| Notes |
- HOW SUMMERSVILLE WAS NAMED
by J.E. Summer
Since I have been reading the paper the views and opinions ofdifferent people regarding the early settlers of this country and howthe town of Summersville obtained its name, I decided to write some ofthe facts that were given me by my father, thhe late Jerry Summer, whowas born in 1857 on the original tract of land where my grandfather,Jesse Summer, firstsettled. He was born in Tennessee in 1818 and cameto Missouri in 1840. When he first came he worked on what is nowSpring Valley Ranch, better known as Rhinehart Place. He worked therefor six years for a salary of $7 per month. He had an older brotherwho settled in that vicinity. Whether they came here together or notor which one came first I do not know. After working six years at thesame place, my grandfather returned to his home in TN to bring theremainder of his family to MO. The family consisted of the mother andten children. The father had passed away when he got back to TN. Therewere seven sons and three daughghters. They made the trip through thesparsely settled country by covered wagons. The sons were all givenBiblical names, namely, Adam, Andrew, Simeon, Nicodemus, Jesse, Thomasand Uriah Bonepart (called Bone). The girls' names I do not know butone married a Roark, one a Ross and the third one I don't know. Theboys as soon as they could, began to acquire land and settle up on itmaking homes for themselves. It seems they each had the ability toselect productive land, as some very good fararms at the present timewere settled by the Summer brothers. The farms now owned by EugeneKoller, Elza Young (known as Bola Love place), the Rufus McConnellplace and part of the T.L. Love farm. One settled on Lower SpringValley and one settled on Gladden Valley in Dent Co. The mother wasfrom Holland and her English had a foreign accent. She was small insize, but was affectionately called "Big Granny" by her many, manygrandchildren and great-grandchildren. One of her most treasuredpossessions was a pair of wooden shoes from her native Holland. Itwould be difficult to try to estimate the number of descendants ofthis grandmother. To my knowledge there is to the eighth generation inthis country. She was buried in what is now knowown as Welch Graveyard,where her son,Simeon, who died when he was a young man, was buriedbefore her. It has been over 100 years since he was buried there, himbeing the first person buried in Welch Cemetery. His relativesbelieved they were burying him on his own land, to discover later hisgrave was only a few feet over his line. The land on which mygrandfather, Jesse Summer, settled is located south of the presentsite of Summersville. The original tract of land where he settled isnow owned by Roy Case, C.M. Brown, and part of Virgil Bandy's place.The house was built on what is now the Case farm. There was a livingwell dug and walled by hand which supplied water for householdpurposes for the people of the settlement. I do not kknow the exactdate he settled on this place, but I have a number of old tax receiptspaid by Jesse Summer. The oldest one being for the year 1853 for theamount of $3.51. Later in the year of 1868, his tax had increased to$16.62-1/2 on 200 acres of land in Texas Co. The increase probably wasdue to the effects of war. Each tax was itemized; one being $1.02-l/2for the poor. Another showed $4.16 for jail tax. The tax steadilyincreased until 1872. From that time on they decreased until the yyearof 1879 when his tax on 240 acres was $4.04. The first store waslocated on my grandfather's land, only a short distance from hishouse. Since his house was located on the main road, the Salem-WestPlains, it is a logical reason a store would be built near asettlement and on the main traveled road. I do not know the year thestore was built, however, after it was there quite awhile it was latermoved 3/4 of a mile north to the present site of Summersville. Thestore was owned and operated by Mr. Shuck. It is believed the firststore was a central place of delivery for mail, but no post office wasestablished there. So all mentioned facts combined is how the littlevillage was given the name of Summersville. My grandmother, DithaSuummer, passed away in her early 40's in the year 1877. Her deat wascaused by tuberculosis. When she knew her life's journey was nearingthe end, she then selected the place she wished to be buried. The landat that time belonged to my father. After her death and burial, hedeeded one acre for a public cemetery and since then it has been knowna Summersville Cemetery. After the first acre was being filled withgraves, my uncle, Alex Summer, deeded the additional land on the west.At a later date the land on the north was given by H.H. Richards,Howard Rogers and T.L. Love. The portions on the east were acquired bythe Cemetery Board of Trustees. In summarizing it all, it can truly besaid that all pioneers who went into new countries to establish homeshad to be unafraid. stout-hearted and full of courage, depending uponGod and themselves.
Signed,
J.E. Summers (1964)
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1787 - 1878 (91 years)
