Johnson County, Missouri - Chapter 22: - Grover Township, 1918

Grover township, whicli occupies the nortlieastern corner of the county, was originally a part of Washington township, and at its organization, February 9, 1869, included tlie territory which is now Simpson township and the northern point of what later became Montserrat township. The present boundaries were estalilished January 23i, 1875, It was named for Col. Ben. W. Grover. a prominent and able citizen of the county of the period before the Civil War.

Geography. - Area, 48 scpiare miles, or 30.720 acres. Geographically. Grover township is divided 1j_\- two streams which make a "T." Blackwater running east and west at the top and Walnut creek running north from the south part of the township into Blackwater.

Soils. - According to the United States Department of Agriculture's Soil Survey of 1914. the townshi]) is chiefly made up as follows: The Iwttom lands along the creeks are joined bv a one-eighth to a mile wide strip of Boone silt loam ("sandy" soil) on each side and next to that is the Summit silt loam ("black limestone" soil), constituting most of the upland, while in the northeast corner of the township is a body of three or four square miles of Chariton silt loam, or second bottom soil.

Summit silt loam, upland. This lies all oxer the township and next to the lighter soil adjoining the bottom : about 30 (ler cent, of the township.

Boone silt loam, upland, about 20 per cent. This lies next to the bottom land, also occupies an area of about four s(|uare miles in, the nortliwest part of the township, and also another of .about three scpiarc miles. l)egimiing about one mile west of Dunksburg and running south about three miles with a width of aliout one mile.

Chariton silt loam, second hottum. 1(1 per cent. This lies on the north side of Blackwater in the northeast corner of the count\- and is the largest area of this second hottum soil in the county.

Of the foregoing, the Sumii upland soils in the count}-, with silt loam occurs in such small ai to have been ranked by the ^( the descriptive matter it was rar

Early Settlements. - The ]iermanent settlement of this section of Johnson county began about 1830. although there were a few here jirior to that time. John Leeper, A\'illiam Cheek and A\illiam Marsh.aU came here between 1828 and 1830. A\'illiam Marshall settled here in 1830 and it is probable that John Leeper came here in 1828, although if he did so he did not make permanent settlement that year. He was a hunter and liad a cabin on AA'alnut creek probablv as earl\- as 1828, but did not make his home here until a A-ear or so later.

AA'illiam Thornton, a nati\e of \'irginia, came here in 1830 and Thomas Marshall, also a A'irginian. settletl here in 1832. Charles Thornton and his son-in-law, Larkin llocker, settled in this township in 1835. They brought slaves with them and were well to do.

Charles M. Oglesbv came here from Kentucky in 1834. His native state was A'irginia, where he was born. .August 17, 1801. He died here September 23. 1861. and was one of the respected pioneers of C,ro\-er townslii]i. Charles 'SI. Oglesln-'s niotlier-in-law, Mrs. Jane Gilbert, came here with Mr. Oglesb^'s famil\- ;ind was one of the luinored 'lioneer women of this section. She died in 1836. Talton A\'. Oglesl>_\- came here in 1834 and entered laml.

Jacob Cox located in what is now 6;i-o\er township in ]\larch. 1833. He was a A'irginian and came here from Cooper county, to which place he had moved in 1831. He was man-ied liere Januarv 13. 184.^. to

Melimla Senior. He was a blacksmith and Ijrought a blacksmithing oiufit with him and opened a shop here which is said to have been the first hiacksniith shop within a radius of fifty miles. At that time Salt Fork in Saline county was the nearest grist mill. This was forty miles distant.

James Rothwell came here in the fall of 1839. He was a Virginian and si)ent the remainder of his life here where he was a useful citizen and became very well to do. Another pioneer who came here among the first was a Mr. Lewis, who came from Saline county in 1829. He entered land from the government but his wife soon afterward became dissatisfied with tlie country of ho\\ling woh'es, deer and Indians, and the\' sold their farm to William Cheek, taking in exchange for it a cow.

Early Physicians. - Dr. Grandison Thornton, son of Charles Thornton, was perhaps the first physician in tliis section. He also kept a small drug store at an early day. He left here during the Civil War and died near Fort Scott, Kansas, while on his way to the southern part of Missouri.

Dr. B. F. Dunkley settled here in 1846 and is nund^ered among the early-day physicians. His practice extended over a large scope of sparsely settled country at a time when travel was difticult, there beingno roads. He frequently drove an entire day to visit a single patient and make the return trip. Speaking of his practice and the condition of the countr\- in the early days. Doctor Dunkley is quoted as saying: "I found malarial fe\'er very prex'alent, from the simplest chill to the most violent congestive forms of fever. As the country settled up. malarial fever became milder. I used to keep two good horses, fat and in trim, for the malarial season, which generally began with August and lasted through September and (October. I would ride to see m\- patients on one side, of the creek one day and visit those on the other side the next dav." Doctor Dunkley was a capable physician, a good citizen, and became very well to do.

Postoffice. - The first postoftnce was county line and part of the time was kcjn was known as I'ee Branch, named from a li min Prigmore was the first postiiiaster.

Dunkshurg is the only \illage in (inixer township. It is located on the Pettis county line on section 1. Doctor l)unklc\- o]>cucd a store here in 1858 and the \illage was named for him.

