John Collins (Married To Sarah Chapman) 1789-1841

I am ready to close out the year 2015. I do this early so I can get my Blog Book printed when "Blog 2 Print" has their sale prices, which expire later today! Of course, I keep writing but that will appear in next year's book.

I just want to share a couple of late developments.

First, I have been asked to take the office of Vice President of the Larimer County Genealogical Society for the year 2016.  It is a big job, primarily finding speakers for the general meetings of the society.  I can at least give it a shot.

The second thing is that I found an article that mentions something about John Collins (1789-1841). I have found no other mention of him other than that he married Sarah Chapman in 1809 in Portage County Ohio.  Sarah is my ancestor that leads me to the Mayflower ancestors I was so excited to find nine years ago. John Collins died in 1841 and his will states that my 3rd great grandmother, Sylvia Collins, is his daughter.  Little else is known about John Collins as he was fairly young when he died in 1841.

What the article states about John Collins is that he was born in, or about, Marietta, Ohio.  That is a far cry from where I was thinking he may have been born.  I figured since Portage County Ohio was part of the Connecticut Reserve he would be from Connecticut.  Marietta is the first settlement in Ohio and was very important in the land sales that were made by the Federal Government when Ohio was opened up for settlement.  It was the first Land Office established in Ohio. I have a picture of that Land Office and it is quite small condidering the importance of what transpired there.

       Ohio Land Company Office Marietta, Ohio

I can imagine the hundreds of back woodsmen and the wealthy land speculatiors stepping into that small building to get in on the possibilities of a new opportunity. Muddy boots, smoking cigars, backwoods jokes, and a definite air of enthusiasm and hope for the future.  If this building could talk our ears would probably be burning with the robust and rowdy nature of the men that went in to do land business.

And on that note I will end 2015.  I have new adventures ahead and clues to follow for John Collins. Only time will tell if I find a true answer to his beginings, but it is an exciting thing to look forward to.  It is definitely a "win win" situation because I will learn so many new things along the way.

Stay tuned for further developments.  Patj