SHASTEEN GENEALOGY
Houston, TX  — Updated Jan 2008
 Ray@Shasteen.com
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  HISTORICAL DISTRIBUTION OF SHASTEEN NAME

 

1810 US census - Shasteen families 2 VA, 3 KY, Chasteen 1 VA, Chastain 1 KY, 1 LA, 2 SC, 1 VA, Chastine 1 KY,
1820 US census - Shasteen 3 families IN,  1 KY, Chasteen 1 GA, 3 IN, 6 KY, 1 NC, 3 OH (later Shasteen), 1 VA,
                                 Chastain 1 KY, 1 SC, 3 VA, Chastan 1 LA, Chastien 1 GA, 1 SC, Chastine 1 KY
1830 US census - Shasteen 4 families IL, 9 IN, 5 OH, Chasteen 2 FL, 4 GA, 3 IL, 10 IN, 1 KY, 1 LA, 1 SC, 3 TN
                                 Chastain 11 GA, 2 IN, 4 KY, 1 MI, 3 NC, 1 OH, 1 SC, 2 TN, 2 VA, Chastine 2 GA, 1 IL, 3 KY, 1 TN, 2 VA
1840 US census - Shasteen 10 OH, 5 IN, 1 IL, Chasteen 2 SC, Chastine 2 IL, 1 SC, 2 TN, 
                                 Chastain 2 FL, 22 GA, 14 IN, 1 IA, 5 KY, _ MI, 1 MO, _ NC, _ OH,  6 SC, _ TN, 2 VA,
1850 US census - This is the first census with names of family members which prevents me from estimating family count
                                 and the headcount is not particularly meaningful

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    Of particular interest to me is the outnumbering of spellings other than Chastain as reading most of the literature I was lead to believe that the predominant spelling was Chastain after Pierre the French Huguenot that settle in 1700 or so in Manakin town that supposedly all early Chastain descendants of all spellings are descended from.
     Also interesting is the information below about the Ohio Canal System built from 1825-1847 and my speculation as to what it had to do with the migration of the Shasteen families from Virginia to the Ohio area.

 

Amherst Co. VA brief history from County Historical Society:  Native Americans were the first humans to populate the area. They hunted and fished mainly along the countless rivers and streams in the county. With the establishment of the Virginia Colony in 1607, English emigrants arrived in North America. By the late 1600's English explorers and traders traveled up the James River to this area. Early trading posts formed between 1710 and 1720. By 1730, many new families moved into the land currently known as Amherst County drawn by the desire for land and the good tobacco-growing soil. In 1761, Amherst County was formed from the southern half of Albemarle County. The original county seat had been in Cabelsville, now Colleen in what would later become Nelson County. The county was named for Sir Jeffrey Amherst who commanded the British forces that successfully secured Canada from the French. In 1806 the county assumed its present proportions when Nelson County was formed from its northern half. At that point, the county seat was moved to the village of Five Oaks, later renamed Amherst. The present county courthouse was built in 1870 and has served the county ever since. In the early days the major crop raised in Amherst County was tobacco with apple orchards becoming popular in the late 19th century. Timber, mining and milling were also important industries. The introduction of the railroad in the late 19th century greatly influenced the county's growth. The county contains many good examples of 18th, 19th and early 20th century rural and small town architecture. The downtown area of Amherst is a classic example of early 20th century commercial architecture.

Ross Co. OH brief history:  

 

Amherst Co. VA brief history from County Historical Society:  Native Americans were the first humans to populate the area. They hunted and fished mainly along the countless rivers and streams in the county. With the establishment of the Virginia Colony in 1607, English emigrants arrived in North America. By the late 1600's English explorers and traders traveled up the James River to this area. Early trading posts formed between 1710 and 1720. By 1730, many new families moved into the land currently known as Amherst County drawn by the desire for land and the good tobacco-growing soil. In 1761, Amherst County was formed from the southern half of Albemarle County. The original county seat had been in Cabelsville, now Colleen in what would later become Nelson County. The county was named for Sir Jeffrey Amherst who commanded the British forces that successfully secured Canada from the French. In 1806 the county assumed its present proportions when Nelson County was formed from its northern half. At that point, the county seat was moved to the village of Five Oaks, later renamed Amherst. The present county courthouse was built in 1870 and has served the county ever since. In the early days the major crop raised in Amherst County was tobacco with apple orchards becoming popular in the late 19th century. Timber, mining and milling were also important industries. The introduction of the railroad in the late 19th century greatly influenced the county's growth. The county contains many good examples of 18th, 19th and early 20th century rural and small town architecture. The downtown area of Amherst is a classic example of early 20th century commercial architecture.
Ross County Links -  Maggie Steward-Zimmerman site

Migration to Ohio

Ohio Canal System - Part of the benefit of the Shasteen's moving to Ohio when they did was the quick improvement in commerce as a result of the canal system that was built. The following is from The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water, Hydraulic Operations Unit web site.

"Between 1825 and 1847 the State of Ohio constructed 1000 miles of canals and feeder canals, 33,000 acres of reservoir surface area, 29 dams across streams, 294 lift locks, 44 aqueducts and many smaller structures at a cost of about 16 million dollars. The network of navigable canals provided a system of economical transportation where none had previously existed. The young state with its isolated frontier economy was transformed almost overnight. The canals opened many markets for its agricultural and industrial products, and attracted thousands of immigrants to the state. Today only a few of the deep excavations, the high earthen embankments and the massive structures of timber and cut stone are left to remind us of our debt to those who built Ohio's first transportation system."

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