Source: "History of Johnson County, Missouri" by Ewing Cockrell, 1918
Transcribed by Karen Hammer -2009
HAZEL HILL TOWNSHIP.
The territory composing Hazel Hill township, one of the northern tiers of townships of the county, was originally a part of Washington township. Hazel Hill township was organized June 10, 1856, and its boundaries practically remain the same as they were at that time, except that a strip off of the eastern side was added to Simpson township upon the organization of that township in 1875.
The early school at Fayetteville was built near a hill of hazel brush. A Sons of Temperance lodge was organized in 1884, met at the schoolhouse and named the lodge Hazel Hill, from this hill. The name was then applied in succession to the schoolhouse and the village. Today the village is commonly called Hazel Hill more than it is Fayetteville.
Early Settlements. The section now composing Hazel Hill township was one of the earliest settled parts of what is now Johnson County. This was due to the fact that it was one of the most northern sections of the county and early immigration came from the direction of the Missouri river on the north. Richard and John Huntsman settled in this locality in 1829. Samuel Cornett was located here in 1831 and William McMahan came the same year. Elijah Young came in 1836. He perhaps was one of the first to introduce fruit raising in the new country. He was an enterprising citizen and lived to a ripe old age. Joseph Harrison, a native of Alabama, came here in 1832 and Joseph Hobson came from Tennessee then. also. George McMahan. from Alabama: William Adams, from North Carolina: Jesse Harrison, from Alabama; Judge William Trapp, from Tennessee, came here in 1832. In 1834, Judge Robert Graham, from Virginia, Henry Brooks from Indiana, and Jacob Parman from Tennessee established their homes here. LeRoy Barton. a Kentuckian, joined the settlement the same year. John Markham and John Shackleford, both Kentuckians, cast their lots here in 1835.
Joel Walker came here in 1830. He was known as an industrious and frugal pioneer who contributed his part toward building up the new country. It is said that he improved three farms. Judge Harvey Harrison settled near the headwaters of the Walnut in 1831. He served as justice of the peace for twelve years. The lives of the pioneers of this section were not unlike the average frontiersmen of those days. They cleared away and broke land and it was not long until many had built comfortable although not elaborate homes.
Early Churches. - Religions organizations were affected at an early day in Hazel Hill township. Liberty Baptist church was the first in the township. It was organized in May 1836, with ten members, and about that time a log church building was erected on section 24 on the Warrensburg and Lexington Road near Liberty cemetery. The old church was built of hewn logs and puncheon floor with slab seats and was heated by two stoves. Amos Horn, Martin, and Jonathan Gott were among the first to preach the gospel here. This old church building did service for about forty years, when the organization was changed to Fayetteville, where a frame building was erected in 1877. Some of the early pastors here were David M. Johnson. M. Pelly, R. H. Harris. A. Barton and James H. Carmichael. The early members of the organization were: J. W. White, J. Warner, William Simpson, V. Schilling. Sarah Walker, Richard Huntsman. Alary, Nancy and H. Huntsman, William M. Walker and Cynthia Walker.
The Christian church of Fayetteville was organized about 1842 and four years later a frame building was erected which was dedicated by Elder Hiram Bledsoe. The early pastors of this church were Hiram Bledsoe, James Randall, D. M. Grandfield, George W. Logan. William Jarrott, G. R. Hand, William Roe, C. A. Hedrick and Samuel M. McDaniel. This church was reorganized in 1876 by Rider William Jarrott with the following members: William Trapp. John Trapp. Jesse Trapp. M. Trapp, Thomas Collins. Elijah Young. Joe Seigfield, Hiram Kelso, William Jones, William Lemon, Samuel Guinslead and Noah Dyer.
The Mt. Moriah church. Cumberland Presbyterian was organized here shortly after the close of the Civil War and about that time a frame church building was erected. This was located on section 21. Among the original members of this congregation, we find William Stockton, William McMahan. William Brandon and their families. The first pastors here were S. H. McElvaine and J. C. Littrell.
