Johnson County, Missouri - Chapter 19: - Post Oak Township, 1918

Post Oak township was organized February 14, 1849, off of the south end of Warrensburg township. It was named from Post Oak creek, which received its name from the abundance of post oak timber adjoining the creek.

Geography. - Area, about 69 square miles, or 44.160 acres. Geographically, Post Oak township composes tlie upland between Post Oak creek and its tributaries on the west and Clear Fork on the east, both these streams heading in a water shed running east and west across the south end of the township. The M. K. c't T. and Rock Island railroads occupy this water shed, and Leeton and Post Oak towns are situated on it.

Soil. - .According to the United States Department of Agriculture's Soil Survey of 1914, Post Oak township contains more different types of soils in considerable amounts than any other township, and also contains less of any one type in a solid body than any other township. The following are the chief soils and their approximate proportions in the township: Bates silt loam (dark gray-brown soil), 30 per cent.: Boone silt loam ("sandy" soil), 25 per cent.: Oswego silt loam (gray soil). 12i/< per cent.: Summit silt loam ("black limestone" soil). 10 per cent.: Crawford silt loam ("red limestone" soil), 7^ per cent.: Boone fine sandy loam (with more sand than Boone silt loam), 5 per cent., and Osage silt loam (ordinary bottom soil), 6 per cent.

Bates silt loam, upland, about 20'''4 scfuare miles: lies chictly in the southeast half of the townshi]), adjoining the Oswego and Boone silt loams.

Oswego silt loam, npland, alH)ut Sy2 s(|uare miles. It lies chietly in three areas; one of three to four square miles arountl and extending about three miles northeast of Post Oak town, another of al)out one square mile lying three-quarters mile northeast of Leeton and the other of about one scpiare mile lying about two miles north and a little west of Leeton.

Boone fine sandy loam, upland, al)out oj'j scpiare miles. This lies chiefly in patches beginning about one mile northwest of Post Oak town and extending about six miles north, or about half way to W'arrensburg.

Miscellaneous, upland and bottom, about 2^ square miles, or 4 per cent, of township. These are small patches of Pettis silt loam, Chariton silt loam. Roberts\-ille silt loam. Sunmiit silt_\- cla}- loam. Crawford stony loam and Boone graNcll}- loam.

Of the foregoing'. Summit silt loam, Crawford silt loam and Pettis silt loam are ranked as the best three common upland soils in the county, with the Bates silt loam next.

Early Settlements. - The earliest settlement in this township was probably in 1830. James Harris and his son, John M. Harris, came here that year from Tennessee. Reverends Samuel King and R. D. King also settled here in 1830. ^^laj. James Warnick, one of the sturdy, substantial pioneers of the county, came here from Tennessee in 1833. (Refer to his family history for a full sketch.) Robert Thompson settled here in 1832. Abner Stewart, John Marr and Daniel Alarr settled here in 1834. Samuel Evans, a Kentuckian, came in 1837. B. F. Wall came from Xorth Carolina in 1839 and Ijecame a well-to-do farmer. Other old settlers who located in this township prior to 1840, or during th.at year, were, Thomas Irwin. Thomas J. Young. S. Stone. Samuel Houston, Edward Nichols, Philip Stone. John Stone. William Strong, Joseph

Mills. - \A'hen Post Oak township was lirst settled, the nearest mill was at Lexington, forty miles to the north. A trip there frequently required a week to complete, as the patrons of those pioneer mills were sometimes required to wait one to three days to get their grinding done. Booneville, about sixty-five miles distant on the Missouri river, was the nearest general trading point.

Early Churches. - The early day circuit riders visited the pioneers in this section al)out the time the settlement became permanent and services were usually held in their homes.

In the fall of 1833, the first camp meeting was held by Rev. Samuel King and R. D. King, of the Cumberland Presbyterian church, in the grove near the residence of Re\'. Samuel King.

The first Sunday school was organized in 1S49 by Rev. Samuel King, who was superintendent. Maj. James W'arnick assisted in the school. It was taught in a little log school house near the site of Shiloli church.

The Shiloh Cumberland Presbyterian church was the first church in the townshi]). It was organized by Rev. R. D. King in 1836. Their first building was erected in 1875, and dedicated by the Rev. J. H. Houx. Some of the pioneer pastors of this denomination liere were, Rex'erends W. Compton, B. F. Thomas, H. R. Smith, J. R. Whitsett, G. V. Ridley, S. Finis King and the first elders were James Harris, John I'oster, Robert Thompson, Abner Stewart and R. M. King.

Providence Baptist church was organized in .\pril. 1846, by Elder William P. C. Caldwell. Pioneer pastors of this denomination here were Reverends W. P. C. Caldwell, David W, Johnson, .Amos Horn, C. F. Floyd, William Lauder. L. ]M. Horn. Israel Thompson. .\. M. Cockrell and John S. Denton. Some of the early members were Samuel and Anna Evans, Benjamin and Melinda Childers. William B. and Sina Compton, Louis and Sarah McComb and Andrew J. Bell. The first bm'Iding used bv this organization was a union churcli building known as Shiloh. wdTicli was located eleven miles south and one and one-half miles west of Warrensburg.

Mount Zion Cumlierland Presbyterian church was organized and erected a house oi worshi]) after the close of the Civil War. Rev. J. H. Houx preached here for a time, .\mong the early members were Robert X. Warnick, David Marr. Dr. Lee D. F.wing, John P. Warnick and Julius \\'oodford.

