Migrating Families of Greene County, NY
Greene County has often been called the stepping stone to the migration west. The shores of the Hudson River were populated since the mid 1600's, however, the interior of the county was sparsely populated until after the Revolutionary War. The country was economically bankrupt after the Revolutionary War and settlers were struggling to feed their families. The earliest settlers to the interior of Greene County wrote to their families in the New England States and in Dutchess County about the bountiful land and abundance of wildlife. Families started the long and often arduous journey west, to the promised land, Greene County, where land was either free or available for a reasonable purchase price. This section of the site will attempt to link Greene County families to their New England homeland. It is also intended to record where these families moved on to. Joyce Riedinger, Delaware County Co-ordinator has established a similar section for Delaware County, which seems to be one of the main destinations for Greene County families, in their push westward. Also check out the Schoharie County Migrations Database.