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CORNELL 

UNIVERSITY 

LIBRARY 


GIFT  OF 
Dept,  Of  American  History 


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Cornell  University 
Library 


The  original  of  this  book  is  in 
the  Cornell  University  Library. 

There  are  no  known  copyright  restrictions  in 
the  United  States  on  the  use  of  the  text. 


http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924028875636 


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HISTORY 


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Shawnee  Covnty,  Kansas 

AND 

REPRESENTATIVE  CITIZENS 

EDITED  AND  COMPILED  BY 

JAMES    L.  KING 

TOPEKA.  KANSAS 

"History  is  Philosophy  Teaching  by  Examples" 


PUBLISHED    BY 

RICHMOND     &     ARNOLD, 

GBORGE  RICHMOND;  C.  R.  ARNOLD. 

CHICAGO,  ILLINOIS, 

1905. 


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P\1X1S(P 


fbrefacc 


The  aim  of  the  pubHshers  of  this  volume  has  been  to  secure  for  the  his- 
torical portion  thereof  full  and  accurate  information  respecting  all  subjects 
therein  treated,  and  to  present  the  data  thus  gathered  in  a  clear  and  impartial 
manner.  If,  as  is  their  hope,  they  have  succeeded  in  this  endeavor,  the  credit 
is  mainly  due  to  the  diligent  and  exhaustive  research  of  the  editor  of  the  his- 
torical statement,  James  L.  King,  of  Topeka.  In  collecting  and  arranging 
the  material  which  has  entered  into  this  history,  it  has  been  his  aim  to  secure 
facts  and  to  present  them  in  an  interesting  form.  His  patient  and  conscien- 
tious labor  in  the  compilation  and  presentation  of  the  data  is  shown  in  the 
historical  portion  of  this  volume.  The  record  gives  an  interesting  description 
of  the  aboriginal  inhabitants,  the  natural  features  and  the  early  society  of  this 
section,  the  story  of  its  settlement  and  a  comprehensive  account  of  the  organi- 
sation of  Shawnee  County  and  the  city  of  Topeka,  giving  the  leading  events 
in  the  stages  of  their  development  and  the  growth  of  their  industries  to  the 
present  time,  as  set  forth  in  the  table  of  contents.  All  topics  and  occurrences 
are  included  that  are  essential  to  the  usefulness  of  the  history.  Although  the 
original  purpose  of  the  author  was  to  limit  the  narrative  to  the  close  of  1904, 
he  has  deemed  it  proper  to  touch  on  many  matters  relating  to  the  current  year. 

The  reviews  of  re.splute  and  strenuous  lives,  which  make  up  the  biographi- 
cal department  of  the  volume,  and  whose  authorship  is  wholly  independent  of 
that  of  the  history,  are  admirably  adapted  to  foster  local  ties,  to  inculcate 
patriotism  and  to  emphasize  the  rewards  of  industry,  dominated  by  intelligent 
purpose.  They  constitute  a  most  appropriate  medium  of  perpetuating  personal 
annals  and  will  be  of  incalculable  value  to  the  descendants  of  those  commemo- 
rated. They  bring  into  bold  relief  careers  of  enterprise  and  thrift  and  make 
manifest  valid  claims  to  honorable  distinction.    If  "Biography  is  the  only  true 


6  PREFACE. 

History,"  it  is  obviously  the  duty  of  men  of  the  present  time  to  preserve  in  this. 
enduring  form  the  story  of  their  Hves  in  order  that  their  posterity  may  dwell 
on  the  successful  struggles  thus  recorded,  and  profit  by  their  example.  These 
sketches,  replete  with  stirring  incidents  and  intense  experiences,  will  naturally 
prove  to  most  of  the  readers  of  this  book  its  most  attractive  feature. 

In  the  aggregate  of  personal  memoirs  thus  collated  will  be  found  a  vivid 
epitome  of  the  growth  of  Shawnee  County,  which  will  fitly  supplement  the 
historical  statement;  for  the  development  of  the  county  is  identified  with  that 
of  the  men  and  women  to  whom  it  is  attributable.  The  publishers  have  endeav- 
ored in  the  preparation  of  the  work  to  pass  over  no  feature  of  it  slightingly, 
but  to  give  heed  to  the  minutest  details,  and  thus  to  invest  it  with  a  substantial 
accuracy  which  no  other  treatment  viould  afford.  The  result  has  amply  justified 
the  care  thus  exercised,  for  in  ovn^  belief  no  more  reliable  production,  under 
the  circumstances,  could  be  laid  before  its  readers. 

We  have  given  special  prominence  to  the  portraits  of  representative  citi- 
zens, which  appear  throughout  this  ^•olume,  and  believe  they  will  prove  a  most 
interesting  feature  of  the  work.  We  have  sought  to  illustrate  the  different 
spheres  of  industrial  and  professional  achievements  as  conspicuously  as  possi- 
ble. To  those  who  have  kindly  interested  themselves  in  the  successful  prepara- 
tion of  this  work,  and  who  have  voluntarily  contributed  most  useful  informa- 
tion and  data,  we  herewith  tender  our  grateful  acknowledgement. 

THE  PUBLISHERS. 
Chicago,  III.,  July,  1905. 


mote 

All  the  biographical  sketches  published  in  this  volume  were  submitted  to^- 
their  respective  subjects  or  to  the  subscribers,  from  whom  the  facts  were  pri- 
marily obtained,  for  their  approval  or  correction  before  going  to  press ;  and  a 
reasonable  time  was  allowed  in  each  case  for  the  return  of  the  typewritten 
copies.  Most  of  them  were  returned  to  us  within  the  time  allotted,  or  before 
the  work  was  printed,  after  being  corrected  or  revised;  and  these  may,  there-- 
fore,  be  regarded  as  reasonably  accurate. 

A  few,  however,  were  not  returned  to  us ;  and,  as  we  have  no  means  of 
knowing  whether  they  contain  errors  or  not,  we  can  not  vouch  for  their  accu- 
racy. In  justice  to  our  readers,  and  to  render  this  work  more  valuable  for- 
reference  purposes,  we  have  indicated  these  uncorrected  sketches  by  a  small 
asterisk  (*),  placed  immediately  after  the  name  of  the  subject.  They  will  all. 
be  found  on  the  last  pages  of  the  book. 

RICHMOND   &   ARNOLD. 


Contents 


CHAPTER   I. 

The  Shawnee  Indians  in  Kansas — Various  Treaties  with  the  Tribe — Indian  Villages 
in  the  County — Kaw  and  Pottawatomie  Reservations — The  Kaw  Half-Breeds 
and  Their   Descendants — Scenes  and   Incidents   of  the   Early   Settlements 19-27 

CHAPTER   II. 

Organization  of  the  County — Township  Divisions — Physical  Aspects  of  the  County — 
Rivers  and  Streams — First  Efforts  in  Agriculture — Topeka  and  Tecumseh  Contest 
for  the  County-Seat — Territorial  Elections,  Judicial  System,  Roster  of  Senators, 
Representatives  and  County  Officers — First  Land  Transactions — Bridging  the 
Kansas  River — County  Buildings — Growth  in  Population — Assessed  Valuation, 
Live  Stock  and  Farm  Statistics — Nursery  and  Creamery  Industries — Post  Offices 
and   Rural    Delivery   Routes — A    Prominent   Landmark 28-43 

CHAPTER   III. 

-History  of  the  County  by  Townships — The  Pioneer  Settlers — Organization  and  Names 
of  Townships — Hardships  of  Frontier  Life — Historic  Towns  and  Villages — Dis- 
possessing the  Indians — Missionary  Labors — Incidents  of  Home-Making  and  Agri- 
cultural   Development    44-53 

CHAPTER   IV. 

Continuation  of  Township  History — Sketches  of  Soldier,  Tecumseh  and  Topeka  Town- 
ships— Names  of  the  Early  Settlers — General  Sherman's  Pioneer  Experience — 
Rival  Towns  and  Their  Promoters — Famous  Farms  and  Their  Owners — Present 
Day    Conditions     S4-62 

CHAPTER   V. 

-A  Glance  at  the  History  of  Kansas — Early  Expeditions  Across  the  Plains — The  Slavery 
Contest — The  Struggle  for  Statehood — Roster  of  Governors  and  United  States 
Senators — Population,  Resources  and  Institutions  of  the  State — Business  and 
Educational    Statistics    63-72 

CHAPTER   VI. 

Shawnee  County  in  the  Border  Troubles — John  Brown  and  His  Followers — The  Siege 
of  Lawrence — Foraging  Upon  the  Enemy — Gen.  James  H.  Lane  and  the  Free-State 


CONTENTS.  9 

Cause— John  Ritchie's  Arrest— The  Kansas  Emigrant  Route— Enlistments  in  the 
Civil  War— Campaigns  Against  the  Indians   73-83 

CHAPTER   VII. 

"Repelling  the  Price  Raid— Second  Kansas  State  Militia— Preparations  for  War  in 
Topeka— The  Home  Guards— The  Battle  of  the  Blue— Colonel  Veale's  Regiment 
in  the  Conflict — Capt.  Ross  Burns  and  His  Famous  Battery — The  Gage  Mon- 
ument     84-91 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

-Shawnee  County  and  the  War  With  Spain — The  Famous  20th  Kansas  Regiment — 
Its  Battles  and  Glory — List  of  Dead  and  Wounded — Enlistments  and  Service  in 
Other  Regiments — Their  Record  in  Cuba  and  Elsewhere — Praise  from  President 
McKinley  and  Secretary  of  War — The  Colored  Troops   92-100 

CHAPTER   IX. 

"State  Officials  from  Shawnee  County — Record  of  Their  Appointment,  Election  and 
Service — United  States  Senators  and  Congressmen — Federal  Positions  Filled — 
Prominent  Railroad  Men — The  Press  of  Shawnee  County — Newspapers  of  Early 
Days — List  of  Papers  now  Published — The  Mortality  Sheet 101-116 

CHAPTER   X. 

The  Beginning  of  the  City  of  Topeka — A  Farm  Changed  to  a  Town-Site — Names  of  the 
Pioneers  and  Their  Followers — The  Chase  Cabin — Organization  of  the  Town  Com- 
pany— Reminiscences  of  the  Early  Settlers — The  First  Fire — Description  of  the 
Country — Marking  the  Site  of  the  First  Building 117-126 

CHAPTER   XI. 

Dividing  the  Town-Site — The  First  Survey — Transactions  in  December,  1854 — Title 
Acquired  by  Means  of  an  Indian  Warrant — Claim  Jumping,  and  Rival  Town 
Organizations — How  Topeka  Was  Named,  and  Its  Significance — The  Street  and 
Avenue   Plan — Early   Buildings   and   Schools 127-136 

CHAPTER   XII. 

'County-Seat  Location — Movements  for  the  State  Capital — Locations  at  Fort  Leaven- 
worth, Shawnee  Mission,  Pawnee,  Lecompton,  Lawrence,  Minneola  and  Topeka 
— The  Several  Constitutional  Conventions — Free-State  and  Pro-Slavery  Contests — 
First  State  Legislature — History  and  Description  of  the  Finished  Capitol 137-145 

CHAPTER   Xni. 

Drought  of  i860 — Depression  Resulting  from  the  War — How  the  City  Appeared  in 
1862— Prominent  Business  Firms  and  Professional  Men — The  Growth  from  1865 
to  1870— Renewed  Activity  in  Real  Estate  Transactions— The  Railroad  Situation 
—Wagon  Routes  from  Topeka— Association  of  Old  Settlers 146-150 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

The  Railway  System— Four  Trunk  Lines  at  Topeka— Mills  and  Factories— Commercial 
and    Banking    Institutions— Public    Utilities— Finances    of    the    City— Parks    and 


lo  CONTENTS. 

Resorts— Assessed  Valuation,  Bonded  Debt  and  Financial  Resources— Present  City 
Officers  and  List  of  Former  Mayors — The  Commercial  Club 151-164. 

CHAPTER   XV. 

The  Decade  from  1880  to  1890— Results  of  the  Boom— Territory  Added  to  the  City- 
Population  for  Fifty  Years — Immigration  from  the  South — Prohibitory  Liquor 
Laws  and  Their  Enforcement — Early  Work  in  Behalf  of  Temperance — Activity  of 
Women  in   Civic  Affairs    165-173^ 

CHAPTER   XVL 

Public  Institutions  and  Buildings,  Federal  State  and  Municipal — PoSt  Office  Locations 
and  Postmasters — City  Hall  and  Auditorium — Free  Public  Jt-ibrary — Charitable 
Associations  and  Hospitals — Halls  and  Opera  Houses>— Pfbminent  Hotels  and 
Their  History — Political  and  Social  Incidents — The  Topeka  Cemeteries 174-188^ 

CHAPTER   XVII. 

Topeka's  Educational  Facilities — Public  Schools,  Colleges  and  Other  Institutions — High 
School  and  Manual  Training  Departments — The  City's  Churches  and  Their  His- 
tory— Early  Pastors  and  Those  of  the  Present  Time — Religious  Societies,  Fra- 
ternal Orders  and  Club  Organizations '[Sg-2o6<f 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

The  Disastrous  Flood  of  1903 — Principal  Events  in  North  Topeka — How  the  Sufferers 
Were  Rescued — Boats  and  Cables  in  Service — Loss  of  Life  and  Damage  to  Property 
— Systematic  Relief  Afforded — Strange  Experiences  and  Odd  Incidents — Major 
Harvey  and  His  Salvage  Corps — North  Topeka  Restored 207-221-. 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Brief  Historical  Notes  of  City  and  County^ — Some  of  the  First  Happenings  in  Topeka— 
Social,  Literary  and  Musical  Events — Native  Kansans  in  Shawnee  County — Com- 
mercial Features  of  Fifty  Years  Ago — Accounts  of  an  Early  Flood — Col.  Richard 
J.  Hinton's  Reminiscences — Two  Morning  Scenes  in  Topeka 222-237- 


3BtograpbicaI 

Sketches  of  Representative  Men  of  Shawnee  County 243-62&. 


NINTH  STREET,   LOOKING  EAST 


STATE  CAPITOL 


ITufeex 


Bioarapbtcal 


PAGE 

.  Alkire,  H.  L.,  M.  D 614 

Allen,  Henry  S •  •  •  395 

-Allen,  Samuel   345 

..Allen,  Stephen  H.,  Hon 367 

Allen,   William   J 337 

Arnold,    Andrew    J 424 

-Aye,   Charles   J 526 

Baker,  Floyd  P.,  Hon 594 

Barnes,  Ida  C,  M.  D.,   (P) 423 

Bates,    Walter    L 398 

Bedwell,    Stephen    A.,    Jr 509 

Bergundthal,    William     S 290 

"Berry,  J.  Albert.,  M.  D 588 

Betts,  Joseph  Benjamin  Burton,  Hon., 

(P)     363 

Biddle,  Thomas  C,  M.  D 497 

Binns,    Richard 4^7 

Bird,  Winfield  Austin  Scott,  Hon.  (P)   393 

Blakemore,  James  F 550 

Bonebrake,  Parkinson  I.,  Hon 248 

Bowman,     Christian 346 

Bowman,    Thomas    Elliott 488 

Bradshaw,  Royal  C 566 

Bromich,   Joseph    (P) 373 

■Brown,     Milton,    Hon 355 

Bruce,    William    M 340 

Bjurgess,    James,    Col 425 

Burke,  DeLou,  Rev 564 

Campbell,  Matthew  Thompson,  Hon.  . .  519 
-Campdoras,     Marie     Antonin     Eugene 

Jaques,  M.  D 364 

Clark,  Julius  Taylor 604 

"Clemens,  Gasper  Christopher 626 

Clugston,  John  McNulty  470 

■Colburn,   Foster  Dwight,    (P) 257 


PAGE 

Cofran,  Roswell  L.,  (P) 583 

Coldren,  Elza  V.,  M.  D 530 

Conant,  Ernest  B 254 

Coney,  Patrick  H.,  Capt 280 

Cook,   Perry  Ellis 512 

Corning,.  Cyrus 444 

Cowgill,    Elias    Branson 263 

Crane,  David  O.,   (P) 403 

Crane,  George  W 358 

Crosby,  Roller  Milling  Company 338 

Curry,  William  S 419 

Curtis,    Charles,    Hon 279 

Cuthbert,  James 472 

Dana,   Alston  W.,   Hon 291 

•Dawson,  Benjamin  Franklin 517 

Dean,  John  S 615 

Dean,  Martin  Guy,  Rev 531 

Decker,    Levi  '  M 353 

Dickey,  John 481 

Dickinson,  Ansel  E 390 

Disney,   Richard 508 

Downing,    Charles    S 379 

Duck,     Daniel 460 

Dudley,   Guilford 490 

Entsminger,  Augustus  L 297 

Fagan,  Walter  E.,  Hon.,    (P) 475 

Farnsworth,   Russell    U 428 

Farrell,  Joseph  S.,  Hon 439 

Faxon,  Thomas  J 486 

Firestone,  P.  D 418 

First- National  Bank,  The,  Topeka....  405 

Fish,  William  R 522 

Forbes,    W.    M .565 

Foster,  Cassius  G.,  Hon 253 


M 


INDEX. 


PAGjr 

Foster,  Perry  T.,   (P)...- 455 

Frost,    John    E 3I7 

Gage,  Guilford  G 349 

Gemmell,   Robert  Brown,    (P) 515 

Giles,    Frye    W 292 

Glenn,    Henry    H 479 

Green,  John,    (P) 413 

Guibor,  C.  H.,  M.  D 246 

Guild,  Edward  B 609 

Guthrie,   John   Hon.,    (P) 323 

Hackney,    Herbert 456 

Hagan,    Eugene 260 

Hammatt,    Abram 286 

Hayden,   Francis  M.,  Very  Rev 579 

Hayden,  Richard  F.,  Hon 335 

Hayes,    James 624 

Hawley,   Charles   E 407 

Heath,  Hubert  A 598 

Hibbard  William  S 617 

Hickey,  James   A 597 

Higgins,    Elbridge 329 

Hindman,    Samuel 336 

Hoch,  Edward  Wallis,  Hon 528 

Holcomb,     Myron 627 

Holcomb,    O.    A 318 

Horton,  Albert  Howell,  Hon.,  (P) 301 

Horton,    Nathan    P 368 

Howard,  David  Millington,  Hon 489 

Howe,  Samuel  T.,  Hon.,   (P) 311 

Hughes,  James  W.  F.,  Gen 414 

Humphreys,   Dugarde  Thomas 314 

Hungate,    Otis    E 482 

Huron,  George  A.,  Hon.,   (P) 333 

Jewell,  Charles  E 617 

Jewell,    Charles    W 616 

Johnson,  Alexander  Soule,  Col.,  (P)..  449 

Johnson,   J.    B.,    Hon 245 

Johnson,    Timothy    R 461 

Jordan,  John  S 44° 

Keck,  Philip,   (P) 525 

Keith,  Henry  H.,  M.  D.. 492 

Kellam,    E.    P 360 

Kellam,    Thomas   Jameson 400 

Kimball,  Frederick  Marius,  Capt.   (P)  383 

King,  James  L.,  (P) 555 

Kingman,    Samuel  A,,   Hon 501 

Knowles,   Edwin    610 

Knox,   John   D.,    Rev 302 

Koger,   Daniel   H 430 

Kreipe,  Theodore  F 409 


PAGE  . 

Lakin,    David    Long 261 

Leavitt,  Sylvanus  Lorenzo 268 

Lewis,  J.  P.,  M.  D.,  (P) 613 

Lovewell,  Joseph  T ; 348  . 

Lucas,  Albertus  T.,  (P) 573 

Lydic,  James  R 320 

Mackey,  William  H.,  Jr 340- 

Mac   Vicar,   Peter,   Rev 549 

Madden,    John 529 

;\Iagaw,    Charles    A 313 

Magill,  J.   W 510- 

Mallory,  Frank  E.,  Rev 258 . 

Martin,  Clarence  H 338  - 

Martin,  George  W.,  Hon.,  (P) 553 

Martin,   John,    Hon 267 

Maunsell,    Charles    R 377 

McAfee,  Josiah  B.,  Rev.,    (P) 273 

McClurkin,  Hugh  Park,  D.  D 420 

JiIcFarland,  James   M 325 

McFarland,  Noah  C,  Hon.,  (P) 324 

McKeever,  Archibald   568 

McLellan,    C.    T 505 

McQuiston,  Alexander 251 

Menninger,  C.  F.,  I\I.  D 521 

Metcalf,   Wilder   Stevens,   Col 608 

Miller,    Bradford 416^ 

Mills,    Henry    Hobert 285 

Mills,    John,     (P) 603 

Millspaugh,    Frank   Rosebrook,   D.    D., 

Rt.   Rev 468 

Mitchell,  Matthew  R.,  M.  D.,  Hon 446 

Moeser,    Edward   Henry 259.. 

Mohler,   Martin,  Hon 354 

Moore,  Samuel   (P) 485 , 

Moore,  Samuel  P.,  Mrs.,   (P) 484^ 

Neese,    Albert 580. 

Neiswanger,  William  A 328 

Neiswender,    Adam 506 

Nellis,  Dewitt  C,  Hon 584 

Newman,    Albert 4S0. 

Noble,  George  M.,  Capt 305, 

Norton,    Willis 250  . 

Osborn,  Thomas  A.,  Hon 574 

Parker,    Albert 459  ■ 

Penwell,  LeRoy  McLellan 477 

Plass,  Norman,  D.  D 576^ 

Poindexter,  Early  Whittin 380- 

Popenoe,  E.  A.,  A.  M 620  > 

Powell,  L.  M.,  A.  B.,  M.  D 567 

Quinton,   Alfred   B.,   Hon 270. 


INDEX. 


15- 


PAGE 

Ream,  William  M 476 

Reed,   Joseph,   Hon 623 

Reid,   Turner    Albert 619 

Roberts,    Byron 378 

Sardou,  Freeman 374 

Sheldon,  Charles  M.,  Rev 330 

Sheldon,  Silas  E.,  M.  D.,  Hon.,  (P)..  443 

Sherer,  A.  W 577 

Shimer,  James  C,   (P) 49S 

Shull,    Elias 599 

Sims,  William,  Maj 396 

Skinner,   Joseph   H Si9 

Snyder,  Cary  408 

Snyder,   William   P 389 

Spencer,   Charles   F 284 

Stanton,  John  Frederick 357 

Stewart,  Samuel  G.,  A.  M.,  M.  D 467 

Stinson,   Thomas   N.,   Col 557 

Stormont,  David  Wasson,  M.  D.  (P.)-  243 

Sutherin,   John S07 

Swan,  James,  (?) 593 

Sweet,  T.  B 498 


PAGE- 

Taylor,    William    L 433 

Tomson,    Alraon    L 500  - 

Tomson,  Thomas  K.,   (P) 563 

Trapp,  William  C,   (P) 465 

Valentine,  Daniel  Mulford,  Hon.,   (P)  289 

Van    Vleck,    Joseph 312 

Voigt,    Brothers 369' 

Walker,  O.  E 347 

Washburn,    Avery,    (P) 295  - 

Washburn   College,    (P) 535 

Wayne,  Joseph,  Rev.,  (P) 343 

Webb,  W.  C,   Hon 244 

Wellhouse,    Frederick,    Hon 307 

Wikidal,   Louis   Philip 590 

Williams,   Archibald   F.,   Hon 436- 

Williamson,    Charles    R 560 

Wilson,  A.  P.  Tone,  Jr 466 

Wils»n,  Joseph  C 296 

Wilmarth,    George    0 622 

Wood,  Charles  L 558  ■ 

Yager,   Samuel  J 452 


Ne 


miuetrations 


PAGE 

Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railway 

General  Offices   106 

Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railway 

Hospital    106 

Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railway 

Shops     36 

Baptist    Church,    First 226 

Barnes,   Ida  C,  M.   D 422 

Betts,   Hon.  Joseph   Benjamin   Burton,  362 

Bird,  Hon.   Winfield  Austin   Scott....  392 

Bromich,  Joseph    372 

Calhoun   Bluffs,   Road   Scene 78 

Catholic  Churches^ 

Church  of  the  Assumption 202 

St.  Joseph's  German 202 

Chicago,   Rock   Island  &   Pacific   Pas- 
senger Station  53 

Christ's  Hospital    178 

City  Hall  and  Auditorium  170 

Coburn,    Foster   Dwight 256 

Cofran,  Roswell  L 582 


PAGE 

College  of  the  Sisters  of  Bethany....     78. 

Columbian   Building   88 

Congregational   Church,  First 194 

Copeland  Hotel    186 

Crane,  David  0 402 

Crane,  David  O.,  Residence  of 68 

Crosby  Roller  Milling  Company,  Mills 

of    154 

Curtis,  Hon.  Charles   278 

Decker,  Levi  M 352 

Fagan,  Hon.  Walter  E 474 

Fassler,  Armin,  Residence  of 186 

Federal  Building   24 . 

First  Frame  Building  in  Topeka 24 

First  Log  Cabin  Built  in  Topeka 27 

Flood  of  1903,  The — 

General   View  of  the   Flood 218 

Looking  South  on  Kansas  Avenue.  .  210 
Looking     Southeast     from     Lukens' 

Opera  House  210 

Looking      Southeast      from      Norris 
Street     21O' 


.i6 


INDEX. 


PAGE 

Melan  Arch  Bridge,  after  Water  had 

Fallen  6  Feet  218 

One  Way  of  Bringing  Over  Refugees 

From  North   Side   218 

Foster,    Perry   T    454 

Free  Public  Library 170 

Frost,  John  E 316 

Frost,  John  E.,  Residence  of 234 

'  Gemmell,  Robert  Brown  514 

Governor's   Residence,  The    68 

Grace  Cathedral   202 

Grand   Opera   House    122 

Green,  John   412 

Guthrie,  Hon.   John    322 

•Gyrator  Mills    154 

Horton,   Hon.  Albert   Hovifell 300 

Hotel  Throop   186 

Howe,  Hon.  Samuel  T 310 

Huron,  Hon.  George  A 332 

Ingleside  Home   178 

Inter-Ocean   Mills    154 

_  Johnson,  Col.  Alexander  Soule 448 

Kansas   Avenue,   Looking   South   from 

Fifth   Avenue    132 

Keck,    Philip    524 

Kimball,  Capt.  Frederick  ^Marius 382 

King,  James  L 18 

Lewis,  J.  P.,  M  D 612 

Lucas,  Albertus  T 572 

McAfee,  Rev.  Josiah  B 272 

McLellan,  C.  T 504 

Martin,   Hon.  George  W 552 

Martin,   Hon.   John 266 

Masonic   Block   122 

Melan  Arch  Bridge,  Looking  South...  36 

^lethodist  Episcopal  Church,  First 226 

Mid-Continent  Mills   154 

]Mills,   John    602 

Moore,  Mr.  and   :\Irs.    Samuel 484 

National  Hotel   186 

Ninth  Street,  Looking  East 12 

Noble,  Capt.  George  M.,  Residence  of. .  234 

Office  Block  88 

Pipe  Organ  in  the  City  Auditorium.  . .  .  170 

Popenoe,   Fred  O.,  Residence  of 78 

Public   Schools — 

Grant     1 14 


PA  ;e 

High  1 14 

Lincoln    24 

Manual  Training   114 

New   Quincy    114 

Presbyterian   Church,  First   194 

Railroad  Y.  M.  C.  A  Building 178 

Shawnee  County  Court  House 24 

Shawnee  County  Jail   96 

Sheldon,  Hon.  Silas  E.,  M.  D 442 

Shimer,  James  C 494 

State    Capitol    12 

State  Hospital  for  the  Insane — 

Building  for  Incurables  142 

East  End  Main  Building 142 

State     Industrial .  School     for     Boys, 

Main   Building    96 

Stormont,  David  Wasson,  M.  D 240 

Stormont,  Mrs.  Jane  C 241 

Stormont  Hospital,  The  Jane  C 178 

Street  Views  in  1876— 

Corner   of   Kansas    and    Sixth    Ave- 
nues Looking  South 48 

East  Side  of  Kansas  Avenue,  Look- 
ing South  from  Sixth  Avenue....     58 

East  Side  of  Kansas  Avenue,  Look- 
ing North  from  Sixth  Avenue  ....     48 

Kansas     Avenue,     Looking     North 
from    Seventh    Street $8 

North  Side  of  Sixth  Avenue,  Look- 
ing East  from  Kansas  Avenue....     48 
Swan   James    592 

Taylor,  William  L 432 

Tomson,  Thomas  K 562 

Topeka  Club,  The 122 

Topeka  in  1876,  Bird's  Eye  View  of. .     43 
Topeka,   Panoramic  View  of.  .Frontispiece 

Topeka  Woolen  Mills 160 

Trapp,   William   C 464 

Valentine,  Hon.  Daniel  Mulford 288 

Van     Buren     Street,     Looking     South 

from   Court  House 132 

Veale  and  Thompson  Block 160 

Vinewood   Park,   Scene   in 78 

Washburn,    Avery    294 

Washburn  College — 

Boswell    Memorial    534 

The  Chapel    534 

View    of    a    portion    of    the    College.... 
Campus    534 

Wayne,  Rev.  Joseph   342 


/      / 

/ 

/ 


l)i$tory  of  Sbawnee  County 


CHAPTER  I. 


The  Shawnee  Indians  in  Kansas — Various  Treaties  with  the  Tribe — Indian 
Villages  in  the  County — Kaw  and  Pottawatomie  Reservations — The 
Kaw  Half-Breeds  and  Their  Descendants — Scenes  and  Incidents  of  the 
Early  Settlements. 

The  Shawnee  Indians,  whose  name  was  appropriately  given  to  one  of 
the  counties  of  Kansas,  comprised  one  of  the  tribes  with  which  WilHam  Penn 
made  his  celebrated  treaty  in  the  year  1682.  Penn  described  them  at  that 
time  as  being  generally  tall,  straight,  well-built,  and  of  splendid  proportions. 
They  were  graceful  in  their  movements,  walking  erect  and  strong,  and  with  a 
lofty  chin.  *  Their  eyes  were  small  and  black,  and  their  skins  swarthy  from 
exposure  to  sun  and  weather.    In  all  respects  they  were  typical  Indians. 

Before  the  treaty  of  1682  it  is  believed  that  the  Shawnees,  whose  lan- 
guage is  almost  identical  with  that  of  the  Sac  and  Fox  tribes,  occupied  the 
country  southwest  of  the  Missouri,  from  Green  Bay  and  the  Fox  River,  to 
the  Mississippi,  and  hunted  over  the  land  between  the  Wisconsin  and  the 
upper  branches  of  the  Illinois.  In  April,  1701,  a  further  treaty  was  formed, 
the  Shawnees,  one  of  the  signatory  tribes,  being  represented  by  Wa-pa-tha, 
king  of  the  Shawnees.  In  1706  a  band  of  Shawnee  Indians  was  encountered 
by  traders  at  Conestoga,  near  the  Susquehanna.  At  a  council  held  in  Phil- 
adelphia, June  14,  1715,  one  of  the  participants  was  Opes-sah,  another  Shaw- 
nee king. 

The  basin  of  the  Cumberland  River,  in  Kentucky,  is  marked  by  the 
earliest  geographers  as  being  the  habitat  of  the  Shawnees.  A  portion  after- 
ward lived  near  Winchester,  Virginia.  From  Kentucky  their  principal  band 
removed  to  the  head-waters  of  one  of  the  great  rivers  of  South  Carolina. 
From  South  Carolina  many  of  them  removed  to  Pennsylvania  and  settled  on 


20  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

the  Susquehanna,  where  they  were  soon  followed  by  others  of  the  tribe.  Of 
the  Indian  fighting  men  in  Pennsylvania  in  1732  more  than  half  were  Shaw- 
nees  from  the  South,  and  they  were  said  to  be  the  most  restless  of  all  the 
Indians.  The  small  Virginia  band  was  traced  in  1745  from  Winchester  to 
the  Allegheny,  near  Fort  Duquesne,  where  Pittsburg  now  stands.  In  1755 
the  same  band,  with  other  tribes,  joined  the  French  forces  in  the  war  between 
France  and  England,  and  later  a  number  of  the  Indian  warriors  were  impris- 
oned in  North  Carolina. 

A  council  fire  was  held  at  Huron,  on  the  Detroit  River,  in  December,  1 786, 
at  which  an  address  to  the  Congress  of  the  United  States  was  adopted,  signed 
by  the  Five  Nations,  and  the  Hurons,  Shawnees,  Ottawas,  Chippewas,  Pot- 
tawatomies,  Twitchwees,  Cherokees,  and  Wabash  Indians.  The  subject  of 
the  address  related  to  methods  for  establishing  a  lasting  reconciliation  with 
the  13  States. 

BEGINNING    OF    THE    SHAWNEE    NATION. 

