Looking Back: The Rest of the Story

by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society
 
It seems that every time I finish an article for this column I learn something more I could, perhaps should, have included in the story. That has been particularly true the last few weeks. Each time a story is published, someone has contacted me via email or in person to give me new information. That’s good for two reasons. First, I’m able to learn and share more information about our town.  And second, it tells me that at least one person has read my column that week.
 
I recently learned from an historical society member that her grandmother, Creola Warren, was a member of the Hard Shell Baptist Church –also known as Primitive Baptist. (Valley News, February 1, 2024) Indeed, the member’s ancestor, Zachariah Warren donated the land where the first New Liberty Baptist Church was built on Colburn Road.
 
Zachariah’s son William A Warren built the first hardware store, circa 1900,  in Grain Valley and moved into town. Creola was his daughter. Exactly when the Warrens began attending the Primitive Baptist Church is uncertain. They may have begun meetings in homes. At some point, they may have met in the home of James Webb. The location of his home may have been on Lot 11 and 10 feet on the east side of Lot 12 in the Johnson Addition. (located on the north side of Yennie Street).
 
At the Grain Valley Historical Society, we have two property tax record journals. One dates from 1920 to 1925, and the second journal covers the years 1933 through 1945. From those journals I learned that the property was owned by James H. Webb in 1920. The first year that a tax exemption was given to the church was in 1924, perhaps the year church was established, or at least the year they congregants began meeting there on a regular basis. The property remained in Webb’s name until 1934. After that time the record simply read “church” and for a couple of years the record read “Primitive Church.” In 1945, the final recorded year in the journal, Lot 11 and 10 feet on the east side of Lot 12 was owned by Guy B. Thompson. 
 
Thus, we can only assume that the Hard Shell Baptist denomination existed in Grain Valley for at least 20 years, from 1924 to 1945.
 
As for the two-story rock house on the northwest corner of Walnut and Capelle, (Valley News, February 8, 2024), another member of the historical society brought me a scrapbook filled with newspaper clipping kept by her grandmother, Ona Baumgardner.  Among the clippings was a photograph of Rhoda Ashcroft Peerson at her loom. I further learned that she moved into the home around 1932, purchasing the home from Amy Wood, Dr. Wood’s widow. She moved to Grain Valley from her home southwest of Oak Grove after the death of her husband, John W. Peerson. The Peersons are buried in the Brown Cemetery on Stillhouse Road, southeast of Grain Valley.             

Rhoda Ashcraft Peerson, at her loom. Circa 1956. Photo credit: Grain Valley Historical Society