As soon as everyone was loaded inside and outside the pickup we started down a graveled road. Soon the gravel was gone and the road became rough and rutted. We were bumping along on a trail that a packhorse must have made through the woods over native rocks and boulders. We drove about three miles through huge trees that spread their shade over the floor of the woods. Mr. Williams assured us he knew exactly where the old house had been and he drove right up to a spot. Aunt Nell was about to faint by the time Mr. Williams stopped the car and announced that we would have to unwire our door for us all to get out of the pickup. I didn't have much experience in unwiring car doors but I learned in a hurry. We all crawled out, in reverse order, into a tangle of vines, brush, trees and poison ivy and probably copperhead snakes. “
Ken said, "When Jodean and Nell told us about their experience inside the pickup and Joanna told them about the giant dog ticks in the back of the pickup, we decided we would be lucky to get them to go on any other nature excursions." Jodean said, "I'd like to say we soon forgot the incident but it would be more accurate to say we put the incident out of our mind. We will never forget the ride, the odor, the road or the dogs and ticks, and we didn't even mention the copper head we found on the trail up to the homestead. That is another story and it aint funny."

Mr. Williams stopped the pickup and announced this was the spot where the old Martin house had stood. We all wanted to see what was left of the old home place. We walked a few step and there among the tangle of vines and trees we could see that the old cellar had fallen in. Gilbert told us how Dad and Grandpa had walled it up with rocks. There was nothing left of the old pine board and batten house. It had stood south of the cellar and the boys found the foundation buried in the poison ivy and honeysuckle vines. Nothing was said about getting covered in poison ivy but the girls had learned to stay in the rear and let the brave men do the exploring. Blood red ticks and a near death experience inside a sealed pickup cab had quieted our adventuresome souls. We stood afar off and observed.
Gilbert looked at the woods, then he began to tell us about the old place as he remembered it. With his hands he marked off the house. “Da old house wuz L shaped, with a porch all da way cross da front. One porch at da back wuz right ere by de cistern an there wuz a shef with a water bucket n dipper. You drawd da water n pourd it n de bucket n you ad yor goard dipper. Da house made an L shape n went out dat a way fer da kitchen. We cud go rit out da back door to de cellar. Mother had one uv those butter dishes dat her mother give er when she got married with those lion heads on it. She sent me to da cellar with da butter n I wuz runnin down da steps when I fell n brok it all to pieces. Course she cried bout it but I cound't hep it.
On dis place where we lived in Thayer, Missouri, there wuz two houses. Dad n Mamma had a little house on da east end. Grandpa Martin lived in da big house. Grandpa moved to Kansas City in bout 1900, where Uncle Birt lived n we moved into da big house, which wuz three rooms. Grandpa's moved back to Missouri fer awhile, but he moved into da little house. After Grandma died in 1915, he lived around with da kids in Kansas City.” Gilbert recalled, “When Hurbie visited dis site bout 15 years ago, he found de old hearth that wuz in front of the fireplace. We haven't found it dis time. I think we cud if we poked de ground. The hearth wuz bout sixteen inches wide n bout six feet long. It laid in front uv de old fireplace that we uzd. We didn't have a lamp in dat room so Herbie n I ud throw a few pine knots on da fire n it wud light de whole room. Da only light we had wuz n de kitchen. We ud sit on de hearth n crack black walnuts n hickory nuts n throw da hulls in de fireplace. We had holes worn in de hearth rock where we had cracked so many nuts. I wish I cud find at old hearth to see if de holes air still there.”
The men hunted and scratched around. Gilbert said, “Hurbie said it wuz buried but he found it under some bushes.” We had to climb a fence and go across and through the poison ivy but by this time, no one was turning back. Gilbert kept digging around. My first thought was, “Let's take it back home with us.” My second thought was, “Where are we going to put it.” Anyway the boys assured me it was government property and we wouldn't be carrying off anything. Gilbert said, “There uzd to be n oak tree right at da corner uv da yard. Mother had holly hocks n roses rit in there. There wuz a big Hickory tree on da north side of da yard, it covered da whole back yard. Da smoke house uz built over da cellar. Dad ad a picket fence dat he built clear da length da place.”