The  first  treaty  of  record  between  the  United  States  and  the  Shawnees, 
in  which  the  latter  acted  as  a  separate  nation,  was  held  January  31,  1786,  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Great  Miami,  on  the  northwest  bank  of  the  Ohio.  This 
treaty  gave  the  Shawnees  certain  lands  in  the  territory  then  occupied  by  them 
"to  live  and  hunt  on,"  but  the  grant  was  contested  by  the  Wyandottes,  who 
claimed  priority.  Trouble  followed,  not  only  between  the  government  and 
the  Shawnees,  but  between  the  Shawnees  and  the  Wyandottes,  resulting  in  the 
removal  of  many  of  the  Shawnees  to  New  Orleans  in  1792,  from  whence 
they  were  sent  into  the  Creek  Nation  of  what  was  then  known  as  New  Spain. 
These  Indians  declared  that  they  had  been  deceived,  driven  from  their  homes, 
and  otherwise  imposed  upon,  and  that  they  would  be  at  war  with  America  as 
long  as  any  of  them  should  live. 

This  was  preliminary  to  a  somewhat  general  uprising  of  the  Indians 
in  1793,  in  which  a  number  of  the  Northern  tribes  participated,  the  Indians 
claiming  that  the  Americans  had  mistreated  them  and  disregarded  the  trea- 
ties of  their  own  nation.  For  this  demonstration  the  Shawnees  had  gathered 
from  various  sources  their  greatest  warriors, — Black  Wolf,  Blue  Jacket  and 
Ke-hia-pe-la-thy  (Toma-Hawk).  On  the  13th  of  August,  1794,  Gen.  Anthony 
Wayne  sent  a  letter  to  the  hostile  tribes  asking  for  a  peace  conference  and 
promising  protection  to  all.  The  Indians  rejected  the  offer  and  gave  battle 
to  the  Americans,  sustaining  a  bad  defeat  and  losing  much  of  their  property. 

About  this  time  a  Spanish  Nobleman,  Baron  De  Carondelet,  donated  to 
the  Shawnees  and  Delawares  a  tract  of  land,  25  miles  square,  between  the 
river  St.  Comb  and  Cape  Girardeau,  bounded  on  the  east  by  the  Mississippi 


AND    REPRESExNTATIVE    CITIZENS.  21 

River,  and  on  the  west  by  the  Whitewater  River.  The  Delawares  abandoned 
the  tract  in  18 15,  leaving  the  entire  right  to  the  Shawnees.  They  remained 
here  in  peace  as  long  as  the  territory  remained  under  Spanish  rule.  In 
the  year  1825,  the  lands  of  the  Carondelet  grant  were  exchanged  with  Gov- 
ernor Clark  for  a  larger  tract  on  the  Kansas  River,  the  Indians  accepting 
$14,000  for  their  improvements.  The  treaty  provided  that  this  tract  of  50 
miles  square  should  belong  to  the  Shawnees  of  Missouri,  and  to  those  of  the 
same  tribe  in  Ohio,  who  might  wish  to  emigrate  to  that  country. 

'  OTHER   SHAWNEE   TREATIES. 

The  Shawnees  were  parties  to  other  treaties  between  the  government 
and  the  Indians  relating  to  valuable  lands  in  Ohio,  Indiana  and  the  country 
west  of  those  States.  They  joined  the  Delawares  and  other  tribes  in  a  treaty 
at  St.  Louis  in  18 15,  the  government  being  represented  by  William  Clark, 
Ninean  Edwards  and  Augustus  Choteau.  The  first  clear  title  to  land  re- 
ceived by  the  Shawnees  was  the  result  of  a  treaty  in  181 7  at  the  foot  of  the 
rapids  of  the  Miami  of  Lake  Erie.  Lewis  Cass  and  Duncan  McArthur  were 
the  commissioners  on  the  part  of  the  United  States.  Blackhoof,  Pi-ach-ta, 
Way-we-lea-py  and  Qua-ta-wapee  were  the  principal  Shawnee  chiefs.  The 
treaty  gave  the  Indians  a  large  tract  of  land  at  Wa-paugh-konn-et-ta  (Ohio) 
and  an  annuity  of  $2,000,  one  of  the  considerations  being  "the  faithful  serv- 
ices of  the  Shawnees  in  the  late  war  with  England."  Wapakoneta  (short- 
ened from  the  Indian  name)  is  the  present  county-seat  of  Auglaize  County, 
Ohio. 

In  the  year  183 1,  after  the  death  of  Blackhoof,  the  Indians  in  the  vicinity 
of  Wa-paugh-konn-et-ta  were  led  to  believe  that  the  State  of  Ohio  would 
soon  pass  laws  which  would  compel  them  to  pay  taxes  for  the  benefit  of  the 
white  people,  and  that  other  obligations  would  be  imposed  upon  them,  unless 
they  would  consent  to  sell  their  lands  and  take  up  new  homes  in  the  distant 
West.  They  were  offered  100,000  acres  of  land  adjoining  the  tract  of  50 
miles  square  which  had  already  been  ceded  to  the  Carondelet  band  on  the 
Kansas  River,  a  proposition  to  which  the  Shawnees  reluctantly  agreed.  The 
terms  of  the  agreement  were  very  unfair  to  the  Indians  in  respect  to  the 
matter  of  providing  funds  for  the  payment  of  their  debts  and  to  reimburse 
them  for  improvements  made  upon  their  lands,  and  the  money  unjustly  with- 
held from  the  tribe  was  subsequently  refunded  by  congress. 

The  Shawnees  were  the  first  of  the  Eastern  tribes  to  be  located  in  Kan- 
sas. In  the  various  treaties  they  acquired  1,600,000  acres  of  land,  which 
was  subsequently  exchanged  by  law  and  treaty  negotiations  for  land  in  the 
Indian  Territory  proper. 


22  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Although  the  Shawnee  Indians  gave  their  name  to  Shawnee  County, 
they  were  not  so  closely  identified  with  its  history  as  some  of  the  other  tribes. 
The  Pottawatomies  had  a  reservation  of  about  three  townships  in  the  north- 
west corner  of  the  county,  and  the  Kaws  owned  an  extensive  tract  of  land  in 
the  northeastern  part  of  the  county.  Many  evidences  remain  of  these  early 
Indian  settlements,  and  some  of  the  descendants  of  the  Pottawatomies  and 
Kaws  still  reside  in  the  county. 

KANSAS     INDIAN     VILLAGES. 

In  the  year  1830  the  Kaws  established  three  villages  at  the  mouth  of 
Mission  Creek,  16  miles  west  of  Topeka.  Fool  Chief's  village  was  north  of 
the  river  near  Silver  Lake,  and  contained  about  800  persons.  Hard  Chief's 
village  was  located  on  the  bluffs  south  of  the  river,  with  about  600  inhabi- 
tants. American  Chief's  village,  two  miles  up  Mission  Creek,  numbered 
about  100  persons.  The  ground  where  Hard  Chief's  village  stood  being  un- 
broken prairie,  the  lodge  sites  may  still  be  seen.  In  1880  Secretary  F.  G. 
Adams,  of  the  Kansas  State  Historical  Society,  visited  this  loc'aHty  and  counted 
85  lodge  sites.  In  1901  the  place  was  visited  by  J.  V.  Brower,  of  St.  Paul, 
Minnesota,  who  found  70  or  more  of  the  old  earthen  huts.  They  are  now 
rapidly  going  into  decay  or  being  obliterated  by  the  plow.  At  the  time  the 
treaty  of  1825  was  made  with  the  Indians,  these  lands  were  said  to  be  worth 
seven  cents  an  acre;  later  they  were  estimated  to  be  worth  $1.25  per  acre, 
and  afterwards  the  Indians  were  permitted  to  dispose  of  them  at  $3  per  acre. 
An  average  of  $100  an  acre  would  not  be  too  much  for  the  same  lands  to-day. 

In  a  recent  contribution  to  the  collections  of  the  Kansas  State  Historical 
Society,  Miss  Fannie  E.  Cole  gives  an  account  of  the  Kansas  Indians  in 
Shawnee  County  a?fter  1855.  The  Cole  family  settled  in  the  county  in  May 
of  that  year,  locating  on  a  farm  near  the  little  town  of  Indianola,  a  trading 
post,  five  miles  northwest  from  Topeka.    Miss  Cole  says : 

THE    TRIBE    IN    SHAWNEE    COUNTY. 

"We  took  possession  of  our  new  home  June  6,  1855.  It  was  situated 
on  what  was  known  as  the  'Delaware  Trust  Land.'  I  suppose  that  when 
Kansas  formed  part  of  the  Indian  Territory  this  tract  was  a  portion  of  the 
Delaware  reserve,  which,  upon  the  organization  of  Kansas  into  a  Territory, 
was  relinquished  by  them  to  the  United  States  government,  to  be  sold  to 
settlers  for  their  benefit.  Our  farm  lay  just  north  of  the  third  mile  of  the 
Kaw  half-breed  reserve.  The  Kaws,  being  a  Western  tribe  of  Indians,  I 
think  that  they  once  claimed  all  the  area  of  Kansas,  and  perhaps  more,  as 


THE  FIRST  FRAME  BUILDING  IN  TOPEKA 


FEDERAL  BUILDING 


SHAWNEE  COUNTY  COURT  HOUSE 


LINCOLN  SCHOOL 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  25 

their  hunting  grounds,  and  when  the  government  made  a  treaty  with  them, 
for  the  purpose  of  removing  various  tribes  of  Indians  from  the  East  to  these 
lands — the  Kaws  having  23  half-breeds  in  their  tribe — reserved  23  tracts, 
each  containing  one  square  mile,  all  lying  contiguous  to  each  other  on  the 
north  bank  of  the  river,  extending  from  the  east  line  of  the  Pottawatomie 
reserve,  about  three  or  four  miles  west  of  Topeka,  down  to  the  vicinity  of 
Lecompton.  As  these  tracts  followed  the  course  of  the  river,  as  a  natural 
consequence  some  of  the  miles  extended  further  north  than  others,  and  when 
the  government  surveys  were  made  there  were  many  fractional  "quarters," 
as  they  were  called,  between  the  northern  lines  of  the  tracts  and  the  sectional 
lines. 

"Our  farm  consisted  of  one  of  these  fractional  quarters,  containing 
something  over  90  acres,  and  46  acres  of  the  regular  quarter  section,  the  re- 
mainder of  which  formed  part  of  the  Indianola  town  site.  The  tract  of  half- 
breed  land  just  south  of  us  was  occupied  by  Moses  Bellemere,  a  Canadian 
Frenchman,  whose  wife  was  Adele  La  Sert,  one  of  the  original  half-breeds. 
She  was  a  daughter  of  Clement  La  Sert,  a  Canadian  Frenchman,  whom  I 
had  supposed  was  a  trader  among  the  Kaws.  While  he  lived  among  them  he 
married  a  blanketed  squaw,  and  they  had  two  or  three  children.  When  he 
left  the  Kaws  he  abandoned  the  squaw,  but  took  the  surviving  children,  a 
boy  and  a  girl,  with  him.  Clement  La  Sert  took  for  his  second  wife  a  woman 
of  the  Osage  tribe.  She  was  nearly  white,  having  but  very  little  Indian 
blood  in  her  veins,  and  she  trained  his  Indian  daughter  (Mrs.  Bellemere)  in 
the  ways  of  the  white  people. 

"The  Indian  relatives  and  friends  of  the  Kaw  half-breeds  came  every 
summer  from  their  own  reservation,  at  Council  Grove,  in  Morris  County, 
and  encamped  in  the  dooryards  and  around  the  premises  of  the  Bellemeres, 
the  Papans,  the  DeAubries,  and  others.  Among  them  was  the  chief. 
La  Soupe.  He  was  the  tallest  Indian  I  ever  saw,  and  must  have  been  six 
and  a  half  feet  tall.  Mrs.  Bellemere  lived  on  her  allotment  for  many  years. 
When  her  Indian  mother  died,  Mrs.  Bellemere  refused  to  allow  any  Indian 
ceremonies,  but  had  her  attired  in  neat  burial  clothes,  and  buried  like  white 
people.  Mrs.  Bellemere  herself  died  about  1870,  and  is  buried  in  Rochester 
cemetery.  Her  husband  and  three  children  survived  her.  The  latter  were 
Joseph,  aged  about  16,  Julia,  14,  and  Leonard,  7.  After  Mrs.  Bellemere's 
death,  Mr.  Bellemere  married  a  white  woman  named  Hetty  Garmire,  whose 
sister,  Margaret,  married  Garland  Cummins,  an  old  Indianola  saloon-keeper 
and  ex-Kickapoo  ranger. 

"On  some  of  the  farms  just  north  of  Menoken  could  be  seen,  within 
recent  years,  and,  perhaps,  are  still  visible,  large  circles  in  the  soil.  Many 
years  ago  a  large  village  of  Kaws  was  established  there.     It  was  probably 


26  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

the  village  of  a  chief  called  Fool  Chief,  and,  judging  from  the  little  I  have 
heard  of  him,  I  imagine  that  he  was  well  named.  Some  years  ago  I  taught 
the  Menoken  School.  In  the  early  springtime  these  circles  showed  very 
plainly  all  over  the  level,  freshly-plowed  fields." 

THE  KAW  INDIANS. 

The  exact  beginning  of  the  Kaw  Indian  settlements  in  Kansas  has  never 
been  determined.  It  is  certain  that  they  were  here  as  early  as  1673,  for  in 
that  year  they  were  found  by  Father  Jacques  Marquette  on  his  expedition  to 
discover  the  Upper  Mississippi.  They  were  then  known  as  the  Canzas 
Indians,  occupying  a  wide  area  of  country  on  both  sides  of  the  Kansas  River, 
from  the  Missouri  to  the  eastern  base  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  The  first 
treaty  made  with  them  by  the  United  States  government  was  that  of  Octo- 
ber 28,  1815.  By  a  second  treaty,  June  3,  1825,  the  Indians  ceded  a  tract 
United  States  all  the  lands  to  which  they  had  title  or  claim,  except  a  tract 
"to  begin  twenty  leagues  up  the  Kansas  River,  and  to  include  their  village 
on  that  river;  extending  west  thirty  miles  in  width  through  the  land  ceded." 
It  was  also  provided  that  23  sections  should  be  located  and  set  apart  on  the 
north  side  of  the  river  for  certain  half-breeds. 

For  the  remainder  of  their  domain,  embracing  upwards  of  10,000,000 
acres,  the  tribe  was  to  receive  an  annuity  of  $3,500  per  annum  for  20  con- 
secutive years.  By  a  treaty  concluded  January  14,  1846,  the  same  tribe 
ceded  to  the  United  States  2,000,000  acres  of  its  land  on  the  east  part  of 
their  country,  the  United  States  agreeing  to  pay  the  Indians  $202,000,  of 
which  $200,000  was  to  be  funded  at  five  per  cent.,  the  interest  to  be  paid  for 
30  years,  and  thereafter  to  be  diminished  and  paid  pro  rata,  should  their 
numbers  decrease,  but  not  otherwise. 

The  same  treaty  provided  that  there  should  be  set  apart  for  the  use 
of  the  Kansas  Indians  a  suitable  country  near  the  western  boundary  of  the 
2,000,000  acres  ceded  to  the  government.  This  reservation  contained 
255,854  acres,  which,  together  with  the  $200,000  held  in  trust,  and  upon 
which  they  received  $10,000  per  annum  as  interest,  made  them  a  wealthy 
people.  They  lived  on  this  reservation  for  man)^  years,  and  until  the  changed 
conditions  brought  about  the  treaty  of  1859,'  by  which  the  reservation  was 
divided  into  two  parts,  known  as  the  "Trust  Lands"  and  "Diminished  Re- 
serve;" and  these  were  subsequently  disposed  of  under  a  treaty  ratified  in 
1863.  Much  litigation  resulted,  but  in  all  the  transactions  the  Indians  were 
compelled  to  accept  whatever  was  offered  them  and  to  yield  before  the 
onward  march  of  civilization. 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS. 


27 


THE   KAW    HALF-BREEDS. 

The  principal  part  of  the  special  reservation  of  one  mile  square  for  each 
of  23  Kaw  half-breeds  was  located  in  Shawnee  County.  The  first  seven 
half-breeds  to  receive  allotments  in  this  reservation  were  Adele  and  Clement, 
children  of  Clement  La  Sert;  Josette,  Julia,  Pelagic  and  Victoire,  children 
of  Louis  Gonvil;  and  Marie,  daughter  of  Baptiste  Golvin.  An  interesting 
account  of  these  families  appears  in  Cone's  "Historical  Sketch  of  Shawnee 
County,"  printed  in  1877.  The  father  of  the  first  two  children  named  was  a 
Frenchman,  an  interpreter  and  trader  among  the  Kaws.  He  died  at  the  old 
Kaw  village  near  Silver  Lake  in  1835.  The  daughter,  Adele,  married  a 
Frenchman,  Moses  Bellemere,  previously  referred  to  in  Miss  Cole's  article. 
Louis  Gonvil,  the  father  of  the  four  half-breed  girls  above  referred  to,  was 
also  a  trader  for  many  years  among  the  Kaws.  At  an  early  age  Josette 
Gonvil  went  to  live  with  the  family  of  Frank  G.  Choteau,  an  Indian  inter- 
preter at  Kansas  City,  Missouri.  She  was  married  there  in  1839  to  Joseph 
Papan.  Julia  Gonvil  was  married  soon  after  to  Ahcan  Papan.  In  1840  the 
two  families  moved  on  to  their  Shawnee  County  farms,  living  near  each 
other  for  a  number  of  years.  A  Frenchman  named  Franceur  de  Aubrie 
married  Pelagic  Gonvil,  in  1842,  and  in  1843  Louis  Papan  married  Julia 
Gonvil.  The  name  Papan  appears  frequently  in  the  public  records  of  the 
State  and  countv. 


FIRST  LOG  CABIN  BUILT  IN  TOPEKA,   1854. 


CHAPTER   II. 

Organisation  of  the  County — Township  Divisions — Physical  Aspects  of  the 
County — Rivers  and  Streams — First  Efforts  in  Agriculture — Topeka 
and  Tecumseh  Contest  for  the  County-Seat — Territorial  Elections,  Judi- 
cial System,  Roster  of  Senators,  Representatives  and  County  Officers — 
First  Land  Transactions — Bridging  the  Kansas  River — County  Build- 
ings— Growth  in  Population — Assessed  Valuation,  Live  Stock  and 
Farm  Statistics — Nursery  and  Creamery  Industries — Post  Offices  and 
Rural  Delivery  Routes — A  Prominent  Landmark. 

Kansas  was  admitted  into  the  Union  as  a  Territory  in  1854.  On  the 
Sth  of  November  of  that  year  the  Territory  was  divided  into  17  election 
districts,  the  third  one  of  which  comprised  what  was  afterwards  known  as 
Shawnee  County.  The  first  Territorial  Legislature,  held  in  1855,  established 
33  counties.  Shawnee  was  one  of  the  original  33  and  ranked  i  ith  in  the  list. 
The  original  boundary  was :  "Beginning  at  the  south-east  corner  of  Doug- 
las County;  thence  west  twenty-four  (24)  miles;  thence  north  to  the  main 
•channel  of  the  Kaw  or  Kansas  River;  thence  down  said  channel  to  the  north- 
west corner  of  Douglas  County;  thence  south  to  the  place  of  beginning." 
All  of  the  tract  thus  described  was  south  of  the  Kansas  River.  The  boun- 
dary lines  were  changed  in  1857,  and  again  in  i860.  Under  the  latter  change 
six  government  townships  on  the  south  were  detached  and  became  a  part  of 
Osage  County,  and  the  northern  boundary  of  Shawnee  County  was  extended 
to  include  all  of  the  territory  formerly  belonging  to  Jackson  County  lying 
south  of  the  second  standard  parallel.  This  gave  Shawnee  County  two 
congressional  townships  north  of  the  Kansas  River.  In  1868  four  other  con- 
gressional townships  were  added  on  the  north. 

BOUNDARIES    AND    TOWNSHIPS. 

Shawnee  is  in  the  third  tier  of  counties  west  of  the  Missouri  River  and 
embraces  357,120  acres  of  land,  forming  a  square  of  24  miles,  with  the 
exception  that  the  tract  lying  north  of  the  river  extends  five  miles  further 
west  than  that  lying  south  of  the  river.     The  north  and  south  lines  are  par- 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  29 

allel,  24  miles  in  length  and  the  same  distance  apart,  running  due  east  and 
west.  The  adjacent  counties  are  Jackson  on  the  north,  Jefferson  and  Douglas 
on  the  east,  Osage  on  the  south,  and  Wabaunsee  and  Pottawatomie  on 
the  west. 

The  first  subdivision  of  Shawnee  County  into  municipal  townships  was 
made  September  14,  1855.  Two  townships  were  formed,  Tecumseh  and 
Yocum,  the  dividing  line  being  the  Wakarusa  River.  In  1857  the  county- 
was  subdivided  into  the  townships  of  Tecumseh,  Topeka,  Brownsville,  Bur- 
lingame  and  Wakarusa.  In  i860  there  was  a  consolidation  into  three  town- 
ships :  Tecumseh,  comprising  all  of  the  eastern  portion  of  the  county  lying 
south  of  the  Kansas  River;  Topeka,  the  territory  north  of  the  river,  and  the 
northwestern  portion  lying  south  of  the  river;  and  Auburn,  comprising  the 
southwestern  part  of  the  county.  Later  in  the  same  year  there  was  another 
subdivision  into  six  townships,  Monmouth  being  cut  off  from  Tecumseh  on 
the  south;  Williamsport,  from  Auburn,  on  the  east;  and  the  new  territory 
acquired  on  the  north  of  the  river  erected  into  the  township  of  Soldier.  The 
change  of  county  lines  in  1868  made  necessary  another  division  into  town- 
ships, Silver  Lake  being  detached  from  Soldier.  By  another  change,  in 
1871,  Rossville  was  set  off  from  Silver  Lake,  on  the  west.  In  1879  Men- 
oken  township  was  set  off  from  Silver  Lake,  on  the  east.  The  permanent 
arrangement  of  townships  is :  Rossville,  Silver  Lake,  Menoken  and  Soldier, 
on  the  north  side  of  the  river;  Dover,  Mission,  Topeka,  Topeka  City,  Tecum- 
seh, Auburn,  Williamsport  and  Monmouth,  on  the  south. 

DESCRIPTION  OF  THE   COUNTY. 

Most  of  the  territory  in  Shawnee  is  prairie  land,  69  per  cent,  being  de- 
scribed as  upland,  and  31  per  cent,  bottom.  The  forest  area  is  less  than  10 
per  cent.,  the  timbered  portion  being  confined  to  the  water-courses,  and  con- 
sisting of  elm,  Cottonwood,  walnut,  oak,  sycamore,  box-elder,  hickory  and 
ash,  with  elm  and  cottonwood  predominating.  All  the  land  is  of  good 
quality  and  valuable  for  farming,  stock-raising  and  orcharding.  The  prin- 
cipal stream,  the  Kansas  River,  flows  directly  east  through  the  county,  and  the 
principal  towns  are  located  on  its  northern  and  southern  banks.  Other 
streams  are  the  Wakarusa  River,  and  Shunganunga,  Soldier,  Indian,  Cross, 
Muddy,  Mission,  Half  Day,  Deer  and  Blacksmith  creeks.  Wakarusa  signifies 
"river  of  weeds,"  and  Shunganunga  "the  race  course."  Mission  Creek 
derived  its  name  from  the  old  Kaw  Mission;  Soldier  Creek  was  so  called 
because  the  soldiers  passing  from  Fort  Leavenworth  to  Fort  Riley  camped 
upon  its  banks.     Half  Day  Creek  was  named  for  a  Pottawatomie  chief,  and 


30  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Blacksmith  Creek  took  its  name  from  the  old  Kaw  blacksmith  shop.  There 
are  several  minor  creeks, — Stinson,  Ward,  Martin,  Thompson,  Colby,  Linn 
and  Vesper, — which  derive  their  names  from  early  settlers  in  the  locality. 
There  is  an  abundance  of  limestone  in  the  county,  suitable  for  building  pur- 
poses, and  a  fine  article  of  brick  clay.  Some  coal  has  been  found  but  not  in 
continuous  or  extensive  quantities. 

In  the  early  '50's  the  belief  obtained  that  the  Kansas  River  was  navi- 
gable. The  material  used  in  the  construction  of  Fort  Riley,  135  miles  west 
of  Kansas  City,  was  transported  by  steamboats  in  1853.  A  boat  ascended 
to  Manhattan  in  1855.  The  first  shipment  of  corn  from  Shawnee  County 
was  by  water  in  1857.  Two  companies  were  incorporated  in  1857  for  build- 
ing and  operating  boats  upon  the  Kansas  River,  and  there  are  numerous 
accounts  of  travel  and  freight  shipments  by  the  steamers  "Calona,"  "Emma 
Harmon,"  "Gus  Linn"  and  "Kansas  Valley,"  the  last  named  being  the  last 
to  ascend  for  a  distance  of  70  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  river.  This  was 
in  April,  1861.  In  the  early  treaties  with  the  Indians  the  government  inva- 
riably reserved  the  right  of  navigation  upon  this  stream.  The  river  event- 
ually became  congested  with  snags  and  sand-bars,  and  in  1864  the  State 
Legislature  declared  it  to  be  non-navigable,  thus  opening  the  way  for  the 
construction  of  dams,  and  limiting  the  transportation  facilities  of  Eastern 
Kansas  to  wagons  and  railroads. 

FIRST   WHITE  SETTLEMENT. 

The  actual  settlement  of  Shawnee  County  by  white  men  was  in  1854, 
although  there  is  abundant  evidence  of  the  presence  of  white  men  in  the 
locality  long  prior  to  that  date.  Frederick  Choteau  conducted  a  trading  post 
on  Mission  Creek  as  early  as  1830.  In  the  same  year  Rev.  William  Johnson 
commenced  his  missionary  labors  among  the  Kaws.  In  1835  a  government 
farm  for  the  benefit  of  the  Indians  was  established  in  the  valley  of  Mission 
Creek,  with  ]\Iaj.  Daniel  Boone  (a  grandson  of  the  famous  Kentuckian), 
as  instructor  in  farming.  It  is  believed  that  this  was  the  first  plowing  done 
within  the  limits  of  the  county,  although  the  Indians  had  previously  per- 
formed farm  work  in  a  primitive  way.  The  Papan  brothers,  Joseph,  Ahcan 
and  Louis,  heretofore  referred  to,  came  in  1840,  and  another  brother,  Euberie, 
came  in  1841.  They  were  natives  of  St.  Louis,  their  father,  Louis  Papan, 
having  moved  there  from  Alontreal,  Canada,  about  the  year  1780.  The 
Papan  brothers  started  the  first  ferry  across  the  Kansas  River  in  1842,  to 
meet  the  demands  of  travel  between  Fort  Leavenworth  and  the  Southwest, 
and  later  the  Oregon  and  California  travel. 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  31 

COUNTY    SEAT    CONTEST. 

The  Territorial  Legislature  of  1855  designated  Tecumseh  as  the  county- 
seat  of  Shawnee  County,  and  appointed  a  Board  of  County  Commissioners 
with  power  to  proceed  with  the  erection  of  the  necessary  buildings.  A  site 
for  the  Court  House  was  donated  by  the  Tecumseh  Town  Association,  and  a 
substantial  brick  building  was  erected  in  the  fall  of  1855  and  the  spring  of 
1856.  Its  dimensions  were  40  by  50  feet,  two  stories  in  height,  with  a  lofty 
portico  in  front  on  pillars  of  brick,  the  whole  costing  $8,500,  in  payment  of 
which  an  issue  of  bonds  was  resorted  to,  in  the  absence  of  other  funds.  There 
were  other  obligations  outstanding  against  the  county  and  great  dissatisfac- 
tion was  expressed  at  the  character  and  extent  of  the  expenditures.  A  protest 
was  also  made  against  the  action  of  the  Territorial,  or  "bogus,"  Legislature, 
in  respect  to  the  location  of  the  county-seat  and  the  appointment  of  officers, 
and,  in  1857,  when  the  Free-State  element  came  into  power,  the  Legislature 
provided  for  submitting  the  county-seat  question  to  a  popular  vote.  The 
election  was  held  October  4,  1858,  the  contesting  towns  being  Tecumseh, 
Topeka,  Auburn  and  Burlingame — the  last  named  town  subsequently  became  a 
part  of  Osage  County.  The  election  resulted  in  favor  of  Topeka,  which 
became  the  permanent  county-seat.  The  hopes  of  Auburn  and  Tecumseh 
took  sudden  flight,  and  instead  of  developing  into  cities  of  pi^ominence  and 
distinction  they  lapsed  into  mere  hamlets  of  purely  local  renown.  A  slight 
change  in  the  vote  might  have  made  Auburn  or  Tecumseh  the  county-seat 
and  a  future  great  city — perhaps  the  capital  of  the  State.     But — 

The  owl  upon  Afraisiab's  tower  hath  sung  her  watch-song, 
And  round  the  imperial  throne  the  spider  weaves  his  web. 

The  contest  between  Tecumseh  and  Topeka  for  the  county-seat  honors 
was  really  a  struggle  between  the  Pro-Slavery  faction  and  the  Free-State 
men.  The  latter  were  largely  in  the  majority  at  Topeka,  and  the  former  in 
control  in  Tecumseh.  The  Pro-Slavery  party  elected  Gen.  J.  W  Whitfreld 
as  delegate  to  Congress  at  the  election  held  in  November,  1854,  the  Free- 
State  party  declining  to  vote.  At  the  legislative  election  of  March  30,  1855, 
the  Free  State  faction  voted  for  Jesse  D.  Wood  for  member  of  the  Council, 
and  C.  K.  Holliday  for  representative,  the  Pro-Slavery  candidates  being  H.  J. 
Strickler  for  councilman  and  D.  L.  Croysdale  for  representative.  Owing  to 
protests  and  dissatisfaction.  Governor  Reeder  ordered  a  new  election  to  be 
held  at  Tecumseh,  May  22,  1855,  at  which  Wood  and  Holliday  again  received 
the  support  of  the  Free-State  voters,  but  the  election  was  contested,  and  the 


32  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

seats  awarded  to  Strickler  and  Croysdale  by  the  Legislature  which  met  July 
2,  1855,  at  Pawnee. 

MEMBERS  OF  THE  LEGISLATURE. 

The  first  election  for  members  of  the  Territorial  Legislature  was  held 
March  30,  1855.  Shawnee  County  was  not  then  in  existence,  but  the  terri- 
tory it  covered  was  included  in  the  Third  Council  District.  At  this  election 
H.  J.  Strickler  was  chosen  (Senator)  Councilman.  Under  the  apportion- 
ment of  1857  Shawnee  was  included  in  a  district  of  17  counties,  and  in  the 
election  of  that  year  Oscar  E.Learnard  of  Coffey  and  C.  K.  Holliday  of  Shaw- 
nee were  elected  to  the  Council.  In  1859  Shawnee  was  included  in  a  district 
with  Osage  and  Breckenridge  (now  Lyon)  counties,  and  Chester  Thomas 
was  chosen  to  represent  it  in  the  Council.  On  the  6th  of  December,  1859, 
the  first  election  of  members  of  the  State  Legislature  was  held,  Shawnee 
being  in  a  district  with  Jackson  and  Jefiferson  counties.  H.  W.  Farnsworth 
was  Shawnee's  Senator.  C.  K.  Holliday  was  elected  November  5,  1861,  to 
fill  a  vancancy  caused  by  the  resignation  of  H.  W.  Farnsworth.  Since  that 
date  the  Senators  from  Shawnee  County  have  been :  David  Brockway,  1 863 ; 
Daniel  H.  Home,  1865;  George  W.  Veale,  1867;  W.  H.  Fitzpatrick,  1869- 
71;  N.  C.  McFarland,  1873;  William  Sims,  1875;  D.  C.  Metsker,  1877-81; 
Silas  E.  Sheldon,  1885;  Thomas  A.  Osborne,  1889;  William  E.  Sterne,  1893; 
Thomas  J.  Anderson,  1897;  John  T.  Chaney,  1901 ;  Joseph  B.  Betts,  1905. 

At  the  election  held  March  30,  1855,  Shawnee  being  then  included  in 
the  Fourth  Representative  District,  D.  L.  Croysdale  was  chosen  as  the  first 
representative  in  the  Teritorial  Legislature.  Croysdale  was  followed  by 
M.  W.  McGee,  James  A.  Delong  and  Charles  S.  McKinney.  George  B. 
Holmes  was  elected  in  1858.  In  1859  Shawnee  was  given  two  representa- 
tives, and  elected  W.  H.  Fitzpatrick  and  S.  R.  Caniff.  In  i860  W.  H. 
Fitzpatrick  and  William  E.  Bowker  were  elected.  Under  the  State  constitu- 
tion, Shawnee,  Jackson  and  Jefferson  counties  composed  the  Sixth  District, 
and  elected  eight  representatives.  Those  from  Shawnee  were  S.  R.  Caniff, 
H.  H.  Heberling,  H.  W.  Curtis  and  William  E.  Bowker.  John  P.  Greer  and 
William  E.  Bowker  served  as  representatives  in  the  last  Territorial  Legisla- 
ture. In  1861  H.  W.  Martin  and  C.  H.  Welch  were  the  Shawnee  represen- 
tatives. The  Legislature  of  1862  divided  Shawnee  into  two  districts,  and 
the  representati\'es  chosen  were  W.  P.  Douthitt  and  John  T.  Ward.  The  fol- 
lowing were  subsequently  chosen  in  the  same  districts :  J.  F.  Cummings  and 
Henry  Fox,  1863;  S.  D.  Macdonald  and  James  Fletcher,  1864;  C.  K.  HolHday 
and  W.  W.  Lawrence,  1865;  James  M.  Spencer  and  S.  E.  A.  Palmer,  1866; 
John  Guthrie  and  James  Fletcher,  1867;  John  Guthrie  and  Perry  Tice,  1868; 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  33 

John  Guthrie  and  John  W.  Brown,  1869;  George  W.  Veale  and  Jacob  Has- 
kell, 1870;  S.  C.  Gregg,  C.  K.  Holliday  and  H.  E.  Bush  (three  districts), 
1871 ;  Daniel  M.  Adams,  George  W.  Veale  and  Wesley  Gregg,  1872 ;  Ira 
C.  Johnson,  John  Martin  and  Jacob  Welchans,  1873;  James  Burgess,  John 
Martin  and  F.  R.  Foster,  1874;  Daniel  M.  Adams,  P.  I.  Bonebrake  and  F.  R. 
Foster,  1875;  Golden  Silvers,  P.  I.  Bonebrake  and  F.  R.  Foster,  1876;  M.  T. 
Campbell,  George  W.  Veale  and  Thomas  Buckman,  1877;  Thomas  M.  James, 
Thomas  J.  Anderson  and  W.  D.  Alexander,  1879;  J.  H.  Foucht,  T.  J.  Ander- 
son and  J.  B.  Johnson,  1881 ;  Thomas  M.  James,  George  W.  Veale  and  J. 

