Johnson County, Missouri Genealogy Trails

Source: "History of Johnson County, Missouri" by Ewing Cockrell, 1918
Transcribed by Karen Hammer -2009

CENTERVIEW TOWNSHIP.

Centerview was organized by order of the county court, November 17, 1870, and named from its high and central location.

Early Settlement.-The first permanent settlement in the territory now comprising Centerview township was probably made in 1832. Solomon Cox, a native of Kentucky, settled on section 1 on the east side of Brier creek in 1832, where he built a log cabin, and remained until 1848. Mr. Cox was a Missouri pioneer, coming to this state long before it was admitted to the Union. He was known as "Uncle Solomon," was a frugal and industrious man and while living in this township he accumulated about four hundred acres of land. This he sold at ten dollars per acre in 1848, when he left for the Pacific coast. He was a man of a roving and adventurous nature and thus his onward march across the plains and over the mountains.

Jeremiah Gregg, a native of Kentucky, settled here in 1832.

Matthias Houx. a native of Kentucky, came here in 1833. He was a successful farmer and stock raiser and became well to do. He spent the remainder of his life in this county and lived to a ripe old age. His children still live at the old home place. In the early days he was a typical frontiersman and a hunter of considerable note. In 1849, during the gold excitement in California, he went to the Pacific coast overland. It was truthfully said of him that on that overland trip to California he shot nearly every species of animal to be found between Missouri and California, including buffalo, elk, deer, panther, grizzly bear and Indian. He killed hundreds of deer and wolves in his time and in his declining years he retained his trusty old muzzle-loading rifle and double-barreled shotgun, mute comrades1 of many exciting events in the once wild and unbroken West.

John Conway, of Tennessee, came here in 1833 and died in 1842. James Stirling, also a native of that state, came in 1833 and died here. William Conway came from Tennessee in 1833 and later went to Texas, where he spent his life. Jeremiah and Samuel Carmichael and William Cocke, natives of Tennessee, came in 1833; the former spent the remainder of his life here and the latter later removed to California. Isaac Reese, another Tennesseeian, located here about 1834 and later went to Kansas, where he died. James Fisher came to this section in 1835. He was a native of Mississippi and in 1847 went to Texas.

Philip S. Houx came here in 1838 and died about twenty years later. He was a native of Missouri and the father of Rev. James N. Houx and grandfather of Charles H. Houx. John Kennedy, a native of Tennessee, came here in 1838 and died shortly afterward.

John G. Graham a Virginian, settled here in 1838 and died in 1878. Samuel C. Graham, also of Virginia, settled in this vicinity in 1840. The Grahams left numerous descendants, good citizens and men who still live in the township. James J. Graham, also a Virginian, came in 1850. Samuel T. Thistle settled in this vicinity in 1840 and later moved into Rose Hill township. He was a Virginian. And Gideon Harrison, of Alabama, came here in 1842 but soon afterward returned to his native state.

Samuel McFarland, a native of Tennessee, came to the territory of Missouri in 1816. Later he lived in Cooper and Lafayette counties and in 1843 settled in Centerview township, about two miles east of where the village of Centerview now stands. He went to Texas in 1850 and died there in 1851. His brother, George McFarland, settled in Centerview in 1843 in the same locality and spent the remainder of his life there. He died prior to the Civil War.

Moses G. Mullins was an early settler in this section and for a number of years lived in Centerview township, two miles southwest of the Centerview depot.

Among other early settlers were William Ramsey, G. Burgess, John Combs, Jacob Fetterling, William Marr, J. W. Houx, John R. Whitsett, T. C. Chamberlain, James Chamberlain, Elhanen Roop, James Stirling, and his son, and P. S. Houx and his two sons.

George Washington, a pioneer of sterling worth, was the first supervisor from Centerview township. He held this office for eighteen months, when the law was changed abolishing the office. Later he was elected a member of the county court. He was also one of the first justices of the peace in the township and was postmaster.
Early Schools.-The school system of Centerview township had its beginning with the primitive log school house which was maintained by the settlers and known as "subscription schools." This was the method generally in vogue prior to the public school system. Some of the first school buildings in Johnson county were erected in Centerview township. The first log school house erected within the present limits of this township was located on the south side of Brier creek, one and one-half miles south of the present village of Centerview. probably not later than 1835. There has been no tangible trace of this building for over half a century.

Another pioneer log school house was built in the same district one mile southwest of the one above mentioned several years before the Civil War, perhaps about 1850. This school was known by different names but was originally called the Cox school. The Briscoe school and the Owings school were also organized before the Civil War. The former was located in the southern part of the township and the latter in the eastern part. The Briscoe school, like many other buildings, was burned during the Civil War. During the war all the schools in the township were discontinued.

Some of the pioneer teachers of Centerview township were: Alexander Gibbs, Addison Van Ausdol, J. J. Graham and Moses G. Mullins.