“I member at Dad ad some blacksmith tools dat he uzd when we lived ere in dis house. He ad a bellows dat you ad to pump to make air fer de fire. He uzd to fix everything dat broke. “In de fall when de cane wuz ripe, dad ad a syrup mill dat wuz pulled by a horse. Dat old horse went roun n roun n mashed out de juice, it ran into a vat n den Dad wud build a fire n cook de juice. He made nuf syrup fer us to uz all year.”
“One time after we started to school, Mother heard bout a girl in da community who ad lice in er hair. Mother got a couple of fine-toothed combs. Dey wuz so sharp, she nearly killed me n Herbie combin our hair. If de lice bugs or eggs war in yor hair, de fine toothed comb wuz to clean em out. She done at for a week to be sure we didn't ave no lice. We nearly didn't ave no skin on our heads when she got thru.”
“One time we got de itch. Mother wuz wondering what to do to kill it. There's an old lady at said, 'Well, sir, jist pik sum poke root, bil at down good n give em a bath in it.' Mom put da poke root in de tub right in front uv dat ol fireplace one night n she gave us a bath in dat. I wuz first n before she cud git it on Herbie, I wuz yellin n screamin at de top uv my voice. It turned me red n I wuz jist burning up. I wuz dancing round dar squalling n bellerin, she jist got started on Herbie n da first thing he did wuz to start yellin at da top uv his voice. She decided da cure wuz worse than de itch. She grabbed sum pure lard n began putting it all over us. We finally got everything washed off n de burning stopped. We sure didn't want any more of dat cure.”
“Mother heated de wash water in a black iron pot. Sometimes there warn't no water n de cistern n de hot summer time n she couldn't do de family wash. We only ad two changes of clothes so we ud ave to hunt some water. Dad ud take several barrells in de flat bed wagon n he, Herbie n I ud go down ta Rocky Ford. (dis wuz a place in da river whar ya cud cross on a gravel or sand bed n not sink into high water) We'd drive de wagon right out in de water n dip up nuf to fill those barrels. Dad'd tie a cloth over de top to keep it frum sloshin out. Mom would ave a fire going by da time we got back so she cud git de wash on da line.”
“When we got ready to make Hominy we uld save our fireplace ashes n put em in de ash hopper. It wuz a V shaped trough with a drain at de bottom. We ud pour water through de ashes n drain it off. I've studied bout dat, how it wuz strong enuf after it ad been rained on. Mamma ud take a big ole kettle n boil de corn, then put de lye in til de lye began to take off de husk. She stirred de corn til de husk turned loose. Then she ud drain de lye off n begin to wash de hominy through several rinses. Those big old grains were big as your thumb. Oh! that wuz such good hominy! She put it in big old crocks n put them down in the cellar to preserve it. I've wondered why the rain didn't wash all the lye out of de ashes but it didn't. Um, it wuz so good.” Gilbert's story continued, “In Missouri mother always canned everything dat come along. The smoke house wus up by de cellar n dat wuz whar we smoked our meat. It wuz full of meat. Da floor of de smoke house made da top of de cellar. We put Hickory wood in a pan n hung da meat up in rows. Thar ud be rows uv meat hangin up n dat old smoke house. You put da fire in a pan so it wudn't get de floor hot. You ud git de fire started n den smother it out n it wud smoke fer days. It didn't dry it out, jist gave it a good flavor. The meat ad abeen cured with dry salt afore we began to smoke it. It ud git a yellow look when it got to old n Mother uzd to say it got a strong flavor n we ud not like to eat it.”
