Gentry County Missouri Pioneer Settlers

Gentry County, Missouri Genealogy Trails

Gentry County Missouri Pioneer Settlers

Seven years before the State Legislature authorized the organization of the County of Gentry and eleven years before the organization was accomplished, four brave and hardy sons of Kentucky and Tennessee pushed their way beyond the outskirts of the frontier posts to explore the regions of the unknown land. In 1834 four young men, Isaac and Tobias Miller, William Martin and John Roberts, who afterward became the pioneer settlers of Gentry County, pushed their way ahead of their countrymen and came as far as a point on a stream of water which has since become one of the best known rivers in the county. They settled near what is now known as Greenwell Ford on Grand River.

These hardy pioneers have long since passed to their reward, but one of their number, Isaac Miller, is known to and honored by posterity, one of the two largest townships in the county, Miller, being named for him. When the four pioneers arrived at the river they found that a large band of Sac and Fox Indians had spent the winter near where they had expected to homestead. They built a log cabin on the north bank of what is now known as Grand River, near the present site of Greenwell Ford. The four men continued to make the log hut their home for almost a year.

The spring following their arrival, Tobias Miller, Roberts and Martin each took a homestead. Tobias Miller settled on the east side of the river southeast of the ford; Martin took a claim east of the ford; Roberts lived in that locality for a few months, then journeyed farther to the north and located on the quarter section which was afterwards selected as the original site of the county seat, Albany.

Isaac Miller later entered a quarter section two miles south of the ford, where he continued to make his home until 1881, when he sold it to his son, William, and since the latter's death it has remained in the Miller family.

Of the first four settlers who braved the frontier life to found a home, only one has left descendants as citizens of the county. William Martin died here; John Roberts, after a few years' residence here, went to Illinois, where trace of him was lost; Tobias Miller removed to Daviess County and died there in 1857. Isaac Miller remained and reared a family and his descendants now reach to the fifth generation.

The first white child born in Gentry County was William Miller's daughter Nancy, the date of whose birth was October, 1839. She was married to W. P. Gartin and her descendants still live in the county. She died about the year 1866. The first white male child was also born to William Miller and was christened William. The date of his birth was April 26, 1841. He lived his entire life in Gentry county, in the neighborhood of the place of his birth, dying June 5, 1901. He left numerous descendants.

Within the year, during 1835, other stalwart pioneers followed the trail of the four earliest settlers and made settlement near the present town of Gentryville. Other people were soon attracted by the opportunity of founding homes in so inviting a location and it was not long until the commercial needs became apparent. As the wants and necessities became more numerous and the demands were created, one by one the needs were met in the pioneer community.

The first advance in the progress of the settlement of the new community was the opening of a store.. if the modest outlay of the pioneer merchant could be called by that name. Shortly after the establishment of the store a mill was erected and in the advancement of the times a postoffice was established, with the Government mails. As the community grew, and with the advent of children in the homes, within a few years there was established a school ..... that forerunner of civilization.

Source: A History of Northwest Missouri
           Edited by: Walter Williams
           Assisted by Advisory and Contributing Editors
           Volume: 1
           Copyright 1915

transcribed by: Melody Beery - 2009