state of Missouri until
1837. Prior to its annexation the area had
been part of the territory reserved for Native American relocation. By 1850, the region had attracted over 40,000 pioneers
from all areas of the globe. The majority of
the early settlers followed the major river
routes as they migrated west to the Platte
region. The census data indicates that upon
arrival many of these early pioneers clustered with other pioneers of similar heritage. As a result, there is a north-south settlement gradation present. Finally, the data
highlights the stepping- stone phenomenon associated with westward pioneer
movement. Many of the early pioneers
simply leapfrogged from state to state on
their journeys to northwest Missouri.
KEY WORDS: clustering, frontier settlement,
hybridization, migration, and Missouri.
THE PLATTE PURCHASE REGION
Department of Criminology, Sociology, and
Geography
Arkansas State University
The Platte Purchase region did not become part of the state of Missouri until
March 28, 1837 (United States Statutes at
Large 5:802). Originally this area had
been part of the lands west of the Mississippi River reserved for Native American
relocation. The region forms the triangle
of northwest Missouri, an area of approximately 2,000,000 acres, consisting of the
present-day counties of Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Holt, Nodaway, and Platte
(Fig. 1). The annexation of this territory by
the state of Missouri in 1837 temporarily
made northwest Missouri part of the
western fringe of settlement. Once open
for settlement, the area rapidly filled with
thousands of pioneers (Shortridge, 1980).
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The primary goal of this study is to examine the migration patterns of a true
frontier population using the 1850 census
records. The Platte region consists of two
counties organized in the late 1830s and
four organized in the 1840s; therefore, the
initial population’s composition is accurately described by the 1850 data. These
records reveal important demographic
4
FIGURE 1. Northwest Missouri’s Platte Purchase Region
Cartography by: H. Jason Combs, Arkansas State University.
characteristics about the settlers, including their place of birth (the 1850 census
was the first to record nativity), average
age, and gender. Additionally, the research
will focus on how clustering and hybridization influenced the geographic distribution of settlers in the region. Finally, the
research demonstrates the association between the pioneers’ nativity and age.
SETTLER NATIVITY
The Platte region’s nativity data reveal
the mixing of many migration channels.
Pioneers who settled the area by 1850
came from 32 states, including the District
of Columbia, and 37 countries and/or territories (National Archives and Records
Service, 1963). These findings support historian Jonas Viles’ (1915, p. 7) statement
that Missouri’s position with reference to
the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri Rivers
“brought about the meeting and mingling
of streams of migration from the north,
south, and abroad.” According to the 1850
census records, Missouri contributed the
largest number of settlers, 16,801, to the
5
region. Kentucky supplied 7,828, while
Tennessee and Virginia both added 2,728
settlers to the region’s population. Two
northern states, Indiana and Ohio, accounted for 2,177 and 2,121 pioneers respectively. These six states provided over
83 percent of all settlers. By 1850, a total
of 41,092 pioneers had settled in northwest Missouri, representing 69 different
nativity areas (National Archives and Records Service, 1963) (Table 1).
These population data demonstrate the
southern influence on settlement and how
pioneers used the Ohio- MississippiMissouri River system as a line of entry
(Gerlach, 1976). As Hudson (1988, p. 401)
contends, “Nearly all of Missouri north of
the Ozarks is of Virginia heritage via the
Bluegrass Region of Kentucky.” Excluding
Missouri, 55 percent of all the remaining
settlers listed either Kentucky, Tennessee,
or Virginia, as their place of origin. Moreover, during this period the river system
offered many pioneers the easiest access
to the West. States well connected to the
system could easily contribute settlers to
the western tide of migration.
Pioneers were attracted to northwest
Missouri due in part to its physical geography. Bounded on the west by the Missouri River, the Platte region’s gently rolling prairies contain some of the nation’s
most productive loess and alluvial soils
(Fig. 2). Additionally, large tracts of native
timber dispersed throughout the Missouri
River bluffs supplied early settlers with
much needed firewood and building material (McGlothlan 1915; Williams 1915)
(Fig. 3). Shortridge (1980, p. 76) concludes
that these physical properties—“fertile
soils, transportation potential, mill sites,
. . . and timber resources”—attracted
many early pioneers to the territory.
