Johnson County, Missouri - Chapter 25: - Kingsville Township, 1918

Kings\-ille township was organized May 12, 1870, after the railroad had been built. It took its name from Kingsville village, which was named for Gen. William King, who laid out the town in 1856.

Geography and Soil. - Area, 35 square miles, or 22.400 acres. Geographically, and according to the United States Department of Agriculture's Soil Survey of 1914, Kingsville township is a smooth body of good upland soil (Summit silt loam, or "black limestone" soil), broken by tributaries of Blackwater, south fork in the northeast, with irregular strips about one-fourth mile wide, of Boone silt loam ("sandy" soil) adjoining the bottom soil, and by the headwaters of Lost creek, a tributary of Big creek, in the southwest, with irregular strips also about one-fourth mile wide adjoining the bottom soil, of Bates silt loam ( dark, gray-brown soil). It is the smallest township in area in the county.

Summit silt loam, upland, "black limestone" soil, about 75 per cent, of the township. This lies all over the whole township, and it constitutes a larger proportion of the soil of this township and of Madison township than any other townships in the county.

Boone silt loam, upland, "sandy" soil, 10 per cent. This lies chiefly in the northeast part of the township, in irregular one-quarter to onehalf mile wide strips next to the bottom soil of Blackwater tributaries.

Bates silt loam, upland, dark gray-brown soil, 10 per cent. This lies chiefly along the small branches of Lost creek, in the southwest, in irregular strips one-quarter to three-fourths mile wide directly adjoining the bottom soil.

Of the foregoing, the Suniiiiit ^ilt hiani and Crawford silt loam are ranked in the best three common uiiland soils of the county, with Bates silt loam next.

Early Settlements. - It is said that Judge Anderson Smith, son of \\'illiam Smith, the second sheriff of this county, was the first settler in Kingsville township. He located at Bluff" Spring and built the first house there. This was probably about 1835 or 1836. In 1836. he sold to Benjamin Longacre, who soon put up a tanyard and tanned skins for the settlers for a radius of fifty miles. Henry Colbern, the first saddler of W'arrensburg, grandfather of John R. Colbern, the stock man. came here for his supplies. He also built the first mill in the township, which was probably in 1837. Prior to that time the pioneers beat their corn in a mortar. A son of Benjamin Longacre. Joseph D.. from Tennessee, was also an early settler in this township, coming about 1839. He was a soldier in the Mexican War and also served in the Confederate army during the Civil War. He and Joe Howard were noted wolf hunters and frecjuently hunted together. The first settlement on Pleasant Run. or Duncan's liranch. was also in 1839. P. W. Paul settled here prior to 1840. Samuel Boljack was an early settler and in 1844 bought the Longacre mill. At first this grist-mill was a two-horse mill of the old fashioned sweep lever type. Later it was converted into a two-horse tread mill and operated by Joe Howard. This was considered a model modern mill.

Benjamin F. Lewis settled here in 1853. Dr. William G. King came here in 1851. He was born in Independence, Missouri, December 28, 1831. Prominent among other early settlers of the township were Hon. W. F. Ralston, Hon. R. T. Fryer, Josiah Smith and John R. French.

First Postoffice. - The first postoftice was Bluff' Spring and Benjamin Longacre was the first postmaster. He was succeeded by Samuel Boljack. In 1856. the postoiffce was changed to Kingsville.

Early Churches. - The first religious denomination to hold services in this township was the Methodists. Reverend Lee preached the first sermon at the residence of Benjamin Longacre. Soon after this a regular Methodist organization was eft'ected here, which continued until the Civil \\'ar broke out. Rev. Daniel K. Pell was in charge of the circuit in 1844, and it was at that time that the vote was taken for the division of the North and South branches of the Methodist church. The congregation at first voted against the division, but they were all Southern people and upon reconsideration voted in favor of the division, and the church was named Bluff Spring Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Some of the early ministers in charge of this circuit prior to the time of the division in 1844, were Reverends Lee, Martin Paul, AV. Ferrell, McKinney, Thomas Wallace, B. F. Love, George W. Love, Maj. Jonathan Fine, Samuel Colbern, Pratt, George W. Bewley, Daniel Leaper, Ashby and Daniel K. Pell. Rev. Jesse Greene was the first presiding elder of this district. The ministers after the division were. Revs. Robert Foster and Warren M. Pitts. There was no church building ever erected here. The other early churches were in the town of Kingsville, and are given in the history of the town.

