Johnson County, Missouri - Chapter 14: - Madison Township, 1918

DESCRIPTION, ORGANIZxVTION, NAMING - GEOGRAPHY AND SOIL - EARLY SETTLEMENTS - EARLY CHURCHES - EARLY SCHOOLS - JUSTICES - COUNTY OFFICERS - POPULATION - PERSONAL PROPERTY AND PRODUCTS - COUNTY ROAD IMPROVEMENTS - ORGANIZATIONS.

Madison township was one of the first four townships organized in the county and at that time consisted of nearly one-fourth of the area of the county, situated in the southwestern part. It was organized Alay 4, 1833. It was named for President James Madison.

Geography and Soil. - Area, 42 square miles, or 26,880 acres. Geographically, Madison township is a smooth body of good upland (Summit silt loam, or "black limestone" soil), gradually sloping northward to Blackwater creek (south fork), which runs east across its north side. About one mile south of Holden and running east and west, is a divide between the tributaries of Blackwater on the north and Big creek on the south, .\djoining Blackwater and its trilnitaries in the north part of the township is the ordinary bottom soil, tianked by an irregular strip about one-quarter mile wide of Boone silt loam, or "sandy" soil, while along the small branches of Blackwater in the south part of the township are irregular strips of about the same width of Bates silt loam, dark, gray-brown soil.

Bates silt loam, upland, dark, gray-brown soil; 10 jier cent. This lies chiefly along the upper branches of Blackw.nter east, west ;nid north of Holden.

Crawford silt loam, upland, "red liiueMoue" soil. .^ iht cent. This lies in three jiatches of about two si|uare miles in area in the northeast.

Osage silt loam, the ordin;iry bottom soil. 8 ])er cent. This lies along Blackwater and its tribiUaries in the north. There is i)r;ictically none of it alone the small branches, east, west or south of Holden.

Of the foregoing, tlie Summit silt loam and Crawford silt loam are ranked among the best three common u])lanil soils in the count}-, with the Bates silt loam next.

Early Settlements. - The early settlers came from the east and penetrated the new and unsettled country, generally, from the Missouri river on the north, and few, if any, located south of tlie Blackwater prior to 1830. The Ferguson family were about the first to cross Blackwater and settle in what is now Madison township. Most of tiie earl_\- settlers lived north of the present site of Hohlen and a few located west of that point. The}' lixed near the two liranches of Pin Oak. Among the early settlers were: Samuel and .\aron Ferguson. James Bradley, ^^'illiam Davidson, Squire A. B. Hamilton. P. H. Ray, Archy Ray, and their father. High Ray, Moses Tapscott, .August Demasters, Squire J. G. Doyle, Matthew Cummings, W^illiam Cummings, Sanford Cummings, Joseph Mason, John \\'indsor, Reuben Fox, John Utt, Thomas Tapscott, G. Hays, Joseph Christian, Jacob Sams, Jacob Beck, Charles S, Ferguson, Martin Ferguson, Pleasant R. Ferguson. Joseph Matthews, William Burden. Sr.. and Jr., Eldridge Burden, George Conley. John Miller, William Miller, James Thompson, George Medlock. G. Cunningham. Barrett Duft. Squire Thompson. A\'illiamson. G. K. Roberts and Doctor Roberts.

At this election John Baker and John H. Bailey were clerks. The judges were Dennis Dunham, Alfred White, N. T. Doak, and the justice of the peace was Watson W. Ham.

Few of the early pioneers of Madison township are left to tell the story of the trials and hardships of the settlement and development of this section of the county. Scjuire John A. Doak, now residing in Holden, is one of the survivors of the early pioneers, and though he is eightythree years old, he is still vigorous in mind and body and remembers well the early conditions seventy-tive years ago. He came here with his parents from Lafayette county when he was eight years old, in 184J, and settled six miles south of where Holden now stands, on Bear creek, ^4ley were one of the first families to settle in that locality. The city of Holden was then not even dreamed of. Lexington, fortyfive miles distant, was the nearest trading point. There were no roads and travelers followed the trails which ran straight across the country, following- the most accessible routes regardless of section lines. The trip to Lexington, which the settlers were required to make about twice each year, required about four days to complete. The settlements were all located along the streams. The timber which grew along the creeks attorded both fuel and building materials, as well as natural shelter. There were no luxuries, but much comfort and the standards of democracy and hospitality were high.

