Isaac Newcomer, my second great grandfather, was the first of my Newcomer ancestors to relocate to Illinois. In 1854 he traded Washington County, Maryland, for Ogle County, Illinois.
Typically, when family farms could no longer be divided so each male child had a farm, and little land was available for purchase, families joined with others in their religious congregation and pioneered in a distant locale where empty land was available. Likely, this motivated Isaac and others from Washington County to set off for Illinois. One of the communities established by this migration became Maryland Township in Ogle County, Illinois.
Isaac’s farm was along Apple Road, between Maryland Road and Branch Road, near the West Branch Church of the Brethren (then German Baptist Brethren).
Isaac had a twin, Joshua Newcomer. Joshua stayed in Washington County, Maryland, and his home is now owned by the National Park Service and provides exhibits on the Civil War and the Battle of Antietam. See my page on Joshua Newcomer for more information.
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For the details on Isaac Newcomer, descendants and cousins, please go to my website in RootsMagic.