Johnson County, Missouri - Chapter 21: - Chilhowee Township, 1918

Chapter 21: - Chilhowee Township

This to\\-nsliip is said to liave lieen so named l:)y Muron Perry, a noted sur\'e_\-or from Tennessee wlio chd considerable surveying here in an early day. Possil)!}' the name was suggested by a range of mountains in Tennessee whicli bears tliis appellation.

Geography. - .\rea, 73 square miles, or 46.720 acres. Geographically. Chilhowee township is one of the southern border townships of the east, between the trilnitaries of Post Oak on the northeast and Rear creek and Big creek on the southwest. The Missouri Kansas & Texas railroad occupies the ridge of this watershed.

Soils. - According to the United States Department of Agriculture's soil survey of 1914. the west two-thirds of the township is chiefly Summit silt loam ("black limestone" soil). fli\'ided by strips of Bates silt loam, chiefly along the streams. The east one-third is Boone silt loam ("sandy" soil), irregular strips of Osage silt loam (bottom land) along the creeks and Bates silt loam (dark gray-brown, porous soil). Over the whole township are patches of a square mile and less of Crawford silt loam ("red limestone" soil), Pettis silt loam ("mulatto" soil) and Oswego silt loam ("gray" soiH.

Boone silt loam, upland, 20 per cent.: lies in ea^^t third, immediately adjoining Post Oak bottom in an area three-quarters to two miles wide.

Crawford siU loam, upland, 5 per cent. ; al)Out one square mile in southwest corner, and two somewhat smaller patches, one two miles north of Chilhowee town and one one mile east of town.

Oswego silt loam, upland, 2 per cent.; composes the town of Chilhowee and runs about one mile southeast, and forms a patch of about one square mile on M., K. & T. railroad about one mile south and three-quarters mile east of the northwest corner of the tow^nship.

Miscellaneous soils, 3 per cent. ; patches of Pettis silt loam, Boone fine sandy loam, Boone gravelly loam, Chariton silt loam. Summit silty clay loam.

Of the foregoing. Summit silt loam and Crawford silt loam are ranked in the best three common upland soils of the count}-, with Bates silt loam next; the Oswego silt loam is thinner and less porous; the Boone silt loam comprises the common soils of sandstone origin; the Osage silt loam is the best bottom soil.

Indian Mounds. - The ancient mound Iniilders left evidence of their prehistoric industry in this section of the county. On section 28, townsliip 44, and range 27 on a hillside are some ancient earthworks and near this place ha\'e been found numerous arrow lieads and a few stone axes.

Early Settlements. - The first settlement that was made in what is now Chilhowee township was probably in 1829. Tt appears that James Hogard and William Norris came that year and other settlers located here as follow: James Arnold, in 1830: I'inis and John h'oster. from Kentucky, came in 1832: George D. and Howard A. \\'right. from Howard count}-, Missouri, canie in 1832. .\nderson Masters, from Tennessee; Thomas Cull and sons, James and Thomas }., from Iventuck\-: John Pelle, from Kentucky: Janies Conaway, from Tennessee, and George N. and Samuel H. Douglas, from Howard county, Missouri, all settled here in 1832.

Tliis was before tlie land was sur\e_\eil 1)_\' the government. He had two daughters. There were In(hans liere when the Xorris family came and one of the few Indian depradations committed here was (Hrected against the Xorris family. One day while Mr. Xorris and his two girls were absent from their cabin and Mrs. Xe.irris was there alone she was captured by the Indians and tied on a pony and hurried out of the neighborhood. A company of white men immediately gathered and pursued the Indians. About the time the rescuing party were approaching the Indians who held Mrs. Xorris captive, she succeeded in escaj)- ing. as did the Indians also.

\\'illiam Xorris built the first grist mill, which is said to have been the first one in the county and pioneers came from over forty miles to ha\'e their grain ground here. They would frequently bring" their guns and hunt and tisli for a few days while the tedious process of grinding went on. After operating the mill for a time Mr. Xorris sold it to Marshall and Adam Clark. It was a horse-power mill and they received six hundred dollars for it. In 1S37 Wilson D. Carpenter became the owner of this mill.

George \A'are came from .\lal)ama in 1836, and James Douglas, of Tennessee, a Missouri pioneer who settled in this state in 1816, came froin Howard county in 1834. Thompson Chamberlain, from Tennessee, came here in 1S3.T. William Johnson, a native of Bedford county, Tennessee, settled in this locality in 1840. Samuel Brown, a native of Tennessee, was also an early settler in this vicinity. Wilson D. Carpenter, who was prominent among the pioneers here, was a Virginian and came here in 1837. He was a veteran of the War of 1812 and was a pioneer schoolmaster in Iventucky.

T. X. Carpenter was quite a noted hunter and trapper in the early days, although that was not his profession, and for a number of years he had in his possession an old wolf trap which was an interesting relic of pioneer days. Jester Cocke is said to have been the greatest hunter of the pioneer days in this section.

The first marriage in the township was performed in 1831 when a j\Ir. Fletcher and Miss Hogard were united in marriage at the home of her father, James Hogard. Rev. Robert D. King performed the ceremony, the witnesses were William D. King and Elizabeth Gillum.

Early Physicians. - An early physician to settle in this section of the county was Dr. R. Z. R. Wall. He was born in Rockingham county, North Carolina, March 29, 1810. He graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1829 and received his degree from the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania' in 1834. His practice covered a large scope of country throughout soutliern Johnson county and northern Henry county in the early days. He reared a large family and spent the latter part of his life in retirement.

Dr. Joseph Cusick was the first physician and also tlie first school teaciier in tlie township. Dr. Thomas Jones practiced here as early as 1840 and later went to Te.xas. where he died. Other physicians who practiced here in the early days were Doctors J. B. Young. J. R. Howerton, J. G. Turk, L. M. Horn, W. J. Workman, T. J. Wright, R. Mann and Doctors Duncan and Morris.

