William and Liza Dale

WILLIAM AND LIZA DALE

A biography written by our Great Uncle Ernest Dale in 1977 tells of the arrival of his grandparents, William and Liza Dale, to Ray County in the early 1840's. They migrated from their native state of Kentucky and settled near St. Cloud Springs, the recognized location of health-giving waters that had attracted the attention of folks in various parts of the county, to the extent that a hotel was erected to house visitors and a general store was soon added with a few homes dotting the vicinity here and there. With the discovery at Excelsior Springs in adjoining Clay County, where several wells began the belching forth of the mineral water of various analysis as to the healing qualities of humanity with its widely diversified list of ailments, coupled with adequate financing, the latter resort naturally grew and grew into a good sized little city, while St. Cloud Springs had diminished to the point that it's waters were soon forgotten, the hotel allowed to crumble under the onslaught of Missouri winters and hot summers and the nearest general store was opened at what is now Swanwick.

The Rush family came to Missouri in 1869, having first settled north of Hardin in Eastern Ray County. They later acquired an acreage north of Rayville and lived there many years. Mrs. Rush died there in 1908, and at her request, she was buried in a family burying ground on the farm. Their daughter, Lucy Rush, married John Wesley Dale, son of William and Liza Dale.

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