B.  McAfee,  1883;  David  Overmyer,  A.  H.  Vance  and  J.  B.  Johnson,  1885; 

C.  P.  Bolmar,  George  W.  Veale  and  J.  B.  McAfee,  1887;  H.  C.  Safiford, 
George  W.  Veale  and  J.  B.  McAfee,  1889;  D.  M.  Howard,  William  C. 
Webb  and  F.  M.  Stahl,  1891 ;  A.  C.  Sherman,  William  B.  Swan  and  James 
A.  Troutman,  1893;  A.  C.  Sherman,  George  W.  Veale  and  S.  M.  Garden- 
hire,  1895;  A.  L.  Brooke,  Edwin  D.  McKeever  and  Harry  G.  Larimer,  1897; 
A.  L.  Brooke,  Edwin  D-  McKeever  and  W.  C.  Stephenson,  1899;  J.  B.  Sims, 
J.  B.  Betts  and  Edwin  D.  McKeever,  1901 ;  J.  B.  Betts,  A.  F.  Williams  and 
John  B.  Sims,  1903;  Robert  Stone,  W.  A.  S.  Bird  and  John  Howerton, 
1905- 

JUDICIAL  OFFICERS. 

Shawnee  County's  judicial  system  had  its  beginning  in  1855,  when  the 
Territory  of  Kansas  was  divided  into  three  judicial  districts.  Shawnee  was 
in  the  southwestern  district,  and  Rush  Elmore  was  appointed  judge.  There 
were  two  justices  of  the  peace  appointed, — John  Horner  at  Tecumseh,  and  C. 
K.  Holliday  at  Topeka.  Daniel  H.  Home  was  one  of  the  constables.  The 
other  district  judges,  in  the  order  of  their  service  have  been :  Jacob  Safford, 
1859-63;  C.  K.  Gilchrist,  1864-68;  John  T.  Morton,  1868-83;  John  Martin, 
1883-86;  John  Guthrie,  1887-92;  Z.  T.  Hazen,  1893- 1904;  A.  W.  Dana, 
1905—. 

The  Superior  Court  of  Shawnee  County  was  created  in  1885  ^^d  ex- 
pired by  limitation  in  1887.  W.  C.  Webb  was  judge  of  this  court  during  its 
existence. 

In  1 89 1  the  Legislature  created  the  Circuit  Court  of  Shawnee  county. 
J.  B.  Johnson  was  judge  of  this  tribunal  until  it  was  abolished  in  1895. 

The  Court  of  Topeka  was  established  in  1899.  Arthur  J.  McCabe  was 
appointed  judge  of  this  court  in  March,  1899,  and  was  elected  for  three 
successive  terms  to  succeed  himself.  He  is  still  filling  the  position.  The 
clerks  of  this  court  have  been:  E.  L.  Good,  1899;  M.  F.  Laycock,  1895;  E. 
L.  O'Neil,   1895,  present  incumbent. 


34  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

COUNTY   COMMISSIONERS. 

The  first. Board  of  County  Commissioners  was  elected  in  1855  by  the 
Territorial  Legislature  and  consisted  of  W.  O.  Yeager,  chairman;  Edward 
Hoagland  and  William  Yocum.  The  second  board  was  composed  of  Harvey 
W.  Curtis  and  Hiram  Shields,  with  Probate  Judge  Edward  Hoagland  as 
ex-ofUcio  chairman.  The  third  board  consisted  of  John  Martin  and  C.  B. 
Clements.  They  served  until  1858,  when  the  Legislature  provided  for  one 
commissioner  from  each  township.  The  first  board  under  this  plan  con- 
sisted of :  Jeremiah  Murphy,  Topeka  township ;  Eli  Hopkins,  Tecumseh ; 
P.  T.  Hupp,  Wakarusa;  A.  H.  Hale,  Brownsville;  George  Bratton,  Bur- 
lingame.  In  i860  the  county  was  given  three  commissioners,  those  elected 
being  William  E.  Bowker,  George  W.  Spencer  and  J.  M.  Haywood.  The 
commissioners  thereafter  were  Hiram  C.  Coville,  chairman,  George  W.  Spen- 
cer and  Francis  Grasmund,  1861 ;  Hiram  C.  Coville,  chairman,  Samuel 
Kozier  and  Henry  K.  Winans,  1862 ;  B.  F.  Kistler,  |Chairman,  Samuel 
Benham  and  Jacob  Haskell,  1865;  B.  F.  Kistler,  chairman,  Samuel  Kozier 
and  H.  L.  Shumway,  1865  (Shumway  resigned  in  1867  and  was  succeeded 
by  Reuben  Struse) ;  A.  G.  Miller,  chairman,  George  W.  Spencer  and  E.  Car- 
riger,  1867;  William  Wellhouse,  chairman.  Golden  Silvers  and  Harvey  D. 
Rice,  1869;  E.  Carriger,  chairman.  Golden  Silvers  and  B.  J.  Ricker,  1871 ; 
Golden  Silvers,  chairman,  Harvey  D.  Rice  and  Bradford  Miller,  1873  '>  Brad- 
ford Miller,  chairman,  E.  T.  James  and  John  Grice,  1875;  David  Brockway, 
chairman,  M.  M.  Hale  and  Avery  Washburn,  1877. 

After  1877  one  commissioner  was  elected  annually  for  a  term  of  three 
years,  and  those  who  served  in  this  position  were:  A.  C.  Sherman,  1878; 
John  S.  Branner,  1879;  Avery  Washburn,  1880;  J.  Q.  A.  Peyton,  1881 ; 
H.  C.  Lindsey,  1882;  Thomas  Buckman,  1883;  John  M.  Wilkerson,  1884; 
H.  C.  Lindsey,  1885;  Bradford  Miller,  1886;  John  M.  Wilkerson,  1887; 
J.  Lee  Knight,  1888;  Samuel  Kerr  and  J.  L.  Campbell,  1889;  Samuel  Kerr, 
1890;  J.  Lee  Knight,  1891 ;  J.  L.  Campbell,  1892;  D.  A.  Williams,  1893; 
T.  P.  Rodgers,  1894;  Scott  Kelsey,  1895;  D.  A.  Williams,  1896;  T.  P. 
Rodgers,  1897;  Scott  Kelsey,  1898;  S.  H.  Haynes,  1899;  Silas  Rain,  1900; 
Frank  W.  Harrison,  1901 ;  S.  H.  Haynes,  1902;  W.  E.  Sterne,  1903;  Frank 
W.  Harrison,  1904. 

ROSTER  OF   COUNTY  OFFICERS. 

Sheriffs. — The  first  sheriff  was  George  W.  Berry,  elected  by  the  Legis- 
lature in  1855,  but  he  declined  to  serve,  and  John  Horner  was  appointed  in 
his  stead.     The  other  sheriffs  in  succession  have  been :    Benjamin  D.  Castle- 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  37 

man,  1856;  Jehial  Tyler,  1857;  Thomas  W.  Maires,  1858;  Alonzo  H.  Hale, 
1859;  Charles  C.  Whitmg,  1863;  Sherman  Bodwell,  1867;  Chester  Thomas, 
Jr.,  1869;  Spencer  P.  Wade,  1873;  W.  D.  Disbrow,  1877;  H.  E.  Bush,  1881; 
Chester  Thomas,  Jr.,  1883;  A.  M.  Fuller,  1885;  J.  M.  Wilkerson,  1889; 
D.  N.  Burdge,  1893;  R.  B.  Kepley,  1895;  Porter  S.  Cook,  1897;  A.  T. 
Lucas,  1903 — . 

Probate  Judges. — William  O.  Yeager,  1855;  Philip  C.  Schuyler,  1857; 
Edward  Hoagland,  1858;  S.  A.  Fairchild,  i860;  Alfred  L.  Winans,  1863; 
John  T.  Morton,  1867;  Louis  Hanback,  1869;  D.  C.  Metsker,  1872;  G.  W. 
Carey,  1876  ;'D.  A.  Harvey,  1880;  A.  B.  Ouinton,  1886;  G.  N.  Elliott,  1890; 
J.  G.  Wood,  1894;  L.  S.  Dolman,  1896;  Walter  E.  Fagan,  1900;  R.  F.  Hay- 
den,  1903 — . 

Treasurers. — Thomas  N.  Stinson,  1855;  A.  PoUey,  1857;  Loring  W. 
Famsworth,  1859;  L.  G.  Cleveland,  i860;  Jacob  Smith,  1861 ;  William  E. 
Bowker,  1863;  Hiram  T.  Beman,  1867;  W.  E.  Bowker,  1868;  Hiram  T. 
Beman,  1869;  Thomas  M.  James,  1871 ;  Avery  Washburn,  1876;  Chester 
Thomas,  Jr.,  1876;  Bradford  Miller,  1879;  A.  J.  Huntoon,  1883;  Byron 
Roberts,  1887;  A.  K.  Rodgers,  1889;  Francis  M.  Stahl,  1893;  H.  M.  Philips, 
1897;  F.  C.  Bowen,  1903 — . 

a^r/fe.f.— John  Martin,  1855;  Fry  W.  Giles,  1858;  G.  W.  Sapp,  i860 
Hiram  McArthur,  1862;  P.  I.  Bonebrake,  1865;  J.  Lee  Knight,  1875 
George  T.  Gilmore,  1881;  Charles  F.  Spencer,  1883;  D.  N.  Burdge,  1885 
John  M.  Brown,  1889;  Charles  T.  McCabe,  1893;  John  M.  Wright,  1897 

A.  Newman,  1903 — . 

Recorders  and  Registers  of  Deeds. — John  Martin,  1855;  Fry  W.  Giles, 
1857;  Loring  W.  Farnsworth,  1860-62;  George  B.  Holme's,  1863;  William 
P.  Thompson,  1865;  James  M.  Harr,  1873;  S.  M.  Wood,  1879;  Albert 
Parker,  1883;  James  Burgess,  1885;  S.  J.  Bear,  1889;.  Frank  Brooks,  1893; 
Frank  L.  Stevens,  1897;  John  B.  Marshall,  1902 — . 

County  Attorneys. — John  Martin,  1857;  John  P.  Greer,  1858;  Justus 
Brockway,  1859;  E.  E.  Chesney,  1864;  John  G.  Otis,  1865;  A.  L.  Williams, 
1866;  Thomas  Ryan,   1867;  A.  H.  Vance,   1875;  Charles  Curtis,   1885;  R. 

B.  Welch,  1887;  B.  M.  Curtis,  1892;  H.  C.  Safford,  1893;  A.  P.  Jetmore, 
1897;  Galen  Nichols,  1901 ;  Otis  E.  Hungate,  1903 — . 

Superintendents  of  Public  Instruction. — R.  M.  Fish,  1859;  Peter  Mac- 
Vicar,  1861;  J.  S.  Grififing,  1862;  Peter  MacVicar,  1864;  John  D.  Knox, 
1866;  W.  H.  Butteriield,  1868;  D.  G.  Evans,  1869:  Eunice  Hebron,  1875; 
John  MacDonald,  1876;  L.  T.  Gage,  1880;  John  MacDonald,  1882;  Josiah 
Jordan,  1888;  W.  H.  Wright,  1892;  J.  W.  Stout,  1895 ;  S.  F.  Wright,  1901 ; 
John  C.  Carter,  1905 — . 

Coroners.— G.  W.  Spencer,  i860;  E.  Tefft,  1862;  Americus  Ashbaugh, 


38  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

1866;  Silas  E.  Sheldon,  1869;  A.  M.  Eidson,  1872;  Silas  E.  Sheldon,  1873; 
W.  B.  Gibson,  1879;  J.  B.  Hibben,  1883;  F.  W.  Bailey,  1889;  J.  M.  Wester- 
field,  1895;  H.  B.  Hogeboom,  1899;  H.  H.  Keith,  1905 — . 

Clerks  of  the  District  Court. — E.  B.  Smith,  1859;  L.  McArthur,  i860; 
James  Fletcher,  1861 ;  Hiram  McArthur,  1863;  Arthur  B.  McCabe,  1874; 
R.  E.  Heller,  1878;  B.  M.  Curtis,  1883;  W.  E.  Sterne,  1887;  S.  M.  Garden- 
hire,  1891 ;  E.  M.  Cockrell,  1895;  A.  M.  Callahan,  1899;  I.  S.  Curtis^  1902 — . 

Surveyors. — Joel  Huntoon,  1858;  J.  B.  Whitaker,  1861 ;  W.  Tweed- 
dale,  1870;  D.  A.  Harvey,  1871 ;  Jacob  Welchans,  1875;  C.  H.  Barton,  1879; 
Frank  J.  Baker,  1883;  Robert  Giles,  1885;  A.  H.  Wetherbee,  1886;  B.  A. 
Bailey,  1889;  John  P.  Rogers,  1897 — . 

Auditors. — Howel  Jones,  1881;  J.  G.  Wood,  1885;  Walter  E.  Fagan, 
1895;  Clad  Hamilton,  1900;  C.  D.  Welch,  1901 ;  R.  H.  Gaw,  1904 — . 

THE   FIRST  REAL  ESTATE  TRANSFERS. 

According  to  the  public  records  the  first  transfer  of  real  estate  in  the 
county  of  Shawnee  was  for  "one  seventh  of  320  acres  of  land  situated  in  the 
forks  of  the  Tecumseh  and  California  roads,  including  the  Big  Springs." 
This  deed  was  recorded  February  9,  1856,  the  consideration  being  $100.  The 
California  road  referred  to  was  the  main  highway  west  from  Lawrence. 
"The  forks"  was  the  junction  of  the  California  and  Tecumseh  roads,  the 
former  continuing  west  to  the  Kansas  River,  and  the  latter  leading  to  Te- 
cumseh, thence  west  to  Topeka,  connecting  with  the  Kansas  River  ferry  and 
the  military  road  from  Fort  Leavenworth  to  Fort  Riley.  "Big  Springs" 
became  a  small  town  in  Douglas  County,  near  Lecompton.  It  was  so  named 
because  of  the  ever-flowing  springs  in  the  locality.  The  deed  to  this  prop- 
erty was  recorded  by  John  Martin,  first  county  clerk  and  recorder  of  deeds. 
The  parties  to  the  transaction  were  R.  W.  Custard  and  William  Carter,  the 
former  conveying  to  the  latter. 

While  this  was  the  first  transfer  to  be  regularly  recorded,  there  were 
other  real  estate  transactions  in  the  county  which  antedated  it.  Fry  W. 
Giles  of  Topeka  had  provided  a  set  of  records  at  his  own  expense,  and  carried 
on  the  business  for  nearly  a  year  before  the  regular  record  books  were  opened, 
his  acts  being  legalized  by  the  Legislature  at  a  later  date.  The  first  transfer 
appearing  in  the  Giles  record  was  the  conveyance,  April  7,  1855,  by  W.  C. 
Linaker  to  J.  T.  Jones,  of  lot  No.  8,  block  54,  O.  S.,  city  of  Topeka.  The 
consideration  was  $30,  and  the  transaction  was  witnessed  by  Thomas  G. 
Thornton.  The  lot  described  is  now  the  northeast  corner  of  Harrison  street 
and  Sixth  avenue,  Topeka,  for  many  years  the  home  of  the  Topeka  Club. 
It  was  recently  sold  to  B.M.  Davies  for  $9,500. 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  39 

OLD   AND  NEW   BRIDGES. 

Shawnee  County  had  the  first  bridge  that  spanned  the  Kansas  River. 
It  was  constructed  by  a  company  organized  in  Topeka,  under  a  charter  issued 
in  1857  to  F.  L.  Crane,  Thomas  G.  Thornton,  Milton  C.  Dickey,  S.  F. 
Walkley  and  Loring  G.  Cleveland.  F.  L.  Crane  was  president.  Fry  W. 
Giles,  treasurer,  and  J.  Fin  Hill,  secretary.  Jones,  Kidney  &  Company  were 
the  contractors,  the  contract  price  being  $10,000.  The  location  was  from 
near  the  foot  of  Kansas  avenue,  in  the  city  of  Topeka,  to  the  north  bank  of 
the  river,  925  feet  in  distance.  The  bridge  was  completed  May  i,  1858.  It 
was  built  on  oak  piling  braced  with  cottonwood  planks,  with  heavy  oak  caps 
spiked  to  the  piles,  then  cottonwood  stringers  running  from  pier  to  pier,  and 
floored  with  loose  cottonwood  boards.  A  draw,  100  feet  in  length,  was 
provided,  in  the  event  of  the  use  of  the  stream  by  boats.  The  structure  was 
16  feet  wide,  and  would  accommodate  20  emigrant  teams,  or  250  head  of 
cattle,  at  one  time.  It  was  a  very  busy  and  popular  crossing  while  it  stood, 
but  the  entire  structure  was  washed  away  July  17,  1858,  by  the  heavy  rains 
of  that  year. 

Seven  years  later,  at  the  same  point,  a  pontoon  bridge  was  constructed. 
This  restea  upon  13  flat-boats,  each  15  by  25  feet,  placed  50  feet  apart,  and 
held  in  position  by  a  wire  cable.  It  cost  $15,000,  and  was  completed  Oc- 
tober 12,  1865.  The  pontoon  crossing  lasted  until  1870,  when  a  toll  bridge 
of  iron  was  built  by  Mortimer  Cook.  This  was  purchased  jointly  by  the  city 
and  county  in  1871,  and  made  a  free  bridge,  the  purchase  price  being 
$100,000. 

In  1895  the  county  voted  bonds  to  the  amount  of  $150,000  for  the  con- 
struction of  a  larger  and  more  substantial  bridge,  made  necessary  by  the 
increase  of  population  and  the  great  growth  of  business  and  travel  between 
Topeka  and  the  northern  part  of  the  county.  The  plans  adopted  by  the  com- 
missioners provided  for  a  Melan  arch  bridge,  of  Portland  concrete  and  steel, 
consisting  of  five  spans  varying  in  length  from  97  to  125  feet  each,  and  of 
a  total  length  of  540  feet.  The  extreme  length  of  the  bridge,  including 
embankment  approaches,  is  900  feet;  width  of  roadway,  40  feet,  with  walks 
on  either  side  six  feet  in  width.  No  handsomer  or  better  bridge  can  be  found 
in  the  whole  country,  and  at  the  time  of  its  construction  it  was  the  largest 
Melan  arch  bridge  in  the  world.  The  bridge  stood  the  severest  test  in  the 
great  flood  of  1903,  and  while  numerous  other  bridges  up  and  down  the 
river  were  swept  away,  the  Melan  structure  defied  the  storm  and  drift,  sus- 
taining no  other  damage  than  the  washing  out  of  the  approaches.  These 
were  promptly  restored,  and,  to  avoid  future  damage,  another  span  was 
2 


40  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

added  to  the  bridge  in  1905,  making  it  a  complete,  harmonious,  enduring 
and  magnificent  highway. 

COURT   HOUSES  AND  JAILS. 

Following  the  settlement  of  the  county-seat  controversy,  the  records  of 
the  county  were  removed  to  Topeka.  Sessions  of  the  District  and  Probate 
courts,  were  held  in  the  Ritchie  Block,  the  Gale  Block,  and  a  business  building 
at  No.  104  Sixth  avenue  east.  The  county  offices  were  scattered  about  town, 
wherever  suitable  accommodations  could  be  obtained.  A  Court  House  was 
built  in  1868,  the  county  having  voted  bonds  for  that  purpose  to  the  amount 
of  $65,000.  The  bonds  drew  10  per  cent,  interest  and  were  sold  for  82 1^ 
cents  on  the  dollar  of  their  par  value.  The  proceeds,  with  $15,000  added 
from  other  funds  of  the  county,  were  sufficient  to  erect  the  largest  and  best 
building  to  be  found  in  the  State  of  Kansas  at  that  date.  It  was  built  of 
stone  and  brick,  two  stories  in  height,  with  a  basement  jail.  The  court  room 
occupied  most  of  the  second  floor,  and  the  various  county  offices  the  main 
floor.  In  addition  to  providing  amply  for  the  county  business,  the  building 
for  many  years  accommodated  the  United  States  District  Court,  and  the  jail 
was  utilized  for  United  States  prisoners  from  Kansas  and  Indian  Territory. 
In  1886  a  separate  jail  building  and  sheriff's  residence  was  erected  at  the 
northeast  corner  of  VanBuren  and  Fifth  streets,  at  a  total  cost  of  $40,000. 
On  the  opposite  side  of  Van  Buren  street,  directly  west  of  the  jail,  the  county 
commissioners  in  1884  purchased  six  lots  as  a  site  for  a  new  Court  House, 
which  was  completed  in  1895,  the  cost  of  the  site  and  building  being 
$180,000.  It  is  a  fine  stone  edifice,  three  stories  in  height,  with  basement, 
all  splendidly  fitted  up,  and  spacious  enough  to  accommodate  the  business 
of  the  county  for  many  years  to  come. 

TABLES    OF    POPULATION. 

Nothing  can  better  illustrate  the  growth  of  Shawnee  County  than  the 
following  table  of  population,  covering  the  years  1855  to  1904: 

Year.  Population.  Year.  Population. 

185s  252  1885  40,579 

i860 3,513  1890 49,018 

i86s  3,458  1895  47,968 

1870 13,121  1900 55,372 

1875  15,417  1904 57,036 

1880 29,092 

It  will  be  observed  that  each  five  years'  period  shows  a  substantial  in- 
crease with  the  exception  of  that  between  the  years  1890  and  1895,  when 
there  was  a  small  decrease,  caused  by  the  opening  of  Indian  lands  to  settle- 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  41 

ment  in  Oklahoma,  a  movement  which  drew  heavily  upon  the  citizenship  of 
the  whole  State  of  Kansas. 

The  population  of  the  county  by  townships  for  the  year  1904,  according 
to  the  latest  available  report,  was  as  follows : 

Township.  Population. 

Auburn    1,028 

Dover 1,148 

Menoken    824 

Mission    1,092 

Monmouth    1,300 

Rossville  city    502 

Rossville  township   941 

1,443 

Silver  Lake  city  267 

Silver  Lake   township 716 

983 

Soldier    2,710 

Tecumseh     1,041 

Topeka   township    S,46s 

Williamsport    853 

Topeka  City — 

1st   ward    7,525 

2d  ward   10,193 

3d  ward   7,278 

4th  ward    6,987 

Sth  ward    4,194 

6th  ward    2,972 

39,149 

Total    57,036 

PROPERTY    VALUATIONS. 

The  assessed  valuation  for  the  several  townships  and  the  city  of  Topeka, 
for  the  year  1904,  is  given  in  the  following  table: 

Townships.  Land.  Personal.  City  Lots.  Railroad.  Total. 

Auburn    $252,770  $65,540  $9,065         $327,375 

Dover    255,820  73.940  6,530  $85,421  401,711 

Menoken    315.550  69,325         49,720  434.595 

Mission    299,285  84,990  27,205  58,300  469,780 

Monmouth    .  .  .  295,480  78,540  7,875  30,321  412,216 

Rossville    357,335  76,715  58,675  81,367  574.092 

Silver  Lake   ..  351.365  76,7So  27,350  56,027  511.492 

Soldier    643,085  94,920  56,322  231,873  1,026,200 

Tecumseh    ...  291,350  46,820  830  115,602  454,602 

Topeka    twp...  622,95s  154.580  467,945  167.875  1,413.355 

Williamsport  227,285  66,000  4,920  88,233  386,438 

Topeka   City    2,309,390  8,413,688  501,834  11,224,912 

Totals    .$3,912,280      $3,197,510      $9,080,405      $1,446,573     $17,636,768 


42  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Of  live  stock,  the  county  had  in  1904  the  following:  Horses,  10,379, 
valued  at  $778,425;  mules  and  asses,  1,292,  value  $113,050;  milch  cows, 
10,100,  value  $252,500;  other  cattle,  23,728,  value  $467,442;  sheep,  816, 
value,  $2,448;  swine,  26,130,  value  $195,975;  total  value,  $1,809,840. 

INDUSTRIAL   STATISTICS. 

The  value  of  the  farm  products  of  the  county  for  the  year  1904  was 
$4,002,982.45;  value  of  live  stock  for  the  same  period,  $1,809,840.  The 
principal  field  crops  are  winter  wheat,  corn,  oats,  potatoes,  hay  and  sorghum. 
The  garden  products  marketed  in  1903  amounted  to  $66,883 !  ^"^  the  horti- 
cultural products,  $79,748. 

Shawnee  is  one  of  the  heaviest  fruit  producing  counties  in  Kansas.  The 
number  of  fruit  trees  in  bearing  in  1904  was  318,279,  of  which  214,628  were 
apple;  5,345  pear;  91,565  peach;  6,741  plum;  and  16,058  cherry;  number 
of  fruit  trees  not  in  bearing,  92,604.  More  than  1,000  acres  are  devoted  to 
the  raising  of  nursery  stock,  much  of  which  is  shipped  to  the  older  States  of 
the  Union,  where  it  is  considered  superior  to  the  native  stock.  The  princi- 
pal nurseries  are  conducted  by  L.  R.  Taylor  &  Sons,  F.  W.  Watson,  Oliver 
Brothers  and  D.  F.  Wickman. 

One  of  the  greatest  industries  of  the  county  is  the  manufacture  of 
butter,  many  farmers  having  gone  into  dairying  within  the  last  ten  years. 
The  Continental  Creamery  Company,  which  controls  the  dairy  products  of 
the  State  to  a  considerable  extent,  has  its  headquarters  in  Topeka,  and  the 
bulk  of  the  business  is  transacted  from  this  point.  Its  product  is  shipped 
to  all  parts  of  the  State,  the  United  States  and  many  foreign  countries.  It 
has  also  filled  many  large  government  contracts,  especially  in  supplying  the 
American  Army  in  the  Philippines.  In  the  year  1904  the  dairy  products  of 
Shawnee  County  were:  Cheese,  1,014,556  pounds,  valued  at  $101,455.60; 
butter,  8,541,560  pounds,  valued  at  $1,683,018.40;  value  of  milk  sold, 
$98,914;  total  value,  $1,883,388.  The  creamery  butter  manufactured  in 
Shawnee  County  by  the  Continental  Creamery  Company  received  the  gold 
medal  award  at  the  Louisiana  Purchase  Exposition  at  St.  Louis  in  1904. 

POST    OFFICES   AND    RURAL   ROUTES. 

The  present  post  offices  of  Shawnee  County  are:  Auburn,  Berryton, 
Dover,  Elmont,  Kingsville,  Menoken,  Oakland,  Pauline,  Richland,  Ross- 
ville,  Shorey,  Silver  Lake,  Tecumseh,  Tevis,  Topeka,  Valencia,  Wakarusa, 
Wanamaker  and  Willard.  No  county  in  the  State  is  better  served  in  the 
matter  of  rural  free  delivery.    There  are  25  routes,  averaging  24  miles  each, 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS. 


43 


so  located  that  every  section  of  the  county  is  reached  with  a  daily  mail.  Routes 
I  to  8,  inclusive,  start  from  Topeka  and  Stations  A,  B  and  C ;  routes  9  and 
10  start  from  Elmont;  routes  11  and  12  from  Silver  Lake;  routes  13  and  14 
from  Rossville;  routes  15  and  16  from  Tecumseh;  routes  17,  18  and  19 
from  Richland;  route  20  from  Berryton;  routes  21  and  22  from  Wakarusa; 
routes  23  and  24  from  Auburn  and  route  25  from  Valencia. 

One  of  the  interesting  as  well  as  the  most  conspicuous  landmarks  of 
the  county  is  known  as  Burnett's  mound,  a  conical  peak  two  miles  southwest 
from  Topeka,  which  took  its  name  from  Governor  Abraham  Burnett,  a  cele- 
brated chief  of  the  Pottawatomie  Indians,  and  the  last  to  rule  over  his  scat- 
tered tribe.  In  early  territorial  days  he  made  his  home  at  the  base  of  the 
peak,  and  continued  to  live  in  the  county  for  many  years  after  the  land  had 
been  wrested  from  the  Indians.  The  peak  was  at  one  time  called  Webster 
mound,  in  honor  of  Daniel  Webster,  but  custom  finally  settled  upon  the 
Indian  name  given  to  it  by  early  travelers.  It  is  the  highest  point  of  land  in. 
Eastern  Kansas. 


BIRD'S-EYE  VIEW  OF  THE  CITY  OF  TOPEKA,  1876. 


CHAPTER   III. 

History  of  the  County  by  Townships — The  Pioneer  Settlers — Organisation 
and  Names  of  Townships — Hardships  of  Frontier  Life — Historic 
Towns  and  Villages — Dispossessing  the  Indians — Missionary  Labors — 
Incidents  of  Home-Making  and  Agricultural  Development. 

In  the  year  1876,  the  occasion  of  the  Centennial  celebration,  a  short 
historical  sketch  of  Shawnee  County  was  prepared  by  Fry  W.  Giles;  and  in 
1877  William  W.  Cone  wrote  a  history  of  the  several  townships  in  the 
county.  From  these  publications,  and  others  in  the  files  of  the  Kansas  State 
Library  and  the  Kansas  State  Historical  Society,  the  following  facts  and 
incidents  bearing  upon  the  early  history  of  the  dififerent  townships,  and  the 
work  of  the  pioneer  settlers,  have  been  conde;nsed. 

Auburn  Township — Located  in  the  southwestern  corner  of  the  county. 
It  was  originally  known  as  Brownsville  township,  so  called  in  honor  of  John 
W.  Brown,  the  first  white  settler,  but  the  name  was  changed  in  i860  to 
Auburn.  The  Wakarusa  River  flows  through  the  township,  and  at  a  point 
where  the  three  branches  of  the  river  come  together  the  Catholics  estab- 
lished an  Indian  mission  in  1847,  foi"  the  benefit  of  the  Pottawatomie  tribe. 
The  land  was  subsequently  relinquished  to  the  Shawnees,  who  occupied  the 
20  log  cabins  built  for  their  Indian  brothers,  remaining  there  about  six 
years.  Some  of  the  cabins  and  a  portion  of  the  land  were  bought  from  the 
Shawnees  August  10,  1854,  by  John  W.  Brown.  On  the  following  day  a 
party  of  seven  men,  from  Jackson  County,  Missouri,  took  up  claims  in  the 
same  locality.  The  new-comers  were :  E.  Carriger,  W.  F.  Johnston,  M.  A- 
Reed,  J.  J.  Webb,  B.  B.  Jones,  Eli  Snyder  and  L.  T.  Cook.  Other  settlers, 
and  the  dates  of  their  arrival,  were:  James  Moran,  October  20,  1854;  James 
Turner,  December  2,  1854;  Rev.  James  Gilpatrick,  George  Holt,  Henry  Fox, 
Milton  C.  Dickey,  Loring  Farnsworth,  C.  Gilpatrick  and  Samuel  Cavender, 
in  185s;  John  Price,  W.  S.  Hibbard,  Daniel  Haney  and  A.  H.  Hale,  1856; 
L.  J.  Atwood,  B.  Ingrund,  P.  S.  Spangler,  Barney  Williams,  W.  A.  Simmer- 
well  and  John  E.  Moore,  1857. 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  45 

THE    VILLAGE    OF    AUBURN. 

One  of  the  oldest  towns  in  the  State  was  estabHshed  here  in  1856,  under 
the  name  of  Brownsville,  which  was  changed  to  Auburn  in  1857,  for  the 
reason  that  a  Brownsville  post  office  already  existed  in  another  part  of  the 
Territory.  At  one  time  there  were  400  people  living  in  Auburn.  Many 
good  buildings  were  erectel,  including  a  three-story  hotel,  a  brick  church 
and  numerous  brick  residences  of  the  old  Dutch  pattern,  with  walls  rising- 
above  the  gables,  and  roofs  sloping  to  the  street.  A  weekly  newspaper  called 
the  Auburn  Docket  was  started  in  i860  by  David  B.  Emmert,  later  of  Fort 
Scott.  The  paper  existed  nearly  a  year.  It  was  the  ambition  of  Auburn  to 
become  the  county-seat,  but  a  change  of  county  lines,  and  the  projection  of  a 
railroad  seven  miles  east  of  town,  frustrated  this  plan.  John  W.  Brown,  the 
original  settler,  continued  to  occupy  his  farm  until  1896,  when  he  disposed  of, 
the  land  and  moved  to  Topeka,  where  he  still  resides.  He  was  born  in  Bel- 
mont County,  Ohio,  May  9,  1829. 

