The Turnbo Manuscripts
by Silas Claiborne Turnbo
1844-1925
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TWO DEATHS ON SHOAL CREEK IN THE EARLY DAYS
By S. C. Turnbo
We have mentioned that Lewis Herrean and Betsey Herrean his wife moved to Big Creek in Taney County, Mo. in 1843. In 1845 he and family moved to Shoal Creek and occupied the Jess Bias Place a mile and a half south of the present site of Pro-tem. This land was known years afterward as the Owen Place. Mr. Herrean and his wife enjoyed reading the Bible and seemed to desire to obey the commands as given in this good book. In a few years after moving here he built a little water mill on the creek just below where he lived and which was known afterward as Rhines Mill. In 1850 while the old couple were living on Shoal Creek two of their sons, William and Lewis Green died. William died first and was 15 years old at the time of his death. The grieved father selected a burial place for the remains of their beloved boy on the slope of the hill a quarter of a mile or more south of the house on what is now the George Owen land where they laid their loved one to rest. Shortly after the death of William, Lewis Green who was younger than William was stricken with a fatal malady and yielded up his life to the one who give it. The sorrowing parents laid his body to rest by the side of their other dear child. The plot of ground selected for the burial place was a beautiful spot, and overspread with a fine growth of native grass and varied colored wild flowers. A few scattering oak trees stood near by which sadded to the beauty of the spot where the graves were dug. Since then the luxuriant grass and the beautiful flowers have disappeared and replaced by bushes, saplings and small trees of black oak and post oak. Eleven other graves have been added to the burying ground since Mr. Herrean laid the bodies of his two sons to rest here. Among them are Jim Ewing and Emma Ewing his wife. Though Mrs. Ewing married her husband’s brother Jess Ewing after the death of her husband. Also Mr. Spencer who died at the the five oaks Bald hill on head of Big Buck Creek lies buried in a grave yard on what was then known as the Tom Morrow Place above the mouth of Elbow Creek. Mrs. Herrean died on Big Creek in 1875 and her body received interment in a grave yard on the old Berry Morris Place.
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