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The first prominent white man to set foot on the soil of the territory embracing the section from Bonne Terre to Mine La Motte was Senor De La Motte Cadillac, Governor General of the Colony of Louisiana under the company of the Indies. He was acting under the Government of France and was sent to this district on a hunt for gold and silver.
He came up the Mississippi to what is now Ste. Genevieve in 1714, and there saw some lead ore in the possession of the Osage Indians and decided to explore the region. They reached the present site of Mine La Motte where nearby a small party of Frenchmen was located on Saline Creek making salt.
The Indians took them to the holes they had dug, none more than 7 feet deep and they dug others and found, not gold and silver, but lead.
In 1717 a larger party arrived from France and the mines continued to develop and a few years later a ship load of miners was sent from France with brick to build a furnace. These brick were carried from the Mississippi River to Mine La Motte on horseback and the furnace was built. Today the old stone chimney of this furnace is standing and some of the brick can be seen at the Fredericktown Court House. The brick has the name of the city in France where they were made, moulded on them.
Soon, as other countries of Europe learned of the mines, Spain sent an expedition and acquired some territory north of Mine La Motte along Big River. These Spanish explorers roamed over the lead belt never dreaming that here was the richest lead deposits in the world.
This brings us up to 1821 when a William Patterson was granted by Spain 255 acres of land along Big River and is now known as U.S. Survey No. 70, Township 37 N. Range 5 E. Mr. Patterson owned and partly farmed this tract till 1826, when he sold to David Pinkston for $127.30. This sale being under sheriff's sale for taxes. In 1844 this tract had been reduced to 164 acres and was sold to William Pinkston for $100 cost and deed of trust for $500. One year later, after failing in payments, the land was again sold at sheriff's sale to Isaac Baker for $150.00 and deed of trust. In 1856 J. W. Hill bought the tract for $2000.
During the next 20 years numerous divisions were made and in 1876 one of the Hill heirs, C. M. Owens, sold to John H. Boyd for $900, the tract now consisting of 150 acres. After a year Boyd sold to John B. Highley for $1.00 and debt against the property.
In 1877 James J. Hill bought for $800, the tract now consisting of 170 acres. Also in 1877, John H. Boyd bought 90 acres for $1.00 and debt of $800.00.
In 1897 D. P. Doak bought the 90 acres for $9000.
In 1909 Roscoe B. Jones bought for $1.00 and debt.
In 1911 Louis Theilman bought for $4950.
In 1912 Thomas Mitchell bought for $2800. This sale was never completely cleared up and in 1931, the 90 acres again became the property of Theilman. Theilman then sold to Leo and Ruth Dietz for $4363.50. In September 1931, Mr. Dietz subdivided the 90 acres into 5 acre lots and promoted the sale thereon.
In 1931 the residents of Big River Mills consisted of: Ben Bisch, Lon Pettus, E. Burr, Jesse Waulk, Arthur Cureton, John Sneider Jr., Albert Hull, Mr. Benham, Mr. Dillard, Mrs. Dr. Schindler and a few others.
The division made by Mr. Dietz increased the number of families as follows: Ed Turner, Harrison Ogle, R. E. Tesreau, Mrs. L. White, Henry Tesreau, Afton Thurman, Frank Weston, John Calvird and James Pettus, who has just completed a modern home.
In 1936 the citizens secured electric service and in 1937 had a rural route mail service added.
Big River Mills District is just a 5 minute drive from Desloge or Bonne Terre and is located just off 61 highway. The district has a good water supply. A few of the homes now have modern conveniences.
The present board of directors consists of Lon Pettus, R. E. Tesreau and Arthur Cureton. Our present teacher is Mrs. Lossie White, who has held the position for the past 4 years.
In 1939 the board instituted a twice a month rural school series of entertainment. Mr. Corwine of the Y.M.C.A. and Mr. Shelton of Flat River are the sponsors of the movement which is county wide. Box suppers, pie suppers and radio night contests are some of the forms of amusements to be had.
All names and dates given above are taken from the records at Farmington, Fredericktown and Ste. Genevieve.
From this point on the history as set down is not on record, but is as nearly accurate as can be had.
The first school house built at Big River Mills was built about 1850. It was a brick building just a few feet in front of the present one. About 1870 a two-story frame house was built. The second floor was a lodge hall and the first floor a school. The brick school was then used as a church. The frame building was burned after about 2 years, supposedly by a man who was refused admission into the lodge.
Samaritan Lodge No. 424 Big River Lodge was about the first in the county. The location of this old school and hall is just inside Lon Pettus' yard, across the road from the present school. Six years ago, while building a chicken house, Mr. Pettus found the door key to the old hall under a foundation stone. The key is now at the home of Mr. Pettus.
The original store and post office of Big River Mills was about 1 1/2 miles east of the school. In 1825 a water mill was built to serve the farmers. In 1827 Van Tyler bought the mill and ran it until 1870, when he leased to Mr. Brahan, who ran the mill about two years and then sold to Bob Sneider. In 1872, the mill again changed hands, this time being taken over by Steve Tyler who sold to J. J. Tyler about 1886. J. J. Tyler operated the mill until 1896 and it was bought by Bob Lawson, who operated it for about 5 years. In 1889 Willis Fite built a modern steam mill in Bonne Terre, thus forcing the old mill to close down.
Dr. Keith was a very prominent citizen at this time. In his late years Dr. Keith wrote the biography of Sam Hilderbrand.
Big River Mills had a store and post office before Bonne Terre, which was then known as St. Joe. The post office was served by horseback riders who carried the mail from Cadet, Mo. Uncle John Hoskings was a carrier for many years. Very often the mud or snow was so deep Mr. Hoskings would walk and lead the horse with its load of mail.
Uncle John Hoskings was born in Tablestock, England, in 1854. He came to Big River Mills in 1878 with a group of miners brought in by Mr. Parsons to work in the mines at St. Joe. When a few years later the mines were further developed, the St. Joe Company had the post office moved to St. Joe, now Bonne Terre.
Mr. Hoskings was a member of Samaritan Lodge No. 424 at Big River Mills.
The name Skintown, generally used, originated by a farmer who brought his corn to the old mill. He had a sheep skin on his wagon and someone stole it. He became very mad and said, "This is a skin town."
The old road just back of our school was then the road from Cadet to the old mill and crossed the river near John Sneider's house. The old stone piers are standing today, a tribute to the old time stone masons who built them. Some of the stones measure 2 to 6 feet and were hauled by ox wagons. The floods of Big River for the past 100 years have failed to destroy this old landmark.
The above names and dates are as reliable as is possible to secure and was gathered over a period of several weeks by R. E. Tesreau. If there are any corrections they will be gladly received.
Note: Two of the old mill stones are now at the Dillard place near Big River Mills.