“Down de road, on de south side of de road wuz an old log house. De folks dat lived there were named Bell and Cook. Da wuz our nearest neighbors.” We had found the spot where the house was and Gilbert had told us wonderful stories of the time he lived here. Even though it might look like an empty spot in the woods now, we could feel the spirit of our family in the cool shade of the Missouri woods. To Charley, Gilbert and I, "we were standing on Hallowed Ground." We had come to find the old Homestead. There were not many visible sign left. There was nothing but a hole in the ground and a rock wall that was falling down. I felt as if I could see Dad digging the cistern and cellar and laying the rocks to make a wall. I could see Gilbert running up and down the steps to take the milk and butter to the cellar. I could see my mother planting flowers along the picket fence. I knew what it all looked like because we had a beautiful picture of the homestead.
It doesn't matter that there is no house to see. Boards and nails do not make a home. I know that my Martin family did not begin here within these brambles of poison ivy and honey suckle vines, It began in a Mother and Father who loved their family. That love never waivered through all the years. By the time I came along there were eight children in their household and the love that endureth forever was still in our house. I'm satisfied with what we found of the old homestead. What I will take away from Missouri is the truth about what makes a family. They believed in truth, honor, hard work and love. My Mother and Father showed me how to be a family that loved and loved and loved. That is a great Heritage to be proud of.
Gilbert began to tell us about going to see Grandpa Dolby. “We lived bout three days trip by wagon frum Mother's parents. One time we all went to see Grandma n Grandpa Dolby's n stayed fer a week up dere. At night we camped n built a fire n slept out on de ground. On dis particular trip, Uncle George, Mother's brother, gave her a little pure bred Poland China sow. It was a little ole shoat. We hauled it back in de covered wagon. We called her Belle, after Aunt Belle, n we ad her til we sold out to go to New Mexico. She brought twice as much as de other pigs. It wuz a small bone Poland China, most of da hogs in da country were bout haf hazel splitters, tall boney hogs frum de woods. Dad wuz always partial to Poland China hogs all his life. He always said it took less feed to fatten em than any other breed. “
Every thing sparked his memory to tell a story. He said, “You know, Mom n Dad ad one child dat wuz born dead while we lived here. It uz bornd tween Orah n Lela. I member da neighbors come in. I wuz jist a little boy. Coarse it excited me. Dad built da casket for it out uv pine n de neighbors put de baby in da casket. We got in da wagon n went to da funeral. Two men were up in de front seat n two women were in de bak n dey held de casket. I can't remember if we went to a cemetery or buried on de place where we lived.”
“I can 'member a Mrs. Woods who took care of all de women in de country when de ad babies.” He continued, “I wish I ad had enough sense to ask Mother about things, she could uv told me lots of stories. Wish I'd ave taken all de things down n made a record uv it. Kid's uz to not take any interest in membering des things.”
“I can remember when I wuz jist real little dat Dad got us a little wooden wheel wagon fer Christmas. Mother wud put Ora n Lela n it, an I ud pull em over dese rocks to git em to sleep. It wuz a little red wagon n we thought it wuz bout it. Mother ud put a quilt n thar n lay de baby n thar. I ud hit a rock n bumpt de babies head an de baby ud begin to squalwell, mother ud think I ad done it on purpose n sometimes I ud git a lickin for making de baby cry. I've hauled em fer day in n day out.”
“Aunt May n Uncle Jess Thompson lived down ere when we did. Aunt May wuz a big portly woman. She married Jesse Thompson n her children were Rhae, who is bout my age, Hadley and Farrell. They lived round Thayer. They hauled logs n split logs for de railroad fer a living.. They moved to Kansas City fore we left Oregon County.”
“I member one time Mother had to go to Seymour to see her folks. I think it wuz when her dad wuz sick. Aunt Mae wuz high tempered n she uld get on you real hard. She came ta stay with Herbie, Dorothy n me while mother wuz gone. One day she threw some scraps out of de back door fer de chickens. She knew jist bout what we boys were thinking bout doin. Herbie, Rhae n me were jist outside de back door n we didn't know she culd jist look out de window n watch us. Well, we got a rock n threw into dose chickens, n course they jist hollered n squawked. She came out dat door n grabbed a peach tree switch n whipped us all, right there.”
