Time goes by so quickly, just as a fluffy white cloud floating across the sky. One moment it is there and the next it is gone. When you are on the hilltop life looks so exciting, but when you are halfway down you simply long to be back at the top. We cannot forget where we came from and the …

During the Indian Uprising of 1812 the army built a fort just north of a spring in Lincoln County, Missouri. This fort was named Stout’s Fort. A small town began to grow around the fort and the eastern part became known as Auburn, named after Auburn, New York. In 1838 the United States Posta…

As we move forward, it is important to look back upon our history, including African American history. The African Americans have done so much for this country. They have helped to make this the greatest nation in the world. This is just one story of so many thousands which helped to grow an…

The day was Thursday July 7th, 1877, and William Smith Sr. sat up from bed. He knew it was 5 a.m.

One day as I sat at home watching the wildlife in my own backyard, the phone rang. When I answered a voice said, “Hello, have you ever heard the story about the lost cabin in the woods?” The voice sounded like that of a kindly older gentleman. I told him that I hadn’t and asked him to go ahe…

This is a war that most people have never heard of. But it actually happened and many innocent people lost their lives. It happened because certain people thought that they were above the law, and they started taking the law into their own hands. Back in the year 1840 the Slicker War began i…

Family of Frank Kohl donates “Shellback” certificate to National Surface Warfare Museum

Good Ole’ John Hudson was born in North Carolina in 1796. But in 1819 he moved to Lincoln County with his dad, Isaac, when he was 22 years old. They settled in the Ninevah Township. Now Nineveh was the city in the Bible that Jonah didn’t want to go to, the word Nineveh also meant unclean, it…

Lincoln County, Mo. - Lincoln County’s Historical Society held a free program for the citizens of Lincoln County on Oct. 21 over the Slicker Wars at the Courthouse on Main Street. The program was presented by Ezra Tillotson, a local historian who has spent years gathering accounts and inform…

You always need a scary story for Halloween.

One room schoolhouses have fallen by the wayside, much like dreams that seem to fade away as smoke in the wind. But to lose all memory of yesterday would be like losing our dreams of tomorrow. Most children these days have never seen or even heard of a one room schoolhouse, with only one tea…

The 2nd of September celebrates V-J Day, Victory over Japan Day. The Japanese surrendered on board the U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay on this day back in 1945. The Japanese Instrument of Surrender, the signed agreement that signified the surrender of the Empire of Japan, took 23 minutes and si…

It’s been about a year now since I had gotten that call. I remember it well, the woman was named Lily, but she didn’t want to mention her last name so that her neighbors wouldn’t think she was crazy. When I talked with her she seemed really reasonable and sounded like she had plenty of commo…

Today, Missouri is commemorating its 200th anniversary of statehood.

Most people have never heard of Private David Clark, but after this article you will know who he is. Private David Clark was the son of Christopher Columbus Clark, the first pioneer in the area of Moscow Mills in Lincoln County, Missouri. Although Private David Clark did not die in Lincoln C…

In the year 1834 a man by the name of William Florence settled on a little piece of land in Lincoln County, just West of Auburn, Missouri. He brought his wife and two boys. Thomas was the oldest who was around nine and the younger boy was named William. William Florence ran a small horsepowe…

Lincoln County, Mo. - A Lincoln County resident claims that the book that he wrote was an accident. The book is called “History and Civil War in Rural Missouri” and focuses on the development of Silex, Millwood and Northwest Lincoln County.

Let me take you back, if you will, to the year 1804, to the homestead of William McHugh. This was the day that Sandy Creek ran red. It was a day much like any other, only this day, a few of Mr. McHugh’s horses had gotten loose, so he called on his three boys to go fetch them.

I recently learned that there are unresting spirits in the town of Foley, Missouri. This little town in Northern Lincoln County was platted in 1879 and was named after Addison Foley, who was the original land owner where the town is located. Foley was incorporated as a town in 1880 and at th…

As part of its efforts to commemorate the state’s bicentennial, the State Historical Society of Missouri has launched the Missouri Encyclopedia, a freely accessible, engaging, and authoritative resource for understanding Missouri’s past and people.