Dover  Township — Established  in  1867,  located  immediately  north  of 
Auburn  township,  on  the  Wabaunsee  County  line,  and  extending  north  to 
the  Kansas  River.  The  first  actual  settlers  were  Alfred  and  John  Sage,  who 
opened  farms  within  the  boundaries  of  the  township  July  18,  1856.  In  the 
fall  of  the  same  year  they  were  joined  by  Thomas  and  Albert  Haskell,  and 
John  Rust.  In  the  early  part  of  1859  the  colony  was  augmented  by  the 
arrival  of  John  and  Noah  Gibbs,  William  Collins  and  Jacob  Orcutt;  and  in 
the  fall  of  the  same  year  by  T.  D.  Parks,  Daniel  Sayres  and  Jacob  Haskell. 
From  1857  to  1867  Dover  was  a  part  of  Auburn  township. 

TRADING  POSTS  AND  TRADERS. 

The  history  of  the  township  really  dates  from  the  year  1848,  when  a 
trading  post  was  established  on  its  northern  boundary.  A  small  settlement 
gathered  there,  to  which  the  name  of  Uniontown  was  given.  It  became  well 
known  throughout  the  country,  as  the  old  California  trail  of  1849  crossed 
the  river  at  this  point — said  to  be  the  only  rocky  ford  on  the  river.  The 
first  settlers,  most  of  them  Indian  traders,  were :  P.  E.  Sarple,  R.  A.  Kissey, 
O.  H.  P.  Polk,  T.  D.  S.  McDonald,  Thomas  N.  Stinson  and  W.  W.  Cleg- 
horn,  in  1848;  and  J.  R.  Whitehead,  J.  D.  Leslie  and  William  Dyer  in  1849. 
John  W.  Brown  and  Anthony  A.  Ward  lived  in  Uniontown  in  1851,  the 
former  going  to  Auburn,  and  the  latter  to  Topeka  in  a  later  year.  Large 
sums  oi^  money  were  disbursed  at  the  trading  post,  which  was  abandoned 


46  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

in   1855.     The  50  or  more  buildings  comprising  the  town  of   Uniontown 
passed  away  with  the  post,  and  the  site  reverted  to  farm  land. 

In  the  year  1870  the  village  of  Dover  was  established,  in  the  south- 
western corner  of  the  township.  The  name  Dover  came  from  Dover,  New 
Hampshire,  the  former  residence  of  the  Haskell  family  above  referred  to. 
The  first  officers  of  Dover  township,  elected  in  1868,  were:  E.  M.  Hewins, 
trustee;  James  Bassett,  treasurer;  Henry  A.  Kellam,  clerk;  Jacob  Haskell 
and  George  Harden,  justices;  M.  M.  St.  John  and  W.  O.  Harris,  constables. 
Albert  Sage  was  the  first  postmaster  at  Dover,  appointed  in  1862.  Valencia 
and  Willard  are  two  other  small  towns  in  the  township,  with  populations  of 
100  and  120  respectively.  They  are  located  on  the  Chicago,  Rock  Island 
&  Pacific  Railway,  running  west  from  Topeka. 

Menoken  Township — This  is  the  youngest  township  in  the  county, 
having  been  established  July  18,  1879.  It  is  located  in  the  center  of  the 
northern  half  of  the  county,  and  was  formerly  a  part  of  Silver  Lake  town- 
-ship.  Robert  Forbes  lived  on  one  of  the  Menoken  farms  in  1868,  and  the 
new  settlers  in  1869  were  B.  T.  Payne,  W.  K.  Elliott  and  H.  E.  Close.  E.  T. 
Matthews  bought  the  Payne  farm  in  1870,  and  in  the  same  year  property  was 
bought  and  improvements  made  by  S.  M.  Allen,  Frank  Workman,  E.  B. 
Robinson,  F.  A.  Diffenbacher,  R.  Wells,  M.  Kiernan,  Priddy  brothers  and 
P.  Madden.  Later  in  the  same  year  homes  were  established  by  W.  D. 
McCormick,  G.  P.  Mitchell,  H.  Sharper,  J.  Blackler,  J.  P.  Bowser,  J.  P. 
Cole,  J.  R.  Insley,  H.  Ausherman,  and  G.  W.  R.  Ward.  In  1871  other 
farms  were  opened  and  homes  built  by  W.  T.  Pence,  W.  T.  Prewitt,  W.  Can- 
field  and  D.  B.  Groshong.  The  first  settlers  endured  many  hardships,  as  the 
only  crop  they  could  raise  the  first  year  was  corn  on  newly-broken  sod.  Many 
additional  farms  were  occupied  in  1872  and  1873,  and  considerable  trouble 
resulted  from  contests  with  squatters. 

A    CATTLE    GROWING    DISTRICT. 

The  increased  population  and  development  of  the  district  in  the  next 
five  years  induced  the  formation  of  the  separate  township.  The  two  branches 
of  Soldier  Creek,  called  Big  and  Little  Soldier,  supply  the  township  with 
water.  There  are  several  large  cattle  ranches,  and  the  farming  and  stock 
operations  are  extensive.  Good  schools  and  church  buildings  are  to  be  found 
in  all  parts  of  the  township.  On  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad,  five  miles  north- 
west from  Topeka,  the  station  of  Menoken  is  located.  It  is  a  small  village, 
with  a  few  of  the  customary  stores  and  shops,  and  affords  a  central  point  for 
trading  and  shipping. 


EAST  SIDE  OF  KANSAS  AVENUE— LOOKING  NORTH  FROM  SIXTH  AVENUE 


CORNER  OF  KANSAS  AND  SIXTH  AVENUES— LOOKING  SOUTH 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  49 

Mission  Township — Located  in  the  center  of  the  county,  and  extend- 
ing north  of  the  Kansas  River,  with  Topeka  township  on  the  east,  Dover  on 
the  westj  and  Auburn  and  Williamsport  on  the  south.  It  was  until  1871  a 
part  of  Dover  and  Topeka  townships,  and  belonged  originally  to  the  Potta- 
watomie Indian  reservation.  Jonas  Lykins  was  the  first  white  settler,  com- 
ing from  Osawatomie  in  1847.  He  built  the  first  Baptist  mission  in  the 
county,  a  double  log  structure  which  is  still  standing  on  what  is  known  as  the 
/Robert  I.  Lee  farm,  a  few  miles  west  from  Topeka.  The  Catholics  estab- 
ilished  a  mission  in  1848,  north  of  the  Baptists,  in  charge  of  Father  J.  B. 
Hoeken.  At  that  time  Chief  Burnett  of  the  Pottawatomies  lived  in  the  same 
locality.  Of  the  later  residents,  Sidney  W.  Smith  came  in  March,  1852; 
Dr.  D.  L.  Croysdale  in  1853;  Hiram  C.  Coville  in  1854;  John  Doty  and  J.  C. 
Young  in  1855;  Amos  Trott,  Guilford  G.  Gage,  W.  D.  Paul,  J.  C.  French, 
W.  W.  Lewis  and  Thomas  Scudder  in  1856;  James  Brewer  and  James  Swan 
in  1857 — Mr.  Brewer  is  still  a  citizen  of  the  county,  having  made  his  home 
an  Topeka  for  nearly  half  a  century;  John  McComb  and  Rev.  J.  G.  Miller 
arrived  in  1859. 

PIONEER    CITIZENS. 

Most  of  these  men  played  important  parts  in  the  history  and  upbuilding 
of  Shawnee  County,  and  all  are  well  remembered.  Dr.  Croysdale  was  a  gov- 
ernment physician  in  the  Indian  service.  Hiram  C.  Coville  was  killed  in  the 
Price  raid  of  1864.  Guilford  G.  Gage  became  a  prosperous  and  substantial 
citizen  of  Topeka.  In  later  years  the  township  had  such  well-known  citizens 
as  Thomas  Buckman,  William  Sims,  Peter  Heil^  Jr.,  Thomas  White,  D.  R. 
Youngs  and  A.  M.  Coville,  the  last  named  a  son  of  Hiram  C.  Coville. 

Mission  is  wholly  an  agricultural  township.  There  are  no  towns  within 
its  borders,  and  the  only  neighborhood  settlement  of  any  pretension  to  popu- 
lation is  Mission  Center,  a  rural  post  office.  The  town  of  Wanamaker,  five 
miles  west  of  Topeka,  was  started  in  1888,  but  accumulated  only  a  few 
houses  and  a  post  office. 

Monmouth  Township — Originally  this  township  belonged  to  the  ter- 
ritory forming  Tecumseh  township,  from  which  it  was  set  off  in  i860.  It 
lies  directly  south  of  Tecumseh,  in  the  southwestern  corner  of  the  county. 
Charles  Matney  was  the  first  settler.  He  came  from  Tazewell  County,  Vir- 
ginia, and  settled  at  Westport,  Missouri,  where  he  carried  on  the  business  of 
a  freighter.  On  one  of  his  trips  across  the  plains  he  decided  to  change  his 
occupation  to  that  of  a  farmer  and  selected  a  quarter  section  of  land  in  what  is 
now  Monmouth  township,  to  which  he  moved  August  17,  1854,  bringing  with 


50  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

him  66  head  of  oxen,  which  were  used  in  breaking  the  virgin  prairie.  His 
brother,  Harry  Matney,  soon  joined  him,  and  in  the  same  year  other  settlers 
arrived,  including  G.  W.  Berry,  C.  H.  Buzzard,  James  Linn,  Samuel  E. 
Thompson,  Dr.  N.  W.  Moore  and  L.  Wentworth. 

EARLY    MONMOUTH    SETTLERS. 

) 
) 

The  township  enjoyed  a  good  growth  in  1855,  some  of  the  new  settlers 
being  W.  M.  Jordan,  William  McCutcheon,  John  Morris,  Hiram  Shields, 
William  and  Richard  Disney,  J.  S.  Freeland,  Frank  Helton,  R.  O.  Johnson, 
Aaron  Coberly,  Charles  Allen,  Harris  Lyons,  Silas  Lyons,  Isaiah  Cox,  N.  L. 
Williams,  William  Linn,  John  Helton,  J.  W.  Riggs,  T.  D.  Kemp  and  Joseph 
Coberly.  Most  of  the  settlers  were  from  Ohio,  Indiana  and  Illinois.  In  later 
years  some  of  the  best  known  citizens  of  the  township  were  Maj.  L.  J.  Beam, 
C.  A.  Thresher,  Jacob  Coblentz,  Alfred  A.  Disney,  Emmor  England,  Joseph 
P.  Heil,  Dr.  H.  M.  Howard,  Horace  G.  Lyons,  Alexander  McQuiston,  Dr. 
Isaiah  M.  Tevis,  H.  M.  Zirkle  and  William  A.  Zirkle. 

The  Missouri  Pacific  Railroad  crosses  the  southwestern  part  of  the  town- 
ship. Richland,  the  principal  station,  was  established  as  a  post  office  in  1856, 
with  W.  C.  Murray  as  postmaster.  The  town  has  a  population  of  250. 
Albert  Neese  conducts  a  bank  and  general  store.  E.  L.  Truesdale  publishes 
the  Richland  Observer.  Another  station  is  Tevis,  a  small  farm  settlement. 
In  1857  the  town  of  Carthage  was  born  in  the  township,  but  it  never  reached 
maturity. 

RossviLLE  Township — This  township  lies  in  the  extreme  northwest 
corner  of  the  county,  and  was  carved  out  of  Silver  Lake  township  in  1871. 
The  Kansas  River  forms  the  southern  boundary  of  the  township,  and  Cross 
Creek  runs  through  the  township  north  and  south.  The  creek  was  first  known 
as  "Metsepa,"  the  Indian  name  for  Cross,  the  idea  being  suggested  to  the 
Indians  by  the  cross  formation  where  the  creek  makes  a  junction  with  the 
river.  Rossville  township  was  named  for  W.  W.  Ross,  a  Pottawatomie  In- 
dian agent  in  1862. 

There  were  white  people  in  the  boundaries  of  the  present  township  in 
1847-48,  the  records  showing  the  names  of  John  Barsho,  Stephen  McPher- 
son,  William  Martell,  Alexander  Rodd,  Francis  Bargeron,  Anthony  Tacier, 
Joseph  Lawton  and  William  Nassecau.  James  Baldan  came  in  1855,  and 
George  James,  George  Stackhouse  and  Cyrus  Higginbotham  in  1858.  Dr. 
R.  S.  Gabbey  was  also  one  of  the  early  settlers.  A  river  ferry  was  operated 
in  1849  by  Charles  Beaubien  and  Louis  Ogee.     There  were  hundreds  of  In- 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  51 

dians  (Pottawatomies)  in  the  vicinity  of  Cross  Creek  from  1847  to  1870. 
Some  of  the  principal  chiefs  were  Half-Day,  La-Fromboise,  Mazha  and 
Wee-wee-sa. 

GROWTH    OF  ROSSVILLE. 

The  Union  Pacific  Railroad  runs  across  the  southwestern  corner  of  the 
township,  and  the  town  of  Rossville  is  located  thereon.  The  town  was 
established  in  1871,  originally  known  as  Edna,  but  early  changed  to  corre- 
spond with  the  name  of  the  township.  The  town  company  was  composed  of 
A.  C.  Sherman,  George  W.  Veale,  H.  H.  Wilcox  and  Fielding  Johnson,  all 
residents  of  Topeka.  The  town-site,  100  acres,  was  purchased  of  Anthony 
Navarre,  a  Mormon  preacher,  and  his  Indian  wife,  So-na-ne-qua.  A.  C. 
Sherman  moved  to  the  new  town  in  1871,  built  the  first  hotel,  engaged  in 
the  hardware  and  grain  business,  became  postmaster,  and  was  closely  identi- 
fied with  the  business  of  the  town  for  many  years.  He  subsequently  removed 
to  Topeka,  where  he  still  resides.  Other  prominent  business  men  of  Ross- 
ville were:  W.  C.  Sherman,  Thomas  L.  Ross,  S.  J.  Oliver,  O.  Leroy  Sedg- 
wick, George  E.  Allen,  Samuel  Kerr,  Samuel  B.  Maxwell,  Dr.  Henry  H. 
Miller  and  Dr.  E.  R.  Mclntire.  Rossville  was  made  a  city  of  the  third  class 
in  June,  1881. 

Silver  Lake  Township — Located  north  of  the  Kansas  River,  directly 
east  of  Rossville  township,  and  extending  north  to  the  Jackson  County  line. 
Soldier  Creek  runs  through  the  township  from  the  northwest  to  the  southeast 
corner.  The  Union  Pacific  Railroad  and  the  Kansas  River  are  along  its 
southern  boundary.  The  township  was  detached  from  Soldier  township 
March  16,  1868.  The  first  white  settlers  were  men  employed  as  instructors 
for  the  Kaw  Indians.  Maj.  Robert  W.  Cummings  and  Thomas  Hufifaker 
were  on  the  ground  as  early  as  1835,  but  there  was  no  settlement  of  conse- 
quence until  1847,  when  the  following  names  appeared  upon  the  records: 
E.  B.  Kennedy,  Charles  Rodd,  Joseph  G.  Kennedy,  Lucius  Darling,  Stephen 
McPherson,  J.  Frap,  William  Martell,  William  Johnson,  John  Hard-en,  Allen 
Harden,  W.  H.  Wells,  William  Alley,  John  D.  Scroggins,  George  Mullen,  P. 
Malosh,  Fred  H.  Counterman,  John  and  Joseph  Ogee  and  F.  Trombley.  The 
following  came  in  1848;  James  A.  Gray,  Wesley  Hopkins,  C.  B.  Riandall,  H. 
McDowell,  J.  C.  Vanderpool,  and  Messrs.  VanHorne  and  Browne.  Charles 
Dean  and  E.  M.  Sloan  came  in  1849;  Samuel  Cummings,  L.  B.  M.  Kennedy, 
Joseph  Wellfelt  and  Joseph  La  Frame  in  1850;  Hiram  Wells,  J.  C.  Freeman, 
Enoch  Stevens  and  Joseph  Layton  in  1852.  The  Pottawatomie  Indians 
owned  much  of  the  land,  and  descendants  of  the  tribe  still  reside  in  the  town- 
ship. 


52  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

TOWN    OF   SILVER    LAKE. 

s 
Silver  Lake,  the  principal  town  in  the  township,  was  platted  in  February, 

1868,  the  proprietors  being  M.  B.  Beaubien  and  A.  S.  Thomas.  It  is  located 
on  the  railroad  at  a  point  where  a  bend  in  the  river  forms  a  beautiful  sheet  of 
water,  from  which  the  name  is  derived.  Beaubien  was  one  of  the  head-men  of 
the  Pottawatomies.  A.  S.  Thomas  is  still  living  on  his  Silver  Lake  farm.  He 
was  for  many  years  clerk  of  the  United  States  courts  in  Topeka.  J.  B.  Oliver 
was  the  first  postmaster  in  1868.  Cyrus  Corning  published  the  Silver  Lake 
Nezi's  in  1882,  but  the  paper  had  a  short  life.  H.  D.  McMeekin  had  a  store 
in  this  locality  in  1853,  ^^'^  afterwai-ds  became  a  well-known  hotel  man  in 
Kansas.  Some  of  the  names  familiarly  connected  with  Silver  Lake  are 
Samuel  Beal,  C.  D.  Ward,  Dr.  A.  G.  McGill,  Thomas  Neiswender,  C.  W.  Ed- 
son,  B.  F.  Vanorsdal,  Dr.  H.  D.  Tuttle,  George  W.  Vanorsdal,  J.  E.  Guild, 
L.  H.  Neiswender,  J.  S.  Kelly  and  O.  N.  Wilson. 

Kingsville  is  another  railroad  station  in  the  township,  the  site  of  the 
H.  M.  Holden  stock  ranch,  formerly  operated  by  Andrew  Wilson.  Kingsville 
is  13  miles  northwest  from  Topeka  and  does  a  considerable  amount  of  ship- 
ping, principally  of  cattle. 

WiLLiAMSPORT  TowNSHiP — This  towuship  lies  in  the  southern  part  of 
the  county,  with  Monmouth  on  the  east  and  Auburn  on  the  west,  the  southern 
limit  extending  to  the  Osage  County  line.  It  is  watered  by  the  Wakarusa 
River  and  Six  Mile  Creek.  The  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railway  runs 
through  the  township,  north  and  south,  and  the  Missouri  Pacific  cuts  across 
the  northeastern  corner.  Williamsport  became  a  separate  township  April  20, 
i860,  being  detached  from  Auburn.  Rev.  Robert  Simmerville,  a  missionary 
in  charge  of  the  Baptist  mission,  was  the  first  known  settler.  For  the  benefit 
of  the  Pottawatomie  Indians  he  made  a  translation  of  the  New  Testament 
into  their  language.  He  built  a  cabin  and  a  blacksmith  shop  in  the  township 
in  1854.  His  arrival  was  on  the  13th  of  August  of  that  year,  and  the  second 
settler,  Joseph  Drenan,  arrived  August  14th. 

WILLIAMSPORT    ACCESSIONS. 

On  the  26th  of  the  same  month  and  year,  two  cousins  of  the  name  of 
William  Matney  arrived.  William  Coker,  Dr.  Jesse  D.  Woods,  Joseph  Her- 
ald and  Dr.  C.  Lykins  came  in  the  same  year.  In  1855  the  accessions  were: 
William  Yocum,  J.  Babcock,  J.  Carroll,  H.  M.  Sharp,  Isaac  Baxter,  Samuel 
Allen,  Joseph  Lykins,  Robert  Gault,  Robert  Todd,  William  Armstrong  and 
J.  G.  Zimmerman.    James  Young  and  H.  K.  Winans  arrived  in  1856,  and  in 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS. 


53 


the  following  year  came  Seth  Todd,  Edgar  Winans,  R.  Buttles,  D.  Kilby,  Ches- 
ter Thomas,  Sr.,  Daniel,  Fred,  and  Cyrus  Fultz,  Rev.  Monfort,  Dr.  A.  J. 
Huntoon,  Joel  Huntoon,  J.  Nelson,  L.  Buttles,  J.  M.  Waugh,  T.  U.  Thomp- 
son, John  Cunningham,  T.  H.  Lescher,  Simon  Hawk  and  Mr.  Curtis. 

Wakarusa  and  Pauline  are  the  only  towns,  both  on  the  railroad,  the 
former  having  90  and  the  latter  50  inhabitants.  Wakarusa  was  platted  in 
1868  by  Mills  &  Smith,  of  Topeka.  It  was  first  called  Kingston,  in  honor  of 
ZJenas  King  of  Topeka,  who  was  one  of  the  original  promoters.  His  asso- 
ciates were  I.  T.  Lockhard,  J.  P.  Ennis,  A.  J.  Huntoon,  Joel  Huntoon  and 
T.  U.  Thompson.  Some  of  the  settlers  around  Wakarusa,  and  in  other  parts 
of  the  township,  were:  W.  H.  Mills,  A.  F.  Barker,  S.  D.  Conwell,  R.  U. 
Farnsworth,  William  S.  Hibbard,  John  MacDonald,  Rev.  John  McQuiston, 
Walter  Matney,  W.  H.  Moffitt,  J.  E.  Pratt,  Perry  Tice,  James  Robb,  J.  D. 
Vawter,  John  H.  Young  and  John  N.  Young.  Williamsport  township  de- 
rived its  name  from  Williamsport  in  Pennsylvania. 


CHICAGO,  ROCK  ISLAND  &  PACIFIC  PASSENGER  STATION. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

Continuation  of  Township  History — Sketches  of  Soldier,  Tecumseh  and 
Topeka  Townships — Names  of  the  Early  Settlers — General  Sherman's 
Pioneer  Experience — Rival  Toums  and  Their  Promoters — Famous 
Farms  and  Their  Owners — Present  Day  Conditions. 

The  location  of  Soldier,  Tecumseh  and  Topeka  townships,  and  their 
relation  to  the  city  of  Topeka,  make  it  desirable  that  their  history  should 
be  given  in  a  special  group,  and  a  separate  chapter.  These  townships  are 
the  most  populous  in  the  county,  much  of  their  history  is  confluent,  and  many 
of  the  persons  whose  names  make  up  the  early  record  were  identified  to  some 
extent  with  all  of  the  townships  named.  For  convenience  the  same  form  will 
be  preserved  as  in  the  preceding  chapter. 

Soldier  Township — This  township  was  erected  April  20,  i860,  from 
territory  added  to  Shawnee  County  on  the  north  side  of  the  river.  One 
purpose  of  the  addition  was  to  preserve  Topeka  as  the  county-seat  by  making 
it  a  more  central  point  in  the  county.  The  new  territory  was  taken  from 
Calhoun  (now  Jackson)  County.  Most  of  it  was  Kaw  Indian  land  and  was 
occupied  only  by  the  Indians  and  half-breeds  down  to  1848,  except  that  there 
was  a  small  band  of  French  settlers  in  the  locality  as  early  as  1840.  Among 
these  were  the  Papan  brothers,  Joseph,  Ahcan  and  Louis.  Louis  Catalon,  a 
nephew  of  the  Papans,  joined  them  in  1848,  and  James  McPherson  came  the 
same  year.    Fred  Swice  and  George  L.  Young,  both  farmers,  arrived  in  1850. 

ARRIVALS    IN    THE    '50's. 

New  settlers  in  1854  were  James  Kuykendall,  John  Cunningham,  R.  J. 
Fulton,  H.  D.  McMeekin,  Perry  Fleshman,  W.  S.  Kuykendall,  John  B.  Chap- 
man, D.  Milne,  James  A.  Gray,  G.  P.  Dorris,  J.  M.  Hand  and  Charles  Tip- 
ton. These  early  settlers  assisted  in  organizing  Calhoun  County,  and  some 
of  them  were  the  promoters  of  the  town  of  Calhoun,  the  first  county-seat. 
Calhoun  County  was  originally  named  for  John  Calhoun,  first  Surveyor  Gen- 
eral of  Kansas,  but  was  changed  to  Jackson  in  1858,  in  honor  of  Andrew 
Jackson,  and  the  county-seat  changed  to  Holton. 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  55 

In  1855  Soldier  township  gained  the  following  settlers:  Vincent  Cohe, 
Samuel  Lockhart,  J.  F.  Gallioz,  E.  BoUotte,  T.  Bruno,  A.  Colomb,  E.  Cham- 
bourniere,  H.  Roberti,  Alme  Malespine,  J.  Seal,  H.  Seal,  J.  E.  Thompson 
and  Thomas  Jenner.  In  1856  the  new-comers  were  Jacob  Johnson,  G.  Cum- 
mings,  J.  M.  Harding,  Joseph  Neiddaugh,  J.  W.  Price,  Ezekiel  Marple  and 
William  Owen. 

William  Tecumseh  Sherman,  afterwards  Lieutenant  General  of  the 
United  States  Army,  was  a  settler  in  the  township  in  1859.  At  the  instance 
of  Hon.  Thomas  Ewing,  of  Ohio,  he  undertook  the  opening  and  management 
of  a  farm  of  1,000  acres  on  Indian  Creek,  for  the  benefit  of  his  grand-nephew, 
Henry  Clark,  and  his  grand-niece,  Mrs.  Walker,  who  joined  him  on  the  farm 
in  the  spring  of  that  year.  He  fenced  100  acres  and  built  a  small  frame 
house  and  a  barn.  He  returned  to  Leavenworth  in  the  fall  of  1859  to  resume 
his  law  business.  Some  of  the  Sherman  farm  buildings  have  been  preserved 
as  historic  landmarks. 

Some  of  the  persons  identified  with  the  county  in  later  years  were  Rev. 
David  Bartram,  F.  W.  Fleischer,  George  W.  Kistler,  J.  H.  Miller,  J.  Q.  A. 
Peyton,  A.  W.  Pliley,  W.  W.  Reed,  Edward  Sipes,  John  M.  Wilkerson, 
Thomas  M.  James  and  Samuel  J.  Reader. 

A   DESERTED   CITY. 

The  town  of  Indianola  was  started  in  the  township  in  November,  1854, 
by  H.  D.  McMeekin,  who  bought  the  site  from  Louis  View,  a  half-breed  In- 
dian. The  name  of  the  town  was  borrowed  from  an  Indianola  in  Texas.  A 
rival  town,  called  Delaware  City,  was  started  about  the  same  time  by  J. 
Butler  Chapman.  During  its  brief  existence.  Chapman's  town  was  known 
as  Delaware  City,  Whitfield' City,  Kansopolis  and  Rochester,  the  last  being 
the  name  finally  settled  upon  it.  One  of  the  first  school  houses  in  the  county 
was  built  at  this  point,  and  near  it  was  one  of  the  depots  of  John  Brown's 
famous  "Underground  Railroad."  The  so-called  depot  was  built  in  1857 
by  William  Owen,  and  was  occupied  for  many  years  by  Dr.  Morrow.  Ro- 
chester was  too  close  to  Indianola  to  thrive,  and  Indianola  was  killed  by  the 
building  of  the  railroad  three  miles  away. 

The  Union  Pacific  Railroad  runs  along  the  southern  boundary  of  the 
township ;  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  crosses  the  southeastern  corner ; 
and  the  Chicago,  Rock  Island  &  Pacific  extends  across  the  western  part  of  the 
township,  north  from  Topeka.  On  the  latter  line  are  the  towns  of  Shorey 
and  Elmont.  Shorey  has  a  population  of  400  and  Elmont  50.  Kilmer  is  a 
small  station  on  the  Atchison  road. 


56  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Tecumseh  Township — This  township  formerly  comprised  all  the 
territory  in  Shawnee  County  lying  north  of  the  Wakarusa  River,  this  divis- 
ion being  made  September  14,  1855.  By  subsequent  subdivisions  it  was  re- 
duced to  a  tract  about  six  miles  square,  with  Topeka  on  the  west  and  Mon- 
mouth on  the  south,  its  northern  boundary  being  the  Kansas  River,  and  its 
eastern  boundary  the  county  line  of  Douglas  County.  As  an  agricultural 
and  fruit  growing  section,  it  is  not  surpassed  in  the  whole  State. 

BIRTH   OF   TECUMSEH. 

I 

Col.  Thomas  N.  Stinson  was  the  first  white  man  to  settle  in  the  township. 
He  opened  the  first  farm  in  1852^  although  he  did  not  occupy  it  until  March 
20,  1853.  From  1848  he  lived  in  another  part  of  the  county,  where  he  was 
engaged  as  a  trader  among  the  Indians.  He  was  married  in  1850  to  Miss 
Julia  Bushman,  and  resided  at  Uniontown,  later  moving  to  the  Burnett  farm 
near  Topeka,  and  thence  to  Tecumseh.  Stinson  had  but  few  neighbors  i)rior 
to  1854,  when  a  party  of  men  moved  in  from  Missouri.  Among  them  were 
J.  K.  Waysman,  A.  D.  M.  Hand,  H.  Walker,  Albert  Byler,  Joshua  Sartain 
and  Nathaniel  Hedrick,  all  on  May  5,  1854.  Another  party  came  on  June 
1st  of  that  year,  including  David  Copeland,  James  Herron,  Reuben  Low, 
John  Homer,  Rev.  J.  B.  Stateler,  Thornton  B.  Hays  and  Francis  Grassmuck. 

At  different  periods  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year  the  following  arrived: 
Robert  Edwards,  J.  C.  Niccum,  Jehiel  Tyler,  D.  Updegraff,  John  Morris, 
James  W.  Small,  William  Vaughn,  B.  Sublette,  Dr.  D.  W.  Hunter,  Osburn 
Naylor,  Rev.  Charles  Gordon,  Jesse  W.  Stevenson,  Judge  Rush  Elmore, 
Charles  Stevenson  and  H.  J.  Strickler.  Arriving  in  1855  were:  Eli  Hop- 
kins, W.  Y.  Roberts,  W.  A.  Stewart,  William  Hook,  S.  Ripple,  Joseph 
Weaver,  Benjamin  Newsom,  Capt,  E.  Allen,  J.  Reed,  Joseph  Molton,  Wil- 
liam Riley,  T.  Strother,  Jesse  Rumsey,  Joseph  Allen,  A.  Lovelace,  Adam 
Bowers,  John  Bowers,  Gus  Vaughn,  Samuel  Ackland,  Isaac  Roberts,  H. 
Carmichael,  C.  C.  Antrim,  John  Martin,  W.  O.  Yeager,  B.  Fogle,  Kenzie 
Stofield,  V.  Rush,  Edward  Hoagland,  Eli  Stofield,  Rev.  Edward  Piper, 
Dr.  Snow,  J.  W.  Lacy,  N.  Shadley,  William  Shadley,  Benjamin  Castleman, 
A.  Delap,  A.  Imes,  Erastus  Moffitt,  Bennett  A.  Murphy,  William  Frost, 
R.  Carmichael,  Rev.  Paul  Shepard,  A.  D.  Reed,  John  T.  Lawrence,  O. 
Moffitt,  Thomas  Campbell,  James  Ellis,  William  Ireland,  John  Scott,  Wil- 
liam Jones  and  Henry  Caulfield. 

Mention  should  also  be  made  of  some  of  the  later  settlers  in  the  town- 
ship :  Dr.  William  B.  Brown,  Peter  Bunce,  Joseph  Burgess,  John  A.  Camp- 
bell, J.  P.  Campbell,  James  H.  Dunn,  Joseph  England,  Thomas  J.  Faxon, 
John  S.  Griffing,  E.  H.  Harrop,  Dwight  Jarvis,  Harvey  Lieurance,  Isaac  H. 


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AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  59 

Milliken,  Isaac  Morris,  W.  A.  Rankin,  Alfred  S.  Roberts,  Thomas  D.  Strong, 
Ralph  Voorhees,  Samuel  B.  Wade,  William  B.  Wade,  James  Wottman, 
Luther  Woodford  and  J.  L.  Wood. 

tecumseh's  bright  prospect. 

The  town  of  Tecumseh  is  the  oldest  in  the  county,  once  the  seat  of  the 
county  government,  the  scene  of  many  important  events  in  the  State's  history 
and  a  strong  candidate  for  the  State  capital.  The  name  perpetuates  that  of 
the  noted  Shawnee  Indian  chief,  who  led  his  braves  in  the  battle  of  Tippeca- 
noe, and  met  death  in  the  battle  of  the  Thames.  The  Tecumseh  townsite 
covered  80  acres  taken  from  the  Stinson  farm  and  240  acres  pre-empted  for 
town  purposes.  The  survey  was  made  August  15,  1854,  by  C.  C.  Spalding. 
Most  of  the  men  interested  in  the  town,  whose  names  follow,  were  from  the 
south :  Thomas  N.  Stinson,  J.  M.  Hunter,  Samuel  H.  Woodson,  and  Abram 
Comings,  'from  Missouri ;  Rush  Elmore  and  Albert  Elmore,  from  Alabama ; 
J.  W.  Whitfield,  from  Tennessee;  S.  W.  Johnson,  from  Ohio;  A.  H.  Reeder, 
Territorial  Governor,  from  Pennsylvania;  and  Andrew  J.  Isaacks,  Territorial 
Attorney  General,  from  Louisiana. 

