USA > Missouri > Cedar County > History of Hickory, Polk, Cedar, Dade, and Barton counties, Missouri > Part 26
USA > Missouri > Dade County > History of Hickory, Polk, Cedar, Dade, and Barton counties, Missouri > Part 26
USA > Missouri > Barton County > History of Hickory, Polk, Cedar, Dade, and Barton counties, Missouri > Part 26
USA > Missouri > Hickory County > History of Hickory, Polk, Cedar, Dade, and Barton counties, Missouri > Part 26
USA > Missouri > Polk County > History of Hickory, Polk, Cedar, Dade, and Barton counties, Missouri > Part 26
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Township 33, Range 24: 1837 -Zaccheus Harper; 1838 - William C. Campbell, Ransom Cates, Joseph Akard, Benford Maxwell, James Simmons, Wash. Hensley, Robert C. Garner, Henry Akard, John F. Rountree, Thomas Rountree, Thomas Hill, Peter Ruyle, Robert Evans, Andrew Hayes, Daniel Moulder, Reuben Smith, Joseph and Charles Rountree, Joseph Rountree, James Watson, Benjamin U. Goodrich, D. B. Roaks, James Stockton, Caleb Murray, Margaret Bunch, John Bunch,
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STATE OF MISSOURI.
Absalom Rentfrow, Jeremiah R. Yancey, Joseph Miller, Samuel H. Bunch, Albert Bryant, John Davis, Thomas Gillihan, Isaac Ruth, John Wright, Hezekiah Brown, George W. Blair, Enos Hammer, Demarcus Hopper, Susannah Coffman, Caleb Jones, Jesse Neal; 1839 - William C. Campbell, Susannah Coffman, William Webb, Alexander Blair, Benjamin Craighead, Pallas Neely, Archibald Ray, Jonas L. King, Henry Akard, Peter Jones, Thomas Rountree, Joseph Rountree, Jr., Simeon Trent, James Akin, Andrew M. Akard, Henry Akard, Joseph Akard, Aaron Akard, Samuel S. Hughes, Alexander W. Denney, John W. Wakefield, George W. Hayes, Miller W. Easley, Robert Evans, Thomas Gillihan, Ahab Bowen, John Grant, Richard Grant; 1840- John W. Wakefield, Samuel B. Hopkins, John Hensley, George W. Sutherland, Solomon Hopkins, James Simmons, Andrew M. F. Akard, John Crain, William C. Akard, Jonas L. King, Caleb Jones, Andrew Akard; 1841 - Joseph Rountree, Andrew D. Coffman, Rufus B. C. Bunch, John O. L. Bunch, Thomas Rountree, Miller W. Easley; 1842 - Merrit Simmons, Robert S. Bigham; 1843 - Silas Fox; 1844 - James Davis; 1845 - - Silas Fox, Gideon Hillihan.
Township 34, Range 21: 1839 - John M. Link, Thomas Vinson, James Jump, James Paerman, R. M. Vanderford, John W. Thompson, Charles Bolt, Jacob Alderman, Milton Davidson, George Davidson, Rodham Payne; 1840-Charles Bolt, James Shaw, F. H. Edwards, John Brashears; 1841 - Alexander McAlexander, John Steele; 1842 - John Brashears, E. B. Beard; I:845 - Charles Bolt, Jr.
Township 34, Range 22: 1844 - Jesse W. Nelson, Madison Snapp; 1845 - William Zumwalt, Jonathan W. Wilson, Evan Stewart, Joseph Stewart, Joshua Stewart, Richard Stewart.
Township 34, Range 23: 1844 - William L. Barker, William Jamieson, James Faulkner, James Williams, John Toller, Christ- ian C. Toller, William Douglas, John O. Devin, William R. Devin, Clayton Devin; 1845 - William White, Seth Walker, D. L. M. Ashlock, Joshua A. Stewart, Alexander Moore, Will- iam T. Holt.
