The Quest to Find William Graham's Land

Looking west toward Big River near Highway H in Missouri

On genealogy web-sites William Graham and Margaret [Mc] Carroll (my 4 greats) were said to live in Fremont which is supposed to be Frumet Missouri. But, we never really knew where they lived until Dwight carefully read an article on the Jefferson County Historical Society web site. Scroll down to the Dugan Cemetery and begin reading on the second page:

28th June 1825 we find deed from William Graham to Stephen Lamarque of Washington County, 640 acres, for $426.26, being the settlement right of Elijah Benton and by him conveyed to Burnell J. Thompson who sold it to William Clinton who sold it to William Graham, as recorded in Book B Page 214.

Scroll down a bit more to see where the red crosses are on the maps which Dave Halleman has provided. Independently, Dwight and I agreed where the land was on a Google map. With the GPS co-ordinates, my husband and I headed to Frumet, Missouri.

I was concerned that I might not be able to find a place to explore on the west side of Big River, so my first plan was to go down Hidden Valley Ranch Lane to see if I could photograph the hill side across the river.

I met two young men who were "processing" a deer they'd just shot. They told me that Norm Valle owned the land---they warmed up a bit when I told them I was related to Norm and had talked to his aunt a few months ago. So, they looked at my maps and pointed me in the right direction.




I do tend to get distracted and found this house for sale on Breckenridge Road.
Note the stone foundation and the boarded up door on the second floor.
After crossing the Big River (I'm doing another blog on Frumet and Big River), we came to Cedar Hollow. Although I knew this wasn't the precise place, a dirt road is more inviting than barbed wire fence. So, I took the high road to explore(N 38 degrees 09.1781' W 90 degrees 42.300').


I was enjoying the view until I saw this. . .
I may be a city girl, but I know a "deer blind" when I see one. So, I started singing loudly the first song I could think of (that I'd just heard at DeSoto's McDonald's) "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus."
We got in the car saw a break in the barbed wire at N 39 degrees 90.027" W 90 dgrees 42.462"



Then, we drove down the road and found another break in the barbed wire.


See the bluffs through the trees?There were a few hazards besides the deer hunters. But, I didn't see any ticks on me, snakes or poison ivy, so what are a few burrs and bramble snags! I hope my cousins who live out of town can appreciate the wilds of Jefferson County Missouri. It doesn't take much imagination to know about where our ancestors lived almost 200 years ago. I might not have found any old cabin ruins or graves, but there's still a rush to walking on land you know they walked and probably snagged their pants on and maybe even hunted a few deer!