William S. Slavens was born in Greenbriar Co., Va., September 15, 1887. He was married five times; first to Anna Hawkins, by whom he had three children, second to Mary Riggs, third to Elizabeth Elsbury, by whom he had seven children, fourth to the widow Thomas, whose maiden name was Rebecca Stanley, by whom he had two children; and fifth to the widow Meyers, whose maiden name was Paulina Hunt. Mr. Slavens settled in Montgomery, on Brush Creek, in 1820, and removed to near Middletown in 1829. He owned part of the land that Middletown was built upon. Mr. Slavens came to Missouri in company with his brother Thomas and a Mr. McCarta, in a little horse cart. Their stock consisted of one cow, the property of William Slavens, which they drove before them and for which he was offered forty acres of land within the present limits of St. Louis; but thought his cow was worth more than the land, and kept her. Mr. Slavens had $640 in money, which he loaned to Mr. McCarter, who invested it in Irish potatoes, and planted them on ten acres of land in Illinois. The potato crop was a failure, and the money was never repaid. The names of Mr. Slavens’ children were James H., Sarah, Isabella, Lydia A., Martha A., Aaron, William N., Henry B., Euphemia, Louisa, Elizabeth, and Mary S. The youngest son, now in his 47th year, has sixteen children and ten grandchildren.