Governor  Reeder  was  a  frequent  visitor  at  Colonel  Stinson's  home  dur- 
ing his  business  trips  up  and  down  the  valley.  He  was  greatly  impressed 
by  the  picturesque  location  and  splendid  surroundings  of  Tecumseh  and  took 
personal  interest  in  advancing  its  claims  as  a  business  and  residence  point. 
It  was  supposed  that  the  first  Legislature  would  hold  its  session  there,  but 
Governor  Reeder  became  so  indignant  over  the  criticisms  passed  upon  his 
official  acts  by  the  people  of  Missouri  that  he  decided  to  call  the  Legislature 
to  meet  in  Pawnee,  a  point  remote  from  sectional  influences,  where  he  was 
also  interested  in  another  town  enterprise.  His  change  of  plan  was  a  serious 
blow  to  Tecumseh  in  the  matter  of  becoming  the  State  capital.  The  Pro- 
Slavery  men  adjourned  the  Legislature  to  the  Shawnee  Manual  Labor  School 
and  succeeded  in  locating  the  Territorial  seat  of  government  at  Lecompton, 
midway  between  Lawrence  and  Topeka,  the  avowed  purpose  being  to  cripple 
the  last  named  towns  on  account  of  their  abolition  proclivities. 

decay  of  the  town. 

For  her  future  progress  Tecumseh  was  forced  to  rely  upon  the  tempo- 
rary advantage  of  being  the  county-seat,  and  this  soon  precipitated  a  clash 
with  Topeka,  the  Pro-Slavery  faction  supporting  Tecumseh  and  the  Free- 
State  men  standing  by  Topeka.  Tecumseh  was  at  the  height  of  her  prosperity 
in  1858,  and  stood  a  lusty  rival  of  Topeka  in  all  the  arts  of  politics  and  trade. 


6o  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

But  Kansas  and  dl  her  institutions  were  destined  to  be  free,  and  this  senti- 
ment, coupled  with  the  jealousy  of  other  towns  in  the  neighborhood,  finally- 
located  the  county-seat  at  Topeka. 

Tecumseh  is  now  a  gazetteer  town  of  150  inhabitants — a  station  on  the 
Atchison,  Topeka  &  Stanta  Fe  Railway.  There  is  no  other  settlement  of 
consequence  in  the  township.  In  1855  the  town  of  Mairsville  was  started 
by  Thomas  Mairs.  In  the  same  year  the  town  of  Washington  was  laid  out 
by  a  company  consisting  of  W.  Y.  Roberts,.  William  Frost,  William  Riley, 
Joseph  Molton  and  Capt.  E.  Allen.  In  1856  Joseph  Allen  started  the  town 
of  Kenamo.  All  three  of  them  were  close  to  Tecumseh,  and  none  of  them 
attained  to  a  dignified  size. 

Topeka  Township — The  territory  comprising  Topeka  township  be- 
longed in  1855  to  Yocum  township,  which  then  included  all  the  territory  in 
the  country  lying  south  of  the  Wakarusa  River.  The  name  Yocum  was 
dropped  February  23,  1857,  when  the  county  was  subdivided  into  five  town- 
ships, Topeka  being  one  of  them.  Additional  territory  and  later  subdivisions 
gave  it  its  present  boundaries,  from  the  Kansas  River  south  to  Williamsport, 
with  Tecumseh  on  the  east  and  Mission  on  the  west — Soldier  being  the  oppo- 
site township  on  the  north  side  of  the  river. 

Clement  Shattio,  a  Frenchman,  was  the  first  white  settler  in  the  town- 
ship, coming  from  Uniontown,  November  15,  1852.  He  purchased  a  farm 
on  the  south  bank  of  the  river  one  mile  west  of  the  present  city  of  Topeka. 
The  farm  formerly  belonged  to  Alexander  Bushman,  a  half-breed  Shawnee 
Indian.  Shattio  was  born  in  St.  Louis  in  the  year  1800,  and  moved  to  Union- 
town  in  June,  1848,  In  1850  he  married  Ann  Davis,  a  colored  woman,  who 
was  born  in  Palestine,  Illinois,  in  181 7.  Ten  years  later  she  was  stolen  from 
her  parents  and  carried  to  Missouri,  where  she  was  several  times  sold  as  a 
slave.  She  bought  her  freedom  in  1859,  after  taking  up  her  residence  in 
Kansas. 

SETTLERS  IN  TOPEKA  TOWNSHIP. 

Later  settlers  arrived  in  the  following  order :  Horatio  Cox,  May  5, 
1854;  Anthony  Ward,  June  i;  Robert  Matthews,  July  15;  J.  Jondron,  A. 
Berringer,  Isaac  Edwards,  L.  Bivard  and  D.  Chilson,  about  July  25 ;  Gilbert 
Billard,  Charles  Sardou  and  Fred  Vascalders,  August  28;  John  Long, 
Thomas  Warren,  J.  R.  Warren,  H.  McConnell  and  James  McConnell,  Octo- 
ber 10.  The  Warrens,  father  and  son,  were  from  Kentucky.  Thomas  War- 
ren, the  elder,  became  100  years  of  age  in  1870,  and  visited  the  Kansas  Leg- 
islature on  his  centennial  birthday  anniversary,  receiving  a  special    welcome 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  6i 

at  the  hands  of  the  Speaker  pro  tern,  Hon.  John  Guthrie.     Warren  died  in 
1874,  at  the  remarkable  age  of  104  years. 

Wilh'am  R.  Boggs  moved  into  the  township  August  14,  1854,  and  pur- 
chased the  farm  wliich  is  now  the  site  of  the  Kansas  State  Hospital  for  the 
Insane.  Following  him  came  William  PickereU,  October  17;  Philip  Briggs, 
October  20;  John  Parkinson,  October  18;  William  Griff enstein,  November  i ; 
John  T.  Adams,  Rev.  Michael  Hummer  and  Dr.  Noble  Barron,  about  No- 
vember 15;  John  Armstrong,  November  20;  Enoch  Chase,  Jacob  B.  Chase, 
Milton  C.  Dickey  and  George  Davis,  November  29 — this  party  settled  on  the 
farm  land  upon  which  the  city  of  Topeka  is  located;  Daniel  H.  Home,  Fry 
W.  Giles,  Loring  G.  Cleveland,  S.  A.  Clark,  W.  C.  Linaker,  Thomas  G. 
Thornton,  Jonas  E.  Greenwood,  Cyrus  K.  Holliday  and  Timothy  Mclntire, 
December  4;  James  F.  Merriam,  December  7;  James  A.  Hickey,  December 
12;  L.  S.  Long,  December  15;  Freeman  R.  Foster  and  Robert  L.  Mitchell, 
December  20;  Dr.  S.  E.  Martin,  December  25.  S.  J.  Case,  H.  F.  Root,  C. 
N.  Gray  and  G.  F.  Crowe  also  came  in  December. 

LATER   ARRIVALS. 

Those  who  settled  in  the  township  in  the  year  1855,  as  nearly  as  can  be 
determined,  were  the  following:  John  Ritchie,  J.  C.  Miller,  W.  W.  Ross, 
J.  C.  Jordan,  H.  W.  Curtis,  Charles  Farnsworth,  L.  W.  Home,  R.  A.  Rand- 
lett,  O.  C.  Nichols,  S.  D.  Conwell,  B.  F.  Dawson,  C.  A.  Sexton,  Henry 
Cowles,  John  Perrin,  Rev.  Henry  Burgess,  Charles  Frazier,  C.  A.  Dexter, 
W.  H.  Weymouth,  Daniel  Sayres,  Ephraim  Herriott,  Horatio  Fletcher, 
Samuel  Herriott,  Daniel  Banta,  H.  Higgins,  Johnston  Thomas,  King  Smith, 
Antoine  Bernier,  H.  Tyrrell,  A.  H.  Barnard,  Robert  Todd,  Dr.  M.  A.  E.  J. 
Campdoras,  Henry  Griffin,  C.  Durupt,  Isaac  Renfrew,  J.  Willetts,  J.  W. 
Jones,  C.  D.  Howard,  L.  H.  Wentworth,  Robert  Gilbert,  D.  Sheridan,  James 
Goodrich,  E.  C.  K.  Garvey,  F  L.  Crane,  James  Chadwick,  Dean  Chadwick, 
C.  C.  Leonard,  C.  L.  Terrill,  Moses  Dudley,  J.  Orcutt,  ■  William  Scales, 
H.  P.  Waters,  James  G.  Bunker,  James  McNamee,  J.  F.  Cummins,  Isaac 
Zimmerman,  Loring  Farnsworth,  E.  Seagraves,  Abner  Doane,  A.  M.  Lewis, 
Guilford  Dudley,  John  R.  Lewis,  George  F.  Boyd,  D.  Mintum,  J.  D.  Clark- 
son,  James  Taggart,  L.  C.  Wilmarth,  A.  G.  Thompson,  Gabriel  Wright,  J. 
C.  Gordon,  Asaph  Allen,  James  Disney,  Moses  Hubbard,  P.  R.  Hubbard, 
Eugene  Dumez,  P.  O.  O'Connor,  E.  S.  Parker,  Jesse  Stone,  O.  H.  Drink- 
water,  Samuel  Hall,  Leonard  Wendell,  A.  F.  Whiting,  W.  E.  Bowker,  S.  N. 
Frasier,  M.  C.  Martin,  William  P  Thompson,  David  H.  Moore,  W.  W. 
Henderson,  William  Gibbons,  M.  K.  Smith,  A.  F.  Hartwell,  David  Smith, 
Charles  L.  Wilbur,  G.  B.  French,  E.  Trask,  August  Roberts,  H.  C.  Young, 


62  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Nelson  Young,  James  Cowles,  R.  M.  Luce,  F.  T.  Tucker,  Richard  Gustine, 
Henry  P.  Waters,  Gerard  C.  Hooft,  S.  Lyford  and  W.  W.  Phillips. 

RIVAL    TOWNS. 

Topeka,  the  county-seat  and  capital  city,  is  located  in  Topeka  township. 
No  other  city  or  town  has  ever  been  erected  in  the  township,  every  attempt 
in  that  direction  having  proved  a  failure,  or  resulted  in  adding  a  suburb  to 
the  big  city,  as  in  the  cases  of  Oakland,  Seabrook,  Auburndale  and  Potwin. 
Of  the  towns  projected  near  Topeka  at  different  periods,  the  following 
names  are  given  as  a  matter  of  record,  the  places  having  long  since  faded 
from  sight — almost  from  memory:  Fremont,  Paris,  Washington,  Council 
City,  Glendale,  Carthage,  Kenamo  and  Mairsville. 


CHAPTER   V. 

A  Glance  at  the  History  of  Kansas — Early  Expeditions  Across  the  Plains — 
The  Slavery  Contest — The  Struggle  for  Statehood — Roster  of  Gover- 
nors and  United  States  Senators — Population,  Resources  and  Institu- 
tions of  the  State — Business  and  Educational  Statistics. 

The  preceding  chapters  have  been  mainly  devoted  to  the  early  settlement 
of  Shawnee  County.  Before  attempting  a  record  of  the  subsequent  events 
relative  to  the  upbuilding  of  the  county,  and  of  the  city  of  Topeka,  a  brief 
reference  to  the  contemporary  history  of  the  Territory  and  State  of  Kansas 
will  serve  as  a  useful  link  in  the  local  chronicle.  Kansas  has  been  making  his- 
tory for  50  years.  Many  volumes  might  be  written  about  this  comparatively 
young  commonwealth,  but  the  limits  of  this  work  permit  only  a  cursory  glance 
at  the  more  important  facts  connected  with  the  birth  and  evolution  of  a 
State,  which  George  Bancroft  characterized  as  "the  miracle  of  the  age." 

VARIOUS  NAMES  FOR  THE  STATE. 

The  name  Kansas  is  derived  from  the  Indian  word  Kanza,  having  the 
dual  significance  of  "wind"  and  "swift."  Its  popular  title  is  "the  Sunflower 
State,"  its  heroic  title  "Bleeding  Kansas,"  and  its  opprobrious  title  "the  Jay- 
hawker  State."  Its  State  motto  is :  "Ad  Astra  per  Aspera — "through  diffi- 
culties to  the  stars."  Exclusive  of  Alaska  and- the  islands  acquired  in  1898,  it 
is  the  geographical  center  of  the  United  States,  being  situated  in  latitude  37 
degrees  to  40  degrees  north,  longitude  94  degrees,  40  minutes  to  102  degrees 
west;  bounded  on  the  north  by  Nebraska,  on  the  northeast  and  east  by  Mis- 
souri, on  the  south  by  Oklahoma  and  Indian  Territories,  and  on  the  west  by 
Colorado.    It  was  the  34th  State  to  be  admitted  into  the  Union. 

EARLY   HISTORY. 

The  territory  forming  the  present  State  of  Kansas  was  a  part  of  the 
Louisiana  Purchase  of  1803,  except  a  fraction  in  the  southwest  corner  ac- 
quired from  Texas  in  1850.     It  is  claimed  that  Coronado  visited  the  country 


64  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

as  early  as  1541,  and  there  are  evidences  of  French  and  Spanish  expeditions 
to  this  terra  incognita  in  later  years.  The  Lewis  and  Clark  expedition, 
planned  by  President  Jefferson^  reached  Kansas  in  June,  1804,  and,  two  years 
later,  in  1806,  the  expedition  commanded  by  Zebulon  Montgomery  Pike,  who 
gave  his  name  to  "Pike's  Peak,"  crossed  the  territory  from  the  Missouri 
River  to  the  Rocky  Mountains.  The  expedition  of  Maj.  Stephen  H.  Long 
was  made  in  1819,  and  in  1824  was  established  the  "Santa  Fe  Trail,"  the  fa- 
mous highway  of  Kansas,  extending  400  miles  directly  across  the  territory, 
and  from  Independence,  Missouri,  to  Santa  Fe,  New  Mexico,  a  total  distance 
of  780  miles.  Col.  John  C.  Freemont  made  his  first  expedition  across  the 
plains  in  the  summer  of  1842,  blazing  the  way  for  a  heavy  overland  travel 
to  Oregon,  California  and  Mexico. 

DEVELOPMENT    AND    GROWTH. 

This  was  the  beginning  of  the  development  and  growth  of  Kansas.  The 
outposts  of  civilization  were  being  extended  Westward  from  the  Mississippi 
River.  The  Indians  of  Missouri  and  other  Mississippi  Valley  States  were 
concentrated  with  the  tribes  already  occupying  the  country  west  of  the  Mis- 
souri River.  These  included  the  Osage,  Shawnee,  Pawnee,  Delaware,  Kicka- 
poo,  and  Kansas  tribes,  to  which  were  added  the  Cherokee  and  other  tribes 
from  the  States  of  the  South,  and  the  Ottawas,  Pottawatomies,  Wyandottes 
and  others  from  Ohio,  Michigan  and  Indiana.  Kansas  became  Indian  Terri- 
tory, and  remained  such  from  1830  to  1854.  Occupation  of  the  country  by 
white  settlers  was  fraught  with  peril  and  hardship,  and  only  accomplished  by 
marvelous  heroism,  perseverance  and  endurance.  To  aid  in  the  work  of  civil- 
ization, missions  were  established  on  the  frontier,  and  military  posts  located  at 
Fort  Leavenworth,  Fort  Scott  and  Fort  Riley. 

TERRITORIAL  DAYS. 

The  admission  of  Kansas  as  an  organized  Territory  dates  from  May  30, 
1854,  when  President  Pierce  signed  the  "Kansas-Nebraska  Act."  This  brought 
on  what  may  be  termed  the  political  troubles  of  Kansas,  and  later,  a  result  of 
the  slavery  agitation,  precipitated  the  great  armed  conflict  between  the  North 
and  the  South  in  1861-65. 

I 

HOSTILE  FACTIONS. 

It  was  on  Kansas  soil  that  the  first  battle  was  fought  for  the  freedom  of 
the  negro.  It  was  Kansas  that  developed  the  commanding  figure  of  John 
Brown.     From  the  time  Congress  took  the  first  step  for  the  admission  of 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  65 

Kansas,  with  or  without  slavery,  the  Territory  became  the  scene  of  conten- 
tion, pillage  and  bloodshed.  The  Pro-Slavery  men  of  Missouri  endeavored  to 
gain  control  of  the  Territory  in  1854,  and  established  the  first  city,  Leaven- 
worth. Soon  afterwards  an  Anti-Slavery  colony  from  Massachusetts  settled 
at  Lawrence.  No  more  hostile  factions  ever  struggled  for  supremacy  in  any 
part  of  the  continent. 

Andrew  H.  Reeder,  of  Pennsylvania  was  appointed  to  be  the  first  Gov- 
ernor of  the  Territory.  At  the  first  contest  for  Territorial  delegate  to  Con- 
gress, the  slavery  men  of  Missouri  crossed  the  river  and  participated  in  the 
election,  the  candidate  of  the  Pro-Slavery  party  being  successful  by  reason  of 
these  illegal  votes.  The  Free-Soilers  protested  and  held  indignation  meet- 
ings at  Lawrence  and  other  points.  The  Missourians  repeated  the  same  tactics 
at  the  election  in  the  spring  of  1855  for  Representatives  to  the  Legislature. 
When  the  Legislature  met  at  Pawnee,  the  Pro-Slavery  members  were  in  the 
majority,  and  controllefl  the  proceedings,  even  to  the  extent  of  driving  out  the 
Free-Soil  members  and  changing  the  seat  of  government. 

CHANGE  OF  OFFICERS. 

The  Free-Soil  party  repudiated  the  acts  of  the  Legislature,  and  refused  to 
abide  by  them.  Governor  Reeder  was  removed  from  office,  being  succeeded 
by  Wilson  Shannon,  of  Ohio.  John  W.  Whitfield  was  elected  delegate  to 
Congress  by  the  Pro-Slavery  party,  and  ex-Governor  Reeder  chosen  to  the 
same  position  by  the  opposition,  but  Congress  refused  to  give  either  delegate 
a  seat.  A  Free-Soil  constitution  was  adopted  in  December,  1855,  under 
which  Charles  Robinson  was  elected  Governor,  but  the  election  was  repudi- 
ated by  President  Pierce,  who  had  recognized  the  "bogus"  Legislature.  The 
Free-Soil  Legislature  ignored  the  action  of  President  Pierce,  and,  to  meet  this 
and  other  menacing  circumstances,  the  military  forces  of  the  United  States 
government  were  placed  in  command  of  Governor  Shannon.  Governor-elect 
Robinson  and  Congressman-elect  Reeder  were  indicted  for  high  treason.  The 
Pro-Slavery  party  received  large  accessions  from  Georgia,  Alabama  and 
South  Carolina  in  the  troubles  resulting  from  this  conflict  of  authority,  the 
Emigrant  Aid  Society  Hotel  and  the  Herald  of  Freedom  and  Kansas  Free 
State  printing  offifces  at  Lawrence  were  destroyed,  and  the  town  of  Osawa- 
tomie — the  home  of  John  Brown — was  sacked  and  burned. 

THE    STRUGGLE    FOR    STATEHOOD. 

A  bill  for  the  admission  of  Kansas  as  a  State  was  passed  by  the  lower 
house  of  Congress  in  June,  1856,  but  was  defeated  in  the  Senate  on  account 
of  the  recognition  it  gave  to  the  Free-Soil  constitution.     A  meeting  of  the 


66  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Free-Soil  Legislature  in  Topeka  was  dispersed  by  United  States  troops  acting 
under  orders  from  President  Pierce.  By  this  time  the  interest  in  the  Kansas 
struggle  became  general  throughout  the  United  States.  The  suppression  of 
slavery  became  a  national  instead  of  a  State  issue.  While  Congress  debated 
and  legislated,  the  Pro-Slavery  and  Free-State  factions  continued  to  virar 
against  each  other  for  possession  of  the  Territory  and  control  of  the  law-mak- 
ing machinery.  Conflicting  constitutions  were  adopted,  rival  Legislatures 
elected,  and  civil  government  overthrown.  Public  meetings  were  held  in  all 
parts  of  the  North  to  lend  encouragement  to  the  movement  for  making 
Kansas  a  Free  State.  Similar  sympathy  and  help  came  to  the  Pro-Slavery 
party  from  the  States  of  the  South.  Horace  Greeley  and  Abraham  Lincoln 
visited  the  Territory,  and  made  speeches  in  opposition  to  the  further  exten- 
sion of  slavery  on  American  soil.  Governor  Shannon  was  removed  from 
office,  and  the  several  Governors  appointed  to  succeed  him  found  the  duties  of 
the  position  so  onerous  that  they  resigned  in  rapid  succession. 

STATE    CONSTITUTION    ADOPTED. 

After  numerous  battles,  elections  and  vicissitudes,  a  constitutional  con- 
vention was  called  to  meet  at  Wyandotte,  July  5,  1859.  It  was  composed  of 
35  Free-State  and  17  Pro-Slavery  delegates,  who  were  now  known  as  Repub- 
licans and  Democrats,  respectively.  Under  the  constitution  adopted  by  this 
convention,  slavery  was  prohibited  and  Kansas  admitted  as  a  State,  January 
29,  1861.  The  seat  of  government  was  located  at  Topeka.  At  the  election 
held  in  December,  1859,  under  the  Wyandotte  constitution,  Charles  Robinson 
was  chosen  to  be  the  first  Governor  of  the  State,  and  Martin  F.  Conway  the 
first  Representative  in  Congress.  When  the  first  State  Legislature  assembled 
at  Topeka  in  March,  1861,  James  H.  Lane  and  Samuel  C.  Pomeroy  were 
elected  the  first  two  United  States  Senators  from  the  new  State. 

In  the  Civil  War  which  followed  the  inauguration  of  President  Lincoln 
in  1 86 1,  Kansas  showed  its  loyalty  to  the  Union  by  furnishing  20,000  trained 
soldiers  out  of  a  total  population  of  but  little  more  than  100,000 — a  number 
greatly  in  excess  of  her  quota,  none  of  them  drafted,  and  in  proportion  ex- 
ceeding the  enlistments  from  any  other  State.  A  large  part  of  this  force  was 
employed  in  defending  the  borders  of  the  State  from  invasion  by  Southern 
troops,  Indians  and  guerillas.  During  one  of  these  border  raids  a  force  of 
400  men,  under  the  command  of  the  notorious  Quantrell,  invaded  Lawrence, 
burning  and  pillaging  the  town  and  killing  150  defenseless  citizens.  The 
war  and  the  troubles  with  the  Indians,  together  with  a  visitation  of  drought  in 
i860,  greatly  retarded  the  growth  of  Kansas,  but  when  these  obstacles  were 
passed  an  era  of  progress  and  development  set  in  which  has  never  since 


THE  GOVERNOR'S  RESIDENCE 


RESIDENCE  OF  DAVID  O.  CRANE 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  69 

abated.  The  splendid  soil  and  auspicious  climate  and  the  general  adaptability 
of  the  State  to  farming  and  stock-raising  purposes  have  attracted  thousands 
of  settlers  to  Kansas,  and  the  advancement  in  all  lines  has  been  rapid,  sub- 
stantial and  permanent. 

ROSTER   OF    GOVERNORS   AND   UNITED   STATES    SENATORS. 

Governors  (Territorial) — Andrew  H.  Reeder,  1854  to  1855;  Wilson 
Shannon,  1855  to  1856;  John  W.  Geary,  1856  to  1857;  Robert  J.  Walker, 
1857;  James  W.  Denver,  1858;  Samuel  Medary,  1858,  to  i860.  (State) 
Charles  Robinson,  1861-63;  Thomas  Carney,  1863-65;  Samuel  J.  Crawford, 
1865-68;  Nehemiah  Green,  1868,  to  fill  the  unexpired  term  of  Samuel  J. 
Crawford,  resigned;  James  M.  Harvey,  1869-73;  Thomas  A.  Osborn,  1873- 
yy;  George  T.  Anthony,  1877-79;  John  P.  St.  John,  1879-83;  George  W. 
Glick,  1883-85;  John  A.  Martin,  1885-89;  Lyman  U.  Humphrey,  1889-93; 
Lorenzo  D.  Lewelling,  1893-95;  Edmund  N.  Morrill,  1895-97;  John  W. 
Leedy,  1897-99;  William  R.  Stanley,  1899-03;  Willis  J.  Bailey,  1903-05; 
Edward  W.  Hoch,  1905 — .  During  the  official  interruptions  incident  to  the 
Territorial  period,  the  following  persons  served  brief  terms  as  acting  Gover- 
nor; Daniel  Woodson,  Frederick  P.  Stanton,  James  W.  Denver,  Hugh  S. 
Walsh  and  George  M.  Beebe. 

United  States  Senators — James  H.  Lane,  1861-66;  Samuel  C.  Pomeroy, 
1861-73;  Edmund  G.  Ross,  1866-71;  Alexander  Caldwell,  1871-73;  Robert 
Crozier,  1873-74;  James  M.  Harvey,  1874-77;  John  J.  Ingalls,  1873-91; 
Preston  B.  Plumb,  1877-91 ;  William  A.  Peffer,  1891-97;  Bishop  W.  Perkins, 
1892-93;  John  Martin,  1893-95;  Lucien  Baker,  1895-01;  William  A.  Harris, 
1897-03;  Joseph  R.  Burton,  1901,  term  expires  1907;  Chester  I.  Long,  1903, 
term  expires  1909. 

GOVERNMENT. 

The  Legislature  consists  of  40  Senators  and  125  Representatives.  Ses- 
sions are  held  biennially,  in  odd-numbered  years.  The  Legislature  of  1905 
was  divided  politically  as  follows :  Senate,  37  Republicans  and  3  Democrats ; 
House,  109  Republicans,  14  Democrats  and  2  Independent;  Republican  ma- 
jority on  joint  ballot,  127.  The  elective  State  officers  include  Governor,  Lieu- 
tenant Governor,  Secretary  of  State,  Auchtor,  Treasurer,  Attorney  General, 
State  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  State  Printer,  Commissioner  of 
Insurance,  seven  justices  of  the  Supreme  Court,  and  three  members  of  the 
State  Board  of  Railroad  Commissioners.  Kansas  has  eight  Representatives 
in  the  lower  house  of  Congress.    Women  have  the  right  of  suffrage  at  muni- 


70  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

cipal,  bond  and  school  elections.     In  numerous  instances  women  have  been 
elected  to  municipal  and  school  offices,  and  in  some  cases  to  county  offices._ 

STATISTICS. 

Population — The  local  census  of  1855  gave  Kansas  a  population  of 
8,501;  this  increased  in  i860  to  107,206;  in  1870  to  364,399;  in  1880  to 
396,096;  in  1890  to  1,427,096;  in  1900  to  1,470,495.  The  present  popula- 
tion of  the  State,  according  to  the  local  census  of  1904,  is  1,535,160. 

There  are  119  cities  and  towns  having  a  population  of  1,000  or  more. 
The  14  largest  cities  and  their  population  are:  Kansas  City,  57,710;  Topeka, 
39,149;  Wichita,  31,857;  Leavenworth,  22,791;  Atchison,  16,925;  Pittsburg, 
14,368;  Fort  Scott,  14,081;  Coffeyville,  12,306;  Lawrence,  11,544;  Independ- 
ence, 11,456;  Hutchinson,  11,189;  1°^^;  11.069;  Parsons,  10,789;  Chanute, 
10,116. 

Topography — Although  a  part  of  the  great  plains  which  form  the  east- 
ern slope  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  the  physical  character  of  the  Kansas  coun- 
try is  best  described  as  rolling  prairie.  There  are  no  mountains,  and  no 
marshes.  The  altitude  varies  from  750  feet  in  the  eastern  to  4,000  feet  in  the 
western  part  of  the  State.  The  bulk  of  the  land  is  tillable,  but  crops  are  un- 
certain in  the  western  third  of  the  State  on  account  of  deficient  rainfall. 
In  this  deficient  area  the  vast  stretches  of  prairie  are  largely  used  for  grazing 
purposes. 

The  rivers  of  Kansas  are  the  Kansas,  Arkansas,  Republican,  Smoky 
Hill,  Solomon,  Saline,  Neosho  and  Verdigris — none  of  them  navigable. 
There  are  numerous  smaller  streams,  giving  abundant  water  and  drainage  in 
the  eastern  two-thirds  of  the  State.  The  land  area  comprises  82,144  square 
miles  (52,572,160  acres),  extending  408  miles  from  east  to  west,  and  208 
miles  from  north  to  south. 

Climate — The  climate  is  mild,  the  great  proportion  of  the  days  being 
fair  and  sunny.  In  summer  the  temperature  ranges  from  80  to  100  degrees 
with  cool  nights,  and  dry,  pure  air.  In  winter  it  rarely  falls  below  zero.  The 
violent  winds  of  winter  and  spring,  known  to  the  early  settlers,  have  been 
greatly  mitigated  by  the  cultivation  of  the  soil  and  the  planting  of  trees. 

Agriculture  and  Stock-Raising — Fully  30  per  cent.  (25,000,000  acres) 
of  the  farm  land  of  Kansas  is  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  The  cultivated 
farms  have  an  aggregate  value  of  $600,000,000.  The  acreage  in  field  crops 
in  the  year  1904  was  exceeded  by  only  one  State  in  the  Union — Iowa.  The 
total  value  of  the  farm  products  of  the  State  for  the  year  1904  was  $208,406,- 
365.61,  the  leading  items  being  wheat  ($51,000,000),  corn  ($50,000,000), 
and  animals  sold  for  slaughter  ($52,000,000). 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  71 

The  numbers  and  values  of  live  stock  for  the  same  year  were :  Horses, 
835^580 — $62,668,500;  mules  and  asses,  103,436 — $9,050,650;  milch  cows, 
792,712 — $19,817,800;  other  cattle,  2,757,542 — $51,014,527;  sheep,  167,721 
— 503,163;  swine,  2,127,482 — $15,956,115.  Total  value  of  live  stock,  $159,- 
010,755;  total  value  of  farm  products  and  live  stock,  $367,417,120.61. 

Horticulture — Kansas  ranks  well  in  the  production  of  fruit  and  is  sur- 
passed by  but  few  States  in  the  growth  of  nursery  stock.  The  number  of 
apple  trees  in  bearing  in  1904  was  7,307,253 ;  peach  trees,  4,548,642 ;  cherry 
trees,  814,114;  plum  trees,  641,977;  pear  trees,  245,515;  numbers  of  acres  in 
nurseries,  small  fruits  and  vineyards,   17,269. 

Manufactures — The  natural  material  for  manufacturing  is  limited. 
There  are  no  timber  lands  of  consequence,  and  no  deposits  of  iron.  Manufac- 
turing, therefore,  is  confined  to  the  conversion  of  farm  products  into  market- 
able commodities,  such  as  flour  and  meat,  and  these  industries  are  important 
and  extensive.  Including  the  large  plants  at  Kansas  City,  Kansas,  the 
slaughtering  and  meat-packing  business  of  the  State  for  the  year  1900 
amounted  in  value  to  $77,411,883.  The  flouring  and  grist  mill  products  for 
the  same  year  aggregated  a  value  of  $21,926,768.  Other  manufacturing- 
interests  for  the  same  year  amouted  to  the  following  sums :  Car  construction 
and  railroad-shop  work,  $6,816,816;  zinc  smelting  and  refining,  $5,790,144; 
foundry  and  machine-shop  products,  $3,652,530.  The  total  value  of  the  prod- 
ucts enumerated  was  $118,402,409,  covering  the  work  of  860  establishments 
and  18,288  employees. 

Mineral  Resources — These  consist  principally  of  coal,  zinc,  lead,  natural 
gas,  petroleum,  cement  and  gypsum.  With  the  exception  of  the  three  last- 
named  products,  the  mining  industry  is  chiefly  located  in  the  southeast  corner 
of  the  State,  embracing  the  counties  of  Cherokee,  Crawford,  Labette,  Bour- 
bon, Montgomery,  Chautaugua,  Neosho  and  Allen.  Cherokee  leads  in  coal, 
lead  and  zinc ;  Crawford  is  second  in  coal ;  Allen  is  first  in  natural  gas ;  and 
Neosha  first  in  petroleum.  Extensive  mines  of  coal  are  also  found  in  Osage 
and  Leavenworth  counties.  Reno  and  Kingman  counties  have  the  principal 
salt  mines.  Building  stone  of  excellent  quality  is  found  in  various  parts  of  the 
State.  Underlying  the  surface  of  Kansas  are  the  three  common  formations 
known  as  the  Carboniferous,  Triassic  and  Cretaceous  systems,  running  from 
north  to  south,  and  dividing  the  State  into  three  belts  of  nearly  equal  extent. 
In  the  year  1900  the  values  of  the  mineral  products  of  Kansas  were :  Coal, 
$5,516,534;  zinc,  $3,000,000;  salt,  $1,675,000;  clay,  $975,500;  stone  $714,- 
750;  natural  gas,  $695,000;  cement,  $669,685;  oil,  $355,118;  lead,  $324,- 
859;  gypsum,  $267,500;  total,  $14,193,946. 

