Sometime just after the Revolutionary War, two families connected: Simon and Susanna Drock, in Goshen NH, and Lot and Susanna Thomas, in Sutton NH.

At least two children from each of the families married: Simon Drock Jr. married Sarah Little, and James Little married Sabrina Drock. These two young couples, along with Lot and Susanna, left NH around 1817 and began to move west.

Probably ten years earlier, though, James Peter Drock, eldest son of Simon and Susanna, married Esther Buel, and paved the way out of New Hampshire.

The 8 children of James Peter Drock and Esther Buel eventually hooked up with their cousins, the Drock / Little children, in Caneadea, Allegany County, NY, around 1838.

Today's descendants are all colors, although the majority seem to be white. Of those, I've only found one line that retained the name of Drock. Moreover, I haven't found a single branch of these descendant lines that knew anything about our early history.

Like everyone else, I had absorbed the story that we were Native American. Maybe we were... but if that is so, then I have absolutely no explanation for why all lines (bar none!) believe we came from a different tribe. I've been told we were Mohawk, Seneca, Cherokee, and Blackfoot, among others. But since we came originally from New England (NH and CT), I don't think any of these are right. My vote is still out, but I think it's possible that Susanna (Simon Drock's wife) was of the Mashantucket Pequot in southeastern CT.

What I can say is that these folks were Patriots, adventurers, farmers and blacksmiths. They were slaves and freedmen, landowners and debtors. They were the epitome of America.