Early Cemeteries. Regular cemeteries were established very early within the present borders of Hazel Hill township. Liberty cemetery was established on section 24, on the road between Warrensburg and Fayetteville, at an early day. Harrison cemetery was established in 1844 and Thomas B. Harrison was the first to rest here. Hobson cemetery, another early burial place, is located on the northeast corner of section 15 and the remains of Mrs. Elizabeth Brooks were the first to be interred here. Mt. Moriah cemetery, located on section 28, was another pioneer cemetery and Mrs. P. V. Spring was the first to be buried here. Morgan Cockrell was the first to be interred in the Old Bethel cemetery, which was located on the western part of section 7.
Early Schools. Up to 1838 schools were held in private residences generally but about that time the log schoolhouse was established in the northern part of the township which became known as the Benton school and another one in the southern part which later became known as the Pettis school. These were of the crude type of buildings usually constructed for school purposes in those days and here subscription schools were conducted until the present state educational system was established, or rather the beginning of it.
Among the later school buildings, which were constructed before the war was the old McMahan log schoolhouse, built in 1853. This was replaced by a frame structure six years later, which was burned during the Civil War and was not rebuilt until after the close of that conflict. Prior to the war, the old log schoolhouse previously mentioned. to which the name Hazel Hill was early given, stood near the present site of Fayetteville.
Teachers. - Among the early schoolteachers of the pioneer times in this part of the county, we find the names of Judge Robert Graham, James Borthick, Judge William L. Hornbuckle, Henry Tarpley, William W. Sparks, John G. Gibbons. Jesse Trapp and A. Marr.
Some of the teachers, who were among the later educators of this township, were Mr. Tomblin, Mr. Edwards, A. J. Trapp, Jesse Trapp, Samuel H. McElvaine, A. B. Logan, John Randall. C. F. Greenlee, F. F. Meigs, Mr. Babbitt. Mrs. Bedichek, Miss Maggie Lamar, Miss Sallie Young, G. H. Sack, A. C. Jones, William Rowe. Henry Gott. Miss Mattie Brinkerhoff, Miss Jennie Lamar, Miss Jennie Gott. Mattie Meigs, Joseph Conner, J. Harrison. Lizzie McCluney, Mr. Day. Miss Kate Lamar. I. M. Harrison, J. Johnson. Miss Jennie Adams. Dora Foster, Miss Josie Hart, William Talbott. Miss Jennie Gott. Miss Bertha M. Brandon, George Brinkerhoff, Miss Maggie Nelson. Mr. Wimer, J. Crawford, Ed Gilbert, Thomas McDougal. G. M. Shanton, W. H. James, Mr. Coe, Miss Annie Rhodes, Lot Coffman, Miss Nannie S. Dalton, Miss Melissa Taylor, Miss Sarah Ashby, Miss Lina Barkley, Rev. Barnett. W. Payne, Mr. Whitmer, Mr. Motsinger, Rev. Woodard, Samuel Moore, David Bradley, Amos Horn, John M. Christy, Mr. Shields, James Crutchfield, E. H. Miller. Miss Maggie Humphrey, Miss Mollie Hendricson. Will McElvaine, Miss Ella Redford, Miss Sallie Cook, John A. Moore. A. Yan-Ausdol, Dean Redford, Jason M. McElvain, Josie Smith and T. E. Williams.
Early Postoffice.-The first postoffice established in Hazel Hill township was at the residence of James Borthick, who was the first postmaster. This was long before the town of Favetteville was known and the name of the postoffice was Air. Later, when the new village of Favetteville sprang up. the post office was given the name of Favetteville. although the village was also known as Hazel Hill. The first postmaster in the town was Ben E. Lemmon. who held the office until the Civil War broke out. He received his commission from President Franklin Pierce. Later postmasters of Fayetteville were A. B. Harrison, William Gouch, John Hand, M. Seamonds, A. J. Morgan, John Matthews and Wesley Otis.
Fayetteville. the principal village in Hazel Hill township, is located about a mile east of the center of the township. The village took its name from Lafayette Collins, who was engaged in the mercantile business here in the early days. He went to Texas about the time of the Civil War, where he died in 1877. The land upon which the village of Fayetteville stands was entered from the government September 17, 1845, by John Huntsman. Ben E. Lemmon kept the first store here. Others who were engaged in the mercantile business here at different times in the early days were Lafayette Collins, A. B. Harrison, John Huntsman, William Gouch, George T. Herndon and A. J. Redford.
