\

/

EMMA E. PORTER.

HISTORY

OF

MARSHALL COUNTY

KANSAS

ITS PEOPLE, INDUSTRIES AND INSTITUTIONS

By

EMMA E. PORTER

With Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and
Genealogical Records of Many of the Old Families

ILLUSTRATED

1917 ^
B. F. BOWEN & COMPANY, Inc.
Indianapolis, Indiana

?

THE HEW •OI'.K
™Ln LIBRARY

684084A

ASTOR, LENOX AhiD
TILDEN POUtNDATIONS

R ies3 r

DEDICATION.
This work is respectfully dedicated to

THE PIONEERS,

long since departed. May the memory of those who laid down their burdens

by t!ie wayside ever l^e fragrant as the breath of summer

flowers, for their toils and sacrifices have made

Marshall County a garden of sun-

sln'ne and delights.

PUBLISHERS' PREFACE

All life and achievement is evolution; present wisdom comes from past
experience, and present commercial prosi>erity has come only from past exer-
tion and sacrifice. The deeds and motives of the men who have gone before
. have been instrumental in shaping the destinies of later communities and
states. The development of a new country was at once a task and a privi-
lege. It required great courage, sacrifice and privation. Compare the pres-
ent conditions of the people of Marshall county, Kansas, with what they were
sixty years ago. From a trackless wilderness and virgin land, the county has
come to be a center of prosperity and civilization, with millions of wealth,
systems of railways, educational and religious institutions, varied industries
and immense agricultural and dairy interests. Can any thinking person be
insensible to the fascination of the studv which discloses the aspirations and
efforts of the early pioneers who so strongly laid the foundation upon which
has been reared tlie magnificent prosperity of later days? To perpetuate the
story of these people and to trace and record the social, religious, educational,
political and industrial progress of the community from its first inception, is
the function of l.he local historian. A sincere purpose to preserve facts and
personal memoirs that are deserving of perpetuation, and which unite the
present to the past, is the motive for the present publication. The publishers
desire to extend their thanks to those who have so faithfullv labored to this
end. Thanks are also due to the citizens of Marshall county, for the uniform
kindness with which they have regarded this undertaking-, and for their many
services rendered in the gaining of necessary information.

In placing the "History of Marshall County, Kansas," before the citizens,
the publishers can conscientiously claim that they have carried out the plan
as outlined in the prospectus. Every biographical sketch in the work has
been submitted to the party interested, for correction, and therefore any
error of fact, if there be any, is solely due to the person for whom the sketch
was prepared. Confident that our effort to please will fully meet the appro-
bation of the public, we are,

Respectfully,

THE PUBLISHERS.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I— GEOLOGY, ORNITHOLOGY AND FLORA 35

Natural Resources — Altitude — Drainage — Limestone and Gypsum Deposits —
Precious Stones — Forestry — Oil Prospects — Farming — Prehistoric Evidences
— Passing of the Wild Fowl — Exit of the Eagle — Cry of the Whippoorwill
No Longer Heard — Native Flowers — The Pre-eminent Sunflower — The First
Dandelion — Wild Flowers Rapidly Disappearing — Goldenrod and the Sweet
Wild Rose Regarded as Favorite Flowers.

CHAPTER II— EARLY EXPLORATIONS _«_ 42

Myths of the Spanish Explorers — "The Seven Cities" — Stories of the Land
of Cibola — Nuno de Guzman's Expedition After Gold — Expedition of De-
Narvaez — Francisco Vasquex de Coronado and His Quest into Quivera —
Line Between Kansas and Nebraska — Pawnee Indians — A Link with the
Past — Origin of "Kansas" — The Kansa or Kaw Tribe of Indians — Kansas
Sold to the United States — Spaniards Attempt Invasion — The Grand Village
des Canzes — Lewis and Clark Expedition — Aboriginals Moved to Reservation
— The Old Kaw Trail and the Indian Agency.

CHAPTER III— INDIANS IN MARSHALL COUNTY 49

In the Days of Coronado — Pawnees and Wichitas^Limitless Hunting
Grounds — Evidences of Aboriginal Battles — Old War Weapons Found —
Indian Trail Crossed the Vermillion — Longest Trail in North America —
Later the Alormon Trail — Route of the Gold Seekers — Immigrant Trains
Cross the Plains — The Otoe Indians — Depredations of Redskins — Indians
Abduct Girl — Massacre of the Cassel Party — Panic Among Early Settlers —
Militia Mustered — Six Victims of Murderous Redskins — Effective Defense
Made — Aboriginals Driven West.

CHAPTER IV— SETTLEMENT OF MARSHALL COUNTY 56

The Pioneer — "Westward Ho!" — A Generation of Heroic Mold — Old Set-
tlers' Reunion Association — Mrs. Travelute's Recollections — First Missionary
Among the Indians — New England Aid Company — \^irtue of the Kansas
Pioneer Homes — Privations and Sacrifices — Loneliness of the Women — Pio-
neer Farmer's Wife — Homesickness and Regret — Pleasures Offset Privations
— House-Warmings and Other Social Activities — "Joy-Riding" in Ox-
Wagons — Reminiscences of Frank J. Alarshall — Territorial Government —
Indians Become Impatient — Some Facts Not Recorded in History — Some of
the Earliest Settlers — Pioneers on the Vermillion — J. M. Watson's Remin-
iscences — Eli Punteney's Recollections — The W^alker Family — The Hutchin-
sons — Cyclone Visits Pioneers — Pony Express and Overland Stage — Descrip-
tion of a Pioneer "Ball" — Settlers Share Hardships and Privations — Palmetto
Town Company — Brief Mention of Early Settlers — Early Opposition to
Slavery — Some First Events.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER \— COUNTY AND TOWN ORGANIZATION 98

Territorial Organization — Annexation of Texas — The Slavery Question —
Northern Discontent Increased — Prelude to Civil War — Missions Estab-
lished — Location of Marshall County — Kansas-Nebraska Act — The Many-
Sided Frank J. Marshall — Dimensions of Marshall County— Marysville Made
a Postoffice — Gradual Increase in Population — Marysville Created the County
Seat — Rivals Make Charges of Fraud — County Seat Fight Reopened — Court
House — Old Stone Jail— County Infirmary — Officials of County — Organiza-
tion of Townships — General Tax Levy and Valuation Statistics — Township
Officials.

CHAPTER VI— CITY OF AIARYSVILLE 115

Big Blue Crossing in ISSQ— Marshall's Ferry — Marysville Town Company —
Incorporation of City in 1861 — First Saw Mill — Bridge Erected in 1863 —
"Rough and Even Desperate Men" — Open Saloons Were Numerous — Noto-
rious Stopping place on Great Overland Trail — Industries — Excelsior Mills
and Capt. Perry Hutchinson — Prominent Business Firms — -The Community
House — Marysville Turnverein— Some Prominent Visitors — Old-Time Theat-
ricals — Bands — Cemetery — Volunteer Fire Department — Business Life of
Marysville — Present Business Concerns — Maennerchor — Commercial Club —
Women's Clubs — Railroad Items.

CHAPTER VII— CITY OF BLUE RAPIDS 139

Origin and Development — ^The Genesee Colony — Blue Rapids Town Com-
pany — Land Taken Rapidly — "Colonial Hall" — First Business House — Indus-
tries — Waterworks Early Established — -Waterpower Gives Impetus to New
Town — Directory of 1870 — Further Development — Blue Rapids in 1872 —
Ladies' Library Association — Business Interests in 1880 — Incorporation —
Grasshopper Invasion — Some First Events — Postoffice Established in 1859 —
John AlcPherson's Recollections — Jason Yurann — Fairmount Cemetery —
Present Business Interests — The Oldest Settler.

CHAPTER VIII— CITIES, TOWNS AND VILLAGES 155

Axtell — The St. Joseph Town Company — "Shoestring" Dickinson — Colony
from Iowa — Progressive Community — Current Business Interests — Barrett —
The Ohio Town Company — A. G. Barrett's Mill in 1857 — Coming of the
Railroad — Beattie — Named for Mayor of St. Joseph — Some First Events —
Current Business Interests — Bigelow — Named for General Bigelow — Lime-
stone Quarries Opened in 1881 — Bremen — Laid Out by Henry Brennecke
in 1886 — Destroyed by Fire in 1908 — Garden — Founded on the Garden Farm
— Four Families in Village — Citj- of Frankfort — Organized in 1867 — First
City Election in 1875 — Old Nottingham Postoffice — Frankfort's Commercial
and Industrial Interests — Herkimer — Destroyed by Fire in 1902 and Rebuilt
— Village of Hull — One General Store — Irving — Organized by lowans in 1859
— Incorporated in 1871 — Cyclone of 1879 — Business Interests in 1917 — Lillis —
Marietta — Mina — Oketo — Governed by Women — Palmetto Town Company —
Schroyer — Summerfield- Vermillion; — Mutual Improvement Club^Girl Band
— Farm and Home Institute — Vliets — Waterville — Incorporated in 1870 —
Winifred — County Seat in 1858, Under Name of "Sylvan" — Flag Stations —
Lost and Abandoned Towns.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER IX— FOREIGN ELEMENTS IN MARSHALL COUNTY 209

Bohemians — John Pecenka — First Homestead Entry — Caravan of Prairie
Schooners — Danes — John Nelson — Germans--G. H. Hollenberg — Prominent
in Business Life — Swiss — The Thomans — The Helvetia Society — Samuel
Forter — Swedes — Peter Froom — Two Swedish Settlements — The Irish — •
"There's a Bower of Roses by Bendemeer's Stream" — St. Bridget's — Irish
Creek — First Homesteader — Daniel Donahy — Some Names on the Honor
Roll.

CHAPTER X— RAILWAYS OF MARSHALL COUNTY 234

St. Joseph & Grand Island Railroad — First Rails Laid in 1860 — Railroad
Improvements — Union Pacific System — St. Joseph & Western Railroad —
Marysville, Palmetto & Roseport Railroad — Northern Kansas Railroad
Company — St. Joseph & Denver City Railroad — Central Branch Union
Pacific Railroad — Atchison & Pike's Peak Railroad Company — Marysville &
Blue Valley Railroad — Topeka, Onaga & Marysville Branch — Topeka "Cut-
off" — Public Roads — Ocean-to-Ocean Highway — "The White Way" — Blue
Valley Interstate Highway — Good-Roads Campaign.

CHAPTER XI— AGRICULTURE AND STOCK RAISING 243

"The Plowman Slowly Moves Along the Furrow's Mellow Wake" — Cattle —
Breeding of Live Stock — Tribute to the Cow — Herd Law — First Herefords —
Some Early Breeders and Graziers — Shorthorns — Importers of Holsteins —
Consistent Champion of Angus Cattle — Creameries — Blue Valley Creamery
Company — Breeds for Dairy Purposes — The Horse — Introduction of High-
Grade Normans — Percheron — Clydesdale — English Coach — Eflfect of Drought
of 1894 — Horses Given Away — Auto vs. Horse — Sheep Being Introduced —
Hogs—Cholera Eradication Station — Poultry — Marshall County Farm Bu-
reau — 1916 Corn Contest — Farmers' Educational and Co-operative Union —
Farm Produce Contest — Stock Show and Fair Association — Horse Racing a
Thing of the Past — Women's Work at County Fair.

CHAPTER XII— MILITARY HISTORY 261

"Littlfr Green Tents"— -War of the Rebellion — Letter from a Soldier Boy —
Seventh Kansas Cavalry — First Soldier Killed — Tribute to Loyalty — Coun-
ty's Contribution to Union Cause — Raising the Union Flag — County Armed
Against Indians — Marysville Recruiting Station — Many Minor Skirmishes in
County — Thirteenth Kansas Infantry — Second Kansas Cavalry — Civil War
Veterans — War With Spain — Veterans of Spanish-American War — War of
1917— Marshall County No "Slacker"— "The Flag Goes By."

CHAPTER XIII— POLITICAL HISTORY 274

Reminiscences — Edwin C. Manning — State Officials from Marshall County —
Marshall County Men in Federal Service — Early Elections — First Election
in Spring of 1855 — Liberal Construction on Law — Only Two Free-State Men
in County — Voters Come in Droves — Vote on the Lecompton Constitution —
Endless String of "Repeaters" — Voted St. Louis City Directory — "Free Bal-
lot and a Fair Count" Meaningless Phrase — Ballot Box Stuffing Extraordi-
nary — Political Parties — A Populistic Blunder — Marshall County a Judicial
"No Man's Land" — Kansas Territorial Council — Members of Legislature
from This County — State Senators from This District.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER Xl\'— SCHOOLS OF MARSHALL COUNTY 282

High Educational Standard — First School House in 1859 — School District
No. 1, Barrett — No Pupils for First School — Private, or "Select" Schools —
Efforts Toward Higher Education — Wetmore Institute — Deer Creek School
— Standard Rural School— Some Early Teachers — Early Parochial Schools —
First School in Cottage Hill — Marysville Public Schools— Blue Rapids
Schools — First School Conducted in Dwelling House — Irving School Notes
— Other Town Schools — The Old Log School House — Superintendents of
Public Instruction — School Teachers of the Current Year — County Board of
Examiners — Officers of County Teachers' Association — School Boards Asso-
ciation — School Statistics — Gold Medal Awards — Honor Students and the
Honor Roll — John McDonald and His "Western School Journal."

CHAPTER XV— CHURCHES IN MARSHALL COUNTY 300

First Religious Service Held in Saloon — Methodist Episcopal Church — Or-
ganizations in Various Towns in County — Presbyterian Churches — Chris-
tian Churches (Church of Christ) — Baptist Churches — Colored Baptists —
Episcopal Churches — Lutheran and Evangelical Churches — United Presby-
terians — Congregationalists — Free Methodist Church — Universalists — Chris-
tian Scientists — Pentecost Church — Catholic Churches of the County.

CHAPTER XVI— FRATERNAL ORDERS, SOCIETIES AND CLUBS 348

Independent Order of Odd Fellows — Knights of Pythias — Ancient Order of
United Workmen — Alodern Woodmen of America — Royal Neighbors of
America — Knights and Ladies of Security — Knights of Honor — Degree of
Honor — Knights of Columbus — Fraternal Aid Union — Triple Tie Benefit
Association — Catholic Mutual Benefit Association — Grand Army of the Re-
public — Woman's Relief Corps — Ladies of the G. A. R. — Sons of Veterans —
Young Men's Christian Association — Woman's Christian Temperance Union
— Ancient Free and Accepted Masons — Royal Arch Masons — Knights Tem-
plar — Order of the Eastern Star.

CHAPTER XVII— THE MEDICAL PROFESSION 383

Fragments of Records, Memories and Traditions — Preventive Medicine of
the Aboriginal — Health from the Waters — The Indian Medicine Man — Pa-
trons of Nature's Dispensatory — System of Counter-Irritation — Curing the
Sick — ^Alcove Springs a Health Resort — Amputation Under Difficulties —
Grandmother's Remedies — Neighbor Helped Neighbor — The First Babies —
Chills and Fever — First Doctor in County — An "Egyptian's" Remedies,
"Lopopahirum" and "Hipopalorum" — Quacks of the Other Days — Tribute to
the Faithful Family Doctor — Penalty for "Fee-Splitting" — Advance of Med-
ical Science — County Medical Society — Macbeth on Medicine — Physicians of
Marshall County — Retrospective — "Every Cradle Asks Us Whence and
Every Coffin Whither."