IMPACTS OF CLUSTERING AND
HYBRIDIZATION ON SETTLEMENT
Hybridization is the amalgamation of
settlers on the frontier, the idea that pioneers congregate regardless of their origin (Hudson, 1988; Shortridge, 1995). The
resulting mixture can be described as a
cultural blending process (Gerlach, 1976;
Jacobs, 1965). On the other hand, clustering occurs when frontier settlers tend to
6
TABLE 1
Nativity Breakdown, Platte
Purchase Region
State or Country
N
Percentage
Missouri
Kentucky
Tennessee
Virginia
Indiana
Ohio
North Carolina
Iowa
Pennsylvania
Illinois
*Germany
New York
*Ireland
*England
Maryland
South Carolina
*Norway
*Canada
New Jersey
*Switzerland
Georgia
*France
Alabama
Maine
Massachusetts
Connecticut
Vermont
Louisiana
Mississippi
Michigan
Arkansas
*Scotland
Delaware
*Wales
New Hampshire
Texas
Unknown
*Bavaria
*Nova cotia
Nebraska
District of Columbia
*Isle of Man
*Europe
*Mexico
Wisconsin
*Prussia
Rhode Island
*At Sea
16,801
7,828
2,728
2,728
2,177
2,121
1,349
996
827
823
697
429
398
264
227
153
125
103
94
94
79
75
74
61
57
57
56
55
51
46
42
31
30
24
21
20
19
13
12
11
10
10
10
9
7
7
6
6
40.8863
19.0499
6.6388
6.6388
5.2979
5.1616
3.2829
2.4238
2.0126
2.0028
1.6962
1.0440
0.9686
0.6425
0.5524
0.3723
0.3042
0.2507
0.2288
0.2288
0.1923
0.1825
0.1801
0.1484
0.1387
0.1387
0.1363
0.1338
0.1241
0.1119
0.1022
0.0754
0.0730
0.0584
0.0511
0.0487
0.0462
0.0316
0.0292
0.0268
0.0243
0.0243
0.0243
0.0219
0.0170
0.0170
0.0146
0.0146
TABLE 1 (continued)
Nativity Breakdown, Platte
Purchase Region
State or Country
N
Percentage
Florida
*Poland
*Belgium
*Russia
Fort Leavenworth
*Bermuda
Indian Territory
*New Brunswick
*Holland
*Spain
*Upper Canada
*Halifax
*Denmark
*West Indies
*Faro Island
*Sweden
*Italy
*Desert
*Newfoundland
*Cape of Good Hope
*Netherlands
*South America
Total
5
4
4
3
3
3
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0.0122
0.0097
0.0097
0.0073
0.0073
0.0073
0.0049
0.0049
0.0049
0.0024
0.0024
0.0024
0.0024
0.0024
0.0024
0.0024
0.0024
0.0024
0.0024
0.0024
0.0024
0.0024
41,092
*⳱ Foreign-Born
*Percentages may not ⳱ 100% due to rounding.
Source: National Archives and Records Service, Population Schedules of the Seventh Census, 1850. (Washington, D.C.: General Services
Administration, 1963). Record Group 432, Microfilm Rolls 391–410.
group together with pioneers of similar
backgrounds, thus, creating pockets of
ethnicity (Turner, 1935; Hudson, 1973). Numerous settlement patterns that reflect
clustering have been driven primarily by
the existence of previously established
communities—the “friends and relatives
effect” (Hatton and Williamson, 1998, p.
17). For instance, Gerlach (1976, p. 14) concludes that much of Missouri “continued
to attract settlers from the old source areas—a form of chain migration.”
