Settlement in what is today known as Kingston Township began in 1833. "The voting precinct southeast of present day Kingston counted 20 votes cast at the fall election of 1834." [History of Clinton and Caldwell Counties, 215]. The non-Mormons who had originally developed the area perhaps as early as 1831, sold out to the Saints as part of an agreement reached by the Missouri State Legislature which made Caldwell county a new LDS homeland. After earlier difficulties in Missouri and Ohio, the Mormons living in Caldwell County, Missouri until the summer of 1838, were finally enjoying some measure of peace. Eight to ten miles east of their principal city of Far West, a small community called "Guymon's Mill" had been well established as the first permanent settlement in the county. In mid-March of 1838, the small settlement entertained their Prophet-leader Joseph Smith overnight at "Brother Banard's house" as he prepared to make his official entrance back among the Missouri Saints. Though the Lyons brothers were possibly among the early settlers, land records indicate they did not actually acquire land until around 1836. It is a common misconception, first reported in the 1886 History of Caldwell and Livingston County, that the Lyon's brother's had come to the area in 1833 and established a town call Salem. This misstatement was later repeated by Bertha Booth in, A Short History of Caldwell County and then later by Pearl Wilcox. When Mormon immigration began in earnest, they concentrated in the area around the mouth of Log Creek, where it joins Shoal Creek. Mormons built a horse mill (possibly the first mill in the county), a blacksmith shop and cabins for their families near the mouth of Log Creek, two miles southeast of present day Kingston. Aaron C. Lyon was a man of property and influence among his local brethren, but for over a year he had been without a wife. Roxanna Lyon had died in late August of 1836, shortly after they moved from Willoughby, Ohio to the new county named Caldwell. Leaving "the partner of her youthful days, a family of children and a circle of friends to deplore her loss," they laid her to rest on a peaceful hillside overlooking Shoal Creek. Undeterred, Aaron and his sons Windsor P. and Charles continued to acquire and develop property in and around the settlement. "The life of the early settlers of Caldwell County was much the same experienced by the pioneers of other parts of the West. They dwelt in log cabins, were plainly clothed and partook of humble fare, lived simply and doubtless enjoyed a freedom in manner of life that is not to be found today. They dressed and lived according to their circumstances, and being for the most part in about the same condition, they mingled together as equals and were dependent on each other for help in various undertakings. The newcomer was usually warmly welcomed. When he selected his claim; cut his house logs and hauled them to the place chosen for his future home, his neighbors for miles around would come to his assistance, and in a short time his cabin would be ready to occupy. Then he would clear off a patch of ground, make rails to fence it, plant a crop and become a part of the life of the community. The first farms were carved out of the timber lands The timber was cut down, the logs rolled together, the brush piled on and all was burned to make way for cultivation." [History of Clinton and Caldwell Counties, 215-216]. The Mormon mill made good money. "In pioneer days mills held a very important position. The first settlers... were forced to make a trip by ox team to take their grist to the mills of Ray County. There were three types of mills used in early Caldwell County history... water, sweep, and tread mills. The favorite location for a pioneer mill was by a creek which provided waterpower, but many early mills were run by horse or ox power. In the sweep (or pull-around) type of mill, a horse or ox was hitched to the end of the sweep. It was customary for the farmer who brought grist to be ground to use his own horses to provide power for the mill, and many old people still recall how they as children rode the horses, or even the sweep, while grist was being ground."

The settlement in this area has been known by various names: Lyon Brother's Settlement, Guyman's Horse Mill, and later, Richey, Salem, Salemtown

Mention of Guyman's Horse Mill - Warren Foote's Autobiography

Moving to Guyman Horse Mill

Area Mills

    Excerpts from Warren Foote Autobiography (1817-1846), typescript, HBLL

    30th. [August 1838] I was taken with a diarrhea in the night, and feel very weak this morning. We took the road up the creek by Haun's Mill and arrived at Uncle Josiah Richardson's towards night. He lives 10 miles east of Far West. They were much pleased to see us, and were some what surprised, as they did not know that we were coming. We were pleased to get to our journey's end, although we were very much prospered on the way. NOTE: This establishes another name to associate with Guyman's Horse Mill, i.e., Josiah Richardson. His land entry was listed in New York TS NW ¼ of NE ¼ of sec. 19 entered on 3-14-1838. There is a redress petition (p.330), but it isn't informative about location of property.

    Again from Foote:
    Following the Battle of Crooked River, [October] 25th. [1838]…The Saints in this region concluded to gather in at Mr. Lyon's place 7 miles east of Far West and 3/4 of a mile from where we are now living, that they may the better protect themselves against the mob. We being so close by did not move. A guard was kept out day and night in order to prevent the mob coming on us unawares.
    28th. The Mormons are moving in their families, at Lyons; and some are going or to Far West. At that place many are camped out in the open weather, and are suffering in the cold. It really looks like war times, and it appears that the Missourians are determined to drive the Mormons from the state, from the little information they could get, with regard to the movements of the mobbers.
    30th. Tonight while guarding the main road coming in from the South and leading to Far West, a company of Missourians came along and hearing a rumor just before, that a large body of them were near Far West, they concluded it best not to molest them but let them pass on, which they did without stopping. Soon after they passed, two men came up from Haun's Mill, going to Far West. They reported, that a mob came on them that afternoon, at Hauns Mill, and had killed nearly all the "Mormons" gathered at that place, and they expected the mob would come up the creek, and would kill all the Mormons that they could find. On hearing all these reports, the men concluded to disperse, and those, who had horses, went to Far West, taking a roundabout way, so as not to fall into the hands of the militia. They had also ascertained, very late in the evening, that 4000 some say 6000 militia had encamped that night, one half mile south of Far West, with orders from the Governor of the state to exterminate the Mormons. Those who could not go to Far West, secreted themselves in the woods. My father, and I, with Mr. Ives, took our blankets, and went into the woods near the road, so that if the mobbers came along, we would hear them. It was a cold frosty night.
    31st. The mobbers did not pass. We got our breakfast this morning, and again secreted ourselves in the woods near the road, so as to see if any body passed. About nine o'clock we heard the firing of guns in the direction of Far West, and we supposed that a battle was raging at that place, but the firing soon ceased, and we did not know what to make of it. As all communication with Far West was cut off, we could not learn what was going on.
    November 1st. [1838] We slept last night in the hallow of a large sycamore tree which had been cut down. We crawled into it about 20 feet and then had plenty of room to lay side by side. We watched the road again today, and towards night Mr. Guyman came riding leisurely along. He told us, that they had made a treaty at Far West, and the Mormons had surrendered and agreed to leave the state in the spring.