Township 34, Range 24: 1838 - James Fox, J. P. Thompson, Jacob Frieze, William Dunnegan, Alfred Frieze, James Potts;
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HISTORY OF POLK COUNTY.
1839 - Aaron Allard, Charles Wakefield, Nathan Garner, Hiram Hopkins, William Ashlock, M. G. Campbell, Jacob Frieze, James Fox, Alfred Frieze, John Hopkins, James A. Hopkins, Leander Wilson, Elijah Fox, James Fox, Silas Fox, Andrew R. Colmes, Abner Osborn, Matthew Dunnegan, Francis Dunnegan, William Dunnegan, Obediah Ashlock; 1840 - William Grant, Charles Wakefield, Thomas Ashlock, Woodford Frieze, Obadiah Ashlock, William H. Gammon, Wesley G. Gammon, W. H. Gammon, Jeremiah W. Blankenship, William Dunnegan, Zac- cheus Harper, John W. Alexander, Thomas Williams; 1841 - William Lost, William Dunnegan, Joseph Noland; 1842 - Eli Mourfield, Lorenzo J. Blankenship, James Dunnegan; 1844 - John Noland, W. N. Fox; 1845 - Alexander O. Gilley.
Township 35, Range 21: 1844 - James Martin, Joseph N. Lowe; 1845 - Nathan Boone, A. C. Callison.
Township 35, Range 22: 1851 - John Burns, Joseph Payne, Moses Simpson, J. B. Mallock, Ambrose Bradley; 1852 - Am- brose Bradley, Peter Howe, E. Baker.
Township 35, Range 23: 1838 - George W. Kelly, Leander Wilson, John Slagle, John P. Campbell, Thomas W. King, Zaccheus Howard, James Black: 1839-Joseph H. Miller, Allen C. Tate, James Black, George W. Kelly, John M. Kurr, Leander Wilson; 1840-Leander York, James W. Nowlin, Jonathan Owning; 1841-George W. Kelly, Richard G. Andrews; 1842-Thomas McCracken, Moses B. Kurr; 1844-James Dudley, George P. Lemmon; 1845-John Holt, William S. Hatton, Andrew Yoast, Dr. T. McCracken.
Township 35, Range 24: 1837 - James G. Human; 1838 - Archibald Hopper, George W. Fain, Larkin Williams, Thomas W. King, Leander Wilson, John Yoast, M. G. Campbell, Josiah Goodson; 1839- Wiley B. B. George, Larkin Williams, Moses Waddle, Summers Harper, Amos Richardson, Wesley Saveley, Clayton Richardson, James Rentfrow, Thomas W. King, Mary E. Wilson, Lawrence Rains, Isaac Troth, Peter Ruyle, George C. Yoast, Wiley B. B. George, Daniel Moulder; 1840 - Elliott Bland, William Arnold, John Yoast, William Simmons, John N. Goodson, Josiah Goodson, Larkin Williams, James Dudley, James G. Human, Poleman W. Harper, Ebenezer
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STATE OF MISSOURI.
Arnold; 1841 - David P. Harris, William C. Davidson, George W. Norman, Wiley B. B. George, Larkin Williams, Samuel Tillary, James Rector, Elliott Bland, Ebenezer Arnold; 1842 - John C. Twiner, Thomas D. Hall; 1844- John Weir, Thomas D. Hall, Gibson Arthur; 1845 - Burrel Ecelston.
COUNTY AND TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION.
Creation and Original Boundaries .- Polk County was cre- ated by an act of the Legislature of the State of Missouri, and organized March 13, 1835. As defined by an act of Legislature approved March 20, 1835, its original boundaries were as follows:
Beginning at the line between Ranges 17 and 18, two miles south of the township line between Townships 31 and 32; thence west to the range line between Ranges 26 and 27; thence north to the township line between Townships 36 and 37; thence east to the range line between Ranges 17 and 18; thence south along the same to the beginning.
