SON OF: CHRISTOPHER JOHN & SARAH (JOHNSON) CORLESS.

MARRIED 22 April 1869, St. Louis co., Mo., MARY ELLEN BALL.

her grandfather John Ball founded Ballwin, Mo.

FATHER OF: JOHN WILLIAM, DAVID JAMES (JAMES), LEANDER, FRANK.

On a sail vessel from Preston, near Liverpool, w/parents & 3 siblings, Jane, Cornelius & Alice came to America; during a calm at sea remained in 1 place for 6 wks.; landing in New Orleans, La., 1848. From there to St. Louis co., settling on a little farm near Wild Horse Creek, where soon after settling in their new home, Christopher died of cerebral hemorrhage. A nephew, Henry Johnson, of Sarah preceded them to America, settling in St. Charles co., otherwise alone in this country. David & Cornelius became naturalized U.S. citizens at the St. Louis courthouse, Fri., 5-18-1877. Farmer & prominent member of Gumbo, Meramec twp. in the Mo. River bottoms, farming community located in what is now Chesterfield Valley. Raised meat, "yaller"-legged chickens, never hearing of cold storage eggs, bread, vegetables, all his food & drink, less coffee, sugar & tea. Burned wood, taken from own woods pasture for fuel. Kept cows & bees; abundance of clover, Spanish needle & other blooming fragrance. Killed own hogs, aided by neighbors, cured bacon, smoked hams & made sausage & head cheese.
Crossroads town of Gumbo was 2 stores, 2 inns, a blacksmith shop, warehouses & homes concentrated around intersection, now Chesterfield Airport & Long Roads, about 3 mi. W. of Chesterfield along Olive St. Plank Rd. & named from soil in the area, which though very fertile, when wet became Gumbo mud. "Gumbo mud" was used to make a substance very similar in character to gravel for streets & walkways in Forest Park during the 1904 World's Fair. Pits were dug, on what was then the Burkhardt property in Gumbo, & repeatedly layered w/hot coals & dirt. After the dirt was baked & cooled, it resembled gravel. Men were pd. $2.00 per day to haul wagon loads of this gravel to Drew RR station in Chesterfield, where was loaded on box cars & transported to St. Louis. Census: 1880: David, 32, farmer, rented farm land for a fixed fee; wife Mary, 32; John 10; James 8; Leander 5; Frank 10 mos. 1909 Plat Book of St. Louis Co., shows his Estate owned 98.53 acres of farm land W. of Eatherton Rd., must have purchased this land sometime after 1880 & before his death. It is reasonable to believe farmed this land before purchased it. 1800's land records, show owned and/or farmed land W. of Spirit of St. Louis Airport, generally bet. present day No. Eatherton Rd & Missouri River. The river's channel has shifted substantially since late 1800's, current position is appox. ¼ to ½ mi. further E. than when farmed. This is the levee that failed during the "great flood of 1993" resulting in 8-12 ft. of water flooding Chesterfield Valley.