It’s Saturday Night

Time for More Genealogy Fun

Your mission, should you decide to accept it (cue the Mission Impossible! music) is to:

1)  Which family surname line (of identified ancestors) of yours stayed the longest in one U.S. state or other country province/shire since, say, 1600?  For example, in the USA, my Seaver line was in Massachusetts from 1634 to 1940.  For England, my Vaux line was in Somerset from the late 1500s to 1840.  For Canada, my Kemp line was there from 1785 to 1902.

*  List the generations for one or two of your long-staying-in-one-locality surname lines.  (Yes, I know that some countries used patronymics – follow the father’s line back in time).

While one of Randy Seaver’s lines stayed in Massachusetts, my ancestors did not stay in the East but were on the move westward — until they settled in Kansas. All of my 2nd great grandparents migrated to Kansas where I still live.

Unfortunately, there are ‘breaks’ in the timeline.

• My father attended graduate school in Lincoln, Nebraska which means that my parents and I were not in Kansas for those two years.
• When my great-grandmother, Winnie Hutchinson died in 1913, her husband and children lived in Kansas City, Missouri for a short time.
• While Alexander Briles moved his family, including his son, Noah Briles, to Kansas around 1858, Noah was in Iowa working as a farm hand before returning to Kansas.

So, eliminating myself and my parents, below are my various lines and their ‘length of stay in Kansas

• Crawford — arrived in 1884 thru the death of my grandfather in 1976 – for a total of 92 years
• Hammond — arrived in Kansas around 1884 thru the death of my grandfather in 1976 — BUT — Richmond Fisk Hammond moved on to California after his daughter, Josie was married. Josie remained in Kansas. – (Again – 92 years)
• Currey — arrived in Kansas around 1858 thru the death of my grandmother in 1992 — BUT — my grandmother was in Kansas City, Missouri for about 2 years as a teen – for a total of 134 years
• Hutchinson — arrived in Kansas around 1895 thru the death of my grandmother in 1992 — BUT — again my grandmother was in Kansas City Missouri for about a year – for a total of 97 years
• Briles — arrived in Kansas in 1858 thru death of my grandfather in 1956 — BUT Noah Briles lived in Iowa for about 9 years – for a total of 98 years minus the 9 years when Noah was in Iowa
• Ricketts — arrived in Kansas about 1879 thru the death of my grandfather in 1956 – for a a total of 77 years
• Mentzer — arrived in Kansas about 1873 thru the death of my grandmother in 1984 – for a total of 111 years
• Wells — arrived in Kansas in 1857 but moved to Michigan and Iowa before moving back to Kansas about 1870 thru the death of my grandmother in 1984 – for a total of 114 years

Even though my grandmother lived in Missouri for a brief time, I’m going with my CURREY line

• Hiram M. Currey (1835-1901) arrived in Leavenworth County, Kansas around 1858 and served in the Kansas Militia during the civil war
• Hiram Miles Currey (1866-1943) lived in Leavenworth County, Rooks County, Olathe and Dodge City (and Kansas City, MO)
• Winnie Letha Currey (1903-1992) – lived in Leavenworth County and Dodge City (and Kansas City, MO for about 2 years

Since the BRILES homestead is still owned by descendants of Alexander Briles, I consider it the line that has been in Kansas the longest. Alexander Briles and his children arrived in Kansas around 1858 and purchased land in Coffey County, Kansas.