The manuscript “Early Settlers of Ralls County, Missouri” compiled by Eunice Moore Anderson in 1951 is an important resource for those tracing their family genealogy in Ralls County and vicinity. Divided into three parts, the compilation focuses on documenting early settlers prior to 1878, drawing from sources such as county atlases and historical records spanning Marion, Ralls, Pike Counties, and beyond. While not aiming to provide a comprehensive history, Anderson’s work catalogues pioneer families, offering insights into their origins, migration dates to Ralls County, and family connections. This structured approach, supplemented by an alphabetical index, aids researchers in navigating through ancestral records and locating further detailed information within related historical volumes.
In Three Parts
Part 1, p. 1
Ralls County and its formation with some firsts
The compiler of these records is not attempting to write a history of Ralls County, but since many names listed in the early records may be found at an earlier date in the records of Pike County from which it was cut Nov. 16, 1820- and, since many names listed in our Ralls County records will at a later date be found in the counties cut from Ralls, the searcher of Family records must know the “breakdown” of various early counties of Missouri.
Part 2, p. 16
Alphabetical list of settlers before 1878, as taken from the Ralls Co. Atlas of that date, showing nativity and date of settlement in the County.
Part 3, p. 31
Early Settlers – date of migration to County, place of birth, etc. as taken from:
- Biographical Record of Marion, Ralls, Pike Counties, Missouri, p. 33
- History of North East Missouri, vols. 2 and 3, p. 92
- History of Marion County, Missouri, p. 109
- History of Pike County, Missouri, p. 117
- History of Missouri Baptists, p. 123
The names of these early settlers, with date and place of nativity, date of migration to Ralls County, Missouri, etc., have been obtained from various sources..
No attempt has been made to list all dates nor to five the names of all children of these settlers, it being the purpose of the compiler to collect in one volume – in so far as possible – names of pioneer families, thus giving the researcher in family history a clue to where information may be obtained.
In many cases these names will not be in the index of the particular volume quoted, but will be found under the name of a family into which a daughter married. then additional data is given it is in parenthesis followed by the initials “N.D.N.”
An alphabetical index will be found on pages 126 to 138 inclusive for part 3 only; however, this is not a complete index as to persons, although a complete index to family names. In nearly all cases the name listed is that of the pioneer; no attempt has been made to include the children in this index except in a few instances.
Source
O’Dell, Ruth Webb, Over the Misty Blue Hills : The Story of Cocke County, Tennessee, Newport, Tennessee, 1950.