The Turnbo Manuscripts
by Silas Claiborne Turnbo
1844-1925
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AMONG THE OLD SETTLERS OF MARION COUNTY ARK. AND THE
SCHOOL CHILDREN AT YELLVILLE IN THE EARLY DAYS
By S. C. Turnbo
On the 6th of August 1907 1 had the pleasure of an Interview with Foster
Hand, father of the present editor J. H. Hand of the Mountain Echo published
at Yellville Ark. Mr. Hand is a son of Hugh B. Hand and was born in Perry
County Tennessee December 23, 1844. Mr. Hand’s mother’s maiden
name was Annie Shoat. Her and his father were married in Tenn. and they
came from there to Marion County Ark. and located in the town of Yellville
in 1852 when Foster Hand was less than 8 years old. Mr. Hand said that his
father made a crop on the Mike Mathis land on Crooked Creek just below Yellville
in 1853. During the summer of the same year we made a crop on the Mathis
farm my father bought an improvement on vacant land 13 miles east of Yellville
and 5 miles west of Buffalo City. He purchased this claim from Mat Goodall.
My grandfather Darious Shoat came with us from Tennessee and bought a claim
adjoining ours from Jack Moreland. Moreland’s wife was named Elizabeth.
When we moved on to our claim in the fall of 1853," said Mr. Hand,
William Hogan and J. M. Laffoon were selling goods at Buffalo City and they
also had charge of the warehouse there. Jack Moreland after he sold out
to my grandfather Shoat, moved to the east side of White River. Tom Cox
and Annie Cox his wife settled between where we lived and Buffalo City in
1850. Cox was from McNary County Tennessee. Matthew Anderson was peddler
and sold sleys to the women who wove cloth on hand looms. Felix Stagge lived
on Warners Creek a small mountain stream that empties into the river just
above Buffalo City. When Mr. Staggs left his place on the stream mentioned
Joe Allin lived on this same land. Allin Newton and Elizabeth Newton his
wife lived two miles west of us and 11 miles east of Yellville. But George
Taylor lived on Newton’s land before he did. Newton was succeeded by
John Warner a hard shell Baptist preacher and this creek took its name from
him. George Wilds moved into our settlement a few years before the war began.
John Warner preached for us at a small log building one mile west of us
that was called the Elbow School house. A Presbyterian of the name of Barrette
preached at Yellville on several occasions. The first school I ever attended
in Marion County was taught at Yellville by Maj Tate in the summer of 1853.
It was a subscription school and lasted 3 months. I recollect that some
of my school mates who attended this school were my brother "Tip"
(William H) Hand and my sister Rebecca Hand, William Stafford, and the three
Woods brothers, Dick, Frank and Mort. These were sons of William (Squirrel
Bill) Wood and the three Hurst Brothers "Cam" Robert and Alaxander
sons of Jacky Hurst and the Cowdrey children William, Henry, John, Lizzie
and Mary sons and daughters of Dr. Cowdrey and Larkin Austin, W. A. (West)
Austin and Susan Austin. Moody Brown, George Jefferson and Sally Jefferson.
Mr. Hands father was born in 1808 and died in 1865 and lies buried in the
Shiloh Church house graveyard in Jackson County, Ark. His mother died in
Lime Stone County, Texas and is buried in the Mount Calm Cemetery there.
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