Washington Township, Daviess County, Missouri

Washington township is in the north range and the second from the eastern line of the county. It is six miles square, the size of a congressional township. The general nature of the country is high and rolling, the bottom lands on the Big Muddy and Hickory creeks being of unsurpassed fertility, while the uplands and prairies are composed of a rich sandy loam, with a clay sub-soil, not, however, impervious to water. The timber supply is composed of some of the finest grown in Northern Missouri, and covers nearly if not quite one-half of the township. The trees are large, the oak predominating, with elm, hickory, hard and soft maple, walnut, etc., which will become a source of great wealth to the township if properly husbanded. Washington township is bounded on the north by Harrison county, on the east by Lincoln township, on the south by Grand River and west by Salem township. It is watered on the west and north by Hickory and Big Muddy creeks, and on the southeast by a large branch of the Big Muddy. Besides these there are an innumerable number of springs all over the township.

The township has been exclusively settled by farmers and stock-raisers, there being no town or village within its borders.

Washington township has not been noted for its rapid growth, having settled slowly, the majority of the settlers locating in the southern part of the township, which, until 1870 was a part of Grand River township. That year Washington township was organized and the territory of which it is composed was taken from Grand River township as above stated. In 1870 the population was 810 and in 1880, 945. This was but a small increase for ten years, less than the average gain of the county, being only a trifle over sixteen per cent. It may do better the present decade.

In area Washington township has twenty-two thousand nine hundred and twelve and seven one-hundredths acres of land, and the assessed valuation of real estate and personal property was, in the year 1877, placed at $238,818. This shows a greater average wealth to the inhabitant than several other townships. This speaks well for them as an agricultural people and good farmers. The opportunities for investment in this township are unsurpassed. Land is cheap, and both timber and prairie can be combined in one farm. It will soon have a railroad within a mile or two of its southern border, and the farthest farm in the township will hardly be ten miles from a railroad station. Should a railroad be extended from Jameson north to Bethany, in Harrison county, as talked of, the line, if it does not run through the township, will probably be within a mile of the western border from north to south, which would not only help in the matter of transportation, but give greater value to the lands of the township.

Back to: Daviess County

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