From the Skidmore New Era (Skidmore, Missouri), December 31, 1908, page 1:
Visits Old Home.
Richard Hays of Denver, Colorado, who has been visiting his brothers and other friends of Skidmore, left for his home Monday morning.
Mr. Hays is one of the “old timers” of this part of the country. He came to Missouri with his father Thomas Hays in 1858. Thomas Hays entered and bought at that time 1800 acres of Nodaway county land, the greater part of which is still in the Hays family, which consists of four sons and two daughters, Richard, James, John and Joe, Miss Bell Hays and Mrs. Martha Coston.
Richard Hays left here 22 years ago, he opened up and improved the farm now occupied by Perl Hays west of town.