Caldwell County MO Archives History .....THE MARTINS AT LOVELY RIDGE March 1934
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Karen Walker khw4@yahoo.com August 28, 2008, 5:27 pm

THE MARTINS AT LOVELY RIDGE
	Narrators:  Mrs. Carrie Royer and Lottie Martin

	Farm Conditions
	School matters

     George B. Martin and his wife Lydia Duncan Martin (the first born in 
Illinois, the latter in Ohio) came to the Lovely Ridge Community three to five 
miles west of Hamilton in 1877.  They had been poor people in Illinois and 
could not buy a farm but hearing that land was much cheaper in western 
Missouri; they came out and bought an eighty (80) acre tract.  The family 
stayed at the Van Volkenburg Hotel (Broadway Hotel) located where the present 
Davis Motor Co. is, until Mr. Martin bought a place.

     The Martin Post Office was Kidder and they rode there once a week to get 
their mail.  Often one man would get mail for all his neighbors along the way, 
so they could get it more often.

     The farm conditions were back of those in Illinois but that was to be 
expected of cheaper land.  There were many unfenced lands till the 80's when 
the stock law required people to restrain their stock - a law rather unpopular 
at first, because it cost money to fence.  Up to that law, Miss Lottie used to 
get on her pony and go after the cattle late in the afternoon.  They might be 
a mile away feeding on the open prairie.  Miss Carrie the elder sister was the 
housekeeper.  If by chance Mrs.  Martin went, she would go on foot because she 
hated horse back riding.  In the days before 1880, one could go across the 
prairies from Martins house for miles without meeting a fence.

     The Martin girls went to school at Lovely Ridge School.  They attended 
when the second one was burnt 1878 by the carelessness of Mr. McAtee the 
teacher.  He was followed by Hettie Martin (Brown) who walked out from 
Hamilton every week end.  She was followed by her sister Addie Martin who 
boarded with Dan Jones.  Boys and girls went to school till they finished 
their books and then maybe came back to review.  They learned the State 
Capitals in a song.  There was a tardy roll on fools cap paper on the wall to 
be viewed by visitors.  Corporal punishment was frequent especially by the 
above McAtee.  School was often started by a song:

        "O where have you been tardy boy, tardy boy
         O where have you been all the morning?
         O to school I have been and they would not let me in
         And so I have lost all the morning."

         The roll of Lovely Ridge pupils of their day include many familiar 
names:  Carrie and Lottie Martin, Lizzie Booth, Anna and Belle Rogers, Simon, 
Jake and Chas. Hendricks, Ida Lane (Rauber), Kate Esteb, and always some of 
the large Bennett family.

     Interview taken  March 1934


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