Townships in Grundy County, Missouri

How the first townships were formed

County first ~ Townships second

• 16 Nov 1820 - Until this date, the territory that is now Grundy County actually formed part of Howard County. On 16 Nov 1820, the same area became part of Ray County.
•  2 Jan 1833 - the same territory was attached to the newly organized Carroll County.
•  6 Jan 1837 - Gov. Dunklin approved the creation of Livingston County.
  The last paragraph of the "approval" contained the following provision:
  
  "All that territory lying north of said county of Livingston shall be attached to said county for all civil and military purposes until otherwise provided by law."
  • This means the territory included the present Grundy County, but also Mercer County.
•  7 Apr 1837 - At the first meeting of Livingston county court, the judges issued the following order:
  • "By order of court all the territory north of Livingston County is to be divided into two townships. All east of the East fork to be known by the name of Muddy Creek Township, all west of the West fork to be known as Sugar Creek Township."
• Early January 1841 - A bill to form Grundy County was brought before the Legislature.
• 29 Jan 1841 - Bill was approved.
• 1830-1840 - During the administration of what WOULD be Grundy County, not only the Sugar Creek and Muddy Creek Townships were formed but seven (7) more: Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Franklin, Morgan, Marion and Lafayette.
• By 19 June 1841 - four (4) more townships were organized: Monticello, Clark, Scott and Trenton.
• 1842-1845 - eleven (11) townships, until ...
• 1845 - Mercer County was formed which reduced the number of townships that had been part of Grundy County was reduced to seven (7). Except ... it is not the same seven.
• The seven (7) townships were: Washington, Franklin, Liberty, Marion, Trenton, Jefferson and Madison.
• These five (5) disappeared completely: Monticello, Clark, Morgan, Lafayette and Scott.
• The township of Liberty appeared.
• The several boundaries are given on pp. 29 and 30 of Centennial history of Grundy County, Missouri, 1839-1939 by William Ray Denslow, 1939.

~ Source: A Directory of Towns, Villages, and Hamlets Past and Present
of Grundy County, Missouri compiled by Arthur Paul Moser