Railroads — The  total  mileage  of  railway  tracks  operated  in  Kansas  is 
10,483.     The  prominent  lines  and  systems  are:    Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa 


^2  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Fe;  Chicago,  Rock  Island  &  Pacific;  Union  Pacific;  Missouri  Pacific;  Mis- 
souri, Kansas  &  Texas;  St.  Louis  &  San  Francisco.  The  gross  earnings  of 
all  Kansas  railroads  for  the  year  1902  were  $28,000,000. 

Banking — There  are  502  State  and  private  banks  in  Kansas,  with  a 
total  paid  capital  of  $8,156,500,  and  deposits  of  $47,690,056.14.  The  146 
national  banks  have  a  paid  capital  of  $9,936,400,  and  deposits  of  $50,973,- 
729;  making  a  total  capital  of  $18,092,900,  and  total  deposits  of  $98,663,- 
785.14,  these  figures  being  for  the  year  1903.  Of  the  total  deposits  it  is 
estimated  that  68  per  cent,  is  owned  by  farmers  and  stockmen. 

Education — Kansas  spends  more  than  $5,000,000  annually  in  the  support 
of  public  schools.  The  school  population  is  500,000,  the  enrollment,  390,000, 
and  the  average  attendance,  265,000;  number  of  teachers  employed,  11,698. 
The  percentage  of  illiteracy  in  the  State  is  very  low,  being  less  than  3  per  cent. 

Colleges — Baker  University,  Baldwin;  Bethany,  Lindsborg;  Campbell 
University,  Holton;  Highland  University,  Highland;  Kansas  Wesleyan  Uni- 
versity, Salina;  McPherson,  McPherson;  Midland,  Atchison;  Ottawa  Uni- 
versity, Ottawa;  Southwest  Kansas,  Winfield;  St.  Benedict's,  Atchison;  St. 
John's,  Salina;  St.  Mary's,  St.  Mary's;  State  Agricultural,  Manhattan;  State 
Normal,  Emporia;  State  University,  Lawrence;  Sisters  of  Bethany,  Topeka; 
Washburn,  Topeka. 

Religion — All  of  the  religious  denominations  are  represented,  the  Meth- 
odist being  the  largest  numerically,  followed  in  order  by  the  Roman  Catholic, 
Baptist,  Disciples  of  Christ,  Presbyterian,  United  Brethren,  Congregational, 
Lutheran,  Friends,  African  M.  E.,  and  Evangelical  Association.  The  moral 
standard  of  the  population  is  very  high,  Kansas  being  one  of  the  few  States 
that  has  adopted  an  amendment  to  its  constitution  prohibiting  the  manufac- 
ture and  sale  of  liquor. 

Newspapers  and  Libraries — Kansas  has  837  newspapers,  including  51 
dailies,  634  weeklies,  4  semi-weeklies,  116  monthlies,  14  semi-monthlies,  2 
bi-monthlies,  11  quarterlies,  and  5  occasionals.  Of  public,  college  and  high 
school  libraries,  there  are  112,  with  a  total  of  525,519  volumes. 

Charitable  and  Penal  Institutions — The  institutions  of  this  class,  and 
the  number  of  inmates  of  each,  are:  Insane  Asylum,  Oswatomie  (990); 
Insane  Asylum,  Topeka  (780)  ;  Insane  Asylum,  Parsons  (430)  ;  Blind  Asy- 
lum, Kansas  City  (93)  ;  Imbecile  School,  Winfield  (210)  ;  Deaf  and  Dumb 
School,  Olathe  (263);  Soldiers'  Orphans'  Home,  Atchison  (150);  Soldiers' 
Home,  Dodge  City  (146);  State  Penitentiary,  Lansing  (1,020);  Industrial 
Reformatory,  Hutchinson  (260);  Industrial  School,  girls,  Beloit  (125); 
Reform  School,  boys,  Topeka  (209).  The  Federal  government  maintains  a 
military  prison  and  a  branch  of  the  National  Soldiers'  Home  at  Leavenworth. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Shawnee  County  in  the  Border  Troubles — John  Brown  and  His  Followers — 
The  Siege  of  Lawrence — Foraging  upon  the  Enemy — Gen.  James  H. 
Lane  and  the  Free-State  Cause — John  Ritchie's  Arrest — The  Kansas 
Emigrant  Route — Enlistments  in  the  Civil  War — Campaigns  Against 
the  Indians. 

Free-State  meetings  at  Big  Springs  and  Topeka  in  the  fall  of  1855  led 
to  a  clash  of  authority  in  Douglas  County  which  has  passed  into  history  as 
"The  Wakarusa  War.'  It  was  precipitated  by  a  personal  encounter  between 
Charles  W.  Dow  and  Franklin  M.  Coleman  over  the  occupancy  of  a  piece  of 
land  at  Hickory  Point,  10  miles  south  of  Lawrence,  Dow  being  shot  and 
killed  by  Coleman  as  he  was  leaving  the  latter's  house,  November  21st.  Dow 
was  a  Free-State  man,  and  Coleman  a  Pro-Slavery  immigrant  from  Missouri. 
The  Free-State  men  threatened  to  avenge  the  death  of  their  comrade,  and  one 
of  the  friends  of  Dow,  Jacob  Branson,  was  arrested  by  Sheriff  Samuel  J. 
Jones,  of  Douglas  County,  an  appointee  of  the  Pro-Slavery  Legislature.  The 
Free-State  men  accomplished  the  rescue  of  Branson,  and  conveyed  him  to 
Lawrence,  where  the  early-day  troubles  seemed  to  concentrate  and  the  Free- 
Soilers  were  in  greatest  force.  Sheriff  Jones  appealed  to  the  Governor  for  as- 
sistance, and  Governor  Shannon  invoked  the  aid  of  the  militia.  Missouri  fur- 
nished most  of  the  Pro-Slavery  troops,  and  the  Free-State  towns  of  Kansas 
rallied  to  the  defense  of  Lawrence,  in  the  resultant  melee. 

THE    SIEGE    OF    LAWRENCE. 

Lawrence  was  in  a  state  of  siege  for  two  weeks  ending  December  7,  1855, 
when  Governor  Shannon  disbanded  the  militia  and  declared  peace.  Incidental 
to  the  war,  Thomas  W.  Barber  was  killed,  December  6th,  by  a  party  of 
raiders  from  the  camp  at  Lecompton.  The  war  produced  no  other  casualties, 
but  it  was  one  of  the  most  significant  events  in  early  Kansas  history,  as  it 
brought  into  prominence  such  well-known  characters  as  Charles  Robinson, 
James  H.  Lane,  Samuel  C.  Pomeroy,  Samuel  N.  Wood,  Wilson  Shannon  and 
John  BroAvn.    The  last  named  arrived  in  Lawrence  December  7th,  from  Osa- 


74  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

watomie,  with  four  of  his  sons.     They  were  ah  well  armed,  and  traveled  in  a 
wagon,  from  the  front  of  which  floated  the  American  flag. 

Shawnee  County  contributed  one  of  the  companies  that  went  to  the  de- 
fence of  Lawrence.  It  was  organized  November  27,  1855,  with  Daniel  H. 
Home  as  captain;  Asaph  Allen,  ist  lieutenant;  Loring  Farnsworth,  2nd  lieu- 
tenant ;  John  Ritchie,  3rd  lieutenant ;  non-commissioned  officers, — Leonard  W. 
Home,  William  F.  Creitz,  W.  W.  Henderson,  James  G.  Bunker,  Andrew  S. 
Waters,  Moses  Hubbard  and  Henry  B.  Cowles;  privates, — Augustus  H.  Bar- 
nard, George  F.  Boyd,  Leroy  L.  Brown,  Philip  Briggs,  Franklin  L.  Crane, 
Peter  O'Connor,  Humphrey  Coburn,  Jesse  H.  Crane,  J.  F.  Cummings, 
George  Davis,  Francis  Davis,  Abner  Doane,  Henry  Damm,  Guilford  Dudley, 
James  Disney,  Moses  Dudley,  Joseph  W.  Emerson,  Charles  Farnsworth, 
Charles  N.  Gray,  Richard  Gustin,  Benjamin  F.  Gatchel,  George  F.  Hartwell, 
Paul  K.  Hubbard,  George  Hill,  Abel  F.  Hartwell,  Cyrus  F.  Howard,  George 
W.  Hathaway,  George  L.  King,  Robert  M.  Luce,  Christopher  C.  Leonard, 
David  H.  Moore,  W.  G.  R.  Miles,  Joseph  C.  Miller,  McClure  C.  Martin,  Rob- 
ert L.  Mitchell,  Alonzo  W.  Moore,  John  Long,  Ozias  Judd,  John  W.  Parsons, 
James  Pierce,  W.  W.  Ross,  James  Redpath,  David  Smith,  Charles  A.  Sex- 
ton, William  P.  Thompson,  Charles  L.  Tyrrell,  Charles  H.  Thompson,  James 
Taggart,  Theron  Tucker,  Peter  J.  Wendell,  Thomas  G.  Thornton,  Henry  P. 
Waters,  John  A.  Wirt,  William  H.  Weymouth,  Charles  L.  Wilber,  Nelson 
Young,  Harvey  G.  Young,  George  H.  Woods  and  George  F.  Warren. 

FORAGING  FOR  SUPPLIES. 

In  1856  the  relations  between  the  Free-State  men  of  Kansas  and  the  Pro- 
Slavery  faction  in  Missouri  became  so  strained  that  it  was  impossible  to  get 
supplies  from  the  Missouri  towns,  the  sale  and  transportation  of  provisions 
and  merchandise  being  almost  entirely  shut  off,  or  accomplished  at  great  loss 
and  risk.  It  was  feared  that  the  Missourians  would  continue  their  raids  into 
the  new  settlements  and  that  the  lives  of  the  Free-State  men  and  their  families 
would  be  in  constant  jeopardy.  Most  of  the  towns  fortified  against  invasion 
and  many  of  them  organized  military  companies  for  further  protection.  The 
Shawnee  County  company  was  organized  as  Company  B  of  the  2nd  Regiment 
of  Kansas  Volunteers.  Aaron  D.  Stevens,  alias  Whipple,  was  colonel  of  the 
regiment.  L.  C.  Wilmarth  was  chief  of  commissary,  and  William  F.  Creitz, 
captain  of  the  Topeka  company.  Colonel  Whipple  was  in  the  United  States 
Army  in  the  Mexican  War.  He  was  imprisoned  at  Fort  Leavenworth  for 
attacking  an  officer  who  was  abusing  a  soldier.  He  escaped  from  prison  and 
came  to  Topeka,  hoping  to  hide  his  identity  under  the  name  of  Stevens.  He 
was  a  prominent  factor  in  the  early  history  of  Kansas,  followed  John  Brown 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  75 

to  Harper's  Ferry  in  1859,  and  was  executed  at  Charleston,  Virginia,  March 
16,   i860. 

Captain  Creitz'  company,  aided  by  Colonel  Stevens,  Daniel  H.  Home, 
John  Ritchie  and  others,  foraged  upon  the  neighboring  towns  of  Osawkie, 
Lecompton,  Indianola  and  Tecumseh,  and  took  from  the  Pro-Slavery  faction 
a  considerable  quantity  of  provisions  and  ammunition.  This  continued  for 
several  weeks,  until  supplies  could  be  received  in  a  regular  and  legitimate 
way.  The  Topeka  company  marched  to  Bull  Creek,  under  orders  from  Gen. 
James  H.  Lane,  to  repel  a  party  of  Missourians,  commanded  by  Capt.  John 
R^id,  who  was  leading  the  raid  on  Osawatomie.  After  coming  up  to  the 
raiders.  General  Lane  decided  that  an  attack  would  not  be  wise,  and  the  troops 
fell  back  to  Lawrence.  Here  the  Topeka  men  learned  that  Colonel  Cooke  had 
been  ordered  by  Secretary  Woodson  to  take  possession  of  the  town  of  To- 
peka, and  disarm  the  insurrectionists  who  were  defying  the  laws  enacted  by 
the  Pro-Slavery  Legislature.  The  company  returned  at  once  to  Topeka, 
where  assurance  was  given  that  Colonel  Cooke  would  not  execute  his  orders. 

HELPING  A  FREE-STATE  CHAMPION. 

Many  of  the  same  men  who  were  in  Captain  Creitz'  company  responded 
to  the  call  for  help  from  General  Lane  when  he  attempted  to  leave  the  Terri- 
tory in  the  fall  of  1856,  by  what  was  known  as  the  "Kansas  Emigrant  Route," 
between  Topeka  and  Nebraska  City,  a  distance  of  140  miles.  When  Lane 
reached  Osawkie,  September  nth,  he  feared  that  he  would  be  intercepted  by 
a  large  force  of  Pro-Slavery  men,  known  to  be  in  that  vicinity.  The  Topekans 
to  the  number  of  50  went  to  his  assistance,  under  command  of  Colonel  Whip- 
ple, arriving  at  Osawkie  on  the  morning  of  September  12th.  About  this  time 
there  was  another  outbreak  at  Hickory  Point,  in  which  a  soldier  named  New- 
ball  was  killed,  and  General  Lane  repaired  to  the  scene  of  the  conflict,  accom- 
panied by  some  of  his  men,  with  Col.  John  Ritchie  as  chief  of  his  staff.  Find- 
ing no  serious  trouble,  the  General  returned  to  Osawkie,  and,  upon  receipt 
of  Governor  Geary's  proclamation  ordering  all  armed  forces  to  disband,  gave 
up  the  idea  of  further  resistance,  and  sent  the  Topeka  company  home. 

On  the  i8th  of  September,  United  States  Marshal  Donaldson,  under 
direction  of  Governor  Geary,  arrested  several  of  the  members  of  the  Topeka 
company  for  participating  in  the  fight  at  Hickory  Point,  where  Newball  was 
killed,  and  for  rebellion  against  the  laws  of  the  Territory.  Among  the  per- 
sons arrested  were  Robert  L.  Mitchell,  John  Ritchie,  J.  E.  Rastall,  J.  H.  Kagi 
and  Charles  A.  Sexton.  They  were  imprisoned  at  Lecompton,  some  of  them 
being  afterwards  transferred  to  Tecumseh.  Sexton  established  an  alibi  and 
was  released.     The  others  escaped  or  were  pardoned.     Ritchie  and  Rastall 


76  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

absented  themselves  from  the  Territory  for  a  time,  to  escape  prosecution. 
Kagi  was  released  on  bond,  but  continued  his  efforts  in  behalf  of  the  Free- 
State  cause,  and  finally  followed  John  Brown  to  Harper's  Ferry,  where  he 
was  shot.  Under  an  amnesty  act  passed  by  the  Legislature,  February  ii, 
1859,  Ritchie  and  Rastall  returned  to  Kansas.  A  deputy  U.  S.  marshal, 
Leonard  Arms,  attempted  to  arrest  John  Ritchie  on  a  charge  of  mail  robbery, 
said  to  have  been  committed  in  1856.  Ritchie  resisted,  standing  in  his  own 
doorway,  and  fired  upon  the  officer  as  he  approached,  after  repeated  warnings, 
killing  him  instantly.  This  happened  April  20,  i860.  Ritchie  surrendered  to 
Justice  Joseph  C.  Miller,  was  tried  the  next  day  and  acquitted,  one  of  his 
counsel  being  Gen.  James  H.  Lane. 

THE    CIVIL    WAR. 

During  the  Civil  War  of  1861-65,  several  companies  were  organized  in 
Shawnee  County  for  the  defense  of  the  Union  and  the  further  protection  of 
the  State  from  invasion  by  Missouri  guerillas,  and  there  were  many  individ- 
ual enlistments  in  companies  organized  elsewhere.  A  complete  record  of  the 
enlistments  can  not  be  given  here,  but  the  references  which  follow  give  an 
indication  of  the  part  taken  by  Shawnee  County  in  the  great  war : 

In  the  First  Regiment,  Kansas  Volunteer  Infantry  were  Assistant  Sur- 
geon Charles  King,  M.  McNamara,  Capt.  Theron  Tucker,  Lieut.  Shubal  P. 
Thompson,  Simon  Atkinson,  William  H.  Stone,  Charles  W.  Harper,  Daniel 
Updegraff  and  Sidney  Dudley  (killed  at  Wilson's  Creek). 

Second  Kansas  Regiment,  Infantry — Capt.  Leonard  W.  Home;  Lieuts. 
Thomas  Fulton,  Luther  H.  Wentworth  and  James  C.  French;  John  A.  Lee, 
Charles  A.  Stringham,  John  Mofifitt,  L.  Newell,  Charles  F.  Harwood,  Sher- 
man Bodwell,  Charles  Schmidt,  Albert,  W.  Knowles,  F.  A.  McKenna,  David 
O.  Crane,  John  H.  Banks,  W.  H.  Boutwell,  A.  A.  Blair,  R.  Biedermann, 
Charles  Barger,  Amos  Boutwell,  N.  H.  Cogn,  J.  D.  Greer,  Nathan  P.  Gregg, 
Noah  Gibbs,  John  Hovender,  G.  F.  Hartwell,  Thomas  H.  Haskell,  S.  W. 
Higbee,  Albert  Hubbard,  Lewis  S.  Long,  H.  S.  Mayhall,  C.  W.  Miller,  C.  S. 
Mills,  John  Morrissey,  E.  B.  Morley  (killed  at  Wilson's  Creek),  J.  H. 
O'Neill,  William  P.  Phillips,  Nicholas  Roberti,  James  Roberti  (killed  at  Wil- 
son's Creek),  J.  W.  Raker,  J.  F.  Simmons,  Larkin  C.  Shields,  George  B. 
Winans  and  Josiah  A.  Everett. 

Second  Kansas  Regiment,  Cavalry — Henry  L.  Isbell,  John  Q.  C.  Searle, 
Samuel  K.  Cross,  John  P.  Hyde,  G.  W.  L.  Johnston,  Lieut.  William  P.  Phil- 
lips, David  Hubbard,  Elias  Shaffer,  George  W.  Reese,  Henry  P.  Moore, 
Lucius  Kingman,  Edwin  M.  Hewins,  James  Bassett,  Almon  Hunter,  Samuel 
Horton,  Randolph  G.  Brown,  James  B.  Evans,  Frederick  E.  Jilson,  James 


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AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  79 

N.  Martin,  Charles  B.  Pearson,  William  C.  Anderson,  John  W.  Boyer,  J.  S. 
Bryan,  John  Cummins,  J.  C.  Dennitt,  George  W.  Eddy,  Chas.  Fowler,  Ma- 
rion Lyon,  James  Longnecker,  Samuel  McBride,  John  McMaster,  Thomas 
Provost,  Robert  N.  McPherson,  T.  J.  Ragland,  Charles  Ross,  Daniel  Shipley, 
A.  S.  Waters,  S.  Worcester,  W.  H.  Widener,  A.  W.  Boyce,  John  W.  Hiatt, 
Henry  Hirsch  (killed  at  Fort  Smith),  James  T.  Reynolds,  M.  L.  Foltz, 
Francis  M.  Stahl,  George  Neil,  William  Beckes,  M.  E.  Cowee,  L.  B.  Stone, 
Carey  Walton,  T.  S.  Williams,  T.  R.  Palmer,  S.  E.  A.  Palmer,  Henry  F. 
Drake,  Loudon  Huntoon,  Joseph  H.  O'Neill  and  William  O'Neill. 

Third  Kansas  Regiment,  Cavalry — Grover  Young. 

Fifth  Kansas  Regiment,  Cavalry — Lieut.-Col.  John  Ritchie,  Maj. 
Thomas  W.  Scudder,  Surgeon  A.  J.  Huntoon,  Stephen  J.  Jennings,  \'\'.  C. 
Gilpatrick,  Reuben  A.  Randlett,  Joseph  McCarty,  C.  L.  Tyrrell,  H.  M.  Ket- 
chin,  L.  Housel,  M.  A.  Palmer,  Samuel  B.  Wade,  Jacob  D.  Orcutt,  Thomas 
J.  Anderson,  Nelson  M.  Johnson,  G.  M.  Blackhart,  A.  J.  Link,  Harvey  A. 
Miller,  Robert  Allen,  John  M.  Ashbaugh,  N.  W.  Babcock,  John  Armstrong, 
Daniel  W.  Boutwell,  J.  W.  Emmerson,  F.  R.  Fields,  H.  Fletcher,  J.  Goodrich, 
Peter  Heil,  E.  Herriott,  J.  C.  Palmer,  Earnest  Palmer,  J.  W.  Rue,  J.  M. 
Reno,  J.  W.  Ridgeway,  L.  E.  Ridgeway,  J.  J.  Shields,  E.  Scranton,  W.  H. 
Smythe,  S.  Williams,  Thomas  Archer,  H.  B.  Anderson,  John  Furnish  (killed 
at  Mark's  Mills),  George  E.  Flanders,  Cyrus  Lindsey,  John  McHale,  A.  C. 
Hurd,  Richard  Broad,  Henry  Blanchard,  Charles  H.  Brown  and  Miles  W. 
Thompson  (killed  at  Mark's  Mills). 

Sixth  Kansas  Regiment,  Cavalry — Maj.  George  W.  Veale,  Charles  W. 
Jewell,  Capt.  H.  S.  Greeno,  J.  M.  Clay,  James  Davis,  Benjamin  D.  Russum, 
Willis  D.  Disbrow  and  Lieut.  Leonard  J.  Swingley. 

Seventh  Kansas  Regiment,  Cavalry — Andrew  J.  Battey,  James  A.  Hun- 
ter, Eber  D.  Herring,  Frank  Sharrai,  A.  A.  Blair,  Joseph  Farrar  and  Albert 
Hubbard. 

Eighth  Kansas  Regiment,  Infantry — Chaplain  John  Paulson,  E.  D. 
Rose,  Milton  Rose,  Leonard  A.  Heil,  V.  N.  Brown,  Cyrus  Gi^ant,  W.  L. 
Wendall,  John  McNutt,  Lewis  V.  Bryan,  J.  T.  Hiller,  Ettina  Bullette,  Eugene 
Kagi,  W.  Hindman,  W.  H.  Kemp,  R.  Russell,  A.  Rambo,  Martin  Stamp, 
Thomas  Stamp,  Napoleon  Sharrai,  H.  Davidson,  Joseph  Laramie,  James  Ste- 
wart, A.  Stanley  and  Ferd  F.  Wendall. 

Ninth  Kansas  Regiment,  Cavalry — Milton  R.  Moore,  Charles  H.  Ander- 
son, S.  M.  Cunningham,  Theodore  J.  Dickenson,  M.  I.  Gilpatrick,  John  L. 
Price,  Henry  Fitzpatrick,  J.  W.  Fox,  G.  T.  Fitz,  Lester  F.  Buttles,  J.  F.  De- 
long,  James  B.  Thomas,  Joseph  Emerson,  John  R.  Emerson,  William  H.  H. 
Fox,  J.  C.  Hyde,  B.  Heintzman,  Auletas  Leonard,  L.  R.  Vail,  M.  N.  Mc- 
4 


8o  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Ginley,  W.  S.  Bennett,  S.  Brumfield,  W.  Brumfield,  A.  Dixon,  A.  C.  Whit- 
low, A.  B.  Whitlow,  and  J.  M.  Whitlow. 

Tenth  Kansas  Regiment,  Infantry — Alfred  J.  Lloyd,  Albert  Clark, 
William  H.  Jaquith,  W.  L.  Burke,  A.  Riley,  Lieut.  Joseph  K.  Hudson,  A.  F. 
Birum,  Lieut.  John  F.  Hill,  George  W.  Weed  and  David  Whitaker. 

Eleventh  Kansas  Regiment,  Cavalry — Maj.  Edmond  G.  Ross,  Adj. 
James  E.  Greer,  Daniel  H.  Home,  W.  H.  Cowan,  A.  Ashbaugh,  John  Albin, 
John  James,  W.  P  Woods,  Lieut.  Nathan  P.  Gregg,  Spencer  P.  Wade,  Lieut. 
Henry  C.  Lindsey,  Rufus  T.  Conwell,  H.  E.  Close,  John  F.  Carter,  C.  P. 
Hunger,  William  Marlatt,  George  Ross,  Richard  Alfriend,  P.  S.  Crawford, 
Neut.  A.  Johnson,  W.  D.  Bartlett,  Samuel  Blandon,  James  M.  Conwell, 
Franklin  L.  Crane,  S.  B.  Enderton,  J.  Farren,  R.  Frizzle,  Nathan  Girt,  J.  D. 
Greer,  J.  M.  Hunter,  M.  S.  Judd,  Albert  Kees,  J.  Keatley,  J.  H.  Mills,  A. 
O'Neil,  J.  P.  Ogee,  George  Ross,  W.  J.  Ragland,  J.  J.  St.  John,  Don  A. 
Sweet,  H.  H.  Smith,  Perry  C.  Tuttle,  John  G.  Anderson,  B.  F.  Adams,  C. 
D.  Correll,  Henry  H.  Cook,  J.  B.  C.  Cook,  E.  W.  Davis,  A.  Delap,  C.  L. 
Freeman,  J.  A.  Givens,  J.  W.  Gilpin,  J.  G.  Harriott,  E.  W.  Houston,  George 
Heberling,  C.  A.  Metcalf,  L.  J.  Mossman,  G.  W.  Morris,  John  C.  Paine,  H. 
,  A.  terry,  S.  Sage,  C.  G.  Town,  E.  S.  Underwood,  J.  A.  White,  E.  A.  Went- 
worth,  N.  t).  Wentworth,  Charles  W.  Welch,  James  J.  S.  Garvey,  Capt.  Joel 
Huntoon,  Lieuts.  J.  W.  Ridgeway  and  Sherman  Bodwell,  O.  C.  Ward,  Will- 
iam H.  Morris,  Daniel  Dodge,  John  Kappil,  L.  O.  Snoddy,  Robert  McMaster, 
J.  Raney,  Joseph  S.  Jordan,  Emanuel  Crowe,  Abner  Doane,  J.  B.  Clogston, 
James  Mecham,  J.  H.  Weaver,  Charles  Schmidt,  W.  H.  Ridgeway,  Orson 
Howard,  W.  R.  Black,  D.  J.  Moore,  J.  D.  Wood,  J.  F.  Ward,  H.  P.  Streeter, 
J.  T.  Adams,  J.  E.  Antrim,  J.  H.  Ashlein,  Charles  Aye,  C.  L.  Bogue,  Moses 
Brown,  William  Brown,  F.  D.  Campbell,  J.  H.  Copeland,  G.  M.  Copeland, 
Isaiah  Cox,  Samuel  Cox,  R.  Clements,  W.  T.  Dixon,  J.  G.  Dodge,  Peter 
Elliott,  Jacob  Evans,  W.  T.  Goodnight,  A.  M.  Harden,  George  Heil,  W. 
Holzle,  A.  Hoppe,  Nathan  P.  Horton,  O  Hooper,  Philip  John- 
ston, Jesse  Long,  W.  B.  Long,  W.  H.  Lynne,  A.  J.  Marshall,  Thomas  Mc- 
Evoy,  J.  N.  Miller,  D.  E.  Miller,  W.  H.  Moffatt, .  Joseph  Molton,  S.  Ogee, 
H.  P.  Penny,  Ferdinand  Schaffer,  Samuel  Sproul,  C.  L.  Stevenson,  A.  Upde- 
graff,  W.  Vickers,  R.  H.  Forsythe,  James  Forsythe,  R.  A.  Hathaway,  J.  M. 
McCartney,  Harrison  Nichols,  J.  T.  Penny,  S.  B.  Raney,  F.  M.  Williams, 
Edward  Shepard,  A.  F.  Bliss  and  J.  N.  Doty. 

Twelfth  Kansas  Regiment,  Infantry— David  Anderson,  Edward  Smith, 
George  W.  Smith  and  R.  N.  P.  Treadwell. 

Fourteenth  Kansas  Regiment,  Cavalry— Lieut.-Col.  J.  Finn  Hill,  W.  J. 
Peak,  A.  S.  Copeland,  Francis  LaFromboise,  Mitchell  LaFromboise,  H.  An- 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  8i 

thony,  Joseph  Bourassa,  J.  M.  Greenwood,  Joseph  Latouned,  Isaac  McCoy 
and  Alexander  Rodd. 

Fifteenth  Kansas  Regiment,  Cavah-y — Lieut.-Col.  Henry  C.  Haas,  Sur- 
geon A.  E.  Denning,  Asst.  Surgeon  Samuel  Ashmore,  D.  H.  Neally,  J.  F. 
Linville,  Lieut.  Luther  H.  Wentvvorth,  John  M.  Bryan,  H.  H.  Kirby,  W. 
H.  Smith,  N.  R.  Bickle,  Taylor  Horn,  F.  R.  Ward,  M.  W.  Rock,  Jacob  Horn, 
O.  E.  Chapin,  Thomas  Pickerell,  John  C.  Porter,  Eli  Miles,  M.  Burk,  S. 
Bonum,  J.  Bellemere,  William  Glasscock,  P.  Hullsapple,  Thomas  Hall,  J. 
W.  Hopkins,  W.  A.  Jones,  D.  Lemmons,  Peter  Mann,  M.  Obrey,  Lewis 
Papan,  Henry  Papan,  Benjamin  Paine,  H.  Puckett,  S.  Wilkinson,  David 
Zimmerman,  J.  Cohee,  Frank  Harmes,  R.  Newman,  J.  W.  Ridenour,  John 
Shipley,  Alma  Shipley,  Capt.  C.  O.  Smith,  Lieut.  L.  Craig  Shields,  W.  A. 
Simmerwell,  W.  H.  Bell,  Haney  McCaslin,  S.  E.  Thompson,  N.  A.  Clark, 
W.  A.  Young,  Nathan  Briles,  John  H.  Young,  John  Coyne,  Alonzo  Davis, 
Michael  Moriarty,  James  Rundle,  H.  Salsbury,  John  Smith,  Eugene  Hagar, 
Christopher  Columbus,  W.  J.  Wallace,  C.  H.  Brown  and  Richard  Broad. 

Sixteenth  Kansas  Regiment,  Cavalry — J.  L.  Wightman,  Capt.  M.  M. 
Neely,  Capt.  S.  P.  Thompson  and  D.  W.  Seagraves. 

Seventeenth  Kansas  Regiment,  Infantry- — ^Lieut.  Nelson  M.  Hovey, 
George  A.  Dailey,  C.  F.  Kiff,  Fletcher  Jackson,  Charles  O.  Knowles,  G.  W. 
Gabriel,  R.  H.  Hyde,  J.  H.  Brownlee,  Leverton  Clay,  W.  M.  Copeland,  Al- 
bert Cowan,  J.  S.  Diimmer,  M.  Dougherty,  J.  W.  Farrington,  J.  J.  Hoeback, 
H.  T.  Howell,  Abram  Marple,  Albert  McClain,  B.  Morriarty,  W.  M.  Nichols, 
L.  Norbury,  J.  D.  Pogue,  Cyrus  Reamy,  T.  P.  Reed,  Daniel  Rundle,  Adding- 
ton  Sawyer,  Levi  Snyder,  W.  K.  Thompson,  Anthony  Vohs,  John  A.  Woods 
and  Martin  Young. 

First  Kansas  Colored  Regiment,  Infantry — ^John  Carter,  Douglas 
Grimes,  Whitfield  Ross,  H.  Crittenden,  James  Austin,  Thomas  Brown,  David 
Barber,  Edward  Deane,  James  Hockley,  Adam  Hill,  Samuel  Howard, 
Beardsley  Hightower,  Lazarus  Johnson,  Charles  Martin,  Jackson  Perrin, 
William  Richardson,  David  Thompson,  John  Williams,  Monroe  Williams, 
T.  H.  Phillips,  John  Farrell,  Lieutenant  W.  T.  Edgerton,  W.  L.  Lane,  Will- 
iam Parker,  Ephraim  Peererly,  Elijah  Smith  and  George  Washington. 

Second  Kansas  Colored  Regiment,  Infantry — Chaplain  Josiah  B.  Mc- 
Afee and  Capt.  M.  F.  Gilpatrick. 

First  Kansas  Battery — Lieut.  John  B.  Cook,  Alfred  J.  Lloyd,  George 
R.  Anderson  and  Scott  Greer. 

Third  Kansas  Battery — Lieut.  Oscar  F.  Dunlap. 

Eighth  Regiment  United  States  Volunteers — John  M.  Ashbaugh,  Wesley 
Boyles,  N.  M.  Johnson  and  J.  McCarty. 

Eighteenth  Kansas  Regiment,  Cavalry — Capt.  Henry  C.  Lindsey,  Lieut. 


