The extreme northeast township in Nodaway County is known as Independence. It contains sixty-three square miles; is bounded on the north by Iowa, on the east by Worth County, on the south by Jackson Township, on the west by Union and Hopkins Townships. In 1856 Jackson Township was divided and the boundaries of Independence were defined, but it was not until 1866 that the present limits of the township were definitely fixed, at which time seven sections of the east side of the township were taken off and attached to Worth County.

The land in this part of Nodaway County slopes gently to the south, being quite level in the center and southwestern, but somewhat rolling in the southeastern part of the township, except the Platt Valley, which in places is more than a mile in width. The Platt River flows through the southeastern corner of the territory. Tributaries of the Platt are Boushey Creek, Honey Creek with its numerous branches, and Long Branch. In the western part of the township are found the waters of the Mozingo and Mowery branches, which flow southward to the One Hundred and Two River.

A large portion of the land was originally timber. Some limestone is found in the south part of the township, some parts of the township possess the finest soil, while all is valuable for general farming purposes, and, taking it as a whole, the fertile prairie land, valuable timber, etc., it is unsurpassed.

The settlement of Independence Township dates back to the early forties. We believe the first actual settler was Raphael Dixon in 1846 in Sec 32, Twp 67, Range 33. There were others who came to hunt a year or two before. Sam Russell settled in Sec. 16, 65,33, and sold out to Elisha Brown in 1847, who sold out to A.J. Anderson in 1849, who was the first actual settler near where the town of Parnell is now located. Jack Anderson, as he was familiarly called, was Justice of the Peace for a number of years, and might justly be called one of Nature's noblemen. Raphael Dixon, native of Tennessee, and of Quaker stock, was also a grand old man, kind and hospitable, no one ever being turned away who wanted a night's lodging or something to eat. He raised a large family of boys and girls. Only two of them are living in Independence at the present time, namely, Mrs Oran Stingley and William Dixon.

Among those who settled in the township in the early fifties were Sam Maiden, John Scofield, Isaac Dowis, Cam Engle, Henry Foster, Allen Stephens, Wm Kinder, Robert Jones, C.C. Horn, Wm. Stingley, Thomas Lucas, Alex Wilson, J.F. Stobaugh, J.E. Alexander, Harrison Davis, John Wilson, John Hill and Joseph Inskeep, all of whom settled along the streams in the edge of the timber, leaving the open prairie to be settled by the parties who came to the township in the late sixties and early seventies. Some of whom, as I recall them, are as follows: W.F. Dowis, W.H. Clark, Ratt Fox, Peter Fox, W.A. Fisher, J.W. Lippie, D.W. Boyer, Wm McGlothlan, Sam McGlothlan, J.W. Shroyer, Joshua Dougherty, Mike Dougherty, Hepburn Bros., C.L. McDowell, Thos McDowell, Wm Logan, Wm McLaughlin, Austin Allyn, John Anderson, T.F. Byrn, Jasper Dowis, Jesse Davidson, Gameliel Davidson, Richard Parks, David Scott, John McLaughlin, F.M. Merritt, S.C. Pistole, Leander Pistole, L.A. Nigh, F.B. Dinsmore, F.M. Filler, John Scowden, and S.S. Robinson, who sold out to Horace Jones, that prince of good fellows and very successful business man.

In 1868 there was but one school house in the township (Green Horn), situated on Sec 13, 66, 34, about equally distant from the residences of Wm Green and C.C. Horn, hence the name. This was the voting place of the township for a number of years, and all other kinds of gatherings were held at Green Horn. In the early eighties the township had four post offices, namely, Luteston, situated in Sec 16, 66, 33; Allison, in Sec 1, 66, 34; Gaynor, in Sec 36, 66, 34, and Orrsburgh in Sec 15, 65, 34, but since the advent or rural delivery they have all been discontined and the small villages have mostly disappeared. The above named post offices were named in honor of the first settlers in their vicinty.

While Independence Township comprises a large scope of territory, it has but one town, that of Parnell, in the southeast corner. It was platted July, 1887, by the Parnell City Co. It is a station on the Chicago Great Western Railroad, in the center of Sec 16, Twp 65, Range 33, and has a population of about seven hundred. Parnell has two banks, the State Bank and Farmers' Bank. There are four lodges, Odd Fellows, Masonic, Woodmen and Yeomen; three churches, namely, M.E., the Methodist Protestant, and Roman Catholic. It has a good mill, two good hotels, the New Arlington and Farmers' Home. The general merchants are A.F. Hall, Chas. Simmons, J.A. Kaufman, C.C. Hall and R.F. Goff; hardware and implements, Roof & Lafavor; lumber, J.S. Stewart grocer, E.J. Klaas; drugs, F.L. Hart; millinery, Leda Thompson; newspaper Sentinel, L.C. Gooden, proprietor; stock dealers, Sexton & Dinsmore; meat market, E.F. Klaas; dentistry, P.E. Hood; bakery, Mrs L. Klaas; telephone, the Worth County Mutual; poultry and eggs, Swift & Co.; jeweler, C.S. Blake; photographs, E. La Munyon; phsicians, Drs Gay, Crowson and Hunterson; restaurants, D. Kaufman and Herendon & Erickson; and the Parnell Gas Company. The following have served as postmasters: Fred Orr, J.F. LaFaror, C.P. Anderson and T.A. Peachear.