Rev. John Peyton was born in Jackson County, Ala., 10 Jan 1822 and came with his father, A.C. Peyton to Missouri In 1832. They settled in the NW corner of Monroe county six miles from Woodville, Macon County,MO. The Place was near Leesburg on the middle fork of the Salt River.
The nearest neighbors were five miles away, One was William Atterbury, father of Judge Atterbury of Macon County. A mill was located near Paris, MO., and was called "Saling’s Old Mill".
About 1834, A. C. Peyton moved to near Clarence, Mo., on a branch since called Peyton’s Branch. This was called the frontier. . . the nearest neighbor was ten miles off. In 1837 the family moved to Woodville, in Macon County. This town was laid out by W. H. Rowland and Elias Holiday and called Centerville. Wm H. Rowland and Thomas Thompson put up a mill in 1834 or 1835 a half mile north of Centerville on the Salt River.
The first road in the county may have been the trace from Oak-Dale in Shelby County to Liberty in Clay County. It passed through Woodville and Elias Holiday was the first postmaster. In 1837, JohnPeyton took a letter from Elias Holiday to D.C. Hubbard, county Clerk, asking for a license to sell goods. At that time there but three settlements between Centerville and Bloomington: viz. Isham Walker, a Mr. Allen, living where Macon is located and Isaac Gooding.
Among the first settlers of Middle Fork Twnp., were Ambrose Halburton; Wm H. Rowland; Eben Enyart; Burrell Freeman; William Ware; Judge Rowland and A. C. Peyton and family - including John & Benjamin Robuck and James Rowland. They were among first settlers.
The Winn’s Creek Settlement was made at an early day. It consisted of Thomas Winn Sr; his son, Thomas Winn, Jr; Scott Winn; Joel Crain; Jonathan Ratcliff; Henry Mathews; Judge John D. Smith; John Rowland and perhaps others. . .
The next settlers were Granville H. and Mathew B. Thompson; Asa Luck; John A. Mackey; Green Walker; Wm Brown; Carroll Moss; Jas. B. Ryland; John P. Walker; Daniel G. Walker; Nathan E. Walker and Jas. Richardson. This may be called the Ryland settlement. The next on the Harris settlement: John Harris; Austin, his son; Wm Harris; Joseph McGee; Wm Faulkner; John Lister; Coard Lister; Asa Pulliam; George Dungans and John Reynolds.
The Woodville settlement began having additional settlers by 1837: Hiram Graves; James and Robert Graves; Wm Raney ; the widow Graves, the mother of Wm R., Washington and James Graves; James Donaldson; Jacob Dawson; Benjamin Speaks; Leroy Wines; Newton Switzer; J J Menifee; Jas Clark; John and Joseph Snodgrass; Alfred Tobin; Wm D. Hutton and John Thompson.
The Cox settlement was made by Ruben Landrum; Bruce Cohran; Jas H. Ray; John and George Leathe; Lewis Hawkins; Wash Hawkins; Wm Hall; Marion Cox; Thomas Moss; Thomas and John Gee; Elias Wilson; Capt. Wm C Smith; R.S. Holley; John P Holley and Mathew P Holley.
The first sermon John Peyton heard was that preached by John Vivon, a member of the Christian Church near Leesburg, SE of Woodville.  He was the eighteen years old.
Land hunters came in fast after the county was organized, and the settlers took great pleasure in helping them to get started in a new location.  .....Bedsteads were made by boring auger holes in the logs of the house and inserting poles in them, the other end resting on legs.  The slats were common oak boards.
Rev. John Peyton m Rebecca A Moss in 1849 by the Rev. Walter Toole.  He became a member of the M. E. Church, South Sept 1848 and a minister in 1880.
NOTES:  Rev . John Peyton was s of Ashcraft C. Peyton , b 1786/90, Floyd County, KY., d 1846,  Gentry Co., Mo., and his wife Eliz. Elledge, b 1799, Ky d 1869, Randolph Co., Mo. He d Feb 11894, Clarence, Shelby County, Mo., a and was buried Salem Cem., Jacksonville, Randolph Co., Mo. His wife, Rebecca Ann Spalding Moss, dau of Thomas James Spalding, b 6 Dec 1826, Bardstown, Ky., d 15 March, 1919, Houston, Texas and buried Harris Co. Texas. She m (1) Harrison W Moss, d 2 Sept 1846, Shelby Co ., Mo. The Moss Chn:  J T W Moss of Shelby County and B F G Moss of Monroe County, Mo. Her chn., by John Peyton were: Dr. James Ashcraft Peyton b. Ca 1853, d. New Cambria, Mo., m. Eliz. Patton; Catherine Holly Peyton b. 27 Dec 1855, Macon, Mo d 17 May 1945, Macon Mo., m. 20 March 1873, Jack Alexander Halburton; Henry Clay Peyton b 1855/56, Macon county, Mo., m. Madeline smith and d. Oklahoma City, Okla; Susan Lee Peyton b. Ca 1859, m 24 Dec 1879, John b. Switzer, Houston, Tex. Mary D ‘Mollie’ Peyton (twin) b 12 June 1862, Randolph County, Mo., m. Walter D. Fifer, s of James M. And Alice C. (Phillips) Fifer; Her twin, Margaret Maggie’ L. Peyton m. George A. Wood.