Tom McCabe's Genealogy 2025

Record From the Illinois Public Land Office under the name Lewis Clarkson in Cass County:

Name: CLARKSON LEWIS Section: SWNE Price: 125 Total: 5000 Date: 5 Sep 1836 Sect: 27 Township: 19N Range: 09W Meridian: 3 Acres: 40.00

From the book: The History of Menard & Mason Counties Illinois, 1879, Published by: O.L. Baskin & Co., Historical Publishers

Mason County, Early Settlements, Page 485:

"Lewis Clarkson was the first settler of Field's Prairie, and came there in the spring of 1833 and located on what is now the Upp place."

and

Settlement Of The Township (of Bath) , Page 574:

"Lewis Clarkson came in 1833, and was the first settler on Field's Prairie. He went to Missouri in 1837 or 1838."

Taken from the Ozark County MO Genweb site:

A SHORT HISTORY OF THE LIZE FRIEND GRAVE YARD ON LITTLE NORTH FORK By S. C. Turnbo

From the top of the bluff between where the waters of Little North Fork and Pond Fork mingle their waters together, an observer has an extended view of wooded hills, ridges, hollows and creek bluffs. At an ordinary stage the water in both streams are clear and transparent and the roar of the rushing water as it passes over the shoals is heard at a long distance. On the west bank of North Fork below the junction of the two streams is situated the hamlet of Theadosia. Jim Clarkson was the first settler here. His wife was named Polly and they had two girl children whose names were Nancy and Elizabeth. One morning at day break in war times 7 men on horse back crossed the creek near where the roller mill dam is now and charged up to the log cabin occupied by Clarkson and his family and compelled Mr. Clarkson to go with them to a glade on the side of a hill near where the Lutie Road now passes and near ¼ mile from the creek where they halted and shot him to death and rode on. Two of Clarksons sisters Patsey and Mandy, Jim Pelham and Nathan Young were the first to reach the spot where the murdered man lay. It is said that a pale yellow dog named Tige which belonged to Clarkson followed him to his death and returned back to the house and accompanied the searching party and guided them to the place where his dead master lay in the embrace of cold grim death. As it was nearly impossible to have a coffin made here in those days of blood and strife his remains were enclosedin a common box. I am told that both his children are dead. Nancy was buried at the side of her father’s grave. Mr. Clarkson was an inoffensive man and one of his eyes had been destroyed by fire in the state of Illinoise when he was a little fellow. On the opposite side on North Fork from the bluff is an old time burial place of the dead. This grave yard is marked by a grove of timber and is situated on the upper part of the Lize Friend farm. On the 5th day of October 1905 1 went up to thetop of this bluff to view this cemetery and reflect back when the old timers of this neighborhood once enjoyed the balmy air of the Ozarks. Mr. Lize Friend informs me that Agnes a little daughter of John B. Graham died in 1838, her body was the first interment here. The body of "Gid" Brown who was killed on the east prong of Big Creek by a pedlar in 1839 was the second interment here. A large number of pioneer people of Ozark County Mo. rest in this cemetery. Among them are three of the Risleys, Ben Silas and Bert. Two first named were brothers and Bert was a son of Silas’s. Silas Risley’s wife was named Betsey and I am told that Silas was the first settler on the land known now as the sand field which is on the west bank of Little North Fork just above where Paton Keesee lived many years ago known now as the "Dug" Price Place. Here in this sandy bottom Silas Risley cleared one acre of land and planted it in corn and I am reliably informed that he raised 100 bushels of corn off of this acre of land. This was a few years after Paton Keesee occupied the "Dug" Price land in 1823. Returning to the grave yard we are told that the old pioneer settler John B. Graham and his wife whose name was Betsey is also buried here. Other early residents of Ozark County whose mouldering bones repose here are Isaac Copelin, Isaiah Baize, John B. Ford, Noel Hutchison, John Friend and Lewis Clarkson. Jim Clarkson son of Lewis Clarkson who we have already stated was killed in war times was also buried here. This village of the dead was known many years ago as the Betsey Graham Grave Yard, taking its name from Mrs. Betsey Graham who lived here a number of years after the death of her husband.

Considering the following facts, it is clear that the Clarksons referred to above are the same as the Lewis Clarkston family - our ancestors.

