File submitted for USGenWeb/MOGenWeb Lincoln County page by William H. Crouch MD, 1211 SW 29th Terr., Maple Bld, Topeka KS 66611-2161, 1998
Letter by Thomas William Crouch
Letter written June 1941 by Thomas William Crouch (b1851) to his grandson Hutt Lancaster. Describes life at a country school and early years in Missouri.
Thomas was born 3 February1851 in Troy Mo on a nearby farm. He married Molly Ann Lewis in Texas on 22 November1888. His father was John Robert Crouch, born 15 January 1844, in Lincoln Co. His mother was Ann Young Hutt whose father was Major Thomas William Hutt [long line back to 1600's Eng.]. His grandfather was James Henry Crouch born 14 February1805 in Va., went to Lincoln county about 1836.
"BORN ON A FARM TROY, MO. 5-8-1866 AT AGE 7YR STARTED TO SCHOOL AT COUNTRY SCHOOL HOUSE SITUATED 21/2 MI. FROM OUR FARM HOUSE WAS "BROWN" & WAS BUILT OF HEWN LOGS EQUIPPED WITH SPLIT LOG BRANCHES FOR SEATING. YOU WERE ALLOWED TO SET WHERE YOU PLEASED SO LONG AS YOU "BEHAVED" & BROUGHT IN YOUR "LESSONS"
FOR WRITING THERE WERE 2 X 12 BOARDS ON TWO SIDES OF THE BUILDING. WE HAD WRITING PRACTICE 30 MIN A DAY FOLLOWING A COPY MADE FOR US BY THE TEACHER AND SUCH ADDAGES AS "PROCRASTIONATION IS THE THIEF OF TIME" ECT. OUR HEATING WAS A LARGE FIRE PLACE WHICH WE USED CORD WOOD. OUR WATER SUPPLY WAS OBTAINED FROM A SPRING JUST DOWN THE HILL 2 OR 3 HUNDRED YARDS FROM SCHOOL.
OUR SCHOOL TERM WAS 3 MOS A YEAR. ONE TEACHER. OUR BOOKS USED "BLUE BACK SPELLER BUTTERS (?) GRAMMER MOCTENEKS (?) GEOGRAPHY AND RAYS MENTAL ARITHMATIC AND ZOK HIGHER(?). OUR PLAYMATES WERE GERMAN, BOHEMIAN AND AMERICAN. MOST OF THE POPULACE OF FOREIGN BIRTH WORE WOODEN SHOES. THE YOUNGSTERS ALL WORE HEAVEY LEATHER SHOES WITH BRASS TOE TIPS LINSEY JEAN CLOTHES HOME MADE. OUR GAMES WERE PRINCIPALLY TOWN BALL & CAT USED SOFT BALL MADE OF RAGS AND WITH TWINE, GIRLES PLAYED "ROPE JUMPING" & "CHASE THE BUFFALO". AFTER ATTENDING TWO YEARS AT BROWNS SCHOOL I TRANSFERRED TO MY GRANDFATHERS (MAJOR WILLIAM HUTT) WHO WAS COUNTY JUDGE OF LINCOLN CO. MO. AND LIVED TWO MILES FROM TOWN ON HIS PLANTATION FROM WHICH I WALKED.OUR SCHOLL HOURS WERE FROM SUN UP TO SUN DOWN AN HAD SCHOOL FOR 6 MONTHS. AFTER 2 YRS AT TROY WE MOVED OFF FARM TO WARRENTON MO. WHERE WE HAD SEVERAL TEACHERS AND HIGH SCHOOL 8 MOS. TERM. AFTER 2 YRS IN WARRENTON I ENTERED WESLYAN COLLEGE, WORKED IN A DRY GOODS AND GROCERY STORE EVENINGS & SATURDAYS FOR $2.50 WEEK, THE FIRMS NAME WAS BROCKHORST & MOORE (WERE NICE TO ME).
MY ANCESTERS WERE FROM ENGLAND WALES AND ALSACE"
The same Thomas W. Crouch listed in 1910 census Johnson Co TX? In that census
listing Thomas W. age 43 b MO, parents b VA is listed with Mary G. age 39 b TX, her father
from France & mother from TN; Ella M. age 18 b TX; Bessie B. age 16 b TX; Hutt age 15
b TX; Lewis age 13 b TX; Grady age 11 b TX; Bert age 09 b TX; Malcolm age 06 b TX;
Dearmond age 04 b TX; & Ann G. age 09 mos b TX.
File submitted for USGenWeb/MOGenWeb Lincoln County page by William H. Crouch MD, 1211 SW 29th Terr., Maple Bld,
Topeka KS 66611-2161, 1998
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