CHAPTER XVIII— BENCH AND BAR 398

Judicial Districts Defined in 1855 — Marshall County in Third District —
First Territorial Legislature at Pawnee — Third District Bar Organized —
First Court in Marysville — First Sheriff Shot by Desperado — County Placed
in Second Judicial District in 1860 — A Celebrated Case — Attorneys of Rec-

CONTENTS.

orcl — Twelfth Judicial District Created in 1871 — ^Strong Bar in Those Days
— Twenty-first Judicial District Created in 1888 — Attorneys of the Present
Day — Marshall Countj^ Bar Association — Story of First Suit in County^
Challenged to a Duel — A "Bar" Story — Jolly Disciples of Blackstone.

CHAPTER XIX— BANKS AND BANKING 408

Substantial Assets of County — Twenty-eight Banks — Record of But Three
Failures — County Ranks Second in State — Early Banking in County — List
of Present Banks and Officiary of Same — Banker Saves Currency Burned
to a Crisp.

CHAPTER XX— MARSHALL COUNTY PRESS 416

First Kansas Banner Was a Newspaper — True Pioneer Instinct Displayed —
First Paper in Alarshall County — "The Palmetto Kansan" — Early Newspaper
Plant Scattered by a Cyclone — Loyalists Destroy Pro-Slavery Paper — News-
papers That Have Come and Gone — List of Present Newspapers in the
County — Interesting Sidelights on Old-Time Editors.

CHAPTER XVI— MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS OF INTEREST 423

Sidelights on Various Matters of Historic Interests — Young Men's Christian
Association — Independence Crossing — Alcove Springs — Postoffices in Coun-
ty — Nomenclature of Towns — Great Prairie Fire — Terrific Cyclone of 1879 —
Cottage Hill Cemetery — Marshall County and the World's Fair — Grasshop-
pers — First Homestead Patent Granted — "Tremble" — Tragedies — Dark
Deeds of Frontier Life — Summary Retribution — Loyal Alan Murdered by
Traitor — Murdered for His Gold— Horse Thief Hanged — The Pennington
Murder — Murder of Under-SherifT — Paroled Murderer Holding State Job.

CHAPTER XXII— SIDELIGHTS ON MARSHALL COUNTY HISTORY 439

Fremont's Expedition— Mormon Meanderings — The Overland Stage — Some -
Notable Travelers— The Oketo Cut-off — Bad Feeling Between Oketo and
Marysville — Alail Service Discontinued— Price of Obstinancy — The Pony
Express — Early Day Advertising — White Stump Swimming Hole — Story of
Grandma Keyes — The Old Musician — "Tell Ale the Tales That Were So
Dear" — Disaster Follows Night of Pleasure — An Improvised Concert— A
Matter of Life and Death — Obe French — George Guittard — William Alex-
ander Calderhead — G. H. Hollenberg — L'Envoi — "Tarry a Little; There is
Something Alore."

HISTORICAL INDEX

A

Abandoned Highway to Wealth 260

Advertising in Early Days 444

Afton 208

Agricultural and Stock Raising 243

Alcove Springs 385, 462

Alfalfa Introduced in 1872 248

Altitude of Marshall County 35

Ambitious School Plan Failed 174

Amputation Under Difficulties 386

Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. 362
Ancient Order of United Workmen. 352

Angus Cattle Breeders 246

A Prideful Institution 121

Arkaketah, Otoe Indian Chief 179

Armed Against Indians 53, 266

Armour 208

Arrow Heads and Spear Heads 49

Ash Point 208

Atchison & Pike's Peak Railroad— 239
Attorneys of Marshall County--400, 403

Automobile Fire Apparatus 131

Automobiles Encourage Better

Roads 241

Automobiles in Marshall County — 242

Automobiles Ruin Village 186

Auto vs. Horse 251

Ayersville 205

Axtell Citizens Bank _.— 408

Axtell, City of—

Admirable Location 157

Business Interests 157

Cemetery 158

Chautauqua 156

Churches 305. 310

Fire Department 156

First School 156

Laid Out in 1872 155

Miscellaneous 158

Origin and Development 155

Axtell, City of — Continued.

Park 156

Postoffice 155

Some First Events 155

The Deep River Colony 155

B

Babies Mixed at Dance 84

"Bad Alen" Shooting Up the Town. 118

Balderson Township 112

Ballot-Box Stuffing Extraordinary- 278

Bands at the County Seat 125

Bank Burglars Frustrated 410

Bank Destroyed by Fire 409

Bank Notes Saved from Fire 164

Bank of Frankfort, The 410

Banks and Banking 408

Barrett, A. G. 159

Barrett, Village of 159

Baptist Churches —

At Marysville 314

At Blue Rapids 314

At Frankfort 315

At WaterVille 316

At Winifred 316

Beattie, Village of —

Business Interests 161

Churches 307

Named for A. Beattie 160

Postoffice 161

Some First Events 160

Stone Quarries 160

Townsite Platted in 1870 160

Bench and Bar 398

Bennett's Station 206

Big Blue City 206

Big Blue Crossing 115

Big Blue River 35

Bigelow Quarries Exhausted 163

Bigelow State Bank 410

HISTORICAL INDEX.

Bigelow Township 112

Bij^elow, \'illage of —

Business Interests 163

Churclies 163

First Resident 163

First School 162

Founded in 1881 162

Stone Quarries 162

Birds of Marshall County 40

Blanchville 206

Blizzard Claims Victim 198

Blue Rapids, City of —

Business Development 143

Business Directory 151

Cemetery 150

Churches 302

Colonial Hall 139

Directory of 1880 145

First Business House 140

First Postmaster 140

Genesee Colony, The 139

Grasshoppers 147

Incorporation 146

Industries 141

Library Association 144

Oldest Settler 154

Origin and Development 139

Postoffice 148

Residents in 1870 142

Schools 287

Situation in 1872 143

Some First Events 147

Town Company 139

Waterpower Site 141

Blue Rapids City Township 112

Blue Rapids Town Companj- 139

Blue Rapids Township 112

Blue Valley Creamery Company 259

Blue Valley Interstate Highway 242

Breaks Through Into Dugout 21*3

"Bob White" Becomes a Rarity '40

Bohemian Cemetery 215

Bohemians in Marshall Count}' 209

Boyakin, Dr. W. F. 88

Breeding of Live Stock 243

Bremen State Bank 409

Bremen, Village of —

Bank Notes Redeemed 164

Business Interests 164

Destroj'ed by Fire 164

Bremen, Village of — Continued.

First Events 163

Laid Out in 1886 163

Population of 163

Successful Insurance Company 165

Brenneke, Henry 163

Bridge at Schroyer 186

Brown, C. J. 154

Brown. J. B. 153

Brown, Walter P. 154

"Bryan" Was Rejected 170

Bucket Brigade Not Effectual 128

Buffalo Driven to Death 50

Buffalo Had His Day 40

Burglars Break from Jail 108

Business Firms of Marysville 120

Business Interests at Axtell 157

Business Interests of Garden 165

Business Interests of Frankfort 169

Business Interests of Lillis 177

Business Interests of Marietta 178

Business Life of Marysville 131

Bygones are Now Bj^gones 107

Calderhead, William Alexander 454

Garden, Village of 165

Cashier Siezed Robber's Gun 410

Catholic Churches —

St. Joseph's at Lillis 329

Holy Family at Summerfield 330

St. Michael's, Axtell 331

St. Monica's, Waterville 332

St. Elizabeth's, Irving 333

St. Malachy's, Beattie 334

St. Bridget's Parish 335

Annunciation Parish, Frankfort__ 338

St. Gregory's, Marysville 340

St. Wencesclaus 346

Catholic Mutual Benefit Association 358

Cats, the Price of 71

Cattle in Marshall County i_- 243

Cedar Falls 206

Celebrated Legal Case 400

Center of Social Activity --- 121

Center Township 113

Central Branch (U. P.) Railroad__- 239

Challenged to Fight Duel 404

Charges of Fraudulent Voting Made 104

HISTORICAL INDEX.

Charred Bank Notes Redeemed---- 164

Chills, A "Cure" for 390

Cholera Eradication Station—^ 252

Christian Churches —

At Bigelow -312

Balderson ■312

Beattie 312

Irving 31-

Vermillion 313

Waterville 313

Churches of Marshall County 300

Church of Christ (Scientist)--- i21

Church Twice Destroyed 339

Cities, Towns and Villages 155

Citizens State Bank of Blue Rapids 409

Citizens Bank of Frankfort 411

Citizens State Bank of Home City- 411
Citizens State Bank, Marysville __- 413
Citizens State Bank. Waterville --_ 415
City and Town Property Valuation 110

City Hopes Soon Abandoned 173

City of Axtell 155

City of Blue Rapids 139

City of Frankfort 166

City of Marysville » 115

City of Oketo 179

City of Summerfield 187

City of Waterville 196

Civil War Period 261

Civil War Veterans in County 268

Clothing of the Pioneers 61

Clear Fork Township 113

Cleveland Township 113

Coal Beds in Marshall County 36

"Colonel Sellers's" Prototype 149

"Colonial Hall" 139

Commercial Club at Frankfort 168

Commercial Club at Marysville 134

Coming of the Railroad 74

Community House at Marysville — 121

Congregational Church 326

Contribution to Union Cause 265

Coon, John V. l^''

"Copperhead" Society, the 389

Corn Contest of 1916 254

Coronado's Coming to Kansas 45

Cottage Hill 307

Cottage Hill Cemetery 1 431

Cottage Hill School District 285

Cottage Hill Township 113

Cottonwood Trees former "Mon-
archs" 36

County and Township Organization 98

County Bar Association 403

County Board of Examiners 296

County Fairs 2^8

County Infirmary 109

County Jail 108

County Medical Society 394

County Named for Marshall 101

County Officials 109

County Seat Fight Reopened 106

County's First Court House 107

County Seat Election 103

County Seat's Business Life 131

County's Foreign Elements 209

County Superintendents of Schools 292

County Teachers' Association 296

Court, First Session of 403

Court House Destroyed by Fire— 108

Crane, Robert ^}

Creameries of Marshall County-247. 259

Cream Separators 248

Crowds at Old Marysville Ferry— 119

Customs of the Pioneers 61

Cyclone Creates Havoc 17:)

Cyclone of May 30, 1879 429

Cyclone Scatters Newspaper Plant- 417

D

Dairy Interests of County 247

Dandelion's First Appearance 41

Danes of Marshall County 216

Daughters of Rebekah 349

Deceptive Railroad Survey 197

Deer Creek School 283

Defended the Flag 211

Degree of Honor 356

Desecration of a Church 107

Destructive Blaze at Summerfield-- 188

Dickinson, "Shoestring" 155

Sidn't Want Postoffice 170

Disloyal Newspaper "Gutted" 264

Distributing Point for Seed 200

Donahy, Daniel 231, 434

Drilling for Coal and Gas 36

Drougth of 1894 249

Duel, Challenge to 404

HISTORICAL INDEX.

E

Eagles Now a Rarity 40

Earliest Settlers Driven Out 52

Early-Daj- School Building 291

Early Catholic Missione^s 231

Early Elections 276

Early Explorations 42

Early Foes of Liquor 140

Early Mill at Barrett 159

Early Missions Established 99

Early Residents of Blue Rapids -__ 142

Early Scarcity of Food 97

Early Schools Lacked Pupils 282

Early School Teachers 284

Early Settlers, Mention of 88

Early Stock Breeders 245

Educational 282

Educational and Co-operative Union 255

Efficient Fire-Fighting Force 128

Eggs and Poultry 253

Elections in Early Days 276

Elizabeth 206

Elm Creek 206

Elm Creek Township 113

English Sparrow's First Coming — 40
Enlistments for War with Germany 271
Episcopal Churches —

At Marysville 316

At Irving 317

At Blue Rapids 318

Evergreen Cemetery Association — 201

Evidences of Prehistoric Life 39

Ewing 208

Exchange Bank at Marysville 412

Explorations of Spaniards 42

F

Fairland 206

Fairmont Cemetery 150

Family Altar in Humble Homes 60

Farm and Home Institute 193

Farm Bureau's Good Work 254

Farmers Band for Mutual Help 255

Farmers Build Blacksmith Shop — 178

Farmers Build Bridge 173

Farmers' Co-operative Movements _ 254
Farmers' Fire Insurance Company. 165
Farmers' First "Side Line" 252

Farmers Give Horses Away 250

Farmers Help Railroad 171

Farmers' State Bank, Waterville_-- 415
Farming, County's Chief Pursuit--- 2)7

Farming in Marshall County 243

Farm-Produce Contest 256

Farm Property Valuation 110

Farmers' Union Prospering 196

Ferry Toll Came High 119

Fiddle Earned Pioneer a Home 91

Fire Completes Cyclone's Work 174

Fire Destroyed Village of Herki-
mer 171

First Automobile Owner in County 251

First Baby in Marshall County 387

First Birth at Blue Rapids 147

First Bridge Across Blue River 117

First Cemetery at Marysville 128

First County Seat 203

First Court House 107

First Doctor in County 388

First Election in County 276

First Fire Department 128

First Homesteader 231, 434

"First Kansas Banner" 416

First Man at Marysville 117

First Marshall County Soldier Slain 264

First Mill in County 159

First Murder on Kansas Soil 45

First National Bank of Beattie 409

First National Bank of Marysville- 412
First National Bank, Summerfield-- 414

First Old Settlers Meeting 57

First Paper in Marysville 416

First Postoffice in Kansas 101

First Preaching Services 76

First Railroad in Kansas 234

First School House in County 97

First School in County 282

First Session of Court 403

First Standard Rural School 283

First Steam Saw-Mill 96

First Train to Marysville 234

First White Men in Kansas 45

Flag Bravely Defended 211

Flag Stations in County -_ 205

Flames Ravages at Summerfield 188

Flora of Alarshall County 35. 41

Foreign Element in County 209

Forestry 36

HISTORICAL INDEX.

Forter, Samuel 226

Fortunes from Sale of Liquor 118

Frankfort, City of —

Business Interests 168

Busy Shipping Point 169

Churches 303

Commercial Club 168

Electric Light Plant 168

Excellent Buildings 167

Library and Clulis 170

Origin and Development 166

Postoffice 166

Schools 167

Third City in County 166

Town Company Organized 166

Franklin Township 113

Franks-Fort 206

Fraternal Aid Union 358

Fraternal Orders 348

Fraudulent Voting Alleged 104

Free Methodist Church 326

Free-Range Period, The 244

Free-Staters Overridden 276

Fremont's Expedition 95, 439

French Explorers Early on Scene.. 47

French, Obe ■ 451

Fresh-water Pearls in County 36

Froom, Peter 228

Frozen to Death in Blizzard 198

Four Lonely Loyalists 265

Forty Jvliles to a Dance 74

Founder of Bigelow 162

Fourth of July, 1862 118

Fourth Postoffice in County 200

G

Gambling, Shooting and Fighting-. 118

Game of "Horse-Shoe" Popular 185

Gave Up City Charter 173

General Marshall's Reminiscences.. 64

General Tax Levy 110

"Generation of Heroic Mold" 56

Genesee Colony, The 139

Geology, Ornithology and Flora 35

Germans of Marshall County 221

Gertrude 206

Girl Band at Vermillion 193

Girl Burned at Stake 52

Goldenrod, Favorite Flower 41

Gold Medals in Schools 298

Good Roads Campaign 242

Gothamborg Settlement 229

Government by Women 184

Grain Sacks for Trousers 61

Grand Army of the Republic , 359

Grandmother's Remedies 386

Grand Village des Canzes 47

Granite Falls 206

Grasshoppers 60, 147, 155, 219, 432

Greenwood Cemetery 175

Guittard, George 452

Guittard Station 206

Guittard Township 113

Gypsum Deposits in County.. 35, 2>7 ,

143, 153

H

"Hard Times" for Pioneers 97

Harnessing the Vermillion 96

Hawkins, Dr. Robert 362, 383

Heasleyville 206

"Help Yourself to Horses" 250

Helvetia Society, The 225

Herd Law, The 244

Hereford Breeders' Association 246

"Herefordshire of Kansas," The 244

Herkimer Township 113

Herkimer, V^illage of —

Business Interests 171

Destroyed by Fire 171

Farmers Help Railroad 171

First Name Rejected 170

Laid Out in 1878 170

Population of 170

Rises from Ashes 171

"Raemer Creek" Postoffice 170

Schools 171

Some First Events 171

High Rates of Interest 74

High Schools of Marshall County.. 294

Highways of Marshall County 241

Historians Contention Refuted 180

Hog Cholera's Ravages 252

Hogs in Marshall County 252

Hollenberg, G. H. 221, 455

Holstein Breeders in Marshall 246

Homestead, Patent No. 1 231, 434

Honor Students in County 298

Horse-Livery Business Vanishes 251

HISTORICAL INDEX.