Alount Zion Church of Christ was the first religious society established in the township. It was organized May 31. 1840. with the fi>llowing members; Charles Thornton, (Jeorge I'hornton. James W. Jones.* Grandison Thornton. Larkin Ilocker, Mary Thornton, Martha C Thornton. Amanda W. Huff, Eliza Jane Ilocker. Theodocia Thornton, Xancy L. Thornton. Luc}- B. Fu,gua. .Ann luistham. .Sarah l'".asthani. Xancy \'igus. Margaret Jones and Rlizabeth Telilts. Colored uKMuber^ of this organization were: Charles Thornton's .\ndrew Shepherd and James W. Jones' Joseph. The clun-ch was organized at the residence of L. Hocker aiul for sex'eral years services were held in private residences and in the gro\'es. Thomas Midkey was the first pastor and he \isited the congregation monthl}-. The first church which this congregation erected was a log structure eighteen by twenty feet. As early as 1845, this church had a membership of one hundred, .\bout 1850, the old log church became dilapidated and a suitalile fi'.ame l)uildiiig was erected. This building was replaced in 1859 b> a more commodious structure. Among some of the early pastors of this denomination, who fdled the pulpit here were. Thomas Mulkey. Dr. Thomas McBride. Duke Voung, Elder Price. Allen Wright, Thomas Hancock, J.ames Randrdl. Joseph Wright, C. A. Hedrick. B. C. Stephens and Sanuiel McDauiel.

Mollie Hughes, Mattie Hughes, William Hughes, Xoah Briles, ]\Iary Briles, Martha Briles, Ann Lear, Mary Lear. Rol^ert Lear, W. Sitton, Jane Sitton, Philip ^^'heeler, Frances Wheeler, Sarah \\'heeler, Riley Wheeler, James Taylor, L. T. Current, Sallie Current, Delia Current and A. M. Current. In 1874 a Sunday school was organized at Calvary church with Lewis Hayworth, superintendent. Among the early pastors who ser\'ed this church were: T. S. Benfield. J. S. Porter, J. M. Kelly, S. Jones, J. C. W. "Jones and S. Ing.

Union Chapel, Methodist Episcopal church was organized in 1870 by Rev. Stanford Ing. The church was Iniilt in 1876 and dedicated four years later by Rev. J. N. Pierce. Among the early pastors here were Stanford Lig. P. S. Benefield, J. S. Porter, S. \\\ Jones, C. J. W. Jones and the first members were A. Fisher, ^Lartha h^isher, D. T. Fisher, Polly .A. Fisher, Nathan Fisher, Elizabeth l<"isher. John Maddox. Mahala Maddo.x. H. Brant and Lydia Brant.

Early Cemeteries. - There are mnnerous cemeteries in Grover township. Tebbs" cemetery is located in tlie western part of the township. John M. Tebbs was the first to lie buried here. ALarch 4. 1848 Hocker cemetery is located on what was the old Hocker farm. The first person buried here was Harrison Hocker, May 1. 1840, and the second was Thomas Huff. Roljinson cemetery is located in the southern part of the township near W'alnut creek and is located on an eminence or knoll. Joseph Robinson selected this spot for a liurial ground and his remains were laid to rest here in 1839. "Old Dick," a colored slave \vho lived to be a hundred years old, also sleeps beneath the stars here.

Oglesby cemetery is a small burial ground and the gra\es herein are mostl_\- those of the family whose name the cemeterv liears. Swope cemetery is another small burying ground. Marshall cemetery is located east of Walnut creek. There are several graves here, the first one being that of Mrs. William Cheek, who was buried about 1840.

Mount Zion cemetery, whicli w.-i-- l.iid out in close proximitv to Mount Zion churcli, was used mostl\- for members of that denomination. The cemetery was opened coincident with the building of the church. A\'ampler cemetery was cpiite a large burying ground and is located in tlie western ])art of the township. The cliild of Isa;ic McCoa' was the first to be buried here.

Payne cemetery bears the name Lit tlie original owner of tlie land where it is located. Miss Martha Grice was the first to be interred here in 1857. The Rothwell cemetery is a family bnrying ground located on section 10. The infant son of j. C. Rntlnvell was the first to be buried here in 1854.

Early Schools. - The early schools of Clrover township were not unlike other pioneer settlements, the fir^t schools were of the "subscription" type. Highland school was the first to be built. The l.)uilding was a little log hut which stood on an elevation. Later, another log cabin was built in the western part of the township. Then a school house was built on Blackwater which was known as the Lowland school. Other school districts were organized and sciiool Iniildings of a better type were erected from time to time, ami kejn pace with the general de\-elopment of education.

Official Records, Statistics, Justices. - The justices of the ])eace of Grover township, as far l)ack as the records go. with the dates of their election, are: 1870, Anthony Fisher: 1878, C. G. Oglesby, Johnson Wheeler: 1882, J. W. Rowlett, J. M. Harter: 1886, George Amick, G. W. Harter: 1890. John Dittmer. Xathan Fisher: 1894, John Dittmer,

Personal Property, Products. - Agriculture and personal property statistics fur Grover township, as given In' ^lissouri State Reports for 1877, and Johnson county assessors' lists for 1896 and 1916, are:

Road Improvements. - County road improvements made In- tlie )wnshii), since tliis system was established in 1911. were up to Janury 1. 1918. twenty-four in number and aggregated $1,515. furnished y the citizens of tiie township, and $1,350 furnished 1n- the countv. In mount of this work Groxer ranks first among the townsliips of the i)unt\'.

Organizations. - Complete list of all organizations in the township. )etails of all these are in this book in chapters on the separate organi- '.ations.