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On October 1, 1864, a party of rebel cavalry entered Franklin County and burned & destroyed the railroad there. Telegraph news of the raid reached New York on the same day, so I'm sure the telegraphers in Gray Summit will be informing federal authorities, and it'll be the talk of the town.
Here's the NY Times article:
Gray Summit was still a young village in the 1860s, though fairly prosperous, since it was so close to the railroad lines (which reached Franklin County by 1849). The Pacific Railroad was originally intended to reach all the way to San Francisco--you can still see the "Frisco" signs along St. Louis overpasses--but never got much past Missouri after the war.
To this day, Gray Summit is a small town in the middle of unincorporated land. The countryside around Boonesfield resembles GS very much, since it's so close (one county south & about the same distance west of St. Louis.) Those of you who are interested in a little sightseeing while you're in the area could take a look at the Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit, or the wineries around both towns.
Here's the NY Times article:
Gray Summit was still a young village in the 1860s, though fairly prosperous, since it was so close to the railroad lines (which reached Franklin County by 1849). The Pacific Railroad was originally intended to reach all the way to San Francisco--you can still see the "Frisco" signs along St. Louis overpasses--but never got much past Missouri after the war.
To this day, Gray Summit is a small town in the middle of unincorporated land. The countryside around Boonesfield resembles GS very much, since it's so close (one county south & about the same distance west of St. Louis.) Those of you who are interested in a little sightseeing while you're in the area could take a look at the Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit, or the wineries around both towns.