Horse Racing in the Old Daj'S 258

Horses in Marshall County 249

Horse Thief Han^^ed 436

Hospitality of Pioneers 86

Hot Winds of 1894 249

Hull, Village of 172

Hutchinson, Jennette Barber 79

I

Incidents of Early Bar 405

Incidents of the Old Trail 179

Incident in "The Virginian" 84

Incorporation of Blue Rapids 146

Increase in Population 102

Independence Crossing 206, 426

Independent Order of Odd Fellows. 348

Indian Agency Building 48

Indians Abduct and Scourge Girl — 52

Indians Become Impatient 66

Indian Burying Grounds Vanish 51

Indian Depredations 51

Indian Massacre of 1862 75

Indian Medicine Men 384

Indian Removal in 1847 48

Indian Village Near Winifred 49

Indian War Weapons 49

Indians Driven Farther West 55

Indians in Marshall County 49

Indians Massacre Small Party 54

Indians Pursued by Militia 53

Industries of Blue Rapids 141

Industries of Marysville 119

Influx of Settlers 213

In Honor of Washington Irving 173

Impetus Given to Axtell 155

Inman, Jacob 162

Irish Creek Settlement 231

Irish in Marshall County 230

Irishman First Homesteader 231

lowans Plan Irving Townsite 173

Irving. Village of —

Business Interests 176

Cemetery .-, 175

Churches 306

City Hopes Abandoned 174

Dreadful Work of Cyclone 175

Early Settlers Discouraged 174

First Church in County 174

Incorporated in 1860 173

Irving, Village of — Continued.

Named for Washington Irving — 173

Organized by lowans 173

Population 175

Postofiiice 174

Railroad's Spite Ineffectual 174

Schools 288

Telephone Service 175

Wetmore Institute 174

J

Jerome, W. W. 173

Jetts Town 208

Johnson. H. M., Reminiscences of 217

"Joy Riding" in Lumber Wagons 62

Judicial District 401

Jury Turns "Jack" for Ve^dict 108

K

Kansas Indians Early Settlers 47

"Kansas" and Its Meaning 46

Kansas-Nebraska Bill 67, 99

Kantanyan 208

Keen Business Sense 179

Keyes, Grandma, Story of 446

Killed While Blasting Rock 200

Killing Out Hog Cholera 252

Knights and Ladies of Security 355

Knights of Columbus 357

Knights of Honor 356

Knights of Pythias 350

Knights Templar 378

L

LaBelle House, The 141

Ladies of the G. A. R. 362

Lagrange 206

Lanesburg, or Lanes Crossing 206

Law Liberally Construed 276

Lawyers of Another Day 108

Lawyers of Marshall County 398

L'Envoi 456

Letter from a Soldier Boy_l 262

Lewis and Clark Expedition 48

"Liberal Construction" of Law 276

Liljerty Meant License Then 118

Library Association, Blue Rapids — 144

HISTORICAL INDEX.

Life Lost in Prairie Fire 429

Lillis, Village of 177

Limestone Quarries 35

Lincoln Township 113

Liquor Freely Sold 118

Liquor Had Early Foes 140

"Little Green Tents/' a Poem 261

Local Men in Federal Service 276

Location of Marshall County 100

Logan Township ' 113

Longest Indian Trail in Country — 49

Lone-Grave Cemetery 186

Long Time Between Drinks 180

Lost and Abandoned Towns 205

Loyalists Destroy Newspaper Plant

264, 369

Loyal Man Murdered 435

Lutheran and Evangelical Churches —

Cottage Hill and Waterville 319

Walnut Township 320

Marysville 320

Herkimer 322

Stolzenbach 322

Walnut Township 323

Hermansburg 324

M

Maennerchor at Marysville 134

Major Long's Expedition 48

Manning, Edwin C. 274

Manning's Home Guards 78

Many-Sided Marshall 101

Marietta, Village of 177

"Marble Falls." a Blasted Hope_197, 206

Marietta State Bank 413

Marshall County Created 101

Marshall County Farm Bureau 253

Marshall County in War Time 261

Marshall County No "Slacker" 211

Marshall County Press 416

Marshall County's Settlement 56

Marshall's Claim Discredited 98

Marshall's Ferry 115

Marshall, Gen. Frank J. ^-63, 101

Marshall, Mrs. Mary 69

Marysville & Blue Valley Railroad- 240
Marysville, County Seat 103

Marysville, First Postoffice 102

Marysville Named for Mrs. Mar-
shall 70, 101

Marysville Overshadowed Palmetto 185

Marysville Public Schools 285

Marysville Township 113

Marysville's Greatest "Boom" 116

Marysville, The County Seat —

Bands 125

Business Directory 132

Cemetery 127

Churches 301

Commercial Club 134

Community House 121

Fire Department 128

First Bridge 117

First Saw-Mill 116

Incidents of Old Days 118

Incorporation 115

Industries 119

Old Business Firms 120

Old-Time Theatricals 125

Railroad Business 137

Schools 285

Turnverein 122

Women's Clubs 134

Masonic Organizations '362

Massacre of Small Party 54

Mastadon Bones Unearthed 39

Medical Profession, The 383

Medicine Men Among Indians 384

Alerchants' State Bank, Waterville__ 415

Merrimac 206

Methodist Episcopal Churches —

At Marysville 301

At Blue Rapids 302

At Frankfort 303

At Axtell 304

At Waterville , 305

At Summerfield 305

At Irving 306

At Vliets 306

At Cottage Hill 307

At Beattie 307

At Vermillion 307

Military History of Marshall County 261

Militia Pursue Indians 53

Miller, Dr. J. P. ., 117, 388

Mina, Village of 178

HISTORICAL INDEX.

Miscellaneous Items 423

Miscellaneous Railroad Items 237

Missionary Slain by Indians 58

Missions, Earlj' in Kansas 58

Modern Woodmen of America 353

Moore, Z. H. 182

Morehouse, G. P. 47

More Soldiers Than Voters 1_ 265

Mormon Crossing, The 93

Mormon Meanderings 440

iMorrall, Dr. Albert 86

"Mortgage Lifters" 252

Movement for Better Roads 242

Murdered for Gold 436

Murder, First on Kansas Soil 45

Murder of Under-Sheriff .^ 438

Murray Township 113

Mussey, Rev. C. F. 139

Alutual Improvement Club 192

Mc

AlcClosk}', James 87

McCoy, Thomas 445

McDonald, John 299

McPherson, John, Recollections of

148, 152

N

Named for English City 172

Native Flowers 41

Nebraska Town Company 203

Neighborliness of Pioneers 75

Nelson, John 216

New Court House in 1891 108

New Dayton 207

New England Aid Company 59

New Jail Not Burglar Proof 108

Newspapers 416

New Way to Pay Old Debts 73

Ninth Kansas Cavalry 266

Noble Township 113

Nolan 205

Nomenclature of Towns 428

Northern Discontent Grows 98

Nottingham Postoffice 166, 207

O

Ocean-to-Ocean Highway 241

O'Fallon, Major John 48

Officials of Marysville 114

Officials of Townships 112

Officers of Farmers' Unions 257

Ohio City 207

Oil Seekers at Work 36

Oketo, City of—

Business Interests 183

Busy Pioneer Crossing 179

Contrast with the Present 181

Early Business Concerns 183

Good Citizenship the Rule 184

Incorporation in 1890 184

Memories of Old Tow'n 179

Moores First in Business 182

Population 184

Prominent Families 183

Women Control Government 184

Oketo State Bank 413

Oketo Township 113

Old Band at Waterville 202

Old County Seat, "Sylvan" 203

Old Ferry at Hull 172

"Old Glory" Kept Flying 265

Old Settlers Reunion Association 56

Old-Time Business Firms 120

Old-Time Dances 90

Old-Time Theatricals 125

Old Town of Oketo 179

Old Townsite of Wyoming 177

Old Trails Hints 50

Old Vermillion City 207

Once Important Railroad Point 200

One Official to Four Offices 389, 404

Only One Free-State Vote in 1857__ 277

Open Saloons in Plenty 118

Opposition to Slavery 93

Order of the Eastern Star 379

Organization of Townships 110

Origin of Blue Rapids City 139

Origin of "Kansas" 46

Origin of Place Names 428

Ornithology of Marshall County_35, 40

Otoe : 207

Otoe Indian Reservation 50

HISTORICAL INDEX.

Otoe Indians Join Union Troops__ 267

Overland Emigration 52

Overland Stage, The 75, 440

P

Palmetto Colony, The 184

Panic Among Early Settlers 53

Parker, Dr. Charles 174

Parmelee, Solomon H. 139

Passing of First Court House 108

Past and Present Contrasted 102

Pawnee Indians, the "Quivera" 45

Pecenka, John 209, 447

Pennington Murder, The 437

Pentecost Church 328

Physicians of Marshall County 394

Pike's Peak Trail, The 75

Pioneer Court Scene 404

Pioneer Doctors Face Difficulties-- 391

Pioneer Farmer's Wife, The 60

Pioneer "Free State" Settlement — 159

Pioneer Girls of the Prairies 74

Pioneer "House Warming" 61

Pioneer Pastimes 185

Pioneer "Pooh-Bah," A 389, 404

Pioneer Privations 97

Pioneer Swedish Preachers 229

Pioneers Held in Remembrance — 57

Pioneers on the Vermillion 7i. 93

Plaster Manufacture ^7

Pleasant Hill 208

Pleasures of the Pioneers 61

Plot for Novelist 84

Political History of County 274

Pony Express, The 443

Population Rapidly Grew 102

Populist PoHtics 279

Postofhce at Barrett in 1857 159

Postoffice at Beattie 161

Postoffice at Blue Rapids 148

Postoffice of Short Life 170

Postoffices in Marshall County 427

Potato-bug Bird Arrives 41

Poultry in Marshall County 253

Prairie Chicken Plentiful 219

Prairie Fire's Ravages * 428

Prehistoric Evidences 39

Prelude to Civil War 99

Presbyterian Churches —

At Marysville 308

At Blue Rapids 309

At Frankfort 310

At Axtell 310

At Irving 311

At Vermillion 311

Press of Marshall County 416

Promising School Destroyed 174

Prophetic Words 274

Pulilic Highways in Marshall Coun-
ty 241

Public Officials 274

Punteney, Eli (Recollections of)-- 75
Purebred Cattle Introduced 244

Q

Quack Doctors 392

"Quivera," Now Kansas 45

R

"Raemer Creek" Postoffice 170, 207

Railroad Company's "Spite Work"- 174

Railroad Improvements 235

Railroad Item of Current Interest-- 137
Railroad Survey Deceived Boomers 197

Railways of Marshall County 234

Railway Station Twice Destroyed-- 174

Relic of Coronado's Visit 46

Red Polled Cattle 247

Reedsville 207

Religious Services in Saloon 300

Religious Services in Saw-Mill — 159

Relocation of County Seat 103

Richland Township 114

Riverside Cemetery Association 202

Robidoux 208

Rock Township 114

Rose Hill Cemetery 158

Rough and Desperate Men 118

Routine of Pioneer Living 60

Rowland, Ed S. 54

Royal Arch Alasons 378

Royal Neighbors of America 353

S

Sale of the Kaw Country 47

School Boards Association 296

School District No. 1 159

HISTORICAL INDEX.

School Districts and Teachers 292

School Roll of Honor 298

Schools of Beattie 291

Schools of Marshall County 282

Schools of Sunimcrville 290

Schools of Waterville 290

School Statistics 297

School Superintendents of County. 292

Schroyer, Philip 186

Schroj'Cr. Village of —

Automobiles Kill Business 186

Bridge Built in 1900 186

Farmers' Union Elevator 186

First Events 186

Laid Out on Schroyer Farm 186

Only Merchant in Town 186

Scott, Rev. Thomas 301

Shakespeare and Doctors 395

Shocking Fate of Young Girl 52

Shorthorns Have Checkered Career 246

Second Kansas Cavalry 267

Semi-Precious Stones in County 35

Settled Dispute with Gun 181

Settlement of Marshall County 56

Sfettlers Become Discouraged 174

Seven Cities, The Island of 42

Seventh Kansas Cavalry 262

Sheep Being Given a Try-out 251

Sheriff Shot liy Desperado 399

Shibley. R. Y. 185

Shihley & Quarles Mill 117

Silos in Marshall County 248

Sidelights on County History 439

Singing- and Spelling-Schools 61

Slavery Bitterly Opposed 93

Smith, "Ji""'/' War Recollections of 262

Social Center at Alarysville 121

Societies and Clubs 348

Sod Houses and Dugouts 59

Soldiers Outnumber Voters 265

Some First Events 96

Some Prominent Visitors 124

Sons of Veterans 362

Spanish-American War Times 269

"Spite Work" Was Ineffectual 174

Staple Products of the Farm i7

St. Bridget's Settlement 231

St. Bridget Township 114

St. Joseph & Denver City Railroad 237

St. Joseph & Grand Island Railroad 234

St. Joseph & Western Railroad 236

State Bank of Axtell 408

State Bank of Beattie 408

State Bank of Blue Rapids 409

State Bank of Frankfort 410

State Bank of Herkimer 411

State Bank of Home City 411

State Bank of Irving 411

State Bank of Lillis 411

State Bank of Vermillion 414

State Bank of Vliets 415

State Bank of Winifred 415

Statistics of Schools 298

State Representatives 280

State Officials from This County__ 275

State Senators 280

Stock Raising in Marshall County__ 243

Stock Show and Fair Association.. 258

Stolzenbach 207

Stone Quarries at Beattie 160

Stone Quarries at Bigelow 162

Stone Quarries at Oketo 182

Story of County-Seat Election 105

Spaniards Attempt Invasion 48

Successful Local Insurance Com-
pany 1 165

Suicide of Disappointed Settler 199

Sullivan 205

Gummerfield, City of —

Churches 305

Early Business Firms 189

First Events 187

Great Fire of 1894 188

Incorporated in 1890 187

Named for Railroad Man 187

Organized in 1888 187

Present Conditions 190

Town Quickly Rebuilt 188

Summerfield, Elias 187

Summerfield State Bank - 414

Summit 205

Swede Creek 207

Swedes in Alarshall County 227

Swedish Settlements 228

Swiss in Marshall County 224

"Sylvan.*' First County Seat 203, 207

HISTORICAL INDEX.

