Following is one of the Biographies and Stories which where gathered by Charles Sumner McKamy in the 1950s for publication in a Crawford County History Book. Unfortunately he passed away before the book was published.
Son of Finley A. and Rosalie (Butler) Garrard. My Grandparents came to this county, when this county was inhabited principally by the Indians, and they took protection at Fort Lamotte, and from there they moved to a tract of land located about seven miles southwest Robinson, where there were no farm houses between their house and Palestine, except the Phillip McGovern farm house, located about 1-1/2 miles west of Robinson. Grandfather rode a horse with a sack of corn thrown over the horse's back to Palestine, where he exchanged it for corn meal, the trip taking two days, leaving Grandmother at home where the wolves were in great abundance, often time chasing the dogs into the house or causing them to run up against the front door of the house making a lot of noise. They raised three girls and one son (who was my Father, Finley). They had one daughter who died in infancy and the other daughter married Peter Reed, and another daughter married John D. Maxwell, who was the father of Darias Maxwell.
My Father was married in 1873 to Rosalie Butler and moved to a home within one-half mile of the home place where he was raised and he died at the age of 41 years leaving my Mother, four sons and one daughter, the sons being Sampson, Augustus, M.L. and myself, and the daughter Grace, who married Owen Highsmith.
I attended District School at the Munn School House. I worked on a farm until 1901 when I came to Robinson and started a Livery Stable, which I ran for several years until Ford put me out of business.
I was married to Belba Biggs in the year 19__ and by close living and hard work we were able to save enough money to purchase 40 acres of the old home place which was the first real estate we ever owned; since then we have purchased farms near Robinson, Hutsonville and Palestine, where we have farmed and raised cattle. The cattle and hogs we feed out, raising most of the feed for the past several years. I have been a member of the M.E. Church for __ years and my wife has been a member for __ years; I am a Charter Member of the Robinson Benevolent Order of Elks.
During the time I was engaged in the livery business I bought some land and farmed, and bought and fed cattle during depression I served as Secty. Treas. To Federal Land Bank and also the Wabash Production Credit Co. After I quit working for them I devoted my entire time to my farming and livestock feeding.
I was married in 1906 to Belva E. Biggs and we are the parents of one daughter, Margaret.