I will be gone for 2 weeks beginning tomorrow, so I'll response to any other notices when I get back. Here's a reply I got from the Wilderness Road bunch: Ed Crabtree wrote: > YES I am interested. We must have a psychic connection thing here. I was > just telling my wife that we needed to get some research on the ruins of the > old Edwards Mill along with photographs of what little remains there are and > do a story for the message tree, August issue. I can't even begin to count > how many times over the years I have drove up and down Hwy 160 (modern day > Wilderness Road) and wondered what the remains were. I came across some > references in the history of Nixa and Christian County mentioning the > existence of the mill a few months back and have had this project in the > back of my mind ever since. > > Ed > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Mike Flannigan <[email protected]> > To: Ed Crabtree <[email protected]> > Sent: Wednesday, June 27, 2001 1:50 PM > Subject: Re: Edwards Spring - Greene or Christian County > > > From the Greene County list: > > > > > Subject: Re: [MOGreene] Edwards Spring - Greene or Christian County > > > Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2001 15:16:34 EDT > > > From: [email protected] > > > To: [email protected] > > > > > > Two groups of Edwards families had settlements that might have lent > their > > > names to the Edwards Spring. > > > > > > William B. Edwards, son of John and father of James, had a farm in the > Wilson > > > Creek valley southwest of Springfield at the time the Civil War erupted. > > > William B. Edwards also had lands south of Springfield, extended south > of > > > Nixa to the old Riverdale mill on the Finley. His financial involvement > in > > > the mill lasted until at least the last 1870s. This Edwards family is > > > documented sketchily in some of the early histories of the Battle of > Wilson's > > > Creek, and as I recall, they came to Springfield c. 1840 from the area > west > > > of Davidson Co. (Nashville), TN. > > > > > > The Rev. James W. Edwards (1807-1893) owned, at one time, hundreds of > acres > > > directly south of Springfield extending into and including much of the > city > > > of Nixa. He was involved by the early 1870s in taking over control of > the > > > Riverdale Mill and sold off much of his northern Christian Co. holdings > for > > > the more valuable mill property. He ended up in considerable tax trouble > with > > > the state and county, and although he was able to buy his property back > from > > > auction once at cents on the dollar, he later lost the mill holdings. > His > > > brother, William Carroll Edwards (1818-1901?), owned land north and west > of > > > Nixa, too; his estate seemed to remain stable during these years. > > > > > > The Rev. Edwards also owned several city lots in Ozark, which he lost in > the > > > tax troubles. He was married before 1830 in Maury Co., TN to Martha > "Patsy" > > > Kenamore, who died after early 1865, and later to Susan Emily Sink, > daughter > > > of David Sink of Franklin Co., VA/Michigan/and finally Nixa, the owner > of > > > Davie's Jerk. William Carroll Edwards married Ursula Kenamore, Patsy's > sister > > > who died young in Maury TN, and then Narcissa Johnson, the cousin of the > > > Kenamore sisters. > > > > > > This second family of Edwardses, the Kenamore and the Johnsons > (descendants > > > of Revolutionary War vet Abner Johnson and Nancy Brackett of Amelia VA) > all > > > lives in Maury TN before migrating to Christian Co., MO in 1852 and > 1854. > > > > > > Randy McConnell > > > >