Miscellaneous Data

Keetsville - O'Day

Miscellaneous - Newspaper Information

Timothy Patrick Mooney and Keetsville

My grandmother told me that Timothy Patrick Mooney, the grandfather of my grandfather, owned the hotel in Keetsville, and it set on the corner of Hwy 90 and Hwy 37 in what is now in the part of Washburn that is located on the main highway.

My grandfather told me the story of how T. P. Mooney's only son Patrick was killed while jumping a freight train in the old part of Washburn. He was about 16 years old when it happened. Old town was what that part of Washburn was later called by the people who lived there.

James Harvey Mooney, son of America Simpson, and a "wood's colt" was left at the Mooney home when he was age 3. She never returned and so the Mooney family raised him and he went by the Mooney name. He was more than likely from the Reed family, a family that America's mother, Louisa Bristow Simpson had married into after the death of America's father, William Simpson. Jamie Mooney and at least one of his sons had a strong resemblance to America's step-brothers, sons of Alfred Reed by a former marriage.

On the death bed of T. P. Mooney's wife, Eliza, she told Jamie Mooney that she was not his real mother, but that she had always loved him as a son. She told him that his mother was named America Simpson. This was evidentially quite a shock to him. He learned of this shocking news at the same time he was grieving the death of a loved one.

Jamie never remembered having seen his biological mother, but after she died two of his half-brothers came to tell him of her death. They were Charley Wilkerson and John Simpson. He remembered that Charley lived in Arkansas and later the family learned that John Simpson was the illegitimate son of Asahel Burris who lived in the Munsey area just below Roaring near where the Simpson family had once lived. The story was told that America was working in the Burris home when she became pregnant with John Simpson. He lived awhile with Isaac Leakey and his family. Isaac's daughter was married to one of Asahel's sons, Clay Dean Burris. John Simpson is buried at Washburn Prairie Cemetery and was born about 1875. [The home made stone has incorrect date of birth on it.]

T. P. Mooney was an Irishmen who had come to Barry County and later his brother came with his wife to live there, too. His brother was named Shawn Mooney and his wife was named Bitty. They loved Ireland and wanted to go back there to die and so after they were old they took a boat and left for Ireland - so they could back there to die. On the journey they both died and were buried at sea.

Background History of Keetsville

Extract from Goodspeed's History, Southwest Missouri, Barry County, pub 1888, - [Original copy that was purchased by Jefferson Davis Berryhill, in the ownership of Donna Cooper] Exerted from Pages 700 and 701: O'Day Town, Barry Co, Missouri: O'Day is one of the modern railroad towns. With the exception of the two hotels and one or two dwellings, which stand on the plateau, the town is built at the head of Washburn Prairie, at an elevation of 1,480 feet above the level of St. Louis. It is a progressive little town, with its newspaper, stores, hotels and dwellings, but still depending on old Keetsville for her educational, religious and social life. In April, 1888, the vote on the question of bonding School District No. 2, Town 22, Range 28, for 5 per cent on the assessed valuation, for school-building, was carried. Seventy-six votes were recorded for the question; none against; so that by next year a pretentious school-building will mark the line between the old and new town. The first dwelling-house erected on the site of O'Day were those of John A. Ellis and Lewis Pratt. The former's house now forms part of Hurst's new building, now known as the O'Day House. About 1884 J. C. Johnson build his house, now one of the hotels. Pratt's house stands southwest from the hotel. the first business houses erected were Felker & Johnson's, moved from Washburn, in 1882-83; the Pratt or Cunningham grocery store was built shortly after Felker & Johnson established business at this point. M. S. Inmon, now of Exeter, moved his building from Washburn and rented it to chase & Johnson, merchants. This is the same building in which J. M. Holton now carries on his store. Denbo's grocery is now carried on in the old Dr. Brookshire building, where Brookshire & Chandler had their drug store, and where more recently W. B. Adcock's grocery store was moved from Washburn. In 1886 S. D. Withers erected his large residence just east of the depot. Johnson's grist and saw-mail was moved from a point east of Washburn about 1882. Wither's two-story brick block was erected in 1887. Elias Horine moved the bath-house from Seven Stars Spring in 1887, and used it as the office of the O'Day globe. Samuel Jondahl built a grocery store and dwelling at the south end of Main Street early in 1887. In May, 1887, W. B. Adcock moved his cottage from Washburn. J. B. Hurst's grain house is an extension of Windes' granary erected near the tank about seven years ago. In September, 1887, T. P. Mooney moved his store and warehouse from Washburn. In 1887 Reece Brothers built a large store, J. B. Hurst a post-office building, and Vanzant a store building. There are several dwelling-houses, erected within the last year, and now A. A. Johnson & Co., of Washburn, propose to erect a brick block in the new town. In January, 1887, J. B. Hurst was appointed postmaster for the new office of O'Day. The first railroad agent at O'Day was J. A. Phegley, November 3, 1880, when he made his first report to the Adams Express Company; J. M. Wasson was here in May, 1881; F. J. Weymouth in June, 1882, but in November following J. M. Wasson was in charge. In August, 1883, T. S. Frost's name appears, and in April, 1884, he transferred the office to James Hurst, who gave place to M. T. Crittenden April 16, 1886, who is the present railway and express agent. The business at this depot amounted to $24,725.25 last year, the sales of tickets alone amounting to $1,621.27.

