In 1812 Newman Beckwith came from Viginia, and located between Norfolk and Wolf Island, and the next year William Rush settled on Rush's Ridge. Lucas' Bend was settled by James Lucas, about 1802.
About 1800 John, Andrew and James Ramsey came from Cape Girardeau District, and located in the vicinity of Norfolk.
John and Drakeford Gray and Thomas Phillips were pioneers of Wolf Island Township, and William B. Bush, of Long Prairie.
The settlement did not extend much beyond Little River until between 1820 and 1830. The first settlement in what is now Stoddard County was not made far from the year 1825. At that time Benjamin Taylor and a married son, Jacob Taylor, came from North Carolina, and located about three miles east of Bloomfield. There were two other sons, Abraham and Issac, who, after marriage, made settlements-Issac, two miles northwest, and Anraham, four miles north of Bloomfield. Peter and Jacob Crites, about the same time, came from Bollinger County, and located a short distance southwest of Bloomfield; John and Jonas Eaker, from North Carolina. Absalom B. Bailey, William Wray, Ephraim Snider, Thomas Neale and Jacob Miller were also among the pioneers of the county.
In 1829 the territory afterward organized as Stoddard County was attached to Cape Girardeau County, and by the court of that county it was divided into two townships. The part east of Castor River was called Pike Township, and the part to the north, Castor Township. Joseph Chapman and Thomas Wylie were appointed justices of the peace, and Joel Ramsey constable in the first, and Thomas Neale and John Eaker justices of the peace, and William Hardin, constable in Castor Township. The first election in Pike Township was ordered to be held at the house of Jacob Miller, and in Castor at the house of John Wray. The settlement went on very rapidly between 1830 and 1840, and at the latter date the population numbered over 3,000.
Dunklin County formed a part of Stoddard prior to its organization. It was difficult of access, and its settlement was longer deferred than that of any other county in Southeast Missouri. One of the first persons to locate within its borders was Howard Moore, who, in 1829, built a small house four miles south of the present town of Malden. He was orginally from Virginia, but had lived in Tennessee. In 1831 Moses Norman, a native of Alabama, located on West Prairie. He had previously lived near Marble Hill, however. At about the same time Jacob Taylor removed from his first location, near Bloomfield, to West Prairie. Within the next three or four years the following locations were made: Henry Meyers and N.W. Seitz on West Prairie; Hugh Shiply, four miles north of Kennett; Evan Evans, four miles south of Kennett; Adam Barnhart and Holcomb, on Grand Prairie; Pleasant Cockrum, James Baker and Hollis, in the vicinity of Cockrum postoffice; Russell and William H. Horner, at Hornersville; John Cude, at Cotton Plant, and George Sheppard and Thomas Varner, in the vicinity of Kennett.
Butler County was long the favorite hunting ground of Indians as well as whites, and it was not until about 1820 that any perminent locations were made. The first of which any exact information could be obtained was that of Solomon Kittrel. He came from Kentucky, reaching his location on Cane Creek in November, 1819. There were then some 200-300 Indians camped on the creek, and they remained there for about three years. He took up a large body of land, and subsequently opened a general frontier store, bringing his goods from Cape Girardeau with ox teams. He also built a distillery, and sunk a tanyard in which he did an extensive business. He died, at an advanced age, in 1872. Among the other pioneers were Daniel Epps, Sr., who lived on what was known as the "Military Road," on Ten Mile Creek, where he had a mill; Thomas Scott, who lived on Cane Creek; Malachi Hudspeth, also, on Cane Creek; Martin Sandlin, who lived on Little Black River; Samuel Hillis, Willia m and Frank Whitington, Samuel Polk, James Brannam, and Applebys and Vandovers.