Fellow researchers, I am searching for information on the location of John Thomas Smith's farm near Gazette. Following is a description of the family from a genealogy that I have: "After Julia's (Trower) death, John Thomas Smith raised his five children with the help of his sisters and relatives, who lived nearby. Nancy Shawhan Smith Vanarsdale took the baby John Frances Smith for a while until he was old enough to be cared for by the girls at home. This family of children lived on the road between Gazette, Mo. and Vandalia, Mo. in a house which was then next door to the old Clithero place, not far up the road from the Chandler place, both places still known by those names even now in 1951. When his family were growing up up, many incidents of interest happened to them which have been told in 'Meet My Association' by Isobel Chandler Madsen, a manuscript in preparation to preserve the tales of interest and general knowledge about the years gone by. The house where they lived has long since been moved to another location." "He studied law and practiced it, along with farming, and running horses at the County Fairs, raising his own tobacco, and making most of his own liquor using malt that he made himself from his own barley shoots. He was a gregarious and vocal character, known as "Squire" and "Judge" in the county where he was widely acquainted. He sang well, and often led the singing at revivals and in the church. He was the Superintendent of the church at Estes, but would never join it because he did not want to pin his religious convictions to any creed that was not flexible. What the denomination of the church at Estes was, I have not learned, but I doubt that it made much difference to grandfather. He was a fun-loving man, and liked to hear himself talk, and he liked people. His funeral in Pike County was almost as big an affair in the county as was that of Adolph Busch in St. Louis, which he and a trainload of politicians attended, staying for three days and having the time of their lives." John Francis Smith was born in Pike County, Missouri, August 21, 1889. His father, John Thomas Smith, was a well-respected farmer and some-time lawyer, known locally as "Squire." John Thomas Smith owned a fine farm near the village of Gazette, Missouri, and there raised five children: Archie Pearl (July 30, 1877 - 1927), who married Maude Laird; Sallie Jackson (September 22, 1879 - ), who married Mason Branstetter; Margaret Melvina (November 28, 1881 - after 1938), who married Oscar William Chandler (November 23, 1876 - November 26, 1960); Edith Mae (November 6, 1886 - 1933), who married General F. Hamlett; John Francis (above). ----- Finally, is anyone on the list related to these people? I'd love to learn more about them. Thanks, Bob Francis