The lure of cheap and extremely fertile
land in the recently opened Platte Purchase region attracted prospective set-
tlers from a variety of locations. At the
Platte regional-level the geographic
scope of the 69 different places of nativity
is extensive, which indicates hybridization. Virtually all countries of the world
are represented, with pioneers coming
from Africa, Asia, Europe, South America,
and variety of island groups (Table 1).
At the county-level the act of clustering
is more evident. According to the county
nativity lists, Indiana ranks near the top
(second through eighth) as the most common birthplace, with the exception of Holt
County where no pioneers recorded Indiana as their place of birth. Of the 55 settlers
in the region who had been born in Louisiana, 40 of them resided in Buchanan
County. The state of Iowa ranks fourth and
fifth as a place of birth, respectively, on Holt
and Buchanan’s nativity lists but ranks anywhere from 14th to 20th on other county
lists. Further examples occur on a smaller
scale, but they are associated with the overall population of the county, indicating that
as population increases so does diversity.
The different nativity compositions at the
county-level reveal the acts of clustering
and hybridization to varying degrees
throughout the Platte region.
FOREIGN-BORN PIONEERS IN THE
PLATTE PURCHASE REGION
The opening of the Platte Purchase region for settlement offered many foreign
immigrants the opportunity to escape
various forms of oppression and start
anew. As Gerlach (1976, p. 34) observes,
the “Adverse social, political, and economic conditions” overseas led many
foreign immigrants to the settlement
frontier seeking a better way of life.” Indeed, in the Age of Mass Migration, Timothy Hatton and Jeffrey Williamson
(1998, p. 12) suggest that the “first great
surge of European emigration to the
United States in the 1840s was a direct
result of the famine and revolution overseas.” The opening of the Platte region
coincided with the timing of these “push”
factors overseas.
Foreign settlers came to northwest
Missouri from 37 countries and/or territories, although, the majority of these pioneers came from Western Europe (Na7
FIGURE 2. The Platte Region’s Rolling Loess Hills
Photo by author.
tional Archives and Records Service,
1963). By 1850, 1,901 foreign immigrants
had come to the Platte region. Of the total
number of foreign-born, 1,359 came from
Germany (697), Ireland (398), and England (264). These foreign pioneers represent 4.6 percent of the total population
in the region, which is well below the
statewide average of 12.9 percent (U.S.
Bureau of the Census, 1853).
The smaller percentage of foreignborn settlers in the Platte region reveals
the fact that during this time, 1837–1850,
many of the less fortunate settlers, including those who were foreign-born, encountered difficulties in their attempt to
reach the western fringe of settlement.
Frederick Jackson Turner (1935, p. 276)
contends that “in the years before the construction of railroads . . . the opportunity of
direct access to cheap western lands was
not open to the poorer people of the northeastern states and of Europe.” Rutt (1915,
p. 366) goes on to explain that “the first
railroad west of the Mississippi River only
8
reached St. Louis in 1852, and the first railroad to span the state opened as late as
February 1859, connecting the cities of
Hannibal and St. Joseph, Missouri.”
Clearly, the mode and cost of transportation had a major impact on frontier settlement during the 1830s and 1840s.
Another factor that contributed to the
lower percentage of foreign immigrants
in the Platte region was that the majority
of foreign-born pioneers settled in urban
areas (Anbinder, 1992). Many newly arrived artisans and laborers could find employment only in the cities. As a result,
the predominantly rural Platte region
held little attraction for those immigrants
who desired or, had to live in a large urban area.
The county-level nativity data suggest
that overseas immigrants preferred to
settle with other pioneers of similar heritage. This preference is demonstrated by
the rank of foreign countries on the
county nativity lists. For example, Atchison County had 72 Germans and 37 Ca-
FIGURE 3. The Missouri River’s Forested Bluffs.
Photo by author.
nadians, ranking them seventh and ninth,
respectively, on the total nativity list for
Atchison County. Placing tenth on Holt
County’s nativity list is Germany, with 68
immigrants. Additionally, Platte County
had two foreign countries in the top ten
on its nativity list: Germany, with 333 pioneers, placed seventh, and Ireland, with
153 settlers, placed tenth.
