Planning the Route Home – Part 1

Home has a dual meaning for me on this trip.  In an historic sense, the 1st half of this trip was returning home to New Jersey, where my ancestors first settled in America.  I was there once in 2016 after driving to the Michigan vs Rutgers football game. Only one other time in 1983 when I drove thru New Jersey after visiting NYC.  In a different sense, the 2nd half of this trip is returning to the area that my line of Howells have called home since 1870 — Michigan. 

 

The migration to Michigan included a stop over in Ontario, Canada.  About 1802, William (4x great grandfather) and his brother Garrett moved their families to Jerseyville, Ontario.  (This town got its name from the large number of settlers that came from New Jersey.) It amazes me how William , at the age of 42 could pack up a family of  9 kids including an infant, and travel to the middle of the wilderness to settle land. William had 2 more children soon after arriving in Ontario.  Garrett, at the age of 40 took 11 of his 12 children with him and had 6 more while in Jerseyville.

 

I don’t have direct knowledge of the route taken.  During my research, I did find a book titled HALL’S TRAVELS IN CANADA and the United States, in 1816 and 1817. The author, Lieutenant Francis Hall, wrote about his travels after the war with the Americans (1812).  In the picture below, you can see that he traveled from Black Rock to Philadelphia.  Black Rock was one of 2 places to cross into Canada across the Niagara River. The big granite rock that gave it its namesake was destroyed while making the Erie Canal in the 1820’s and is no longer there.

 

This route must have been well traveled for a British Army officer to take it on his journey.  I’m going to claim this was the way that my ancestors migrated to Ontario, but in reverse, and not starting in Philadelphia, but closer to Wind Gap.  I decided this was the route I would take to get to Canada — with the exception that instead of going to Black Rock (now Buffalo), we would go to Niagara Falls and cross there.  I’ve been to Niagara Falls a couple of times, but my traveling companions have never been, so I had to make a small adjustment.

 

The following chart shows each day of my journey until we reach Grand Island.

On the home page, you can expand the map and see the details of where each of these locations lies in comparison to Hall’s travels.  I’m hoping there are some historic signs that I can share along this route, but I have no idea yet.


Notice Night 21 — Cherry Hill Campground — that will be a lot longer ride than this group is used to.  Night 20 isn’t a whole lot easier either.  Neither of those campgrounds was the first choice.  Unfortunately, the original campgrounds I had selected were for RVs only, no tents.  This wasn’t the first time I had to adjust the route due to site restrictions, but I didn’t have any alternatives this time. I’m hoping that 3 weeks into this trip, we will all be better able to handle the extra miles and time in the saddle.


We’re getting closer to kick-off.  Eleven (11) days to go.  Whoa!!!!

By Dennis

Ninth generation Howell in North America

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