Mahala (Early) Howell died 4 Feb 1901 and is buried at Fairview Cemetery. James Madison Howell, Sr. died 28 Dec 1914 and is buried at Fairview Cemetery. died 4 Feb 1901 and is buried at Fairview Cemetery. James Madison Howell, Sr. died 28 Dec 1914 and is buried at Fairview Cemetery.

The following obituary appeared in the Troy, MO newspaper:

Troy Free Press, Friday morning, January 8, 1915

James Madison Howell-

Another old land mark has passed away in the person of James Madison Howell, who was born in Kentucky, October 16, 1833. He was the sixth child of Robert and Charlotta Howell and came to Missouri with his parents at the age of two years. Mr. Howell was married to Nancy C. Briscoe January 26, 1860, four children resulting from this union, S.B. of Kansas; Dudley Scott, of Silex; and Charles and Nancy, who preceded their father to the grave. Mrs. Howell died about 1867 and on June 9, 1869, Mr. Howell was married to Mahala Early and to this union six children were born, Alton Early of Davis; Rosanna, the deceased wife of Herman Hammond; Charlotta Jane, the deceased wife of John E. Weber; Dollie Mabel, Wife of Eugene Knox, of Canon City, Colorado; James Madison and John Sherman of Silex. Mrs. Howell died February 4, 1901. Besides his children he leaves 26 grandchildren and one sister, Mrs. Henry Claggett. He united with his Savior in September, 1896, and joined the Baptist church at Fairview, living a faithful member until his death, which occurred December 28, 1914 at his home near Hawk Point, at the age of 81 years, 2 months, and 12 days. Funeral services were held at Fairview by the writer, who also baptized him, and the body was laid to rest beside his wife. May the Lord who he served comfort the bereaved.

Rev. J. S. Eames

The family history of Nancy C. Brisoce has been rather vague until early 1997 when Robert Edgar Howell located the Lincoln County, MO census of 1850 and 1860 which lists a Samuel and Rosaline Briscoe family with children, Brady and Nancy. Nancy did not appear on the 1860 census, which may be due the fact she married James Madison Howell in January of 1860. The child "Brady" on the 1850 census and the child "John" on the 1860 census is the same John Brady Briscoe. As James Madison Howell and Nancy C. Briscoe named their first born, Samuel Brady Howell, therefore it is likely that Nancy named her first son, Samuel Brady Howell, after her father, Samuel, and her older brother, Brady.

"EYOB" is the estimated year of birth that I calculated based on the ages noted on the census. Nancy C. Briscoe was actually born on 6-Nov 1841. She would have been closer to the age of 9 at the time of the 1850 census. Her age could have been transcribed incorrectly in the census.

In researching early marriage records of Kentucky, I only found only one county with a match: Samuel H. Briscoe and a Delia Rosaline Overall married in 13-Jun 1839 in Bullitt County, south of Louisville.

The 1860 Lincoln County Atlas indicated that Samuel Briscoe owned farmland in Sections 23, 25 and 26, Township 50N, Range 2 East. Landowners on the 1860 atlas lists "Samuel Briscoe" and on the 1878 atlas, "Samuel Briscoe heirs" and "S. H. Briscoe estate". The 1860 Atlas lists the owner of the section land where the New Salem Church Cemetery is located was William Overall and Joel Crenshaw. William Overall married Elizabeth Crenshaw in 1826 in Bullitt Co., KY.

From the marriage records of Bullitt County, and adjoining Nelson County, the Briscoe, Crenshaw and Overall families were intermarried and more that likely participated in the migration of these families to Lincoln County, MO.

Long before the coming of the Kennedys, Masheks, Tomeks, Duncans or Howells, the prairie hawks came to roost in a point of woods where timber left off and open, rolling hills began. Quite naturally, the area came to be known as hawk point. Then, the Hawk Point community and finally the town of Hawk Point.

Early settlers, farmers mostly, began drifting into that section of Lincoln County during the first half of the 19^th century to stake out homesteads and start new lives on the land that afforded more open space than the eastern regions they had left.

