Tracking Ancestors Who Moved West

When researching, it's easy to lose track of ancestors who move out of an area.  Even if they appear in a census elsewhere, we must decide if those are, indeed, OUR ancestors. It was good local news when folks took off to try their luck "out west" and so newspapers remain a good source for such announcements.  This is one such article that appeared in the Defiance Democrat of April, 1898.

"MOVING TO NORTH DAKOTA

A party of Adams township people started on the B & O Tuesday enroute to York, North Dakota, where they will locate on farms.  The party consists of J. Domer, S. W. Domer, and Jacob Kintner, and their families. 

They loaded two car loads of furniture and belongings and started then on Monday.

J. Domer was out in Dakota last March, when he purchased 160 acres of land.  The other two gentlemen expect to purchase farms on their arrival there.

J. Domer has been the postmaster at Domersville for a number of years.  He leaves the office in the hands of John Kerns, who was assistant.

The departing people leave behind a host of friends who will wish them well in their new and frigid home."  

And in the March 24, 1898 edition:

"OFF FOR NORTH DAKOTA

Tuesday morning five young men of Noble township left for North Dakota, where they will take up their residence and engage in the honorable business of farming in that new country.  

Their names are Michael, Joseph, and Charlie Scheib, Frank Waltz and Clifford Hilton.  This paper wishes them a pleasant journey and abundant good luck in their new field of labor.  

Josh Domer, Henry Lehman, Homer Whitney and John Hornish started today for North Dakota to take up claims, if they like the country."