The Partin family are relatives of my ancestors of that area: Howard, Putnam, and Adair Cos. 286 HISTORY OF ADAIR COUNTY. the ground over. John Cain bought the claims of the Myers’ family, about 1,000 acres, for $20, and one claim for a pair of shoe leathers. Col., Jones, John Cain and Clifton brought with them hand mills, and when Cain's first crop of wheat was har- vested and a few bundles threshed, the powerful daughters of Robert Miller and Col. Jones, four remarkable pioneer girls, assisted the female head of the Cain family to sift the flour through thin cotton stretched over a piece of Buckeye bark just pealed from the tree for that purpose. The flour obtained was not sufficient to make bread for this harvest company, so it was made into a flour pudding. Jack Floyd, a ranger of Adair County, early in the thirties, was killed at the raising of Tribue's mill in Clark County, He it was who killed the dreaded wolf of the St. Francisville trail. Together with Floyd, several hunters and trappers, working directly for P. Choutreau & Co. among the Sacs and Foxes, were known here at that day. Andrew Bozarth and his sons, with Isaac Parton, came here in 1830, leaving their families in Howard County. That year they made an attempt at a clearing, and planted some corn in Pettis Township, where the Brookfield bank robbers were captured some years ago. This son is now a resident of Liberty Town- ship, and he remembers distinctly that the Bozarth family arrived the following year, settling near the corn patch. In 1832 young Bozarth had charge of a pack horse and accom- panied the troops sent hither to protect the settlement. At this time he was only nine years of age, and had the experience of being lost for one night in the forest. Among the tragic events of pioneers times was the death of Avington Bozarth, by drown- ing in the Chariton River. In 1833 Hiram Bosarth came to this county, preceded by Thomas Parton and Isaac Hargis. In the summer of 1832 a blockhouse was constructed on the Cain farm where King Collet now resides, and a smaller one on the ridge at Long Point, just outside the city limits of Kirksville. The following story is related of the only veteran of the Rev- olution who has ever been known to reside here. This was about 1832. His name was John Lay, who was accompanied by his wife and son, the latter a gray-haired and tottering old man.. STATE OF MISSOURI 287 They halted at the William Horton cabin to ask some questions, when the latter related his surprise at such an old, old man being on the road to the west. " Yes," replied Lay, Jr.,, " I am pretty old, but I had to come a long way to keep father and mother company; they are in the wagon." "Well now, by thunder," said Horton, as he jumped off the fence, " stop your team, I want to see them." This was done, and there were the old soldier and his wife — each full of life and delighted with the frontier. This aged woman, it is said, could spin a dozen of flax a day, even after she became a centenarian. Nathaniel Floyd came to Adair County in 1832, and settled on the farm owned by G. Grebbs. At that time there was but the single settlement in Barton Township, and one at Moccasin- ville, now Macon. The cottonwood tree on the Grebbs' place, which was set out in the spring of Harrison's inauguration by Nathan Floyd's daughter, to support a campaign flag, was ten feet eight inches in circumference in 1882. Prairie fires as well as bush fires were then common, for the Indians were accustomed to encircle a large tract of country with fire so as to corral the game. In one of those instances Floyd and his wife had an adventure. They had been visiting neighbors, and on returning saw that they were cut off from home by a line of fire. The horses could not be driven across it, so Mrs. Floyd undertook to cross the line. Her clothing caught fire, and burned to the last shred, and long before her husband discovered her, for he took the horses a circuitous route, and on reaching home had to set out in search of his wife, who was not found until the next day.The marks of this terrible burning she carried with her to the grave. Another story is related by William Floyd, who, while riding through the heavy prairie grass — as high as his horse's back, saw an object which seemed to leap or to be tossed high above the grass about 200 yards ahead. As he approached he could see it was a man, and on hastening hither found Coleman Stew- art lying on the ground beside a large buck, which had one antler torn off, and forelegs tied with a suspender. Stewart, on seeing him, cried out, "for God's sake help me Will, for I'm near gone." Floyd cut, the deer's throat, and put an end to the struggle. It appears Stewart shot off the horn, and stunned the deer, which