When organized, the length of the county from east to west was 54 miles; its width, from north to south, 31 1/2 miles; its total area, 1,701 square miles, or nearly three times its present extent. It embraced portions of territory subsequently added to surrounding sister counties as follows: All of Dallas, except 12 square miles in the southwest corner of said county; 147 square miles on the south side of Hickory; 54 square miles in the southeast corner of St. Clair; 105 square miles on the east side of Ceder; 48 square miles in the north corner of Dade; and 36 square miles in the northwest corner of Webster, taken from Dallas, though originally belonging to Polk.
Present Boundaries .- The present limits of Polk County were established in 1845, and defined by statute as follows:
Beginning at the northeast corner of Section 12, of Township 35, Range 21 ; thence west with the subdivisional lines to the northwest corner of Section 10, Township 35, Range 24; thence north with the sectional line to the northeast corner of Section 4, Township 25, Range 24 ; thence west with the township line between Townships 35 and 36 to the northwest corner of Township 35, Range 24; thence south with the range line between Ranges 24 and 25 to the southwest corner of Township 35, Range 24 ; thence east to the northwest corner of Section 6, Township 34, Range 24; thence south with the range lines between Ranges 24 and 25 to the southwest corner of Section 7, Town- ship 31, Range 24 ; thence east with the subdivisional lines to the southeast corner of Section 12, Township 31, Range 21 ; thence north with the range lines between Ranges 20 and 21, to the place of beginning.
The length of the county from north to south is 26 1/2 miles; its width from east to west 24 miles; its area 640 square miles - but little more than one-third of its original extent.
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HISTORY OF POLK COUNTY.
MUNICIPAL TOWNSHIPS.
The county court first met February 9, 1835, at the house of Daniel M. Stockton, five miles southwest of Bolivar, on the West Bend road. At an adjourned meeting the next day, at the house of William C. Campbell, it was ordered " that the county surveyor of Polk County meet the county surveyor of Greene County on the 25th day of the present month, to survey and mark out the county line between the counties of Polk and Greene, beginning at a point where the township line between Townships 31 and 32 intersects the range line between Ranges 17 and 18; thence west 42 miles."
It was also ordered " that all that portion of territory bounded as follows: Beginning at a point on the county line due north of Alexander Brown's, in the Twenty-five Mile Prairie, and from thence to John Isbell's, on the Little Pomme de Terre; from thence to James Abel's; from thence to Clayton Stockton's; from thence to the mouth of Brush Creek; from thence south to the county line; from thence east with the county line to the dividing ridge between the Pomme de Terre and Niangua Rivers; from thence north with said dividing ridge to the north boundary line of the county; from thence west with the county line to the begin- ning, including Brown's, Isbell's and Able's, shall be erected into a separate township, to be called and known by the name of Marion Township." Also, " that all that portion of the territory west of Marion Township, in Polk County, be erected into a sep- arate township, to be known and called by the name of Jackson Township;" and " that all that portion of the territory east of Marion Township, in Polk County, be erected into a separate township, to be known and called by the name of Washington Township." The house of Ephraim Jamieson was designated as the place of holding elections in Marion Township; that of Will- iam Davidson in Jackson Township, and that of Richard Riddle in Washington Township.
Sac Township .- February 15, 1836, it was ordered by the court that " there be a township laid off in the northwest corner of Polk County, designated by the following boundaries," to be known as the township of Sac: "Beginning at the northwest
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STATE OF MISSOURI.
corner of Polk County; running with the west boundary line of said county eighteen miles, so as to include Township 34; thence with the line between Townships 33 and 34; thence north with the range line between Ranges 23 and 24, to the north boundary line of said county; thence west to the beginning." James G. Human's house was designated as the place of holding elections. .
Morgan Township .- May 10, 1836, Morgan Township was erected, bounded thus: " Beginning where the county line crosses township lines between Townships 24 and 25; thence north to where said line crosses Little Sac River; thence with the wind- ings of the Little Sac to the Big Sac, to the middle of Township 34; thence west to the western boundary of said county of Polk; thence south to the southwest corner of said county; thence east to the beginning." Elections were ordered to be held at the house of Jeremiah Ward.