Although not ranked highly on the nativity lists, additional examples of clustering appear at the county- level. For instance, Holt County housed seven of the
ten individuals from the Isle of Man, while
Buchanan County contained 60 of the 75
French settlers in northwest Missouri. Approximately half of all the Germans in the
region, 333 of 697, resided in Platte
County. Buchanan and Platte Counties
possessed 299 of the 398 pioneers from
Ireland. However, the most prominent example of clustering in the Platte region is
the distribution of Norwegian settlers. All
of the 125 Norwegian pioneers clustered
in Buchanan County. The census records
indicate that entire Norwegian families,
from grandparents to infants, traveled together and settled in Buchanan County.
FREE-COLORED INHABITANTS
One segment of the Platte region’s
population worth examining is the
“free-colored” category. These AfricanAmericans acquired freedom through
state- enacted emancipation in the North
and private manumissions in the South.
Additionally, older slaves who could no
longer perform their duties were often set
free, and slaves who could earn enough
money might be able to purchase their
own freedom. By 1850, the Platte region
contained 75 free-colored settlers, 51 of
whom resided in Platte County (Platte
County also had the most slaves—2,798)
(National Archives and Records Service,
1963). Surprisingly, Buchanan County,
with the second largest overall and slave
9
SETTLEMENT GRADATION PATTERNS
as either northern or southern. The two
classes are based on each contributing
state’s proximity to the Mason-Dixon Line
and the Ohio River. The northern category
consists of Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania,
Iowa, New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, Illinois, New Hampshire, Maine,
Connecticut, Nebraska, Michigan, Rhode
Island, Wisconsin, and New Jersey.
States in the southern category, including
the District of Columbia, are Kentucky,
Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, Arkansas, South Carolina, Maryland, Texas,
Alabama, Louisiana, Delaware, Georgia,
Mississippi, and Florida. Once population
totals have been calculated, each county
can be ranked as northern or southern,
based on their respective compositions.
Based on this classification scheme,
there is a north-south gradation pattern in
the Platte region. Atchison County, the
most northwestern county in the Platte region, with 53.2 percent of its population in
the northern category, ranks as the most
“northern.” Holt County, found in the
northern portion of the region, came in as
northern as well, with 51.3 percent of its
pioneers in that category. On the other
hand, Andrew County, which is to the
south of Nodaway County in the region,
had a 59 percent “southern” population.
Further, Buchanan County, south of Andrew County, registers a “southern” percent of 62.3. Continuing this pattern, Platte
County, the most southern county in the
Platte region records 76.6 percent of its
residents as “southern.” A settlement pattern is evident; the geographic location of
each county within the region correlates to
that county’s population composition.
In general, many migrants preserved a
north-south configuration as they settled
the western frontier. In doing so, as Hudson (1988) points out, pioneers generated
a north-south gradation based on nativity
in every middle-western state. Missouri’s
early population would appear to reflect
this distribution pattern. Following the
major river routes, many of the early immigrants to Missouri basically moved
along parallels of latitude (Gerlach, 1976).
To test for a settlement gradation in the
Platte region, the states that contributed
to the region’s population are classified
At the county-level, males slightly outnumbered females in all six counties.
Overall, males accounted for 52.8 percent
(22,125) of the population in the Platte region, while females accounted for 47.2 percent (19,777) (Fig. 4). These findings are
typical in comparison to other frontier
population’s gender breakdowns. Wishart
(1973, p. 109), who examines the frontier
population in southeastern Nebraska, finds
that “one gender was not disproportionately large when compared to the other.”
populations in the region, had only one
free-colored resident, while Atchison
County, with the smallest population, had
six free-colored settlers in 1850.
Compared to national and state averages the Platte region contained few freecolored inhabitants. In 1850, at the
national-level, 11.9 percent of all blacks
were free. At the regional-level—Upper
South—in 1850, the percentage of free
blacks was 12.7 of the total number (U.S.