Justices of the Peace of Hazel Hill township, as far back as the records go with the dates of their election, are: 1856, James P. Martin, Benjamin F. McCluny, William H. Narron, William L. Hornbuckle; 1860, John Newton, Atkins Powell, W. L. Hornbuckle. William H. Harris; 1862. Calvin S. Sullivan; 1870, G. W. Winston, John L. Trepp: 1878, William P. Greenlee, W. P. Glover: 1882, W. P. Greenlee. Theodore Hyatt: 1886, William P. Greenlee, William McMahan: 1888, Theodore Hyatt; 1890, C. A. Harrison, AY. P. Greenlee: 1892. R. J. Matthews; 1894, J. H. Collins, H. P. McGraw; 1896. J. D. Dyer, L. C. Gore: 1900. C. A. Harrison; 1902, J. D. Dyer, George Young: 1904. J. N. Allworth; 1906, Frank N. Ames. A. J. Barkhurst; 1908, William Hobbs; 1910. Frank N. Ames; 1914, George Youngs.
County Officers. The following are the county officers who have been elected from the township since 1882, with the dates of their election:
1898-E. D. Frost (Democrat), recorder.
1902-08-C. A. Harris (Democrat), probate judge.
1908-R. L. Falconer (Democrat), sheriff.
1910-14-E. F. Tracy (Democrat), presiding county judge.
County Road Improvements made by the township, since this system was established in 1911, were up to twenty-three in number and aggregated $1,234.50, furnished by the citizens of the township, and $1,220 by the county. January 1. 1918. In the amount of this work Hazel Hill ranks sixth among the townships of the county.
Organizations. -The following is a complete list of all organizations of every kind in Hazel Hill township. Full details of each organization are in separate chapters on the different organizations.
Churches-Baptist, Liberty; Christian, Fayetteville; Cumberland Presbyterian, Mt. Moriah; Cumberland Presbyterian, Salem.
Fraternal Organizations-Modern Woodmen, Fayetteville; Modern Woodmen. Hoffman; Modern Brotherhood of America.
1917 War Organizations-Red Cross, Fayetteville Branch.
Miscellaneous-Homemakers Club. Fayetteville; Homemakers Club, Salem; Farmers Community Club; Women's Christian Temperance Union, Fayetteville; Women's Christian Temperance Union. Walker; Young-Ladies Busy Bee Club.
Total number of organizations in township, fourteen.
There is one village in the township, Fayetteville, and also stores at Robbins and Hoffman, former post offices.
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Biographical Sketch of RUSSELL's, Johnson County, Missouri
Hazel Hill Township
From "The History of Johnson County, Missouri," Kansas City Historical Co. 1881
Coleman, John, Thomas, and Henry Russell are reputable farmers. THE RUSSELLS OF HAZEL HILL TOWNSHIP.
Their grandfather was a major in the army of the United Kingdom of Great Britain. He resigned his commission and emigrated to America, A.D.
Ireland, was an officer in the United States Army and did gallant 1795. Their father, Major Henry Russell, was born in Rithmelton, service in the war of 1812. The bounty land awarded him by this grand old commonwealth. Although his four sons are and have a government he located in Missouri, and afterward became a resident of right to be, proud of their genealogy, they have sense enough to know
When they came hither, a quarter of a century ago, they were, to say the that it amounts to nothing in this republic, where merit alone is entitled to rank. These Russell boys are all of them retired merchants. least of it, rich. Their losses, by reason of the late deplorable no longer rich enough to make them proud, yet they are not poor enough for internecine war, were no less than twenty-five thousand dollars; nevertheless, they annoy no one with loud lamentations. Whilst they are to feel the pangs of poverty. The Russell's still occupy their kind word for those in distress, a penny for the poor, and a malediction delightful homestead, situated in full view of the city of Warrensburg. They are generous, hospitable, agreeable gentlemen, exceedingly liberal in politics, and tolerant in reference to religion. They always have a for an enemy. ==================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message written consent of the file contributor. pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the
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Great fun, great memories...
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