Villages of Crawford County, Missouri - OLD ELM TREE-KEYSVILLE Among the sixty-three settlers who were already living in Crawford County in January 1829, eleven of them had settled in the vicinity of Keysville. Four of the families were Keys, hence it was natural that the place be called Keysville. These eleven families, and others who were early arrivals on Crooked Creek are Obadiah, William, Lewis, and Eli Key; Washington, John, and Reuben Carter; J. Givens, John Dunlap, John Stafford, Reuben Vaughan, and Oliver and Tom Bullock. Also coming early into the valley were the Browne, Laney, and Arthur families. The earliest settler, whose date of coming is estab1ished, was Obadiah Key. He came with his young bride from Kentucky. They first settled briefly in Washington county but arrived in Crawford County in 1825. Obadiah's wife was Mary Carter and her relatives, the Carters, were among the pioneer settlers. Obadiah Key became a useful citizen in the Keysville community. He served as county judge and magistrate, both positions of trust in the early days. He was a good wagonmaker and this occupation proved a great asset to the community. Keysville had its beginning on the south bank of Crooked Creek across and not far from the present site. It was first called Old Elm Tree, an unusual name, but called such from the presence of a very large wide spreading elm tree at the site. When the Pilgrim Fathers landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620 they immediately began to build a meetinghouse; when the hardy pioneers came to the area of Old Elm Tree, they, too, built themselves a place to worship God. In 1834, scarcely ten years from the first arrival, the settlers had organized a union church to be used by people of all faiths. A short distance down the valley on the banks of Crooked Creek, George Washington Bullock and Oliver Bullock had set up a gristmill. In that day the gristmill was inevitable; it served one of man's first and foremost needs for survival. Keysville was surveyed, laid out in streets, and deeded as a corporate village by Elijah Key and wife, Matilda, in 1873. From 1870 to 1970 many changes were made in the ownership of the major portions of the Keysville area and especially was it true of the site of the mercantile activity. The abstract records from 1873 to 1931 show the following transfers of property either in part or as a whole of the leading real estate in the locality. The names may not be listed in chronological order but are as follow: Peter Arnett, Thomas Key, Thomas Maxwell, John Bowers, F. J. Vaughan, James Davis, S. E. Vaughan, George Mayberry, Thomas Taff, W. T. Campbell, Sarah J. Dobbs, Peter Young, Charles Rogers, J. T. Maxwell, Samuel Key, J. A. Key, William Maxwell, William Arnett, M. E. Beers, Homer & Frank Branson, Haley & 0badiah Key, J. Russell Sites, Olata Morrison, Clarence M-Ldyett, Iva Martin, Jasper Tournbough, Elza Cottner, and Laura Armistead. An accurate list of the Keysville postmasters is not available locally, but of those known who have served in the past are the names of J. T. Maxwell [1888], Olatha Morrison,, Elza Cotner, Laura Armistead, Homer Branson, Ethel Branson, and June Branson. In 1931 there were two excellent stores in Keysville. One was owned by Melvin Beers and the other by Homer and Frank Branson. The Branson brothers had married sisters, Lorene and Ethel Taff, daughters in a well known Crawford County family. Soon after acquiring land in the Keysville vicinity the brothers worked together and often-times were joint property holders. Both became very successful in farming and in business. In 1931 they purchased the Beers Store and moved their stock of merchandise to the Beers location. Mr. Beers moved to his farm up the valley. About 1926, a Job high school was established in an effort to furnish two years of high school credit for the children who graduated from the Keysville Elementary School. The high school principal during the years was Theodore Leaver and the elementary teacher, his wife, Marie Beers Leaver. When the other schools of this type in the county were closed Keysville also closed. With the coming of the nineteen thirties Keysville appeared to be moving into an eclipse. After the financial crisis of 1929 abject poverty faced many in the valley. Often the residents of the community had not prepared for the "rainy day," had lived from day to day. The timber business was on the wane, employment was difficult to obtain at a living wage. Being diligent in business, Branson brothers had now acquired much of the land and the other property around Keysville. Through their resourcefulness and generous hospitality they were "good Samaritans" to others during the depression years. The railroad was built through Keysville in 1873 and the tie and timber business had thrived for many years,but timber became more scarce and the demand less and less. About 1949 the two leading tie companies, Logribrink and the Egyptian Tie and Timber Company, closed their operations. In 1888 Goodspeed Publishing Company gave a brief history of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church at Keysville. The report as follows: "Crooked Creek Cumberland Presbyterian Church was organized aboub 1834, by Frank Braley. The first members were J. Givens and wife, Obadiah, William, Elijah and John Key, John Dunlap and wife, W. Carter and wife, Mary Key, Richard Stafford and wife, and Reuben Vaughan and wife. Originally the Baptists and Presbyterians built a union log house, but disagreeing, the Presbyterians built a church building of their own, also a log house, in which they have worshipped about forty-eight years. The pastors have been Reverends Jonathan Burris, Jacob Clark, Solomon Brown, John E. Braley, I. C. Richey, E. M. Johnson, George Brown, A. A. Johnson, J. W. Dobbs, James B. Braley, and Isaac Eaton. The membership is now about thirty-five." The old church doors are now closed and as a grand old lady lately said, "There is not a Presbyterian left in the valley." ------ CRAWFORD COUNTY AND CUBA MISSOURI James Ira Breuer, 1972 p. 95-99 ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Joe L. Miller ====================================================================