T

Taos 208

Tax Levy of Marshall County 110

Teachers in County's Schools 292

Territorial Council 279

Territorial Government 66

Territory of Kansas 100

"The Blue River." a Poem 115

"The Flag Goes By." a Poem 273

"TJie Plowman," a Poem 243

Thiele. Ernest W. 94

Thirteenth Kansas Infantry 267

Thoman, Joseph and Frank 224

Thorne. Mrs. George \V. 71

Tibbitts. Charles E. 419

Tide of Immigration Sets In 102

Toll for Ferriage Fixed 119

Took Girl's Refusal to Heart 199

Town Named for Bishop Lillis 177

Town of Palmetto Short Lived 185

Town Plan Carefully Laid 173

Town Valuations 111

Township Officials 112

Township Organization 110

Township Valuations 111

Towns That Lost Out 205

Traded Seed Wheat for Whisky___ 200

Trading Posts Along Trail 100

T agedies of Marshall County 434

Travelute. Mrs. Elizabeth 57. 284

Tree Culture Being Promoted il

Tribute to German Settlers 222

Tiil)ute to Irish Settlers 232

Tribute to the Bohemians 214

Tribute to Mrs. Forter 02

Topeka "Cut-off" Railroad 240

Turnverein at Alarysville 122

U

Union Commercial Company 195

L'nique Juryman 404

United Presbyterian Church 325

Universalist Church 327

Upland 205

V

Valuation of Towns 111

Valuation of Townships 111

Value of City and Town Property. 110

Value of Farm Property 110

Vanished Lane of Yesterday 76

\'erdict Hinges on Turn of Card 108

Vermillion River 35

Vermillion Township 114

Veterans of Spanish-American War 270

Vermillion, Village of —

Business Interests 194

Cemetery Association 193

Churches 307

Electric Lights . 191

Farm and Home Institute 193

Girl Band 193

Laid Out in 1869 190

Mutual Improvement Club 192

Population of 190

Pul)lic Hall and Library 192

Some First Events 191

Three Days' Carnival 192

Veterans of the Civil War 268

Vicissitudes of Pioneers 74

Village Destroyed by Cyclone 175

Village Destroyed by Fire 164

Village of Barrett 159

Village of Beattie 160

Village of Bigelow 162

Village of Bremen 163

Village of Garden 165

Village of Herkimer 170

Village of Hull 172

Village of Irving 173

Village of Lillis 177

Village of Alarietta 177

Village of Mina 178

Village of Schroyer 185

Village of Vermillion 190

Village of Vliets 195

Village of Winifred 203

Visitors of Prominence 124

Vliets, Village of —

Churches 306

Farmers' Union 196

Grain Shipments 195

Population 195

Schools 195

Volunteer Fire Department 129

Volunteers for War With Germany 272

HISTORICAL INDEX.

W

Walker. Isaac ^^

Walkersbury 204

Walnut Township 114

Walters. Prof. John 13. 225

War of the Rebellion 261

War of 1917, The 271

Washington Irving Honored 173

Water at Five Cents a Pail 198

Waterpower at Blue Rapids 141

Waterpower, Best in State H

Waterville Township 114

Waterville, City of —

Business Interests 202

Cemeteries 201

Churches 305

Early Settler Kills Himself 199

First Railway Survey Deceives — 197

Hard Pressed for W'ater 198

Incorporated in 1870 200

Named for Old Maine Town 197

On Banks of Little Blue 196

Once Leading Railway Point 200

Outcome of "Marble Falls" 197

Postoffice 200

Some Early Events 198

Village's First Tragedy 198

Waterworks at Marysville 130

Watson. John M. 70, li

Wells 207

Wells Township 114

Westella 208

Wetmore Institute. The 174, 283

"What Is Noble?" 397

When Kansas Went Populist 279

When Marysville Was Notorious.- 118

"Where the West Begins" :S}>

Whippoorwill No Longer Heard — 40

Whisky as a Commodity 118

White. J. H. 180

White's Quarry 207

White Stuinp Swimming Hole 445

White Way Highway 242

Wild Fowl Now Fly High 40

Williams. Emma 70

Windbreaks of Cottonwoods 36

Winifred, Village of —

Nebraska Town Company 203

Old Site of "Sylvan"' 203

Original County Seat Site 203

Population __. 204

Schools and Business 204

Winters, John M. 245

Woman's Relief Corps 360

Woman's Christian Temperance

Union 362

Women Govern City of Oketo 184

Women's Clubs at Marysville 134

Women's Work at County Fairs 259

Woodson 208

Woolen-Mill at Blue Rapids 143

"Wyoming." an Early Townsite 177

Y. M. C. A. Corn-Growing Contest 254
Young Men's Christian Association

362, 423
Yurann. Jason 149

BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX

A

Alspach, Cornelius W. 589

Anderson, Herman J. 873

Armstrong, Lyman H. 985

B

Balderson, Charles A. 76S

Ballard, Corwin 957

Bancroft, George 639

Banman, George B. 925

Beaty, Samuel J. 940

Belknap, Carl M. 970

Bennett, Lloyd 942

Berens, Henry A. 615

Bergen, Fred G. 457

Bergmann, Christian 948

Beveridge, Jacob A., D. D. S 972

Bommer, Harry 570

Bommer, William 682

Bottger, Henry 1026

Boyd, William S. 642

Bradley, Rev. Clarence 484

Brandenburg, Charles W., D. D. S__ 501

Brodrick, Harry M. 600

Brodrick, Lynn R. 921

Brolyer, Edwin D. 977

Brooks, William H. 714

Brychta, Jerome M. 681

Buck, William T. 1017

Burnett. Peter S. 662

C

Cain. Patrick W. 80)

Cain. Peter S. - 736

Carlson, August J. 656

Carney, Eli G. 907

Carney, John H. 784

Chaddock, Joseph 911

Champagne, Peter 606

Claeys, Constand 702

Clark, Rezin 552

Clifton. John, M. D. 904

Craft. Rufus S., M. D. ' 504

Crane, Robert 584

Crome, Fred 664

Cummings, C. E. 597

Curtis, Samuel 901

D

Davis, John L. 539

Dean, Aubrey R. 650

DeLair, David 544

DeLair, Peter H. 576

Denlinger, John W. 837

Denton, James W. 624

Detweiler, Henry F. . 983

Dever, Thomas 626

Dexter, Thomas B. 770

Dexter, William H. 919

Dickey, Joseph C. 621

Dilley, James M. 927

Dolen, John C. 764

Drumm. William M. 1002

Duigenan. Michael J. 555

Dwerlkotte, Joseph 956

E

Ellenbecker, John C 512

Embleau, Rev. Edward R. 551

Erickson, Charles 937

F

Farrar, Henry H. 853

Farrar, Thomas J. 905

Farwell, John D. 895

Fenwick, George L. 495

Fisher, Herman R. 616

Flanagan, James L. 952

BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX.

Focks, Michael F. 891

Follett, Henry C. 604

Forter, Mrs. Emma E. 912

Forter. Samuel 912

Fulton, Edgar R. 511

Fuhvider. William H. 687

G

Gallup, George 756

Garrison, A. B. 672

Garrison, Charles L. 599

Gaston, E. A., D. D. S. 559

Gaylord, Frank M. 647

Gernier, Fred 640

Gibson. Abel W. 858

Gossin. William T. 810

Graham, Byron C. 744

Graham. John G. 861

Green, Joseph 636

Greiveldinger, Henry 675

H

Hamilton, John L. 824

Harper, John F. 1005

Harry, Charles A. 748

Harry, Thomas 852

Haslett, Mrs. Melissa 485

Hawkins, Richard H. 794

Hedge, Alvah 111

Heiserman. George 651

Heiserman, Frederick J. liZ

Helvering, William J. 572

Hamler, James A. 491

Henry, Ira E. 696

Hermann, Henry 655

Hermann, Herman 655

Herring, Benjamin W. 560

Hessel. Clement T. 554

Hirt, Andrew 806

Hohn, Karl 693

Holtham, William J. 460

Howell, Lewis R. 743

Howes, John 614

Howes, Tliomas : 750

Hunt, John H. 1013

Hunt, William B. 960

Hunter, William. M. D. 668

Hutchinson, Frank W. 468

Hutchinson, Capt. Perry 464

Ilutcliinson, Wallace W. 472

Hutciiison, .Andrew D. 601

Huxtal.lc, William C. 543

I

Irvin, Ed 583

J

Jacohson, I'eter F. : 815

Johnson, Alfred 930

Jojinson,, Andrew 893

Johnson. Herman 1000

Johnson, Hutchinson 1012

Johnson. Nels E. 996

Johnson. William 950

Johnston, Erskine W. 1004

Jones. Albert L. 760

Jones, Arthur T. 741

Jones, Charles B. 972

Joseph, Fred R. 612

Judd, J. L. 974

K

Kabriel, Venzel 791

Kapitan, Rudolph A. 975

Keck, Sterling 700

Keefover, James E. 1035

Keller, Gottfried 847

Kerschen, Nicholas S. 471

Kinsley, W. J. 821

Kirlin. Linden 720

Kjellberg. Andrew 938

Koeneke. Ernst 718

Koeneke, Henry W. 1019

Koepp, Charles W. 783

Koppes, Nicholas 753

Krasny, Joseph 804

Krug. John H. 658

Kruse, George A. 706

Kruse. William 690

Kr.or.i, Mathias 528

L

Lackland, H. W. 923

Lackland. W. T. 923

Lamb Family. The 963

Larkin, Frank 1030

BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX.

Larson, Hans P. 846

La3'ton, George B. 738

Lewis, John L. 535

Lewis, Jonathan C. 839

Lewis, Robert J. 644

Lewis, Thomas H. 1009

Lilliljridge, Hiram 885

Lindeen, Alfred 986

Lindquist, John A. 874

Link, John 619

Lofdahl, John 970

Lofinck, Capt. William 526

Ludwick, D. W. 557

Lynch, Patrick 787

Mc

McAtee, William H. 922

McKee. Edward J. 524

McKee, John F. 774

McKee, William L. 909

M

Alaitland, Henry 610

Malicky, Vencel 677

Malone, Thomas 981

Manly, Oliver R. 991

Manly, Ross 1015

Manninij, Joseph 871

Marksman, Francis J. 1038

Meybrimn, Jacob 646

Miller, George 863

Moden, J. M. 807

Moeller, Henry W. 829

Mohrbacher, George T. 533

Moore, Ziba H. 632

Morse, Arthnr D. 932

Moser, Fred 660

Myers, Bernard 767

N

Nelson, Franz E. 813

Nelson, Godfrey H. 994

Nelson, John G. 799

Nelson, Oscar 788

Nichols, Clarence E. 876

Nyqnist, Rev. Gustaf 959

O

Obermeyer, Fred 603

Olson, George L. 590

Olson, Lars P. 943

O'Neil, Timothy P. 731

P

Pape, Gustav C. 724

r'arthemer, Jonathan C. 842

Paul, Samuel F. 498

Pauley, Roley S. 816

Pecenka, Anthony C. 865

Pecenka. John 568

Peterson, George 623

Pishny, Ignatz 878

Poteet, James L. 831

Potter, William W. 459

I'ralle, Fred H. 566

Pul'leine, Percy R. 693

R

Rabe, William 630

Reb, Henry 1010

Reed, Asher F. 528

Rice, Guy L. 493

Rice, Milo M. _. 979

Riekenberg, William 680

Ringen, Ed. W. 832

Robinson, Morley P. 1022

Robinson, Neil 758

Rodkey, Clayton 746

Rueger, John 870

Runkle. H. 881

Russell, Oscar T. 666

Rutti, Jacob 695

S

Saathofif, A. B. 678

Scanlan, Frank A. 653

Schlax, Benjamin E. 776

Schmidler, J. G. 562

Schmidt, Mathias M. 578

Schulte, Henry 939

Schumacher, Peter J. ^ 509

Schwindaman, William 716

Scott. James M. 584

Sediv3% Frank 868

Sedlacek, Joseph A. 834

BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX,

Seematter. John 880

Shaughncss}', James 848

Sheldon. Frank D. 582

Sheldon, Julius J., M. D. 574

Shroyer, Peter 540

Shumate. Joseph M. 520

Skalla, Thomas H. 992

Smith. John 735

Smith, John V. 850

Smith. Robert W. 531

Smith. Thomas B. 840

Smith. William E. 796

Spratt. Charles A. 1034

Stedman. Samuel W. 728

Steig. John 712

Stephens. Dr. L. H. 592

Stevenson. Lewis M. 954

Steward, Catherine L. 496

Stewart. Clark M. 477

Stewart. James W. 887

Stewart, William J.. :\I. D. 596

Strayer. William, M. D. 628

Stromer. John W. 792

Strong. James G. 944

Suggett. John W. 710

Suggett. Thomas J. 762

Sullivan. James 899

Swanson, Oscar A. 819

T

Tarvin, Charles H. 1028

Taton. Rev. Francis H. 480

Thacher. George I., AI. D. 474

Thiele, George H. _.___ 722

Thomann, Frank 536

Thompson, James A 648

Thomson, Frank 808

Tibbetts, Charles C. 634

Tilley, Samuel W. 934

Times. The Blue Rapids 634

Toedter, John P. 594

Train, F. A. 1040

Travelute, Andrew J. 488

Traxler. Henry 883

V

Vanamhurg. Jolm D. 827

Van X'liet. (ieorge 997

W

Wagner, John F. 704

Wagner, Louis J. 1032

Warnica, Calvin 987

Warnica, William D. 546

Waters. Henry C. 618

Weaver, Henry 779

Weber, Carl 752

Wells. James 587

Wells. Oliver C. 549

Werner. Frank A. 580

Westburg, Kasper . 999

Wilcox. James R. 688

Willey. Charles L. 727

Winquist. John A. 1007

Winter. Burton M. 1024

Witt. Gustav A. 772

Wittmuss. Albert 671

Wohler. Frank T. 856

Wohler. Ortwin F. 889

Wood, Orlin P., M. D. 564

Wuester. Joseph B. 837

Wullschleger. Jacob 928

^^'ullschleger. Robert 844

Y

Yiinssi. Frank . 522

^ aussi, Rudolph 951

Z

Zarybnicky, Joseph 708

Zimnierling, Ernst W. 790

/immerling, Oscar W. H. 1037

WHERE THE W^EST BEGINS.

Out where the West begins,
Out where the hand clasps a Httle stronger,
Out where the smile dwells a little longer,

That's where the AVest begins.
Out where the sun is a little brighter,
Out where the snow falls a trifle whiter,
A\^here the bonds of home are a wee bit tighter.

That's where the West begins.

Out where the skies are a trifle bluer,
Out where friendship's a little truer,

That's where the West begins.
Out where a fresher breeze is blowing,
Where there's laughter in every streamlet flowing.
Where there's more of reaping and less of sowing,

That's where the West begins.

Out where the world is in the making,
Where fewer hearts with despair are aching.

That's where the West begins.
Where there's more of singing and less of sighing.
Where there's more of giving and less of buying,
Where a man makes friends without half trying,

That's where the West begins.

— ^Arthur Chapman.

(3)

HISTORICAL

CHAPTER T.
Geology, Ornithology and Flora.

The geolog-ist has drawn an irregular Hne diagonally across the county
from northeast lo southwest, from near Summerfield. where the altitude is
one thousand four hundred and fifty feet above sea le\-el. to a point near
where the Big Blue river leaves the county and where the altitude is about
one thousand one hundred feet above sea level. He tells us that east of that
hne the territory is of the Carboniferous and west of the line, is composed
of the Permian age, an equal di\ision. which has been satisfactory so far to
all concerned.

The Big Blue, which carries more water in dry weather than any other
stream in Kansas, enters the county on the north, eleven miles east of the
west line and leaves it on the south, twelve miles' east of tlie west line, flow-
ing through a bottom from one-half to one and one-half miles wide, of the
richest farming land known.

