Magnolia Township was established in 1855; by 1870 the township population was 1,667. The population at the last census (2010) was 1,066. The Native Americans were the Illinois and Potawatomi; the early settlers were mostly Quakers and Presbyterians.

     Magnolia was the first Village, settled by William Haws in 1824.  John McNabb settled his farm around the 1830's; in 1900 his son, Judge John McNabb, laid out the Village of McNabb on that farm which he and his brother inherited. Caledonia was settled by Ashael Hannum, Jervas Gaylord, and Obed Graves in 1836. Mt. Palatine was settled by Christopher Winter in 1839.

     The first post office was at Ox Bow  (David Boyle's home) in 1830. The first railroad depot was for the Three-I Railroad in 1900 and the second was for the T M & N Railroad in 1901.

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Putnam County History & Families. PC Historical Society. Acclaim Press; Morley MO. 2014. Print.