1. Lewis CLARKSTON had two daughters Amanda (Mandy) and Martha (Patsey) and an older son James in the 1850 census.
2. Mandy CLARKSTON Friend is living with Elizabeth (Betsey) GRAHAM in the 1860 census, next door to Lewis CLARKSTON in Falling Spring, Ozark Co, MO.
3. James and Lewis CLARKSTON are not to be found in the 1870 census, but a few of Lewis children are still in the same neighborhood.
4. John FRIEND is a neighbor of Lewis CLARKSTON in the 1860 census of Falling Spring, living next door to Elias and Elijah (Lize) FRIEND.
5. Nancy KISSEE, Andrew FRIEND, Isaac COPLAND, John A FORD and Jane BAIZE are all neighbors living in close proximity to Lewis CLARKSTON in the 1860 census.
6. In the 1850 census Betsey Graham, the Risleys, James Friend, John Friend, the Kissees are all neighbors in District 45 of Ozark CO MO., which is the same as Falling Springs in the 1860 census. Lewis Clarkston was still living close by in Arkansas at that time.
7. Nancy Clarkston age 2 was living with Lewis Clarkston. James Clarkston does not show up in the 1860 census of MO or AK but was in the Texas census.

Extracted from http://thelibrary.org

FORSYTH IN 1837 AND THE EARLY SETTLEMENT OF SWAN CREEK By S. C. Turnbo

At the mouth of Swan Creek opposite Forsyth Taney County, Mo. is a towering bluff the summit of which commands a magnificent view. The fine town of Forsyth with its substantial business houses and neat dwellings; the beautiful waters of Swan Creek and White River, and a combination of other scenery form a picture that is not easily forgotten. At a low stage the waters of both streams flow gently along and glisten in the bright sunlight. From the top of this elevation the author enjoyed the pleasure of a view of the town of Forsyth and vicinity a short time ago.....

Turning my eyes and looking up the beautiful valley of Swan Creek I was reminded of the old time settlers who once occupied the rich bottom lands on this stream. These old timers lie in neglected graves. As my thoughts went back to the first settlement of Swan Creek I wandered how many of us now living cherish the memory of those pioneer families. I am told that Bill Stacy camped a few days on Swan Creek just above its mouth in 1834 and he settled on the head of this stream In 1836. A year or two after this Lewis Clarkstone settled on this water course. Then John Pelham was another early settler and lived at the mouth of Lost Hollow. Joel Hall settled at the mouth of Elk Horn Branch and John Edwards who lived between Mr. Pelham and Hall, these old pioneers were followed by Amos Edward and two other men of the name of Brown and Anderson. ............

From http://thelibrary.org

HAULING SALT FROM ST. LOUIS TO FORSYTH By S. C. Turnbo

"In refering to the old time freighters who used big wagons drawn by the slow moving oxen the following was told me by Mr. Thomas Clarkstone, son of Lewis Clarkstone, an early settler on Swan Creek that runs through Christian and Taney Counties, Mo. Thomas Clarkstone lived many years on the north side of White River and just over the line in Boone County, Ark. He committed suicide by hanging himself in a cedar tree in the early morning of November 14, 1906. In relating the story which was given me long before his death Mr. Clarkstone said "While my father lived on Swan Creek in the pioneer days he and Bill Smith, another old timer who lived on this stream, hauled 300 sacks of salt from St. Louis to Forsyth in 1842. The salt belonged to Jess Jennings and John Vance. They brought this amount at two trips or 75 sacks on each wagon. Each man owned an unusually big stout wagon with three yoke of large cattle to each wagon. It took 4 weeks to get to St. Louis and return back to Forsyth. They hauled a good camping outfit with them and also dogs, rifles, and plenty of ammunition were taken along. When the two freighters ran short of meat they would stop and kill deer or bear and on camping at night they would "bell" the oxen and let them graze on the tender grass until morning when they would drive the cattle back to camp, yoke them up, and hitch them to the wagons and start on this long wearisome journey again." I will add here that Mr. Clarkstone become partially insane before his death, which is supposed to be the reason he hung himself, which was done near his home. He had climbed up a small cedar tree that he trimmed up a few years before and tied the end of the rope to a limb. The other end was tied around his neck and he swung off and strangled to death. The suicide occurred before day break he was buried at Pro-tem, Mo."