82  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

John  H.  Wellman,  Lyon  B.  Stone,  J.  C.  Norvell,  J.  W.  Ragland,  J.  T.  Mar- 
shall, G.  A.  McKinney,  W.  F.  Davidson,  Charles  D.  Carroll,  J.  A.  Wilker- 
son,  J.  A.  Bailey,  R.  E.  Brown,  J.  J.  Bunce,  T.  S.  Bourassa,  C.  J.  Boyles,  G. 
W.  Dale,  E.  W.  Duncan,  J.  Everhart,  E.  A.  Green,  J.  H.  Green,  John  Knee- 
land,  George  Mitchell,  C.  S.  Metz,  F.  S.  Metz,  George  Rake,  Guy  Service, 
Eugene  Sharrai,  W.  M.  Sherman,  William  Tice,  George  Woolary,  Stephen 
Wilmarth,  J.  W.  Wilkerson,  Lieut.  John  W.  Price,  Lieut.  Francis  M.  Stahl, 
William  D.  Milne,  H.  D.  Courtney,  William  Jenner,  L.  A.  Howell,  S.  P. 
Miller,  S.  Armstrong,  B.  J.  Butler,  J.  W.  Cook,  C.  Carey,  R.  A.  Cooper, 
James  Cripps,  E.  J.  Davenport,  S.  W.  Emmerson,  D.  J.  Garrison,  Joseph  H. 
Gordon,  Perry  Griffith,  J.  G.  Herriott,  J.  W.  Hays,  W.  Kirkpatrick,  B.  M. 
Kennedy,  Lewis  Lafarmer,  J.  M.  Large,  T.  H.  McCune,  William  Mills,  M. 
McDole,  W.  McNown,  Thomas  Neill,  Charles  Norton,  G.  W.  Price,  W.  T. 
Roberts,  W.  R.  Stewart,  D.  C.  Salladay,  A.  C.  Vangundy,  B.  Heinzman, 
W.  H.  Smith  and  Lieut.  Henry  Hewger. 

Nineteenth  Kansas  Regiment,  Cavalry — S.  J.  Crawford,  colonel;  Horace 
L.  Moore,  lieutenant-colonel;  Charles  Dimon,  R.  W.  Jenkins  and  Milton 
Stewart,  majors;  Mahlon  Bailey,  surgeon;  E.  P.  Russell  and  Robt.  Aikman, 
assistant  surgeons;  James  W.  Steele,  adjutant;  L.  A.  Thresher,  quarter- 
master; John  Johnston,  commissary.  Company  A. — Capt.  A.  J.  Pliley; 
Lieuts.  B.  D.  Wilson,  R.  C.  Powell  and  Joseph  Beacock ;  W.  E.  Adams,  Olof 
Alton,  W.  G.  Andrews,  F.  M.  Brown,  F.  E.  Bryan,  H.  C.  Butler,  J.  B.  Cald- 
well, T.  P.  Canfield,  Charles  Carlson,  Peter  Cart,  J.  W.  Casebier,  J.  Cohee, 
J.  M.  Conwell,  J.  Cooper,  W.  C.  Cooney,  Isaiah  Creek,  O.  A.  Curtis,  F.  E.  Dau- 
bon,  George  Davidson,  W.  Davis,  E.  B.  Davis,  C.  C.  Dollaway,  T.  W.  Duer,  A. 
Dunner,  J.  Eckley,  S.' Enoch,  C.  O.  Fowler,  P.  Ferguson,  William  Gay,  J. 
A.  Hadley,  J.  Hanson,  J.  M.  Hays,  L.  A.  Henson,  A.  Hilbish,  J.  Herrington, 
L.  Herrmian,  L.  A.  Howell,  J.  H.  Hudson,  A.  Jacobson,  Martin  Johnson, 
A.  P.  Johnson,  M.  V.  James,  S.  Jordan,  C.  F.  Laiblin,  J.  Laramie,  M.  B.  La- 
zelle,  J.  Linton,  G.  Lundgren,  T.  H.  Maddox,  J.  P.  Maddox,  John  Maley,  A. 
J.  Marshall,  W.  Mason,  W.  W.  Mather,  I.  B.  Moffitt,  J.  L.  Morrison,  John 
McBee,  Jeremiah  McBee,  W.  A.  McClain,  J.  H.  McClain,  Reed  McCarter,  D. 
McCarty,  J.  P.  McDowell,  C.  McHazard,  B.  McMahon,  C.  P.  Nelson,  Otwain 
Papan,  Stephen  Papan,  J.  D.  Perkins,  S.  N.  Peterson,  S.  D.  Powell,  G.  Razer, 
William  Rice,  T.  Riddle,  F.  M.  Rogers,  G.  W.  Rogers,  Charles  Seavey, 
William  Sherman,  Charles  Shutts,  William  Smith,  Andrew  J.  Smith,  George 
D.  Smith,  C.  Stackhouse,  J.  Stanley,  S.  Stumbaugh,  J.  C.  Templeton,  A. 
Thompson,  J.  Turner,  A.  Updegraff,  T.  B.  Vanderpool,  F.  M.  Vane,  L. 
Walker,  W.  Watkins,  F.  M.  Williams,  Henry  Williams,  J.  M.  Wilson  and 
Robert  M.  Wright.  Company  B — Capt.  Charles  E.  Reck;  Lieuts.  Henry  H. 
McColIister  and   Charles   H.   Champney.        Company   C — Capt.   Charles   P. 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  83 

Twiss;  Lieuts.  Walter  J.  Dallas  and  Jesse  E.  Parsons.  Company  D — Capt. 
John  Q.  A.  Norton;  Lieuts.  John  S.  Edie  and  Charles  H.  Hoyt.  Company 
E — Capt.  Thomas  J.  Darling,  Lieuts.  William  H.  Bidwell  and  Charles  T. 
Brady ;  James  McMahon  and  Barnabas  Welch.  Company  F — Capt.  George  B. 
Jenness ;  Lieuts.  DeWitt  C.  Jenness  and  John  Fellows ;  Allen  F.  Baird,  Allen 
F.  Bund,  John  P.  Chess,  J.  C.  Claypool,  David  Emerson,  Calvin  Holmes, 
George  L.  Miller,  J.  McCullum,  John  Tabor  and  George  W.  Warner.  Com- 
pany G — Capts.  Charles  Dimon  and  Richard  D.  Lender;  Lieuts.  Myron  A. 
Wood  and  H.  C.  Litchfield.  Company  H — Capt.  David  T.  Payne;  Lieuts. 
Mount  A.  Gordon  and  Robert  M.  Steele.  Company  I — Capt.  Roger  A.  Ells- 
worth; Lieuts.  J.  T.  Clancy  and  J.  M.  May;  J.  H.  Baker,  O.  M.  Beall,  O.  W. 
Belt,  J.  H.  Carpenter,  Hubert  Calkins,  John  M.  Dailey,  G.  W.  Deatly,  D.  P. 
Faler,  E.  Finn,  J.  Fightner,  W.  M.  Fitzgerald,  J.  R.  Guise,  T.  M.  Lowry, 
J.  R.  Maphet,  Norman  Mead,  A.  F.  Meats,  J.  R.  Merritt,  Isaac  McCoy, 
M.  Odiorne,  J.  O'Neil,  Henry  Pearson,  N.  Peterson,  A.  M.  Pittman,  Chas. 
Roberts,  John  S.  Stone  and  Thomas  Warren.  Company  K — Capts.  Milton 
Stewart  and  Emmett  Ryus;  Lieuts.  Charles  H.  Hallett  and  R.  I.  Sharp; 
John  Cesseviske  and  Robert  Chase.  Company  L — Capt.  Charles  H.  Finch; 
Lieuts.  Henry  E.  Stoddard  and  W.  S.  Tilton.  Company  M — Capt.  Sargent 
Moody;  Lieuts.  James  Graham  and  J.  P.  Hurst;  Moses  Allen,  Edward  B. 
Baldwin,  William  Chalender,  George  Clark,  Isaac  Colvin,  George  Dale,  J. 
N.  Denny,  F.  Grew,  D.  K.  Hardin,  William  Hester,  M.  McCullough,  David 
Nocton,  John  Parker,  Charles  Phenis,  F.  N.  Snyder  and  Henry  N.  Vander- 
case. 

The  1 8th  and  19th  regiments  were  volunteer  organizations  employed  in 
the  protection  of  the  State  from  Indian  depredations.  The  i8th  was  in  service 
in  1867,  under  command  of  Major  Horace  L.  Moore,  and  the  19th  in  1868-69, 
under  Gen.  Phil.  H.  Sheridan. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

Repelling  the  Price  Raid — Second  Kansas  State  Militia — Preparations  for 
War  in  Topeka—The  Home  Guards — The  Battle  of  the  Blue — Colonel 
Veale's  Regiment  in  the  Conflict — Capt.  Ross  Burns  and  His  Famous 
Battery — The  Gage  Monument. 

Martial  law  was  declared  in  Kansas,  October  lo,  1864,  in  anticipation 
of  a  raid  by  the  Confederates  under  command  of  Gen.  Sterling  Price,  and, 
in  response  to  the  call  of  Governor  Thomas  Carney,  the  Second  Regiment  of 
Kansas  State  Militia  was  organized  in  Shawnee  County,  October  12th.  George 
W.  Veale  was  made  colonel  of  the  regiment,  which  contained  561  men.  Most 
of  the  men  were  mounted,  upon  their  own  horses  and  ponies,  and  the  wagons 
and  supplies  were  largely  their  own  property.  Accompanying  the  regiment 
was  a  battery  of  one  24-pounder  brass  howitzer,  and  22  men,  commanded  by 
Capt.  Ross  Burns.  Its  ammunition  was  carried  in  a  lumber  wagon  contributed 
by  Edward  Rape.  The  artillery  team  of  four  horses  was  furnished  by  John 
Armstrong  and  William  P.  Thompson.  The  regiment  was  ordered  into  im- 
mediate service  at  Olathe,  joining  the  command  of  Gen.  M.  S.  Grant. 

TOPEKA  HOME  DEFENDERS. 

A  battalion  of  home  guards  was  also  organized  for  the  special  defense 
of  the  city  of  Topeka  against  a  threatened  calamity  similar  to  the  one  which 
had  befallen  Lawrence  at  the  hands  of  Quantrell.  This  battalion  was  in  com- 
mand of  Maj.  Andrew  Stark  and  consisted  of  six  companies,  under  Capts. 
Fry  W.  Giles,  L.  Craig  Shields,  H.  S.  Gale,  Thomas  Archer,  Joseph  Trew 
and  Edward  Krappe,  and  a  small  battery  in  charge  of  Lieut.  Tobias  Billings. 
Topeka  soon  assumed  a  warlike  appearance.  Trenches  were  cut  at  the  inter- 
sections of  Sixth  avenue  and  Jefferson  street,  and  Eighth  and  Madison  streets, 
to  embarrass  the  enemy's  approach.  At  the  intersection  of  Sixth  and  Kansas 
avenues,  the  most  central  point  in  the  city,  a  circular  stockade  was  constructed 
of  Cottonwood  timbers  standing  10  feet  above  the  ground.  The  drilling  and 
marching  and  anxiety  continued  for  two  weeks,  but  the  expected  attack  was 
not  made,  and  the  battalion  soon  disbanded. 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  85 

BATTLE    OF   THE    BLUE. 

Ten  days  after  Colonel  Veale's  regiment  had  been  mustered  in,  it  was 
called  upon  to  engage  in  battle  with  a  brigade  of  Price's  army,  a  part  of 
General  Shelby's  division,  commanded  by  General  Jackman.  This  was  the 
famous  battle  of  the  Big  Blue.  It  was  fought  on  the  afternoon  of  the  22nd 
day  of  October,  1864,  at  the  Mockabee  farm,  near  a  crossing  of  the  Big  Blue 
River  known  as  Byrom's  Ford.  Colonel  Veale's  command  was  outnumbered 
six  to  one  by  the  enemy,  and  the  latter  had  the  additional  advantage  of  sea- 
soned troops  and  modern  equipment.  Against  fearful  odds  Colonel  Veale's 
men  fought  desperately  for  three  quarters  of  an  hour,  but  they  were  finally 
overcome  and  driven  from  the  field  at  great  loss.  The  short  engagement  and 
the  loss  inflicted  on  the  enemy  by  the  raw  and  untrained  recruits  from  Kansas, 
had  the  effect  of  checking  General  Price's  advance,  and  he  was  ultimately 
repulsed. 

The  dominant  feature  of  the  battle  of  the  Blue,  as  it  will  live  in  song  and 
story,  was  the  wonderful  work  of  the  little  battery  handled  by  Capt.  Ross 
Burns  and  the  gunners.  The  battery  was  planted  in  a  lane  leading  from  the 
Mockabee  farm  to  the  crossing  of  the  stream.  It  withstood  two  charges  from 
a  sti'ong  force  of  General  Jackman's  cavalry.  The  third  charge  was  so  power- 
ful, the  cavalry  riding  six  abreast  and  closely  massed,  that  the  battery  could 
not  resist  it,  although  Captain  Burns  stood  by  his  single  field-piece  until  he 
was  taken  prisoner  and  clubbed  into  insensibility.  Eight  of  his  men  were 
killed,  four  wounded,  and  10  taken  prisoners. 

Colonel  Veale's  total  losses  were  24  killed,  20  wounded  and  68  taken 
prisoners.  He  also  lost  100  horses  and  his  only  piece  of  artillery.  In  all  the 
official  reports  the  fidelity  and  courage  of  the  Second  Regiment  were  highly 
commended  by  the  commanding  officers.  A  record  of  the  casualties  follows : 
Killed — J.  B.  Alverson,  Samuel  Allen,  Nicholas  Brown,  Moses  Banks,  C. 
H.  Budd,  Robert  Bolls,  H.  C.  Coville,  Robert  Campbell,  Albert  Chapman, 
James  Eagle,  David  Fultz,  George  Ginnold,  Daniel  Handley,  Ben  Hughes, 
McClure  Martin,  Robert  McNoun,  Dennis  Ray,  David  Rake,  D.  M.  Race, 
Elias  Roberts,  W.  P.  Roberts,  Lear  Selkin,  William  Mann  and  Harvey  G. 
Young. 

Wounded — Lieut.-Col.  H.  M.  Greene,  Capt.  Ross  Burns,  Capt.  H.  E. 
Bush,  Capt.  S.  B.  Miles,  Lieut.  W.  H.  Delong,  Isaac  Bickel,  Allen  Blandon, 
John  S.  Branner,  Brock  Crawford,  Martin  Dreck,  Peter  Flick,  John  P.  Greer, 
H.  M.  Howard,  John  Keiser,  Dr.  A.  F.  Neeley,  James  Norris,  T.  F.  Prather, 
John  Thompson,  William  P.  Thompson  and  John  A.  Ward. 

Prisoners — James  Anderson,  Lieut.-Col.  John  W.  Brown,  Isaac  Bickel, 
Samuel  Blandon,  J.  J.  W.  Clark,  L.  T.  Cook,  H.  Cunningham,  Frank  Daw- 


86  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

son,  H.  M.  Deming,  George  Duncan,  R.  Fitzgerald,  George  Fix,  Henry  Fix, 
William  Flanders,  Perry  Fleshman,  F.  M.  Fletcher,  J.  B.  Follansbee,  Lieut. 
H.  P.  Gilland,  Guilford  G.  Gage,  J.  T.  Gage,  J.  H.  Glenn,  James  R.  Greer, 
W.  S.  Hibbard,  R.  W.  Hoback,  J.  Holman,  C.  G.  Howard,  James  Huggins, 
Dr.  A.  J.  Huntoon,  Baxter  Ingrund,  Ephraim  Johnson,  John  Keiser,  John 
Kemp,  Robert  Kemp,  Jacob  Kline,  Samuel  Kosier,  J.  A.  Link,  Horace  Linn,  F. 
K.  Mackey,  John  P.  Majors,  J.  S.  Markham,  William  Marx,  Oscar  McCon- 
nell,  G.  B.  McKee,  A.  G.  Miller,  Osburn  Naylor,  Willard  S.  Nichols,  Edward 
Pape,  J.  A.  Policy,  Alfred  Quiett,  S.  J.  Reader,  John  Reed,  John  Robinson, 
James  Russell,  Simon  Schafifer,  Eli  Snyder,  Jerome  Stahl,  J.  S.  Stanfield, 
David  Stevens,  J.  B.  Taylor,  Wallace  True,  David  Vaughn,  Lieut.  Hiram 
Ward,  James  Warren,  E.  B.  Williams,  Levi  Williams,  Granger  Wood,  G. 
H.  Wood  and  Nelson  Young. 

SECOND  MILITIA  REGIMENT. 

At  the  time  the  Second  Kansas  Regiment  of  militia  was  called  into 
service,  the  city  of  Topeka  had  less  than  i,ooo  population,  and  in  the  entire 
county  the  population  was  not  more  than  3,500.  For  this  reason  the  roster  of 
the  regiment  is  a  fairly  good  index  to  the  farriilies  then  residing  in  the  county. 
The  original  muster-roll  was  not  preserved,  but  the  following  is  a  nearly  com- 
plete roster  of  the  regiment : 

Field  and  Staff — George  W.  Veale,  colonel;  H.  M.  Greene,  lieutenant- 
colonel;  Andrew  Stark,  major;  S.  E.  Martin,  surgeon;  S.  J.  Reader,  A.  Q. 
M. ;  E.  P.  Kellam,  adjutant ;  F.  R.  Foster,  sergeant  major ;  Dan  Thompson, 
Q.  M.  sergeant ;  Jacob  Smith,  commissary  sergeant. 

Company  A  (Topeka) — Daniel  H.  Home,  captain;  S.  R.  Remington 
and  George  O.  Wilmarth,  lieutenants;  John  Martin,  ist  sergeant;  G.  Y. 
Arnold,  F.  P.  Baker,  H.  T.  Beman,  Edward  Bodwell,  W.  E.  Bowker,  James 
Brewer,  W.  R.  Brown,  Enoch  Chase,  E.  E.  Chesney,  John  F.  Cole,  James 
Conwell,  David  Edwards,  Peter  Fisher,  S.  H.  Fletcher,  M.  Gabriel,  Asbury 
Gordon,  Louis  Grasmuck,  J.  H.  Holman,  W.  Marshall,  L.  H.  McArthur, 
Robert  McGinnis,  S.  H.  McGowan,  Peter  MacVicar,  A.  B.  Perine,  D.  W. 
Ross,  W.  W.  Ross,  L  W.  Shipley,  M.  K.  Smith,  Z.  D.  Smith,  D.  Thompson, 
Charles  Thresher,  J.  B.  Whitaker,  A.  L.  Williams,  and  D.  Zimmerman. 

Company  B  (Topeka) — Dr.  A.  J.  Huntoon,  captain;  J.  R.  Parker  and 
S.  W.  Higbee,  lieutenants;  J.  A.  Policy,  ist  sergeant;  A.  B.  Alverson,  W.  T. 
Berryman,  E.  Bradshaw,  A.  H.  Case,  J.  S.  Cook,  H.  C.  Coville,  M.  B.  Craw- 
ford, B.  F.  Dawson,  William  Dawson,  John  Elliott,  William  Flanders,  F. 
M.  Fletcher,  John  Fletcher,  G.  S.  Freeland,  J.  R.  Greer,  John  P.  Greer,  John 
Harriott,  G.  W.  Herron,  A.  S.  Hollenberg,  C.  G.  Howard,  Paul  Hubbard, 


£S2fliiiJ»^!fe 


OFFICE  BLOCK 


COLUMBIAN  BUILDING 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  89 

Fred  Huntoon,  George  M.  Kellam,  Hugo  Kullak,  R.  M.  Luce,  Oscar  Mc- 
Connell,  William  McElhaney,  J.  M.  McQuiston,  Dr.  A.  F.  Neeley,  Willard 
S.  Nichols,  James  O'Neal,  John  Oyster,  L.  Palmer,  N.  Ritchey,  S.  B.  Schaffer, 
H.  Stagg,  J.  S.  Stanfield,  G.  H.  Taylor,  J.  A.  Ward,  J.  A.  Warren,  E.  L. 
Whleeler,  C.  C.  Whiting,  George  Wolf,  G.  H.  Wood,  Harvey  G.  Young, 
John  Young  and  Nelson  Young.. 

Company  C  (Tecumseh) — ^J.  B.  Hannum,  captain;  Ishiel  Tyler  and  Hi- 
ram Ward,  lieutenants;  J.  M.  Vaughn,  ist  sergeant;  J.  A.  Adams,  J.  K.  Bar- 
tleson,  F.  M.  Coppage,  A.  Chapman,  C.  B.  Chapman,  Lewis  Clogston,  J.  J. 
Driver,  J.  Fletcher,  T.  H.  Gage,  J.  T.  Gage,  R.  W.  Hoback,  Joseph  F.  Hop- 
kins, S.  A.  Hopkins,  William  M.  Jordan,  John  Keiser,  S.  Keiser,  William 
Marx,  William  Massey,  G.  B.  McKee,  Albert  G.  Miller,  Osburn  Naylor,  Mar- 
tin Norris,  Alfred  Quiett,  R.  Quiett,  Jacob  Rankin,  John  M.  Reed,  W.  T. 
Reynolds,  Harvey  D.  Rice,  Elias  Roberts,  C.  H.  Sharp,  George  W.  Sharp, 
Henry  M.  Sharp,  Jaques  Sheedy,  George  L.  Smith,  Jesse  W.  Stevenson,  B. 

F.  Stillwell,  Hiram  J.  Strickler,  Elias  Taylor,  James  Taylor,  C.  T.  Ward, 
Luther  Woodford  and  Perry  T.  Woodward. 

Company  D  (Indianola) — Sterling  B.  Miles,  captain;  W.  H.  Morgan 
and  T.  H.  Miller,  Heutenants;  John  G.  Irwin,  ist  sergeant;  O.  T.  Angel, 
Moses  Banks,  J.  F.  Bell,  Isaac  Bickel,  J.  H.  Brown,  A.  R.  Button,  M. 
A.  E.  J.  Campdoras,  J.  M.  Clark,  J.  J.  W.  Clark,  J.  Q.  A. 
Cope,  Timothy  Downey,  Everett  Eaton,  W.  K.  Elliott,  G.  P.  Fied- 
erling,  F.  W.  Flesher,  Perry  Fleshman,  John  Griffith,  James  Hug- 
gins,  J.  F.  Jenner,  Ephraim  Johnson,  Moses  Kellis,  John  Kemp, 
Robert  Kemp,  Thomas  Kemp,  B.  F.  Kestler,  C.  M.  Kestler,  George 
W.  Kestler,  J.  J.  Kopp,  J.  M.  Kuykendall,  J.  P.  Majors,  Ezekiel  Marple, 
Thomas  Marple,  Robert  McNoun,  David  Mitchell,  Isaiah  A.  Pasley,  Austin 
W.  Pliley,  William  Pliley,  Edward  Plumer,  William  Prusait,  Dennis  Ray, 
Roswell  Rose,  John  Stamp,  Charles  B.  Steward,  David  Vaughn,  Thomas  J. 
Wallis  and  S.  T.  Woodard. 

Company  E  (Topeka) — ^John  H.  Banks,  captain;  William  P.  Douthitt 
and  S.  C.  Herriott,  lieutenants;  E.  A.  Goodell,  ist  sergeant;  E.  A.  Alward, 

G.  F.  Boyd,  Hugh  Campbell,  W.  W.  CHmenson,  Lester  M.  Crawford, 
Thomas  J.  Crawford,  George  Doane,  S.  Dunham,  Charles  Engler,  Charles 
Farnsworth,  W.  H.  Fitzpatrick,  H.  Kline,  Albert  Knowles,  S.  D.  McDonald, 
Joseph  C.  Miller,  J.  H.  Mills,  Theodore  Mills,  John  Murray,  John  Nichols, 
John  G.  Otis,  James  Samuels,  Charles  A.  Sexton,  John  Sharrai,  A.  H.  Slay- 
ton,  Geo.  W.  Spencer,  Nathan  Warner,  John  Weir  and  William  H.  Wey- 
mouth. 

Company  F  (Big  Springs) — James  Thompson,  captain;  Dennis  Mo- 
riarty  and  H.  P.  Gilland,  lieutenants;  John  Banning,   ist  sergeant;  Frank 


90  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Brown,  Robert  Campbell,  D.  A.  Cardwell,  T.  H.  Clark,  J.  A.  Davidson, 
Henry  Drummers,  George  Duncan,  William  Duncan,  James  Eagle,  George 
Fix,  Henry  Fix,  J.  H.  Glenn,  J.  H.  Hall,  L.  H.  Hilligoss,  J.  J.  Howell, 
Thomas  Johnson,  Theo.  Kreipe,  D.  H.  Lawrence,  J.  D.  Lemschule,  William 
Lemschule,  J.  B.  Miller,  T.  S.  Murray,  J.  C.  Niccum,  T.  F  Prather,  A.  S. 
Roberts,  J.  W.  Roberts,  Oliver  Spencer,  W.  A.  Thompson  and  Wallace  True. 

Company  G  (Auburn) — H.  E.  Bush,  captain;  H.  L.  Shumway  and  W. 
H.  Delong,  lieutenants;  P.  I.  Bonebrake,  ist  sergeant;  Samuel  Allen,  George 
Barker,  Isaac  Baxter,  John  Baxter,  Allen  Blandon,  S.  Blandon,  J.  W.  Brown, 
W.  H.  Combs,  L.  T.  Cook,  H.  Cunningham,  H.  M.  Deming,  W.  A.  Engle, 
Peter  Flick,  Charles  Garrison,  P.obert  Gault,  J.  M.  Hastings,  M.  C.  Hendrick, 
W.  S.  Hibbard,  W.  A.  Hogaboom,  Ira  Hyde,  Bartholomew  Ingrund,  Baxter 
Ingrund,  George  Johnson,  C.  C.  Lewis,  J.  S.  Alarkham,  F.  D.  Mills,  C.  C. 
Moore,  W.  H.  Penfield,  W.  W.  Phillips,  Henry  Pifer,  W.  P.  Roberts,  F. 
Richerhauser,  John  Robinson,  James  Russell,  B.  P.  Seymour,  Eli  Snyder, 
Peter  Snyder,  Peter  Spangler,  Jerome  Stahl,  F.  M.  Stahl,  R.  Stees,  D. 
Stevens,  J.  Thompson,  W.  Walker  and  Granger  Wood. 

Company  H  (Williamsport) — Perry  Tice,  captain;  J.  L.  Young  and 
H.  K.  Winans,  lieutenants;  Oliver  Selover,  ist  sergeant;  James  W.  Brown, 
James  Carroll,  Leviston  Clay,  William  Coker,  E.  W.  Hungerford,  J.  W. 
Lacey,  T.  Lawler,  T.  H.  Lescher,  H.  Matney,  J.  Matney,  J.  McDowd,  David 
McMaster,  J.  R.  Nelson,  Charles  Owen,  John  Porter,  D.  Randell,  Thomas 
Reynolds,  E.  W.  Rudolph,  Isaac  Seamans,  J.  C.  Thomas,  W.  Wellhouse, 
J.  B.  Whitlock,  S.  H.  Wilson,  E.  W.  Winans,  M.  S.  Yarrington,  Jesse  Yocum 
and  W.  G.  Yocum. 

Company  I  (^Monmouth) — William  Disney,  captain;  John  Helton  and 
William  Reed,  lieutenants;  Samuel  Kosier,  ist  sergeant;  J.  P.  Allen,  Robert 
Allen,  R.  J.  Bales,  Robert  Bolls,  Adam  Bowers,  C.  D.  Bush,  J.  W.  Coberly, 
Edward  Davis,  A.  A.  Disney,  Richard  Disney,  Martin  Dreck,  David  Fultz, 
H.  D.  Healy,  J.  A.  Heberling,  E.  J.  Heil,  F.  Helton,  D.  Hopper,  S.  Hopper, 
William  Hotze,  H.  M.  Howard,  G.  W.  Johnson,  H.  Linn,  J.  W.  Little,  S. 
J.  Livingston,  H.  G.  Lyons,  Silas  Lyons,  James  Norris,  J.  A.  Oliver,  S.  W. 
Stowall,  T.  E.  Strode,  A.  M.  Thornton,  W.  G.  Toney,  William  Wann,  E.  B. 
Williams,  S.  E.  Williams  and  Harrison  Wright. 

Company  K  (Topeka  Battery) — Ross  Burns*,  captain;  Tobias  Billings 
and  Charles  H.  Wyckoff,*  lieutenants;  Charles  H.  Gibson,  ist  sergeant; 
James  Anderson*,  John  Armstrong*,  John  S.  Branner*,  Justus  Brockway, 
Nicholas  Brown*,  Charles  H.  Budd*,  Daniel  Copson,  J.  F.  Cummings,  Dan- 
iel Dawson,  John  Devine,  William  Farren,  R.  Fitzgerald,  J.  E.  Follansbee*, 
Guilford  G.  Gage*,  C.  K.  Gilchrist,  George  Ginnold*,  Daniel  Handley*, 
Nathan   Harvey,   A.    Herboldsheimer,   J.    H.    Holman*,    Ben   Hughes*,    A. 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  91 

Kingsley,  Jacob  Kline*,  John  A.  Link*,  Jeremiah  Logan,  Fred  K.  Mackey*, 
Henry  Mackey,  Martin  McClure*,  Thomas  McGuire,  D.  L.  Morse,  Phihp 
Moeser,  WilUam  Moeser*,  Edward  Pape*,  Lorenzo  Pauley,  Morris  Pickett, 
Meric  D.  Race*,  John  Ryan,  Lear  Selkin*,  John  A.  Shaffer,  William  P. 
Thompson*,  G.  B.  Wade,  William  B.  Wade,  Levi  Williams*,  Samuel  Wilson 
and  John  Worth. 

It  should  be  explained  that  companies  A  and  E  of  the  Second  Regiment, 
being  unmounted,  were  attached  to  an  infantry  regiment  on  duty  at  another 
point  on  the  Missouri  border,  and  did  not  participate  in  the  battle  of  the  Blue. 
In  the  list  of  men  in  the  Topeka  Battery  only  those  designated  by  stars  were 
with  Captain  Burns  in  the  same  battle,  the  others  remaining  in  Topeka  to 
guard  the  city. 

THE  GAGE  MONUMENT. 

On  the  30th  of  May,  1895,  in  connection  with  the  memorial  exercises  of 
the  day,  a  beautiful  and  imposing  monument  of  granite  was  dedicated  to  the 
memory  of  the  soldiers  who  fell  in  the  battle  of  the  Blue.  The  monument 
was  erected  in  the  cemetery  at  Topeka,  and  was  the  gift  of  Guilford  G.  Gage, 
one  of  the  survivors  of  the  historic  encounter.  He  lived  to  witness  the  dedi- 
cation, and  to  recount  the  story  of  the  event  which  it  so  eloquently  perpetuates, 
but  he  has  since  passed  away,  as  have  most  of  his  comrades.  Col.  George 
W.  Veale,  who  is  still  living,  presided  at  the  dedication,  and  made  an  address 
covering  the  main  incidents  of  the  battle.  Other  addresses  were  made  by 
Gen.  John  C.  Caldwell  and  Howel  Jdnes,  that  of  the  latter  being  devoted  to 
a  review  of  the  character  and  services  of  Capt.  Ross  Burns.  Prayer  was 
offered  by  Rev.  Francis  S.  McCabe,  D.  D.,  and  the  unveiling  of  the  monu- 
ment was  gracefully  performed  by  Katie  Ost,  a  little  girl  whose  grandfather 
was  killed  in  the  battle.  An  invitation  was  extended  to  Gen.  Joseph  Shelby, 
whose  advance  force  opposed  the  Kansas  men  in  the  Mockabee  lane,  to  attend 
the  dedication  of  the  monument,  but  he  sent  a  courteous  letter  or  regret  filled 
with  warm  praise  for  the  valor  of  the  Second  Regiment  and  the  conspicu- 
ous bravery  of  Captain  Burns  and  his  skillful  gunners. 

Upon  the  suggestion  of  Mr.  Gage,  a  detailed  history  of  the  battle  of 
The  Blue  was  written  by  James  W.  Steele,  and  published  in  1899.  The 
memorial  volume  is  dedicated  "To  the  survivors  of  the  Second  Regiment, 
K.  S.  M.,  and  to  the  memory  of  those  who  died;  to  their  descendants  wher- 
ever scattered,  and  to  all  who  honor  the  courage  that  is  without  glory,  and 
the  devotion  which  hopes  for  no  reward."  ^ 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Shawnee  County  and  the  War  with  Spain — The  Famous  20th  Kansas  Regi- 
ment— Its  Battles  and  Glory — List  of  Dead  and  Wounded — Enlistments 
and  Service  in  Other  Regiments — Their  Record  in  Cuba  and  Elsewhere 
— Praise  from  President  McKinley  and  Secretary  of  War — The  Colored 
Troops. 

