Spencer Township is an inactive township in Pike 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.
Pike County is a county on the eastern border of the U.S. state of Missouri, bounded by the Mississippi River. As of the 2010 census, the population was 18,516. Its county seat is Bowling Green. Its namesake was a city in middle Kentucky, a region from where many early migrants came. The county was organized December 14, 1818, and named for explorer Zebulon Pike. The folksong "Sweet Betsy from Pike" is generally thought to be associated with Pike County, Missouri.
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. Four states use the term commonwealth rather than state in their full official names.
Spencer Township was erected in 1820, taking its name from Spencer Creek. [2]
Spencer Creek is a stream in Ralls and Pike counties of the U.S. state of Missouri. It is a tributary of the Salt River. The stream headwaters arise in the western edge of Pike County adjacent to the south side of Missouri Route 154 about 7 miles (11 km) west of Curryville. The stream flows generally west passing about 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Vandalia then turns northwest crossing under Route 154 east of Liberty Hall. The stream turns north then northeast and passes the village of Madisonville and continues roughly parallel to the boundary between Ralls and Pike counties. It enters briefly into Pike County just prior to passing under U.S. Route 61. It enters the Salt River about 4 miles (6.4 km) southeast of New London.