"Nother time I got it. Ray wuz kinda punny. She didn't want Ray to eat any of de green peas out of de garden. Ray wouldn't pick any so I decided to pick some. I shelled him some n he ate em. Aunt Mae found it out n she gave us another whipping. “ Gilbert said, “When Dad lived 'ere he ad da woods full ov cattle n hogs. He made cash money a hauling logs. The Ozark Lumber Company wuz in ere n de wuz buying all dat land dat had pine timber on it n cuttin down da trees fer railroad ties.”
“One time Dad wuz right down ere on em brakes, he walked up on de ridge looking fer is cattle n he saw smoke a coming up out of da hazy woods. He walked down thar n found em making whiskey. The man gave 'em a gallon uv corn whiskey.” Gilbert saw the leavings of an old rail fence. He said, “Dad uzd to ave to build dese kind uv fences. You take de logs n lay em up, one on top uv de uder like at.” and he was showing us how with his hands in X shapes. “They laid em up in a zig zag. To make them stouter, Dad ud put a cross pole up bove in a x shape. So, if a horse jumpt de fence it ud not knock a lotta da rails down, if he didn't git over it good. The cross rail holds it n wouldn't knock the rails down. In de zig zag corners, where da end stuck out, he put a pole one way n then de other n then tie em with somethin. Boy, a cow couldn't knock em off so easy. Course me and Hurbie uzd dose rails fer our rest rooms. Gilbert said, “I member Dad talking bout Rock Ford a many a time. Hadn't thought uv it in a long time.
Mr. Williams said, “I want to show you an old Oak tree down in the woods close by.” We walked about two blocks into the woods. The shade was so thick that the sun could not touch you. The tree was at least nine feet in diameter.(that is about thirty feet around). It looked a hundred feet high. Mr Williams said, “I have hunted squirrels out of it and the first limb is fifty feet off the ground”. When you looked up it reached right up to the sky. Awesome!!!!
As we rode back to the old Morgan School House there was a quiet stillness as we retreated into our own privacy to think of what we had seen and heard. We wiped the tears without shame. We rode in silence. Not a sad silence by a joyous one. When we arrived back at the schoolhouse, Gilbert was anxious to talk about the old school.
"We uzd to ave a path thru da wood over ere on da east side dat went frum de school ta our old house. “ Mr. Williams said, “It's still thar n da kids in de neighborhood still uz it to visit back n forth.” Gilbert had to walk down in the woods to see the old path. “I 'member a boy name Latt Williams who went to school with us. The Walker kids all were in school, so were da Bettus kids.” Mr. Williams said, “Dicey Walker still lives in Winona, Missouri. That's about 27 miles north of Alton. Will is dead, he died at Winona.”
“The first lickin I ever got in school wuz in Morgan school. When recess came we ud run out hollering 'first batter. At recess Herbie ran out n grabbed de bat n Dicey Walker wuz going ta take it way frum him. I grabbed er n began to slap er n de teacher wuz standin in de doorway of de school. He called Herbie n me up thar n gave us a lickin. The teacher wuz Henry Williams. When Forest n I visited down here bout 10 years ago, I went by to see him but he didn't know who I wuz. When we left Oregon County, he auctioned our sale.”
“The first picnic I ever went to uz at Many Springs n Mr. Williams handed Herbie n me a nickel each n we bought a red soda pop. That wuz de only kind uv soda da had. Dis wuz de first soda pop I ever did see. It wuz in a bottle dat had one uv dos wire bails at de top n you opened it by hittin de bail on something solid, like a table top n flippin de bail up. After you drank da pop you left da bottle n it wuz refilled.”
