| Pea Ridge Graphic Published in 1995 |
| NOTE: This transcription was obtained from the book Pendergraft-Schell Family by Mary Pendergraft Southards, published in 1995. I, Gayle Foster, have a newspaper clipping of part two of the article with photo. Would like to obtain newspaper clipping of part one, in order to verify transcription and see if other photos were included. Gayle Foster, [email protected] 479-283-3460 |
| History appears to be a matter of interpretation. Any lawyer will tell you that eye witnesses to an event don’t always see alike or agree on the details. Libraries have shelves of books dealing with the same subjects, written by different authors, with different versions, but all meaning about the same thing that is to tell what happened. The foregoing incidents have been told before, or some of them have been and are quoted here after diligent search and many interviews. If you do not agree with some of the details, or it is not the way you heard it, you are entitled to your viewpoint and that will not offend this writer. The subjects discussed herein and other untold but related incidents that happened in the area could be expanded into a book of three hundred pages, but for the sake of boredom and a lack of space, we will limit this article to as few words as possible. The story begins and ends on the upper reaches of Big Sugar Creek. Big Sugar gets its start from springs in Southwest Barry County, Mo. and Northeast Benton County, Ark. The water shed tilts northwestward and the stream meanders along the Arkansas-Missouri line, absorbing smaller inflowing branches until it merges with Otter Creek at what some have called Baptist Ford (Jacket Bridge). Beyond the Otter Creek it flows northwest-southwest by the name of Big Sugar Creek, as it continues its course in Missouri, it joins up with other streams to make river before entering Grand Lake of the Cherokees in Oklahoma, Big Sugar Creek is not more than half the size it was at the turn of this century but it can still kick up quite a ripple after a big rain. That name Jacket came into being in the first decade of this century when a store was opened on top of the hill above the Baptist Church and campground. Brush arbor camp meeting were held there before and after the Civil War. It was also used as a campground for travelers. At this spot has been the scene of camp meetings, baptizings, foot washings, two-hour sermons, shoutings, dinner-on-the-grounds, 4th of July picnics, brawls, fights and murder. We will return to this historic spot later. There are families living on the headwaters of Big Sugar Creek that are descendants of the pioneer homesteaders that cleared the land for farming. Fields once covered with stumps and sprouts where the settlers row cropped with grubbing hoe and bulltongue plow are now grazed with herds of fat cattle belly deep in fescue, "a tufted perennial grass." The grubbing hoe and bulltongue have became a symbol of the long days of sweat and toil from sunup to sundown. A lot of family history is associated with the upper region of Big Sugar that was never recorded in books. Therefore, most of it has been lost except what was handed down to descendents and in this case many of them helped to make this article possible. Before public ceremonies, each family had its own burial plot somewhere on the homestead. Some never had more than one lonely grave and others had several. The region is dotted with early day burial grounds. Graves were often marked by driving down a wooden stake or placing native flat stones at the ends with no inscriptions. Each family knew their own and that was sufficient for them but it left nothing as a guide for future generations. The old pioneer customs seem strange to our time. Then any family living close as three to five miles was a neighbor. They visited often with other families, taking the entire family to spend two or three days and nights in a home not more than two miles distant. Families were large and houses small. If there was not enough beds for all which there seldom was, pallets were made on the floor and it was not unusual for ten to a dozen people to be bedded down in a single room. Children stood at the table for meals after all adults had been served. One of the early settlers in Northeast Benton County was the James and Hannah Scott family that migrated from Miller County, Missouri to Benton County in the first decade of Arkansas statehood. They came down old Missouri Road "Later Butterfield Overland Mail Route". They turned west near the Arkansas line and entered Sugar Creek hollow. At the forks, they turned up the south branch to a road that later became known as Cornith Hill. They told of one of the small sons walking ahead of the wagon up Cornith Hill. The settled about two miles from the Missouri line and about four and one half miles northeast of Elkhorn Tavern. In early Benton County records Hannah Scott is named as a widow. Her husband James must have died prior to 1854 for in that year a homestead patent was granted to Hannah Scott for 40 acres signed by President Franklin Pierce. Then again in 1960 (sic) Hannah Scott is granted another 40 acres signed by President James Buchannan. These homestead patents are recorded in Book 183 pgs 8 and 9. It seems to have been a practice of many of the early settlers to live on a claim maybe 10, 15 or 20 years before homesteading. James and Hannah Scott "Jim and Granny" were the parents of eight children as named below. Since this article is not intended as a genealogy, no attempt has been made to arrange the names in order of birth: Melissa married William Evans--Hannah Marriah never married - Sarah Malinda Married James Vansandt--Mahala married William Reed--Mary Ann "Polly" married Henry Schell Jr.--David "Dave" married Adeline Bear and Rebecca Clanton.