(Former) - Wilson's Creek, MO
Posted by: YoSam.
N 37° 06.408 W 093° 23.899
15S E 464608 N 4106794
Area is now the Wilson's Creek National Battlefield and is in Republic, MO
Waymark Code: WMN7KK
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 01/13/2015
Views: 3
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.
This Old Wire Road was the Overland Mail operated by the Butterfield Stage Line from 1858 into 1861. The Civil War moved the Overland Mail north through Kansas instead or original route through Arkansas, Texas, new Mexico, etc.
This Old Wire Road is the same one that goes through the Pea Ridge Battlefield and through to town of Pea Ridge, Fayetteville and through Fort Smith.
The ten years this was a post office was 1851 into 1861...the battle and the burning of all freight, train and stage storage facilities in Syracuse, MO stopped service.