At the time of this writing, it is early morning, and we received much needed rainfall last night.
There is a fire in the cook stove – which feels mighty good on this damp, cool morning. The smoke from the chimney is headed straight to the ground, a testament to the moisture in the air.
Piney River will be flowing right nice, and I will once again be able to look upon her without concern, “thank you, Lord.” Yes, I get a mite nervous when the water levels are as low as they recently have been.
Speaking of Piney River, during conversations in times past, there has been a mill brought up, which has been shrouded in mystery as to its whereabouts on the river. In 1952, a Civil War historian from Springfield, Missouri, wrote to the Houston Herald inquiring of its exact location. For some reason, there seemed at the time to be some confusion; but the Herald determined that most “old timers” believed it to be where the Stouse Mill operated for many years in Elk Creek.
That fella from Springfield was interested in Smiley’s Mill, because he had acquired correspondence from a Union officer dated February, 1862. I read the correspondence – turns out after the Yankees used their Mountain Howitzer on the courthouse in West Plains, they marched their men north to Hutton Valley, and from there to Elk Creek. They had suspicion that Colonel Coleman, and 30 men from Texas County, had a “rebel” stronghold near Smiley’s Mill. The Union soldiers found the stronghold and burned it, but the exact location of Smiley’s Mill was vague in the officer’s correspondence; although he mentioned they had acquired flour from the Mill.
While doing related research on the late Freeman Hughes from Shannon County, whose father was a doctor from Elk Creek, it was then I found a letter written by Mattie (Dickenson) McKinney, daughter of J.W. and Lucinda Dickenson. Mattie was born June 26,1861, at Elk Creek, and she wrote two letters to the Houston Herald dated April 18 and 25, 1940. Their content would prove invaluable to the mystery. I now share parts of her two letters.
“The Price family settled on a farm adjoining my father’s at the Elk Creek Spring, which took its name from an elk or deer lick. The elk went there to wallow in those early days. On the land my father homesteaded was a log cabin on the hill above the Spicewood spring, where a white family had been killed by the Indians. I’ve seen the ground logs where the cabin had stood. The Indians went 1 ½ miles west to a home my brother owned later and killed a white family and burned the home. Another family was killed where the Sigman family now own on Elk Creek, the Latimer place. Samuel Hughes located about 1 ½ miles east of where the Elk Creek store now is, in the year 1818, 40 years before my father came…Dr. Steely settled near Elk Creek; I think in 1861.”
Mrs. McKinney mentioned several settlers by name: Rorey Elmore, J.K. Davis, Elisha Fleenor, Wesley Nall, David Tate, Samuel Cunningham, and many others. She also shared, “there was very little timber in the valley at this time; the blue stem grass high as one’s head when seated on a horse…I’ve known father to sell spring calves at weaning time for $3.00 per head, and fat, dry cows for $12.00, and wait for the pay until they were driven to Rolla, and from there to St. Louis by rail. Jesse Roberts, of near Cabool, a very honest man, drove many herds bought in this way; Gip Roberts of Cabool, his son, will tell you so.”
As I read her interesting letter full of local history, to my surprise, it was then I found my first real evidence which revealed the mystery of Smiley’s Mill. She stated, “R.Y. Smiley who ran a mill at the mouth of Elk Creek for many years, was a prominent man.”
Yep, there it was. The “old timers” mentioned by the Herald in 1952 were correct. Smiley’s Mill, was indeed, what many folks would later know as the Stouse Mill.
Living so near the old Smiley Mill, for decades I have crossed the Piney River on Stillman Drive, never realizing what had happened during the Civil War, just a short distance upstream; it was quite the skirmish.
I often ponder how much historical significance has happened right here in the Ozarks; events, and its people mostly forgotten. Yes, life truly is like a vapor – here today, and gone tomorrow (James 4:14).
I also consider what it meant to me, to finally learn of the mystery of Smiley’s Mill (but it didn’t come easy, I had to search.)
In saying that, I consider another mystery, one far more important: The Mystery of the Gospel. The Mystery of the Gospel is vital because without knowing what it is – and possessing it, all of history is meaningless – our own included. Indeed, what a sad state to look down upon a man’s marker, and to know that he never learned of this most wonderful of mysteries.
The Apostle Paul reveals what the Mystery of the Gospel is: “Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages, and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints. To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:26,27).
So, the glory of the Mystery of the Gospel is Christ in us? But is He really? Many of us profess to believe in Jesus, (especially this time of year). But is His Spirit dwelling within us in newness of life, or is it just “lip service” on our part?
If you are reading this, and you have not yet discovered this mystery, I encourage you to get serious in your searching. Yes, shut the noise of this world out. Read the Bible, seek God, and you will find Him.
The apostle stated that the Lord is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6). He was echoing the character of God. A character that has remained true throughout the ages.
“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” (Jer. 29:13)
Lord willing, until next time.
Michael Everett Jones is a Texas County native, old fashioned historian and purveyor of traditional Christian values. Email ozarksgrandpajones@gmail.com.