Bureau of the Census, 1853). In 1850, freecolored residents in Missouri comprised
roughly 3.0 percent of all blacks in the
state, while only 1.6 percent of all blacks
in the Platte region had been listed as free
(National Archives and Records Service,
1963; U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1853).
The lower proportion of free blacks in
northwest Missouri can partially be attributed to a lack of urbanization. Ira Berlin
(1998, p. 136) states that the “growth of
manufacturing [in urban centers] . . . outstripped the number of available white
men,” therefore, the economic opportunities for free blacks were far greater in
cities. Furthermore, the congregation of
free blacks in urban areas provided a degree of security and allowed them to escape rural isolation (Berlin, 1998). Consequently, as Peter Kolchin (1993, p. 82)
explains, “Three-fifths [of all free-colored
individuals] lived in cities at a time when
less than one-fifth of all Americans did.”
Ultimately, the settlement frontier, with a
minimal number of urban areas, became
home to a small percentage of freecolored pioneers.
10
GENDER AND AGE
FIGURE 4. 1850 Population Pyramid for Pioneers in the Platte Region
Source: National Archives and Records Service, Population Schedules of the Seventh
Census, 1850. (Washington, D.C.: General Services Administration, 1963). Record
Group 432, Microfilm Rolls 391–410.
This appears to be the case in northwest
Missouri as well, nearly equal numbers of
men and women were present.
Again, at the county-level, one age discrepancy of note is that in all counties the
male population is older. The average age
of all pioneers in the Platte region is 19.08
years—19.59 years for males and 18.57
years for females (National Archives and
Records Service, 1963). Median ages
ranged from a high of 20.12 years for males
in Buchanan County to a low of 17.59 years
for females in Nodaway County (National
Archives and Records Service, 1963). This
slight male advantage is partially explained
by the fact that males at this time typically
married younger females.
No doubt the large number of children
on the frontier significantly altered the
overall average age. Of the total population in the Platte region, 35 percent is in
the 1–9 age category. Moreover, 61 percent is in the nineteen and below range
(Fig. 4). Due to the large number of juveniles in the population the median age of
all settlers in the region over the age of
sixteen has been calculated—31.63 years.
This figure is more in line with the findings of other frontier scholars, such as,
James Malin (1984) and John Hudson
(1973). Malin (1984), focusing on the Kansas frontier population, finds that the median age of settlers ranged between 32
and 40 years. Hudson (1973) determines
the average age of settlers in Sanborn
and Bowman Counties, South Dakota, to
be approximately 30 years. Clearly, the
large number of juveniles in the Platte region’s total population significantly lowers the overall average age.
PIONEER MEDIAN AGE BY NATIVITY
The following findings demonstrate
the relationship between pioneer age and
nativity. The thesis is that with an increase in distance from the Platte Purchase region, the average age of that nativity group will generally increase. As
frontier expansion occurred it is likely
that waves of settlers simply uprooted
and moved west a short distance at a time
(Shortridge, 1995). Those pioneers from
the most eastern origins are the eldest
once located on the western fringe of
settlement.
To test this thesis for the pioneers in
the Platte region the median ages of settlers from 15 states and five foreign countries are calculated (Table 2). These 20
11
states and countries are chosen based on
two criteria. The first delimiting factor is
an appropriately large sample size; small
samples would distort the legitimacy of
the findings. Many of the foreign countries listed in the nativity tables contributed only a handful of settlers; therefore,
France, with 75 settlers, has the smallest
sample size of any foreign country. The
second factor is the geographic “spread”
of the nativity groups. States from the
East Coast and Midwest are used to fairly
represent the progression of the settlement frontier across the continent.
