Minton Township, Holt County, Missouri

Minton Township is a township in Holt County, Missouri, United States.^[2] At the 2020 census, its population was 91.^[3] It is around 40 square miles. Fortescue is located in the center of the township and the southern part of Big Lake is located in the north.

Minton Township
Township
Coordinates: 40.0276424°N 95.3223156°W / 40.0276424; -95.3223156
Country	United States
State	Missouri
County	Holt
Area [1]
• Total	35.87 sq mi (92.9 km2)
• Land	33.3 sq mi (86 km2)
• Water	2.57 sq mi (6.7 km2)  7.16%
Elevation [2]	853 ft (260 m)
Population  (2020)[3]
• Total	91
• Density	2.7/sq mi (1.0/km2)
FIPS code	29-08748836[1]
GNIS feature ID	766770[2]

History

There is conflicting information regarding the establishment of Minton Township. One source says it was erected in 1868^[4] while another says it was divided from Bigelow and Lewis townships on June 4, 1894.^[5] It was named after a pioneer citizen.^[4]

The Kansas City, St. Joseph, and Council Bluffs Railroad was completed through this township in 1869.

A small trading post was located across from Rulo, Nebraska in western Bigelow Township since the 1850s. A post office called Olive Branch existed there from 1850 to 1859. Later, a railroad terminal of the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad was created and called Boswell.^[6] A post office called East Rulo existed here from 1873 to 1881.^[7] When the Rulo Rail Bridge was built in 1887, this settlement became extinct.