Green Township (part 2 of 2)

Golden Rule Encampment, No. 40

was organized in 1868, with the following named charter members: J. R. Bradford, Joseph Ensor, S. G. B. Kavanaugh, R. C. Bohart, Jacob A. Cardell and J. W. Morgan. Prosperity has marked the history of this lodge, which now numbers forty members. It meets Tuesday evening of each week.

Source changes here: from Past and Present of Nodaway County, Missouri, by B.F. Bowen & Company. 4n, published 1910; 1,659 words in this source stream.

Green Township

Green township is on the west side of the county, bordering on Atchi¬ son county and is bounded on the north by Lincoln and Nodaway townships, on the east by Polk and Nodaway townships and on the south by Monroe. The county court defined its bounds at their June 14, 1866, term as follows, in substance : Commencing at the northeast corner of section 20, township 65. range 36. thence west to the county line and south to the southwest corner of the county, thence eleven miles east and north to place of beginning. In 1881 Monroe township was made from parts of Green and Hughes town¬ ships, leaving Green less territory. Nodaway township having been taken off from Green and Atchison in 1871. At this date Green township em¬ braces about sixty-seven sections of land.

The Nodaway river courses through the center from north to south, which furnishes plenty of water and drainage for farmers. The land on the east side of the Nodaway ascends gently from the valley toward the east, with a slight elevation to the north. The same is true on the west side of the river. The Nodaway has numerous branches or creeks, including Bow¬ man's branch, Sand creek. Florida creek and their tributaries. These are to the east side of Nodaway valley, but on the west are found those beautiful streams, the Waterloo. Jones. Huff, Wilson's, Mineral Spring and Burr Oakbranches. A few lakes are found along the valley of the Nodaway in close proximity to the stream. The whole township is made up of fine valley lands, rolling in character, but not subject to "wash." The portion on the east of the river, as well as places on the east side of that stream, are of rich vegetable mold or alluvial soil. It is the best soil for crops in Missouri. In 1880 it was carefully estimated that about one-tenth of the territory in this township was covered with native timber. Along Nodaway river and Sand creek there is an abundance of building stone. Just below Quitman coal is found in paying stratas. The veins run for twenty to thirty inches in thick¬ ness. The only one of the numerous mill sites in the township that has ever been improved is the one at Quitman, where a mill was erected.

Pioneer Settlers

It seems well established that the first settlement in Green township was effected in 1841 by William Bowman, who located three miles south of where Dawson's mill was later erected and on the west side of the Nodaway river. He took a claim and opened a farm there, hiring Joseph Hutson to break ten acres of prairie land for him. The price paid was but a nominal one, for those early settlers desired near neighbors and frequently exchanged work and assisted one another. Bowman only remained two seasons, how¬ ever, and sold to James Roberts and joined the emigrant train bound for faraway Oregon.

In 1842 came Elijah Dodson, who settled north of present Quitman. He pioneered here ten years and then moved on to the Pacific coast. He had sons-in-law named John Dawson. Dennis Dawson (brothers) and John Har¬ ris. They all came in 1842.

In 1843 the settlement was augmented by the arrival of John Porter, who settled a mile and a half from Dodson, on the west side of the Nodaway; he remained a short time and went on to Oregon.

The oldest pioneer in western Nodaway county (in 1888) said he had seen as many as sixty wagons a day going by to the Pacific coast. They went in companies of about thirty wagons, for protection against the Indians, who were very troublesome west of the Missouri at that time.

In those days game was abundant, including elk, deer, wolves, turkeys and bears. The rifle of the sure-shot pioneer brought fresh game to his door almost daily.

Other early settlers who should not be forgotten on the pages of local history include Hiram Lee. of this township, who opened a claim and built the first gristmill near where Quitman now stands. He sold to Rankin Russell, and moved four miles south and there took up a second claim. Mr. Russell tore down the old mill and in its stead built a frame grist and saw¬ mill.

John D. Holt laid a Mexican war land warrant, in 1849, on a timbered quarter section of land about five miles southeast of where present Quitman stands. He sold it in 1833 to Joel Albright.