It was what had been called Old Keetsville or Keetsville. In 1868 Keetsville took the name of Washburn and was named in honor of Samuel Washburn. Goodspeed states on page 697 that in the year of 1840 that Judge Cureton moved to Washburn Prairie and bought the location where the town of Washburn now stands [1888], after which J. T. Keet became the owner, and Keet laid off the town call Keetsville. The town was destroyed between 1860 and 1865, and in the years 1867, 1868, 1869 it was rebuild. A petition from the people of Keetsville was presented to the court in April of 1868 by A. J. Stewart, asking that the old name of this town be changed to Washburn. The petition was granted. Reuben Bierley's addition to Washburn was surveyed by E. C. Frost, March 25, 1881,and acknowledge April 21, that year. Bierley's addition to Washburn, on Section 25 was acknowledged March 29, 1881. Smith's addition to Washburn was acknowledged by C. A. Smith and M. G. Smith, Oct 7, 1887.

When W. B. Adcock arrived in 1856 J. T. and James Keet's dwellings and their small store building stood about 300 feed north of the present hall building near Dr. Sparkman's present residence. Samuel and Abe Oakley's Blacksmith shop occupied the place where T. P. Mooney's store stood, prior to his removal to O'Day in the fall of 1887; Dr. Clemms and the Withers' blacksmith shop were also here and W. L. and Robert Sims kept the hotel; Dr. Strong's cottage and a few other buildings. Prior to 1856 John O. Burton and John Cureton were in business here. Garrett Moore and son established business here before the war, and Keet was the postmaster. After the war J. R. Smith and Squire A. H. Cave were postmasters. They were succeeded by A. J. Stewart. In 1870 W. B. Adcock was appointed, but he was succeeded in August by D. A. Mills; J. S. Hale succeeded. In 1872 H. K. Legg had charge until R. T. Booth was appointed. W. R. Felker, now of Rogers was the next postmaster. Robert R. Moffatt succeeded Mr. Felker in 1881, and served until succeed by W. B. Adcock in 1882. In 1885 W. K. Bayless was appointed, vice Adcock, resigned and on removal of Bayless to Cassville, M. B. Durham was appointed Jan 1, 1887.

The town of Washburn was incorporated Aug 4, 1880 on petition of J. M. McClure and others.

Highway 37 was built in 1929 in Barry County, MO, before that there was a dirt road than ran from Cassville to the Arkansas State Line.