County of marker: Carter County
Location of marker: Sycamore St. & Oliver St., courthouse lawn, Van Buren
Marker erected by: Carter County Historical Society
Date marker erected: 1998
Marker text: Cabin built in 1850's on Greenwood Valley by the Jonas Swezea family. Donated to the Carter County by Harry Anderson in 1959 for the Carter County Centennial.
Rebuilt by Carter County Historical Society, Chairman: C. P. Turley; Vice-Chairman: Owen Johnson; Secretary-Treasurer: Mary Jane (Coleman) Johnson
Fireplace donated from Snider House at Kegville 1850's - 1959
Other members of 1959 Centennial Executive Committee: Roy Gossett, Lena Dell, Glenn Kelley, H.H. Lehr, A.V. McKinney, Orran Tucker
Mantained by Carter County Historical Society
Some cabin and family background:
"Family History indicates that during the Civil War, Jonas Sweazea left his home in Greenwood Valley, Carter Co, Mo. and traveled to Bloomfield, Mo. to enlist in the Union Army. He was ambushed by "Bushwhackers" and kidnapped. He wrote his wife a letter from Bloomfield while a captive, but was never heard from again. Information from; Steve Rogers, gr gr grandson of Jonas Sweazea.
"Jonas Swezea purchased land in Ripley County, Missouri. [now Carter County,]
Ripley County, Missouri
32 Original Land Plat Book [ 1832 - 1858 ]
Copied from the original plat book in the Recorders office, Co., Courthouse, Doniphan, Missouri.
Jonas L. Swezea, Residence, Wayne County, date purchased, 24 Nov. 1856,
Section 3 Township 27 Range 3 E.
Jonas D. Swezea, Residence, Wayne County, date purchased, 24 Nov. 1856,
Section 10 Township 27 Range 3 E.
The Cabin that Jonas Sweazea built in 1851 in Greenwood Valley has been moved to Van Buren, Missouri and set up on the Courthouse Yard. [1998]
"A sign on the door of the cabin reads;
This cabin was built in 1851 in Greenwood Valley by the Sweeza family and taken apart and reconstructed on the Court House Square in 1959 during the Carter Co., Centennial Celebration to commemorate the Co.,'s first 100 years.
The rock fireplace is from the old Griffin house on Pike Creek, where it was built in 1853. The rocks are hand-hewn and were put together with a mortar supposed to be made of salt and ashes. It is now held together with lime and cement mortar.
The logs in the cabin are hand-hewn and some are 24 feet long and are interlocked with half dovetail corners and were held together with wooden pegs which are still visible.
The antique furnishings in the cabin have been loaned or donated by local persons.
The Carter Co., Historical Society is in charge of the cabin as custodians for the people of Carter Co." ~ Jonas Sweezey
Interesting info; all family members names "Sweezey" except those born in Tennessee, they were named "Swezea". No one knows why