Gypsy Heart
Gold Member
In 1836 John Silvey purchased 273 acres from Alexander Silvey, who had bought it two years earlier from the U. S. Government. He built a log house sixty feet long with fireplace chimneys in each end and a breezeway through the middle. He took honey, bacon, and tobacco to Brunswick by boat, and brought back food and supplies. At the time of the Civil War bushwhackers at night attempted to rob him and burn the house. He was shot in the calf of the leg. He escaped and was treed by timber wolves who were attracted by the blood.
In 1866 the farm passed to Joseph W. Silvey, a son. In 1903 Joseph Silvey built a brick house near the site of the old log house. The bricks were burned on the site. This house is now occupied by WillArd A. Silvey, a grandson. Roy Silvey, a son of Joseph, was born in the log house in 1898. He was a small boy when the brick house was built. While playing near the log house he and his sister found some gold coins that had been buried near the chimney, perhaps during the war. Mr. and Mrs. Roy Silvey built a house not far from the old house where they lived. There is a family cemetery north of the home site in the timber pasture on the point of a ridge overlooking Grand River bottoms. This is the final resting place of early members of the family. Also the Ballews and Canterburys.
There was a ford across Grand River northwest of this farm that was used until about 1922 when the river was straightened. There is also a good vein of coal on the farm that was used as blacksmith coal in Chillicothe, Mo. On the bluffs on the west side of the river near the mouth of Locust Creek, is the site of an early French trading post. The Indians caused so much trouble that after a time it was abandoned. About 1840 the town of Grandville was started here. Later there were two stores, a tobacco factory, and a dress shop. The town never survived due to a cholera outbreak and a bad reputation. A man was murdered there. The town was not a part of the Silvey farm at that time. The farm has been enlarged to more than 1000 acres and is devoted to general farming
In 1866 the farm passed to Joseph W. Silvey, a son. In 1903 Joseph Silvey built a brick house near the site of the old log house. The bricks were burned on the site. This house is now occupied by WillArd A. Silvey, a grandson. Roy Silvey, a son of Joseph, was born in the log house in 1898. He was a small boy when the brick house was built. While playing near the log house he and his sister found some gold coins that had been buried near the chimney, perhaps during the war. Mr. and Mrs. Roy Silvey built a house not far from the old house where they lived. There is a family cemetery north of the home site in the timber pasture on the point of a ridge overlooking Grand River bottoms. This is the final resting place of early members of the family. Also the Ballews and Canterburys.
There was a ford across Grand River northwest of this farm that was used until about 1922 when the river was straightened. There is also a good vein of coal on the farm that was used as blacksmith coal in Chillicothe, Mo. On the bluffs on the west side of the river near the mouth of Locust Creek, is the site of an early French trading post. The Indians caused so much trouble that after a time it was abandoned. About 1840 the town of Grandville was started here. Later there were two stores, a tobacco factory, and a dress shop. The town never survived due to a cholera outbreak and a bad reputation. A man was murdered there. The town was not a part of the Silvey farm at that time. The farm has been enlarged to more than 1000 acres and is devoted to general farming
