Registered: Feb 2008
Location: In my heart Eureka Springs
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In trying to document the history of the treeing walker breed I have to dig in a lot of old magazines and pictures and letters people send me to try and help with this process. One of the important players in the treeing walker breed is John Monroe and the Finley River Strain. I guess it would be fair to say that it is the oldest active strain still going today. There is still heavy bred Finley River hounds today even though it has been 55 years since Chief was born.

The credit for the Finley River Strain of Treeing Walkers can be given to a number of people. To John Shetler for having the top stud of his day Shetler's Sonny Boy, that people wanted to bring their good females to breed to him. To Glenn Bixler who had the foresight to breed his future Hall Of Fame female Bixler's Supreme Sally to Shetler's Sonny Boy. To Herb Carsten of Springfield, Missouri who brought a five week old pup named Corn Belt Chief home in a shoe box. Herb changed the pups name to Finley River Chief and the name of a strain was born.

In 1965 John Monroe had the foresight to buy a hound called Finley River Spot. In the fall of that year Spot was the World Champion Coon Hound. In November of that year John also had the foresight to pay $3000.00 for an 8 1/2 year old hound named Finley River Chief, Spot's daddy. John owned Chief almost 7 years to the day with Chief dying at 15 1/2 years of age.

Through those 7 years and the many years after John J. Monroe promoted the Finley River Strain not with hype but honor. He not only advertised Finley River Chief and Spot at stud he offered many of the top hounds of the Finley River Strain through the years to follow. FINLEY RIVER PETE, MONROE'S FINLEY RIVER JOE, KENTUCKY RIVER CHIEF, MONROE'S LITTLE CHIEF, BEAVER LAKE LIGHTING, FINLEY RIVER CHIEF JR., HI WAY 13 RUFF, BUFFALO RIVER ACE, LONE PINE DEWEY, FINLEY RIVER SMOKY, FINLEY RIVER ZOOM, SILVER LAKE CHIEF, BUFFALO RIVER TANNER. Just some of the dogs John has advertised at stud through the years to promote the Finley River Stain.

For sure when someone is talking about Mr. Finley River they should be talking about John J. Monroe. Not because he was responsible for the birth of Chief, not because he named Chief. But he was responsible for taking Chief at 8 1/2 years of age and promoting him and his offspring in such a way that Finley River Chief and the Finley River Strain would become a very important part in the Treeing Walker Breed. John Monroe had the foresight to see how good this strain was and he gave it a chance to prove itself to the public.

I have known John Monroe I guess around 42 years. I have always found him to be an honorable man through all these years. If he said something or made a deal with you a contract wasn't needed. His word was his bond and it still is today. I am sure there are some people who don't like John. Being in this sport someone always don't like someone else. So after being in the business for so long I am sure everyone isn't a fan. But if you have ever taken the time to try and get to know John you will find out he is one of the good guys even if you don't agree with him completely.

Mr. Finley River - John J. Monroe

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Registered: Mar 2009
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I voted simply by guessing and name recognition. I voted for the Lone Pine one. Only because I had as my first pup one out of Houses Bawlie and a bitch that carried Bixler's Supreme Sally and Shetler's Sonny Boy. Motley's Missouri Major was somewhere on on side or other too.
He was good but weak mouth but i did not care because I was young and probably never more than a hundred yards behind him when he treed. Wasn't any sitting on the tailgate watching cartoon drawings if you wanted to have a coondog back then.
Back to Lone Pine, which was many years later, I got one out of Hickory Nut Harry X Lone Pine cross that is probably my dog of a lifetime.

There was, JMO, as much difference in Old Harry and Stylish HNH as there was between Old Sackett and JR. I wouldn't have bet a nickel on Jr.

I'm just reminiscing and guessing where I went wrong.

Last edited by l.lyle on 03-16-2012 at 05:15 AM

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I didn't vote because I know nothing about either. The one on the left is built like an old Smokey River blue tic I use to have. I sure like the old long ears.

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TODAY I THINK LONNIE MEARS HAS MORE FINLEY RIVER TO OFFER TO THE PUBLIC MORE THEN ANYONE THAT I KNOW OF....AND HAS STAYED TRUE TO THEM FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER......
..TO ME JOHN MONROES LINE OF DOGS DID NOT STAND THE TEST OF TIME LIKE JOE HOUSES LINE DID..

AND I REALLY DONT THINK JOHN ADVERTISED EVERY DOG YOU HAVE LISTED....IF I REMEMBER RIGHT DEWEY WAS IN PENN. AND MAJIC WAS IN INDIANA...AND BELLAR OWNED KENTUCKY RIVER CHEIF...

