My cousin Lanny and his wife Karen
My maternal great-grandparents Henry Elwood and Polly Ann (née Hayes) Crawford came west from Sullivan County to Yakima, Washington in 1907. Polly's parents, my 2nd great-grandparents James Hamilton and Rachel Jane (née Vaughn) Hayes, had moved to Naches, Washington (12 miles/19.3 km northwest of Yakima) in 1901, along with most of Polly's siblings.
Growing up, my mother heard rumors about family in Missouri, but this was the first time the Washington and Missouri Crawfords had met in person since the lines split geographically in 1907.
We met an elderly cousin named Evelyn who was able to provide quite a bit of information about the family history, including new clues to be followed up on later. We met another cousin, Virgil, who owned a general store in the village of Pollock, 13 miles (21 km) north of Milan. Virgil gave us some free soda pop to drink when we visited his store.
Virgil's General Store, Pollock, Missouri
My mother, Lanny, Virgil's wife Bernadean, Virgil, Karen, and my grandmother,
taken inside the general store
Lanny took us to the local cemeteries where Crawford ancestors were buried. He also took us to see the small house near the village of Boynton where my 2nd-great-grandfather Elihu Millikan Crawford M.D. lived his final years before his death in 1924.
Grave of my 2nd-great-grandfather Elihu Millikan Crawford M.D.
(1834-1924)
Grave of my 2nd-great-grandmother Adalade Crawford (née Woodruff)
(1840-1887)
Grave of Dr. Crawford's 2nd wife, Laura Olive Crawford (née Price)
(1860-1908)
The two-room house where Dr. Crawford spent his final years
There was an old Grindstaff family cemetery in the woods on Lanny's property. It had been there when he bought the property and they were no relation to him. He only mentioned it as an interesting fact, but when I heard the name Grindstaff my eyes lit up.
My 3rd-great-grandparents were James Michael and Mary Susan (née Grindstaff) Hayes, and the people buried in that little cemetery turned out to be related to her and thus to me in an amazing coincidence.
I later traced my Grindstaff line back to my 8th-great-grandfather Dietrich Crantzdorf (1650-1714) from the village of Rimschweiler in the Duchy of Pfalz-Zweibrucken, what's now the German state of Rheinland-Pfalz. His grandson, my 6th-great-grandfather Johann Michael Crantzdorf, changed the family name to Grindstaff after he immigrated to the Pennsylvania Colony in the 1740s.
Lanny and Karen lived on a cattle ranch 7 miles (11.2 km) north of Milan, reached by a bumpy ride down a dirt road. I found it to be a peaceful and relaxing environment. Being a life long resident of the city, it was pleasant to be woken up each morning by the gentle mooing of cattle instead of by the sounds of traffic and jets.
Lanny and Karen's home
Lanny's cattle
Lanny's cattle
A pond in Lanny's backyard
There was such an absence of traffic noise that when we did hear it, it was from the rare large truck 2 miles (3.2 km) west on Missouri Route 5. According to Lanny, you couldn't hear anything smaller than that.
After we arrived, I came down with flu-like symptoms for a couple of days. I went to a doctor in Milan to see if there was anything else wrong. There wasn't, but he prescribed some medication to relieve the worst of the symptoms.
We went to the local drugstore to purchase the medication, and discovered it still had an old fashioned soda fountain. I may not have felt my best, but it was fun to sit at the counter and order a cherry phosphate soda (yes, they even used an old fashioned recipe).
I started feeling better after about three days. I remember visiting the office of the local newspaper, the Milan Standard to purchase two books they published about the history of Milan, and spending an afternoon at the local library doing research.
We also drove to Linneus, the seat of Linn County (which shared its northern border with Sullivan County), 25 miles (40 km) south of Milan. My Hayes ancestors had lived there, so I did some research in the courthouse. At some point during drive around the area, we saw a horse-drawn Mennonite carriage pass us on the road.
On July 4th, there was a big gathering at Lanny and Karen's. I remember a barbecue and watching fireworks, and meeting even more cousins.
My cousin Richard (Lanny's brother) and his wife Reva with my mother
The next day was a Sunday, and we attended morning services at the First Baptist Church of Milan with Lanny and Karen.
Later in the week, my mother's car was having a problem with the air conditioning, so we drove 32 miles (51km) east to Kirksville, where the nearest Dodge dealership was located. The car was still under warranty, so the dealership repaired it at no charge. We also had an oil change and tire rotation performed.
Returning to Milan via a country road, we came around a bend to find a black cow standing in the road. We stopped the car. After glaring at us for a minute, it turned and went back into the pasture. It looked like a nearby fence had been knocked over, which is how the cow came to be wandering loose.
Cow in the road
Speaking of cattle, my mother got to spray down Lanny's cattle with flea repellent. I declined that opportunity. I may have enjoyed my stay in the country, but I was still a city slicker when it came to some things, and trodding through piles of manure was unappealing. I did take part in feeding the cattle, though.
We visited more relatives in Boynton, a village comprised of only a few houses, 9 miles (14.5 km) north of Milan. At the beginning of the 20th century, it had been a thriving town with a railroad station. My great-grandfather Henry Elwood Crawford worked in the rail-yard there before moving to Yakima, Washington.
There was a water well right in the middle of the main road through Boynton, which is something that's remained firm in my memory. Lanny said the state tried to remove the well, but locals protested, and got up a posse to defend it.
The well in the middle of Boynton's main road
Lanny and Karen also took us to a town across the border in Iowa 36 miles (58 km) north of Milan for a day of shopping. I remember going to a Wal-Mart. I believe that was the day before we left.
It was a memorable time spent in Milan.
Sunset
Lightning storm
Mennonite carriage
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