Texas County, Missouri

QUESTIONS:

• When did the Smelsers move to Texas County, MO?
• And, why did they move there?

I have not found the family in the 1880 Federal census.  I’ve tried numerous spellings and misspellings of Smelser to no avail. 

I’ve tried other searches using first name, approximate birth year and birthplace as Tennessee.  I’ve also used Ohio for a birthplace for Aaron (since his older sibling was born there.)  Nothing.  It’s not unheard of that a family was completely missed in a census, but it’s more likely that the enumerator or transcriber messed up the spelling.

I presume the Smelser family was in Missouri by 2 April 1885, when Aaron’s older sister, Elva, married Daniel Boone Garrison in Summersville, Texas County, MO.

And, I presume they were still in Tennessee in 1877 when Aaron’s sister Elizabeth (“Eliza”) was born there (according to her death certificate.)

According to the previous joint obituary, Aaron was 18 when he moved to Missouri.  That information along with Elva's marriage date would indicate they arrived by 1885.
 

A clue as to "Why Texas County?" might be found by reading the book by Julia West Parker, Nan of Tennessee and the Girl Who Was Me (1974.)

Aunt Stella mentioned the book in the 1970s.  It's about several families who moved (at or about the same time) from eastern Tennessee to Texas County, MO.  I vaguely remember reading it back then – and I don’t think there was any mention of the Smelsers.  But, I’ve requested it via Interlibrary Loan to browse through again, and I’ll update if I find anything about our ancestors.

DOCUMENTS NEEDED, QUESTIONS UNANSWERED:

• Where were our Smelsers in 1880?