--John R. married Mary Strait --Loranzo Dow married Malinda Evans. Dave was a farmer, John was a Christian Preacher, Loranzo Dow was taken prisoner in the Battle of Pea Ridge and sent to Iowa where he was confined in a Federal prison. His family received one letter and that was the last word. It was another case of a missing prisoner of war. Soon after Loranzo Dow went to war, Malinda gave birth to a son and name him Loranzo Dow Jr. He never saw his father. Loranzo Dow Jr. "Ranzy" married Malinda Frances Cox of Elkhorn Tavern and they lived their lifetime in the tavern on the farm that is now a National Military Park. Hannah "Mayberry" Scott was born in Tennessee somewhere around the turn of the nineteenth century of white and Indian ancestry. Old tin-type-photographs of Hannah Mayberry strikingly reveal her Indian features. She died in 1870 after the end of the Civil War. Her husband died before the war and his was the first grave opened in the Scott cemetery. James and Hannah and five of their children are buried in the Scott family cemetery on the homestead. Loranzo Dow Sr. is probably buried somewhere in Iowa. Malissa and Polly are buried in Antioch Cemetery over the Missouri side. All the Scott children married except Hannah Marriah, who was known to her family and friends as Aunt Puss Scott. She was born in 1836, probably in Missouri. Hannah Marriah lived 84 years and had a remarkable memory and never ceased to tell about pioneer life in Benton County and about the uneasy times and scares in the Civil War. The Scott family suffered severely by the war. In 1862 when Benton County was overrun with armies, skirmishing took place on the Arkansas-Missouri Line in what they called Sugar Creek hollow not far from the Scott home and musket fire was heard throughout the neighborhood. The armies scattered mina ball bullets over a wide area and farmers picked them up for years, sometimes a dozen or two in a spot where it is believed a tired or wounded soldier dumped them. Mary Ann Scott "Polly" that lost her horse and saddle to the bushwhackers, married Henry Schell Jr. before or a short time after his release from the Confederate Army. Henry and Polly settled on Big Sugar Creek at the end of the Civil War in a spot that became the village of Mountain, Missouri. Mountain is about nine miles northwest of Pea Ridge, Arkansas in McDonald County. It was located on the north side of the creek near the foot of a high mountain from which the post office derived its name. When the Frisco Railroad came through the region in 1881 less than 20 miles east of Mountain, mail for that part of McDonald County was dropped off at Seligman and delivered from there to Mountain by horseback. The first stop out of Seligman was Mayflower, a post office in the home of John Vanzandt. From there he went to Schrader's Store on Trent’s Creek and from there to Mountain. If Big Sugar was out of its banks, crossing was made by row boat or by swimming a horse; and the doctor often reached his patients by this mode of travel. Besides the post office, there was a water powered grist mill, blacksmith shop and general store, all owned by Henry Schell Jr. He is designated Henry Schell Jr. here, though the name Henry Schell appears frequently in the Schell genealogy. The official name of the village was Mountain but the trading post was known as Schell's Mill. It was a busy trading point from post War years up through the turn of the century. Mountain is shown on Missouri road maps today, though the post office was discontinued in the early years of this century. Before the good roads and automobiles released people from their stationary existence, Schell's Mill drew trade from a wide area in southeast McDonald County, Mo. and from over in Benton County, Ark. along the Arkansas-Missouri line. When folks living in the hills ran short of breadstuff they filled a tow sack with corn, placed it on the back of a horse or mule, got up behind and headed through the hills for Schell's Mill. The miller took a toll of the meal to pay for the grinding and the customer took the balance home for cornbread. Henry Schell Jr. learned the millwright trade from his father who owned a water mill three miles up Sugar Creek at the state line before the Civil War. Henry built a dam across the creek at Mountain that backed up the water for a millpond. High water washed out the first dam but the mill was salvaged. He then built another dam a short distance below the first one with lumber and logs. Water released through the flume spun the big stone burrs with a hum and roar that could be the heard throughout the little village. The millpond was as fisherman's paradise and many people came to Mountain just to fish for perch, trout, and eels. In addition to the industries operated at Mountain, he also owned the store and mill at Cyclone farther down the creek. He owned 400 acres of land at Mountain where he grew corn to fatten hundreds of hogs. Some days as many as 500 hogs would be rooting around the mill or wallowing and sleeping in the shade. Hundreds of others would be running on the free range in the hills. It was said of Henry Schell that he never had any idea how many hogs he owned or how many people owed him money. He was a sharp business man and had a knack for making money with which he was very liberal. Nobody was turned away that asked for help. It was quite a treat for a youngster to visit the general store with all its fragrant and strange smells of brought-on merchandise. Horehound, peppermint and gumdrop candy at 10 cents per pound. Arbuckle coffee in the bean for 15¢ per pound. A 25-pound ham, $1.25. The mill store and blacksmith shop supplied about all the population needs that could not be raised on the farm. Tobacco was sold by the hand and gingham and calico was sold by the yard. Somewhere in the 1880's Schell's, built a new home with pine lumber. It was quite a mansion for the time and location. The home is occupied as a home today "1967" after the alterations and remodeling. It was a two-story house with a one-story north wing which was the family kitchen and dining room. Here Polly and the help served bountiful meals to the family and frequent guest, often