Lineage Society - Gathering my Sources

Manville Church, Jefferson County, Indiana

Okay, I started to fill out the application for Jefferson County First Families. It went pretty well on the first page. The first source to find was one to prove that Joel Ferguson came to Jefferson County at a certain date. The 1820 Federal Census had him living in Switzerland County in Craig Township which is just next door to Jefferson, but not quite what was needed. This part of Switzerland County was never a part of Jefferson County at this time. The next best document that could be used was Joel and Polly Ferguson's Land Entry which was dated March 23, 1825. Joel Ferguson and Polly Booth were married in Jefferson County on January 6, 1822 but I don't believe that could be used to prove residence. That's something I'll have to check on. Residency has to be proved for 1820 to be in the oldest category for First Families. So looks like 1825 will be the best date to use for Joel Ferguson's first settlement in Jefferson County.

The next problem that was encountered was what every novice genealogist learns sometimes too late. In my hurry to gather information on the Ferguson family 12 years ago I didn't write down the full information to "cite my source." This is a lesson I'm still learning. How much information does one need to fully cite a source? At the time it was gathered it was only to be used for my personal collection on my ancestry. Now a few years have passed these documents are going to be used for a different goal. Some of the sources can be filled in from on-line sources now. Then there are those that will require another trip back to Jefferson County to get those little bits of important information that were passed over the last time. Looks like there will be another trip back to Madison. Oh well, I love it down there anyway. I just needed an excuse to go back for a day of enjoyment.

I love to just walk down the streets of old Madison and see the old homes and watch the waters of the Ohio River go by. Then I will take a drive out to the countryside to see where my ancestors lived and maybe walk through some of their old cemeteries. It's funny how I feel at home there even though I have never lived there. Some of the sites are probably some of the same ones that Joel Ferguson saw. It gives me a chill sometimes to wonder what he was thinking when he looked on the great Ohio River the same way I like to stop and look at it. There I go daydreaming again.