“Another time at de Morgan School House, one of da Bettus boys did something n Mr. Williams wuz going tu give him a whipping. He sent Miles Morgan after a hickory stick. Mr. Williams said, 'If you don't get a good one I'll use it on you.' He got one bout five of six feet long n Mr. Williams took both hands n whipped him, gave him a terrible whipping. Ole Joe just got up n left n he never did come back to school.” Mr. Williams remembered that incident n he said, “I told Joe he would come to some bad end if he didn't mend his ways. He is in the pen right now for killing his wife, he shot her. His brother Joe Bettus had four boys living in Alton in the 1960's. Gilbert said, “There wuz a bunch uv them Bettus', I've got a picture of Verbie Bettus, that wuz their sister. De youngest un wuz named Ben n Kathryn were de youngest kids when we uz here. I've had several fights with Ben. I wuz jist a kid n I'd git mad at him n I'd call him “Bean Pole. He wuz tall n skinny”. He jumpt on men give me a good whuppin.” ”After we came back from New Mexico n was farming on Horse Branch, Dad wud write to Jo Bettus to come help him lay by de corn. One time he wuz down air n we had eaten dinner, n wuz jist sittin roun thar restin awhile n Herbie n I had two of those little ole toy pistols fer Christmas. I wuz showin him mine n he wuz snappin it. A big ole Tom Cat came by n he just snapt it on his ear n dat ole cat shot out de door n under de house n dat was da last I saw of my pistol. I didn't like Jo fer a long time after dat. De cat ran under da house with my gun n scratched it off after he got under thar n I never saw my gun agin.”
“I told Mr. Williams dat Lucy Boze boarded at our house,“ Mr. Williams was so old by the time I talked to him dat he didn't member any of dese people. “I've got Dad 's old tool box at home in my shop. I think I'll give dat to one uv you boys. De one I got wuz de one whar he kept his hammer, saw n nail bar. Dey are all in de tool box. I've lost de nail-bar. I liked it cause it wuz de one he uzd on de railroad. It was made different frum any I ever saw.”
We had one more stop to make. The country around the Martin homestead had a lot of interesting places, like Boze Ford, Bat Cave and White Creek Cave. We had a picture of a picnic at White Creek Cave that was in Mrs. Martin's pictures. Gilbert remembered the picnic. Let's let him tell it in his way.
“We ate dinner at da cave n went down in it n took dis picture. Da people n da picture are Herbie, Preston Cook, our neighbor, Dorothy, Orah, Lela was da baby in Mrs. Emma Martin's arms, George Martin, Grandpa Martin, Grandma Martin. Da men carried pine splinters dat wuz lit n dey carried 'em to light da way. There wuz one or two lanterns but dey were jis like lighten bugs. There wuz bats in dae cave but ey didn't bother us none. Da cave wuz close to where we lived. We ud load into our wagon n drive fer bout two er three hours to git to da cave. A bunch of neighbors would git together n go up thar. Dis picnic wuz jist after we had our sale to go to New Mexico.” Gilbert asked if we could go to Bat Cave. Mr. Williams said, “Load up”. We all climbed in to the pickup and rode for about twenty minutes to a new part of the woods. When we stopped we could see a high clift. We walked through the woods until we came to the base of the clift where a spring was oozing out of the side of the hill. Up high on the hill about twenty feet high we could see a cavity. Gilbert began to yell, “Thar it is, thars de Bat Cave. I knowd it wuz around here close.” Mr. and Mrs. Williams pulled off their shoes and started to climb the slippery clay hill. There were no steps. You had to hold on to the weeds and pull your way to the top of the clift. Charley and Ken decided to try it with their shoes on. They made it to the top but wondered if they would make it down without a long slide on the seat of their pants. Nell, Gilbert and I were at the bottom of the hill. Nell and I decided we didn't need to see what was inside that cave and we thought Gilbert was too old and it was much too dangerous for him to go up there. Well, we were wrong, for in a flash he made for that clay hill and was slipping and pulling himself to the top. We were yelling for him to come back. All we could think of were broken bones when he fell twenty feet. He didn't pay us no mind. Up he went like a monkey. Back to the childhood days when he came as a boy on a picnic. He made it to the top and stood up and yelled to the top of his voice. “I made it. I promised myself a long time ago if I ever got back to Bat Cave I was going to the top again.” Well, he made it up but how was he going to make it down?