The Graham school, a private institution, supported by subscription, was the first school organized after the Civil War. The house- was a small frame building erected in 1866 by donations from Samuel C. Graham, James Peak and others. G. H. Sack, who afterwards became county superintendent of the schools of Johnson county, was the teacher. This was the only school in the township for some time and pupils from a radius of six or seven miles attended school here. In 1868, the Centerview school district was organized and purchased this private school house and J. C. Crawford was employed to teach the school, being paid from public funds. In 1872 this school was organized as a graded school and removed to the town of Centerview. John E. Hendrix was the first principal and was followed by George Brinkerhoff, Mr. Wester, Professor Reynolds, Rev. S. H. McElvaine, H. W. Roop and W. L. Shipp.

Early Churches.-Centerview township was active in church organization during the early pioneer days.

The old Smyrna church, four miles southwest of the village of Centerview, was the oldest church building in the township. It was a log structure thirty feet square and was known as the Free Church. It was built in 1840. and has long since disappeared, but was one of the famous churches of the early days. Some of the pioneer preachers who held services here were Joseph White, William P. C. Caldwell, Amos Horn, a Baptist minister, J. B. Morrow, of the Cumberland Presbyterian church, and Robert Glenn, a Presbyterian minister.

The Cumberland Presbyterian church was organized in 1833 by Rev. J. R. Whitsett and J. B. Morrow. The following were among the early pastors to serve this denomination here: Reverends J. R. Whitsett, J. B. Morrow, S. Finis King, A. A. Van Ausdol, J. W. Means, William F. Gordon, Walter Schenck and S. H. McElvaine. Among the early members were Philip Houx and family, S. C. Graham and family, John S. Graham and family. Rev. J. R. Whitsett and family, James J. Graham and family. Pleasant Carmichael and family.

The Baptist. Brethren, Methodist, Presbyterian and negro Methodist churches were all organized before 1880 and are still in existence. They are covered in the general church chapters in this book.

Official Records, Statistics, Justices.-The justices of the peace in Centerview township as far back as the records go. with the dates of their election, are: 1878. George Washington, J. W. Davenport; 1882, W. L. Shipp. A. M. Repp: 1886, R. B. Wright, J. W. Davenport; 1890, R. B. Wright, R. C. Brownlee; 1892, H. Jackson: 1894. R. B. Wright; 1896, J. C. Oliver: 1898. R. B. Wright; 1902, R. B. Wright, A. D. Gowans; 1904, V. D. Washington; 1906, R. B. Wright. John Smith; 1910, A. D. Gowan; 1914. Howard Graham.

County Officers.-The following county officers have been elected from the township since 1882: 1886, William A. Porter (Republican), recorder: 1898, Robert B. Graham (Democrat), county judge: 1902, W. L. Shipp (Democrat), appointed school superintendent; 1905-1907-1909, W. L. Shipp (Democrat), elected school superintendent.

Road Improvements.-Permanent county road improvements made by the township since this system was established, up to January 1, 1918, were twenty-one in number and aggregated $1,159.50 furnished by the citizens of the township, and $1,150 by the county. In the amount of this work Centerview ranks eighth among the townships of the county.

Organizations.-The following is a complete list of all organizations of every kind in Centerview township. Full details of each organization are in this book in separate chapters on the different organizations :

Churches-Baptist (Vitae Springs), Brethren, Cumberland Presbyterian, Methodist, Presbyterian,

Negro Churches-Baptist, Methodist.

Fraternal Organizations-Modern Woodmen.

1917 War Organizations-Red Cross, Centerview Branch.

Homemakers' Clubs-Briscoe, Glendale, Gowens, Willing Workers.

Miscellaneous-Clover Leaf Club, Village Improvement Club.

Business-Bank of Centerview.

Organizations, Families-Much of the history of the township and many items of general and personal interest are primarily parts of the history of the families and organizations of the township and will be found in this book under the history of the families and organizations. Both are fully indexed by names and townships.

Total number of organizations in township is sixteen.

CENTERVIEW.

Centerview town is a thriving and progressive village on the Missouri Pacific railroad between Warrensburg and Holden.
It was founded in 1865, when the Pacific railroad was built. The postoffice here was established with the laying out of the town and Elhanan Roop was the first postmaster.

Centerview is surrounded on its four sides by some of the best farming and stock raising country in this section.

It has a bank, high school, four churches, two negro churches and houses representing all the leading businesses.

The town is incorporated and the following are its officers since then :

Chairmen.-1913-14, A. D. Gowans; 1915-16, C. G. Huggins; 1917-18, J. F. Zoucha.

Trustees.-1913-14, C. G. Huggins, W. H. Sherrick, E. B. Roop, J. R. Bozarth; 1915-16, J. F. Zoucha. A. G. Middleton, R. C. Hull; 1917-18, E. C. Smith, A. D. Gowans, Herbert Scott.

Clerks.-1913-14, R. C. Hull; 1915-16, E. C. Smith; 1917-18, W. B. Gowans.

Collectors and Treasurers.-1913-16, E. P. Hering; 1917-18, C G. Huggins.

Marshals.-1913-14, J. T. Zoucha; 1915-16, W. B. Gowans; 1917-18, A. G. Middleton.