Last edited by smokin-1-mo on 03-16-2012 at 06:02 AM

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quote:

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Originally posted by smokin-1-mo


AND I REALLY DONT THINK JOHN ADVERTISED EVERY DOG YOU HAVE LISTED....IF I REMEMBER RIGHT DEWEY WAS IN PENN. AND MAJIC WAS IN INDIANA...AND BELLAR OWNED KENTUCKY RIVER CHEIF...

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Last edited by HistoryNutt on 03-16-2012 at 06:20 AM

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YOU ARE RIGHT IT WAS BUCK....SURE DONT REMEMBER HIM ADVERTISING ALL THEM,MUST OF SOLD SOME OFF THEN ..HE MAY HAVE OWNED DEWEY BUT I BOUGHT A PUP OUT OF HIM ONCE AND JOHN DIDNT OWN HIM THEN...

Last edited by smokin-1-mo on 03-16-2012 at 06:28 AM

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quote:

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Originally posted by smokin-1-mo
YOU ARE RIGHT IT WAS BUCK....SURE DONT REMEMBER HIM ADVERTISING ALL THEM,MUST OF SOLD SOME OFF THEN ..I MAY HAVE OWNED DEWEY BUT I BOUGHT A PUP OUT OF HIM ONCE AND JOHN DIDNT OWN HIM THEN...

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BEAVER LAKE MAJIC...WLD CH,...OWNED BY CHARLES MILLER AND BRIAN RUCKER...THINKING MAJIC WHEN I SEEN LIGHTNING,DONT REMEMBER LIGHTNING AT ALL.....

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quote:

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Originally posted by smokin-1-mo
BEAVER LAKE MAJIC...WLD CH,...OWNED BY CHARLES MILLER AND BRIAN RUCKER...THINKING MAJIC WHEN I SEEN LIGHTNING,DONT REMEMBER LIGHTNING AT ALL.....

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DUAL GRAND CHAMPION BEAVER LAKE LIGHTING






1985 UKC WORLD CHAMPION GRAND NITE CH. BEAVER LAKE MAGIC

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One you left out was Finley River Pete, He's in the Treeing Walker Hall Of Fame for good reason, He and Duvall's Lone Pine Lady are the foundation of the Lone Pine dogs.

John did own Kentucky River Chief, I was standing there when he bought him off Mr. Elmer Harrod of Frankfort,Kentucky. He bought Finley River Joe off Mr. Harrod as well and Knob Creek Lead from Richard Masterson, Lead was out of Chief. John also did have the Lone Pine Dewey dog, I hunted with him while John owned him. Every dog on that list was owned and advertised at stud by John Monroe at one time or another.

As far as other Finley River Breeders, none of them would be in business if it weren't for John having Finley River Chief, he gave $3000 for the old dog at nine years old and the majority of the pups out of Chief were bred after John bought him.

Tom

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Beaver lake lightning through as many coondawgs as any!!!! I wish I had my female out of lightning back! When you walked to there trees you saw coons!!! And noses like they had just aren't around much anymore! Not the biggest mouths but everything else made up for that and they were average

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but love the history..thanks!! Really enjoyed reading and hitting the links!

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quote:

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Originally posted by barrelmaker
One you left out was Finley River Pete, He's in the Treeing Walker Hall Of Fame for good reason, He and Duvall's Lone Pine Lady are the foundation of the Lone Pine dogs.

John did own Kentucky River Chief, I was standing there when he bought him off Mr. Elmer Harrod of Frankfort,Kentucky. He bought Finley River Joe off Mr. Harrod as well and Knob Creek Lead from Richard Masterson, Lead was out of Chief. John also did have the Lone Pine Dewey dog, I hunted with him while John owned him. Every dog on that list was owned and advertised at stud by John Monroe at one time or another.

As far as other Finley River Breeders, none of them would be in business if it weren't for John having Finley River Chief, he gave $3000 for the old dog at nine years old and the majority of the pups out of Chief were bred after John bought him.

Tom

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Tom, it wasn't intentional. I was planning on putting Pete in the poll and thought I had, but didn't go back and check the poll members before I published it. Sorry. Finley River Pete should have been and was intended to be in the poll. Pete and his brother Finley River Spike were both bred to Duvall's Lone Pine Lady. From these two crosses came a number of dogs that I think were important to the foundation of the Lone Pine Hounds.

Spike and Lady produced Lone Pine Satan, Lone Pine Eagle and Wolfe's Tree Picking Bill.

Pete and Lady produced Tall Oakes Spot, Finley River Sport and Magill's Lone Pine Jill.

Lone Pine Jill was bred to Mears' Finley River Dan to produce Logan's Wild Julie.

Lone Pine Jill was also bred to River Bend Flag to produce Logan's Wild Jeanie.

