Isaac Dale⁵, Mathew⁴, John³, Archibald², John¹. Indebtedness goes to Dr. Everett E. Dale, retired professor of History of the University of Oklahoma and to Mr. Otis E. Dale of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma for much of what is known of Isaac and his children. Dr. E. E. Dale was a grandson of Isaac and Elizabeth (Baker) Dale. Mr. Otis E. Dale who is a retired Peace Officer, was a great grandson of Isaac and Elizabeth.

A Dale bible owned by Mr. O. E. Dale contained many of the vital records of Isaac and his children. He moved with his parents to Nicholas County, Kentucky when he was about six years old. Marriage records of Nicholas County record that he married Elizabeth Baker on the 23rd of December 1814.

By 1818 Isaac began to acquire lands of his own as is shown in the Land Records of Nicholas County. These lands were all located on and near the water. Some on the Licking River. Some of the land was on Brushy Creek, a branch of the Hirkston River. Both the Licking and Hirkston Rivers have their own source on the Ohio River. The reason for locating near rivers and creeks is obvious when one realizes that farmers such as Isaac depend on getting their produce to market in New Orleans via water.

Dr. E. E. Dale says "I have heard a great many stories about my Grandfather, among them that he made at least seven trips down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers in a flatboat loaded with corn, bacon and other farm produce to the markets in New Orleans."  Apparently he was a man of amazing strength and courage for he walked back to his home in Kentucky across Indian country - having a number of adventures with the Indians.

This was not uncommon as it would seem to us today. Cargo flatboats were built at whatever point was to be shipped from -usually by the person or persons who were to man them. They were strictly utilitarian in design and were built solely to take produce and travel downstream. They were sturdy of build to withstand the falls and rushing, swirling water. Usually there was a crude cabin for protection from inclimate weather. The holds were stacked with cargo of every nature. The boats were steered by a 40 to 50 foot "oar" with a smaller "oar" at the bow and a "sweep" on each side. They were usually manned by the owner and often a son or sons or neighbors.

It is hard for us to imagine what these men had to face on their journey downriver - in addition to the natural hazards of river and weather. At Louisville, Kentucky they had to run the treacherous falls of the Ohio - South of that point they had to be alert for trouble in every human form. Boat wreckers and plunderers could be hiding beyond any bend. At Ft. Massac and again at "Cave in the Rock" there were gangs of cutthroats who preyed on the boatmen - murdering and pillaging. Always too they were harassed by the keelboat men who regarded the flatboatmen with great contempt and proceeded to show their displeasure in every form of violence. Often they swamped the boat - overturning it or running it aground.

Once the cargo reached New Orleans the produce was sold and the flatboat was dismantled and sold for lumber. Then the party rode horseback or walked up the Natchez Trace* and on into whatever part of the Midwest they were going to return to. On this trip back the parties usually carried large sums of money - the result of the sale of produce and lumber in New Orleans. Once again, then, they were subjects of prey. Added to this now was the danger from unfriendly Indians.

It did indeed take strong and courageous men such as Isaac to endure these hardships, but it was these staunch, rugged men who did much to push the American Frontier westward.

Mr. E. E. Dale says "My father has told me a great deal about his father's trips to and from New Orleans by flatboat and on foot. One was that he was a very strong man and once when in New Orleans a group of men were testing their strength by attempting to lift an anchor. My grandfather was able to lift it halfway to his knees. Only one other man was able to lift it at all and then just barely off the ground".

"Another story was that my grandfather stopped late one evening at an Indian village. All the men had gone to meet an Indian trader so there were only women and children in the village. One attractive little woman fed him meat and hominy and told him that there was a deserted log cabin a half mile or so up the trail where he could find shelter for the night. He thanked her and went on seeking the cabin, which he found, located beside a cornfield. It had a fireplace but the wind had scattered ashes all over the puncheon floor. He lay down to sleep in a pile of hay he found in one corner of the cabin. About midnight he was awakened by loud shouts and a beating of drums at the Indian village. Then he heard the patter of moccasined feet and the low voice of the woman who had fed him saying 'Kentuck, Kentuck, the men are all back home and drunk, they are dancing, wrestling and throwing one another into the fire. They know you are up here. Pretty soon they come to kill you'. She started back to the village and grandfather got up and went out into the middle of the cornfield and lay down to sleep again. He was up at the first peep of dawn - however everything was quiet at the Indian village. He went by the cabin and looked inside and sure enough there were the footprints of large moccasined feet showing in the ashes on the floor. He realized then that if it had not been for the Indian woman he would have been dead."

In 1834 Isaac sold his lands and moved his family to Ray Co., Missouri. He became one of the pioneer settlers of Ray County. He had shipped, by boat, his household goods and needed supplies. The goods were all lost enroute. He settled on section 15, Richmond Township, near the present village of Swanwick. The pioneer farm of 320 acres was covered, in part, by native timber and the rest was excellent prairie land so that Isaac was favored in his labors to reclaim his tract for cultivation.

Another source says it was in 1833 that Isaac Dale came to Ray County. Isaac was a veteran of the War of 1812. His father, Mathew Dale, served in the Revolutionary Army and died in Kentucky. ca 1813. Isaac's grandfather was John Dale III who was born in Worcester Co., Maryland, 25 Feb 1711. John Dale was born in England and landed in Philadelphia in 1693. His son John Dale II was the father of John Dale III, was born in England in 1686 and died in Worcester Co., MD in 1778.

Isaac Dale entered a land grant from the Federal Government for an 80 A tract in Ray Co. in 1836. The patent was signed by Present Andrew Jackson and is in possession of the family of his great grandson, Charles M. (Buck) Dale, who resides on this land which has been in the family since 1836.

The wife of Isaac Dale was Elizabeth (Baker) and they were said to have 14 children. In 1845 with the help of neighbors, they erected a log school house and continued to teach the people of the community until the county school came into existence at the same location.

Moses G. Dale, son of Isaac, was born 24 Nov 1836 and spent his entire life farming the Dale family farm. He married Mary Eliza Martin from TN. in 1856. Five children were born of this marriage: Willis G.; Emma; Minerva; Charles and Marian. Moses felled and hewed the logs for the family home which was located on the Dale family farm now grown to 420 acres. In 1878 Moses Dale was elected Presiding Judge or the Ray County Court.

More stories of Isaac and his ancestors and descendants can be found on Judy's page.