Platte Township

Platte township comprises the northwestern portion of Clay, its present boundaries being as follows: Beginning at the northwestern corner of the county, thence south along the county line between Clay and Platte to the southwest corner of section 22, in township 52, range 33, thence due east to the southeast corner of section 21, township 52, range 32, thence north to the southeast corner of section 33, township 53, range 32, thence east to the half section line north and south through section 35, township 53, range 32, thence due north to the county line between Clay and Clinton, thence west along the county line to the initial point.

The greater portion of the township is well timbered and watered, and the principal farms have been hewed and dug out of the timber. Generally the face of the country is broken and the land rolling and elevated. The numerous branches of the Platte, Smith's fork. Camp branch, Owen's branch. Second creek, Wilkinson's creek-afford plenty of water and render the country hilly in their vicinity. The eastern part of the northern portion of the country was originally, at least many sections, prairie.

Some of the best farms in the county are in Platte Township. Considerable labor was expended in making them and those who performed this labor in most instances did not live to enjoy the full fruits thereof. It has been left for their successors to realize the good fortune. Many large farms and wealthy, albeit the latter are plain and simple in their lives, are to be found in Platte township.

Among the first bona fide settlers in Platte Township was Humphrey Smith, the old "Yankee", mentioned elsewhere. His mill, at what afterwards became Smithville, was the nucleus or head of subsequent settlements. Smith came in the summer of 1822. His son, Calvin, said his nearest neighbors were eight miles off, and were Ezekiel Huffman, Tarlton Whitlock, David Magill, Abraham Creek and James Wills.

Prior to 1824 there were in what is now Platte township, Rice B. Davenport, five miles east of Smithville; Capt. James Duncan, at Elm Grove, one mile south of Davenport; Capt. William Duncan, three miles south of Smithville, and in the fall of 1824 came Eleven Thatcher, to his claim, two miles south, or about one mile north of Duncan. One account given fixes the date of the settlements of the Duncans as in the spring of 1824. In the eastern part of the township (west half of section 14-53-32) a squatter named Castle White lived in 1826. The dates and locations of other settlers in the township, prior to the creation of the township in 1827, cannot now be obtained, but it is known that there were at least thirty families in what is now the township before 1828.

Upon the organization of the county what is now Platte Township was included in Gallatin. But in time it became necessary to have a third township, this portion being then thickly settled and needing separate organization. Accordingly at the special term of the county court, in June, 1827, Platte Township was created with the following boundaries:

Beginning on the boundary line of the state where the sectional line dividing sections 22 and 27 strikes said boundary line, in range 33, from thence due east along said sectional line dividing 22 and 27, to the sectional line dividing sections 21 and 22, in range 32, and from thence due north along said sectional line between 21 and 22 in range 32, to the township line dividing 52 and 53, and from thence due east to the western boundary line of Fishing River township, in section 36, township 53, and from thence due north to the northern boundary line of the county.

The first justices of the peace of the township were William Duncan and James Duncan. The first constable was Jesse Yocum. Elections were held at James Duncan's and the judges were James Winn, William Yocum and John Loyd.

The first post-office in the township was at Elm Grove, the residence of Capt. James Duncan, six miles southeast of Smithville. It was established some time prior to 1835. This was the first post office in this region of country, and was resorted to for years by the settlers in the Platte Purchase and by many others.

During the Civil War a number of the citizens of Platte Township were killed at or near their homes. The bushwhackers killed Bishop Bailey and Columbus Whitlock, and the Clay County militia killed Thomas D. Ashurst while on the way with him to Liberty, as narrated elsewhere.

John Ecton, Jr., had been in the Southern army, but had returned and was living quietly at home. A Federal detachment took him from his work of breaking hemp, carried him away and killed him.

In the first week of June, 1863, a squad of Federal state militia took prisoner Rev. A. H. F. Payne, a prominent member of the Christian church, residing in the southern part of Clinton County, but well known and universally respected in Clay. They carried the prisoner with them on a raid through this township and halted one night at Smithville, where Mr. Payne passed his last night on earth at the residence of Col. Lewis Wood. The next day he was taken out, near his residence, and shot to death.