From http://thelibrary.org

TOM NORMAN AND HIS FAMILY AND THE DEATH OF FOUR OF THEM By S. C. Turnbo

We have often mentioned that part of White River where Buck Coker settled in 1815. This land as we have said is on the left bank of the river in the Jake Nave Bend in what is now Boone County, Ark. When Buck Coker went to West Sugar Loaf Creek soon after the freshet of May 1844 Lewis Clarkstone moved into the house vacated by Coker. Mr. Coker sold the improvement to Clarkstone. The latter was a hunter after wild animal and kept a fine pack of hounds to chase the fox, wild cat and catamount. (The next part has some editing errors, so I've left much of it out.) .... Mr. Coker bought the land from Mr. Clarkstone. ... Coker sold the land to R. S. (Dick) Halet for the consideration of one fine black mare and three hundred dollars in cash. Mr. Halet sold this land to Isaac Rhodes for a one thousand dollar bill and one hundred dollar for 20 acres of nice wheat that Mr. Halet had growing on the farm. While Halet owned the land he had a well dug and a log house built near the foot of the bluff where the Pro-tem and Naves Ferry wagon road leads now.

(Note: In the 1850 census in Arkansas, Lewis' neighbors were Edward Coker and Jacob Nave.)

From the Turnbo Manuscripts in the Springfield Library, a story about Lewis Clarkston family and the White River in Arkansas in 1852.

OLD TIME RECOLLECTIONS OF ELBOW SHOALS By S. C. Turnbo

Just below the mouth of Elbow Creek is a bluff which overlooks the John Yandell farm and Elbow Shoals. An observer here commands an excellent view of the neighborhood, and the usual variety of the scenery as found on White River is seen....JJust below the shoals is Longs Ferry; part of the shoals are in Boone County, Ark. and part in Taney County, Mo. The old channel is in Arkansas but the new cut ways is in Missouri.... in 1852, the Yaw Haw Ganey a much smaller and older boat than the Eureka came up the river and steamed into the mouth of the chute (shoals). She was heavily loaded with freight for the merchants of Forsyth.... but she failed to pass over the shoals and late in the night the captain was compelled to back his boat out of the chute and landed at the lower part of the bottom on the north side of the river and put off 300 sacks of salt, which belonged to the merchants of Forsyth. The following day was Sunday and just before noon she succeeded in passing through the chute and went on to Forsyth. The Yaw Haw Gaeney was the first steam boat reaching that town. The salt was left in the care of the writers father. Jim and Tom Clarkstone sons of Lewis Clarkstone who lived then on the old Buck Coker Place at the lower end of the Jake Nave bend of White River were employed to haul it on ox wagons to our house on Elbow Creek one half a mile above the mouth where the salt was stored in a new log house.

Unproved information on the Internet states that Mary's surname was Legg. It is possible she was related to Susan Pelham of Ozark Co Mo, since it is also claimed that Susan's maiden name was Legg (Ligg.) In any case, the Clarkston and Pelham families were closely connected since James Clarkston moved to Texas with the Pelham family circa 1860 before they moved back to MO during the 1860s and Lewis' daughter Eliza Jane was living with the Pelhams in the 1860 census.

Kay Silkey writes:

To all:

I know where the Legg name came from. The Internet. Here's what I found:

Levi Legg married Sarah J. May 5 Sept 1837 in Sangamon County, IL. (Illinois Marriage Database) They had at least two children: Lewis Clarkston Legg born 1837 Sangamon County died 1888 Humboldt, Richardson County, Nebraska and William Thomas Legg born 1835 Sangamon County, IL and died 1913 Humboldt, Richardson County, Nebraska. When Lewis purchased his land from the US Govt in Illinois he stated that he was "of Sangamon County".

and from genealogist Kevin Carman:

Philip Carroll I think is how he spelled his name responded to one of your queries back in 2011. His John Pelham is telling! First, he married Susan Legg [Ligg] in Green Co., KY in 1827. Second he is living next door to Lewis & Mary in 1840. Third, Eliza J. Clarkson is living with the Pelham's in a later census. Fourth Lewis, John & Susan are all buried in the same cemetery!

So far I do not find Lewis & Mary marrying in Green - but it adjoins burned counties! Likewise with the itinerant ministers I mentioned previously in the area and a strong Presbyterian presence in the region and the family it is entirely possible there is no marriage record in the courthouse. I am, however, convinced now that Mary Legg was her maiden name - too many coincidences to be chance.

The probate records and the census of 1870 hint, but do not state, that Lewis Clarkston had a third wife, or at least. a third family. There are two young Clarkston heirs, Charlota 5 and John 2, who are probably not children of Lewis' second wife Sarah as she was likely dead by 1869 since she is not mentioned in the estate. There is a younger woman, Lucy Clarkston, who is not identified as a family member but who was present during the sale of the estate. This woman, Lucy Clarkston, appears to be the mother of said Charlotte and John according to the 1870 census of Washington, Webster Co, MO. Also, after Lewis' death, Lucy sold land that Lewis had owned. It is likely she inherited it as part of her dower.