Understanding the means of transportation is critical in evaluating the association between age and nativity. Settlers
migrating to the Platte region from the Atlantic seaboard states, and abroad, would
probably have to make the most arduous
TABLE 2
Platte Purchase Composite Age
and Nativity Index
State
South Carolina
Connecticut
Virginia
Pennsylvania
North Carolina
Massachusetts
*France
*Ireland
New York
*Germany
Maine
*England
Tennessee
*Canada
Kentucky
Ohio
Indiana
Iowa
Illinois
Missouri
Median Age-Years
N
41.71
39.7
35.98
34.64
34.22
33.92
31.92
30.45
29.75
28.85
28.65
27.83
27.81
27.54
26.11
20.71
16.87
16.05
14.24
8.14
153
57
2,728
827
1,349
57
75
398
429
697
61
264
2,728
103
7,828
2,121
2,177
996
823
16,801
*⳱ Foreign-Born
Source: National Archives and Records Service, Population Schedules of the Seventh Census, 1850. (Washington, D.C.: General Services
Administration, 1963). Record Group 432, Microfilm Rolls 391–410.
12
and expensive journeys. Therefore, many
pioneers leapfrogged from state to state,
advancing with the settlement frontier.
The 1850 census records provide countless examples of such pioneer leapfrogging. Two examples are the Woodworth
and Goss families (Table 3). Both originated on the East Coast, New York and
Virginia respectively, and migrated to
northwest Missouri.
This calculation reveals that pioneers
from the most eastern states, by nativity,
did have the highest average ages. Settlers from South Carolina had a median
age of 41.71, Connecticut, 39.7, and Virginia, 35.98 years (National Archives and
Records Service, 1963). On the other
hand, the states nearest the Platte Purchase region had the lowest median
ages. For example, Indiana, Iowa, and Illinois, all had average ages less than 20,
while Tennessee, Kentucky, and Ohio, all
TABLE 3
Census Examples Of Pioneer
“Leapfrogging”
Settler
Age
Nativity
Entry Number 327, Holt County, Missouri
Woodworth, Parmenus
44
New York
Woodworth, Mirala
43
New York
Woodworth, Derias
20
Ohio
Woodworth, Abigena
12
Ohio
Woodworth, Sarah
9
Ohio
Woodworth, Eliza
7
Illinois
Woodworth, Emily
5
Illinois
Woodworth, Charles
2
Missouri
Entry Number 64, Platte County, Missouri
Goss, William
42
Virginia
Goss, Mary
35
Virginia
Goss, Joseph
20
Kentucky
Goss, Elizabeth
15
Kentucky
Goss, Mary
12
Kentucky
Goss, Sarah
9
Missouri
Goss, William
6
Missouri
Goss, Lucey
4
Missouri
Goss, Cornelia
2
Missouri
Source: National Archives and Records Service, Population Schedules of the Seventh Census, 1850. (Washington, D.C.: General Services
Administration, 1963). Record Group 432, Microfilm Rolls 401 and 410.
had average ages less than 30 (National
Archives and Records Service, 1963).
Explaining the comparably lower median ages for foreign-born pioneers relates to the mode(s) of transportation and
to the directness of their journeys. The
census records indicate that many of the
foreign- born settlers migrated directly to
the area. Entire families made the trek together as one cohesive unit (Table 4). Foreign settlers migrating directly to the
Platte region would have a lower median
age than those settlers who reached the
area by taking a longer, more timeconsuming, cross-continental journey.
Gerlach (1974, p. 34) states that “German
immigration to Missouri was well organized with many settlers coming directly
from Germany through New Orleans.”
The lower average ages of foreign-born
immigrants reflect the directness of their
routes to northwest Missouri.