Near the time when Reverend Payne was killed, Capt. John Reid was shot by a detachment of Federals at a point about three miles northeast of Smithville. Captain Reid was a prisoner and was mounted on a fine swift horse. He sought to escape by the superior speed of his horse and dashed away, but the Federal bullets were swifter than the horse and he was shot out of his saddle. Many a prisoner was shot during the war in an alleged attempt to escape, but it is said by good Southern friends of the captain that he really was attempting to obtain his freedom when he was killed.

First Baptist Church of Platte. This is probably the oldest church located in the limits of Clay County, and certainly the first one of Platte Township, having been organized at Duncan's school house, on Saturday, June 23, 1827. It is located on the northeast quarter of section 36, in township 53 north, range 38 west. Here the church building, originally constructed of logs, stood, but in 1876 a frame building was erected, costing $1,000. The first members were William Vance, Barbara Vance, Richard Jesse, Frances Jesse, Juliet C. Jesse, John Thatcher, Woodford F. Jesse, William Corum, Bersheba Corum, Abijah Brooks, John Lloyd, Nancy Lloyd, Eleanor Corum and Polly Nance. Abijah Brooks was the first church clerk, being succeeded by Woodford Jesse. Revs. D. W. Riley, William Thorp, Eppa Tillery, Thomas Turner, Darius Bainbridge, William Warren, T. W. Todd and John E. Goodson have been the pastors in charge.

Mount Olive Christian Church. This church is located on the northwest quarter and southwest quarter of section 8, township 52, range 32, stands an excellent frame building, erected in 1875, and costing about $2,000. In connection with it is a handsomely laid out cemetery. Twenty-six persons comprised the original membership, as follows: Louis Grimes and Jacob R. Wilson, who were made elders;

The pastors who have filled the pulpit here are W. C. Rogers, Bayard Waller, A. B. Jones, H. B. Clay, S. R. Hand, Rev. Mr. Watson and Rev. Fred V. Loos, present pastor.

Smithville

The town of Smithville stands on section 23, township 53, range 33, or one mile from the Platte county line and about five miles from Clinton County. It is a thriving town and all branches of business are represented. The first settler on the present site of Smithville was Humphrey Smith, who came in the spring of 1822, and two years later, or in 1824, built a mill on the fork of Platte River. He was born in New Jersey in 1774, lived in Pennsylvania from 1784 to 1800, in Erie County, New York, from 1800 to 1816. and then removed to Howard County, Missouri, where he resided three years and a half; then he removed to what is now Carroll County, then Chariton, where he remained until 1822, when he came to Clay. He was universally known as "Yankee" Smith.

With something of Yankee enterprise and shrewdness Smith located where he did and built his mill in order to catch the patronage of the government Indian agencies in the Platte country, and also the custom of the settlers who, he rightly conjectured, would push out in considerable numbers to the extreme frontier. The mill at first was but a "corncracker", but in a few years, when wheat was first raised in the country, Smith added a bolting apparatus, and it is said that this was the first flouring mill in Clay County. It stood near the site of Smith's dwelling house, a log cabin, which was built on the south side of Main Street where the Liberty road turns south, and east of the road. The mill was operated by Smith and his sons for thirty consecutive years and then purchased by Col. Lewis Wood. It was washed away by a flood in 1853.

"Yankee" Smith was all his life an avowed Abolitionist. He declaimed against what he considered the sin of human slavery at all times and under all circumstances. For his principles he was mobbed in Howard County and driven away. His family fled to what is now Carroll, and he joined them as soon as it was safe to do so. But no sort of persecution, blows, mobbings, threats, denunciation, or raillery moved him or deterred him from speaking his mind. Frequently some bully would approach him and call out: "Smith, are you an Abolitionist?" "I am", was always the reply. The next instant he would be knocked down, but he would rise and calmly say, "0, that's no argument. You are stronger than I, but that don't prove you are right". Finally his soft answers turned away the wrath of those opposed to him and he was allowed to hold and express his opinions in peace.

Smith always declared that slavery would be abolished in the United States, but he did not live until his eyes had seen "the glory". In June, 1857, he died of small-pox. It has always been supposed that he caught the disease from an infected Abolition paper, called the Herald of Freedom, published at Lawrence, Kansas, and to which his son, Calvin, was a subscriber. The postmaster, James Brasfield, who handed Smith the paper, took varioloid, and Smith himself had small-pox in a violent and fatal form. At first his disease was not known, and persons who called to see him were infected and spread the contagion through the neighborhood. Many died therefrom and the incident was one long and sadly remembered.

