Monticello Township, Johnson County, Kansas

Monticello Township is a former township in northwest Johnson County, Kansas. It is now merged with Lenexa and Shawnee, Kansas.

History

Monticello Township was developed into a town on June-19th-1857. In 1858 Monticello elected 18 year old James Butler Hickok (better known as Wild Bill Hickok) as town constable. At one time Monticello had a stage shop, stores, saloons, blacksmith, doctor, hotel, general store, school house, churches, and about 15 dwellings. The 1910 population was about 63. The town was bypassed by the Kansas Midland Railroad (Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe), which instead passed Olathe which caused the town to lose its county seat status. In 1987, Shawnee annexed land south of 55th to 83rd/79th west to the Kansas River, increasing the city size to 42 square miles (110 km²).

Before its annexation, Monticello Township was the natural crossroads for fur trading and later westward emigration by wagon.

Notable residents

• Manuel Lisa - Fur trader
• Wild Bill Hickok - Lawman
• William S. Williams - Mountain man

See also

• Oregon Trail
• California Trail
• Harold "Jug" McSpaden - PGA Tour player and golf course architect
• National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame north along K-7 Corridor

External links

• City of Shawnee Kansas: Historic Towns Revised version (June, 2006)
  • Important dates (1541-2003)
• Monticello Township passes into history (January, 2006)
• KCAHTA: Kansas City Area Historical Trails Association
• Lost Cities of Johnson County: Monticello
• Historic Frontier Trails Map A full-color map of the trails of Johnson, Wyandotte and part of Leavenworth Counties, Kansas
• Kaw Valley Heritage: Monticello Ferry Company