Ray Family - Wilson's Creek National Battlefield - Republic, MO
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 37° 06.408 W 093° 23.899
15S E 464608 N 4106794
The Ray house is the only structure in the park that is still on the original site. Although it has been repainted and repaired, the house looks much as it did over 150 years ago
Waymark Code: WMN7KC
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 01/13/2015
Views: 5
County of marker: Greene County
Locatio of marker: Old Wire Rd., Wilson's Creek National battlefield, Republic
marker erected by: national Park Service
Marker text:
Ray Family
The Ray House is the only park structure on the original site that dates back to the Battle of Wilson's Creek. Postmaster and farmer John Ray built it in the 1850s. For ten years it served as the Wilson's Creek Post Office, a stopping point on the old Wire Road that connected Springfield, Missouri, with Fort Smith, Arkansas.
In 1861, twelve people were living here. John and Roxanna Ray, their nine children and a mail carrier. Their slave, "Aunt Rhoda," and her four children occupied a small cabin to the rear of the house. On August 10, 1861, they found themselves in the path of war.