This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/ZMB.2ACI/1830.1 Message Board Post: Has anything been done toward cleaning up these cemeteries? Thanks.

Actually The Library Center opens at 8 am BILLTONIR@aol.com wrote: Jean, Yes, I can't think of enough nice things to say about Mabel. She is a wonderful person that is so helpful in so many ways. You know that Nixa and Springfield is almost side by side. Maybe you will have the time to go to the The Library Center for a few minutes. They are on the same street that goes between Nixa and Springfield. I think the hours are 8:30 A. M. to 9:00 P.M. and 1:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. on Sunday. This would give you an idea as to what was available. Then if you ever needed something looked up that wasn't something out of my ability, I could do it for you. Have a good day. Toni Roush ==== MOCHRIST Mailing List ==== New and improved Christian County URL http://christian.mogenweb.org Just insert your Missouri county in place of the word COUNTY http://COUNTY.mogenweb.org to quick-access ANY Missouri MOGENWEB County! ============================== Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx --------------------------------- Yahoo! FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click.

I did not see the message on the 1845 Indian Law. Was it posted to the MOCHRIST list? Thanks- Meg ScandalMcC@aol.com wrote: > Much thanks to Ron Bunch for posting the 1845 Indian law. To understand the > background, remember that "the Indian territory" originally included Kansas > and Nebraska along with Oklahoma. Indian reservations were established all > along the western border of Missouri after 1830 and the passage of the Indian > Removal Act. The northern reservations of the Indian territory were eliminated > in 1854, and Kansas was established; Nebraska shortly followed. > > The fact that the Missouri laws remained on the books until 1909 shows how > various federal laws such as the Dawes Act failed to accomplish their goals, > which included general civil rights for Indians. > > In reply to some other posts.... > > Emily Jane Dewitt, whom neighbors in Nixa consulted to read coffee grounds > and tea leaves to provide "news" about traveling or distant relatives before > telephones, did marry -- to David Clark Lawson -- after her children were born > but she fled from him by train to Springfield less than a year after they > wed in Rowan Co., KY in 1889. He followed her to Missouri, but ended up in the > state prison and later county jail for theft. His last known residence was > with the George Meadows family in Ozark in 1900. David and Emily Jane bought a > farm from the railroad near Nixa before 1896, but Emily Jane or her son > George Lewis Dewitt (m. Mildred Harrington, a member of a prominent old Republic > family) eventually took control of the property and paid the taxes. > > Emily Jane's children married in Missouri, including: > > -- Mary Alice Dewitt (1881-1939), who in 1896 married Finley Glover "Bud" > Inman of Nixa, the son of John Wesley and Nancy Lavanda Wilson Inman. (my line) > -- Sarah Cora Dewitt (1879-1958), who married 1) Francis Marion Hicks of > Nixa in 1897, 2) Charles E. Bussard of Nixa in 1919 and 3) William Thomas > Haskins in 1928. > > Some of Emily Jane's grandchildren -- all by George -- maintained that she > was a full-blooded Indian, even though the Kentucky census records back to > 1860 all show she, her sisters and mother were white. > > The daughter of Malinda Evans Dewitt, Emily is known NOT to have had any > close Indian ancestry on her maternal side, the Evanses and Rayburns, who are > descended from the earliest settlers of KY, western PA and MD. Her earliest > known Evans ancestor died in Maryland in 1691, and the wives of this line were > all English or Welsh. > > Her documented paternal line, however, is not long. Father John Dewitt > disappeared during the Civil War; he appears to descend from an early Dutch family > that settled in NY in the 1600s before they emigrated to NJ, PA and KY. > > Randy > > > ==== MOCHRIST Mailing List ==== > Check out the Christian Co Missouri, MOGenWeb site at: > http://www.rootsweb.com/~mochrist/ > > ============================== > Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the > last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx > > > >

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/ZMB.2ACI/1865 Message Board Post: Seeking any information on James William "Price" Bedford and his wife, Sarah Ward. Their children were Roy, Flonnie (she married Everett Choate) and Jessie (she married Marion Cox). They owned a store in Spokane as early as the 1920's. Sarah died in 1929 and Price in 1940. They are buried at Highlandville. Any information on any of these family members appreciated.

