by Donna Swagerty Shreve
Travel Day Leaving Iowa to Arkansas
May 13, 2009
A wonderful man names Laurie Clayson met me at the Humboldt library to help me with my genealogy search. The great helpful librarian called four different people to find someone to help as the Historical Museum wasn’t open yet and the usual genealogy librarian had a day off. Laurie helped me find where the /aldrich land was on the map and where the Aldrich land was located now. A storm was coming in and we felt lucky it was only quite windy and not rainy yet. After viewing the land, Laurie and his wife took me to the Union Cemetery and even found the actual graves for me. I have been so lucky to meet such wonderful people where ever I have gone who were more that willing to go to extra effort to help me.
A Very Helpful Genealogy Volunteer
May 14, 2009
Thanks to a very helpful man at the genealogy library in Bentonville, we were able to find the Swagerty land from 1862 when a skirmish related to the Battle of Pea Ridge ruined their farm and buildings. We had to go on two gravel roads but we found it. We looked up the address on zillow.com and the house and ten acres is only $875,000. anyone want to live in Bentonville, Arkansas? According to a park ranger at Pea Ridge whose family goes back seven generations, Bentonville has been diluted by all of the outside people. Personally I consider dilution of Bentonville a good thing. I mentioned to the genealogy volunteer that I had people named Nail in my family and he quickly told me to hush. There were some locals who would look down on anyone of Indian blood. There were many Nails in this area and having them in your family is a giveaway to part of your heritage. Do they know this is 2009?
Finding the Swagerty Land and Current House
May 14, 2009
This house was built in 2003. The lot is 435,600 square ft. The house comes with 5,000 square feet workshop. the house has 4 bedrooms and 5 baths. The asking price is $875,000 or $3,729 a month. For details check it out on zillow.com at 9801 Gaston Rd. Bentonville. Arkansas. We counted four farms on this gravel road. It seems a nice location and Isaac Swagerty probably was quite content to stay right where he was if the Civil War hadn’t so rudely destroyed his place. My disappointment was not finding Thomas Swagerty’s grave or his wife Anna Manning Swagerty. Thomas Swagerty is the father of Isaac or my 3 greats of a grandfather. The genealogy volunteer said there are many unmarked graves throughout the county. They have been worn down by time of destroyed by other means. Tomorrow morning we head west and should end up in Lawton. Oklahoma by evening. It will be a long drive tomorrow. My search is over and John now gets to choose the way home.
Pictures From Arkansas
May 14, 2009
Ten acres of the original quarter section (160 acres) is for sale. Anyone?
It was quite exciting to actually find the land that Isaac Swagerty’s in the 1850s to 1862. I was thrilled it was not covered by a Walmart. Bentonville is the coorporate head quarters of Walmart and it is very evident as one drives in the area.
Here is a display on the various ammunition used in the Pea Ridge battle. We saw one of these when we visited Dean Cunningham in New Mexico.
Here is a view of where the land is today. It really is a beautiful area but I don’t think I could tolerate the weather.
Here is the docent explaining the loading and range of the enfield rifle. This picture was for Dean Cunningham. Notice the confederate tourist.
This docent explained hospital procedures used during the civil War and in the Pea Ridge Elkhorn Tavern that became the hospital during the battle. ‘there was much talk of gore and suffering. The instruments were quite brutal tools.
This is recognition that Cherokee Indians became soldiers for the Confederates. When the Union started firing their canons, the Indians disappeared into the woods. Maybe some of my Indians were fighting against the Federals.
I am at the information center at the Pea Ridge Military Park. The ranger I am talking to is related to the elk horn Tavern people going back seven generations. I can go back seven generations to Thomas Swagerty who was here the same time her people were.
Pea Ridge Training
May 15, 2009
There was so much more I learned about the Civil War at Pea Ridge. These were the canons used at Fort Point in San Francisco. After teaching the can drill all of those years ago at Henderson School, I almost felt I could have been part of a team firing one of those canons.
A Long Drive Through Oklahoma and Texas
May 15, 2009
This was a long day that started in Arkansas and ended up most of the way through Texas. We started joking how boring the scenery was. Texas made Kansas look good. California here we come. Tomorrow we stop in El Paso so John can visit his mother. This way home I can stop and visit and share with Cousin Nancy.
Heading Home
May 18, 2009
We drove many a time to ElPaso to visit John’s parents over the parents over the years. It was a long hard drive and the boys needed entertainment along the way. Texas Canyon offered a scenery change and entertainment for the boys when the rocks started “talking.” Our visit went well with John’s mother. She was having a good day.
Visiting El Paso
May 18, 2009
G Ma, John’s mother, was having a good day and our host visit was just enough for her. She wanted two make the effort to see us off and she walked to the front door to wave us until we were out of sight.
Summary of Trip
May 18, 2009
On our last night we visited Cousin Nancy. I gave he an apron I had found in Zimmerman’s Store in Rutledge, Missouri. It reminded me so much of the aprons our grandmother used to wear. Nancy and I are the two cousins who got so much one on one with Grandmother because we were the oldest girl cousins.
Our fourteen day on the trip totaled 5,612 miles. Three times we actually stayed in the same town two nights and had a light travel second day. Even given that, we averaged 400 miles per day. John figured our gas cost was $677 which was a surprise as we thought gas prices would be higher. California had the highest prices and the best weather. I now understand why there are so many of us in this state.
Follow up of trip with Uncle Clem
May 23, 2009
Part of the reason I felt the urge to take this trip right now was to be sable to share any information I found with some of the family elders. My first visit will be with Uncle Clem Swagerty, the oldest brother of my father. I will visit next Tuesday and hopefully get Clem to tell me even more family stories. The projects never ends.
Visit with Uncle Clem and Aunt Effie
May 27, 2009
First we had to find a wifi for the computer to show the trip blog. It was a squeeze getting all three of us on the loveseat. I love how these is still so much affection between Clem and Effie. John and I visited them t share various things from our trip. I started with the blog and then I showed them pictures, documents and other artifacts from the trip to our ancestors.
Clem was his usual self and shared some fun stories. Effie did well though I think we tired her out with the walk to the other facility. Cousin Lydia joined her parents to hear all of the stories. I now need to find a way to share with other family elders that are interested.
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