Early Churches. - The earliest church in the township was Rock Spring Cumberland Presbyterian church, which is still in existence. According to the old History of Johnson County, it was organized May 2L 1833, by Rev. R. D. Morrow. According to a very complete history of the church by Miss May W^indsor, taken chiefly from the records, it was organized May 1. 1837, as the New Hope congregation, and in 1843 the name was changed to Rock Spring. It was the common place of worship for this neighborhood for many years before the Civil W^ar. For full history, see article by Miss W'indsor in the chapter on the Cumberland Presbyterian church.

Round Grove Methodist Episcopal Church, South, was organized ^lay 16, 1879 by Rev. S. P. Cobb. They worshipped in the Round Grove school house. The charter members were: J. D. Ellisten, Silas

Early Schools. - One of the early schools was Round Grove. It was established before the Civil War. Three generations of one family ha\'e attended this school, and of the last, one is now its teacher. Catherine Hayes, daughter of Mr. Hayes and Mary Ann ( Cockrell ) Hayes, was taught there by Thomas Murray. Her daughter, Ada, wife of John F. Baker, the stockman of Holden, went there, first to John Morrin. and Mrs. Baker's daughter, Catherine Baker, attended the same school under Charles Gauss and is now its teacher. The first building was of logs and located a mile west of the present location. It was moved after the Civil War. For other school information, see chapter on education.

Justices. - The following are the justices of the peace of the township as far back as the county court records show, with dates of tlieir election: 1842, Leroy Duncan; 1844, Leroy Duncan, Peter Campbell, John Newton, John Umstadt ; 1852, Dennis Dunham, Watson W. Ham, Peter Campbell, William Deshager; 1856, Watson \\'. Ham, \\illiam Deshager, Andrew A. Johnson, Martin C. Randleman : 1860. Silas Hulett, Watson W^ Ham, F. C. Howerdin; 1864, Brinkley Hornsby : 1870, F. L. Hobson, B. A. Craine: 1878, R. M. Burriss, W. C. Smith: 1880, G. F. Carpenter: 1882. P. D. Brooks, G. F. Carpenter: 1886. J. H. Hawes, Joseph Potter, W. W. Gaunt; 1894. W. W. Gaunt, J. H. Hawes, J. W. C. Hulse; 1898, W. W. Gaunt, J. H. Hawes, J. W. Greenwood: 1902. W. W. Gaunt, John Skerlock, J. W. Greenwood: 1904. E. B. White, J. W. Greenwood: 1906, E. B. White, O. G. Boisseau : 1910, W. H. Zion, J. W. Greenwood, E. B. White; 1914. W. H. Gorge. J. W. Greenwood. George S. Young.

County Officers. - The following are the county oflicers wlio lia\e been elected from the townshi'p since 1882. with the dates of their election:

Personal Property and Products. - .Agriculture and personal property statistics for IMadison township, as given by Johnson county assessor's lists for 1896 and 1916, are:

County Road Improvements. - County road improvements made by Madison township since this system was established in 1911 were, up to January, 1916, eleven in number, and aggregated $677 furnished by the citizens of the township, and $640 by the county.

Organizations. - The following is a complete list of all organizations of ever\- kind in Madison township. Full details of each organization are in this book in separate chapters on the different organizations. Churches - Baptist. Holden: Catholic. Holden: Christian, Holden;

Fraternal Organizations - Eastern Star, Knights of Pythias, Maccabees, Masons, 266 Haggai chapter: Modern Woodmen, Odd Fellows; Rebekahs, Royal Neighbors, Woodmen of the World.

Business Organizations - Bank of Holden, Farmers and Commercial Bank, First National Bank, Citizens Telephone Company, Home Telephone Company.