Behind Wilson's Battlefield

[Anne]

But, I had a friend tell me once that there was a murder at the Church of God there, and there were rumors at the time of Satanic worship. I've never been able to substantiate that, but I've hung around that church at night, and its more than a little spooky, even for skeptics.

I actually went to a service at that church a few days after coming across it. And we talked to them about the church, I was petrified of speaking so I didn't really say much, but there's not been a murder at the Church, and the most exciting thing that happened they said was a snake popped out of the organ while one of the women was playing. And they're definatly not satanist there, very very strict old fashioned Christians. Those would qualify as rumors. It may be creepy because no one really knows much about it. The services are definatly interesting though.

The people who built that church used to live up the road from it where that House, barn, chicken coop, and couple other little buildings are. There's either horse or cow bones still scattered around in one of the barns though. mmm... beef.

But no satanic rituals or murders at that little Church of God.

But just to be sure, you're talking about the Church of God that I put pictures up of on the first page right?

[BROUSER]

ok, i'm trying to figure out the picture posting thing. this seemed like a good place for this picture. wilson's creek battlefield, bloody ridge, tornado damage.

[TR146x]

Never Mind.

my wife & I have talked to them about buying the church, no go though.

[greekspeak]

Yeah, I worked on a dig down at Wilson's Creek once and let me tell you, there's a lot of old, abandoned, and otherwise weird shit out there. We took a notion to go and find the site of Wilson's original trading post one day, and while we never found it, we found a lot of other interesting stuff just traipsing around the woods, including an almost completely grown-over abandoned roadway (unsure of age, but the remains of a fairly large bridge still stood) and some kind of old weather station that was literally in the middle of nowhere.

I've also been told a cave is supposed to exist somewhere on the park grounds, down near the creek, but I've never been able to substantiate that. I'm sure someone could just put a canoe down in the creek and check it out, though.

I have seen the bridge you discuss. I found it one day abut 3 years ago when driving around trying to visit the sites of ghost towns. That part of the county and northern Christian county just across the line have some intereesting and strange crap. In another note, did you go when you were doing your dig to the site of Wilson's Creek, the town of the early 20th century? Part of the driving trail they have out there goes through it, following the path of the original road through the town. When you are in what was once the town--big enough for a ticket depot on the rail line--you can look directly across the town site at the Ray House.

[Willard]

Is this town site on the old wire road near where it crosses the modern park road? (which that part of the park road was originally the Missouri Pacific railroad line)

And how come I never noticed the info about the abandoned road and bridge??? Mind you before it was a park (and if you look at the terra server topo) there were a few old county roads that ran through the park that are no longer maintained.

[greekspeak]

Is this town site on the old wire road near where it crosses the modern park road? (which that part of the park road was originally the Missouri Pacific railroad line)

I think I was off on what I was seeing when I was standing in "downtown" Wilson's Creek. I don't think it was the Ray house. It was the reconstructed Edwards Cabin which had been Price's headquarters in the battle. It was 3 years ago--the Saturday before those tornados came through and took out Pierce City, Stockton and part of Battlefield. First time I had been in the park since they built the driving trail. I pulled up a topo map and used it in conjunction with my soil map of 1913. The town was located right where the tracks of the MP are closest to Wilson's Creek. The tracks curved slightly westward toward the creek at that point. The park map has a stop here on its tour, stop #3. The stop is in what was the north end of the town. The creek was the western boundary and the tracks were the eastern boundary. My soil map, which shows buildings as squares, suggests that there were 11 buildings in the town in 1913.

[Willard]

I think I found it. On the terra server toppo map it shows an old county road that runs along the creek and junctions where the wire road is now marked (wire road is not on the toppo map). This runs right along where you described the town site as being.

[flyfisherman_46]

The theory about Orbs is that they are electromagnetic in origin but it's interesting they tend to show up where there is strong spiritual energy ie churches,cemetaries etc. Also true orbs are a little differant than dust Orbs.