The Vermillion rher receives the w^ater from the eastern and south-
eastern part of the county and pours it into tlie Big Blue, about a mile north
of the southern line of the county.

Along the rivers and creeks is found a plentiful supply of limestone for
building purposes, the quarries at Oketo and Florena on the Big Blue and at
Beattie on the Vermillion, having shipped stone for many years in thousands
of carload lots to Nebraska and Missouri.

An apparently inexhaustible supply of gypsum is found near Blue
Rapids, where hundreds of thousands of dollars are invested in its manu-
facture.

rRECIOUS STONE.S.

Semi-precious stones, such as agates of all kinds, opals, white sapphire,
topaz, turquois, quartz crystals and jasper of various kinds, are found in the

36 AlAK^JiAIJ. COLNTY. KANSAS.

sandbars of the Big' Blue and its trilnitaries, on llic liiyh hills and the glacial
drift, in almost e\ er}- part of the county, in small (|uantities.

Many of these have been j^round and make beautiful jewelry. There
is. howe\er, not enoueh of anv one kind to market i)rofitablv. Quite a num-
her of fresh \v;iter pearls have been found in the mussels taken from the
Big Blue river.

.V poor grade of coal has been fcjund near Axtell, but not in quantity to
assure profitable mining.

The first attempt at drilling for coal or gas was made at Marysville in
1884, l)ut when salt water was struck at about four hundred feet, operations
were discontinued. In 1887 a well was sunk near Hutchinson's mill to a
dei)th of one thousand one hundred and fifty feet, and abandoned in salt
w^ater. In 190G the Schmidt brothers sunk a well one thousand one hundred
and fiftv feet near the river bridge at Marysville and abandoned it in salt
water. Another well was sunk between Axtell and Vermillion to one thou-
sand three hundred feet, with similar results.

During the year 1916 thousands of acres of Marshall county land were
leased bv various oil companies for the ostensible purpose of drilling for oil.

In Februarv, 19 17, a home organization, strictly mutual, by landowners
onlv, was perfected with a view to testing the territory to a depth of three
thousand feet. The officers of this company are, C. A. Hammett, president;
Alexander Schmidt, secretary ; M. W. Schmidt, treasurer, with directors in
both Marshall and Washington counties.

FORESTRY.

The Cottonwood was the native monarch tree of Kansas for many years.
It grew plentifully along the rivers, and as the pioneer built his cabin near
the streams, the cottonwood furnished shade and shelter for himself and the
small herds lie possessed. The cottonwood, being full of sap withstood the
drought and prairie fires, and because it made rapid growth, settlers were
urged to plant the trees for wind-break for orchards and stock.

Everv farm had its "row" and grove of cotton woods. Sometimes a
furrow was plowed and twigs stuck in the ground, which would soon show
sturdy growth. The rapid growth, of the cottonwood was its redeeming
feature. It lost its foliage early and did not make prime lumber. The cot-
tonwood tree is gratefully remembered for the protection it gave to the
pioneer, but it is rapidly being eliminated and replaced by the catalpa, ash,
mulberry, walnut, box elder and maple. The box elder, maple and willow

MARSHALL COUNTY, KANSAS. 37

were close friends of tlie cottonwood, for the reason. that they, too, resisted
the drought and fire. Native cedar grew in the canyons and draws and
along the bluffs.

The catalpa, a deciduous tree, makes a fine shade and produces clusters
of large, fragrant, white blossoms, which are beautiful and make the tree
popular.

.\ great deal of attention is given to tree culture and in most towns
there are too many trees. The straggling, ill-formed trees are being culled
and replaced by straight, symmetrical trees of many different \-.arieties.

FARMING.

Farming has been and is the great pursuit of the people of the county.
Of the twenty-three thousand inhabitants, only seven thousand reside in the
towns. The 1916 reports show that three hundred fifty-three thousand two
hundred and eighty acres are under cultivation ; two hundred eighteen thou-
sand three hundred and forty acres in pasture or not under cultivation, and
eleven tliousand three hundred and eighty-five acres in wild timber. Most
of the hardwood grows along the creeks and small streams, while the soft
timber prefers the river bottoms, and the wild cedar inhabits the almost inac-
cessible bluff's at any point.

The great staple products of the farm have ever been corn, wheat, oats
and, for a good many years, alfalfa has been a great factor as food for beast
and fowl. There is scarcely a product of the soil raised anywhere, which
cannot be raised profitably in this county.

THE GYPSUM INDUSTRY.

Kansas has unlimited quantities of gypsum in a great variety of forms,
and it is fast becoming one of the greatest resources within the domain of
the state. There are three gypsum districts and the northern area or dis-
trict is in Marshall county.

The Big Blue and Little Blue ri\-ers unite near the town of Blue Rapids
and furnish at that place the best water power in the state, estimated at one
thousand five hundred horse-power at low^ water.

The plaster manufacture is the prominent industry of Blue Rapids, a
town of one thousand seven hundred inhabitants, where there are three gyp-
sum mills and a fourth one in prospect.

In 1 87 1 J. V. Coon of Elyria, Ohio, came to Blue Rapids, burned some

38 MARSHALL (OUNTV, KANSAS.

of tlic ,L;yi)suni and carried it hack to Cle\"cland, wlicrc it was proiiDunccd to
be oi good (|ualit\- and two carloads were ordered at a good price. He
returned to Hlnc Kapids and he and his .son. Emir J. Cooil in 1872 Imilt
a frame shed on the east bank of the river, below the town. In an iron
kettle, which held about tue barrels and which \vas heated by a stove, they
commenced the manufacture of plaster of Paris. In 1875 they built a stone
mill on the west side of the river and the water power of the river was used
for grinding. This mill was operated for twelve years, when the firm dis-
continued business.

Hiram and Frank Fowler followed Coon & Son in the plaster business,
building a single kettle, frame mill at the west end of the bridge over the
dam.

In 1892 A. E. Winters formed a company and built the Blue Valley
mill, constructing a dam across the Little Blue, about one-half mile above its
junction with the Big Blue. This is the point referred to by early settlers
as "marble falls," because of the rapids of the river there and the gypsum
deposit in the west bank of the river, which they thought resembled marble.

This mill was purchased by the United States Gypsum Company and
was operated until 1916, when they abandoned and tore down the mill after
building a new modern steel and concrete mill, just south of town at a cost
of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. This mill stands on the I. D.
Yarick ranch where Mr. Yarick had previously opened up a gypsum mine.

GYPSUM INDUSTRY DEVELOPED.

Following this, Dr. William Hunter, H. H. Russell. Frank Paul and
Jesse Axtell, of Blue Rapids, and Dr. W. E. Ham and N. T. Waters, of
Beattie, built a mill, which was purchased by Mr. Henley, of Law^-ence, for
the American Cement Plaster Company. This mill has been greatly enlarged
and is still in operation.

In 1902 after the sale of the Great Western Plaster Company's mill to
Henley, Hunter, Russell, Ham and Waters purchased the gypsum deposits
north of town and built a two-kettle mill which they operated by electric
powder, naming their corporation the Electric Plaster Company, and install-
ing an electric-light plant in Blue Rapids. This mill was operated until
191 2, when Mr. Henley of the American Cement Plaster Company bought a
controlling interest in it and dismantled it.

In February, 1906, the Blue Rapids Company, a corporation of Marys-

MARSHALL COUNTY, KANSAS, 39

ville men, began operating a new mill on the north side of the river, with
F. W. Hutchinson as manager. It was sold to Henley in December of the
same year and is now operated as the American cement plaster mill No. 2.
This mill has been much enlarged by the installation of a plaster-board plant,
the output of which is a great success as a substitute for laths and plaster in
buildings.

Experts declare the Blue Rapids gypsum to be the purest as well as the
whitest found west of Nova Scotia. The United States Gypsum Company
and the American Cement Plaster Company purchased mills at Blue Rapids
in order to get the best possible quality of gypsum from which to make plaster
of Paris, dental and molding plaster. Most of the plaster for the staff work
at the Worlds Fair at Chicago and St. Louis was made in Blue Rapids. It
has been shipped to almost every country in the world, one shipment being
made to Japan in the fall of 1916. The annual shipment of the product
of the gypsum mills at Blue Rapids is about two thousand five hundred cars.
The average car carries forty tons of stucco, which never sells at less than
eight dollars per ton.

PREHISTORIC.

In a sand pit on the east bank of the Big Blue river, half a mile south
of Marysville, and about twelve feet below the surface, laborers found a
number of large bones which soon crumbled in the air, and several very large
teeth which are petrified.

The largest of these teeth measures eight inches by three and one-half
inches on the face, the others being a little smaller. Whether these were
teeth of a mastodon or some other long extinct creature, has not been
determined, and to what age it belonged, is likewise an enigma.

Imbedded in our limestone are found almost every species of what had
been animal, plant and Crustacean life. ' Walnut and cedarwood have been
found while digging wells at various points, from twenty to forty feet below
the surface. While digging a well near Eighth and Alston streets in Maiys-
ville, charcoal and crude pottery were found at a depth of twenty-seven feet.
Stone axes, hammers and similar crude tools have been and still are being
found many feet below, as well as on the surface at almost any point in the
county.

These stone tools probably contribute the evidence of the connecting link
between the age which produced the enormous bones and teeth and the age
which produced the Indian. At least the gap between the large teeth and

40 MARSHALL COUNTY, KANSAS.

tlie stone ax is not covered by any other visible evidence, unless it be the
so-called glacial drift which covers various parts of the county to various
depths.

BIRDS.

Ornithologists tell us that there are over three hundred distinct varieties
of birds in Kansas, not counting those of the domestic breeds. The earliest
settlers tell us that when they came here there were many wild turkeys in the
timber along the streams, but they did not last long after the rifle and shot-
gun came. Grouse and prairie chickens fairly covered the country for many
years, and older settlers get a sort of lonesome feeling in the spring mornings
for the reason that no longer is heard the familiar cackling of the prairie hen
and the drumming of her mate, which was familiar on all sides from thou-
sands of happy throats in former days. Alas, the avarice of the hunter has
reduced the number of this "native," until now there are not a hundred left
in the county, in spite of the strict game laws.

The quail, which roamed our fields and woods in thousands, the special
friend of the farmer, and everybody's pet wild bird, has become so scarce that
the call of "Bob White" has become a novelty. The innocent quail has fallen
a prey to the highly civilized white man, as has the magnificent deer, antelope
and the buffalo.

EXIT OF THE EAGLE.

The great American eagle, which was once a daily visitor, has become so
rare, that now the newspapers print his appearance as an item of news. He
was not hunted, but he must have noticed what happened to the chicken and
the quail, and he moved on. We still have hawks, crows and owls. The
winged scavenger— the buzzard — always was scarce here, but much more so
of late years. Wild geese and ducks in their flight north or south, formerly
visited us by the thousand. They come in dozen lots now, and these lots are
far between, and the migratory crane is seen only a mile high.

The snipe and curlew, formerly plentiful, have become as scarce as the
prairie chicken. There are still a few plover, but they seem to have been
more a bird of the sod than of the field. The cry of the whipoorwill has not
been heard in this county since 1880, but there are many more song birds
than formerly, mockingbirds, thrushes, redbirds, robins, orioles, grossbeaks
and others ; blackbirds, martens, swallows, kingbirds, linnets and larks, wrens
and humming-birds, all favorites. The blue-jay is not a favorite, nor is the
English sparrow, which made his first appearance here in the summer of 1878,

MARSHALL COUNTY, KANSAS. 4 1

and was first discovered by that genial Irishman, Tom McCoy, who was every-
body's friend and who made harness, and by Sam Forter, who worked across
the street from McCoy in a blacksmith shop. They were watched very closely
for a long time ; there were only two of them when first seen, and they had a
nest on McCoy's shop, and had things their own way for a while. Their mnl-
titudinous offspring have become veritable pests.

During the summer of 191 6 a heretofore unknown bird in this locality
made its appearance. It looks much like a grossbeak and will become a favor-
ite above all for the reason that it eats potato-bugs in great number, and it
is the only bird known that has such an appetite.

NATIVE FLOWERS.

Pre-eminent among the wild flowers of the state is the sunflower, which
is generally accepted as the "state flower." It is a very hardy plant, grows
rampant and thrives wonderfully in the least favorable weather as well as in
propitious seasons. In times gone by it covered every spot of uncultivated
land, with rank growth, along roads and byways and its yellow fac^ greeted
one everywhere from early summer till frost. In the early days quite a little
fuel was obtained from the stalk of this wild flower. For some unknown
reason the sunflower has been much less plentiful in the last five years than
at any time before.

The first dandelion made its appearance in this county about the year
1888. It was quite a favorite while it was in its years of modesty; it is no
longer a favorite, the horticulturist and the storebox philosopher, the scien-
tists of the agricultural departments of the various states and the nation and
the ordinary man with a hoe have exhausted all their wisdom in its suppres-
sion.

The native wild flowers are rapidly disappearing. The wild rose, the
field lily, wild daisy and violet are about the only remaining wild flowers of
the prairies that are familiar to the boys and girls of today. The old-time
wild primrose, the yellow poppy, white and purple larkspur, wild parsnip,
sageflower and asters are very rare. Here and there are to be found a wild
yucca or soapweed and a cactus, which recall the days when this was supposed
to be a part of the great American desert. A favorite and familiar native
flower is the goldenrod, also the sweet wild rose, which is most delicate in
coloring and fragrance.

CHAPTER II.
Early Explorations.

SPANISH,

One of the myths in the minds of early Spanish explorers was that of
"The Seven Cities."

In 1532 Francisco Pizarro had conquered Pern from the Incas and had
extorted from the governor an enormous sum of money. Stories of fahul-
ous wealth, gold and precious stones had so inflamed the Spanish minds, that
the people accepted as true, various myths regarding the New World.

Even so experienced an explorer as Ponce De Leon, who had been the
companion of Columbus on his voyages, became- infatuated with the myth
of the Fountain of ~^'outh and believed that if he could find the fountain and
lave in its magic waters, old age would "fall from him like a garment," and
he would walk again in the strength and vigor of youth.

The name Cibola and the Seven Cities was given in 1 536-1 540 to sup-
posed large and powerful cities in the present New Mexico, by Friar Marcos
de Niza, who had made some excursions from Old Mexico into the North
country. The good Friar may have heard the word "Cibobe" from the
nati\e Tehua Indians. According to their traditions it was a place in south-
ern Colorado, whence their ancestors issued from the interior of the earth.
Cibobe was the mythical cradle of the tribe. Or he may have heard the
word from the Zuni Indians. Ciba is the Indian name for rocks and the
Zuni Indians held a range of mountains in what is now New Mexico.

MYSTIC NUMBERS.

The Island of Seven Cities was a fabled island which, in the fourteenth
and fifteenth centuries, was supposed to exist in the Atlantic, west of Europe.
It was said to have been peopled by seven bishops who, with many followers,
had been driven out of Spain by the Moors. The number seven has been

MARSHALL COUNTY, KANSAS. 43

regarded as a mystic number for centuries by disciples of the occult. Severl
is a result of combining the number three or the triad, with the number four
or the tetrad. The triad (three) was held sacred as the source of energy
and intelligence. The tetrad (four) was venerated by the heathen minds.
It represents a square and exhibits by summation all the digits as far as
ten — ( i-|-2-|-3-|-4). It marks the seasons, the elements, the four ages of
man. United with the triad the number seven resulted. Seven marked the
series of lunar phases. It \\ as the number of the known great planets. We
have the Seven wonders of the world ; seven days in the week ; the city on
Seven hills. More than likely, vSpanish students of the mystical originated
the idea of the Seven Cities of Cibola. The slave Tejo and the "Turk", no
doubt, heard the tale in idle hours from the Spaniards and sensing the greed
for gold and plunder in the Spanish mind, enlarged on the "great cities to
the North where the streets were paved with gold and the door-posts studded
with precious gems."