Logan's Wild Julie was bred to Owen's Hardwood Bozo to produce Logan's Wild Clover.

Clover was bred to Jeanie to produce Wessel's Wild Casey, Tony's Wild Clover, World Ch. Tony's Wild Joey.

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Last edited by HistoryNutt on 03-16-2012 at 04:30 PM

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I JUST CHECKED OUT YOUR WEBSITE. ALL I CAN SAY IT WOW.

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quote:

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Originally posted by WVHillBilly
I JUST CHECKED OUT YOUR WEBSITE. ALL I CAN SAY IT WOW.

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Registered: Sep 2008
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Don:

There was another top hound from the Pete/Lady cross, Gr. NT.Ch. Finley River Sport, you put an ad on him on one of your other posts. I owned Pete from the time he was 8 until he died and also owned Sport, sold him to Mr. Don Boles in 73 or 74 for $3000 which was a pretty good price back then.

John hasn't got near the credit for what he's done for the Walker breed over the years, Lone Pine, Clover, Buck Creek, Yadkin River and a lot of other lines originated because of Old Chief. He helped the English breed as well, Hardtime Speck was out of a Chief female if I remember correctly. I've known the man for well over 40 years, bought some top dogs from him and he never once lied to me, he's blunt and hard headed like a lot of us but he's a gentleman.

Tom

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quote:

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Originally posted by barrelmaker
Don:

There was another top hound from the Pete/Lady cross, Gr. NT.Ch. Finley River Sport, you put an ad on him on one of your other posts. I owned Pete from the time he was 8 until he died and also owned Sport, sold him to Mr. Don Boles in 73 or 74 for $3000 which was a pretty good price back then.

John hasn't got near the credit for what he's done for the Walker breed over the years, Lone Pine, Clover, Buck Creek, Yadkin River and a lot of other lines originated because of Old Chief. He helped the English breed as well, Hardtime Speck was out of a Chief female if I remember correctly. I've known the man for well over 40 years, bought some top dogs from him and he never once lied to me, he's blunt and hard headed like a lot of us but he's a gentleman.

Tom

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Last edited by HistoryNutt on 03-16-2012 at 04:37 PM

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quote:

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Originally posted by smokin-1-mo
TODAY I THINK LONNIE MEARS HAS MORE FINLEY RIVER TO OFFER TO THE PUBLIC MORE THEN ANYONE THAT I KNOW OF....AND HAS STAYED TRUE TO THEM FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER......
..TO ME JOHN MONROES LINE OF DOGS DID NOT STAND THE TEST OF TIME LIKE JOE HOUSES LINE DID..

AND I REALLY DONT THINK JOHN ADVERTISED EVERY DOG YOU HAVE LISTED....IF I REMEMBER RIGHT DEWEY WAS IN PENN. AND MAJIC WAS IN INDIANA...AND BELLAR OWNED KENTUCKY RIVER CHEIF...

---

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What has Lonnie had after blue mt lonnie besides show dogs.

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HE HAS HAD WHAT HE HAS LIKED FOR THE LAST 40 PLUS YEARS ...FINLEY RIVER BREED DOGS THAT MAKE HIM HAPPY ......DONT KNOW MYSELF IF HE STILL ABLE TO COONHUNT OR NOT BUT I BET YOU DONT FIND NO TREE JACKIN CHIT LIKE ALOT OF TODAYS DOGS IN ANY OF THE DOGS HE HAS BREED ...IF HE HUNTS THEM I WILL BET HE DOES NOT MAKE 15 TREES A NIGHT AND SEE ONE COON ..HE MAY ONLY MAKE A COUPLE BUT I BET THEY HAVE THE MEAT WHEN THEY TREE AND SOUND LIKE HOUNDS....SINCE YOU ASKED..

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alot of the dogs you mentioned are in my hounds 3 and 4th ped on the papers. Thanks for the info..I never knew Hiway Ruff was a monroe dog. Who owned Finley River Sport?

Last edited by Matt McKinney on 03-16-2012 at 07:22 PM

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Who had Finley River Dan?

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quote:

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Originally posted by Larry Atherton
Who had Finley River Dan?

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I must say Spot

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quote:

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Originally posted by Matt McKinney
alot of the dogs you mentioned are in my hounds 3 and 4th ped on the papers. Thanks for the info..I never knew Hiway Ruff was a monroe dog. Who owned Finley River Sport?

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The one we are talking about here was owned by Tom Humphrey. Hope I spelled his last name correct. He is barrelmaker on here.

There is another Finley River Sport that John also offered at stud but the one we are talking about on this thread is out of Finley River Pete and Mr. Humphrey owned him before he sold him to Mr. Boles.



NITE CHAMPION FINLEY RIVER SPORT

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