The German Baptist or Dunkanl church of Post Oak township was organized January 25. 1869. Their first church building was completed in 1871. The first members were Jolin J. Ifarshey. Catherine Harshey, S. S. Mobler, ^Lary .\. Mohler, D. M. Mohler. ^hu- Mohler, E. Mohler. Anna Mohler. Samuel Inilker and May Lnlker. l^lder John J. Harshey was the first minister.

The Christian church was organized in .Kiiril. 1872. by M. D. Todd, an e\'angelist. and a sulistantial frame liuilding was erected the same year about one-half mile east of Cornelia. Dr. J. M. Ward contributed about half of the funds necessary for this building. The following named ministers preached here in the early history of this organization : l^^lder Hurley. George \\'. Logan, Benjamin F. Stephens and F. F. Meigs. Some of the original members were .\. L(juney and family. Allen Jones and wife. John Burnett and wife. Dr. J. Af. Ward. Woodson Reavis and wife, \\illiam Wiley. A\'illiam P.lakey and wife and John Daugherty and wife.

Harmony Baptist church of Post (lak was organized in 1881 bv Re\-. .\. M. Cockrell. A suitable church building was erected the same year. There were thirty-li\'e original members of this chm-ch. This congregation \\as an offspring of old High Point church in Jefterson township.

Early Cemeteries. - .\mong the old cemeteries of the township. Shiloh cemeter}-. was laid out in 1840 and an infant cliikl of James Stewart was buried there the same year. Here also rest the remains of Rev. Samuel King, one of the founders of the Cumberland Presbyterian church. Cornelia cemetery \\as an old one. The Dunkard cemetery, in section 21. township 44. range 23. was started in 1869. The first burial was that of a child of an emigrant family who were passing through here. Snelling cemetery was established about 1841. Greer cemetery was an early-day burning ground, as was also Mount Zion. \\'all cemetery and Greenlee cemeter\' were family burial grounds and

Early Schools. - A man named Baker taught the first school in this township in 1835. He was followed by Alexander Marr. Other pioneer teachers of that period were Salathiel Stone, Mr. Macklin, Air. Townsley, J. M. Ward, Ben Thomas and Miss Mary Cull.

Among the early district schools were Bryson. Cornelia, Culley, Divers. Grinstead. Holmes, Marr, Thomas, W'arnick and \\ashington. The following are some of the early teachers after the Civil War; John Farnev, Mrs. M. J. Brownlee. William Warnick, Benjamin Woodford, Lula Caldwell, B. F. Pettis, J. W. McGiven, Parma Wash, Cora Wash, Nannie Holmes, Kate Lawler, Jerome Mohler, Silas P. Cully, A. J. Sparks, Miss Jones, Cora Wall.

Early Postoffices. - Cornelia was the first village and postoffice in the township. James K. Farr and James Morrow built the first houses here in 1853. The town was located in section 36. about eight miles south of Warrensburg. It was named by Dr. Love in honor of his wife who bore the name Cornelia. In the Civil War it was practically burned to the ground by Bill Stewart and his gang. This village was also known b}- the early settlers as Shanghai and is said to have been so called from the fact that Dr. Love, who lived here, was a chicken fancier and c[uite extensi\'ely engaged in raising a breed of chickens known as Shanghais. Cornelia was a postoffice long before the Civil War and remained one until establishment of rural routes. There have usually been there also a grocery store, blacksmith shop, a public school and two. churches.

Post Oak postofiice was established in 1855, about five miles south of Cornelia on what was known as the ^\'arrenslnlrg and Clinton mail route. N. M. Irwin was first postmaster. This town is on the lines of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific and the Missouri, Kansas & Texas railroads, which were afterwards built through here, and now has store, blacksmith shop, school house and several residences.

Aubrey postoifice was established in the northeast part of the township in 1875 and J. N. Herring was the postmaster. .Stone iiostofficc, named for that prominent family, also gave service for a while.

Justices. - The following are the justices of the peace of the township as far l)ack as the count}- records show, with dates of their election : 1852, John Oliphant, Thomas McSpadden, Thomas lams, Richard M.

County Officers. - Tlie following are the county officers who liave been elected from tlie townsliip since 1882, with the dates of their election :

Personal Property and Products. - Agriculture and personal property statistics for Post (Jak tnwnship. as given by Alissnuri State Report for 1877, and Johnson county assessors' lists for IS'^6 and 1916. are:

County Road Improvements. - County road improvements made by Post Oak township since this system was established in 1911 were, up to January 1. 1918, twenty-four in number, and aggregated $1,320.70 fen-nisiied b)- citizens of the township, and $1,319.70 furnished 1\v the county. In amount of this work. Post Oak township ranks second among tiie townships of tlie county.

Organizations. - The following is a complete list of all organizations of every kind in Post Oak township. I'^ill details of each organization are in separate chapters on the difterent organizations.

LEETON. Leeton. (By Mrs. Mary B. Hamacher. ) Leeton. one of the important trading points in the southern part of the county, hicated on the Missouri, Kansas &- Texas and the Rock Island ntilroad, which parallel each other through this townshi]). came into existence with the advetit of the

As soon as the location of the station was decided upon, J. J. I.ee, H. E. Fewel and R. L. Grinstead i)iu-chased ahout forty-five acres of land and laid out two hundred fift_\-cight lots. The plat was recorded October 21, 1895.

There are five churches: The .Missionary Baptist, Primiti\e Baptist, Methoilist, Christian an<l I'.rctlncn: two hanks, newspaper, electric light plant and all lines of business.