Newspaper Cassville Democrat
Date Thursday, July 14, 1932
Headline UNCLE BILLY LEDGERWOOD,
BARRY COUNTY'S LAST OLD INDIAN FIGHTER CELEBRATES 88TH BIRTHDAY ANNIVERSARY
SHELL KNOB MAN IS ONE OF THE COUNTY'S OLD TIME AND HONORABLE CITIZENS
(Contributed by W. T. Sallee)
Text William Ledgerwood, the subject of this story, and those photograph appears herewith, was born in Martin County, Indiana, July 13th, 1844. He left Indiana at the age of seven years, and came with his parents to Barry County, Missouri, and settled on Capps Creek near Pierce City, and in about a year moved to Flat Creek near Cassville. He moved with his parents to Benton County, Arkansas, in 1854, where they lived until the year 1861, they then moved to Shell Knob, his present home.

When the Civil War broke out he enlisted in the Army for the western Indian service under Gen. Cole, and was sent west with the 2nd Missouri Artillery, and remained in that service until 1867. He was engaged in a number of important battles with the red skins. He can tell many interesting stories concerning his Indian fighting in Wyoming, North Dakota and South Dakota. After the war he returned to Shell Knob and was married to Miss Matilda Moles, sister of the late Weep Moles, well known citizen of the White River country in and early day.

To this union were born eight children, two of whom died in infancy, and the rest of them lived to be men and women are Mrs.. Barbara Brock, Mrs. Sara Whisman, Mrs.. Mary Alexander, Mrs. Minnie Henbest and Sam and Grover Ledgerwood.

He has thirty-three grandchildren, sixty-seven great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren, a total number of 104 grandchildren.

Most all of his children and grandchildren gathered at the old Legerwood home in Shell Knob on Wednesday, July 13th and celebrated the birthday of this good old pioneer, by spreading a sumptuous dinner in honor of the occasion of his 88th birthday. Uncle Billy spent most of the afternoon entertaining the young people by telling them stories of Indian fighting in the West and also of the early history of Barry county. We hope he may enjoy many more such occasions.

Uncle Billy united with the Christian Church in 1868, and is still a faithful member of church, and is an old time Jackson Democrat.

Mr. Ledgerwood has a splendid memory for a man of his age. He still owns and occupies the old homestead formerly owned by his father. His good wife passed away a number of years ago, and since that time his son, Grover and family have lived with him.

He enjoys telling of the pioneer days in Barry County when the country was thinly settled and farmers cultivated their crops with oxen. He tells the writer of this article that when he came to Shell Knob wild turkeys were more plentiful than quail now are. Bears were also plentiful at that time. He said he would go to bed at night and to sleep listening to the howl of the wolves and scream of panthers and at the first break of day in the spring-time he could hear the gobble of wild turkeys in every direction. He stated that it was not uncommon to see 25 to 30 deer in a drove.

Very few of the old time citizens like Uncle Billy Ledgerwood are now living to tell us the interesting stories of pioneer days in Barry county. We should take off out hats to these old pioneers who underwent the hardships of such life and made this county what it is today.

Shell Knob is situated on a splendid new state highway which is just being completed and the writer drove over this splendid highway from Cassville to Shell Knob, a distance of 20 miles in an automobile, in a few minutes, over practically the same ground that Uncle Billy Ledgerwood drove his ox wagon in an early day taking three days to make the trip both ways.

Let us not in the mad rush of today forget to take a few hours' time to visit with such men as Uncle Billy and cheer them along the way and thus show them our appreciation of the great service they have rendered us.


Actual Source of this newspaper clipping is unknown. Judging by the statement of "Mr. Sallee, he also prepared a very interesting article on this aged character's life which appears elsewhere in this issue of the Democrat." In the accompanying obituary, it is assumed that this story is also from the Thursday July 14, 1932 issue of the Cassville Democrat.
Resource State Historical Society of MO Microfilm
Submitted by Penny Bailey