Jackson Township .- On the same day the borders of Jackson Township were thus defined: " The land laid off east of Morgan Township; " bounded as follows: " Beginning at the southeast corner of Morgan Township; running north with said township line; thence down Little Sac River with said Morgan Township line to the township line between Townships 33 and 34; thence east to the middle of Range 23; thence south through the middle of said range to the south boundary line of said county; thence west to the beginning."
Shelby Township .- February 16, 1836, it was ordered by the county court that " all that portion of territory bounded as follows: Beginning at a point where the township line between Townships 33 and 34 intersects the middle of Range 23; thence north to the county line; thence west to the northeast corner of Polk County; thence south to the middle of Township 34; thence eastwardly with the northern boundaries of Morgan and Jackson Townships to the beginning, be erected into a separate township, to be known as Shelby Township; " elections to be held at the house of James G. Human.
Washington Township .- On the same day the court reestab- lished the boundaries of Washington Township thus: Beginning at the southeast corner of Polk County; running west eighteen miles to the range line between Ranges 20 and 21; thence north
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HISTORY OF POLK COUNTY.
to the south boundary of Greene Township; thence east to the county line; thence south to the beginning.
May 15, 1838, Morgan Township was re-bounded as follows: Beginning at the southwest corner of Madison Township; thence south to the southwest corner of Polk County; then due east with the southern boundary line of said county to the range line dividing Ranges 24 and 25; thence north with the said range line to the southern boundary line of Madison Township; thence west to the beginning.
At the same time the limits of Jackson Township were thus redefined: Beginning at the southeast corner of Morgan Town- ship; thence north with said township line to the southern boundary line of Madison Township; thence due east one mile; thence due north to the township line dividing Townships 33 and 34; thence due east to the middle of Range 23; thence south to the southern boundary line of Polk County; thence west with said line to the beginning.
Mooney Township .- May 16, 1838, the county court decreed that that portion of Polk County bounded as follows should constitute Mooney Township: Beginning at the southeast cor- ner of Jackson Township; thence due east to the range line between Ranges 21 and 22; thence due north to the township line dividing Townships 32 and 33; thence west with said town- ship line to the eastern boundary line of Jackson Township; thence south to the beginning.
Van Buren Township .- On the date last mentioned, the following bounded territory was set off as a separate township by this name: Beginning at the southeast corner of Mooney Town- ship; thence due east to the range line dividing Ranges 19 and 20; thence due north eleven miles; thence due west to the range line dividing Ranges 21 and 22; thence due south to the begin- ning.
The following new boundaries of Washington Township were defined at the same time: Beginning at the southeast corner of Van Buren Township: thence due east to the southeast corner of Polk County; thence due north eleven miles; thence due west to the range line dividing Ranges 19 and 20; thence due south to . the beginning.
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STATE OF MISSOURI.
Benton Township .- This township was created May 16, 1838, with the following described boundaries: Beginning at the north- west corner of Van Buren Township: thence due east to the range line dividing Ranges 19 and 20; thence due north twelve miles; thence due west to the range line dividing Ranges 21 and 22; thence due south to the beginning.
Jasper Township .- A town by this name was created, May 16, 1838, with the following boundaries: Beginning at the south- east corner of Benton Township; thence due east to the east boundary line of Polk County; thence north eleven miles; thence west to the range line dividing Ranges 19 and 20; thence south to the beginning.
Miller Township was also formed May 17, 1838, with the following boundaries: Beginning at the northeast corner of Benton Township; thence due east to the east boundary line of Polk County; thence north with said line to the northeast corner of Polk County; thence west to the range line dividing Ranges 19 and 20; thence south to the beginning.
Greene Township .- Greene Township was created May 16, 1838, with these boundaries: Beginning at the southwest corner of Miller Township; thence due north to the northern boundary line of Polk County; thence due west to the Pomme de Terre river; thence south with said river, to the southeast corner of Johnson Township; thence due east to the beginning.