The stories which were told of the land of Cibola and the seven cities,
are always attributed by historians to Indian slaves or half-breed negroes
who acted as guides. By some occult means these guides were always able
to converse with any and all tribes of Indians, encountered during the
marches in search for the cities. It is evidence of the abnormal state of
mind created by the desire for gold, when men like Guzman and Mendoza
were induced to accept as true the word of a menial, in a matter which
involved danger, hardship and a great outlay of money.

EXPEDITION ABANDONED.

In 1530 Nuno de Guzman ^^'as the ruler of New Spain. He had an
Indian slave, Tejo. v»hose father had been a trader and had gone into the
"back country," to trade with the inhabitants. Tejo told Guzman that he
had sometimes gone with his father and that there were some towns there as
large as the Citv of Mexico. In seven of those towns there were streets
given over to shops and workers in precious metals. Tejo said it would
require forty days travel to reach these cities. Guzman decided to go after
the wealth. He enlisted four hundred Spaniards and twenty thousand
Indians. His plans were not carried out and this expedition was abandoned.
This was in 1530.

Ten years prior to this in 1520, De Narvaez had attempted to subju-
gate Cortez. the governor, and had suffered defeat. Soon after this he was
empowered bv Charles V^ of Spain, to govern Florida. On the 15th of

44 MAKSHATJ, COUNTY, KANSAS.

April. 15-7, De Xarxaez landed at Tampa liay witli two Imndrcd and sixty
soldiers and forty horsemen. lie soon bet^an his travels in seareh of gold.

Volumes have been written about this expedition whieh ended in dis-
aster, only four escaping- death by the Indians, by st(jrms and star\ation.
These four were Cabaza de Vaca. the leader of the band; Maldonado, Dor-
antes, and a negro slave, Estevan. The four had wandered in the wilds of
Texas and the deserts and mountains of A^ew Mexico for se\'en years. They
were rescued on the coast of the Gulf of California in April 15, 1537.
Alendoza was now viceroy of Mexico and he bought Estevan from Dorantes,
the slave's master.

The four men related manv stories of their wanderings and of the
northern countries. These stories recalled, revived and confirmed the stories
of the trader's son, the Indian Tejo-

The greed for gold awoke in ]\Iendoza and he decided to send an expe-
dition North, and Eriar Marcos de Xiza was chosen to head it, as he had
m^cle. sUo^r.t expeditions North and had been with Pizarro in his plundering
expedition into Peru. The negro, Estevan, was the guide. The result
of this expedition was that the Eriar reported that he had been told that
there were cities to the North, where the people wore cotton clothes and had
much., gold. It appears from the records, which are meager, that the Eriar
was, somewhat guarded in his report, but when he mentioned gold — that
was suf^cient. The wildest rumors were passed from mouth to mouth. It
was said the door-posts were studded with precious gems. Royal permission
was sought to explore the country of Cibola. This privilege finally went to
Mendoza, he selected the post of Compostella on the Pacific Ocean, as the
point of assembly and appointed Coronado to act as commander of the
expedition.

CORONADO.

The foregoing historical review but serves to lead our attention to the
one man — of that group of Indians, half-breed negroes and Spaniards, who
is of interest to the people of Kansas and of Marshall county — Erancisco
Vascpiez de Coronado.

Coronado was a Spanish soldier, who came to Mexico, probably with
Mendoza. He was about forty years old and was governor of Neuva
Galicia, when Mendoza selected him to command an expedition North in
search of the land of Cibola and the seven cities.

On Monday, Eebruary 2^, 1540, Coronado with two hundred and sixty
horsemen, seventy footmen and several hundred Indians started from Com-

MARSHALL COUNTY, KANSAS. 45

postella and marched due north hito the country we know as Arizona.
There he fought a battle with the Indians and defeated them, and the
Spaniards took possession of the Zuni villages on July 7, 1540. These
villaees consisted of mud and stone dwellings, rude, filthv and dark. These
were the fabled "Seven Cities" of Cibola.

OUIVERA.

Coronado wintered on the Rio Grande and during that winter another
Indian appeared with stories of a land still farther away, called Quivera.
This Indian was nicknamed the "Turk" and may have been a captive Arkan-
sas or Ouapaw Indian. His stories of a far-distant and wealthy land was
sufficient to cause Coronado to again resume his search for wealth, and after
thirty-five days of travel they came to the country of the Teyas and these
Indians told them that "Turk" was deceiving them and that Quivera lay to
the north. Coronado selected thirty of his liravest and boldest men and
half a dozen foot soldiers, and sending the remainder of the army back to
Tiguex, on the Rio Grande, he pushed due northward and according to most
• authorities arrived at the place, which is now Dodge City, on the Arkansas
river. The first act of Coronado on reaching the Arkansas river was to
execute "Turk", who had deceived him. This was the first murder on
Kansas soil of which we have any record.

LOCATION OF QUIVERA.

■ Coronado had at last reached Quivera. It is to be regretted that his
first act in killing the "Turk"" was cruel. Ijut that was the spirit of the times.
On one point all authors practically agree. Quivera was in what is now
Kansas. That it lay in the Northeast, which was the land of the Canza
(Kansas) Indians and which embraced Marshall country, is the opinion of
Bandalier, who is an accepted authority.

Coronado spent several weeks in the exploration of Quivera. He says
in his notes that he reached the fortieth parallel, which is the line between
Kansas and Nebraska. There is no reason to question this statement. The
general opinion is that he traveled eastward from \\'^ichita, then took the
old Indian trail north and followed up the Big Blue river. If so, he traveled
through where Marshall county is now laid out.

The Pawnee Indians were of the Quivera tribe. They had villages all
alone the Big Blue. One of their oldest villages was on the site of Blue

46 MARSHALL COUNTY, KANSAS.

Springs, Nebraska. In Coronado's time tlicy ranged aliiio'-t to the Missouri
river, and we may believe tliey roamed to the western limits of the buffalo
plains.

.\ LINl-: WITH TFIE PA.ST.

Late in the year igO(S a rapier was found by Carl John.son, youngest
son of Julius Johnson, on the hill on North Ninth street, which is the highest
point in the city of Marysville. This rapier was buried in the ground, hilt
downward, with only three inches of the point exposed. The exposed por-
tion w^as verv much corroded, the maker's name was obliterated and the
hilt is missing. The blade is thirty-three and three-cjuarters inches long,
and the unexposed portion is in a good state of preservation.

The surest and perhaps the only sign of the presence of Coronado in
this county is this weapon. It niay have been used as a marker for a cache,
or it may have marked a grave.

The rapier is a fancy sword carried by so-called gentlemen. Among
those restless Spaniards, pushing ever onward in the search of gold, per-
haps one met that enemy against whom his sword proved no protection.
It mav be that his companions bore his body to this eminence overlooking
the Valley of the Blue, and buried him with military honors; Coronado and
the rapier are alike silent. Some day, when practical men level and grade
the street, the grave may tell its secret.

ORIGIN OF "kANS.\S."

There has been much discussion as to the origin and meaning of the
name Kansas. It was variously written by early explorers and we find it :
Kantha, Kanza, Cansa, Causes, Kau, Kaw and many other forms. Lieu-
tenant Pike wrote it Kaus. It has been said to mean "sw-ift" and "smoky."
Air. W. E. Connelly, secretary of the State Historical Society, Topeka, gives
the meaning of Kansas as "Wind People," or "People of the South Wind."
Undoubtedly it has some reference to wind. Exactly what this reference
is, there is little hope of finding out with absolute certainty ; but it is estab-
lished beyond question that the name means, "Wind People," or "People
of the South Wind."

"Superstition is the child of ignorance." The ignorance of the Indian like
that of all primitive races created superstition. His religion was one of fear
and his worship that of propitiation. He offered sacrifices to some unknown
power, of which he lived in av.e. He worshipped a god called WaKanda,

MARSHALL COUNTY, KANSAS. 47

and this S3'i'nbol was anything which the Indian did not understand. The
forces of nature were all evil and unnatural to him. The wind was unnatural,
and so it was evil. It was WaKanda and had to he propitiated by sacri-
fices. The Kansa Indians drew out the hearts of their slain enemies and
offered them as sacrifices to the wind. In time they were called the "people
who sacrifice to the wind" or "wind people."

The Kansa or Kaw tribe of Indians lived on Kansas soil for more than
three hundred years. They called this territory theirs and ranged its plains.
They built lodges along the Blue river and contested for the hunting ground
with their enemies, the Pawnees.

KAN.SAS SOLD TO UNITED STATES.

In 1846 they sold to the United States government all the north part
of Kansas and south half of Nebraska. They did not own this land except
in an hereditary sense, through having lived on it. From this tribe of
Indians the state derives its name, Kansas.

Air. G. P. Morehouse, who is the historian of the Kansas Indians, states
that the Independent Creek town which is referred to by early French writers
as the "Grand Village des Canzes," seems to have been a Jesuit missionary
station, located near where the town of Doniphan now stands, as early as
1727. This fact he bases on French-Canadian records of the Province of
Ontario, which state -that the name of Canzes, or Kansas, was a well-known
geographical term to designate a spot on the Missouri river within Kansas,
where the French government and its official church, nearly two hundred
years ago. had an important missionary center. "In this document," Mr.
Morehouse says, "this mission away out in the heart of the continent was
classed with other important Indian missions such as the Iroquois, Abenaquis
and Tadousac, and that the same amount per missionary was expended." It
was "Kansas," a mission charge on the rolls of the Jesuit Fathers, for which
annual appropriation of money was made as early as 1727.

This simple line tells us that devout pioneers of that church spent lonely
hours, far from civilization, on a wild plain in order to instill into the minds
and hearts of savages that faith in which they themselves so ardently believed.
No more to bow in silence as the angelus intoned upon the air ; no more at
eve to hear the convent bell or join with clasped hands the reverent black-
robed procession. In place of the companionship of the scholar, the brutal
face of the brave and his stolid squaw confronted the missionary. The
sword alone is not the symbol of heroism.

48 MARSHALL COL XT V, KANSAS.

SPANIARDS ATTEMPT INVASION.

Early in tlie eigiiteenth centniy tlie Spanish attempted to invade and
colonize tlie Missouri \alley. 1'lie iM-ench became alarmed and sent men
to explore the valley and treat w ith the Indians.

M. de Bouremont liad been commissioned militarv commander of the
Missouri valley in 1720 and made an expedition into the land of the Kansas
in T724. He \isited tlie Grand Village des Canzes, and held a celebration
wliicli lasted two weeks, coiLsisting" of powwows, councils, trading horses or
merchandise and making presents to the Indians. No doubt, many other
adventurous traders and hunters spent time with the Kansas Indians, but no
record is made of them.

In the summer of 1804 the famous "Lewis and Clark expedition" passed
tip the Missouri river and traded with the Kansas Indians. In 1818-19
Alajor Stephen A. Long's exploring expedition visited them. In 18 19 Major
John O'Fallon was appointed sutler of the post and Indian agent for the
upper Missouri, and on July 4. 18 19, the nation's birthday was celebrated
and the Kansas Indians learned their first lesson in patriotism. In 1847
the Kansas Indians lived in the Kaw Valley, east of Manhattan and that
same year were moved to a reservation in the Neosho valley, adjoining
Council Grox'c. And from then on they mo\^ed south and west along what
became known as the "Old Kaw trail," hunting buffalo. Those hunting
trips were usually made in the fall. The old Indian agency building still
stands about four miles from Council Grove.

OTOE INDIAN COUNCIL. AGENT AND PAYMASTER.

From left to right: Jesse W. Greist, agent; Arkaketah, chief; Howdy-Howdy;
Pawnee Cuchee; White-horse; Wahanyi; Joe-John; Toehee; Baptiste DeRoin, inter-
preter, and Captain Pearman, United State Army paymaster. Chief Arkaketah is the
man for whom the town of Oketo was named. The picture was taken shortly before
the removal of the tribe from their reservation in the northern part of Marshall county
to Oklahoma.

CHAPTER III.
Indians in Marshall County.

In the days of Coronado, the Kansas Indians occupied a strip of terri-
tory on each side of the Missouri river, from the vicinity of the mouth of
the Kansas river to Independence creek. That and adjacent land continued
to be the habitat and hunting- ground of the tribe for more than two
centuries.

They hunted west for bultalo going as far west as the RepubHcan river.
In those days the Pawnees and Wichitas were the strong tribes in the terri-
tory reaching from the Missouri river to the Rocky Mountains and stretch-
ing as far north as the Platte. The Pawnees claimed the land as far
east as the Missr)uri river and regarded the Kansas Indians as intruders and
made war on theuL Evidences of l^attles have Ijeen found in Marshall
county.

Arrow heads and spear heads have been found in large numbers on
section 7 in Rock township, the former home of Mrs. S. S. Martin. Mrs.
Martin can recall the Indian village near Winifred, and that Indians from
all sections of the country gathered there in large numbers to trade and hold
councils. She remembers one fierce Indian l)attle near there.

WAR WEAPONS.

Mr. Otto Wullschleger has a large collection of arrow- and spear-heads
of many different varieties, which he found on sections 12 and 13. Center
township. These arrow-heads indicate that a battle was once fought on
that ground. He has also a number of stone axes found near the old lodge,
which was located on the Walker farm.

The Indian trail crossed the Vermillion, near Winifred, and traversed
Marshall county in a northwesterly direction, crossing the Big Blue, at the
point where Frank Marshall afterwards established a ferry at Independence
crossing. This trail is said to ha\-e been the longest Indian trail in North
America, reaching from the Missouri river to the Pacific coast.

(4)

50 .M.\RSII.\I,L COUNTY. KANSAS.

Mr. George Fddy says tliat an Tndi.an \illa^-e, or lodoc, was located <m
section jo in W'alnnl township. Many arrow -heads lia\e been fonnd there,
all of small size, exidently nscd in Imntins;- small L;ame.

On section 19. ••".Ini C reck towr.shi]), there is a \ery steep cliff, and it
was the practice of the Indians to stampede the hulTalo over that cliff, then
kill all the cattle that were injnred by the fall an<l nnable to get away. Mr.
Eddy found at the foot of this clilT a stone "killing hammer," and some flint
knives.

The old Indian trail used by the many different tribes of Indians, and
by Fremont, became the Mormon trail and the gold seekers" trail to Cali-
fornia. In |)lace of the single trail of the Indian, the Mormons and other
immigrants traveled along three parallel roads, covering a width of seventy-
tixe to one hundred yards. The wagons, whenever possible, were kept nearly
abreast, so that in case of an attack by the Indians, they could be quickly
parked, the women and children ])laced in the center and the defense made.
In a long-drawn-out train on one road this could not have been accomplished
so readily, so the three-parallel-road method was adopted. Three parallel
roads are discernible today in such stretches of the trail as have not been
plowed.

Stone axes, hammers and different utensils of Indian make have been
found in all parts of the county.

OTOE INDIANS.

The Otoe Indians did not own any of the country in Marshall county
until after it was ceded by the Kaws. The Otoe Reservation was assigned
by treaty and it was only accidental that but two miles of it came into
Kansas. The Otoe and Missouri Indian Reservation was twenty-five miles
long and ten miles wide. It began at a point on an island near what is now
Oketo, Marshall county, Kansas, extending about four miles east, ten miles
north, twenty-five miles west and ten miles south and back to place of begin-
ning.