Humphrey Smith had a store at his mill before 1828 and soon after a little village sprang up. Calvin Smith, a son of Humphrey, managed the store at first. Next to him were Henry Owens and John Lerty, both of whom were small merchants here before 1840. James Walker was another early merchant. Dr. Alex. M. Robinson, afterward a prominent Democratic politician of Platte, Dr. J. B. Snaile and Dr. S. S. Ligon were the first physicians in the community.

Old settlers assert that as early as 1845, Smithville was a place of much importance. The failure of the Parkville Railroad delayed the development of the place and entailed considerable loss on many of the citizens who were subscribers to the stock, but now the Q. O. & K. C. R. R. passes through Smithville.

Smithville has been several times incorporated. The first incorporation was by the county court, August 7, 1867; this was amended April 8, 1868, but the trustees appointed never qualified, and July 6, following, the county court appointed Erastus Smith. Jacob Kraus, Otis Guernsey, Theodoric Fitzgerald and Matthew McGregory in their stead. February 4, 1878, there was another incorporation, the territory incorporated being described as "all that portion of the southwest quarter of section 23, township 53, range 33, lying south of Smith's fork of Platte River". October 8, following, there was a reincorporation as "a town", with J. D. DeBerry, J. C. Brasfield, William Clardy, W. H. Rhoads and John Swartz as trustees. The town is now running under this incorporation.

Church of Christ at Smithville. There are but few facts mentioned in connection with the history of this church which have been presented and some of the most important items of interest cannot now be given. The organization of the church was effected October 13, 1843. The membership in that early day was composed only of Alexander B. Duncan, Preston Akers, Henry Owens, L. J. Wood, Christopher C. Bailey, James G. Williams, Sr., Jonathan Owens, James H. Thon), John Grimes, James Krauss, Margaret Krauss, Helen M. Duncan. Rachel C. Buchanan, Lucinda G. Grimes, Eleanor Breckenridge, Elizabeth Ecton, Juda Strode, Missouri A. Owens and Joseph Shafer. Some of the pastors have been Moses E. Lard, Preston Aker, A. H. F. Payne, William H. Robison, G. B. Waller, John W. Tate, and Fred V. Loos, the present pastor. In 1848, at a cost of $1,000, a plain, unostentatious brick church edifice was built. In 1883 a new building was erected at an expenditure of $4,500. This is one of the handsomest brick churches in the county.

Smithville Baptist Church. J. D. DeBerry and wife, Mary A. De-Berry, J. B. Colley and wife, S. P. Herndon, Eliza and Emeline Herndon, Mary J. Parker and Clarissa H. Basley were the constituent members of this church, which was organized in the spring of 1873. Rev. Mr. Livingston was instrumental in its formation. The first pastor was L. D. Lampkin and he was succeeded by R. H. Jones, W. W. Wilkerson and A. Barton, after whom again came Mr. Jones. In 1882 the frame church building in which they now worship was constructed at a cost of about $1,700.

Vigilant Lodge No. 289, I. O. O. F., at Smithville, was organized November 28, 1872. The original members were John H. Marr, S. S. Johnson, F. 0. Estes, G. H. Hays and John Swartz. A. B. Crawford, L. J. Wood, Erastus Smith and Samuel Venrick were initiated the first night.

Gosneyville

Gosneyville, a small hamlet in the northern part of Platte township (on the southeast quarter of section 5, township 53, range 32), has half a dozen houses, two churches, stores, etc. It was never regularly laid out, and has no official history. Many years ago John Gosney established a blacksmith shop here and for him the village was named. The post office is called Paradise.

Gosneyville M. E. Church South. This church was organized at the old Corum school house, near Smithville, in 1843, by Rev. E. M. Marvin and Rev. Amos Tutt, and was the first M. E. church organized in Platte Township. The original members were:

The first pastor was Rev. Amos Tutt.

Gosneyville Christian Church was instituted July 18, 1868, by Rev. Preston Aker and Josiah Waller. The constituent members were:

The church now has about sixty-five members. In 1870, a plain frame edifice was built, costing $1,500. Revs. Thomas Williamson, Bayard Waller, A. J. Pickrell, Benjamin Hyder, Blake and R. C. Watson have all ministered to this church as pastors.

Clay County| AHGP Missouri

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