Hello I did a google search and within a minute found a family history on this man. I didn't spend a lot of time looking at it but it does sat that Walter was killed in 1861/62 and is buried in Messerer Cemetery, Frederick Township, Schuyler County, IL. Larry ---- MehdiFakhar@aol.com wrote: > 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 > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MOIRON-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message