Blue Mound Township

Blue Mound Township

Congressional township 56-24, south of Shoal creek and an irregular tract of land of some six hundred acres, lying in the angle between Shoal creek and Clear creek, constitutes what is familiarly called Mound township. The greater por- tion of this township is the finest and most productive agricultural land in the county, while the Shoal creek bottoms afford luxuriant pasturage and thousands of tons of wild grass are cured and marketed annually. A majority of the residents of this township are Welsh or of Welsh descent. They are thrifty, prosperous people. In addition to Shoal creek, which forms part of the northern boundary of the township, Brush creek and Clear creek are the other principal streams. The first settlers located in this township in 1835, although the land was not subject to entry until the year following. Among those who made entries were William Mann, Nathan McCarthy, Alfred Reeves, Henry Walker, Jacob Stauffer, Josiah Whitney, B. F. Baker, Jesse Reeves, Joseph Knox, Orland H. Clififord, Elijah Preston and others. As referred to elsewhere William Mann was captain of a militia company and was engaged in the Mormon war at Haun's Mill and at other points in this section of Missouri. A very destructive storm visited this township on the night of June 20, 1883, in which four persons were killed, Edward D. James, Mrs. John Glick, and Jack Wilson and wife, while John Glick and child, a child of Jack Wilson, Wm. Barret, wife and three children, Mrs. J. B. Dusenberry, Jack and Susan Dusenberry, Wm. Pugh, John E. Hughes, wife and child, Wm. J. Hughes and wife, Mrs. Cunningham, Bert Snyder, Rev. Robert Evans, a son of Morris Davis, Mrs. Morgan Hughes and M. J. Williams of Utica were injured. Thirty-seven houses were wrecked and many partially destroyed; also one hundred and forty-one head of stock killed. The damage was estimated at about sixty-five thousand dollars. The town of Dawn in this township was laid out in 1853, although the location of Josiah Whitney's mill on the bank of Shoal creek was built in 1837 and as early as 1840 a small store was doing business there. The town was platted by Wm. Hixon.

liams and wife, L. D. Jones and wife, Joshua Williams, D. P. Williams and wife, Thomas Pugh and wife, Sophia Davis, John W. Thomas, Robert R. Roberts, John J. Davis, John H. Davis, David D. Owens, Thomas H. Lewis and David Lewis were the first members.

The Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Church

is located two miles southeast of Dawn, and was organized March 8, 1881. The first members were: William Griffiths and wife, Joshua Williams, David D. Owens, Daniel J. Daves, Elizabeth Daves, Thomas J. Powell, Jane Powell, David P. Williams, Mrs. J. Williams, Thomas Griffiths, Isaac Jones, Samuel Jones, Mrs. Jones, J. D. Evans, Catherine Evans, David Hughes, Catherine Hughes and D. O. Hughes.