Jean, Yes, I can't think of enough nice things to say about Mabel. She is a wonderful person that is so helpful in so many ways. You know that Nixa and Springfield is almost side by side. Maybe you will have the time to go to the The Library Center for a few minutes. They are on the same street that goes between Nixa and Springfield. I think the hours are 8:30 A. M. to 9:00 P.M. and 1:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. on Sunday. This would give you an idea as to what was available. Then if you ever needed something looked up that wasn't something out of my ability, I could do it for you. Have a good day. Toni Roush

In a message dated 11/6/2005 8:34:18 P.M. US Mountain Standard Time, marrdye@sbcglobal.net writes: Go here http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/usa/MO/christian.html and follow the directions. ==== MOCHRIST Mailing List ==== Search other MOGenWeb counties here: http://www.rootsweb.com/~mogenweb/momap.htm ============================== View and search Historical Newspapers. Read about your ancestors, find marriage announcements and more. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13969/rd.ashx I don't want to unsubscribe, I love this site! And thanks for it!Terry Campbell

Hi Toni, Sounds wonderful. The trip I am making will be to see my half-siblings in AR, and so my time in MO will be rushed (sadly). I am making an overnight trip to Nixa, because I found the area so beautiful the last time I was there. Maybe one day, when I am retired and have more time to spend, I can take an extended trip to visit your wonderful library. I stopped in to visit with Mabel a couple years ago (maybe it was three) and loved the intimacy of the small community of Ozark and their library. Mabel has been such a wonderful help over the years in filling in the family information of Christian County for me. Jean Cuevas At 07:46 PM 11/6/2005 -0500, you wrote: >Jean, >Be sure to included the Ozark Genealogical Library in Springfield, Greene >County, Missouri also. We have a very nice library plus we also own about >half of >the local history collection at The Library Center, (public library). We have >a large genealogical society that runs the libraries with all volunteers. >Many of them are very qualified. > >Toni Roush >Ozark Genealogical Society' >Membership Chairman > > >==== MOCHRIST Mailing List ==== >Remember, you can search the Christian Co list back to 1998 at: >http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl >Enter MOCHRIST in the search field. > >============================== >Jumpstart your genealogy with OneWorldTree. Search not only for >ancestors, but entire generations. Learn more: >http://www.ancestry.com/s13972/rd.ashx

please tell me how to get this site off the mailer list. I am not interested in this and I am tired of all the mail. Please pass this on to your mailing list and maybe somebody can tell me how. Thank you

Go here http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/usa/MO/christian.html and follow the directions.

Much thanks to Ron Bunch for posting the 1845 Indian law. To understand the background, remember that "the Indian territory" originally included Kansas and Nebraska along with Oklahoma. Indian reservations were established all along the western border of Missouri after 1830 and the passage of the Indian Removal Act. The northern reservations of the Indian territory were eliminated in 1854, and Kansas was established; Nebraska shortly followed. The fact that the Missouri laws remained on the books until 1909 shows how various federal laws such as the Dawes Act failed to accomplish their goals, which included general civil rights for Indians. In reply to some other posts.... Emily Jane Dewitt, whom neighbors in Nixa consulted to read coffee grounds and tea leaves to provide "news" about traveling or distant relatives before telephones, did marry -- to David Clark Lawson -- after her children were born but she fled from him by train to Springfield less than a year after they wed in Rowan Co., KY in 1889. He followed her to Missouri, but ended up in the state prison and later county jail for theft. His last known residence was with the George Meadows family in Ozark in 1900. David and Emily Jane bought a farm from the railroad near Nixa before 1896, but Emily Jane or her son George Lewis Dewitt (m. Mildred Harrington, a member of a prominent old Republic family) eventually took control of the property and paid the taxes. Emily Jane's children married in Missouri, including: -- Mary Alice Dewitt (1881-1939), who in 1896 married Finley Glover "Bud" Inman of Nixa, the son of John Wesley and Nancy Lavanda Wilson Inman. (my line) -- Sarah Cora Dewitt (1879-1958), who married 1) Francis Marion Hicks of Nixa in 1897, 2) Charles E. Bussard of Nixa in 1919 and 3) William Thomas Haskins in 1928. Some of Emily Jane's grandchildren -- all by George -- maintained that she was a full-blooded Indian, even though the Kentucky census records back to 1860 all show she, her sisters and mother were white. The daughter of Malinda Evans Dewitt, Emily is known NOT to have had any close Indian ancestry on her maternal side, the Evanses and Rayburns, who are descended from the earliest settlers of KY, western PA and MD. Her earliest known Evans ancestor died in Maryland in 1691, and the wives of this line were all English or Welsh. Her documented paternal line, however, is not long. Father John Dewitt disappeared during the Civil War; he appears to descend from an early Dutch family that settled in NY in the 1600s before they emigrated to NJ, PA and KY. Randy

