Volume 9, Number 8 - Summer 1987
Memoirs of Ollie Layton, Taney County’s Sesquicentennial Queen
By Ollie Layton
written July, 1987
A few years ago I read about the Lake Taneycomo Dam at Powersite being built. Oh fond memories of our old home place. Each day some of the material was hauled from Branson to where the dam was being built. We lived on the road from Forsyth to Branson, and the Springfield and Harrison road crossed there at our home. This was long before the automobile.
Wilson Betts carried the mail from Forsyth to Branson. In the afternoon he passed by from Branson to Forsyth. Uncle G. C. Whorton got his mail at the box there, also the Devall family.
William David Layton, my father, died with pneumonia fever January 1, 1903 leaving mother with five of us children to care for. Lonnie and I were ten week old twins, my sister Edna was three and one half years old, Randa was six, and Ben was ten. Mother kept faith with God. She was faithful and true and was a good manager. She just lived for her children. She prayed to God to protect and keep us to her as long as she lived.
I spent my life with Mother. She died June 2, 1958, at age ninety-one years and four months. She told me she didn’t think she could live an hour when my father died.
I’ll tell you about our home here in the Oak Grove Community east of Branson. The railroad destroyed our home as all the buildings were on the right-of-way. Mother asked the railroad for $500 in damages. They didn’t want to pay that price but finally did. Mother bought the farm here at that price.
Mother moved here the last day of December, 1905. This was a great blessing for my Mother. It was one of the best places in the world for us children to live to enjoy. It was a beautiful old homestead. Mother nature was wonderful.
The homesteaders had planted many seedling peach trees. The peaches were some of the best you ever ate. At that time all families had a home orchard.
Mother put out two orchards. Uncle Mark Hensley set the first orchard. My brother Randa and I set the next trees in the year 1918. The delicious apple trees grew large. They were beautiful when in full bloom and beautiful with crops of big ripened red apples. Oh they were so good. Mother, kept busy making apple butter and apple preserves.
We put out a row of Alberta peach trees and one cherry tree. We had dewberries, blackberries, and gooseberries. We were blessed with fruit.
Our mares, Daisy and Nick, plowed the ground for corn, wheat and oats. Our mule Sam was a family mule. We all could ride Sam, and he plowed the ground too. Barney was the colt. We loved Barney, and I played at his feet. He grew up for us to ride and work to the buggy. Ben rode a little mule, Beck, and she would pace. He would let me ride with him. Mother rode Daisy when she made trips back to Turkey Greek to see her Father and Mother, Mr. and Mrs. Randa C. Whorton. Daisy walked fast. Mother told me Daisy was part Arabian.
Mother hitched Daisy and Nick to the Springfield wagon, and we’d drive out over the Springfield Harrison road to Kirbyville to the Parnell store where they carried a good line of clothing and groceries.
Kirbyville was a thriving little town, it was the first town in the area, and was established before Branson or Hollister. We had a good time going there.
We had our cows to milk and made the best butter you ever ate. The buttermilk was the best. We had our own hogs to kill. They made delicious meat and sausages. Little children don’t know what good meat is now days. All farmers had hogs and their own meat.
The schoolhouse, known as the Oak Grove School, was on this tract of land. The school was also used as a Baptist Church. Church services were held Saturday night, Sunday School and church services on Sunday morning, and services were on Sunday night. I can hear Aunt Alice Rose singing "Sweet Hour of Prayer" and "The Great Physician." It was a happy place to live. How we enjoyed all the beauties of spring. The dogwood trees were a sight to behold.
Our Uncle G. C. Whorton lived one mile south of us on the Springfield Harrison road. He was a little older than Mother. We were blessed to live near each other. He helped us when we were small. He farmed the land and made hay.
I am now 84 years old and have seen lots of changes.
I love Taney County. It’s a good place to live.
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