Prairie Township is an inactive township in Jackson County, in the U.S. state of Missouri. [1]
A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States that is subordinate to a county. The term town is used in New England, New York, and Wisconsin to refer to the equivalent of the civil township in these states. Specific responsibilities and the degree of autonomy vary based on each state. Civil townships are distinct from survey townships, but in states that have both, the boundaries often coincide and may completely geographically subdivide a county. The U.S. Census Bureau classifies civil townships as minor civil divisions. Currently, there are 20 states with civil townships.
Jackson County is located in the western portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2010 census, the population was 674,158. making it the second-most populous county in the state. Although Independence retains its status as the original county seat, Kansas City serves as a second county seat and the center of county government. The county was organized December 15, 1826, and named for President Andrew Jackson. Jackson County is the central county of the Kansas City metropolitan area.
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are currently 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory and shares its sovereignty with the federal government. Due to this shared sovereignty, Americans are citizens both of the federal republic and of the state in which they reside. State citizenship and residency are flexible, and no government approval is required to move between states, except for persons restricted by certain types of court orders.
Prairie Township was established in 1860, taking its name from the prairie within its borders. [2]
The township included Lee's Summit and parts of what is now Unity Village (corresponding with what was previously known as Knobtown village). An atlas showing the townships of Jackson County in 1930 is on page 2 at
- (Jackson County, circa 1930): http://cdm.sos.mo.gov/cdm/ref/collection/moplatbooks/id/1537
