I am passing along a note from the Washington Co. mailing list since it also involves Iron Co. An archived query regarding the matter was posted back in 2001. At this time, the request can be simplied somewhat, I think... Would anyone who is able, be kind enough to check their available resources, at home or library, in order to assist this gentleman? Thanks, Kay ----- John Croxton [EMail: IronMtnRR1860@aol.com] is searching for 1850's and 1860's information on: * Walter CROXTON, Birth: abt 1822; Place: England -and- * The pottery businesses that existed during this time in the towns of Kaolin (renamed Shepard) and Foote. * What happened to the employees who were injured or killed by the bushwackers at the time the potteries were destroyed in 1862? Walter CROXTON moved his family moved from Rushville, Schuyler Co, IL to Kaolin, [Washington/Iron Co,] MO in the first half of the 1850's... Walter CROXTON was a potter at one of these town potteries, located about 8 miles apart: Kaolin {Named for the clay; this town was renamed Shepard after 1860} -and- Foote Walter CROXTON purchased 120 acres located between Shepard (Kaolin) & Foote and within walking distance of both potteries. It is believed Walter was killed by bushwackers in 1862, at age 42, along with the other employees at the time the potteries were destroyed/burned. Walter's wife, Sarah and their 5 children (and possibly a Parks brother to Sarah) fled the area, and returned to Rushville, IL in 1862. Sometime after the 1860 census, the town name of Kaolin, Iron Co., was changed to Shepard, after the prominent citizen and educator, Ehilu Shepard. Elihu Shepard: * 1848 Elihu Shepard came to Iron (Washington) County from St. Louis.  He purchased 5,000 acres of land in Kaolin township in the western part of Iron County and there developed a pottery. He was forced to abandon the premises during the Civil War until 1866.  In more recent years this has been known as the John Swift farm. * Elihu Shepard, the professor from St. Louis who built a pottery in Kaolin, hired 16 potters from Staffordshire England. Goods were shipped to St Louis via the Iron Mtn Railway in 1860. * Shepard Accelerated school was named in 1905 for Elihu H. Shepard, founder of the Missouri Historical Society. By Feb. 1857, Iron County was formed from part of Washington Co. - Records on the CROXTON family, particularly after 1857, will be recorded in Iron Co. records. 1860 Kaolin, Iron, Missouri Post Office: Pine Grove CROXTON: Walter, age 40 abt 1820 Birthplace: England Sarah (nee Parks), age 40 Frederick, age 15 Henery/Henry, age 14 Ann, age 12 Mary, age 10 Walter, age 8 Any of these publications may provide information on the potteries and/or the individuals employed there. Does anyone have access to them? http://www.rootsweb.com/~moicgs/newsletter.html * PAST AND PRESENT - A history of Iron County Missouri 1857 - 1994 Vol. I -By The Iron Co. Historical Society - 1995 * A SUMMER IN ARCADIA VALLEY - The Iron County Register - June 26, 1890 * IRON COUNTY MEMORIES -  Listing of the Iron Co Cemeteries, names and dates. By Jeanette Henson McClure * EARLY HISTORY OF THE ARCADIA VALLEY - By C. S. Russell * 1981 STUDY OF ARCADIA * HISTORY AND CUSTOMS OF WASHINGTON, IRON, ST. FRANCOIS and ST. GENEVIEVE CO. MO - By J. T. Miles - 1937 * BOOK ON WASHINGTON COUNTY THAT COVERS PART OF IRON COUNTY * The Autobiography of Elihu H. Shepard (St. Louis: G. Knapp & Co., 1869.) * The diary of Elihu Shepard * 1858+ Ironton Furnace Newspaper published at Ironton by James A. Lindsey Below is the original note posted on the Washington Co mailing list: Hello Folks, I just loved your web site on Washington County. I was wondering about something. There was a town called Foote and another Called Kaolin, {not the Township} it was located not far from Caladoina during the Civil War. However during that time the counties were different than they are now. Today those towns would be in Iron County. Here is my question, My great great grandfather was a potter from England, The census puts him in the Arcidia Valley in 1860. There were two pottery's operating at that time, one in Kaolin {Named for the clay} and one in Foote about 8 miles apart, I found he bought 120 acers with in walking distance from the two potteries. Foote is no longer there, but old maps show this place; Kaolin's name was changed to Shepard when Elihu Shepard bought the town. {a proffessor from St. Louis} {he built a pottery and hired 16 potters from Staffordshire England} {then ship the goods to St Louis via the Iron Mtn Railway in 1860} Bushwckers: I believe he was killed along with other potters in 1862 {16 families worked in Kaolin/Shepard} Elihu abandoned the potters and later reported that both potteries were burned to the ground during the war. He had 5 children and a wife, they all survived and moved back to Rushville Illinois straight away. He was only 42 years old. I have looked for him and anything about the potteries, what happened, I'll probably never know. But he was amidst the cahos of the war. I have searched for anything I could find, I dont even know where he is burried and I am deeply saddened, I know his wife &children left his body behind, somewhere out there... He was my great grandfather. I would give anything to know what might have happened to him, or about the name of the potteries or anything about the potteries or who did the killing and massacre at the potteries. Or a photograph or anything, I am now 83 years old, can you possibly help me? His name was Walter Croxton Jr. and his wife was Sarah Parks, Sarah may have had a brother with her named Parks. I so want to find something before I am put in the grave myself, and my search continues... Thank you ever so kindly, Your fan, John Croxton