Beginning at the northwest corner of section 6, township 41, range 32; thence east six miles to the northeast corner of section 1; thence south six miles to the southeast corner of section 36; thence west six miles to the southwest corner of section 31; thence north six miles to the place of beginning.

All the streams in the township have accompanying belts of timber of the usual varieties. The Miami Creek passes through sections 30, 31, 32 and 33, in the southwest part of the township. Knabb's Creek flows through sections 5, 8, 16 and 21, while its tributaries pass through as many more. Limestone Branch waters the southeastern portion of the township.

Bituminous coal abounds in different places in veins from six inches to three feet in thickness. It is used by a number of farmers for home consumption.

Limestone can be quarried in many sections, of the best quality for building purposes.

Elkhart Township, before the war of 1861, was very thinly settled, there being but eight or ten families within the limits of its present territory, and those were generally located in the southwestern part of the same, near the Miami Creek. The township remained a comparatively unsettled district until about the year 1866, after the close of the war, when it began to settle up with an enterprising class of citizens. The surface of the township is, the most part of it, level and well adapted to agricultural purposes, some of the farms producing sixty and seventy bushels of corn per acre.

The following list will include the names of all the old pioneers who had pitched their tents in the township, and remained, prior to i860: Jesse Lovelace, Vinson Martin, Elias Barnett, Robert Clinging, Torrance Browning, John Ferguson, Richard Westover, A. J. Satterlee, Hugh Mills, Robert Evans, John Baker and his sons Griswold and James, and a man named Montgomery, who settled on the Raybourn place.

There was plenty of game in the township as late as 1866. Mr. Lovelace, above mentioned, shot at and wounded a deer on Knabb's Creek. After being wounded, the deer (which was a young buck) was chased by his hounds into the water of the creek. While in the water, the deer fought the dogs and wounded two of them. Lovelace, standing upon the shore, seeing that his hounds were unable to scare the deer or make it move from his position in the water, concluded that he would venture into the water and bring the animal to the shore. Scarcely, however, had he approached within reaching distance, when the deer plunged at him and fought him so savagely that Lovelace beat a hasty retreat. Upon regaining the shore, Lovelace snatched up his gun and shot the deer through the head, killing it instantly.

The first white men to permanently locate in Elkhart, from all we can gather in reference to the settlement of the township, were the Keatons.

Wiles Keaton, of North Carolina, removed to Kentucky and there married a native of the same state as himself. They emigrated to what is now Elkhart in 1845, bringing five children to Missouri. The oldest, Berriman, lives in Cass County; the second, William, see account below; third, Elizabeth, who married Mr. Gibson, is dead; fourth, Embererson, who died in Elkhart, left four sons, who live on his farm; fifth, Henderson, was killed in the Confederate army. Mrs. Keaton died in 1847; Mr. Keaton died in --, Williamson Keaton married Mary Buttran, February 4, 1841, and settled in section 30. He is now the oldest living resident in the township. His wife died March 3, 1880. There are three of their children living: first, Sirena Ann, lives with their father; second and third, John M. and Sarah C, were twins, John M. still lives with his father, and Sarah C. is Mrs. T. J. Hackett, of Vinton.

Upon Mr. Keaton being inquired of for anecdote of early times he related the following:

One morning an Indian and some squaws called at his house and bargained with his wife for some potatoes and while she was getting them a settler came from the head of Mulberry Creek. The Indians tried to escape, but the man was too quick for them and accused the Indians of stealing his dog. This the Indian denied, whereupon the man took a rawhide from under his coat and gave him a severe flogging. The squaws commenced to load their gun but the Indian prevented it. They then drew their bows and placed the arrows on the strings but did not finally shoot. Mrs. Keaton was afraid to be left alone with them on the place and the man took a gun and drove them off.

The man got his dog but he had become so attached to the Indians that he would not go with him and he borrowed a rope to lead him home.

This incident is related to prove that cowhiding is not wholly a new thing in Bates County.

After the close of the war and between 1866 and 1869 the following persons located in different parts of the township: F. A. Cox, P. F. Allen, I. N. Raybourn, Frank Evans, F. M. Neafus, Charles Lee, William B. Whetstone, William Tarr, Thadeus Cowdry, John Q. Nuble and George Peebels.

The first mill (saw mill) erected in the township was put up by Merrit Zinn & Co. about the year 1870. There is now a small saw and grist mill on Knabb's Creek, operated by Jacob Fry.

One of the first schools in the township was taught in section 25 before the war. As late as 1866 an old log school house stood on the banks of the Miami in the southwestern part of the township that had been used for school and church purposes before the war.

The Methodists and United Brethren hold services at Concord school house and the Hard Shell Baptists at Lone Star school house.

Bates County Missouri MOGenWeb