Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1919-10-09
tain ]. B. Old, noted Confederate vet

tain j. B. Old, noted Confederate vet
eran, who was born at Thomasville.
Others in this colony were the Lasleys
and Humphreys. One of the latter
was the father of Judge Geo. M.
Humphrey, the veteran mail carrier
between West Plains and Rover, who
fought in the Confederate army and
is still hale and hearty.
When the first colony came to
Thomasville they saw white deer in
the woods. In those days the people
were very superstitious and no one
would shoot this deer. For years it
was safe from the hunters bullet and
it is believed died of old age. Grand.
father r. D. G. Smith never killed
young fawn. He caught many and
marked them, two under slopes in
both ears, and hunters who later kill
ed these deer knew his mark.
In the early days of the Thee sville
settlement furs and skins WEI taken
on horseback to Cape Girart u, on
the Mississippi river, and solt Sup
plies that were greatly needed by the
colonists were brought back On the
home coming journey.
In cave one and one-hf miles
up Elevenpoints from Thon willie,
Grandfather R. D.. ..G. Smith ma gun
powder, and by his crude method he
supplied the hunters of the early day
with powder. Lead was found in the
hills and from it bullets were made.
| The streams, springs and settlements
were named for some early settler or
after incidents that occurred during
pioneer days.
! The spikes on horns of deer invari-
ably are an even number. One day
when one of the Huddleston boys kill
buck with eleven prongs or points
on his horns, as the deer swan the
the river above Thomasville, the set
tiers Immediately named the stream
Elevenpoints, by which it is known
today.
Jacks Fork was named for Jack
Thomas, the greatest bear hunter the
Ozarks ever knew. Jack and Sol Per-
kins went hunting the next year after
Granddad Smith was tomahawked.
They camped at Gold Spring "a hum
dred yards from where Granddad was
buried. Putting their saddles in tree
and hobbling their horses they started
up the creek with their dogs to hunt
bear. A panther found the saddles,
pulled them down and tore them to
pieces. When this story was told at
Townsville they called the place
Jacks Fork where it occurred and the
stream has ever since been known by
this name.
Bill Chehain was the only man hang
ed in the early days of the settlement.
He killed John Merrill in 1s4S near
Thomasville. Merrill came to Thomas
vile and made it appear as though he
had lots of money. He dressed well
and was quite dignitied. Bob invited
him to go fishing and then shot him
and threw the body in the river. When
Merrill didn't come back an investi-
CATION was made and the story of the
I NJ M, R0h n n cnonnh
on the gallows and woundup by saying!
81 thought was a-killin' him for
his money, but | killed him for a d-n
| fool"
Chehain found only 10 cents in the
pockets of his victim, he said.
Chehain sold his body to a doctor for
gallon of whiskey and had big spree
before they jerked him into eternity
! The doctor made skeleton from Che
hain's body and "Uncle Dick" Smith
says he saw the skeleton many times
He did not witness the hanging. His
father and mother were present.
In those days the county seat was
Thomasville, where the court house
and jail was located. When the coun-
ty was divided and Howell and Shan
non counties organized, the county seat
was moved from Thomasville to Alton.
| Game abounded everywhere. There
was big wild pigeon roost just east
of where West Plains is now located.
| Afterwards the place became a big
blackberry thicket. Hunters slew the
pigeons with clubs, they we're so thick.
"Uncle Dickn Smith says he remem-
bers the Indians very distinctly. They
| had small village two miles above
Thomasyille, on Elevenpoints, and a
big town Of many tepees at the forks
of the creek near ColdSpring, six miles
north of the presenttown of Mountain
View. After Granddad Smith was
tomahawked his son, n,Wm. Smith, kill
ed Indians on the sly to avenge his
death. He cut more than one notch
in his gun stock. M