Marion Township was re-bounded at this time, thus: Begin- ning at the northeast corner of Mooney Township; thence due north to the southern boundary line of Greene Township; thence west to the northeast corner of Madison Township; thence south to the township line dividing Townships 33 and 34; thence east to the northeast corner of Jackson Township; thence south to the township line dividing Townships 32 and 33; thence east to the beginning. February 17, 1840, the county court ordered that " the following designated bounds be attached to, and the same shall constitute and form, a part of Marion Township: Beginning at a point where a line passing through the center of Range 23 will cross Bear Creek; thence down said creek with the main channel thereof to the range line dividing Ranges 23 and 24; thence north with the said line to the township line dividing
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HISTORY OF POLK COUNTY.
Townships 33 and 34; thence west with said township line one mile; thence due north to the township line dividing Townships 34 and 35.
May 4, 1841, the county court established the boundaries of Benton, Madison and Marion Townships as they were redefined in 1845 and stand to this day; re-bounded Jackson, Mooney and Greene Townships, and created Tyler and Jackson Townships. The boundaries of these several townships, exclusive of Benton, Madison and Marion, were as follows:
Jackson Township .- Beginning at the southwest corner of Polk County; thence east with the line dividing Polk and Greene Counties to where the range line dividing Ranges 22 and 23 crosses the same; thence north with said range line till it strikes the township line dividing townships 32 and 33; thence west with said township line to the Dade County line; thence south with said line to the beginning.
Mooney Township .- Beginning on the Greene County line, where the range line dividing Ranges 22 and 23 crosses the same; thence east with said county line to the southeast corner of Polk County; thence north with the county line dividing Polk and Niangua Counties to where the township line dividing Townships 32 and 33 crosses the same; thence west with said township line until it strikes the range line between Ranges 22 and 23; thence south with said range line to the beginning.
Greene Township .- Beginning at the line dividing Polk and Niangua Counties, where the township line dividing Townships 34 and 35 crosses the same; thence north with said county line to the northeast corner of Polk County; thence west with the line dividing Polk and Benton Counties eight miles; thence due south to the line dividing Townships 34 and 35; thence east with said township line to the beginning.
Tyler Township .- Beginning on the Benton County line, at the northwest corner of Greene Township; thence west with said county line ten miles; thence due south to the township line dividing Townships 34 and 35; thence east with said township line eight miles; thence due north to the beginning.
Johnson Township .- Beginning on the county line dividing Polk and Dade Counties where the line dividing Townships 34
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STATE OF MISSOURI.
and 35 crosses the same; thence east with said township line six miles; thence due north to the Benton County line; thence west with said county line to the northwest corner of Polk County; thence south along the line dividing Polk and Dade Counties to the beginning.
May 7, 1845, the county court created Looney Township and re-established the boundaries of the several townships in the county as follows:
Mooney Township .- Beginning at the southeast corner of Polk County; thence north with the county line dividing Polk and Dallas Counties to the township line dividing Townships 32 and 33; thence west with the said township line eight miles; thence due south to the Greene County line; thence east with said county line to the beginning.
Looney Township .- Beginning at the southeast corner of Mooney Township; thence north with the western boundary line of said township to the line dividing Townships 32 and 33; thence west eight miles with said township line; thence due south to the Greene County line; thence east with said county line to the beginning.
Jackson Township .- Beginning at the southwest corner of Looney Township; thence north with the western boundary line of said township to the line dividing Township 32 and 33; thence west with the said township line to the county line between Polk and Dade Counties; thence south along said line to the southeast corner of Polk County; thence east with the line dividing Polk and Greene Counties to the beginning.
Benton Township .- Beginning on the line dividing Polk and Dallas Counties, where the line dividing Townships 32 and 33 crosses the same; thence north along said county line to section corner between Sections 12 and I; thence due west with . said section line to the Pomme de Terre River; thence up said river until it strikes the township line between Townships 32 and 33; thence east with said line to the beginning.