It has an interesting history. It was located here: http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=36.82222&lon=-93.29056&datum=NAD27&s=50&size=l Reno, on the headwaters of Bear Creek in Christian County, once boasted stores, hotels, blacksmith shops, dance halls, churches and schools. It was dismantled during the depression. Was a post office from 1881 to 1918. A stone found at or near the spring by early settlers had the words "Father Reno" and other words - in Spanish, which none of those seeing the stone read and thus was untranslated - etched into it. Settlers thought it meant there was a Spanish treasure hidden nearby, or at least that Spanish explorers had marked the spring, perhaps claiming it as Spanish territory. The stone was in the yard of a family named Stewart for many years, but it disappeared before the centennial history of the county was published in 1959. Was a settlement and Post Office established in 1885 near a mineral spring. Mike > Subject: Reno, Missouri (a.k.a. Reno Hollow) > Date: Sun, 6 Nov 2005 02:18:11 EST > From: StoryWriter1976@aol.com > To: MOCHRIST-L@rootsweb.com > > I was needing to know if anyone can give me information on Reno, Missouri in > Christian County. I will be doing information search at the library and at the > library's website, but I'm looking more for personal information to read what > others have heard of its history. > > I'm not sure of the dates it was established as a town, but I'm guessing > sometime in the early 1800s through the mid 1800s. > > And I know it's not a town anymore and just a road named, Reno Hollow. And > it's right off of Hwy 160 going towards Highlandville. So, I know where it is. > > The personal stories I'm looking for are: > > * Is it true that the town actually burned? > > *If the above question is true, has anyone ever heard of ghostly stories > being told about the old town? > > *And, what personal ghost stories has anyone heard about it. > > I don't really believe in ghost stories because I've never had, or > experienced, such encounters, but its just interesting to know others stories. I only > know of personal stories from my husband's bestfriend. But I'm wanting to know > personal stories, either from what others have heard or what they've > experienced. > > But I'm only looking for topics on Reno, MO (a.k.a. Reno Hollow). > > Or, if you know of anyone to recommend that I can talk to, please email me. > > Emails can be sent to me at storywriter1976@aol.com > > Thanks, > Michelle Fitzpatrick

Jean, Be sure to included the Ozark Genealogical Library in Springfield, Greene County, Missouri also. We have a very nice library plus we also own about half of the local history collection at The Library Center, (public library). We have a large genealogical society that runs the libraries with all volunteers. Many of them are very qualified. Toni Roush Ozark Genealogical Society' Membership Chairman

I recently was able to obtain an obituary for Stephen Calloway Johnson who died in Christian County in 1911. the obit states that there are 2 uncles who survive, would anyone know who these uncles were? I know his mother was a Robinson and one of her brothers came to MO. Dade County I believe. Thanks Paula Johnson -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.362 / Virus Database: 267.12.8/162 - Release Date: 11/5/2005