On account of the locators not knowing where the Kansas-Nebraska line
was, a part of the reservation was in Kansas, through mistake. This reserva-
tion contained one hundred and sixty thousand acres and by a treaty with the
government about two-thirds of the west part was sold in 1878. This land
was appraised by F. M. Barnes, of Otoe agency, William La Gorgue, of
Gage county, Nebraska, and Captain Baker, of Salina, Kansas. The remain-

MARSHALL COUNTY, KANSAS. 5 1

ing one-third was appraised and sold in 1883, the Indians having gone to
the Indian Territory in 188 1.

A day school for the Otoe Indians was established in the earlv seventies
and was discontinued in 1877. when the boarding school was established. This
school was in full operation until June. 1881, and was not reconvened in the
fall owing to the Indians having left. The Otoes and Missouris were affili-
ated tribes for many years and were supposed to be closely related to the
lowas, Sacs and Foxes, and the Osages, as their languages were practically
the same. All traces of the burying grounds, of which there were several,
have di.'^appeared, having been plowed up by the farmers who bought the
land on wliicli those grounds were located.

INDIAN DEPREDATIONS.

Among the oldest settlers in tlie Vermillion valley were the Puntneys,
John D. Wells, Fred H. Brockmeyer, Daniel M. Leavitt, Elizabeth Witham
and G. H. Hollenberg. Hollenberg was a German, the founder of Washing-
ton county, Kansas, and for whom the town of Hollenberg was named. He
later died while crossing the Atlantic, on his way to visit his old home in
Germany, and was buried at sea.

On coming in the year 1855 to the valley of the Vermillion they found
there Louis Tremble, a Frenchman, who had married a Sioux scjuaw, and
who had been driven from the Rocky Mountains by an order of General
Harney, expelling everyone of that nationality. Louis Tremble built a
puncheon toll-bridge across the Vermillion at the old Mormon or Hollenberg
crossing.

Tremble had a neighbor, another Frenchman named Changreau, whose
wife was also a Sioux. Mrs. Changreau had a sister, a girl about fifteen, who
lived with them. They had a familv of several small children.

Roving bands of both Kaws and Sioux traveled up and dow'n the Blue
river in search of prey. They were enemies and at war with each other.
The two Frenchmen felt that they Avere in danger, but both were prospering,
Tremble from his toll-bridge and Changreau from a little farm of about
twenty acres, which he cultivated with care. This furnished him a living
and he sold plenty to travelers.

INDIANS ABDUCT GIRL.

One day Changreau's house was surrounded by mounted Sioux Indians.
They soon discovered that Changreau was absent, entered the house and

:;_' MARSH. \I. I. COINTY. KANSAS.

pillaged it. TIk- chief seized the youni;' i^irl, all mounted their jxniies and
rode rapidly a\va\'. Changreau's wife ran to the tield where he was at work
and told what had happened. He well knew the fate awaiting the young girl
and appealed tn his neighhors to go with him to her rescue. Sduk' of the
neiefhhors ioined him and followed the trail until thev feared an ambush, when
thev decided thev had hest return to the defense of their own families.

Changreau followed the hand with their helpless prisoner. When night
fell the lodges were pitched and a brilliant campfire lighted. After a feast,
the poor girl was led out and bound to a tree. He rode away in the dark-
ness and from a distant hilltop watched the fire and saw the cruel dance, too
far awav to hear the prisoner's cry of anguish or the hideous yells of the
torturing hends.

In the gray dawn he crept stealthily near enough to know that the young
girl, bound and helpless, had been scourged to death amidst revels of the war
dance and orgies of the night. Sick at heart he hastened home and removed
his family to a place of safety. Tremble also mo^'ed from that localit}-. Iliese
two men were the earliest settlers on the A'ermillion.

Some historians state that this murder took place near Council Grove,
but neighbors of the Changreau's, who are still living, state positively that
the murder of this young Indian maiden took place near wdiere Irving now
stands.

FURTHER MURDERS.

During the }ear 1857 the overland emigration to California was
immense. During May and June in that year the trails leading westward
across Kansas \vere crowded with the trains of emigrants and their herds.
A party of tw^enty-five men, women and children were crossing the prairie
taking a short cut to Ft. Kearney. .'\t a point near where Republic City now
stands, they \vere surprised by a band of Pawnees and robbed, and half the
men in the party were killed, including the captain.

The Indians took everything they could carry away and ripped open
sacks of tiour. spilling the contents on the ground, in order to carry away the
sacks. The poor people were far from any settlement and were in danger
of starvation. Two men of the party started east and procured assistance
in Marshall county.

In May, 1862, occurred the massacre of the Cassel party in Cloud county.
This was soon followed by the White Rock massacre, and these were fol-
lowed by the Indian raids in the Solomon Valley.

As time went on, roving bands of Indians attacked and robbed emigrants

MARSHALL COUNTY, KANSAS. 53

and ranchmen and murdered settlers, until panic reigned. On the loth of
August, 1864, the citizens of Alary sville were thrown into great excitement.
Refugees poured into the town with stories of an Indian massacre on the
Little Blue. TeauLs witli wagons hlled w ith settlers, ranchmen and their
families arrived, bringing stories of the outrageous torturing of men. women
and children and asking help in recovering friends who had been captured
by Indians.

MILITLA MUSTERED.

Militia companies were immediately mustered and, after making hasty
preparations, went in pursuit of the Indians. One company under the com-
mand of Capt. Frank Schmidt and one in charge of Lieutenant McClosky,
left JMarysville on August i ith. They were joined by a company from Vermil-
lion under Capt. lames Kelly and one from Ti^xing under Capt. T. S. X^aile.
The -\Iarshall count)- troops were under the command of Col. E. C. Manning.
C(;mpanies were also formed in Xemaha, Riley and Washington counties,
under command of General Sherry, of Seneca.

These troops marched over Marshall county to the west and while they
saw plenty of evidence of Indian warfare and depredations, they met with
no Indians. However, the presence of armed troops had a wholesome effect
on the Indians and a cessation of the worst depredations ensued. It was
several years before the Indians came to believe that they were not the
owners of the land and that murder and pillage were not justifiable.

Many of the refugees from the Overland road and from counties west
remained in Alarshall county for weeks before returning home.

INDIAN ATTACKS RENEWED.

Al:out tlie loth of May, i86g, Reuben Winklepleck and son, Alonzo,
Edward Winklepleck, a nephew, Philip Burke, J. L. M.cChesney, a Air. Cole
and son. from Michigan, left Waterville with two wagons,, to, go west, look
at the country and hunt buft'alo. They followed the Republican river to
beyond the mouth of White Rock creek, in the northwest corner of Republic
county. They obtained a supply of buffalo meat and were on their way
home on May 25, when overtaken by Indians, whom they drove away by
firing at them at long range. McChesney, who was guide for this part}',
advised crossing the river and making for Scandia, where there was a colony
house and Avhere the settlers had made some preparations for defense from
Indian attack. McChesnev feared the Indians would return for a night attack.

54 MAKSIIAI.L COUNTY. KANSAS.

The remainder of the party did iiul take the matter so seriously and they
camped on the west side of the Repuhhcan river. Jiarly on the morning of
May 26. while they were preparing to break camp, they were attacked by
Indians and all killed except McChesney, who jumped into the river and
bv secreting himself in the overhanging l)rush escaped and reached Scandia
that day.

SIX VICTIMS.

Ed S. Rowland, now a resident of Marysville, Kansas, makes the fol-
lowing statement :

"On May 10, 1869, I left New York City as a member of the Walker
colony from that city, which located on land about twenty miles west of
Scandia. There were sixty people in this colony, some of whom had left
New York about a month earlier than I did. Concerning this Indian massa-
cre, I had been out at the colony about a week engaged in putting up shacks
on homesteads and had helped bury four men, buffalo hunters who had been
killed by the Indians. A man nained Robert Watson and myself drove into
Scandia. I put up at the colony house and on Friday afternoon about three
o'clock, a man who seemed 'all out of sorts' and who afterwards turned out
to be John McChesney, sat down beside me and asked for something to eat.
I ordered a meal for him and while waitiiig, McChesney told me that his six
companions had been killed by the Indians that morning up the river, and
asked that a party be raised to go and find out what had happened, and to
bury or recover the bodies of his companions.

"I reported the above at once to others and by Saturday we had a suffi-
cient posse to venture forth. We had to have the Fisher boys, who were early
settlers in that country and who knew Indians and their ways, to act as
guides. These boys lived about ten miles northwest of Scandia. W'e \\ent
there first and got them and on Sunday morning we started east to where
the attack was made. When near the spot we divided into two parties.
There were twelve or fourteen in the party. \\^e found the two wagons on
the west side of the Republican river, horses gone, harness cut in pieces, not
more than a foot long, the barrels of the guns bent elbow shape between the
spokes of the wheels. The wagons and buffalo meat were unmolested. We
found all the bodies on the east side of the river, opposite the wagons. The
bodies were huddled together. Two men had been scalped, one scalp taken,
the other left beside the dead man. The clothing had all been stripped from
them and carried away. A pair of shoes only left on the feet of the boy, all
his other clothing taken. We buried the bodies on the spot where we found

MARSHALL COUNTY, KANSAS. 55

them, only a few yards from the river, on that Sunday. I am under the
impression that this place of burial is nearly opposite the mouth of White
Rock creek. It looked to us that the hunters had left the teams and wagons
to search for a good place to cross the river and when they were separated
from their teams, wagons and guns, the Indians came from ambush and
massacred them. After the burial we all returned to Scandia."

Lieut. I. N. Savage, historian of Republic county, in which the Winkle-
pleck massacre took place, is authority for the statement that the victims
were buried on section 15, township i, range 5, Republic county.

As far as the writer has been able to ascertain, this covers the only
serious depredations by Indians in Alarshall county, or affecting its people.
The late increased immigration and the effective defense made, finally drove
the Indians farther west.

Cil.MTI'I^ IV.
Settlement of Marshai.i. County.

THE PIONEER.

''Onr little systems have their day,
They have their day and cease to be."

"Westward ho!" has been the cry of men for ages. The golden west
has lured men of all times and climes. The story of Caesar and Columbus is
the story of Washington, of Lewis and Clarke, of John C. Fremont and of
Kansas. The Indian and Spaniard came and passed away. The French-
man lingered. The German, Irish, Swede, Dane and Swiss came and con-
quered. The adventurer from the South wlio came to usurp became a citizen.
He saw the American pioneer, with his gun and ax and plow, transform the
desert into fertile fields. Rev. Patrick O'Sullivan says: 'Tt was a grand
generation of heroic mold, who, amidst hardships, privations and dangers,
broke the prairies, built homes and brought religion and civilization to Mar-
shall county."

Of those who }"et remain, the snow of age has touched the hair and Time
has slowed the footstep and enfeebled tlie frame. Wdien we meet them we
are reminded that they made possible the conditions existing today. Lives of
men and women went int() the making and are a part of the warp and woof
(jf the beautiful fabric Avhich is the Alarshall county of today.

"The past will alwa}'s win a glory from its being far."

OLD SETTLERS REl'NION ASSOCIATION.

The Marshall County Old Settlers and Pioneers Association was organ-
ized in i87q. The object was to bring together the old settlers of this and
adjoining counties and to hold annual reunions, at which old friends might
meet and bv j^ublic addresses and the telling of early-day trials, teach the
younger people what it cost to 1)uild a state. A meeting was held in Blue

MARSHALL COUNTY, KANSAS. 57

Rapids on June 12, 1879, when \\'illiam Paul, C. E. Tibbetts and T. W.
Waterson were appointed a committee to prepare a program for the first Old
Settlers Reunion to be held in Marshall county, September 11-12, 1879.

At that first reunion the following officers were elected: A. G. Barrett,
president; D. C. Auld and William Thompson, vice-presidents; Frederick
Hamilton, treasurer, and J. S. Magill, secretary. Executive committee, Wil-
liam Paul. Blue Rapids, chairman; Thomas McCoy, Alarysville; W. T.
Dwinnell, Frankfort: Ro])ert Smith. Irving; J. E. McChessey, Waterville,
and Judge Madden, of Guittard. On January ist, 19 17, but one of the first
officers of this association was yet li\-ing — Robert Smith, of Frankfort.

Since that first meeting at Blue Rapids the association has never failed
to meet. The last meeting being held in Marysville on September 20 to 2t,,
1916.

This Old Settlers Reunion organization has grown to be the "biggest
thing," in the way of an annual g-athering, held in the county. Although it has
grown away from the original idea of a gathering of pioneers and has be-
come the forum of the politician, yet it is an event that gathers a crowd and
there are still some of the pioneers who are present and are actively inter-
ested in tlie welfare of the organization.

The officers for 191 7 are: J. 'M. Watson, president; Howard Reed,
secretary.

The following address delivered by Mrs. Andrew J. Travelute at the
annual Old Settlers" Reunion at Marysville in September, 1916, was greatly
enjoyed by the many pioneers who were present.

Mrs. Travelute was formerly Elizabeth Mohrbacher, daughter of Jacob
Mohrbacher, and one of the first teachers in Marshall county. During this
address a number of pioneer ladies sat on the platform knitting, spinning
and sewing as in olden times. Among them were ]\Irs. H. P. Benson, Mrs.
E. A. Scott, Mrs. Sarah McKee. Mrs. M. Roseberry, Mrs. W'ashburn, Mrs.
Lieb, Mrs. Bunton and Mrs. Heister.

Mrs. Travelute's address follows •

The time has arrived when it becomes the duty of the people of Marshall
county to perpetuate the names of their early pioneers.

Those men and women, who in their prime of life, entered the wilds
of Kansas and tilled the virgin soil have nearly all passed to their graves;
the number remaining who can relate the incidents is becoming small. The
frontier is gone and those who reuK^ved it are gone; and those who assisted
in removing it are going one l)v one.

Therefore, my friends, one and all. we who are gathered here, let us

58 MARSHALL COUNTY, KANSAS.

dedicate the thirty-eighlli annual luiiiy Settlers" Reunion of Marshall county
to the sacred memorv of those dear ones who braved life's battles here
on Kansas soil when all was a wilderness. They came with the inspiration
ui hope and love for their dear ones who are enjoyin<^- the fruits of their
hard labor, because what those noble pioneers had to suffer, only God and
the recording angel can disclose.

During those years, when the white men were traveling through Kan-
sas, thev were not making settlements here. The country remained in the
undisputed possession of the Indians : the white men did not want it as yet.
They looked upon these vast prairies not as a resource, but as so much land
to be crossed in reaching places further west.

But changing conditions in the states east of the Mississippi river made
people begin to look upon Kansas in a different light. The country there
was becoming thickly settled and people wanted the lands of the Indians.
As the Indians had all been removed to these western plains, the white man
could not settle on these reservations without the consent of the Indians.
According to the treaties, the Indians were promised their land so long as
grass should grow or w^ater run. But it soon develoj^ed that the white man
wanted Kansas land. Also, in the year 1854, we find the tribes being trans-
ferred to the Indian territory, now^ Oklahoma, where the remnants of various
tribes still remain.

Although Kansas was not used during those early years to make homes
for the whites, a few hundred people came here. They were of three differ-
ent classes: missionaries, soldiers and fur traders.

FIRST MISSIONARY AMONG INDIANS.

The attempt to civilize the Indians began in the days of the early
explorers, but it was on Kansas soil that the first missionary lost his life.
This man was Father Padillo, a Jesuit, who came with Coronado on his
journey. Father Padillo became much interested in the Indians, but his
noble work. was of short duration, for he was soon killed by some of the

tribes.

Later, wdien Kansas became a part of the United States, a number of
missions w^ere established by Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians and Cath-
olic churches. Kansas remained in the possession of the tribes until the year
1854, when it was organized into a territory.