Early Cemeteries. - The oldest cemetery in the township is perhaps what is known as Hopper cemetery, located on section 3 in the western part of the township. It was the private cemetery of the families of William Hopper, Houston Helms and Thomas Savage, early settlers here. A blind man, who was accidentally killed, was the first to be buried here.

Major's cemetery is an old burial ground supposed to have been laid out in 1837 and was used as early as 1840 as a public cemetery. One of the Major family was one of the first to be interred here. It is located on East fork of Lost creek in section 13.

Bluff Spring cemetery is also an old burial ground and was laid out by Benjamin Longacre in 1837. It is in section 25, on the ridge dividing the Osage and Missouri water sheds.

Hornsby cemetery, in section 15, is a family burial ground and the first to he interred here was Mrs. Esther Hornsb}', the aunt of J. N. Ferguson, old county surveyor, in 1845.

There are numerous other private burial grounds and many lone gra\'es in various parts of the township, the exact location of many of which is unknown.

Early Schools. - The first schools of Kingsvilie township were located at what was known as Lost creek and Blufif Spring. Hackney school house, an old log cabin which stood near Bluff Spring, was said to be the oldest school hduse in the township. The second scliool house to be built in the township was also a log structure known as Hornsby school house and stood in the southwestern part of tlie township.

Early Teachers. - Some of the teacliers who taught in these log school houses were Alfred Hawker. James Allen. William \\'. Sparks. Joseph Y. Alexander. J. N. Ferguson. A. J. Longacre, Hugh Wallace. Ben Howell and R. G. Stokley. Later teachers were, William T. Johnson, Thomas McKee. Maggie Duncan. J. K. P. Howe. R. T. Frver. P. L. Hyer. Stanley T. Rogers. James A. Wright, T. A. Rcavis. Maggie A. Totten, Dora Douthit. C. H. Hartzell, T. X. Haynes. F. E. Meigs, A\'illiam L. Xelson.

County Road Improvements. - County road improvements made by Kingsville township since this system was established in 1911 were, up to January 1, 1918, twelve in number, and aggregated $633.75 furnished by citizens of the township, and $625 furnished by the county.

Organizations. - The following is a complete list of all organization.s of every kind in Kingsville township. Full details of each organization are in separate chapters on the diiiferent organizations.

A postoffice was establislied liere in 1856 and Samuel Bolejack was the first postmaster, continuing to serve in that capacity until the Civil War broke out in 1861. The postofiice was discontinued for a time during the Ci\il War but was reestablished in July, 1865 al)out the time the Missouri Pacific railroad was built to this point.

J. N. Ferguson taught a suljscription school here in the winter of 1859-60 and a Mr. Belmont conducted a subscription school some time prior to that. Martha Givens and W. H. Duncan also taught school here prior to the Civil \\'ar. School was suspended most of the time during the war as Kings\ille and vicinity suffered much from devastation during that period. Among some of the early day teachers of Kingsville who were identified with the schools after the war were W. P. Baker, Henry Harmon. J. Kline, J. Johnson, Rev. Isaac X. Newman, Maggie M. McCarty. Al^agail Whitson. Rev. R. G. Thompson. William P. Hunt. George G. Valentine. Dora Douthit, A. C. Jones. Mollie Johnson, Maggie Duncan, Lizzie Hamshaw. Carrie Maynard, Mrs. Mattie George, Addie Johnson, Laura A. Glasse, George B. Longan, Mrs. Emma Longan. F. E. Meigs. John Moran. Sally King, J. D. King. Mrs. Adelia S. Boswell. and A. J. Sparks. At the organization of the Kingsville school district in 1868 the first board of directors consisted of the following: A. G. French, Jacob Glasse. James Robinson. .\. J. Buchanan, John Hickman, .-rnd J. S. Jones.

Kingsville cemetery is located on Chair Knob, near the village and was laid out in 1856 by General William King. He was l)uried here July 26, 1870. There is also another cemetery in the vicinity of Kingsville which was formerly known as the People's Public cemetery. The Catholic church also has a cemetery here wdfich is located on the western slope of Chair Kno1). This property was purchased and first used for a cemetery in 1881.