At first, their communities centered on the church as the primary social institution of the time. Nearly all the churches of the area had their origins in the mid-1800s. The Catholic community springing up in the Bohemian settlement at Mashek northeast of Hawk Point; and the Baptists, Christians and Methodists on the east, north and west of the present town site.

Hawk Point’s first public official undoubtedly was the postmaster who may have been either John Kennedy or Oliver Holmes. The first post office was established on 20 Feb 1840, with Mr. Kennedy as postmaster, and was officially adopted at that time because of the roosting place near the post office site, which is along the first road west of Hawk Point and perhaps two miles or so south. In 1840, Armstrong Kennedy’s family had been in Lincoln County for 20 years, so John Kennedy conceivably, could have been a son. In 1860, the post office was moved to the home of Alexander Kennedy where he would hold the office of postmaster until his death in 1895. Alexander Kennedy was Hawk Point’s first merchant, establishing a store in his home in 1860. This major figure in the community’s early history was married three times and twice widowed. His first two wives were sisters, first Sarah Howell and then Mary Howell. His third wife was Mrs. Rhoda Williams. (Sarah Howell and Mary Howell were the 4^th and 5^th child of Samuel & Elizabeth Howell.)

Some of the early settlers in and around Hawk Point include Peter Rinaman who homesteaded land his great-grandson Derwood Rinaman still farms and Sheridan Howell , whose land has remained in the family for more than 100 years.

The 1878 atlas shows that these men came into Lincoln County or were born there during the early to mid-1800’s: Peter Keller, blacksmith, S.D. Cannon, G.H. Copher, Henry T. Lanche, Alexander Kennedy, Henry Frank, Jacob Mosley, J.R. Witt, P.M. Colbert, A.L. Kennedy and E. D. Ownes, a Baptist minister.

Hawk Point is and has always been first and foremost, a farming community, existing in large as a trading center for the agricultural society surrounding it. Farming obviously has changed greatly in the century and a quarter since settlers began to migrate to the area.

An early figure in Hawk Point, important in commerce and farming, was W.B. Howell ("W.B." or William Brunk Howell>son of Robert Parin Howell>James Madison Howell’s older brother), who operated a 300 acre farm at the western edge of the present town site. He was married to Kate Nichols and they had 10 children. His first wife was the daughter of Alexander Kennedy, a Hawk Point pioneer. She died shortly after their marriage in 1880. The Silex Index of 1902 praised Mr. Howell as being "a self-made man, starting in life with comparatively nothing. He has by industry, enterprise and thrift accumulated around and about him a competency that not only insures the comforts for his family but commands the confidence and admiration of his friends." The paper describe Mr. Howell as Democrat and a member of the Christian Church who is known by neighbors as "charitable and upright".

Joe Tomek recalls quite a number of Hawk Point are residents from the period 1904-1906 to include a Roland Howell (Daniel Roland Howell, 8^th child of Young Howell) and W.B. Howell. (William Brunk Howell>son of Robert Parin Howell>5^th child of Robert Howell).

The first school in Hawk Point - 1906 includes photograph of Bob Howell, Dona Howell, Alma Howell, Julia Howell, Ruby Howell, John Howell and Elmer Howell.

On 11 Mar 1907 a charter was granted for incorporation of the town of Hawk Point. One of the first acts of the new government was the crackdown on suspicious and disorderly houses, those of ill fame and gambling. On 10 Mar 1926, a town referendum allowed East Missouri Power Co. to bring electricity into town. The age of kerosene lamp and stove heated flat iron was coming to an end in Hawk Point. In 1915 Mr. J.J. Devereaux and Ruby Howell ran a millinery shop.

The 27 Apr 1916 issue of the local newspaper, the Transcript, mentions Mrs. John Howell and Dona Howell attending a shower for Miss Eva Cottle. A 1917 issue of the Transcript newspaper notes that Virgil Slavens had sold his "splendid milch cow" to Sheridan Howell for $75. In 1917, timber wolves were reportedly to be killing farm animals.

