Hi Folks, Thought some of you might be interested in portions of correspondence between JKT Smith (prior Benton County Historian) and the 2nd & 3rd generation descendants of original settlers in the northern area of Sugar Creek at Big Sandy. Sorry if it centers around the McKenzies, that's my area of interest. "Alexander McRae lived close to Pt. Mason for some time after coming into the county <Benton> in 1821-22. He did not enter land there, but he was married to Jane McLeod and had two daughters. In 1827, he entered 28 acres on the SE corner of James Thompson's 150 area tract. This is the earliest land that came into McRae's hand, either by purchase or out of the public domain. It is important that we remember the date, 1827. James Thompson was a very early settler and entered his 150 acres in 1820. His land was also next to Daniel Buchanan, whose land was close to the Big Sandy, about one mile or so northeast of town. Sugar Creek had several tributaries, running north and south, and all at the time were called by Sugar Creek. They now have different names. He was a neighbor of the McKenzies for many years. All the surveys and entries are in the environs of Sugar Creek. In 1830 and for some twenty years, Alexander McRae, is a neighbor of the McKenzies. A neighbor could mean a good little distance through the woods. The McKenzies were seated at Willow, off New Hope Road which is almost directly north of Big Sandy. The old McKenzie cemetery is about one and a half mile north-northeast of Big Sandy off Jones Creek. This is just north of Sugar Creek." -====================================== This is the cemetery I earlier wrote to the list about, Willow Point, that is not in the Benton County Cemetery Book, but contained 40 plus graves. The letter goes on to mention attending church and school near this area at a place called "Willow Point Springs" in several buildings built by Alexander McRae. In 1852 and 1853, Alexander sold 160 of this land to his neighbor McKenzie's youngest son, Malcomb who married Mary Caroline Pierce, daughter of John Pierce & Rachel Ross, on Christmas Eve, 1854. Alexander McRae shortly then moved to Jones Branch and bought what is now McRae's Chapel. In 1982, Mrs. Lillian Brumager Stott wrote of her mother's memories, in a series of letters, of this place: "Memories! Sugar Creek singing its way down to SandyRiver! Clear, running, rippling streams of water to this day bring back memories of Sugar Creek, along whose banks all of my childhood and girlhood days were spent. This little school house, where I first went to school, was called Sugar Creek Meeting House. But it is not to be confused with the present Sugar Creek Church. The little school house was built between 1835 and 1840 by Grand Pap, Alexander McRae, before he moved a few miles up the creek and built another meeting house about 1850 which is the beginning of the present Sugar Creek Church, or McRae's Chapel. Grand Pap was a large land owner believing implicitly in land investments instead of slaves. Always he sponsored school and meeting houses, giving the land and building the log house with its wide fireplace and puncheon floors and seats. POINT WILLOW SPRINGS some 3 miles north of Big Sandy, was the neighborhood school for the next few years. I remember I went to school there to Harve Lindsey, to Allen Lindsey and to a Mr. Shaw." If this jogs the memory of any of you about WILLOW, POINT WILLOW or POINT WILLOW SPRINGS; the CPC Church. Please let me know. Thanks Dave