Washington Township

Washington Township forms the northeastern portion of Clay County and is composed of all of congressional township 53 and the lower tier of sections of township 54, in range 30. Much of the territory is very broken, rough and rocky. Many small streams, all of which ultimately run into Fishing River and its forks, head in the township. In many places picturesque bluffs are found along these streams, and the scenery is beautiful to look upon, but hardly appreciated by those owning the land.

The St. Joe branch of the Santa Fe Railroad runs through the northeastern comer of the township, a distance of about two miles, and Lawson, in Ray County, is the nearest station and general shipping point. Kearney and Holt, on the Hannibal road, give the people something of competition in the matter of railroad facilities.

Greenville (Claytonville P. O.) was located in the southern part of the township on Williams creek, sixteen miles northeast of Liberty and about six east of Kearney. At one time it contained a school house, two churches (Methodist and Christian), and about seventy-five inhabitants. It was one of the oldest villages in the country but it now no longer exists.

Claysville (Prospect Hill P. O.) was about two miles northeast of Greenville within half a mile of the Ray County line, and four miles south of Lawson, the nearest railroad station. Like Greenville, it no longer exists. Not a store in the township.

As early as 1824 Travis Finley settled on section 26 in this township, two miles southeast of Greenville. Archibald McIlvaine, Stephen Baxter and others were also early settlers. Ryland Shackelford located northwest of Greenville soon after Finley came, and Mr. Shackelford often declared that when he made his location and for a year afterwards, there was not a white settler between him and the North Pole.

At the May term of the county court, 1830, Washington was created as a municipal township out of Platte and Fishing River. The boundaries were originally the same, practically, as at present, the two western tiers of sections being taken off in 1872 when Kearney was formed. The boundaries as ordered by the county court when the township was organized were as follows:

Beginning at the point on the county line between Ray and Clay Counties where the line between townships 52 and 53 strikes the same, thence due west along said township line for eight miles to the section comer on said township line between sections 34 and 35, in range 31, thence due north along said section line between sections 34 and 35, in range 31, to the northern boundary line of the county.

Singularly enough the court omitted to describe the northern and eastern boundaries of this township. They will be understood, however, to have been the northern boundary of the state, and the line between Ray and Clay extended to that boundary.

It was certified to the Secretary of State that there were at least 95 taxable inhabitants in the township upon its creation. John P. Smith and Harlow Hinkston were the first justices of the peace, John Wright the first constable, and Stephen Baxter, Archibald McIlvain and Richard Clark the first election judges. The first election was held at the house of Stephen Baxter.

Mount Vernon Missionary Baptist Church, located on section 15, township 53, range 30, was organized in 1857 by Rev. William Barrett. The names of the original members were:

The present membership is sixty-four. The names of some of those who have served as pastors are Revs. William Barrett, who filled the pulpit for three years, Thomas Montgomery, Asa N. Bird, J. W. Luke, G. L. Black and J. J. Fetts. This brick edifice was erected in 1871 at a cost of $5,000, more than one-half of which was contributed by Waltus L. Watkins.

Clay County| AHGP Missouri

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