In the last entry, we explored the effects of the Civil War on my Confederate-sympathizing families in Vernon County, Missouri. The four years of war left the county in bad shape, but somehow the young widows had to carry on—farming, raising children, and trying to rebuild their lives. Was Elizabeth Ann (Maddox) Curry able to keep her family together and maintain their farm? Fortunately, census population and agricultural schedules help us piece together a story of hardship and resilience, fueled by persistence—and likely a good deal of stubbornness.
Before moving to Vernon County, Elizabeth and her husband, Robert M. Curry, had already begun their family.
1860 Census – Robert M. Curry Household (Montevallo Township, Vernon Co., MO)
- Head: Robert M. Curry, 30, farmer
- Wife: Elizabeth Curry, 35
- Children: Sarah A. (9), Lucy Curry (7), John (5), George (3), Mary (2), Infant (1 month old, unnamed)
- Real estate: $600 (no personal estate value listed, possibly limited cash assets or unrecorded)
Their agricultural schedule shows a family in the process of clearing new land—most of it still forested—and relying on oxen for labor.
1860 Agricultural Census – Robert M. Curry
- Improved land: 10 acres
- Unimproved land: 110 acres
- Farm value: $600
- Implements and machinery: $40
- Livestock (valued at $510): 1 horse, 3 milk cows, 8 working oxen, 2 other cattle, 26 swine
- Production: 300 bushels of corn and 182 lbs of butter
Had Robert lived, we would expect to see more cleared land and a larger operation—but his untimely death left Elizabeth to shoulder the burden alone.
By 1870, Elizabeth was listed as head of household, still in Montevallo Township:
1870 Census – Elizabeth Curry Household
- Head: Elizabeth Curry, 45, keeping house
- Children: Sarah (20), Lucy (18), John (16), George (14), Mary (12), Thomas (10), Jefferson (8), Martha (6)
- Real estate: $1,050 | Personal estate: $625
Interestingly, the youngest son was named Jefferson—perhaps in honor of Jefferson Davis. The farm had shrunk from 120 acres to 70, likely sold down to a more manageable size or to raise cash. Sons John and George would have done most of the field work, with the older daughters and younger siblings helping under Elizabeth’s direction.
1870 Agricultural Census – Elizabeth (Maddox) Curry
- Improved acres: 14
- Unimproved acres: 56 (40 woodland, 16 other)
- Farm value: $1,050
- Implements: $100
- Livestock value: $425
- Production: 100 bushels of corn, 150 lbs butter, 50 bushels of potatoes
- Livestock: 1 horse, 3 milk cows, 2 oxen, 1 other cattle, 14 swine
- Total value of farm products: $210
This was very much a subsistence farm, with only modest cash sales.
By 1880, Dover Township had been carved out of Montevallo, and the older children had begun to establish their own households. Sarah and Lucy had married; George had moved out. Elizabeth was still managing the farm with help from her remaining children.
1880 Census – Elizabeth (Maddox) Curry Household (Dover Township, Vernon Co., MO)
- Head: Elizabeth Curry (55), widow, keeping house
- Children: John (26), Mary S. (22), Thomas S. (20), Jefferson (18), Martha M. (16)
1880 Agricultural Census – Elizabeth Curry
- Total acreage: 90 (28 improved, 62 woodland)
- Farm value: $500 | Implements: $50 | Livestock value: $250
- Livestock: 4 horses, 3 milk cows, 6 other cattle, 3 calves, 26 swine, 18 poultry
- Production: 600 bushels of corn (30 acres), 75 bushels of oats (5 acres), 200 lbs butter
- Value of farm products (1879): $140
Though not wealthy, the family had managed to diversify their operation and maintain self-sufficiency.
The 1890 census was lost to fire, but the later records continue their story.
1900 Census – Elizabeth (Maddox) Curry Household (Dover Township, Vernon Co., MO)
- Head: Elizabeth Curry, 75, widow, mother of eight (seven living)
- George Curry, 43, widowed, farm laborer
- Grandsons Guy (16) and Denver (13), farm laborers
- Home: Owned, mortgaged, used as a farm
1910 Census – George W. Curry Household
- Head: George W. Curry, 53, widowed, farmer
- Denver O. Curry, 23, son, miner (coal mine)
- Elizabeth A. Curry, 85, mother, widowed
- Home: Owned, free from mortgage, used as a farm
All of Elizabeth’s children married except her youngest, Martha. Lucy (Lucinda Jane) died between 1888 and 1900, and George’s wife around 1889 or 1890. Despite hardship, the farm Robert and Elizabeth built before the war remained in the family for decades.
Elizabeth (Maddox) Curry lived until 1916, reaching the remarkable age of 90. Her lifetime spanned from the era before Andrew Jackson to the eve of World War I—with the Civil War as its most defining and disruptive chapter. Widowed around age 40, she managed to run a farm, raise her children, and maintain her independence through sheer determination and the support of family.
Whatever her wartime sympathies, Elizabeth’s perseverance left a lasting legacy—one that continues through the descendants of her daughter and granddaughter, who went on to build new lives and families of their own. Her story stands as a quiet but enduring testament to the strength of women on the postwar frontier—and to how resilience can turn survival into legacy.
Photo:
History of Vernon County, Missouri: Written and Compiled from the Most Authentic Official and Private Sources, Brown & Co., St. Louis, MO, 1887
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