West Plains, Mo.
[Illustration: MR. AND MRS. J. B. WINGER.]
Dr. Dixon's Long Acquaintance.
I will state that I came to Howell county in the year 1866 and settled
on Hutton Valley near where the town of Willow Springs now is. The
present townsite was then a small field without a fence and one small
log cabin. I followed the practice of medicine up to the present date.
I was 83 years old the 20th of August, 1906, and the picture I send you
was taken when I was 81 years old. I was born in McMinn county, East
Tennessee, and remained there until I was eleven years old when I left
there and have gone through many changes and experiences since then.
I served in the Mexican war. I married near Louisville, Ky., in 1849.
My wife is still living and is nearly eighty-five years of age and in
pretty fair health.
I will state that I have known Col. Wm. Monks and wife for over forty
years and know them to be good and true people. I will further state
that there were said to be but seventy-eight families in the entire
county of Howell, and four families in the town of West Plains in May,
1866 and Col. Wm. Monks was one of the four. Now I believe there is
a population in West Plains of over 4,000 and there is room for many
more. This is an educational town, fine colleges and high schools
besides quite a number of ward schools houses, almost entirely built of
brick. Schools last about nine months in the year.
Respectfully yours,