Gallatin Township

Gallatin Township comprises the southwestern portion of Clay County and is bounded on the east by Liberty Township and the Missouri River, on the south by the river, on the west by Platte County, and on the north by Platte Township. It contains some excellent lands and fine farms, but there is also a great deal of rough and unproductive tracts in the township. Big Shoal creek and its branches drain the greater portion of the township.

Gallatin was one of the original townships of Clay County, comprising in 1822 the western half of the county. Settlements were made along Big Shoal in 1822. David Manchester's mill was a noted point in 1825. It is alleged that a few French families lived on Randolph Bluffs in 1800. In the neighborhood of Barry settlements were made about 1830, and there was a post office at Barry in 1836, with P. Flemming as postmaster.

Gallatin Township boasts of the enterprising and public spirit of its citizens and is noted for its fine horses, cattle and livestock generally.

The villages of Gallatin township are numerous, viz: Barry, Linden and Gashland, Harlem, Moscow, Arnold (or Blue Eagle), and Minaville, or North Missouri Junction, Birmingham and the city of North Kansas City.

Barry was established first as an Indian trading post about the year 1830, before the Platte Purchase, when what is now Platte County be longed to the red men. Its location immediately on the boundary line (west half of center section 10 and east half of center of section 11, township 51, range 33) puts half the town in Clay and half in Platte. It has a population of about 200, contains two churches, Cumberland Presbyterian and Christian, a good school, stores, shops, etc. It is ten miles west of Liberty and about the same distance north of Kansas City.

Harlem lies in the extreme southwestern part of the township, on the north bank of the Missouri, immediately across the river from Kansas City. It dates its origin from the completion of the railroad through it to Kansas City. Prior to 1880 the location was subject to complete overflow by every "June rise" in the Missouri, but in that year the United States government built a strong levee to the northwest and large additional appropriations have since been made from time to time to strengthen this work so as to prevent future serious overflow. The great flood of 1881, however, nearly drowned out the village. The following lines of railroad pass through Harlem: The Hannibal and St. Joseph, the Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific, the Kansas City, St. Joseph and Council Bluffs and the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific, the latter running over the track of the H. & St. Jo.

Moscow is located on the northeast quarter of section 7, township 50, range 32, eleven miles southwest of Liberty and five and one-half miles from Kansas City. The nearest station is Arnold's, two and a half miles away.

Randolph, on the Hannibal and St. Joseph (sec. ¼. of 9-50-32), seven. From its earliest history it has been quite a shipping point. It is re-miles northeast of Kansas City, was founded upon the completion of the railroad by M. S. Arnold, Esq., for whom the place was first named. Minaville, or North Missouri Junction, is located on the northeast quarter of section 11, township 50, range 32, eight miles from Kansas City and six miles from Liberty. It is the point where the Hannibal and St. Joseph and the Wabash Railroad tracks formerly connected, and dates its existence from about 1868.

North Kansas City

North Kansas City, which is located in the southwestern corner of the township, just across the river from Kansas City, has within the last few years become one of the important industrial communities of the county. A number of industries are located here and all branches of business are well represented.

Barry Cumberland Presbyterian Church. At Barry, on the county line, between Clay and Platte Counties, was organized June 3, 1826, by R. D. Morrow, with 27 members, among whom were:

Some of the pastors who have served this church are Revs. Robert D. Morrow, O. D. Allen, A. D. Miller, W. Schenck, W. O. H. Perry and J. H. Norman.

Barry Christian Church. In the winter of 1840 a frame house of worship was built at Barry for a congregation which had been formed as a church organization on the 26th of April of that year. Among the original members were:

Some of those who have filled the pulpit of the church are John Callerman, Bayard Waller, Josiah Waller, G. R. Hand, Preston Aker, A. E. Higgason, J. A. Lord, S. G. Clay, W. S. Ramey, William C. Rodgers, and others whose names are not now recalled. In 1859 a second church edifice was erected; it was also a frame one.

Ebenezer Christian Church at Minaville was organized in 1865, with:

The pastors in charge have been Richard Morton, Bro. Pickerall, Joseph Wollery and Bayard Waller.

Big Shoal O. S. Baptist Church, located eight miles southwest from Liberty, was organized May 21, 1823, by Rev. William Thorp. This church building is of brick, erected in 1851 at a cost of $2,200.

Bethel Baptist Church, located on the Barry road, five miles west of Liberty, was organized in Pleasant Valley school house, in 1872, by Elder James Rouse. Their present house of worship, a frame building, was erected in 1883, at a cost of $1,500.

Antioch Christian Church, located five miles northeast of Kansas City, was organized in 1854. This church building is frame, erected in 1858 at a cost of $1,800. Rev. Fred V. Loos is the present pastor.

Faurbion Chapel M. E. Church South, located eight miles southwest of Liberty, was organized in 1837. Their present house of worship, a frame structure, was erected in 1870, at a cost of $2,150.

Rising Sun Lodge No. 13, A. F. & A. M, May 6, 1852, this lodge was organized. Of the first officers and members there were but two names furnished, William Conway, master, and James W. Smith, senior warden. 

Clay County| AHGP Missouri

Source: History of Clay County, Missouri, by W. H. Woodson, Historical Publishing Company, Topeka, 1920.