Mrs. Missouri Casey and her sons: (seated) Jeff, Mrs. Casey, Cal, and Price; (standing) Ben, Button, Lonnie, and Dock. And now, the story of The Sunken Forest, as promised. These are my Grandmother, Margaret Caseys words from an article she wrote in 1964 for The White River Valley Historical Society. The Henry L. Daughtery interests were planning to build a power dam across White River. They were buying at their own price these rich bottom farms that the lake would overflow, and leaving the hill land that was not so productive to the owners. They had been quite successful in acquiring the land along the river, and had crews busy cutting timber and clearing land that would be over flowed. But this multi-million dollar corporation from the East did not contemplate the shrewdness of one stanch, tall hill woman who had faced both Yankee and Rebel marauders alike during the Civil War. Missouri Casey probably had had more difficult decisions to make than this one - whether to sell at Henry L. Daughterys offer or to hold out for what she thought her bottom land (and living) was worth. She consulted an attorney, and he advised her in part that the company would have to reimburse her each year for her loss in production if they overflowed without buying. Still the big companys representatives tried to bluff her, but this firm, kind woman named Missouri held her ground. Her children supported her in her decision. On March 24, 1913, the Daughtery interests paid her the price she had asked for her bottom farm. The next day the gates were closed at Powersite Dam, and the water began to back up. There was no-time for clearing the timber from Missouri Caseys farm. For many years this was a fisher-mans paradise and known far and wide as the Sunken Forest. White River Valley Historical Society, Spring, 1964
Posted on: Wed, 05 Feb 2014 18:01:23 +0000
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