Early Settlements, Jefferson Township, Johnson County, Missouri

>From "History of Johnson County, Missouri," by Ewing Cockrell,
Historical Publishing Company, Topeka, Cleveland, 1918.

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The earliest permanent settlements in Jefferson township were made in
the early thirties.  Among the first settlers, John Draper, William
Davenport and Benjamin Snelling came here from Kentucky in 1832.  Ben-
jamin Kimzey also settled here about that time.  Henry Divers entered
government land in 1833, which is the first record of the kind which
appears in Jefferson township, although a few farms, no doubt, were
opened and settled a year or so prior to this date.  Among the early
settlers in this township were David Cooper and Feldin Wolf, who came
here in 1833, and Anthony Owsley, Thomas Smith, Early Tucker, Isaac Mc-
Donald and William Reynolds, who came in the same year.  Owen Cooper
settled here in 1836, coming from Kentucky and Robert Craig, of Tenn-
essee, came here the same year.  James Patrick, a Kentuckian, settled
in this township in 1834 and later went to Henry county.  In 1837 
Thomas J. Davis, a native of Virginia, settled in this township, but 
later went to Oregon.  Harvey Dyer came about the same time and spent
the remainder of his life here.  The settlement of Jefferson township,
like other sections of the county and state, was not rapid prior to the
middle of the last century.  It was gradual and a majority of the early
settlers made their permanent homes here.  S. C. Gray settled here in
1848, coming from Boone county, Missouri.  He spent the remainder of
his life here and was prominent in local affairs and served as justice
of the peace of the township for a number of years.  Some of the other
pioneers who made their homes here and settled prior to 1850 were Kit
Wingfield, Elbert, Henry and Frank Cooper, John Owsley, John Draper and
his sons, William, Addison and Mosely; Robert Douglas and his sons,
Willis, Alfred, John and Allen; Benjamin Wall, Benjamin Farwell, Rich-
ard B. Fewel, Washington Garret, B. A. Holmes and his sons, Robert H.,
John W., James R., and Benjamin F.; David White, John, Elisha, William
and Addison Grison; Larkin Pettis, William Birch and Dr. Owsley.

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