customers that happen to be in the store at dinner time. A novelty in the Schell home was a dulcimer, a musical instrument played by tapping the strings with a wooden mallet. It would be a novelty today. In the years around the turn of the century, 4th of July picnics were held in many communities. It was the big event of the year and people looked forward to the celebrations, Some were held at Mountain and Baptist Church grounds "now Jacket". Come 4th of July, families began arriving early in wagons, hacks and buggies. Young ladies dressed in their finery smelling loudly of new gingham and calico. It was an ideal time to catch a beau. Young men that came no doubt were urged on by the same motives except, some came to get drunk and settle old grudges. Fights were numerous in spite of the more sober minded that tried to keep order. All that is left of the original village of Mountain is the former Schell residence, some rock walls and part of one stone burr that ground the grain. The stone burrs, said to have been imported from France, have been chipped and carried away by souvenir hunters until only a small section of one burr remains. Henry and Polly Schell were the parents of five children; Hannah, Linnie, Mell, Frances and James. All of that family have passed on. In Antioch Cemetery there is a Marble slab inscribed as follows: Henry Schell 1842-1928 - Mary Ann Schell 1835---1907 Henry Schell Jr. that married Mary Ann Scott and owned the Village of Mountain, was a Son of Henry Schell the Pioneer and Elizabeth Yocum Schell that homestead in McDonald County in 1845. Henry was three when his parents took up land at the junction of Otter Creek and Big Sugar. His land lay just inside Missouri joining Benton County, Arkansas. Henry and Elizabeth were the progenitors of the many generations of Schells that have been born in McDonald and Benton Counties and many other parts of the U.S.A. At the time Henry Schell settled there the land was the home of the bear, wolf, deer, panther and wild turkey. The streams were full of fish and the water was fresh and sweet. Early settlers had to locate near water, either a spring or a Creek, where water was available for household use. They could drink their fill of the sweet creek water with no fear of pollution. To begin with, the land had to be cleared of timber and grubbed while farming. Just 18 years after Henry Schell settled in McDonald County, the Civil War cost him his life, but in the meantime he added to his homestead until he owned 1000 acres of land. Much of it was in the rich Sugar Creek bottoms. In 1852 Schell built a house on his homestead which is standing today "1967". He hauled the lumber from Van Winkle's Mill at War Eagle in east Benton County with ox teams, a distance of about 35 miles. He had also built a carding mill, a water powered grist mill and distillery that was a three condenser capacity. These industries were strung along the west bank of Sugar Creek just below the ford (Jacket Bridge), across the creek from Baptist Camp grounds. His industries pulled customers in from a large territory, some remained for days on the campground waiting their turn at the mills. Henry Schell Sr. was a prospering man until his business was interrupted by the Civil War. Four of his sons entered the Confederate Army, Nathaniel 23, Fredrick 20, Henry Jr. 19, Phillip got in at 17. All of them survived the conflict to live normal lifetimes. By 1863 times were getting hard, business was ruined, law and order had broken down, Renegades, cut-throats and thieves known as bushwhackers had the population scared. Word was getting around in the settlements of house burnings, robbery and some innocent people had been killed and others tortured. At this far away time it is hard to reason why anyone should want to kill Henry Schell. He was 53 years old and had children as young as one year old. Altogether he and Elizabeth had 12 children though some were grown and married. It is thought to have been a case of revenge but they killed men on both sides of the state line, some of them had no sons in the army. There is no record of a robbery motive or damage to his property. Maybe his sympathies were on the wrong side even though he had to choose one side or the other. Or perhaps he was in the wrong place in those tragic times and accidently got in the path of history as many others have. The answer to why Henry Schell was killed might explain why they killed his son-in-law, Charlie Frye, over on Otter Creek, or a good man like Jimmy Frazier a couple miles down Sugar Creek, not to mention a number of others in that area. While all this was going on several bushwhackers lost their lives at the hands of riled citizens. There is no doubt about it Henry Schell was aware of the impending danger for he had given them the dodge a few days previous when they were after him. On July 11, 1863 Henry went to the mill. It is not known today whether he was alone when the bushwhackers appeared. It has been reasoned by his family that he saw the men approaching perhaps from the south. Schell left the mill and started for the house which was less than a half mile west. This time the bushwhackers divided in order to cut off his retreat so when Schell reached the crest of the hill they stepped out in the road and shot him down. His wife and children carried him to the house and summoned neighborhood women. They dug a grave in the front yard and buried him. In those pioneer times, when some member of the family died they were buried near the house in a homemade coffin or no coffin at all. There being no coffin available for Mr. Schell, they went to the water mill down by the creek and got the meal chest, an oblong coffin-like box that had been used to store fresh ground meal. Looking down at his grave today it is hard to realize that he has been lying there 105 years. Looking down from the Jacket Bridge it is also hard to realize how much water has gone down Big Sugar Creek. |
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