Royal Hazleton in Indiana?

I accessed a uncharted resource at www.familysearch.org.  Uncharted, for me anyway.  I usually Google for books but a post on another blog alerted readers to the digital books that can be accessed through FamilySearch.  I previously wrote about Royal's son Alpheus and the conflicting information regarding his birth location.  Some sources listed it as Iowa and others as Indiana. Searching on FamilySearch for Royal Hazelton, I found four books of interest.  One was "A Standard History of White County, Indiana." I later discovered a transcription on the White County, Indiana GenWeb Project Resources page.  The book was published in 1915.  In it is a paragraph that states:

Page 215 ROYAL HAZELTON, FIRST PERMANENT SETTLER

The first settlers in what is now Prairie Township do not appear in

its list of land owners. Royal Hazleton is credited with being the leader

of the procession of permanent residents in that section, and some claim

that Joseph H. Thompson, of Big Creek Township, must yield the honor

to him as the pioneer of the entire county. Mr. Hazelton settled upon

the southeast quarter of section 22, about a mile southeast of the present

site of Brookston, in the early part in 1829, and there erected a round log

shanty, with a roof of clapboards and a floor of puncheons, 16 by 14

feet in dimensions. He was elected a justice of the peace before White

County was organized, the returns for which are still on file at Delphi,

the county seat of Carroll County. Mr. Hazelton's name appears in the

list of voters who cast their ballots at the second election held after

White County was organized, in August, 1835; also as the second schoolteacher

in the township. Which is all that is of record regarding the

first housekeeper and permanent settler in Prairie Township.

It is said that about the time of Hazelton's coming, one John Ault

built a pole cabin in the northern part of the township, lived with his

family therein for about three months, and moved thence to Big Creek

Township.

"Brookston, Indiana Centennial 1853-1953" was another in the list of search results. The authors reiterated what was published in the earlier history of the county. 

The 1820 US Federal Census Index:

Name: Royal Hazeltine

Event Place: Rockingham, Windham, Vermont

Page Number: 286

Affiliate Publication Number: M33

Affiliate Film Number: 128

GS Film number: 0281249

Digital Folder Number: 004433259

Image Number: 00161

Citing this Record:

"United States Census, 1820," index and images, <i>FamilySearch</i> (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XHLP-WQK : accessed 06 Sep 2014), Royal Hazeltine, Rockingham, Windham, Vermont; citing "1820 United States Federal Census," <i>Ancestry.com</i>; p. 286, NARA microfilm publication M33, roll 128, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 0281249.

Shows that Royal is still in Vermont.  So sometime between 1820 and 1829 they headed west. I would love to find a record of them joining a wagon train. Using Google maps, the modern route would have taken Royal through New York along the Great Lakes skimming the upper NW corner of Pennsylvania and traveling through Ohio. Going to Tippecanoe county would take your through Fort Wayne, IN.  That might be a good place to do some research.  Nine years and 926 miles allows for a lot of events along the journey.

The 1830 US Federal Census index:

Name: Rgal Hazelton

Event Place: Not Stated, Tippecanoe, Indiana

Page Number: 106

Affiliate Publication Number: M19

Affiliate Film Number: 31

GS Film number: 0007720

Digital Folder Number: 004410756

Image Number: 00214

Citing this Record:

"United States Census, 1830," index and images, <i>FamilySearch</i> (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XHPB-CQ3 : accessed 06 Sep 2014), Rgal Hazelton, Not Stated, Tippecanoe, Indiana; citing "1830 United States Federal Census," <i>Ancestry.com</i>; p. 106, NARA microfilm publication M19, roll 31, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 0007720.

This was prior to  the establishment of White County and Tippecanoe county lies on the south side of White county.  A transcription of this census shows males: 211101 and females 2011001. He is also transcribed as Regal instead of Royal.  I checked the Land Patents and didn't see an entry for Royal in Indiana.  His widow filed for a Land Patent in Iowa after his death based on Royal's 1812 war service.

White county was established in 1834 from Carroll county. I didn't find much in the Carroll county GenWeb pages. Royal's daughter, Sally, married John Luce in White County, Indiana in October 1834.  This is the only marriage record I could find for any of Royal's children. His son Alpheus was born in 1824 possibly in Tippecanoe county. 

By 1840, Royal and sons, Royal Harvey and Thomas, are in Greene County, Missouri. 

Name: Royal Hazleton

Event Place: Not Stated, Greene, Missouri

Page Number: 285

Affiliate Publication Number: M704

Affiliate Film Number: 223

GS Film number: 0014855

Digital Folder Number: 004409679

Image Number: 01283

Citing this Record:

"United States Census, 1840," index and images, <i>FamilySearch</i> (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XHTF-X7G : accessed 06 Sep 2014), Royal Hazleton, Not Stated, Greene, Missouri; citing "1840 United States Federal Census," <i>Ancestry.com</i>; p. 285, NARA microfilm publication M704, roll 223, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 0014855.

Alpheus is thought to have married around 1844.  I have looked in the marriage books for Greene County, Missouri on microfilm at the Missouri State Archives and did not find an entry for his marriage. It could be they married in a neighboring county.  More research will be done in the next few days as I take a day to do research.