Barry County Missouri - The History of Eagle Rock The History of Eagle Rock (Barry County Missouri) Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm By Patricia Ball Pettigrew Submitted by Darla Ball Marbut with written permission The very first settlers were Greenberry Easley, the Haddocks, Alfred Reed family in 1842, Brims, Alridges, Currys, Millers, Sellers, and James. There were others, names unknown. Later came Mr. and Mrs (his wife was a Haddock) Dick Elam, Mrs and Mrs. Bill Ayres, Mr. and Mrs John Easley (his wife was a Whittington) Mr and Mrs James Tucker (1849), Mr and Mrs Ned Easley (She was a Russell and his name was Edward son of Green Berry Easley), Mr and Mrs Bill Lewis (Lewis married into the Easley and Tucker family), Mr and Mrs Morse Farwell, Mr and Mrs Frank Tucker (She was a Thornton and his name was Frances), Mr and Mrs Elbert Ball (son of William Valentine and Sarah Elizabeth Garrett Ball, Sarah remarried George Reed and was there), Dr. and Mrs C.G. Kelley, Mr and Mrs John C. Whittington (She was Sarah Jane Easley , daughter of John Easley and he was the son of John and Margery Maloney Whittington), Mr and Mrs William Whittington (She was a Medlin), Mr and Mrs Sam Skelton, Mr and Mrs Elisha Hall, (their daughter married Leroy Whittington). Eagle Rock is where the local people spent their Saturdays shopping in the little country store and sitting on the bench in front of the store telling the latest news. Eagle Rock consists of Mano, Victory, Munsey, Mt. Zion, Roach, and Aix. The Eagle Rock Post office was the first established in 1854 as the Roaring River Post Office. During that time there were seven postmasters. The post office was discontinued in 1864 and reestablished at Roaring River on May 16, 1871, with names as Ruble, Weathers, Homesby, Allen, and Farwell, serving as postmasters. In 1871 to 1877 a post office was located at Munsey. Henry Burris was the postmaster, starting May 16, 1871. Joseph Munsey became postmaster November 19, 1872 and Mary Munsey, Oct 16, 1877. In 1886 the Roaring River Post Office's name was changed to Eagle Rock Post Office (this may have been the time the community was named Eagle Rock). In 1894, Sam Gilmore was postmaster of Mano. From the late 1800's through 1917 the office had eight postmasters by the names of Farwell, Larcey, Whittington, King, Dolman, Ayres, and Skeleton. Noel Curry, merchant and area leader, took the office from 1917 to 1918. Jean Curry (Noel's wife, her maiden name was Ball) became postmaster in 1925 and retired in 1971. Her son Willis Curry assumed the postmastership on April 1, 1971 until April 30 1986. Cindy Rogers succeeded Willis until a permanent appointment was made. John Stringer was appointed by the U.S. Postal Service on September 12, 1986 and is now presently serving that position. During the Civil War, from 1860 to 1864 several men from this area served in the war. In the Aug 23, 1894 Cassville paper, 14 area men attended the Civil War reunion. They were: Pvt E. Williamson, Pvt Jas H. Callaway, Pvt James Tucker, Pvt. George Reed, Pvt. John H. Burton, Pvt George Smith, Pvt B.F. Curry, Pvt. M.L. Scroggins, Pvt. A Burris, Corp. John Davis, Pvt John Whittington, Pvt Jasper N. Skelton, Pvt Daniel Garner, and Corp T.E. Meadows. (These were the ones attending the reunion, there were others: "Cassville Missouri" In The Civil War, page 12: "Richard Tucker (son of James Tucker), John Whittington Jr's brothers: Benjamin, Edward and Franklin Whittington, A.M. Farwell, J.C. Carter, Shadrack Johnson (married Mary Tucker), James M. Lee, all Federal Soldiers.) " Sidney Russell Son of Milo Butler Russell and Nicy Haddock Russell, was a Confederate Soldier. Munsey was the crossing point for some of the troops that were going to Peak Ridge. They crossed at Munsey and went up Pine Hollow. There at Munsey they had hidden a cannon, as they couldn't pull it over the hills. They had dumped cannon balls and shot in the river, reason unknown. Later while school was in session at Munsey the children would pickup the shot and play with it. The shot was used to play marbles and use din bean flips. The bushwhackers came through the Eagle Rock area putting fear in the local people. They came through raiding the farmhouses and killing the men. My grandmother told stories about her mother (Mrs. James Tucker) hiding the family silverware and other important items in a hole above the Herman Ball place now (was James Tucker's place then) to keep the bushwhackers from stealing them. Some say that some of the riders that were with the Bushwhackers were local men. They would seek out the men of the family and kill them. Alfred Reed, my step-great-grandfather was killed by the Bushwhackers near White River. The curry girls (young women) took a sled to White River and brought back Mr. Reed and he was buried near his wife on the Charles Curry farm in a small cemetery on the banks of Roaring River. Sim Perse's father was sought out by the Bushwhackers because he was a black man. We don't know if the bushwhackers killed him. Milo Russell had to hide in caves to keep the bushwhackers from killing him. His daughters would sneak food up to Bowman's Cave to feed him. In the late 1800's Eagle