Barre, Vermont was settled in the 1790s with many of the residents coming from Massachusetts. Among the first were our ancestors Bartholomew French and Abijah Keith, along with many related Keith, French, Gale, and Currier families. The town grew during the next 30 years and then, with the opening of the West, which offered more opportunities for both young and old, a relocation began. Chicago was incorporated in 1833 and here many Vermont people settled.

From typed copies of family letters we know that Martin Keith sold his family farm before 1851 and moved to a smaller place in Barre. In that year Martin, accompanied by his sons Osborne and Edson, visited Chicago, and again in 1853. Edson, age 20, settled there in 1854 and his brother Osborne, age 23, joined the same year. Their brother-in-law, Samuel Currier Roberts, was in Chicago in 1854, shortly after his marriage to Judith Keith, and the three began to purchase real estate.

Edson and Osborne traveled throughout Illinois and the surrounding states as salesmen and jobbers in hats and millinery goods for men and woman. Among their fellow travellers was their friend Marshall Field, who was later to establish a department store bearing his name.

Martin Keith continued to live in Barre and borrowed as much as he was able from friends, neighbors, and relatives for sending to Edson and Osborne to build their business and to invest in Chicago property. Martin's letters reminded his son's of the terms, interest rates and security he had to give to obtain the money and cautioned them on the need to obtain adequate security in loaning the money to assure their ability to meet interest payments. Many letters made reference to the health of the parents and sons and there were frequent changes in their well-being. And always there was reliance on divine providence. A close family relation existed in the Keith family and included Samuel Roberts, who settled in Chicago in September, 1857. Martin Keith's youngest son Elbridge Gerry, age 17, came to Chicago in 1857. Judith Keith Roberts, accompanied by her son, Wilmer Keith Roberts, and her brother Damon Keith joined the Keith and Roberts families in Chicago within months. By 1860 Martin Keith, now age 60, and Betsy French Keith, now age 62, completed the relocation of all the family. By this time many of their friends and relatives from Vermont had also settled in Chicago and this probably made the move easier for all.

Chicago had a population of 30,000 when Martin first visited and when he settled there 10 years later Chicago was a city of 120,000. Edson and Osbourne established a business manufacturing hats, caps and millinery goods in 1858 and their business prospered along with the population growth, and possibly benefited from government orders during the Civil War. By the time of the great fire in 1871 the population was 250,000 having doubled in 10 years.

Beginning in 1876, Osborne and Edson, accompanied by their families, took lengthy trips to Europe, sometimes staying for periods of six months.88