Greene County Townships: Murray
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Greene County
Historical Society
P.O. Box 3466 GS
Springfield, MO 65808

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This site was last
updated on
March 6, 2004

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Murray Township....

Murray Township was created in June 1886, out of territory taken from Cass and neighboring Robberson Townships. It is comprised of Sections 13-36 of T30N, R23W. It is bounded by Cass Township on the north, Boone Township on the west, Robberson Township on the east, and Center Township on the south. Its principal waterways include Asher and Clear Creeks. Willard is the principal community.


Willard

Willard was originally in Cass Township but when Murray Township was formed, became located there. The development of Willard can be primarily attributed to the coming of the Frisco Railroad. The town was laid out in 1884 by Dr. E. T. Robberson. At the time it was not given a name. During this time the Frisco Railroad Company was in the process of obtaining right of way and laying tracks for a new railroad between Springfield and Bolivar in a rather indirect route through Walnut Grove. The town laid out by Dr. Robberson was on the route. A surveyor for the railroad named Bill Willard was working in the area and wanted to put up a station in the newly laid out town. When the question as to the name for the station came up, the residents living in the area wanted to name it Robberson. Since there was another town with the name Robberson in Missouri, this name could not be used. For want of anything else, Bill Willard gave the town his name.

With the railroad depot in place and the post office established in 1884, it did not take long for development to get started in Willard. Private dwellings lined the streets as people moved to town to open businesses along the east-west main street.

Return to the list of Greene County's townships.

 

   
   

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