Biographical Sketch of James Simpson, Johnson County, Missouri,
Simpson Township. 

>From "History of Johnson County, Missouri," by Ewing Cockrell,
Historical Publishing Company, Topeka, Cleveland, 1918.
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James Simpson, in whose honor Simpson township was named, was a native
of Virginia.  In 1832, he came to Johnson county, Missouri with his 
widowed mother, his brothers and sisters, and a numerous company of
slaves.  They entered a large tract of land, comprising 680 acres of
land, from the government and on this farm the mother and son resided
all the remainder of their lives.  Mrs. Simpson was a highly valued and
worthy member of the Methodist Episcopal church and the Simpson home 
was the favorite stopping place for the pioneer preachers.  James Simp-
son always took an interested part in civic affairs and his opinion on
all matters pertaining to agriculture was greatly respected.  He was 
one of the leaders in the movement for a county fair and in the breed-
ing of high grade stock.  Long before the railroad had penetrated the
prairie lands of Missouri, Mr. Simpson returned to Kentucky to purchase
pure bred stock, both horses and cattle, which he brought to Johnson
county.  At one time, he served as justice of the peace and was ever
afterward known as Squire Simpson.  Squire Simpson was a typical coun-
try squire, keeping a pack of greyhounds and enjoying a deer chase with
the utmost zest in those days when the forests abounded in wild game.
Politically, Squire Simpson was a Democrat.  He was a firm advocate of
temperance and the Good Templars was the only order of which he was a
member.  He was never married.  In 1861, both mother and son died and 
the Simpson homestead was sold, part of the farm being purchased by 
Mrs. Hannah Lynn, who paid six thousand dollars for 600 acres, and the
remainder, 80 acres, was sold to John H. Davis.  The following families
are of Simpson extraction:  Brown, Ramsey, Young, Shepherd, Collins, 
Foster, Herndon, Roberts, Roach, Hamley, Cheatham, Offutt, Profit, 
Mulkey and colburn.  But there is not one person now living to perpet-
uate the name of Simpson.  William Simpson, the only brother, of James
Simpson, Sr., was a captain in the Confederate army during the Civil
War and when the war closed conducted a hotel in Warrensburg.  His 
death occurred near Columbus a few years afterwards.

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