Some History

Some History

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The Lathroms migrated from Kentucky in 1857

They were thirty-two strong, and in 1857, they came from Kentucky by ox-drawn wagon, a tiny-segment of the great Scotch-Irish migration, that populated the hill country of middle America from the Eastern seaboard to the Great Plains.

They were the Lathroms, and they were looking for land. Their search ended one mile east of the

present-day Dawson in eastern Wright Co. at the headwaterers of Dove Creek, where the clan chief,

Benjamin Franklin Lathrom and his wife, Catherine, built their house near a large spring. (A barn which

belonged to the late Clarence Helsley now occupies this site).

Others in the party included: 37 year old son Henry Lathrom, his wife the former Addie Lunsford, and a

number of children among whom were William, 12, and 10 year old Frank, named after his Grandfather; son Wiley and wife, Sophia Ann (Lunsford); son Alexander and daughters Susan and Eliza.

They came as a clan and remained clannish. Henry moved a short distance down the creek and erected a cabin at a spot now occupied by the residence of Bernie Thornhill. Years later, Henry transferred the home site and part of his land to son William and his bride, Samantha Mills, while he and Cahterine moved west across Whetstone Creek to the farm which is now owned by Cal Turner.

The remaining portion of Henry's Dove Creek farm became the property of Frank. It is still referred to

affectionately by the family as "Stoney Lonesome".

Wiley and Sophia Ann moved farther aflield but still remained on Dove Creek, settling just above what is now the Hwy 38 bridge near Rayborn. Wiley built a log cabin, the ruins of which can still be seen on the south bank of the creek immediately east of the old highway.

This cabin was the only one of the Lathrom homes which was not burned during the Civil War by the roving bands of renegades who became known as "bush-whackers".

Descendants of Wiley include Silas, Bill and John Henry Lathrom. Daughter Eliza Hodge and her husband lived on the west bank of Dove Creek near Ben and Catherine. Their farm later became the long-time home of Andrew and Martha Thornhill.

Daughter Susan soon left MO to seek her fortune and her name was lost to family history. Her son John inherited his grandparents farm and made it his own home for many years.

Alexander Lathrom, Was born in 1830 and married Peggy Gaddis in 1852 in Casey Co., KY. He Moved to Missouri when he was 27 years old. and lived near Whetstone Creek on what is now the Rex Rippee farm. His descendants include Grant and Hershel Lathrom, May Headley, Pallie Coffman, Martha Thornhill, Julia Sullens.

The Lathrom clan had scarcely settled on their new lands before they were gripped by the national unrest which preceded the War between the States. Situated as it was on the Mason-Dixon Line, MO became the pawn of each faction and its residents, particularly those in the southern counties, were forced to declare their allegiance.

All of the eligible Lathrom men readily declared for the Union and were shortly enlisted in Co. B., Phelps Misouri Infantry.

With his father, uncles and older brother in uniform, Frank was left, at 14 to care for his mother and the younger children on the Dove Creek farm. Aunt Peggy was visiting one eventful day in 1861 when the door burst open and they were surrounded by bush-whackers.

As Frank often repeated the story to his grandchildren, one of the bush-whackers took a

shovelful of coals from the fireplace and tossed it into the middle of the bed. Aunt Peggy defiantly

rolled up the hot coals in the bedding, and threw them into the yard.

Young Frank, well aware that bush-whackers had little tolerance for Union sympathizers-especially young men with military potential-seized upon this distraction to make his getaway. He ducked quickly out the back door and raced through the brush and trees past the bend in the creek below his future "Stoney Lonesome".

Frank never returned to the house but continued on through the woods toward Rolla, where he enlisted as a private in the Phelps Regiment. He served until the end of the war.

The remainder of the Lathrom clan moved to Camden County where they stayed for the duration of the war, then came back to Dove Creek, to quote one of William's daughters, Ellen Lawson, their slogan was, "where one went, all went!".

As the war ended, Wiley Lathrom hurried homeward. Perhaps his enthusiasm to return to the rich bottom fields overcame his military caution. In any event, he was ambushed and murdered by a remnant of the bush-whacker bands on the knoll where Billy Lawson's house now stand on Hwy 38.

Wiley's cabin at the Dove Creek ford subsequently became the residence of James Renfro. It was there on Feb. 20, 1870, that Frank Lathrom was wed to James' sister, Susan, and "Stoney Lonesome" acquired a big log house and a family of its own. Five daughters, Mary, Sarah, Cordelia, Dosha and Dora and two sons, Sebastian and DeSoto, comprised Frank and Susan's family.

The Lathroms have been in America for a very long time. The first known reference to a Lathrom in the New World was in the 1690's, when Stephen Lathrom was released from indentured service by the death of his mistress. Stephen Lathrom later acquired land in Westmoreland Co., VA in 1714. He appeared in a will of Robert Bernard in 1724 where he inherits two hogs. His wife was the daughter of Bernard.

John Lathrom was a captain in the Colonial Virginia Militia in Stafford Co. Oct. 28, 1742, appears to have been Stephen's son. On Oct. 10, 1753, John Lathrom's estate was administered in Northumberland Co. His wife was Elizabeth Hardy Lathrom and they had at least 2 children. Samuel and William. William Lathrom, who married Ann Lewis, daughter of William Lewis. Samuel Lathrom served with Col. George Washington during the colonial confrontation with the Indians. He was

reported to be a deserter. He may have become a Frontier Ranger and was the first Lathrom to bring

news to his family of the new land in Tennessee and Kentucky.

William Lathrom, son of William and Ann Lewis Lathrom, and his comon law wife Willmath Lewis, sold their Northumberland County land Oct. 10, 1785 and moved to Ashe Co. NC. Their son was the William Lathrom who married Agnes Trusty in Grandville, NC, Aug. 25, 1782 and became the father of Benjamin Frankllin Lathrom in 1794.

On Sept. 10, 1812, Benjamin Franklin Lathrom was married to Catherine Trusty (Coty) daughter of John and Kezia Carter Trusty, (and believed to be the niece of Agnes Trusty). Benjamin volunteered as a private in the war of 1812 and served under Capt. Jacob Krider in Col. J. Person's 7th NC Militia Regt. Detached. They marched from Salisbury NC to Ft. Hawkins, from there fought the battle of Horshoe Bend and helped to carry the wounded from the battlefield at New Orleans. He was issued a pair of shoes and was honorably discharged at Salisbury August 5, 1814. For his services he received two bounty land allotments.

Benjamin and Catherine moved from NC some time after the birth of the oldest son Wiley in 1815 and settled in Knox Co. Tenn, where Henry and Susan were born, sometimes between 1824 and 1829. The family moved to Pulaski Co. KY were Eliza and Alexander were born. In 1840 Wiley married Sophie Ann Lansford in Knox Co. KY and 1843 Henry married Sophie's sister Addie Lissy. Eliza married Isaac Hodge in Pulaski Co. KY. Alexander married Peggy Gaddis in Casey Co., KY.

Benjamin Lathrom was a cooper and farmer. He lived in Pulaski Co. KY for more than 20 years. He and his two oldest sons applied and received bounty land in Knox Co. KY. Henry and Wiley lived on their land. Benjamin let his bounty expire, and when swamp land opened in MO, he had his claim re-examined on Aug. 5, 1856, when Benjamin applied for land the clan headed for Missouri, and settled on dove Creek in Wright Co.