Looking Back: Corn Road

by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society


     There may be more Corns than cockleburs in Jackson County!
     Samuel W. and Mary “Polly” Slaughter Corn were from Franklin County, Virginia. They must have arrived in Jackson County around 1835. While the Corn family appeared in the 1840 United States Census as residents of Jackson County, Missouri, the census did not state a specific location. The census did, however, list eight living children, the foundation for all of the Corn’s in Jackson County.
     The first two burials in Corn Cemetery in Oak Grove were their infant daughter Maona (July 26, 1836 – September 10, 1837) and their daughter-in-law, Nancy (1816- October, 1837) Nancy died following the birth of a son, Solomon. She was married to their eldest son, John Slaughter Corn.
     A study of the 1877 Historical Atlas of Jackson County (Plat map) revealed that the land on what is today Corn Road was owned by Martin Corn, their second son. His nearly 250 acres of land is in the southernmost part of Township 48 North, Range 30 West, section 25 and 36. The land lies along the west bank of Sni-A-Bar Creek in Van Buren Township. The 1860 United States Federal Census list Martin Corn, his wife Martha and 8 of their 11 children as living in Division 35, Jackson County, Missouri, slightly west of the land they owned in 1877. Their Post Office was Stony Point.
     Martin and Martha (Cummings) Corn’s son, George Washington Corn (1849-1926) married Elizabeth Temple in 1871. Martin continued to live and work on his father’s farm which he, in turn passed down to his eldest son, Samuel Addison Corn (1876-1951). Samuel married Widdie Alma Perdue, a descendent of the Perdue Cemetery family.
     And finally, we come to the final Corn family owner, Fred Corn. Many in this area will remember Fred, his wife Hazel and their daughter Kay (Grain Valley Class of 1959). Mr. Corn was a small crop farmer and he had some dairy cattle. He was on the Grain Valley Board of Education during the 1950s and 60s. The family attended the Grain Valley Christian Church. On my drive through the countryside last week, I went past the farm where I remember they lived. At least I think I had the right location.
     As I researched information for this article, I was reminded of all the Corn family members I’ve known over the years. There were a lot. Many of you will remember Corn’s Thriftway in Oak Grove. Carl Corn was the great-great grandson of Sam and Polly! His father was Della, his grandfather was John Henry, and his great grandfather was John Slaughter Corn, Martin’s brother.
     You can find them all, or at least a lot of them, in the Corn Cemetery on Corn Cemetery Road off R. D. Mize Road in Oak Grove.