Greene Township .- Beginning at the northeast corner of Benton Township; thence north with the line dividing Polk and Dallas Counties to the northeast corner of Polk County; thence west with the line dividing Polk and Hickory Counties to the
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HISTORY OF POLK COUNTY.
Pomme de Terre River; thence up said river to the northwest corner of Benton Township; thence east with the northern boundary line of Benton Township to the beginning.
Johnson Township .- Beginning at the northwest corner of Greene Township; thence west along the line dividing Polk and Hickory Counties to the northwest corner of Polk County; thence south along the line dividing Polk and Dade Counties to the sec- tion line between Sections 6 and 7; thence east with said section line to the Pomme de Terre River; thence down said river to the place of beginning.
Madison Township .- Beginning on the line dividing Polk and Dade Counties where the line dividing Townships 32 and 33 crosses the same; thence east with the said township line to the range line dividing Ranges 23 and 24; thence north with said range line to the southern boundary line of Johnson Township; thence west with said township line to the county line dividing Polk and Dade Counties; thence south along said line to the beginning.
Marion Township .- Beginning on the line dividing Town- ships 32 and 33 where the same crosses the range line dividing Ranges 23 and 24; thence east with said township line to the Pomme de Terre River; thence down said river to the southeast- ern corner of Johnson Township; thence west with the Johnson Township line to the range line dividing Ranges 23 and 24; thence south to the beginning.
Jefferson Township .- This township was created February 11, 1860, from the western part of Greene Township and the eastern part of Johnson Township. Its original boundaries were as follows: Beginning at the northeast corner of Marion Town- ship; running thence due north to the Hickory County line; thence west along said line to a point due north of the northwest corner of Marion Township; thence due east with the north boundary line of Marion Township to the place of beginning.
March 5, 1873, the township lines of Greene, Jefferson, Johnson, Madison, Marion, Benton, Mooney, Looney and Jack- son, were re-established. The only changes in boundaries were of Greene, Jefferson and Johnson Townships, by the annexation of a portion of the east half of Jefferson to Greene and the exten- sion of a portion of its western half into Johnson. By this
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survey, the western boundary line of Sections 9, 16, 21, 28 and 33, Township 35, Range 22, and of Section 5, Township 34, Range 22, became the boundary line between Greene and Jefferson Townships, and the western boundary line of Sections 7, 18, 19, 30 and 31, Township 35, Range 23, and of Section 6, Township 34, Range 23, became the boundary line between Jefferson and Johnson Townships.
Campbell Township .- This, the most recently organized township in the county, was created August 5, 1886, and its boundaries were thus defined: Beginning at the northeast corner of Section I, Township 36, Range 24; thence west to the north- west corner of Section 6; thence south to the southwest corner of Section 18; thence east to the southeast corner of Section 13; thence north to the place of beginning. The boundaries of Madison and Johnson Townships were changed by the creation of Campbell from their territory, the southern boundary line of Sections 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30, Township 35, Range 24, becoming the southern boundary line of Johnson Township, and the northern boundary line of Sections 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, Town- ship 34, Range 24, becoming the northern boundary line of Madison Township.
JUDICIARY HISTORY.
County Courts .- The county court of Polk County, consist- ing of Judges Jeremiah N. Sloan and Richard Sage, met for the first time February 9, 1835, at Daniel M. Stockton's house, five miles southeast of Bolivar. Joseph English was appointed sheriff, and William Henry performed the duties of clerk. The court appointed E. M. Campbell, county surveyor; Bodham R. Payne, assessor; and John C. Montgomery, commissioner, to select a seat of justice for Polk County; and, after transacting some other business, adjourned to meet the following day at the residence of William C. Campbell.
Having convened the second day, the court proceeded to divide the county into three townships, as has been related, after which Richard Riddles was appointed constable of Washington Township; William M. Payne, constable of Marion Township;
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