Frumet and Big River

This is the 1898 Township map (double click to enlarge) showing my great-grandfather's farm on the far right (Thomas Long), but this blog is about the area to the left by the Big River wending it's way up the map.

My Graham ancestors are often said to be from Frumet (seen above on the map--where their land was is outlined in yellow) Almost all of my ancestors on Grandpa Roy Long's side of the family are from Big River Township---the Longs, Reiters, Tyreys, Browns and Grahams. As children, my cousins and I played in the Big River at Uncle Lawrence's club house.


This blog will be about north of Highway H where Frumet and McKean's mine were. Although several have made jokes about Frumet being far "from it", it probably got its name from a mining company:

	A post office established in 1876 and discontinued in 1910. The Frumet Company operated lead mines here; doubtless named for the company.
	Source: Welty, Ruth. "Place Names of St. Louis And Jefferson County." M.A. thesis., University of Missouri-Columbia, 1939.

There was one old building in Frumet which I thought was possibly an old church. Note the outhouse. . .
Which was a "two holer".
Examining the area between the outhouse and the building I found what appears to be the base of an old school desk. I later found this:


Charlotte M. Maness transcribed old newspapers see below:
Jefferson Democrat Hillsboro, Jefferson County, Missouri

January 1883

FRUMET NEWS - Mr. Editor - It has been  some time since you
have heard from this section.

A. MANDLE is still doing a large business at the
Frumet store.

James S. WILLIAMS has been very sick for some time,
but is on the mend now, and it is hoped he will recover.

A.A. DUNLAVEY preaches at Frumet every fourth Sunday.
There is an evergreen Sunday school at the Frumet school
house.  It is about to enter into its eighth year.  Can
every portion of the county say as much?

So, it is possible that this was a school house and a Sunday School although it's on the map as the Frumet P.O.
One of my goals was to find evidence of mines---I failed miserably, but I thought that was interesting rock out cropping.
Next we went to the river---think it's changed much in 200 years?

When googling Merrell Horse Conservation area I found this link. It's funny because I told my husband our next Jefferson County Exploration was going to be here:
And, that link is about a float trip between Merrell's Horse to Brown's Ford something I would LOVE to do. Anybody up for it next summer? If we can't find a boat, we can always go "old school" in inner tubes! Click here to see my cousins and me in inner tubes.