Charles J. Lauderdale writes Jimmie Higgs

Cassville Democrat
Aug. 24, 1955


The occasion of the golden wedding anniversary of Mr. And Mrs. Jimmie Higgs prompted Charles J. Lauderdale, and old time Barry County resident, now living at Joplin to write about early days in the county. Mr. Lauderdale's letter to Mr. Higgs Follows:


My Dear Jimmie,

Yes I am glad I can say "Dear Jimmie". I am Charles J. Lauderdale, 2200 Pennsylvania Avenue, Joplin. I have known you since your birth. I was reared just a quarter of a mile west of Red., your father, from the age six until I was nineteen. When I read of you and your wife's Golden Wedding Anniversary last Sunday and saw your picture, I was made happy, and yet a tinge of sorrow crept into my heart because of my health and age. I was not able to come to your "Big day". Last Sunday was my 85th Birthday Anniversary. But since your and even mine, we are going down the western hill of life. To me the time has been so short. But I return thanks to our creator, Eternal God. For having blessed me and sustained me and given me so many blessings. All have been blessings. So as I sit here and am writing you, I stop for a moment to thank our God for his mercies and blessings.

"I do not remember which were the older of Red's children, Eppie or Nona, I am thinking Epp was the first. Nonie had to die so young. She was a lovely girl. For you children had a good family, the Jonathan Tucker family. The first days work I ever did except at home, was for your father, dropping corn for him in the valley south of his home, for which he paid me thirty cents a day, for I think two days. Old Aunt Katy, the Negro, who stayed with her old master, until her death or until Jonathan and Patsy were gone, gave me the first dime I ever had for carrying in some wood for her.

"Your Grandfather, Jonathan Higgs when he could no longer remember much, would say to me (when I was six or eight) "What is your name little man? And each time I would say "Charles Lauderdale". Then he would say, "My name is Jonathan Higgs. I was born in North Carolina. My father was a doctor and my mother was a Grannie-woman. I have never been whipped."

Oh how I would love those days again; and in a way I am seeing them just now while writing you about them.

"I note that you favor your father, although I never saw him without whiskers, red like. So I always thought that was why they called him "Red".

In 1921 I was in Wheaton testing eyes and fitting glasses about twice each year. One customer I had was old Man Herrel, who lived southwest of Rocky. The next day he brought his wife and I knew her. She was Ferby Turner, who married Tom Bradley, and was the first family I can remember that lived in Red's house and before you were born.

Tom Bradley died in that house. He was the son of old Lawrence Bradley, who lived on the old big road just one fourth mile west and north of my home, our house, the farm one fourth mile west of red's was moved on to the Bradley farm and later burned, I understand. I took my father to the old home farm just before he died in 1917 at Monett.

The old well with box and pulley was the only thing that marked the spot of our once happy home that stood on that little hill beside the then known Higgs valley". In 1937 I was driving down by the old New Hope Church, and drove by Farmer Higgs' house, which he had built by the road, a few hundred feet South of Jonathan and Patsy's old log house, where no doubt, your father and all of your grandfather's family lived. Red, your father, I am sure was born in North Carolina before 1850, 105 years ago. Your uncle Duff surely was born in that old log house on the hill above the Higgs Spring, which is the very head of Pogue's Creek, named for a Mr. Pogue. I slept in that old log house on the night of April 18, 1880, the Sunday night following the great Marshfield Cyclone. I was 10 years old and you were not yet born, but your home was up on that seemingly (to me then) high hill. There was no water there. It had to be hauled from the creek, just below the Higgs Spring, or from John Montgomery's well. Later when I was about ten years old, Red had a well dug at the bottom or foot of the hill, in front of the house, that faced south. The road came from the east at the foot of that hill and followed it to a small hill west, by my home, a white cottage, on down the valley by Jess Burtons, Luth? Lanes, Mike Linebargers to the old stage road at the home of Jimmie Swindle and into old Gad Fly. Its name changed to Corsicana in 1870. It was a thriving little town of 1500 people, with the old L. J. Blankenship Mill, run by the water of Joy's creek; two blacksmith shops; Billie Morrow and Jasper Fly's General Merchandising Store, a church and a school.

"But when the Frisco was built south and Purdy (which was first called Winslow) in 1879, the town of Gadfly all went to Purdy, named ……… Pierce City, quickly became a thriving little town. There Red and all the scattered population around about went to Purdy to sell and to buy. Before Purdy came up, the first reaper, an Empire, ever to be seen in our whole settlement, was bought at Pierce City by your Uncle Kelly Higgs. The whole neighborhood came to see it set up and started in a wheat field near John Montgomery's. The wheat was heavy and rank and they first tried to pull it with three horses, then added the fourth. Then came the self binder. My father bought one of the first after we had worn out a reaper-dropper. It was a single canvass, which caused us much trouble but all binders had the same kind of knot tie, the Appleton.

