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Charlotte Township.
Charlotte is a rolling prairie land, fertile and productive. It is watered and drained principally by the Miami
and Pecan branches of the Marais des Cygnes river, which for a short distance in the southeast corner of the township,
form the township line,
Samuel Dobbins settled in northeast Charlotte prior to 1843. James Ramey settled on section 24, in 1840, James
Browning settled near Ramey about the same date. James McCool settled in the northeast portion at the time he was
one of the county seat commissioners for Bates county. He moved to Texas in 1861. Clark Vermillion settled on section
10 before the war, William Conley, Oliver Elswick, Samuel Martin, J. C. Toothman, J. B. Moody, Samuel Park, Hamilton
Case, Joseph Caze, and M. A. Morris were all early settlers some time prior to the Civil War, but the dates of
their settlement have not been handed down,
Virginia became a trading point upon the establishment of a post office there in 1871, and hence it has always
been known as the Virginia Postoffice, Thomas Steaver was the first postmaster, and his office was a half mile
east of the present village stored or center, James Orear built and started the first store in 1874, and was postmaster,
In 1875, S, P. Nestlerode purchased the, stock and became postmaster. In 1877, Arbogart & Armstrong became
the merchants and in 1879 H, H, Fleisher opened a drug store. About the same date Roberts & Presley bought
out Arbogart & Armstrong and soon moved the stock of goods away, Fleisher became postmaster, James S. Pierce
was his partner at this time, In February, 1882, Pierce sold out to W. N. Hardinger, February, 1879, J. W. Manahan
opened a stock of furniture and in 1880 sold out to B. F. Jenkins, who added hardware, He sold in 1881 to Drysdale
& Son; and the same year Fleisher & Pierce sold their drug stock to Williams & Drysdale, For a number
of years Judge John McFadden ran the only general store, and the days of its business and mercantile importance,
at this time, seem to have departed. It is a community center and the center of a fine rural, district. Good roads
and automobiles have ruined it as a natural trading point, A number of the early settlers in and about the village
were Virginians and hence its name.
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