The earliest Helton ancestor I know of was an Abraham Helton, who was a Rev War vet from Virginia. They were in Grainger and Campbell counties, Tennessee until about 1830. Abraham Helton, the father, "may" have been in Georgia temporarily during the Georgia Gold Rush. My ancestor, Adam C. Helton and his brother, Arnold, relocated from East Tennessee to Lawrence County, Indiana about 1838. There, Arnold and Adam, laid out the town of Heltonville, Indiana. Adam C. Helton's daughter, Catherine Helton, married my ggg-grandfather, Moses Stinson Martin, b. in North Carolina about 1817.

Here is a link to some info about my Heltons. This site says my Adam was the son of Arnold, son of Abraham. My research shows Arnold was a brother to Adam, not his father.

http://cwcfamily.org/heltonad.htm

Helton is not the most common of names, so it's possible we have some earlier connection in Virginia?

I'd be proud to claim ya as kin.

Jim