Books

Paths to Illinois: Migration and Settlement, 1839-1896
Volume I
The Jepson Family Story

Paths to Illinois, Volume I traces the documented migrations of six families whose journeys began in very different places—from Europe to New England—and unfolded over generations before culminating in settlement in Northern Illinois.

Grounded in careful genealogical research and written as narrative nonfiction, the book looks beyond names and dates to explore why people moved, what they hoped for, and the hardships they faced along the way.

Focusing on ordinary lives, it examines men and women who endured loss, made consequential decisions, and built families within the constraints of their time.

Special attention is given to women’s experiences and to the daily labor that sustained households through change. Though centered on one family line, these documented histories reflect broader patterns of migration—and remind us that the ways people once faced uncertainty, change, and belonging continue to shape how we do so today.

Paths to Illinois book cover

Paths to Illinois: Migration and Settlement, 1834-1880
Volume II
The Davis Family Story

Drawing on careful genealogical research and historical study, this narrative history follows ten families as they faced uncertainty, loss, economic hardship, and the demands of building new lives in unfamiliar places. Some arrived in Illinois during the earliest years of settlement, drawn by the promise of land and opportunity; others followed family connections or sought work in growing towns and cities.
Blending family history with social and cultural history, Paths to Illinois Vol II explores more than names and dates. It examines why families moved, how larger historical forces shaped personal decisions, and what migration meant for women, widows, children, and working households whose labor often remained invisible in historical records.
Though centered on one family line, these documented histories reflect broader patterns of migration—and remind us that the ways people once faced uncertainty, change, and belonging continue to shape how we do so today.
Paths To Illinois Volume 2

For Something or Nothing: A Life of Striving
In the Age of Whaling, the Gold Rush, and Westward Expansion

Coming Soon

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