"Capt. Welsh visited the spring and was so impressed that he resigned his position and went to St. Louis where he organized a stock company, returned to the spring and laid out a town and built a forty-room hotel just south of the spring and built steps from the hotel down into the canyon to the spring. Captain Welsh succeeded in getting a stage line established from the new town to Walnut Ridge, a distance of about 35 miles. Soon after this the Kansas City, Fort Scott and Memphis railroad was built up Spring river valley and missed Ravenden Springs six miles. Captain Welsh succeeded in getting the nearest station on the line named Ravenden Junction. The mail was carried from Ravenden Springs through Walnut Hill to Ravenden Junction. In 1906 a high school was built and in 1907 a bank was established. Only three persons have owned the spring and surrounding land. Rev. Bailey obtained the land from the Government and deeded it to Capt. Welsh in 1880. Welsh deeded it to Joe s. Decker in 1919.
The following were early builders of Ravenden Springs: Dr. Lambert J. C. Parnell, Dr. Montgomery, A. G. Henderson and Bob Blackshear.
Bob Blackshear opened the first general store in the town and John Guntharp opened the first drug store. Prof. Dave Hays taught the first school in the town after it was established. Cal Moffit and Jake Lane were the first blacksmiths. George Pace, father of Roy and Troy Pace of Hoxie, was the constable of the town in 1880 and also the first mail carrier after the postoffice was established. Others who have figured in the history and progress of Ravenden Springs are: J. B. DuVall, Will McKinley, Charles Shelton, Webb and Childs, Capt. Mockabee, W. T. Fry, J. B. Elkins, J. B. Reynolds, John W. Cruse, Eaves brothers, C. A. Dixon, W. W. Rogers, S. L. Davis, C. C. and I,. G. Hogan, W. F. Blackwell, Frank Davis and sons, William Marriott, and later R. L. Higginbotham and sons, W. A. Davis and sons, "
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~arrandol/books/daltoncommunities2.htm
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