They all disappeared into the darkness of the cave for a few minutes but the cave was only about twenty feet deep, so they came back into sight very soon. Charley and Ken begin to try to decide how to get Gilbert down without him falling. He was eighty years old. Mr. Williams said, “I will go first and try to make some tracks. My wife will follow, Ken you go next, Jim you get hold of Gilbert and hold to him all that you can, Charley will come last. If Gilbert slips or falls everyone in front of him go to grabbing to stop him. Just don't let him get past all of us without catching ahold of him.” Gilbert was mumbling that he didn't need any help. They began to descend, slowly, slipping, sliding, sloshing in the mud. Finally, they were half way down the hill. They were all on their feet and making it fine. We were relieved they all got to the bottom again. We'd had to have tied Gilbert to a tree to keep him from climbing up to see BAT CAVE. Well, he saw it and we were glad we hadn't had any casualties.
Gilbert came down the side of the hill with a grin all the way across his face. He said, ”I've wanted to come back n see dis old picnic place all my life. Nothing cud ave kept me from climbing dat hill. It wuz wonderful.” Nell and I just stood there and said, “Thank you Lord for no broken bones.” The Bat Cave was the last stop we had planned. We had found the old house and fireplace hearth stone, the caved in cellar and the old cistern. We had walked through the old front gate and down the path to the front porch. Gilbert showed us where the holly hocks used to bloom. In our imagination we could see Grandma sitting there, rocking in her old hick ory rocking chair, smoking her pipe. We were deep in a cool, shady forest, but the warm spirit of the family was still there. It seemed to reach out and caress each of us in appreciation. There was a heavy silence as we walked away for we knew that this would be the last communication we would have with the old homestead.
Our day was over. We were exhausted from the excitement of finding the old cellar and hearth, walking the path through the woods to the Old Morgan School house and visiting in the community that welcomed our parents when they came as a young married couple to live in Oregon County, Missouri and raise their family. I think each of us said a silent prayer to God and thanked him for the time we had spent with the Martin memories.
We wrapped our hearts around our Martin family legends and legacy and we left the woods of Mark Twain National Forest. Happy with the time we had spent with the spirit that guards the old grounds where our parents lived. These moments were spiritual to us. We leave with reverence and respect for our Parents and Grandparents whose family bonds were strong enough to cross from Missouri to New Mexico and back to Jackson County, Oklahoma to make us a home.
We wish that each of you could have been with us. Hopefully this story will leave you with visual picture in your heart and mind of the place they lived, of the sacrifice they made to provide you with a better life and the example they left us to follow in raising our families and building our own family legends. As we look back on the experience, the trip to Oregon County, Missouri started as a gift to Gilbert. The trip ended with all of us living his memories as he related them to us . He may have been the one who lived there, but he made the trip a living experience for all of us.
We did have one regret. We wished we could have brought our Mother and Dad back to visit during their lifetime. They never did get to go back to Oregon County, Missouri, but they always carried a little piece of it in their hearts. Every time they saw Hickory nuts, they thought of the old fireplace hearth lit up with pine knots where Herbie and Gilbert sat for hours and cracked and ate the delicious morsels. Every time they drank Sassafras tea they could see the firy, red leaves of the Missouri autumns and feel the chill in the air before the first snow. The memories of their first home was always with them. The passage of time nor the distance of miles did not take Oregon County, Missouri out of their hearts. They spoke of their days in Thayer as good times and remembered it with love and they carried Oregon County always with them. We wish they could have made the trip with us.
After we returned from this trip, Gilbert's health failed in less than a year. What if we hadn't made the trip? Gilbert lived until 1987 but his mind was confused before I got the tapes transcribed. When we took the printed story for him to read in a few months, he kept it but we couldn't tell if he read it or not. He and Lillian went to the nursing home soon afterwards and he spent the rest of his life in the nursing home. The next few months were not kind to Gilbert. His mind began to fail and when I would go to see him he thought I was one of his boys but he didn't know which one. Had waited another year, we wouldn't have all these wonderful remembrances that he gave us.

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