Thanks for sharing this information Meg. I'm hoping to find out all I can about Reno Hollow. I think it's an interesting town. Mostly about the place being haunted because I've never experienced anything like this. And since I've heard some stories about the town being there and it burnt, I'm just trying to find out more about it and see if this information I was told about it is actually true. If I can find out more information about your family, I'll be sure to let you know. Do you know if you still have family living in this area or in Springfield? Michelle

It was illegal to marry if you were Indian, Illegitimate children were all she was allowed. Could not own land either. pat ----- Original Message ----- From: <ScandalMcC@aol.com> To: <MOCHRIST-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, November 06, 2005 2:27 PM Subject: Re: [MOCHRIST] LAW IN MISSOURI > Perhaps I should have said that Indian Anne was the only native American > in > Christian Co. in 1870, according to the federal census. > > I had a gg-grandmother, Emily Jane Dewitt, who had three illegitimate > children and came to Christian Co. in 1890 from the Appalachian woods of > Rowan Co., > KY, a notoriously lawless area. Several of her descendants believe she was > native American, her pictures tend to back that conclusion and some > descendants have tried to prove it -- to qualify their children for > college > scholarships. However, all the census information shows she was white, and > no other > documentation exists. > > What I consider most intriguing is the belief of descendants that they had > American Indian ancestry -- even though those ancestors apparently tried > to > hide their ethnicity as much as possible. Indian Anne, as best I can > tell, had > few problems living in the community despite the common knowledge about > her > background -- but the Nixa community accommodated a surprisingly wide > range of > backgrounds and lifestyles in those days. > > Randy > > > ==== MOCHRIST Mailing List ==== > Donations and volunteers being accepted now. See > http://www.rootsweb.com/~mochrist/ for more details > > ============================== > View and search Historical Newspapers. Read about your ancestors, find > marriage announcements and more. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13969/rd.ashx > >

Randy, Don't you wish we could go back in a time machine to see what it was like around 1870? I sure would love to have seen it and my ancestors. I am making another trip this summer (Lord willing) to MO and AR, and want my daughter to see the Nixa area. Last time I was there, I literally fell in love with it! Hope to get by the Ozark library, Mabel. Jean Cuevas At 03:27 PM 11/6/2005 -0500, you wrote: >Perhaps I should have said that Indian Anne was the only native American in >Christian Co. in 1870, according to the federal census. > >I had a gg-grandmother, Emily Jane Dewitt, who had three illegitimate >children and came to Christian Co. in 1890 from the Appalachian woods of >Rowan Co., >KY, a notoriously lawless area. Several of her descendants believe she was >native American, her pictures tend to back that conclusion and some >descendants have tried to prove it -- to qualify their children for college >scholarships. However, all the census information shows she was white, and >no other >documentation exists. > >What I consider most intriguing is the belief of descendants that they had >American Indian ancestry -- even though those ancestors apparently tried to >hide their ethnicity as much as possible. Indian Anne, as best I can >tell, had >few problems living in the community despite the common knowledge about her >background -- but the Nixa community accommodated a surprisingly wide >range of >backgrounds and lifestyles in those days. > >Randy > > >==== MOCHRIST Mailing List ==== >Donations and volunteers being accepted now. See >http://www.rootsweb.com/~mochrist/ for more details > >============================== >View and search Historical Newspapers. Read about your ancestors, find >marriage announcements and more. Learn more: >http://www.ancestry.com/s13969/rd.ashx

I'm not sure where I have the copies someone brought in a printout of this law once. Basically, it prohibited anyone knowingly harboring, specifically naming punishable offenses as knowingly permitting "an Indian" to hunt, fish, or spend the night in Missouri. The penalties applied to "Missouri residents and citizens", as the law made clear that people with Indian blood were not to be considered residents or citizens. It didn't mention what happened to "the Indians", as it appeared to not consider them as anything other than something to remove from the state.It was a strange law that seemed difficult to enforce unless someone else "informed" on someone. Nonetheless, it probably made some residents hide their Native American heritage in records such as marriage or census and perhaps not even discuss it with their children or grandchildren. It was a state law, not one for just a part of the state. aranch wrote: > I have had several discussions with my older realtives about a law in > Missouri in the mid 1850's to the mid 1880 hundreds about a law > concerning indians in Missouri. > These realtives have told me that there was a law stating that NO > indians were to be in Missouri in this time line. > I have been looking thru old law books and I have not found this to be > true. Does anyone know if this law was true and does it cover all of the > state or any part of the state? > I am curious about this. > Thanks for any help in this matter. > Carol Albertson > a-ranch@ruralnet2.com