Early Churches. - The first religious meeting known to be held in this township was at the residence of Thomas Cull by a Methodist minister in 1836. The first church built in the township was by the Cumlierland Presbyterian denomination in 1858 and known as Pisgali church. Camp meetings were held in this townshij:) as early as 1841. CJreat preparations were made for these amuial affairs. Siieds were l)uilt tliat were capable of affording shelter to tliousands of people who came from great distances. Tlie Reverends J. ?>. and Robert R. Morrow and Calib Davis were prominent re\ivalists in earl\- da\'s who conducted these camp meetings for a numlier of vears. For a number of years the Methodist Episcopal Church. South, Cumberland Presbyterians and Metliodists owned what was known as the Chilhowee Union Chapel.

The Methodist f''])iscopal Church. South, was organized here in 1844. The following are some of the early meml^ers of tliis denomination: Jolm I. Culley, John Thomas Cull. Douglas \\'right, George Hackiey, William. B. L'arpenter. John Wilson and their families.

Second Liliert\- Baptist cliurch was (irganized by W'iUiani Owsley in 1849 and some of the early preachers of this denomination here were William Owsley, F. M. West. Israel Tompkins. A. M. Cockrell. L. M. Horn and Henry Barton. The Pisgah Cumberland Presbyterian church was also an early-day organization in this townshii) and was located on section 36.

Cemeteries. - Walnut Cjrove or Carjienter's cemetery, located in section 27. is probahl}- the oldest cemetery in the township. Isaac M. Carpenter was the first to be buried here. Chilhowee cemetery is located in section 24 just south of old Chilhowee. Hosea Youno- donated this ground for free burial purposes in his will. The first to be buried here was Mrs. Sallie J. Young;. March 5, 1868. There are some other cemeteries in the township, of which little or nothing is known of their history.

Early Schools. - Chilhowee townsliip had its pioneer schools sliortly after the first permanent settlement was made. Joseph Cusick. Richard Anderson, Abraham Stout. James Blackburn, Mr. Graham and .Mr. ^^']^ite were among the pioneer teachers.

Official Records, Statistics. - The justices of the peace of Chilhowee township, as far back as the records go. with the dates of their election are:

County Officers - The following are all the county officers who have been elected from the townshiii. since 1882. with the dates of their election :

Personal Property, Early Products. - Agricultural and personal property statistics, for Chiliiowee township, as given by Missouri state i'eports for 1877, and Johnson county assessors" lists for 1896 and 1916 are:

Road Improvements. - County road impnueuicints made 1)y tiie township, since this system was estaldished in 1911, were up to January 1. 1918. twenty-two in nuiubcr and aggregated $1,271. furnisheil l\v citizens of the townsliip and $1,175 b_\- the count)-. In tlie amount of this work, Chillunvee ranks fourth among the townships of tlie county.

Organizations. - The following is a complete list of all organizations of every kind in Chiliiowee townshi]-). I'ull details of each organization are in this ])ook in sejiarate clia])ters on the different organizations :

Total number of organizations in township is twent_\--li\e. The township contains a good town. Chilhowee, and two \illages. Magnolia and Denton.

Organizations, Families. - Much township history is that of organizations and families, and is found in this book under those headings. Organizations and families are fu]l\- indexed by names and townships.

Chilhowee Village. ( By William Sweeney. ) The village of Chilhowee was an accident. .\ man named James Simpson had bought a small frame house from a William Johnson and undertook to mo\-e it to a claim that he intended to "enter.'" It was placed upon ox wagons ancT was moved to the spot where the old town now is when something broke down and the house was then unloaded and Mr. Simpson put in a small stock of goods, and it was then called Simpson's store. This was about 1855 or 1^856.

Mr. Simpson's brother-in-law. Sanniel McFarland. joined him soon and each built residences. They were succeeded by "Uncle Jim" Morrow, .about 1858.

.\bout that time the place was surveyed by the county surveyor. A. M. Perrv, and he being from Tennessee named it Chilhowee. a Cherokee name for the Tennessee, or "Smoky ^Mountains." .After the war several different men "kept store": J. \A'. A\'right, J. M. Fulton, Bennie Moore. J. W. Cullev. J. R. Johnson and more notable perhaps, J. .\. Young.

AA'hen the Alissouri. Kansas &- Texas railroad was Imilt about one and one-half miles south, several of the houses were moved to the new town site and the old town became a relic only.

tliriving towns of the county on the Rock Ishtnd & Pacific railroad, and on the Missouri. Kansas & Texas raih-oad. It was founded in 1895, wdien the Missouri. Kansas & Texas railroad was built through this section and the town plat was recorded Xo\'emher 4, 1895. and is described as land owned by Enoch Barnum in section 24, township 44. range 27.

Chilhowee has had a substantial growth since it started. There are now two banks, electric light plant with twenty-four hours" service, newspaper, and four churches, one being a union church of two denominations, a high school and all branches of mercantile industries are well represented. The ])opulation by the 1910 census was four hundred twenty-five.

Magnolia And Denton

Magnolia. - Magnolia is on the Missouri. Kansas & Texas railroad, ten miles southeast of Holden. It was laid out May 9, 1896, about the time that the railroad was being constructed. W. H. Hogemever was the owner of the land upon which the tnwn was platted. It has a bank, lumber }'ard, two churches, high school, pinsician and general stores.

Denton, a station on the Rock Island, is also located in Chilhowee township. It was platted June 27. 1905. by Henry Phillips, when the railroad was constructed through there. It is located in the western part of the township in section 7. It has church, good stores, etc., and several residences.