"Willow Creek" to Mill Creek Township
Richland forms the northwest corner of the county. Flat
and Richland Creeks join and form the
Lamine Creek. Flat Creek is crooked through fourteen sections,
from where it enters the township at
Section 18 to its mouth. This creek bounds the timber on the
south of "Little Morgan" Prairie; Haw Creek
gives it abundant water and drainage on the south part. It is
divided into two voting precints. Florence and
Brick School House. All of that part of Morgan county that lies
north of Flat Creek is called Little Morgan.
Some of the most valuable farms in the state are found in Little Morgan.
There are two school districts that
are wholly in Little Morgan, the Brick and Stony Point. These
two school districts have turned out some
boys and girls that have made distinguished marks in the world.
Then there are two districts that are partly
in Morgan county. One of these is called the Gillum school and
the other is County Line school. There is a
church building in Little Morgan known as the Union church. There
are several churches and school houses
in Richland township.
Florence is the only town in the township. The township has
a population of about 2,500.
Haw Creek township lies in the central western part of the county.
A high rolling prairie extends
from the east side to the west side through its center; to the north
and south of this are found excellent
timber and mineral lands. It is in this township that the Hubbard
and Moore coal mine is found. Several
other valuable coal deposits are found in this township. There
are five voting precincts in this township;
Ritchie, Newstover, Hinken, Bethel, and Glenstead. There are
about ten school houses and fourteen
churches. This township has a population of over 3, 000.
Buffalo township is in the southwest part of the county and is
chiefly timber land and is finely
watered and drained, the Osage river forming part of its boundary;
the river and creek bottoms are deep
alluvial loam that makes them the best agricultural lands. There
are also some fine mineral deposits in this
township. Much prospecting has been done in this section of the
county. It is in this township that the
famous old Buffalo lead mine is found. The population of the
township is about 2,000.
Osage township forms the boundary of the southeast part of the
county. It is also partly bounded
by the Osage river. Some very rich farming and pasture lands
are found in the various bottoms of this
township. The Osage river bottoms, Indian Creek and Mill Creek
and the Gravois all have rich bottom
lands. All of these streams water and drain this township.
Most of the township is heavily timbered and
underneath the soil is found deposits of coal, lead, and zinc.
There are several churches and school houses.
The population of the township is about 2,000.
Moreau township is north of Osage township, and forms part of
the east and northeast county line.
In mineral resources it is as rich as any and the whole of the township
seems to be underlaid with good coal,
mostly bituminous. Some coal mines in this township have been
discovered and operated for years. It is
also rich as an agricultural district, the larger part of the prairie
of the county being within its borders. This
is rich and rolling, and is drained by Moreau creek on the northwest
and on he northeast by Smith and Burris
Forks of Moreau creek, and on the south by Gravois and Indian creeks.
It is divided into four voting
precincts, Versailles, Barentt, Excelsior and St. Martin. The
population of the township is over 5,000.
Mill Creek township forms the north and part of the east
boundary lines of the county. It is mostly timber land, and
is watered by Big and Little Richland creeks.
The southwest portion is prairie; the whole is fine farming land.
The railroad from Tipton to Versailles runs
through the east and southeastern part of it. The township is
divided into two precincts. The main line of
the Missouri Pacific railroad passes through the northwest corner of
Sections 10,11, 14, and 15; on this line
is the village of Syracuse. Akinsville is in Section 19.
Among the early settlers were Elijah Shanklin, John
Jamison, John Carpenter, James Bridges and Jonathan Huff. The
population is 3,500.
COUNTY SEAT -- The temporary county seat of Morgan was fixed at Josiah
Walton's, southeast of where
Versailles now is. It remained at this place nearly two years.
The county court appointed Street Thruston
commissioner to locate a permanent county seat. He selected the
present site of Versailles, on Section 6,
Township 42, Range 17. The land was donated by Wyans & Galbraith,
and the court sold the lots at public
vendue.
COURTHOUSE -- In December, 1836, the county purchased of Phillip Barger
the house standing on the
northeast corner of the public square as a courthouse. At least
part of this building is still standing, and is
the rear of the Capt. Neilson's house.
In 1844 a modest brick court house was put up in the center of
the public square. This answered
all public purposes comfortably, but unfortunately was burned in the
general town fire of March 12th, 1887.
A new court house, the present one was built in 1888 at a cost
of about $20,000. The bond issue
for this building was $15,000 and the insurance on the old building,
amounting to $4,000 was applied as well
as some other funds.
Morgan county has no jail except a temporary affair on the second
floor of the court house. This is
only used for holding prisoners in to their trial. Our
sentenced prisoners are kept in jails in other counties.
A jail was built in 1865 but its occupants during several years chipped
and dug away at it till it was
condemed and torn down.
POOR FARM -- In February, 1877, the county purchased the farm of G.J.
Harvey, for a consideration of
$1,500. It is situated three miles east of Versailles.
The county at once added to the original building and
put up other needed improvements. Prior to this it had rented
Mr. Harvey's farm and used it for a poor
farm.
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