Beginning at the southeast corner of section 25, township 38, range 32; thence west six miles; thence north about six and a quarter miles; thence east six miles; thence south five and a quarter miles, to the place of beginning.

This township possesses much rich soil, and is well supplied with timber and water. Besides the Marais des Cygnes, which flows in a southeasterly direction through the township, there is Burnett's Creek, with its forks, Island Slough, Cottonwood Branch, and a number of small lakes. The largest of these lakes is Mound Lake, located on sections 24 and 25, and occupies about fifty acres in area.

Very few early settlers of this township are now to be found. Mark West, of Tennessee, while yet in that state, married Mary Allen, a daughter of Colonel James Allen, who came to Harmony Mission in 1834. Mr. West immigrated to Missouri the same year, coming to Bates County and settling in New Home in 1834, where he bought a claim of Daniel Woodfin, in section 6. This was their home during the rest of their lives. They labored to make themselves a home in the new country, the same as other pioneers, but Mrs. West only lived a short time to enjoy it. She died in 1842. Mr. West afterwards married Minerva McHenry, a daughter of Major McHenry. Mr. West died in 1852. Mrs. West, his second wife, in 1863. James, a son of the first wife, was a soldier in the Confederate army, and was killed at Springfield. Robert Gentry, also a son of the first wife, enlisted under Captain Ramey, of Cummins' Battalion, in 1861, at the age of nineteen. He enlisted again in 1862, under Bryant, and served until the war closed. He took part in the battles of Lone Jack, Prairie Grove, Springfield and Saline, was wounded at Springfield and carried the bullet several years. Of the second wife's children only one is now living, Mary Ann, wife of James P. Thomas. She lives at the old homestead.

Another old resident of New Home is Mrs. Charlotte Miller, living one-fourth mile east of the post office. She is a native of Missouri, and was born in 1824. Her maiden name was Charlotte Brians. Her father was from Virginia; settled on Miami Creek, west of Butler, in 1839, but soon bought a claim on Bone's Fork. The person who first took that claim was the one after whom Bone's Fork was named. Charlotte married O. H. P. Miller in 1841. They lived a short time in Charlotte Township; then bought a claim in New Home of a man named Deweese; afterwards sold that and bought where she now lives. Mrs. Miller seems to think that her early days were better than the present, notwithstanding they had to endure hardships and privations. They always had plenty of the necessaries of life. Mr. Miller wished to keep out of the war altogether, but being compelled to take one side or the other, he and his oldest son, Henry, went into the Confederate army in 1861. Henry was killed at the battle of Lone Jack. Mr. Miller was taken prisoner at Newtonia and died at Springfield. Their house and fences were burned and the stock all taken during the war, and Mrs. Miller, with her five remaining children, found it harder to make another home than to make the first in pioneer times. Her son, William, lives near her. One daughter is the wife of Jason Woodfin, of Walnut. Mr. Brians died in 1848, but Mrs. Brians lived till 1881 and then died in California at the age of ninety-five years.

Jackson Wall came to New Home Township prior to 1843, and located near the center of the township, on a high mound. Wall died before the civil war, in 1849 or 1850, His widow married William Gilbreath, of Bates County.

George W. Turner was from Virginia, and came to the township prior to 1843, and settled in the northeast part of the township. He died before 1860.

Jeremiah Burnett bought Daniel Woodfin's farm in 1849, and settled there at that time.

Daniel Woodfin was an early settler, coming prior to 1843 from North Carolina. He went to California in 1849, and died there.

Lewis Deweese and Levi Deweese, from North Carolina, settled near the center of the township about 1841. The Deweese brothers died, and their widows returned to North Carolina.

James Poag opened a claim prior to 1843, and moved to Jackson County, Missouri, where he died.

O. H. P, Miller and William Powers were old settlers.

A man called Haymaker erected a grist and saw mill on the Marais des Cygnes about the year 1870, in section 6. The mill washed away in 1880, and nothing of it is left to mark the spot where it stood. There is now no grist mill in the township.

John Littlefield now runs a saw mill, and also Samuel Fickes and --- Bell have a small mill.

There are no church edifices in the township, but there are several religious organizations which hold their services in school houses.

was laid out about the year 1869, on the southwest quarter of section 20, township 39, range 32. Colonel Samuel F. Hawkins was the original proprietor of the town site, and built the first house in the town in December 1870, for a residence. Colonel Hawkins had improved a farm in section 29, in 1858, the improvements of which were burned during the war. After the war he erected the house above mentioned, on the site of New Home. His wife before moving into the building, told her husband that they would call their place of residence our "New Home," and from this the town took its name -- New Home. Colonel Hawkins was from Franklin County, Kentucky. He came to Johnson County in 1857, and then to New Home Township, arriving there in the fall of 1858, where he has since resided. Colonel Hawkins was at the election in November 1882, elected probate judge of Bates County.

J. E. Thomas built the first business house in New Home -- general merchandise -- in the fall of 1870.

Hiram Slater was the blacksmith. Mr. Slater came from Maryland.

Dr. P. E. Calmes, from Kentucky, was the first physician, going to the neighborhood of New Home in 1874. Dr. R. F. Hulett opened an office in the town in 1875. Dr. Hulett was also a Kentuckian, and is now living in Rich Hill.

Edmond Cope was appointed the first postmaster in 1873. S. H. Fisher, F. P. and W. W. Morlan succeeded Cope. W. W. Morlan is the present postmaster. The other merchants of the town have been the Morlan Brothers, Fisher & Givens, Fisher & Thomas, W. W. Morlan & Brother, and J. H. Morlan & Brother.

The district school house is located at New Home. The present teacher is Mr. Livingston.

J. H. Morlan & Bro., merchant.
T. J. Warren, physician.
--- Hoblett, blacksmith.
S. F. Hawkins, notary public.
W. W Morlan, postmaster

Fully one-half of the area of the Rich Hill coal fields are in New Home Township, and are being worked more extensively than in any other township in the county.

Bates County Missouri MOGenWeb