Claud Stillman left MS and moved to Lepanto, AR (Johnny Cash country). In the 19-teens, Claud Stillman farmed there - wife Cassie died there in 1926. Apparently wanting to start a new life he pulled up stakes with the 3 children and came to the bootheel of MO. Land was being cleared and was cheap. He stayed at a boarding house that my Mom's (Mary True McIntosh) Mom ran in braggy (as it is called) - that is how my mother and Dad met.
Claud Stillman, Sr. was one of the earliest residents of Peach Orchard, MO - railroad ran thru it - no peach trees there - one scrawny tree there when the railroad was built and the railroad called it Peach Orchard - they named lots of places along the way in the Missouri bootheel - every 2 or 3 miles they would name a location and put up a sign and a little shed for timber workers to get in while waiting for the train - railroad was used to haul timber.
The bootheel was originally a giant swamp till they started draining it in the early 1900's. - lots of wonderful cypress and other hardwood trees. After clearing off the timber the lumber companies would sell the land, stumps and all, for very little. Of course, most of the land had huge stumps everywhere.
Claud, Sr. had a program where a family could live on and farm a 40 or 80 acre tract for free if they cleared the stumps. Claud, Sr. would loan them our money to spend at Stillman's Store. Most of the farmland we have, the Stillman family is the first to own and farm for farming purposes. Claud, Sr., Alton and Claud, Jr. had a store and cotton gin and grain elevator. They accumulated several 1000 acres of this type land. EPA would have a runnin' fit today if anyone tried to drain this huge a swamp. It is all drained now and is some of the best land in the world. They had their own little world but if kinda' changed with the mechanical cotton picker, self-propelled combine, and chemicals to control weeds - didn't need as many farmers and families.
During WWII this area was a thriving community, albiet rough - a candidate for sheriff came to town and made some comment about his opponent, the incumbent, and someone shot him. People were always fighting and shooting.
We had 150 farm families on our land at one time right after WWII. We had our own money - want to borrow some money? - they would loan it to you, but only good at Stillman's Store.
Then with Alton falling over with a heart attack at age 46 in 1952 and Claud, Jr. doing the same thing at same age in 1955, this left things without guidance.......
Most folks came from northwest AR - good people - 4th generation of them still farming there - Jerry Claud Stillman

Excerpt from the Federal Census of 1920 obtained from LDS via ancestry.com
Shown are Claud Stillman, wife Cassie Stillman, sons Alton Stillman and Claud Stillman, Jr. and daughter Mary Stillman

In the Federal Census of 1930, Alton Stillman is shown as head of household with brother Claud Jr. and others

Alton Stillman Born: 19 Dec 1906 Place: Buena Vista, Chickasaw County, MS Lived: 1930 Place: Carson Lake, MS Died: 7 Aug 1952 Place: Kennett, MO Married: Mary True McIntosh Born: 21 Jan 1912 Place: Braggadocia, MO Died: 5 Feb 2006 Place: Kennett, MO Date Married: Sep 1935 in Hayti, MO

From the Daily Dunklin Democrat
Mary True McIntosh Stillman Wright
Tuesday, February 7, 2006
Mary True McIntosh Stillman Wright, 94, of Peach Orchard, Mo., died Sunday, Feb. 5, 2006, at the Gideon Care Center in Gideon, Mo.
Born Jan. 21, 1912, in Braggadocio, Mo., daughter of the late John D. and Jenetta Keirsey McIntosh, she graduated from Deering High School and was a member of the Peach Orchard Baptist Church, DAR and 1812 Society.
In Sept. 1935, in Hayti, Mo., she married Alton Stillman, who preceded her in death on Aug. 7, 1952. She later married Fred Wright in Jan. 1958 in Kennett. He preceded her in death in 1983. She was also preceded in death by one son, Alton Stillman, Jr.; an infant daughter; one sister, Christine Pace and one brother, Edgar McIntosh.
Survivors include one daughter, Janet Bean and husband, Otto, of Holcomb, Mo.; two sons, Kneibert Stillman and wife, Janis, of Holcomb and Jerry Stillman and wife, Linda, of Kennett; one sister, Joy Jean; seven grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held at 10 a.m. Monday, Feb. 6, at the First Christian Church with the Rev. David Everton officiating.
Burial was in the Oak Ridge Cemetery at Kennett.
Pallbearers were Jerry Stillman, Kneibert Stillman, Otto Bean, Joe Stillman, Mike Stillman, Barry Bean, Jason Bean and Blake Davis.
Bradshaw Funeral Home of Kennett was in charge of arrangements.
Memorials may be made to your local church.

Claud Stillman, Jr. Born: 1909 Place: Buena Vista, Chickasaw County, MS Lived: 1930 Place: Carson Lake, MS Died: 1955 Place: Kennett, MO Married:1) ??? Born: Place: Died: Place: Date Married: Married:2) Evelyn Ann Crouthers Born: 1 Mar 1921 Place: Atkins, AR Died: 13 Nov 2002 Place: Kennett, MO Date Married: 7 Oct 1944

Mary Stillman
Born: 1916
Place: Buena Vista, Chickasaw County, MS
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Information contained on this page has been provided by Jerry Claud Stillman and Carol Howton Hughes Olive - both direct descendents of Thomas Stillman and Mary Ann Ward
Information and data on Claud Stillman, Jr. has been provided by Deborah K. Smith Burkard
Information has been obtained from the Federal Census of 1920 from LDS via ancestry.com