Terry,

I once took a quick look at the Newton County real estate records for Livingston prior to the Civil War and did not find much. My notes only show two items: (1) an interest in the Vickery claim in Granby, which apparently was never legally validated and (2) a tract of land in section 35-T27N-R33W purchased from a John Reddy or Redding in August, 1860. The second tract is in Newton County just south of Joplin.

I was at the courthouse that day looking for something else and didn't spend much time on this. Did I miss something?

I am talking here only about Newton County. I've never looked at the Jasper County records, where Livingston was apparently more active. I am more interested in the history of Granby than in Livingston himself.

Livingston first became interested in lead mining in Washington County, Missouri, which was where the Blows and Kennetts of Granby fame also got their start. I suspect they knew each other there. One way to view the Vickery claim is that Livingston tried to jump the Blow & Kennett claim in Granby. Livingston was mentioned in passing in a letter from Peter Blow to Ferdinand Kennett at the Missouri Historical Society in St. Louis. Blow told Kennett to leave the matter alone; he would deal with Livingston.