Perhaps I should have said that Indian Anne was the only native American in Christian Co. in 1870, according to the federal census. I had a gg-grandmother, Emily Jane Dewitt, who had three illegitimate children and came to Christian Co. in 1890 from the Appalachian woods of Rowan Co., KY, a notoriously lawless area. Several of her descendants believe she was native American, her pictures tend to back that conclusion and some descendants have tried to prove it -- to qualify their children for college scholarships. However, all the census information shows she was white, and no other documentation exists. What I consider most intriguing is the belief of descendants that they had American Indian ancestry -- even though those ancestors apparently tried to hide their ethnicity as much as possible. Indian Anne, as best I can tell, had few problems living in the community despite the common knowledge about her background -- but the Nixa community accommodated a surprisingly wide range of backgrounds and lifestyles in those days. Randy

Dale, I am positive that you are correct....I suspect that one of our sources of Indian heritage on my mom's side of the family was Mary Bacon Bledsoe (Bedsaul before the 1850 census). I believe that either she or her mother, Uratha Hale Bacon were Indian. I have heard lots said in more recent years that one way the Indian people could get by on census records was in claiming themselves to be "Black Dutch". I know that that was one of the nationalities my mom's family claimed, and quite possibly a clue. Like your family, my mother and her siblings showed their ancestry, in coloring and features. And, the oral history that was passed down is that their great grandmother was an "Indian Squaw", with dark skin and long black braids. Of course, I have looked at old photos that people have shared of their ancestors, and you could SEE the Indian in them, although they were claiming to be white! I am sure many of them wish that they lived in a time period like ours, where a man's color is not the important thing. Jean Mayfield Cuevas At 12:48 PM 11/6/2005 -0600, you wrote: > > The federal census records for this era show "taxed" Indians, who did not >live on reservations and lived in the community under state laws. Censuses >began showing such Indians in 1850, although not uniformly, and formal >instructions on how to include and identify them were issued first in 1860. > > > Indian Anne was the only native American in Christian Co. in 1870. The >number of native Americans in Missouri was few -- 20 in 1860, 75 in 1870 >and 113 >in 1880, which does lend some credence to the belief that state law banned >their residency. > >Interesting. But I doubt Anne was the "only" Indian around there. Maybe >my ancestors were in hiding when they took the census. >This has been one of my biggest brick walls. I've never been able to find >anything about my g-grandmother, Alabama Stephens, who >married my g-grandfather, George W. Dye, in Christian Co., May 8, >1870. The family thinks she was full-blood Choctaw, and many of >us have the facial features as evidence, but I suspect the family, if they >were recorded at all, were recorded as "white." The >censuses show (mostly) that she was born in TN in 1849, but so far I've >not found any trace of her in 1850, 1860, or 1870 in any >state. > >The three censuses I've found her in show her birthplace as TN, but in >other censuses where her grown children are shown I've seen >MO, AR, AL, and a blank (which was the most accurate as far as I can >tell!). I seriously doubt she was born in Alabama in spite of >her name, but I guess she could have been. I do know there were a lot of >Choctaw in MS as well as SE OK. As for her parents' >origins, the censuses show: > >1880 Lawrence Co., AR Alabama Dye 30 TN TN TN >1900 Randolph Co., AR Alabama Wallis Oct 1849 50 TN TN MO >1910 Lawrence Co., AR Alabama Dye 59 TN TN TN > >Alabama remarried after the death of George Dye, but it didn't last long, >and she was back to using the Dye name in 1910 after her >divorce. (Dug up that little family secret myself a few years ago after I >couldn't find her in 1900.) She died about 1915 and is >likely buried in an unmarked grave in Imboden, AR. > >I can't find her or George anywhere in the 1870 census. The census was >taken after they married that year, and they may have >already been en route to Arkansas. Christian Co. had been part of Taney >Co. (and others) in 1860, and George's family was in Taney >Co. that year and in 1850. I found their marriage license, a handwritten >ledger entry in which her first name is inexplicably >spelled "Abancy," which states they were married "at the home of her >father," so the family must have been living in Christian Co. >in 1870, but they didn't record her father's name! The minister's name >was Parks, but I've never found a candidate for Alabama's >family or Rev. Parks anywhere in 1870. > >George's sister, Catharine, married George R. Garrison in Christian Co. >that same year. > >The Dye family Bible, which contained the only record of the family anyone >ever kept, was washed away in a Galveston hurricane in >1920. The only item the family was able to salvage was a rolling pin >which somebody still has. (There's an idea! Record all the >family's births, marriages, and deaths on a rolling pin. They're more >durable.) > >Any ideas on where to look for this family in 1870 and before? > >Dale > > >==== MOCHRIST Mailing List ==== >Remember, you can search the Christian Co list back to 1998 at: >http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl >Enter MOCHRIST in the search field. > >============================== >Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the >last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: >http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx

