MAITLAND
On the 12th day of May, 1880, the plat of the embryo town of Maitland, in Clay Township, was filed in the Recorder's Office of Holt County by J. F. Barnard, of St. Joseph, Missouri,
who was the owner of the lane upon which the town was located. The original town site occupies the south half of the southeast quarter of section 4, and the west half of the northeast
quarter of section 9, township 62, range 37. So rapidly did it grow, and so numerous were the buildings which had been erected that on the 4th day of August, following, Mr. Barnard
filed the plat of an addition to the town.
It is handsomely located, on the Nodaway Valley Railroad, a branch of the Kansas City, St. Joseph & Council Bluff; Road, about eighteen miles
from its intersection with the main line, anc contains, at this time, a population of about six hundred souls. The placid little stream, called the Nodaway River, forms the eastern
boundary line,of its corporation, and flows in a southwesterly direction towards the Missouri, with which it unites twenty-eight miles distant Upon the opposite side of the Nodaway,
from Maitland, is situated the thriving little village of Graham, in Nodaway County, the two towns being connected by an elegant iron bridge, which cost the two counties of Holt and
Nodaway $6,000. The country surrounding Maitland (Clay Township) is conceded to be the best agricultural district in the county both on account of its physical features and the
fertility of its soil.
FIRST IMPROVEMENTS.
The pioneer building of the town was put up in June, 1880, by J. M Wensch & Co., of St. Joseph, Missouri, for a lumber office. The second
house was moved from Whig Valley, by E. F. Weller, and located on the south side of Main and First street, south corner, for a store.
Mr. Weller was the first postmaster. The first business house erected in the town was the hardware store of C. D. Messenger, who was from St. Joseph.
The next business house was erected by Garnett & Swope, and used as a drug store. Then came David Kennedy, William Ritchie and others, all of whom
began and finished their improvements between June and August, 1880.
NEWSPAPERS
The town supports one newspaper, Maitland Independent, J. J. Moulton, proprietor. The paper is independent in politics, and was
established about March, 1881.
Source: The History of Holt and Atchison Counties, Missouri; 1882