"Ah! What a day and what a life! Then everybody was a neighbor and Martha was one of my Mother's best friends. We all saw each other at old New Hope on Sunday for Sunday School. And old Brother Sellers was our preacher once a month. He lived about four miles east of Cassville. The road to Roaring River now runs near or by his old home. I know you can remember some, or many of the things and happenings that I am calling back to your mind. No, I haven't forgotten anything of my early life. I have thought of you and all I ever knew down there. I remember the scar on your face, and about the time it was caused. But don't remember how. To me now, it seems the scar is on the right side.

"I do not remember your wife so well, as she was hardly old enough to start school at the Clark School, when I was 18 in 1888, when I became a teacher at Butterfield. But if she is John Garrison's daughter, and I think she is, I should remember her as a child as I often spent the night down there with their boys. I have forgotten their names. Elmer comes to me as the oldest. Your wife, the little girl that became your wife was only four or five years old when I attended my last school at Clark's School. Will Boomer was my last teacher there.

"I left the old farm in the winter of 1889, when my school was out, at the Johnston School, just a few miles north of Wheaton, and went to Aurora, where my father and the family had gone while I was teaching the Johnston School. I married in Aurora, Lillie Elmo Ruff. When our first son was born, we moved to Greenfield where I entered Ozark College for the study for the Ministry of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Preached for three or more years and taught my last year in the College. At the end of my three years in the study for Ministerial work and preaching, I repudiated some of the doctrine of the church. I had found the Presbytery and the watch dogs of the church would not permit a preacher to think for himself, but had to accept the writings and teachings of men. That I could not do and will never do, because God's word, the Bible is the Truth; if we will study and accept what God tells us, and not believe what men tell us. I left the presbytery in 1897 and have never been a member of any man made organization since. But I am happy that I believe in and on God. His son Jesus Christ, and hope and believe I am guided by the Holy Spirit, which is in me, to guide and lead me in the ways of the Almighty, and lay my way? ….and try and learn God's ways. I could not live without God and Jesus Christ and by trying to follow them is why I am here today."

"In 1937, I published my first book "The Lauderdales of Scotland and America, from 1056 to and including 1936…1880 years". Then I wrote and sold to papers "The Country of the Six Bulls" a short History of these five southwestern counties, beginning when Barry County was the name of the territory, now Jasper, McDonald, Newton, Lawrence, and Dade Counties. So from this work you can know I have not been idle. Raymond our second son and Eulalia, our only daughter were born in Greenfield. Raymond and family live in Fresno, Calif. Ira is in Austin Tex., while Eulalia, who has twice been married having lost both husbands from heart ailments (the second one after about six weeks of marriage) has had her sorrows which she by God's help and her prayers and her faith have overcome, and has always been an inspiration in our home for high ideal and leads us to a faith and trust in god, is here with us in our home."

"Well, Jimmie, I could go on and on, but will close this now. There are so many things I want to talk to you about and we must see each other again and soon, if ever. Write me when you receive this letter, you and wife fixing a day when you can come to Joplin see us have a good visit. I know you your wife and my family will feel that we are back home once more, back in our old home. We have lived in this home at 2209 Penn. Ave. for perhaps 38 years, almost half of my life. I used to see Will and John often, saw Will last at Adeline's Funeral. Went to see Jim Montgomery up to the time of his death.

Our love to you and wife and all,

Charles Lauderdale


Editor's note: Jimmie Higgs was born 1883 died 1963 was the son of Seth Rederick (called Red also because he had red hair.) Higgs b. August 1, 1844 in Granville, North Carolina. He came with his Father and Mother John Kenelm Higgs and Martha Harrison Higgs to Barry County in 1852 to the area between Mt. Pleasant and New Hope Church. The Father of John was Leonard Clark Higgs born in 1756 in MD, and was a Doctor. John's Mother (wife of Leonard) was Sarah Kitterell Higgs and she was a " Grannie - woman"… the medical practitioner of the day.

Wife of Jimmie Higgs was Zula Garrison. She was the daughter of John Rite Garrison.

Jimmie, Zula, Seth Rederick and Martha Tucker Higgs are all buried in Mt. Pleasant.

The Eppie Higgs mentioned in the article is my Grandfather. He is buried in Concord cemetery.

This clipping was given to me by my Aunt Monta Higgs Lauderdale. In April, 1973.

Submitted by Betty Higgs Lamberson