Photos and file for use on USGenWeb/MOGenWeb Lincoln County Heritage Page courtesy of  Betty Lavy Krieg,   15 October 1998.  Link change or update: 02 Sep 1999

Families of Lincoln County, Missouri
Littleton Dryden and Eleanor Parsons Johnson
Compiled and written by Betty Lavy Krieg, 1998. 

Littleton DRYDEN was born on January 26, 1797 in Worchester County, Maryland, son of Thomas Handy and Leah DRYDEN. He married Eleanor Parsons JOHNSON on April 4, 1821. Littleton was a hatter with Jacob ROGERS in Baltimore City, Maryland. He served in the Army from 1812 to 1814 in Capt. EADES Company. The Drydens sold their land in Worchester County, Maryland in 1836 and proceeded west to Hannibal, Missouri by covered wagon. With them were their four children—Julia Ann, Leah Jane, Joshua Henry and Littleton Thomas—ranging in age from 14 to 7 years old. Two younger children, John S. and Allison C., had died as infants in 1833 and 1834. Three other children-—George James, Elizabeth E. and William Johnson—would be born in Missouri.

Not long after arriving in Missouri, they moved to a tract of government land in Lincoln County. The village that grew on this land was called Snowhill, but later named Brussels since Missouri already had a town named Snowhill. Littleton probably used the name Snowhill since his mother was buried at Snowhill, Maryland when she died in 1810.

When the Drydens settled in Snowhill, they realized the need for a place to worship and opened their home once a month for church services. These services were conducted by the old Methodist circuit riders—men who rode from church to church on horseback. Littleton later donated land and the first Asbury Chapel, as it was called then, was built in 1853.

Littleton and his wife Eleanor died two days apart in February, 1867. They were buried in Asbury Cemetery. Many of their descendants would remain in the community and serve as faithful members of this church.

Photos and file for use on USGenWeb/MOGenWeb Lincoln County Heritage Page courtesy of  Betty Lavy Krieg,   15 October 1998.  Link change or update: 02 Sep 1999

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