About this time the New England Aid Company was organized. It
gathered and published information concerning the new country, and under

MARSHALL COUNTY, KANSAS. 59

the g-overnment of these companies, newspapers were filled with descriptions
of the loveliness, the fertility and the future greatness of the territory, and
people were urged to come to Kansas at once, both to secure the advantages
of the country and to help in saving it from slavery. They lived in sod
houses, log cabins and dugouts.

Arriving w'ith my parents in the small hamlet of ]\tarvsville, in the
spring of i860, about eight months previous to the time when Kansas was
admitted to the Union as a state, the people had almost as few comforts of
life as when they first came to the territory. A few of them had come with
little ideas of hardships of frontier life, and others had believed such condi-
tions would last but a short time. Many returned to their Eastern homes
and to wife's folks, because they lacked the energy to rough it through. But
the greater body of Kansas pioneers had come with a tw'O-fold purpose : of
making homes and making a free state.

PIONEERS SHOULD NOT BE FORGOTTEN.

The pioneers who followed a trackless west should never be lost sight
of. They were good, representative men wdiere they came from, and were
not to be discouraged.

In looking back fifty-six years, I feel proud of my early associates.
Most of them are gone ; onlv a few are left to confirm the storv we have to
tell. Frontier life is always hard, Init it was rendered many times harder
here in Kansas by years of strife and warfare.

In these days of the railways, the good roads and the Ford automobiles ;
of the telegraph and telephone and the rural mail routes, it is difificult to
realize what life on the Kansas prairies meant in the sixties. The virtue
of the Kansas pioneer homes has never furnished theme for song
or story, because it is not so easy to grow sentimental over sod houses or
log cabins or dugouts, or to romance over slab shacks that were windo\v-
less lest the prowling savages seek their vantages ; and floorless for want of
means.

The privations and sacrifices and the loneliness of pioneer life fell most
heavilv on the women. Business and necessity brought the men together
occasionally, but the woman in the isolation of her prairie home often saw
no friendly face for a month. It was in the home of the pioneer woman
that the lessons of self-abnegation and self-denial, deprivation and courage
in the face of hourly danger w^ere learned. The log cabin of Kansas had
never about it the elements th.at render its photograph in the least picturesque.

6o .MAKSIIAl.l, roUXTV, KANSAS.

Bin in\- dear friciul^, 1 can say in truth iliat llic l'uniil\- altar was as cherished
there as thongli in marlile walls.

Till-: I'lONEER FAK.MF.r's WIFE.

While there; comes to my mind so \ividly a true pictnre of the pioneer
farmer's wife. I shall attempt to outline it to yon for the benefit of the young
women on the farms of dear, glorious Kansas of today. ]\Iy memory places
before me a toil-worn woman, standing in front of the dugout, with the sun-
flowers growing on its sodded roof. She is gazing over the vast expanse
of prairie that stretches out before her. She is gazing eastward; her vision
is dimmed, because countless millions of grasshoppers ha\e eclipsed the sim-
light.

Her heart is filled with homesickness and regret. She is sadly think-
ing of her dear father and mother, whose tender embrace her poor, lone-
.some heart is longing for. and of that dear old home and its sweet comforts,
and while the hot a\ inds from the south are scorching her hands and face,
and while baby is asleep in the homemade cradle and there happens to be no
Indians in sight — she hurriedly takes the w'ater pail and goes down to the
slough, which is more than a quarter of a mile distant, to bring the water
wherewith to prepare the meal for her tired husband.

ThC' sweetness in performing her household duties, and the hope for
the new home she has come t(j help to build, softens every regret. It is that
divine virtue called hope which is now depicted in her dear face. Hope and
courage, the "I will."' is what helped to make Kansas glorious.

Speaking of the grasshopper — it happened a farmer wanted to borrow-
bis neighbor's wagon, aiid the box had been taken oft'; so he asked the
woman of thediouse -where he could find it. She told him she did not know
where it could be found — like as not the grasshoppers had swallowed it.
This was in Balderson township.

■ ■ Although 4he pioneers of Kansas were d-eprived of the various good
things which we liave to eat, they were more rugged and enjoyed better
health, with the exception of malarial fever in. some locahties. They lived
chiefly on corn bread,,butfalo meat or bacon-, sorghuif! molasses, barley coffee,
wild fruits and on very rare occasions a pumpkin pie, providing the grass-
hoppers did not eat the vines or the hot winds did not cook them before the
pumpkins were fit for use.

Wdrile making mention of the corn bread, I recall the time when some
of the i)ioneers had no other means of grinding the corn wherewith to make

MARSHALL COUNTY, KANSAS. 6l

this bread than an old tin milk pan that leaked too bad for any other use.
They would use a hammer and nail and punch it full of holes and that left
the bottom of the pan rough enough that you could take an ear of corn and
grate it down to the cob. Then the trouble with some people was they did
not have grease enough in the house to grease the pan to bake it in, to pre-
vent it sticking to the bottom of the pan. They would have to go to the
neighbors to borrow their greaser. i\nd, remember, the neighbors did not
live close enough together so you could have a talk across the fence, and
there was no telephone to go to and say, "May I come o\'er and borrow your

ereaser

?"

PLEASURES THAT OFFSET PRIVATIONS.

Although there was privation and hard work, there was also some
pleasure. There were the literary societies, the singing schools, the spelling-
schools held in the little log school house. And country dances and the corn
husking bees. I recall a husking bee when John Shroyer invited the young-
men and bovs of the neighborhood to come and husk corn during the day
time and at night they were to bring their best girl or grown sister along
and enjoy some fun. Now, Mrs. Shroyer had baked some pumpkin pies
for our refreshment. The house, being a log cabin with one room and a
fire place, and when company came in pioneer days the furniture had to be
set out of doors in order to provide room. This was the case here. This
was the month of November and the weather was very cold, and the mis-
tress of the house, not knowing what to do with her pies until she wanted
to serve them, took them to the rail corn crib and placed them on the newly
husked coni. A few hours afterwards, when she wanted to serve them they
were frozen so hard it was impossible for her to make use of the knife.
Onlv for the forethought of our friend, R. Y. Shibley, who is still in our
midst, v>ho was one of those young men who make all kinds of promises to
the young ladies. He called for a long-handled shovel, and he placed those
frosted pies in groups of three or four on it and very patiently held them
over the fire in the fireplace to thaw them out, then, without removing them
from the shovel, passed them to the boys and girls.

The girls vrore calico dresses and some of the young men were dressed
in their homespun and some in their jeans, while the young swells wore
"Palm Beach" trousers made of new grain sacks and down on the outside
seams ^■ou could see these \Aords, stamped in black capital letters: "Amos-
keag seamless. Patent applied for."

There comes to my mind the time when my father having built a new

62 M\RS11.\1.L COUNTY, KANSAS.

house of considerable size, on his farni soiitli of town, tlic \-oung people of
AFar\-sville came to surprise us and gixe us w hat they called a house .warm-
ing. I think there were about eight couples of them. I recall the names of
some that were jircsent, namely: Mr. and Mrs. Perry Hutchinson. John
Hornbeck. Henry Devue, John Webber, J£d Lovell, Snowden Transue, J\. Y.
Shibley and I. B. Davis of tlds city. Among the young ladies 1 recall the
names of Kate Webber, Hn.ima Webber, Alaggie Smith, Edith Lovell, Belle
Watcrson and Annie Bendel. My father being a musician, they prevailed
ujxtn In'm to bring forth his clarionet and ])lay while they danced. Then at
tlie hour of midnight, my father excused liimself and retired for the night,
when our friend. 1. B. Davis, who was endowed with a talent for music,
made good use of the instrument. |)]aying all kinds of airs while the dance
went on.

SPELLING SCHOOLS.

My dear friends, while it is impossible for me to descrilje to you in
words the sweet charms of those tunes which Mr. Davis produced on my
father's clarionet, because more than half a cen.tury has passed since the above
mentioned event took place, 1 will venture to say to you that I am greatly
surprised to note the automobiles liave been so constructed, after so great
a lapse of time that at least some of them are able to resound the echo
thereof.

^^'hile making mention of the spelling schools in pioneer days, they
were well patronized by young and old. I recall a time when the teacher
gave out words of two syllables. There was a young man present from the
state of Illinois — you all know Illinois claims she has no illiterates — and
when it came this young man's turn to spell the word "austere," he spelled
"offsteer." He had been in Kansas long enough to learn to drive oxen.

In the life of every man and woman who walked on Kansas soil, is a
lesson that should not be lost on those who follow. Coming generations
will appreciate the volume \Ahich is at the present time being compiled by
Mrs. E. E. Forter of this city. It will be cherished by everyone as a sacred
treasure. Although Marysville was but a small hamlet, with a few small
stores, it was the only trading point within a distance of twenty-five miles
and I recall the days when the women came here riding in lumber wagons,
drawn by oxen, and no spring seats to sit on. While they were jOy-riding
they would knit a pair of socks for their husbands — busy all the while.
Industry and economy was the motto in pioneer days.

My dear friends, you may reasonablly feel that you have been no unim-

MARSHALL COUNTY, KANSAS. 63

portant factor in the elevation of Marsliall county to its present position.
T well remember the historic inscriptions on some of the prairie schooners
which used to pass through Marysville in the pioneer days. Some read,
"Pike's Peak or Bust," while others read, "Bound for Kansas, the lieht-
house of the world."

You have aided in no small degree in the making- of Kansas one of the
brightest stars in the great constellation of American states, in her greatness,
her power and her wealth, and while we are enjoying these great blessings,
let us ever hold sacred the memory of those noble men and women who
removed the frontier from the wilds of Kansas. And let us never forget to
thank Him who doeth all things well that we are [jermitted to call Marshall
countv our home.

FRANK J. MARSHALL.

Frank J. Marshall, whose name the county bears, was born in Lee
county, Virginia, April 3, 1816. He was educated in the common schools
and in William and Mary'vS College. In early manhood he went West and
located in Ray county, Missouri, later moving to Weston, Platte county,
from which place he joined the forty-niners to go to the California gold
fields. Upon reaching the Big Blue river, he at once saw the necessity of
a ferry which he built and operated near the Independence Crossing for
several years. After Captain Standberry laid out the Ft. Leavenworth and
Ft. Kearney military road, Marshall followed the new road and established
a ferry about two hundred yards up stream from where the steel bridge at
Marysville now stands.

In 1858-59 gold was discovered in the Pikes Peak and Clear creek
regions in Colorado and soon after the gold fever affected Marshall. He
left the county and the town which he had named and again became a pioneer
in the mining districts of Clear creek and Gilpin counties, Colorado. F. J.
Marshall built the first house in Marysville and he built the first brick busi-
ness house in Denver, Colorado. He died on November 25, 1895, after a
most eventful life, leaving a wife, four sons and a daughter. Mrs. Marshall
is still li\ing with her daughter in New York City.

CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR.

In 1857 Gen. F. J. Marshall was the pro-slavery candidate for governor
and George W. Smith was the candidate of the Free State party.

64 MARSH. \I, I. COUNTY. K.VNSAS.

Smith's majority over Marshall was 130. Smith received 6.875 ''^"'^^
Marshall, 6.745. In Marshall county. Marshall received ^2 votes and Smith.
47 votes; total 119.

The vote on the other territorial officers was exactly alike in each case.
Governor, secretary, auditor, treasurer, congressman, each received ']2 votes
as pro-slavery candidates and 47 votes were recorded for the Free State men.

At this same election a vote was taken on the adoption of the Lecomp-
ton constitution, "with slavery", or "without slavery", and 232 votes were
cast and counted for "with slavery", against 41 votes cast for "without
slaverv." This ^vas in Marshall county, where Marshall himself was a
candidate for governor and where the vote on territorial officers in no ease
exceeded 119.

Marshall never served in any military organization and the title of
"General" was purely nominal.

He v.-as well known hy many of the pioneer settlers and was a man of
strong personality, devoted to his family and scrupulous in his religious
duties. Mrs. M. A. B. ]\Iartin, who knew the family well, says: "Mr. Mar-
shall and family always observed the Sabbath. They would read from the
Bible and then all join in singing hymns."

Mr. Marshall built a good residence on the spot where Dr. Jennie
Eddy's office now stands. Mrs. Dan Griswold made her home with them
for awhile, v.'hen a little girl, and remembers Mrs. Alarshall as a woman of
great kindness.

Marshall's reminiscences.

The following is F. J. Marshall's personal letter written to and read
by J. S. Magill at the Old Settlers Reunion held at Irving in August, 1895.
It is given in full in order that the readers of the history may have personal
knowledge of the views of the man for whom the county is named and for
the further reason that it tells the story of early days of Marysville.

To James S. Magill, E.sq., Secretary of the Old Settlers Pioneer Association:
]My Dear Sir — I have read with pleasure the very kind invitation of
your committee to be with you on the occasion of the meeting of the Old Set-
tlers' Pioneer Association of Marshall county, Kansas. Nothing would
afford me more pleasure than to avail myself of your kind invitation and to
meet the people of Marshall county, as well as those from other parts of the
state, and I had made all arrangements to be with them at their coming
reunion, but at the last moment my failing health forbids me making the

7^^ J

^^i^/^SS^^^v^^

4^ ^--^ijpi^^

GEN. FRANK .MARSHALL.

MRS. MARY MARSHALL.

PETER FROOM.

CON SMITH,
An Old-Time Stage Driver.

THS ^^
- "BUC

MARSHALL COUNTY, KANSAS. 65

long trip and herewith I enclose a short history of my recollections of the
olden times of Kansas pioneer life.

In the early settlement of Kansas, it is to be remembered, I established a
trading post at the government crossing of the Big Blue river on the road
leading to the great West, over which went all the travel starting from Ft.
Leavenworth and all other points below old Ft. Kearney on the Missouri
river to new Ft. Kearney, Ft. Larimer and all the Indian country, Utah,
Oregon, Washington and the great emigration to California, which meant
at least five thousand to ten thousand people a day from April to July. Over
this route went the great pony express enterprise to California, which the
country now knows partially led to the building of the Union Pacific rail-
road. Most of the time the river could be forded, but often even for six
weeks at a time it could not be crossed except by means of the ferry. This
was one of the greatest overland thoroughfares which the country has ever
known. |

SEEKS TO ESTABLISH FERRY.

I applied to the Indian agent for the privilege of establishing a ferry
and trading post at the point where Marysville now stands. It was in the
Indian country, and there was no particular agent having jurisdiction over
this part of the Indian lands. He informed me that it was the battle-ground
of the different tribes when at war with each other, hence a dangerous place
for the establishment of a trading post, as I proposed.

I then applied to Major Ogden. the quartermaster at Ft. Leavenworth,
for a contract with the government to put in boats, build ware- and store-
houses and to supply troops returning from the western forts in the winter
time, and he protested that on account of its dangerous proximity to the
ground described such an establishment might not last long without military
protection. I expressed' myself , however, as willing to arrange for my own
protection, to which he afterward gave his consent. On securing his per-
mission, I proceeded at once, bought a piece of artillery, mounted it, loaded
my own wagons and was on the way to the Big Blue crossing at the point
referred to within twenty-four hours after my contract with the government.
This arrangement was universally concurred in by the officers at Ft. Leaven-
worth. Colonel Sumner, who then commanded the Second dragoons and
who afterwards commanded a division in the late war, and Lieutenant Stuart,
who was his quartermaster on expeditions into the Indian country in the
spring and summer and afterwards known as the rebel. General Stuart, of

(5)

66 MARSHALL COUNTY, KANSAS.

the Black Horse cava