> The federal census records for this era show "taxed" Indians, who did not live on reservations and lived in the community under state laws. Censuses began showing such Indians in 1850, although not uniformly, and formal instructions on how to include and identify them were issued first in 1860. > Indian Anne was the only native American in Christian Co. in 1870. The number of native Americans in Missouri was few -- 20 in 1860, 75 in 1870 and 113 in 1880, which does lend some credence to the belief that state law banned their residency. Interesting. But I doubt Anne was the "only" Indian around there. Maybe my ancestors were in hiding when they took the census. This has been one of my biggest brick walls. I've never been able to find anything about my g-grandmother, Alabama Stephens, who married my g-grandfather, George W. Dye, in Christian Co., May 8, 1870. The family thinks she was full-blood Choctaw, and many of us have the facial features as evidence, but I suspect the family, if they were recorded at all, were recorded as "white." The censuses show (mostly) that she was born in TN in 1849, but so far I've not found any trace of her in 1850, 1860, or 1870 in any state. The three censuses I've found her in show her birthplace as TN, but in other censuses where her grown children are shown I've seen MO, AR, AL, and a blank (which was the most accurate as far as I can tell!). I seriously doubt she was born in Alabama in spite of her name, but I guess she could have been. I do know there were a lot of Choctaw in MS as well as SE OK. As for her parents' origins, the censuses show: 1880 Lawrence Co., AR Alabama Dye 30 TN TN TN 1900 Randolph Co., AR Alabama Wallis Oct 1849 50 TN TN MO 1910 Lawrence Co., AR Alabama Dye 59 TN TN TN Alabama remarried after the death of George Dye, but it didn't last long, and she was back to using the Dye name in 1910 after her divorce. (Dug up that little family secret myself a few years ago after I couldn't find her in 1900.) She died about 1915 and is likely buried in an unmarked grave in Imboden, AR. I can't find her or George anywhere in the 1870 census. The census was taken after they married that year, and they may have already been en route to Arkansas. Christian Co. had been part of Taney Co. (and others) in 1860, and George's family was in Taney Co. that year and in 1850. I found their marriage license, a handwritten ledger entry in which her first name is inexplicably spelled "Abancy," which states they were married "at the home of her father," so the family must have been living in Christian Co. in 1870, but they didn't record her father's name! The minister's name was Parks, but I've never found a candidate for Alabama's family or Rev. Parks anywhere in 1870. George's sister, Catharine, married George R. Garrison in Christian Co. that same year. The Dye family Bible, which contained the only record of the family anyone ever kept, was washed away in a Galveston hurricane in 1920. The only item the family was able to salvage was a rolling pin which somebody still has. (There's an idea! Record all the family's births, marriages, and deaths on a rolling pin. They're more durable.) Any ideas on where to look for this family in 1870 and before? Dale