Success is a hard thing to measure. Do we count how many times a name ended up in history books, or do we cheer for the stranger who by letting his wife drive their Model T Ford in 1910 helped create a new normal in society? Clarence Cannon, a congressman from Elsberry, is a historical figur…

The Great River Road, the 10-state National Scenic Byway dedicated to the Mississippi River, has received notice that eight of its states’ byways have been designated “All-American Roads” by the Federal Highway Administration.

Silex, Missouri was started in the 1880’s when the North Hannibal Railway was extended to the town for the purpose of transportation. The post office in Silex has been in operation since 1882. Perched on a cliff, like a great eagle, overlooking the small town sits the Duncan Mansion. My purp…

In two years with The Lincoln County Journal, Norman McFadden has built a following in the area captivating readers with his “Urban Legends of Lincoln County” series.

Like history itself, the Lincoln County Historical and Archaeological Society is a work in progress.

The year is 1979 and out on Highway J in southern Lincoln County sits a little pig farm. Here on the pig farm, in a small house live a farmer named Frank, his wife, Betty and their daughter. Their daughter met a young man from Troy named Benjamin. It wasn’t long before the two were madly in …

It was a war unlike any seen before, and hopefully will never see again. It was a war that pit brother against brother, and father against son. It split the United States in half and many tears were shed on the battlefield. But a crime against humanity was being done, and so it was that the …

Halloween is creeping up on us and pretty soon ghosts, goblins and ghouls will be everywhere. And what is Halloween without a good scary story about cannibalism! So pour yourself another cup of coffee or cocoa, sit back in your lazy chair and read the legend of the cat lady.

A whole lot of people have the wrong idea when it comes to the meaning of Christmas. Now when I think of Christmas I think about love, kindness, giving and sharing. But so many people in this day only think that it is about receiving when it is truly about giving from the kindness of your heart.

A battle that should not have been fought, but had to be. It was a meaningless war full of meaningful deaths. The blood that fell on the ground that day should not have been shed, unfortunately for those who lost their lives, it had to be. Well, let us get to the story and then you will understand.

Community members gathered in late June at the Reid Cemetery to observe a monument dedication to slaves owned by the Reid family, who lie buried in the back of the cemetery.

Twenty-six years ago the famed “Great Flood of 1993” sent water rushing into Lincoln County, soaking parts of the area and damaging property.

The Lincoln County Historical Society is preparing for its fourth annual Cemetery Tour on June 6. Community members will have the chance to learn more about six influential members of the county who have passed on and are now buried at the Troy City Cemetery. The event will start at 6:30 p.m…

Pictured are the presenters: Marcy Hosty, Mary Jo Anderson, Bri Hosty, Grace Deninger, Barb Peterson, Cecelia Whitaker. Submitted photo.

From the July 22, 2008 edition of the Lincoln County Journal:

60 Years Ago – July 25, 1958Sheriff Melvin Starkey is in Lincoln County Memorial Hospital for treatment of injuries in suffered in an automobile accident  at the junction of Highway 47 and Mill Street. The sheriff is being treated for a concussion, possible fractured skull  and bruises. His …

Check out some of the top stories from our archives!

These items are a small part of the more than $900 million of Unclaimed Property protected by Treasurer Schmitt. One in ten Missourians have Unclaimed Property and the average return is around $300.Submitted photo.

Troy Aquatic Center, supported by voters through the passage of a capital improvement tax, will officially be unveiled to the community May 26 at an eight-hour open house. The center is located nextto Troy City Hall on Cap-au-Gris. Parking lots have been asphalted, sod laid and of course, wa…

We are revisiting our past issues to share some of the top news stories from our archives since 2005. Each week, we will spotlight stories that impacted the community in powerful ways. We hope readers of all ages will enjoy this feature.The Lincoln County Journal archives allow you access to…

In this undated file photo, New York Yankees’ Babe Ruth hits a home-run. As part of its collection of Babe Ruth items, the Baseball Hall of Fame says it has the bat the slugger used to hit his then-record 60th home run in 1927. (AP Photo/File)

We are revisiting our past issues to share some of the top news stories from our archives since 2005. Each week, we will spotlight stories that impacted the community in powerful ways. We hope readers of all ages will enjoy this feature.The Lincoln County Journal archives allow you access to…

A Union corporal explains the steps in loading and firing a Civil War rifle-musket.