OUR HISTORY
A HISTORY OF MONTICELLO,
TOWNSHIP
Come join us in 2019 and later to
appreciate, preserve and celebrate
the history and heritage of the
Monticello Community in Johnson
County, Kansas.
From Early Kansas history,
ancient peoples roamed the
area hunting buffalo as Spain
claimed the area in the 1500’s.
No settlements have been dis-
covered. The Spanish traded
the area to the French in 1811
and President Thomas Jeffer-
son of Monticello, Virginia
negotiated the Louisiana Pur-
chase in 1803.
The Kanza Indians were
removed from the area by the
Government and sent to a
reservation to the West.
Shawnee Indians arrived from
Ohio and Missouri. Many set-
tled in the Monticello area.
Frederick Chouteau (grandson
of a co-founder of St. Louis)
established a trading post and
ferry near Mill Creek.
Pre 1850
1825
1825-1839
1828
1836
A saw and grist mill was built for
the Shawnee Indians on Mill
Creek thus giving the creek its
name.
Kansas becomes a territory. A
treaty with the Shawnee Indians
gave each Shawnee 200 acres.
All unclaimed land was left
open to pioneer settlers.
1854
1857
Prior to becoming a town, Mon-
ticello was a stage coach stop in
the mid 1800’s. It was a stop-
ping point about midway
between Lawrence and West-
port. The town of Monticello
was founded on 160 acres on
June 19, 1857. There were
speeches where a banner with
the motto “Monticello and the
Union” was presented to the
Town Company and dancing
took place in the town square.
Monticello was located at the
crossroads of the Territorial
Road No. 5 and the Midland
Trail. At that time there were no
railroads in the area. Steam-
boats routinely churned the
waters of the mighty Kaw (Kan-
sas) River, stopping at the
Chouteau Ferry Crossing. The
township recorded a lynching of
a horse thief in 1857. We don’t
know where he was buried, but
Monticello has laid people to
rest at the following cemeteries
Bullock; King / Wilder / Boles;
Monticello at 73rd Terrace East
of Monticello Road; Murphy;
Shawnee Mission Memorial
Garden on 75th west of K-7;
Union at 75th and Gleason.
1858
Monticello elected James But-
ler Hickok as a town constable
in 1858. It was his first job in
the law enforcement business
before going on to become the
famous “Wild Bill” Hickok. He
staked a claim to 160 acres
now located at 83rd and Clare
Road.
1859
Hickok left Monticello late in
1859. Early Monticello survived
a destructive tornado in 1859,
fire and a grasshopper plague
around 1859. St. Louis,
Lawrence & Denver R.R. in John-
son County 1859 A territorial
road was surveyed between
Leavenworth City and Ft. Scott.
It passed through the town of
Monticello where a stage stop,
stores, saloons, blacksmith, a
doctor and a hotel served travel-
ers. The road crossed the Santa
Fe trail at Olathe.
Kansas Territory becomes the
34th State of the Union.
1861
1863
The Monticello Ferry Company
was chartered to operate
across the Kaw River at
present day Bonner Springs.
At one time Monticello con-
tained several stores, saloons,
a blacksmith shop, post office
and a hotel that was burned
during the Civil War.
1865
The Methodist Episcopal Church
was organized, first meeting in
the Virginia school house.
1869
Town of Zarah platted at
present day 69th and Martin-
dale.
The town remained the center
of the community until 1874
when the Kansas Midland Rail-
road (later to become the Atchi-
son, Topeka and Santa Fe)
began laying out and building a
railroad in the area. It by-passed
Monticello to the east while
passing through Olathe, and 3
other township towns, ending
the town’s hope to become the
county seat. Frisbie was a sta-
tion 3/4 miles west of Wilder on
47th. Chouteau station was at
45th and Theden; Craig station
was 90th and Woodland.
1870s
1870
Thomas T. Nichols (Grandfather
of J.C. Nichols) settled on
present day 95th St. West of
Kansas 7 Highway.
1870
Shawnee Indians are moved to
the Indian Territory (Oklahoma).
Town of Wilder officially platted
and recorded near present day
47th and Clare. Wilder Neigh-
borhood-Social Club
1882
1882
Town of Waseca was platted.
The depot was named Holliday
near present day 17900 Holli-
day Drive.
1886
Woodson McCoy, son of the
founder of Westport, and the
town of Kansas (later to become
Kansas City), developed Wood-
sonia Stock Farm.
Monticello Methodist Church
Chapel is rebuilt after a fire and
still stands at 75th and Gleason
Road.
1894
Flood
1903
1905
The post office closed. The
Monticello Methodist Church,
the one room schools and
Township Hall became places
for local gatherings and fellow-
ship as the years went by. Later
churches included Clear Creek
Baptist; Colored Church in Holli-
day; Gospel Assembly; Holliday
Baptist; Pentecostal and Sev-
enth Day Adventist.
1951
The 1951 Flood nearly erased
the towns of Holliday and
Wilder along with Frisbie Sta-
tion.
1955
Kansas City suburban airport
was developed near present
day Kansas 7 Highway and
Johnson Drive. It was later
turned into a housing develop-
ment called “Woodsonia.”
1974
Monticello Fire District was
organized with volunteer fire
fighters.
1975
The Monticello Fire Station and
Floyd Cline Hall was built.
1988
Shawnee and Lenexa begin
annexation of Monticello Town-
ship.
The Monticello Community His-
torical Society is organized.
1988
1993
Flood
1998
New Monticello Branch Post
Office opened.
1999
Society incorporated and
received Floyd Cline Hall.
2005
Virginia School placed on
National Historic Register and
moved.
2018
Monticello Community Histori-
cal Society commemorates 30th
Anniversary.