Jackson Family Migration Marion County, South Carolina to Marengo County Alabama

Date: 1819 [unknown]
Location: Marengo, Alabama, United States
Surname/tag: Jackson

Jackson Family Migration Marion County, South Carolina to Marengo County Alabama

The events leading up to the James Jackson family undertaking that long and arduous journey from Marion County, South Carolina, to Marengo County, Alabama, was the Treaty of Fort Jackson being finalized on August 09, 1814 when Red Eagle, leader of the Creeks, surrendered to General Andrew Jackson, ceding their lands to the federal government. This event opened up half of the present state of Alabama to white settlement.

Then, the Mississippi Territory was divided and part of it became the Territory of Alabama on March 03, 1817 and it remained a territory for over two years when it became the 22nd state on December 14, 1819. I have found information that leads me to believe James Jackson Sr., and his family arrived in Alabama that same year.

Another important event was the building of the “Old Federal Road” through Georgia and Alabama. There were no roads, as we know them, through this area until this road was built, only trails.

James Jackson Sr. and his family, traveling together with several other families, certainly traveled this road by wagon, on horseback, and on foot. There was a great movement of people between 1810 and 1820 from the Carolinas and Georgia, into the Alabama territory because they realized that it was going to become a state and that it would be open for homesteading by the government.

This was the new frontier and it was good land and it was free if you could get there in time to get some of it, and knowing that the first ones there would get the best land – the stampede was on. It was called “Alabama Fever”. I can certainly understand families meeting and planning this long journey with their friends and neighbors loading up all their possessions in wagons and heading off for a new beginning; a place where they and their children could own land of their own, and an opportunity to build new homes, churches, schools and entire communities.

With today’s modern roads, the distance from Marion County, South Carolina to Marengo County, Alabama, is some 600 miles. The route that our ancestors had to travel was certainly not direct and it crossed many streams and rivers with no bridges. One can only imagine how long it took.

The search for information regarding our family is on going and a labor of love. I am sure that in all the information I have been given by a lot of very helpful people, there surely are some errors. Also of great concern are the number of blank spaces or unknown spaces. I would ask anyone with information on our family to please contact me. My contact information is listed as follows:

Edward Jackson
982 Donovan Dr.
San Leandro, CA 94577
Marengoej1@gmail.com

Sources

1850, 1860, 1870, 1880 U.S. Federal Census Records, Marengo and Wilcox Counties, Alabama
Algenweb Marengo County
Algenweb Archives
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
County Line Cemetery, Wilcox County, Alabama
Court House Records: Linden, Alabama
Courthouse, Wilcox County, Camden, Alabama Estate of Allen Jackson (Allen died without a will)
Friendship Baptist Church Cemetery, Marengo County, Alabama
Genealogy.com
History of the Old Federal Road in Alabama
Marengo County Directory 1860-1861
Marengo County Marriages 1818-1936
Probate Minute Book, Courthouse, Wilcox County, Alabama
Rootsweb.com
The Mormon Church Genealogy Department
Wilcox county Marriage 1820-1826
Will of James Jackson, Sr.
Will of Garry Jackson
Will of Joseph Jackson

Thanks to

Janie Jackson Kimbel... You are an Angel. Ann Cheney
Brett Thornton (who got me started)
Gerti Belle Stanford
Gordon Wilkinson
All the researchers who took the time to answer my questions

A very special thanks to Joy Lee, without her, this would not be possible.