Business license in 1919 give some indication of a brisk activity which included Fine-Howell Stable, Gililland-Howell Butcher Shop, Rowland Howell Stable.

Hawk Point School 1919 photograph includes Revis Howell (looks like grade 1-3). The Palmer School, a one room rural school house about 6 miles north of town, in a 1921 school class photograph shows Clarice Howell and J.B. Howell. Directors of the school system in the 1920’s include E.C. Howell. Through about 1921, the Hawk Point trustees, as member of the town board were known included A.W. Howell (Albert Warren Howell>son of William Brunk Howell). Hawk Point School, about 1928, includes picture of Gilbert Howell and Gwendolyn Howell. Hawk Point Grades 5-8 - 1929 includes Nora Howell. The Shelton school located southeast of Hawk Point closed in 1947 and included Alma Howell as a teacher. She also appeared as a teacher at the Elmore School, sough of town. Hawk Point High School, Junior Class - 1940 also shows Revis Howell.

On 10 Mar 1926, a town referendum allowed East Missouri Power Co. to bring electricity into town. The age of kerosene lamp and stove heated flat iron was coming to an end in Hawk Point.

The old store room belonging to W. L. Duncan was moved over to the new town and placed back of the new store where it now stands and is used as a poultry house.

Sometime in the month of November the firm of Duncan & Howell opened their doors to the public for business. W. L. Duncan looking after the merchandise end, of the business, and W. B. Howell after the Live Stock trade. They had for clerks at different times: Clarence Tucker, D. H. Walton, A. W. Howell, Miss Ella Weaver, not Mrs. Frank Davis, of Miller, Missouri, and Miss Willie Howell, Now Mrs. Ira Overfelt, of Gunnison, Utah.

In February of 1906, Mr. Duncan sold his interest to H. H. Eversmeyer, who lived near Linns Mill, the firm becoming, Howell & Eversmeyer.

Mr. Eversmeyer was manager of the merchandise department and W. B. Howell as before looked after the Live Stock and Fertilizer business. The business continued to grow as did under Duncan & Howell’s management. Those were days of building in Hawk Point; new people coming in; new houses being built and many men employed by the Burlington, with headquarters here. Of course as the town grew, competition also became stronger. A grocery store and two general stores having opened up at different times. The firm now had four clerks at different times: D. H. Walton, Marvin Janes, Burton Lee, A. W. Howell, and Miss Florence Upson, now Mrs. E. D. Hamilton. After two years Mr. Eversmeyer decided that the work and worry as manager of a general store such as Eversmeyer & Howell conducted was too much for him. He decided to retire from the general merchandise business.

W. B. Howell thought seriously of buying him out and carrying on the business in his own name. He decided, however, that a store should have connected with it, some one who had more experience in merchandising than any one in the Howell family. He felt fully able to look after the livestock end of the business, but not the merchandising end. So accordingly, a deal was made by Mr. Eversmeyer, whereby A. A. Kuhne, P. A. Kuhne and C. S. Trail, all well known as being actively connected with the Troy Racket Store, Troy, Missouri, became half owners of the business. thought seriously of buying him out and carrying on the business in his own name. He decided, however, that a store should have connected with it, some one who had more experience in merchandising than any one in the Howell family. He felt fully able to look after the livestock end of the business, but not the merchandising end. So accordingly, a deal was made by Mr. Eversmeyer, whereby A. A. Kuhne, P. A. Kuhne and C. S. Trail, all well known as being actively connected with the Troy Racket Store, Troy, Missouri, became half owners of the business.

The business has shown an increase every year over the preceding year. We number among our friends and customers many people who were the first customers Duncan & Howell had. These good friends have stayed with this store at all times. They had depended on it for their supplies. We are grateful to them and to all who have given us whatever part of their trade they saw fit to. The heartiest thanks and best wishes to everybody, whether customer or not, is what every member of this firm extends to you.