Past And Present Hard Winter Of 1 849

All of the early accounts seem to agree that the winter of 1849-50 was the most severe and fraught with the most snow of any since the settlement of Missouri. It was once related by William V. Skidmore, of the village of Skidmore, that he used to take three yoke of big oxen to draw a load of corn through the deep snow drifts. It was impossible to tell how cold it was as there were but few, if indeed any, thermometers in the county, and no weather records kept in northwestern Missouri, but the settlers suffered much in their huts and cabins, many of which had been hastily erected the autumn before this memorable winter. As they looked out upon the drifting snows and felt the pinching cold they must have been reminded of the more comfortable homes they had left before they came to this wild frontier.

Still they decided to remain and here build homes for themselves and oncoming families, and when the spring sun had melted away the fetters of snow and ice and the early flowers put forth their shining faces, they went forth to sow, almost forgetting the terrible season they had just passed through.

Hamlet Of Fairview

About 1875 this hamlet was established by the coming of John Bilbv, of Illinois, and he bought several thousand acres of land which he later enclosed as a great pasture. The hamlet was four miles to the southwest of the Quitman of today. Bilbv & Bird put up the first building for a dwelling. John Bilbv then built a store building and placed in it a good stock of general coun¬ try merchandise. A blacksmith shop wras added to the village and three or four dwellings were built west of the store. A postoffice was established called "Fairview" and John Bilbv was appointed postmaster. The site of this place was in what is, or used to be. known as the Whig Valley district, embracing the valley on the west side of the Nodaway river. The name or¬ iginated from the settlement of old-line Whigs three miles and a half w?est of Graham. This hamlet has long since been defunct.

Town Of Quitman

The only town within the borders of Green township, at present, is the sprightly and up-to-date incorporation of Quitman, which dates its corporate history from February 8, i88t. It is situated on section 9, township 26.

range 37, and was platted by R. Russell. It is eleven miles west of Mary¬ ville and two miles north. It is a station point on the old Nodaway Valley railroad and is finely situated on the east bank of the Nodaway river. Its location is sightly and picturesque, high and overlooking the beautiful and fertile valley of the Nodaway. The rolling lands of Green township present a charming rural landscape - a feast to the eye in midsummer when the crops are rolling in the splendor of their luxuriance. In autumn time, the scene is none the less attractive, for then the leaves of the forest trees, turning^ to amber and gold, are indeed a sight worth an artist to behold.

But to speak further of the section where Quitman stands today, it may be said that originally the land there was the property of Hiram Lee, who entered the same, but subsequently sold to R. R. Russell, the founder of the town, who platted it in 1856. At first it was called Russellville, but later was changed to Quitman, in honor of Gen. John A. Quitman, once governor of Mississippi. Judge Neal was surveyor when this place was platted. Lot No. 8, in block 12, w as the first town lot sold and the purchaser was William Emmerson.

Prior to the platting, Hiram Lee had a log cabin on the land, as did also Wiley Tracy. William Emmerson put in a stock of goods, the first in the place.

Mr. Russell built the first brick building and used it for a store. Isaac T. Jones, Meredith Tanner and Joel Albright were pioneers in Quitman and were variously engaged in the business of the new town.

In 1859 a sawmill was erected by Reese & Sellers and a blacksmith shop was put in operation by C. R. Hardesty. In 1858 a bridge was built over the waters of the Nodaway river at this point.

In 1880. during the month of April, the town was visited by a disas¬ trous fire which burned all the buildings on Broadway, the main street, except twro business houses. All were rebuilt, however, in quick time.

The first postmaster of the town was Mr. Russell, the founder. The Nodaway Valley railroad was built to Quitman in 1880. In the year i88t there were twenty-one buildings erected in Quitman to be used for dwellings and ten business houses.

Upon the advent of the railroad the citizens set about incorporating the place and the county court granted it. The first board of trustees were John Gray, James W. Wyke. Charles A. Radford, David Kimble and James W. Wedd'e V

A Masonic lodge was chartered at Quitman May 30, i860 - see Masonic history elsewhere, with other fraternal societies. The Odd Fellows organized a lodge here in June, 1873.

In 1900 the United States census gave the population of Quitman as be¬ ing four hundred ; at present it is believed that it is not so many by about fifty. The business and social interests are now :