Monticello Community
Historical Society
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 discovered. The Spanish traded the area to the French in 1811 and President
Thomas Jefferson of Monticello, Virginia negotiated the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.
Pre 1850
1825
The Kanza Indians were removed from the area by the Government and sent to a reservation to the West.
1825-1839
Shawnee Indians arrived from Ohio and Missouri. Many settled in the Monticello area.
1828
Frederick Chouteau (grandson of a co-founder of St. Louis) established a trading post and ferry near Mill Creek.
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, Monticello was a stage coach stop in the mid 1800’s. It was a stopping point about
midway between Lawrence and Westport. 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. Steamboats routinely
churned the waters of the mighty Kaw (Kansas) 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 Butler 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 Johnson 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 travelers. 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 contained 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 Martindale.
The town remained the center of the community until 1874 when the Kansas Midland Railroad (later to
become the Atchison, 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 station 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 Neighborhood-Social
Club
1882
1882
Town of Waseca was platted. The depot was named Holliday near present day 17900 Holliday Drive.
1886
Woodson McCoy, son of the founder of Westport, and the town of Kansas (later to become Kansas City),
developed Woodsonia 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 fellowship as the years went by. Later churches included Clear Creek Baptist;
Colored Church in Holliday; Gospel Assembly; Holliday Baptist; Pentecostal and Seventh Day Adventist.
1951
The 1951 Flood nearly erased the towns of Holliday and Wilder along with Frisbie Station.
1955
Kansas City suburban airport was developed near present day Kansas 7 Highway and Johnson Drive. It was
later turned into a housing development 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 Township.
The Monticello Community Historical 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 Historical Society commemorates 30th Anniversary.
(913) 667-3706
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.
