Spring Fork Settlers “The early writers were not too specific in giving locations, those settling along Spring Fork Creek often being included in the accounts of the Flat Creek settlers. Also, some of the settlers being of importance to the neighborhood had no desire for publicity and their lives have escaped our knowledge of their influence upon Pettis County as a whole. “William Thomas Bourn:(Bourne) (Bowrn) (Born) as spelled on tombstones, came into Pettis county during 1835, settling south of the present Bethlehem Baptist church on Route F, one and one-fourth miles east of Highway 65. Here he erected a large two-story log house which became an entertainment center for a wide area. “With his family he had also brought along a German gardener, a Mr. Eggers. Mr. Eggers developed the place into a beautiful site of floral and botanical display, an equal to Hardeman’s Garden on the north bank of the Missouri River in Saline County. Mr. Bourn also brought along with him a freed black family who’s (sic) son David later accompanied Jim Bourn to the Colorado mining country where he made quite a name for himself. He became the mail carrier for that area, his route extending down and into the Steamboat Springs neighborhood, a rugged and dangerous occupation. During the Indian unrest following the Meeker massacre of 1879, he displayed couraged (sic) in protecting the women and children of James and Margaret Crawford’s family. “Col. John E. Crawford and his second wife Sarilda (Donahue) on March 15, 1840, moved into their new home, a “hop, skip, and a jump” north of the Bourn home. Col. Crawford had purchased a strip of land one-fourth mile wide and almost a mile long on the south side of Route F, they donated the land upon which the (sic) stand the Bethlehem Baptist church and cemetery. “His son James and Margaret Bourn were sweethearts from the very beginning. At the start of the civil War “Jimmie” enlisted in the 7th Cavalry, Missouri State Militia, a hard riding outfit commanded by Col. John F. Philips, of Pettis. Jimmie was 17 years old at the time which did not deter him from becoming lst. Lieutenant of Company E. He was discharged (mustered out) April 17, 1865. On May 25, he and Margaret were married at the Bourn home, there being over 300 attending, with turkey and stack-cakes being the main course for the dinner. There would have been quite a “passel” attending if only the kin folks were there carrying the names of Bourn, Crawford, Elliott, Bohon, Shy, McCormick, Ransdall, Cathey, Mosby, Mitchell, Anderson, and Marshall,just to name a few, this writer being kin to them all through Catherine Bourn (Elliot) McVey. Through this listing we can also understand that the first settling along Flat, Walnut and Spring Fork was somewhat of a Family affair. “Jimmie and Margaret lived for eight years on a forty acre farm west and north of the Crawford home, traveling by wagon train to Colorado in 1873, they became the first owners of the Steamboat Springs land. “Isaac Elliot (sic), Sr. came to Pettis County in 1835, settling in Washington Township. He and his wife died leaving Isaac Jr., Catherin Bourn, and Elizabeth at tender ages. Isaac Jr. and Catherine were taken into the home of Christopher C. Crawford, one of Col. John E.’s sons. Here Isaac learned the blacksmith trade. But, being restless he joined the State Militia and at just the wrong time; the war coming on the Militia was led into the Confederacy by the governor, Isaac being engaged in the first battle at Otterville. Upon being released at the end of the war he was among those who were disfranchised for some sever years, when the Radical Party was kicked out of control in Missouri. “A number of us remember “Uncle Ike,” a pleasant man who liked to hunt fox, and had a number of dogs, which this writer found out as a small boy, when he blew the fox-horn behind a shed. His comfortable ranch type house was dismantled a few years ago, the old Col. John E. Crawford home being dismantled during 1940. “His sister Catherine married William H. H. McVey, grandfather of this writer, his sister Elizabeth marrying Reuben Gentry Ramey. During the summer of 1859, Isaac and Reuben joined a party of fifty, who were going to California during the second gold rush. Upon reaching Colorado and near Pike’s Peak, Reuben died. On the day that Isaac turned back to tell his sister the sad news he visited the grave. She never knew that the wolves had dug up the body.” W. A. McVey The Pettis County Times Wednesday, October 5, 1983