Rock, itself, was a fairly large settlement. It was larger then, than it is now. Now it takes in seven other small communities. In the 1850's Alfred Reed's brother had a mill on Roaring River which is now back and below Crump Taylor's residence. Later it was called the Roller Mill. In October 1894, Jim Whittington started a fine mill near the Reed Mill. This was used to grind corn, wheat, etc. (The Whittington's relatives the Maloneys also worked at the mill.) Oman Ball ran one of the stores at Eagle Rock, then he sold it to Warren Swanson. The store burned while Warren Swanson was proprietor, losing everything that was in it. In 1909 some of the men here got jobs cutting railroad ties for the railroad coming in. The ties were cut and slid down the bluff on White River (the bluff we now call the Tie Slide across the road from the Eagle Rock Motel). They were floated down the river to Branson where the ties were sold. The late 1800's and early 1900's were not all hard work and no play. On Saturday nights the local people would take turns having dances and parties at each other's homes. On Saturday night they would go to John Munsey home and do the two-step and then the next Saturday night to Bartholomew Stringer's house (Vernon and Johnny Stringer's great-great- grandfather), that was reported to have 83 people there. Can you imagine that many people in those tiny homes back then? During this time some of the finest homes were built, they were considered fine in those days. Charley Curry's home was built in November of 1899. It stands near Roaring River and is still in the Curry Family. Another was built during this time is the house Denny Ball's family lives in by Bill Ayers in the late 1800's. Also the Boon Haddock home that still stands, now owned by Jerry Thompson and Rosemary Thompson Burch. (Haddock descendants). In the 1920's through the 1940's Saturday afternoon was the shopping day at Eagle Rock. Cream and eggs were taken to the store in exchange for groceries, maybe some yard goods for a dress. The men would go to the blacksmith shop (owned by Mr. and Mrs. Cap Bradford) to get a horse shod or plow point sharpened, hoe, or shovel made. In the later 1940's a man would bring movies to Eagle Rock on Saturday nights and set up a screen on the outside of the store between the store and the blacksmith shop, and show western movies. This was an exciting time for the youngsters. People would catch up on the community news and the latest gossip with friends at the stores. Eagle Rock Village consisted of two general merchandise stores, a post office in the back of one of the stores; a gas powered hammer mill to grind feed for cattle, a church and a schoolhouse, also our very own doctor, Dr. Taylor. Before 1930 there was an old water wheel mill on the east side (possibly the same mill Alfred Reed's brother built or the mill Whittington's built in the 1800's on Roaring River below Crump Taylor's home. A dam was built to run the water down the millrace. The mill was used to make flour and meal. In the 1930's a Mr. Watt bought the mill property and connected the old mill into a generator that supplied electric lights to the store, church house, and schoolhouse. There was a school at Munsey, Eagle Rock, one earlier located on what is now called the Leonard Prier place, one at Roaring River (still stands in the State Park), Mano, victory, Mt. Zion, and Roach. These were one-room schools, sometimes with 60 children attending, with one teacher. The average ages were 5 years to 17 years old. The kids would sometimes go through the 8th grade twice because they could not go to high school as there was no transportation or had to work to help earn the family living. Schools did not meet the nine months that they do now. They would meet in the months that the crops were not being planted and harvested. The children had to be home during this time. The teachers in early 1900's at Munsey School were: Thomas Reynolds, Claud Kisser, Homer West, Dan Britain, Oscar Prier, Faye Posy, May Walled, Jean Ball Curry, Grace Putt, Hugh Haddock, Lily Hankies, Mr. Peppery, Geraldine Brooks, Hazel Corbin, Edith Prier, and Geneva Ball Indermuehle. There may have been others, but names unknown. The schools were the gathering places for all the residents for social gatherings. They had games, Christmas programs, spelling bees, local music, and sometimes a revival was held at the school. In the 1950's progress came to the village. Table Rock Dam on White River was being built, changing the scenery, and standard of living. Many of the old timers had to move as their land was covered with water. Additional note from Mary Catherine Johnson - I cannot document this, but my mother, Rachel Hall (granddaughter of the Elisha Hall mentioned in the "History of Roaring River") attended the Eagle Rock School at various times, I believe it may have been around 1916, or a few years later, that she attended when a "Miss Cavenaugh" was teaching. My mother adored her--as I got the story, Miss Cavenaugh was very patient and understanding with Little Rachel (my mother) who had a real struggle with reading! I've often wanted to know more about Miss Cavenaugh, but haven't found any references to her.