The steppingstone theory also highlights the two main corridors of westward
TABLE 4
Census Examples Of Foreign
Family Migration
Settler
Age
Nativity
Entry Number 1,028, Andrew County,
Missouri
Snider, John
41
Switzerland
Snider, Catharine
26
Switzerland
Snider, Katharine
10
Switzerland
Snider, Wagdalena
8
Switzerland
Snider, Anna
8 Months Switzerland
Snider, Christian
33
Switzerland
Snider, Catharine
26
Switzerland
Entry Number 105, Holt County, Missouri
Shulte, Harmine
41
Germany
Shulte, Elizabeth
43
Germany
Shulte, Catharine
16
Germany
Shulte, Mary
12
Germany
Shulte, Henry
9
Germany
Shulte, Elizabeth
2
Germany
Shulte, Luiza
9 Months Germany
Source: National Archives and Records Service, Population Schedules of the Seventh Census, 1850. (Washington, D.C.: General Services
Administration, 1963). Record Group 432, Microfilm Rolls 391 and 401.
travel present in the 1830s and 1840s. The
northern migratory route relied upon the
Ohio River to funnel settlers to Missouri.
Census records show that many northeastern pioneers gradually moved west
following the river, staying just a few
years in each location before moving
again. Additionally, it is probable that at
each stop many pioneer families increased in size. Median ages for settlers
from these states verify this assumption:
Pennsylvania, 34.64 years, Ohio, 20.71
years, Indiana, 16.87 years, and Illinois,
14.24 years (National Archives and Records Service, 1963). Two northern route
census examples are the Whites: the eldest male, Lorence, set out from New York
and subsequently had children in Ohio, Illinois, and Missouri, before arriving in Atchison County. Likewise the McClarys,
who began their westward trek in Pennsylvania, had offspring in Pennsylvania,
Ohio, Indiana, and Missouri, prior to their
arrival in Platte County (National Archives
and Records Service, 1963).
The southern migration route originated in the Piedmont Region—western
Virginia and North Carolina. This route
wound through the Appalachian Mountains to Tennessee and Kentucky prior to
its entrance into Missouri. The leapfrogging process from state to state is evident
in their median ages: Virginia 35.98 years,
North Carolina 34.22 years, Tennessee
27.81 years, and Kentucky 26.11 years
(National Archives and Records Service,
1963). Southern migration route examples are the Goolsbys: William and Patsy,
who came to Missouri from Virginia and
North Carolina respectively, had children
in Tennessee and Missouri. Similarly, the
Blaklys, Joseph and Jensy, born in Virginia and South Carolina, had offspring in
Tennessee, Kentucky, and Missouri, before locating in the Platte region (National
Archives and Records Service, 1963).
These two sets of census examples,
Whites-McClarys and Goolsby-Blaklys,
are representative of literally hundreds of
families that leapfrogged state to state on
their trek to northwest Missouri. Later
census data and county cemetery records
indicate that many of these families ultimately migrated further west.
13
CONCLUSIONS
The state of Missouri achieved statehood in 1821, but the state did not annex
the Platte Purchase region until 1837.
Originally the area had been part of the
territory west of the Mississippi River reserved for Native American relocation.
Once open for settlement, literally thousands of pioneers poured into the area.
Many of these pioneers would have used
the major rivers—Mississippi, Missouri,
Ohio, and Tennessee—as their primary
means of transportation. As indicated by
the nativity data, states with ready access
to the river system (Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee, for example)
contributed many pioneers to the western tide of migration. In terms of distribution, the census data indicates that
upon their arrival many of the settlers
preferred to cluster together with other
pioneers of similar heritage. At the
county-level dozens of clustering examples exist. For example, Holt County was
void of any settlers born in Indiana, while
all 125 of the Norwegian settlers congregated in Buchanan County. The nativity
data also reveals a north-south settlement gradation in the Platte region. Atchison and Holt Counties, for instance, located in the northern half of the region,
had “northern” compositions; whereas,
Platte and Buchanan Counties, the two
most southern counties in the area, had
the most “southern” populations. Finally,
the census data demonstrates the relationship between nativity and age. Pioneers from the most distant of origins,
Connecticut, South Carolina, and Virginia, had the highest average ages,
while settlers from Illinois, Iowa, and Kentucky, had much lower average ages.
Many early pioneers simply leapfrogged
from state to state on their way to the
Platte Purchase region.
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