During  the  progress  of  the  Spanish- American  War,  in  1897-98,  two  full 
companies  and  parts  of  other  companies  were  organized  in  Shawnee  County 
for  service  in  Cuba  and  the  Philippine  Islands.  Company  A  of  the  20th  Kan- 
sas Volunteer  Infantry  was  almost  wholly  recruited  in  Topeka.  Its  officers 
were:  John  E.  Towers,  captain;  succeeded  by  Capt.  Clad  Hamilton,  who 
enlisted  as  a  private  and  was  promoted  first  to  corporal,  then  sergeant,  2nd 
lieutenant,  ist  lieutenant  and  captain  in  succession;  Everett  E.  Huddlerton 
and  John  J.  Deeming,  lieutenants;  Joseph  W.  Morris  and  Charles  A.  Wool- 
worth  1st  sergeants;  Orville  S.  Taylor  and  Emory  A.  Bailey,  quartermaster 
sergeants;  J.  W.  Kershner,  Butler  J.  Haskins,  Harry  Jones,  Fred  A.  Recob, 
Samuel  J.  White,  Robert  D.  Maxwell,  Irenaeus  Wisner,  Joseph  H.  Sea- 
graves  and  Francis  M.  Pribble,  sergeants;  Joseph  C.  Spendlove,  Frank  A. 
Smith,  Charles  D.  Rouner,  Charles  Ramsey,  Clarence  Sharon,  John  J. 
Haisch,  Milo  L.  Lamont,  Terence  Montgomery,  John  J.  Johnston,  Charles 
A.  Waters,  Steve  S.  Kirby,  Walter  E.  French,  Edwin  Barrett,  Ellis 
G.  Davis,  George  W.  Lewis,  J.  H.  Redinger,  Edwin  W.  Sheard, 
Percy  McCoole,  Albert  Cotton,  Walter  C.  Swartz  and  Edward  L.  Pinkerton, 
corporals;  Seth  A.  Hemmel,  Coryell  Faulkner,  William  E.  Hungerford  and 
John  A.  Buchanan,  hospital  stewards;  H.  E.  Wagner  and  Mitchell  Bundy, 
wagoners.  Privates — Harry  J.  Adams,  William  F.  Ayers,  Edward  E.  Banks, 
Frank  J.  Beaghen,  Edward  H.  Brennan,  Harry  H.  Banks,  Etcyl  P.  Blair, 
John  R.  Boyd,  Harvey  Chandler,  Walter  J.  Coleman,  James  C.  Coleman, 
Walter  C.  Campbell,  Chase  Cole,  Fred  Fox,  Fred  Graft,  W.  L.  Garretson, 
John  J.  Humbert,  Fred  Humphries,  George  H.  Helwig,  D.  S.  Hewitt,  Charles 
Hetrick,  Lester  C.  Jennings,  Earnest  E.  Kirk,  Lewis  G.  Laws,  James  D. 
Leahey,  Arthur  W.  Long,  Thomas  E.  Lawrence,  George  W.  Lemley,  Guy 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  93 

Ludington,  Clarence  R.  McDowell,  Frank  M.  McFadden,  Isaac  K.  McKin- 
ney,  Herbert  T.  Miller,  Henry  D.  McKinney,  Edwin  A.  Myers,  Clark  W 
Marsh,  Reseil  Manahan,  Charles  Peters,  Ira  M.  Payne,  Charles  H.  Reasoner^ 
E.  A.  Rethemeyer,  John  A.  Stevens,  Margus  J.  P.  Smith,  William  R.  Smith 
Walter  L.  Sherburne,  Raymond  Slater,  Arthur  W.  Snapp,  Theo.  H.  Sutton 
Fred  Shaufele,  Frank  Steward,  Jerry  C.  Springstead,  William  L.  Sullivan 
Roy  Timmons,  Herbert  W.  Turner,  G«orge  W.  Turner,  Losson  B.  Whitaker^ 
Elmo  L.  Wilkinson,  Henry  N.  Wingfield,  Eugene  Willett,  Theodore  Q, 
Whitted,  Wilbur  Wilson  and  John  D.  Young. 

The  Shawnee  County  men  in  other  companies  of  the  20th  Kansas  were : 
Company  B — Jacob  Guffey,  Elmer  E.  Urie,  George  Rethemeyer,  Edward 
Barrett,  William  F.  Duensing,  Edward  W.  Ellis  and  Claud  S.  Phillips ;  Com- 
pany C — Clare  A.  Coe;  Company  E — James  J.  Corkill,  Norman  F.  Ramsey 
and  Walter  D.  Vance;  Company  F — George  F.  Hedenberg  and  William  E. 
True;  Company  H — Charles  F.  Rice;  Company  I — George  W.  Mills,  Harry 
Pepper  and  George  H.  Billings ;  Company  K — Milton  W.  Hogaboom,  Arthur 
E.  Ellison,  Frank  A.  Huling  and  Arthur  C.  Snow;  Company  L — Charles 
A.  Hurd,  Carl  Myers  and  Noble  B.  Urie;  Company  M — Charles  Kleinhans 
and  Albert  Dooley;  Regimental  Band — Charles  E.  Gormly,  Erve  C.  Strick- 
land, Carl  H.  Dreyer,  George  E.  Ellison,  James  L.  Wilcox,  Edward  A. 
Rethemeyer  and  Owen  Mcintosh. 

A  NOTED  REGIMENT. 

The  20th  Kansas  was  the  most  noted  regiment  that  participated  in  the 
Philippine  campaign.  Its  first  colonel  was  Frederick  Funston,  who  led  his 
men  in  many  venturesome  engagements  and  was  the  captor  of  General  Agui- 
naldo.  Upon  his  promotion  to  be  brigadier-general.  Major  Wilder  S.  Metcalf 
was  made  colonel.  Edward  C.  Little  served  through  the  entire  campaign  as 
lieutenant-colonel  and  was  in  command  of  the  regiment  at  San  Francisco. 
In  a  letter  written  September  30,  1899,  President  William  McKinley  paid 
this  tribute  to  the  Kansas  soldiers :  "The  American  nation  appreciates  the 
devotion  and  valor  of  its  soldiers  and  sailors.  Among  its  hosts  of  brave  de- 
fenders, the  20th  Kansas  was  fortunate  in  opportunity  and  heroic  in  action, 
and  has  won  a  permanent  place  in  the  hearts  of  a  grateful  people." 

Casualities  sustained  by  Topeka  members  of  the  regiment  were  the  fol- 
lowing: Killed  in  action — Reseil  Manahan  and  William  Sullivan;  died  of 
disease — Etcyl  P.  Blair,  Harry  Pepper,  Frank  M.  McFadden,  George  W. 
Mills  and  Edward  A.  Rethemeyer;  Wounded — Charles  A.  Woolworth,  Fred 
A.  Recob,  Charles  A.  Waters,  J.  W.  Kershner,  Ira  M.  Payne,  Frank  Steward, 
Losson  B.  Whitaker,  Elmer  E.  Urie,  Daniel  S.  Hewitt,  Frank  A.  Huling, 


94  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Arthur  C.  Snow  and  Albert  Dooley.    A  bronze  tablet  to  the  memory  of  Reseil 
Manahan  has  been  placed  in  the  Topeka  High  School  by  his  fellow  pupils. 

The  20th  Kansas  Regiment  was  in  camp  at  Topeka  from  May  ist  to 
Tvlay  1 6th,  and  was  then  ordered  to  San  Francisco,  where  it  remained  for  five 
months,  before  embarking,  for  the  scene  of  war.  Many  of  the  soldiers  were 
young  men  just  out  of  school,  farmer  boys,  mechanics  and  laborers,  and  when 
mustered  into  the  government  service  all  of  them  were  able  to  sign  their 
names  without  the  use  of  a  crossmark.  During  the  time  of  their  enlistment 
there  were  only  four  desertions.  They  participated  in  the  following  engage- 
ments: Advance  on  the  enemy,  February  4,  1899;  independent  skirmish, 
February  7;  Caloocan,  February  10;  Tulijan,  March  25;  Malinta,  March  26; 
Poli,  March  27 ;  Marilao,  March  28 ;  Bigoa,  March  29 ;  Guiginto,  March  29 ; 
advance  on  Malolos,  March  30  and  31 ;  defense  of  Malolos,  three  weeks;  Bag- 
bag  River,  April  25;  Calumpit,  April  26;  Grand  River,  April  27;  Santo 
Tomas,  May  4;  San  Fernando,  May  6;  Bacolor,  May  13;  Santa  Rita,  May 
15;  defense  of  San  Fernando,  May  25 

THE   WELCOME   HOME. 

Governor  W.  E.  Stanley  and  representative  citizens  of  Kansas  met  the 
regiment  at  San  Francisco  when  it  returned  on  the  transport  "Tartar,"  Octo- 
ber 10,  1899,  and  the  home-coming  at  Topeka  on  November  2nd  was  in  the 
nature  of  a  general  reception  by  the  people  of  the  entire  State.  In  response 
to  an  invitation  to  attend  this  reception,  Secretary  of  War  Elihu  Root  sent  the 
following  letter : 

"The  records  of  the  War  Department  show  that  the  Twentieth  Regiment 
of  Kansas  Volunteers  sailed  from  San  Francisco  on  the  steamship  'Indiana' 
on  the  27th  of  October,  1898,  and  on  the  steamship  'Newport'  on  the  9th  of 
November,  1898,  arriving  at  Manila  on  the  ist  and  the  6th  days  of  December 
following;  that  the  regiment  was  engaged  in  actual  battle  sustaining  losses 
by  death  or  wounds,  on  each  of  the  following  days,  viz :  The  4th,  5th,  7th, 
loth,  nth,  I2th,  17th,  23rd,  24th,  26th  and  28th  of  February,  1899;  the  nth, 
I2th,  13th,  23rd,  24th,  25th,  26th,  27th,  29th  and  31st  of  March;  the  25th  and 
26th  of  April;  the  4th  and  24th  of  May,  and  the  i6th  and  22d  of  June.  Their 
participation  in  engagements  is  specially  mentioned  in  cablegrams  from  Gen- 
eral Otis  on  the  8th  of  February,  the  28th  of  April,  and  the  25th  of  May, 
1899.  The  regiment  left  the  Philippines  for  home  on  the  3rd  of  September, 
1899,  just  six  months  after  it  was  entitled  to  be  discharged  from  service  under 
the  act  of  Congress. 

"The  greater  part  of  the  engagements  above  mentioned  were  fought, 
and  most  of  the  losses  of  life  were  incurred,  at  a  time  when  there  was  no  obli- 


MAIN- BUILDING,  STATE  INDUSTRIAL  SCHOOL  FOR  BOYS 


SHAWNEE  COUNTY  JAIL 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  97 

gation  for  further  service  resting  upon  the  members  of  the  regiment,  except 
that  which  was  self-imposed  upon  them  by  their  own  love  of  country  and 
their  determination  to  maintain  the  rightful  sovereignty  of  the  United  States 
and  the  honor  of  its  flag.  The  character  of  the  regiment's  services  in  the  field 
is  well  indicated  by  the  following  recommendations  for  brevet  promo- 
tions made  by  Major-General  Arthur  MacArthur,  commanding  the  second 
division  of  the  Eighth  Army  Corps,  and-  approved  by  Major-General  Elwell 
S.  Otis,  commanding  the  Corps.    I  quote  from  the  official  document : 

"  'Frederick  Funston,  Brigadier-General,  U.  S.  Vols.,  to  be  Major-Gen- 
eral, U.  S.  Vols.,  by  brevet.     (For)  Gallant  and  meritorious  services  through- 
out the  campaign  against  Filipino  insurgents  from  February  4th  to  July  i, 
1899;  particularly  for  daring  courage  at  the  passage  of  the  Rio  Grande  de  la 
-Pampanga,  May  27,  1899,  while  Colonel  20th  Kansas  Vols.' 

"  'Wilder  S.  Metcalf,  Colonel,  20th  Kansas  Vols.,  to  be  Brigadier-Gen- 
eral, by  brevet.  (For)  Gallant  and  meritorious  services  throughout  the  cam- 
paign against  Filipino  insurgents,  from  February  4th  to  July  i;  1899,  during 
which  period  he  was  wounded  on  two  separate  occasions.' 

"The  officers  and  enlisted  men  of  the  regiment;  exhibited  the  same  high 
■quality  of  bravery  and  efficiency  which  characterized  their  commanders.     I 
beg  to  join  with  the  people  of  Kansas  iir  welcoming  to  their  homes  these  citi- 
zen-soldiers, so  worthy  of  the  heroic  origin  and  patriotic  history  of  their 
State." 

TWENTY- FIRST   REGIMENT. 

Topeka  and  Shawnee  County  enlistments  in  the  21st  Kansas  Regiment 
were:  Company  A — Dolie  M.  Metcalf;  Company  C — Harry  C.  Davis,  James 
G.  Dick,  Edward  A.  Evans,  Albert  Goode,  Frederick  Lane,  Walter  M.  Spear, 
Henry  Supple,  M.  1.  Wagner  and  Edward  Wilkinson;  Company  D — Clar- 
ence Bush,  Charles  Boyles  and  W  B.  Heinecke ;  Company  F — Frank  P.  Bab- 
bett  and  John  E.  McBrian;  Company  G — -Elmer  Bratton,  Thomas  Clark, 
W.  W.  Gaines,  Isett  D.  Myers,  R.  S.  Montgomery,  Albert  Morrison,  W.  F. 
McLaughlin,  Louis  J.  Reed  and  Henry  Schaefer;  Company  I — George  E. 
Boardman ;  Company  K — Clinton  A.  McFadden ;  Company  L — Isaac  R.  Cur- 
tis, John  F.  Doane,  Joseph  W.  Godfrey,  John  W.  Jenkins,  William  Nash, 
Henry  Pyetzki  and  Bert  Powers. 

The  2ist  Regiment  was  mustered  into  service  May  12,  1898,  and  on 
May  17th  started  for  Lyle,  Georgia,  where  it  went  into  training  at  Camp 
George  H.  Thomas,  remaining  there  until  August  25th,  when' it  was  trans- 
ferred to  Camp  Hamilton,  Kentucky.  It  remained  there  until  September 
25th,  and  was  then  ordered  to  Fort  Leavenworth.     The  regiment  was  fur- 


98  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

lough ed  for  60  days,  and  mustered  out  Dec.  10,  1898,  its  services  being  no 
longer  required.  While  in  camp  at  Lysle,  Georgia,  the  regiment  lost  20  men 
by  death  from  typhoid  fever. 

TWENTY-SECOND  REGIMENT. 

In  the  22nd  Kansas  Regiment  were  the  following  officers  and  soldiers 
from  Topeka:  Col.  Henry  C.  Lindsey,  Majors  Alexander  M.  Harvey  and 
Chase  Doster;  Assistant  Surgeon  Frank  H.  Martin,  Quartermaster  Sergeant 
Herbert  C.  Streeter  and  Hospital  Steward  Fred  J.  Gordon;  Company  B — 
Edward  Boyer,  Fred  M.  Stevenson  and  Henry  T.  Shultz;  Company  C — 
Henry  Anderson,  Frederick  Buechner,  Clarence  Dudney,  Paul  Herman,  Wil- 
liam McKirahan,  William  H.  Rouner  and  Frederick  Smith;  Company  D — 
Joseph  Anderson,  Laban  Davis,  F.  H.  Nuzman;  Company  E — Floyd  Mc- 
Pherson;  Company  G — Danford  B.  Thrapp,  John  F.  Vandervoort,  James  W. 
Bennett,  Josiah  B.  Clarke,  William  B.  Heller  George  F.  Hill,  Herbert  L. 
Stratton  and  John  W.  Thomas ;  Company  H — Frank  R.  Ritchie,  James  "M. 
Todd,  Samuel  Adams,  Loren  G.  Disney,  Otto  B.  Ireland,  Frederick  T.  Ly- 
man, Ralph  E.  Skinner,  Clarence  W.  Stahl  and  Lloyd  L.  Stahl;  Company 
I — John  L.  Benefiel,  Charles  F.  Clark,  Clarence  Evans,  Adolph  Gougal,  Caleb 
M.  C.  Holt,  William  G.  Kelly,  George  H.  McGee,  Jack  A.  Mercer,  J.  C.  Wat- 
terson  and  William  B.  Wetherholt;  Company  L — Roland  C.  Medlicott, 
George  A.  Elliott,  Reuben  M.  Spivey,  Jr.,  Horace  G.  Swayze  and  Louis  P. 
Wikidal;  Company  M — James  Kimes,  Stirling  A.  Kimes  and  Robert  B. 
Stewart. 

This  regiment  saw  no  field  service.  It  was  mustered  in  at  Topeka  early 
in  May,  1898,  and  was  ordered  to  Camp  Alger,  Virginia,  where  it  arrived 
May  28th.  After  two  months'  drill  and  instruction,  the  regiment  marched 
from  Camp  Alger  to  Thoroughfare,  Virginia,  a  distance  of  50  miles,  camping 
en  route  at  Burke's  Station,  Bull  Run,  and  Bristow,  arriving  at  Thorough- 
fare August  9th.  On  August  27th  it  was  transferred  to  Camp  Meade,  near 
Middletown,  Pennsylvania,  and  on  September  9th  from  thence  to  Fort  Leav- 
enworth, Kansas,  where  it  was  mustered  out  November  3,  1898. 

TWENTY-THIRD   REGIMENT. 

Officers  and  soldiers  of  the  23d  Kansas  Regiment  (colored)  enlisting 
from  Topeka  and  Shawnee  County  were  the  following:  John  M.  Brown, 
major;  Charles  S.  Sunday,  assistant  surgeon;  Theophilus  T.  Jones,  sergeant 
major ;  James  F.  White,  hospital  steward ;  George  W.  Jackson,  leader  of  regi- 
mental band;  Charles  A.  Brown,  William  A.  Brooks,  Benjamin  Burton,  Vir- 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  99 

gil   Chatman,   Thomas  Jackson,    Simeon   McCarroll,   Leander   Northington, 
Robert  Parks,  Hollie  E.   Searcie  and  William  Vaughn,  members  of  band; 
Company  A— Captain  William  Reynolds,  ist  Lieuts.  Thomas  McAdoo  and 
Henry  Taylor;  2nd  Lieutenant  Oscar  Overr;  Quartermaster  Sergeants  Ar- 
thur C.  Harris  and  Robert  Maddox;  Sergeants  Charles  Birdwhistle,  M.  W. 
J.  Brown,  Paul  L.  Caldwell,  Benjamin  H.  Bailey,  Benjamin  F.  Perkins  and 
James  Harper;  Corporals  James  E.   Turner,  James  Harris,  Alfred  Lewis, 
Charles  W.  Ford,  William  Ellis,  Robert  H.  Todd,  Marcus  J.  Owens,  Clar- 
ence Bradshaw,  D.  L.  Wadlington,  Thomas  Tyler,  Henry  C.  Horton,  Presley 
Reynolds,  Fred  Collins,  Robert  J.  Rector  and  John  W.  Johnson.     Privates — 
Bert  Bell,  Isaiah  Brown,  James  Buford,  Lewis  Butts,  James  Carvey,  Grant 
Crosswy,  Abe  Ellis,  Albert  Etherly,  Walter  Ewing,  Zeroha  Ewing,  Robert 
Garvin,  Edward  Gentry,  Franc  D.  Glenn,  George  W.  Gayden,  William  Goff, 
Charles  H.  Hedge,  John  M.  Hightower,  Edgar  Holloway,  Oscar  W.  Horton, 
Bedford  B.  Hunter,  James  Hooper,  Edward  I.  Henderson,  W.  W.  Jackson, 
George  Jones,  Thomas  Jackson,  Charles  A.  Jackson,  Bert  King,  John  Lawson, 
Virdell  Link,  Isaac  A.  Long,  Robert  Marshall,  J.  R.  Martin,  Lee  A.  Martin, 
Lemuel  Martin,  John  McCrow,  Allen  A.  Miller,  Sidney  Miller,  John  Moore, 
Robert  C.  Morgan,  Sandy  Mothell,  Benjamin  McCowan,  William  D.  Nixon, 
William  G.  Northington,  John  A.  Overr,   Ellison  Owens,   Colonel  Parker, 
Thomas    Parker,    Samuel    Patten,    Alfred   J.    Payne,    Benjamin    F.    Payne, 
Mitchell  Pennington,  Edward  Pillow,  Charles  Pillow,  Robert  Ransom,  John 
Rider,   Walter  Rosson,  John   B.   Radford,   Charles  Slaughter,  John   Small, 
Charles  Sneed,  William   Solomon,   H.   M.   Spradley,   H.    S.   Taborn,   Frank 
Thomas,  J.  W.  Thompson,  Arthur  Todd,  George  Trice,  Henry  Walker,  Rob- 
ert Walters,   William   Wheatman,   William  Williams,    Edward   D.   Wilson, 
James  C.  Wilson,  George  W.  Wheeler,  George  W.  Weddington,  Henry  Young 
and  Manning  Youngman.    Company  B — James  King,  lieutenant ;  John  Banks 
and   Charles   Gooden,    sergeants;   John   A.    Gregg,    quartermaster   sergeant; 
Pearl  J.  Porter  and  J.  W.  Thomas,  corporals ;  Fred  D.  Kuykendall,  musician ; 
Prdivates — Abraham  Thomas,  Charles  Alexander,  Arthur  Albriton,  George 
Batty,  J.   G.   Bowers,  Luther  Bryant,   William  Buchanan,    Spotwood   Ellis, 
Noah  E.  Freeman,  Bert  Hester,  Edward  Parks,  A.  W.  Porter,  Jr.,  Robert 
Reed  and  William  Thornton.     Company  D — Van  Boyd,   William   Ewing, 
Ernest  Jordan  and  William  Shaw.     Company  E — John  Medina,  Joseph  Mil- 
ford,  George  Murphy  and  Frank  West.     Company  F — Sergeant  George  E. 
Payne  and  Charles  F.  Seals.   Company  G — Corporal  Joseph  Crump  and  Addi- 
son Parker.    Company  H — Sergeants  David  E.  Overr,  Albert  W.  Link  and 
Albert  Martin;  Corporals  David  Pierre  and  William  E.  Thompson;  George 
Anderson,  James  Brown,  O.  D.  Dupree,  William  Finley,  James  Grant,  An- 
drew Jamison,  George  Jordan,  Albert  Jordan,  Albert  E.  Hordan,  Thomas 
5 


lOo  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Jackson,  Edward  Moss,  James  Murdock,  John  North,  John  S.  Stamp,  H.  M. 
Spradley,  Aaron  R.  Thompson  and  WilHs  White. 

This  regiment  was  a  model  organization  of  colored  men,  and  while  not 
called  upon  the  firing  line  its  whole  duty  was  promptly  and  efficiently  per- 
formed. After  being  mustered  in  at  Topeka  in  July,  1898,  it  went  to  New 
York  and  sailed  from  there  August  25th  on  the  steamer  "Vigilancia"  for 
Santiago,  Cuba,  arriving  there  August  31st.  It  was  in  camp  at  San  Luis 
from  September  i,  1898,  to  February  28,  1899,  and  sailed  from  Santiago 
March  ist  for  Newport  News,  Virginia,  arriving  there  March  6th.  On  the 
loth  of  March  it  proceeded  by  rail  to  Fort  Leavenworth  and  was  mustered 
out  on  April  10,  1899. 

GENERAL  HUDSON'S  SERVICE. 

In  connection  with  the  subject  of  the  war  with  Spain,  mention  should 
be  made  of  the  service  of  Joseph  K.  Hudson,  of  Topeka,  who  was  commis- 
sioned May  29,  1898,  to  be  brigadier-general  of  volunteers.  General  Hudson 
was  assigned  to  the  Fourth  Army  Corps  at  Tampa,  Florida,  under  Major 
General  Coppinger.  He  was  given  command  of  the  Second  Brigade  of  the 
Second  Division.  General  Hudson  was  a  soldier  and  an  officer  in  the  Civil 
War  and  his  experience  was  of  vast  service  in  bringing  his  brigade  into 
soldierly  trim  and  military  efficiency.  After  his  service  at  Tampa  he  was 
transferred  to  Huntsville,  Alabama,  and  mustered  out  in  November,  1898, 
the  shifting  of  the  scene  of  war  rendering  it  unnecessary  to  call  his  command 
into  active  fighting  service. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

State  Officials  from  Shawnee  County — Record  of  Their  Appointment,  Elec- 
tion and  Service — United  States  Senators  and  Congressmen — Federal 
Positions  Filled — Prominent  Railroad  Men — The  Press  of  Shawnee 
County — Newspapers  of  Early  Days — List  of  Papers  noiv  Published — 
The  Mortality  Sheet. 

Exclusive  of  membership  in  the  legislative  assemblies  and  constitutional 
conventions,  and  service  on  the  District  Bench,  the  first  citizen  of  Shawnee 
County  to  fill  a  Territorial  position  was  William  W.  Ross,  who  was  made  pub- 
lic printer  in  1857.  Rush  Elmore  became  an  associate  justice  of  the  Supreme 
Court  by  appointment  in  1858,  and  John  Ritchie  was  a  member  of  the  Board 
of  Penitentiary  Commissioners  in  1859.  That  was  the  full  extent  of  Shaw- 
nee County's  officeholding  during  the  Kansas  Territorial  period.  Judge  El- 
more served  as  associate  justice  from  June  29,  1854,  to  September  13,  1855, 
but  at  the  time  of  his  first  appointment  he  was  a  citizen  of  Alabama. 

STATE  OFFICERS. 

In  looking  over  the  list  of  State  officers,  the  surprising  fact  is  encountered 
that  no  citizen  of  Topeka,  or  of  Shawnee  County,  has  had  the  honor  of  being 
elected  to  the  office  of  Governor.  Three  of  the  Governors,  Samuel  J.  Craw- 
ford, Thomas  A.  Osborn  and  George  T.  Anthony,  became  residents  of  the 
city  after  the  close  of  their  terms.  Only  two  Topeka  men  have  filled  the  office 
of  Lieutenant  Governor:  James  A.  Troutman,  1895-97,  ^"d  A.  M.  Harvey, 
1897-99.  Jacob  Safford  is  the  only  Topeka  man  ever  elected  to  the  Supreme 
bench  (associate  justice),  1865-71.  George  W.  Clark  was  a  judge  of  the 
Court  of  Appeals,  1895-97.  B.  F.  Simpson  was  a  Supreme  Court  commis- 
sioner, 1887-93.  Gasper  C.  Clemens  was  Supreme  Court  reporter,  1897-99. 
Topeka  has  had  three  of  the  clerks  of  the  Supreme  Court:  Andrew  Stark, 
1861-67;  E.  B.  Fowler,  1868-70;  and  John  Martin,  1897-99. 

Rufus  W.  Johnson,  of  Topeka,  was  appointed  Secretary  of  State  in  Au- 
gust, 1862,  and  served  five  months.  William  Higgins  was  Secretary  from 
1889  to  1893.    David  L.  Lakin  was  Auditor  of  State  in  1862,  by  appointment. 


I02  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

and  P.  I.  Bonebrake  filled  the  same  office  from  October,  1876,  to  January, 
1883.  Archibald  L.  Williams  was  Attorney  General  for  four  years,  1871-75, 
and  A.  A.  Godard  was  elected  to  the  same  position,  1889-1903.  Maj.  William 
Sims  was  State  Treasurer  by  appointment,  March  i  to  December  30,  1890. 
Peter  MacVicar  was  State  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction  for  four  years, 
1867-71.  Topeka  has  furnished  five  of  the  State  printers:  S.  S.  Prouty, 
1869-73;  Chfford  C.  Baker,  1887-91;  Joseph  K.  Hudson,  1895-97;  George 

A.  Clark,  1903-05;  Thomas  McNeal,  1905 — .  Capt.  J.  B.  Johnson  was 
Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives  in  1881-82  and  1885-86.  John 
Guthrie  was  Speaker  pro  tem  in  1870,  George  W.  Veale  in  1873,  and  Edwin 
D.  McKeever  in  1901-02.  Under  the  system  prevailing  in  early  years,  A.  H. 
Case  was  district  attorney  for  the  Third  District  (Shawnee  and  other  coun- 
ties), 1861-63. 

SENATORS  AND   CONGRESSMEN. 

Covering  a  period  of  30  years,  except  the  term  from  1889  to  1891, 
Topeka  has  supplied  the  Member  of  Congress  from  the  district  in  which  the 
city  is  located:  Thomas  Ryan,  1877-89;  John  G.  Otis,  1891-93;  Charles  Cur- 
tis, 1893-1907.  Two  United  States  Senators  have  also  been  elected  from 
among  her  citizens:  William  A.  Peffer,  1891-97,  and  John  Martin,  1893-95. 
It  will  thus  be  seen  that  during  the  years  1893-95  Topeka  had  two  United 
States  Senators  and  a  Congressman  in  the  public  service — an  unusal  circum- 
stance, if  not  altogether  without  a  parallel  in  the  annals  of  Congress. 

In  the  State  military  department  Topeka  has  furnished  seven  adjutants 
general, — Guilford  Dudley,  Cyrus  K.  Holliday,  Thomas  J.  Anderson,  Josiah 

B.  McAfee,  Hiram  T.  Beman,  Alexander  B.  Campbell  and  J.  W.  F.  Hughes ; 
two  majors  general, — Thomas  J.  Anderson  and  J.  W.  F.  Hughes;  three  brig- 
adiers general, — Robert  A.  Freidrich,  Andrew  M.  Fuller  and  J.  W.  F. 
Hughes ;  one  inspector  general, — Nelson  H.  Loomis ;  six  engineers  in  chief, — 
George  T.  Robinson,  L.  C.  Wilmarth,  James  Moore,  William  P.  Wilcox, 
George  W.  Porter  and  Pancoast  Kidder;  one  judge  advocate  general, — W. 
A.  S.  Bird;  two  paymasters  general, — Frank  M.  Bonebrake  and  Charles  S. 
Elliott;  and  three  surgeons  general, — D.  C.  Jones,  J.  B.  Hibben  and  F.  H. 
Martin. 

NON-ELECTIVE   POSITIONS. 

Other  State  positions  filled  by  citizens  of  Topeka  and  Shawnee  County 
have  been :  President  State  Board  of  Agriculture, — Hiram  J.  Strickler  and 
William  Sims ;  secretary  of  State  Board  of  Agriculture, — Franklin  G.  Adams, 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  103 

Hiram  J.  Strickler,  Joseph  K.  Hudson  and  William  Sims ;  President  of  State 
Board  of  Health, — Milo  B.  Ward ;  secretary  of  State  Board  of  Health,— J.  W. 
Redden,  Michael  O'Brien,  H.  A.  Dykes,  William  B.  Swan  and  Charles  Dowry ; 
president  of  Kansas  State  Historical  Society, — Samuel  A.  Kingman,  Floyd 
P.  Baker,  Cyrus  K.  Holliday,  Thomas  A.  Osborn,  Eugene  F.  Ware  and  John 
Martin;  secretary  of  Kansas  State  Historical  Society, — Floyd  P.  Baker  and 
Franklin  G.  Adams;  State  superintendent  of  insurance, — Harrison  Clarkson 
and  Orrin  T.  Welch;  State  librarian, — Samuel  A.  Kingman,  Annie  D.  Diggs 
and  James  L.  King;  school  text  book  commissioner, — D.  O.  McCray;  State 
architects, — D.  M.  Wood,  George  Ropes,  Seymour  Davis,  J.  C.  Holland,  T. 
H.  Descher  and  J.  F.  Stanton ;  president  of  Academy  of  Science, — Joseph  T. 
Lovewell  and  A.  H.  Thompson;  secretary  of  Academy  of  Science, — George 
P.  Grimsley;  librarian  and  curator  of  Academy  of  Science, — Francis  W. 
Cragin  and  Bernard  B.  Smyth;  railroad  commissioner, — Samuel  T.  Howe; 
secretary  of  Board  of  Railroad  Commissioners, — Charles  S.  Elliott  and  M.  D. 
Henderson. 

FEDERAL   POSITIONS. 

Judge  United  States  District  Court, — Archibald  Williams  (1861-63); 
clerks, — John  T.  Morton (i 861 -63 ),Frankhn  G.  Adams  (1863-65),  Adolphus 
S.  Thomas  (1865-74),  Joseph  C.  Wilson  (1874-95);  marshals, — J.  L.  Mc- 
Dowell (1861-64),  Charles  C.  Whiting  (1867-69),  William  E.  Sterne  (1898- 
1902) ;  assistant  district  attorneys,— -A.  H.  Case  (1865-69)  ;  A.  L.  Williams 
(1869-70),  Thomas  Ryan  (1875-77),  Lewis  Hanback  (1877-79),  Charles 
Blood  Smith  (1879-86),  Eugene  Hagan  (1886-89),  P.  L.  Soper  (1889-95), 
Rankin  Mason  (1885-97),  H.  J.  Bone  (1897-1901),  Edwin  D.  McKeever 
(1901-05). 

The  most  important  Federal  position  ever  obtained  for  the  county  of 
Shawnee  or  the  city  of  Topeka  was  that  of  United  States  Ambassador  to  Mex- 
ico, and  honor  bestowed  upon  Thomas  Ryan  by  President  Harrison  1889-93. 
This  is  the  only  diplomatic  station  of  the  first-class  to  which  a  citizen  of  Kan- 
sas has  ever  been  appointed.  Mr.  Ryan  was  elected  to  Congress  in  1876  and 
re-elected  for  six  successive  terms,  resigning  in  1889  to  go  to  Mexico.  In 
1897  Mr.  Ryan  was  appointed  by  President  McKinley  to  be  First  Assistant 
Secretary  of  the  Interior,  being  reappointed  in  1901,  and  again  in  1905  by 
President  Roosevelt. 

Thomas  A.  Osborn  was  appointed  United  States  Minister  to  Chile  in  1879 
by  President  Garfield,  and  was  subsequently  promoted  to  the  Brazilian  mission, 
1881-85.  James  W.  Steele  received  the  appointment  of  United  States  Consul 
to  Mantanzas,  Cuba,  and  served  from  1874  to  1879.  Charles  K.  Holliday  was 


104  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

charge  d'affairs  at  Caracas,  Venezuela,  1888-90,  by  appointment  from  Presi- 
dent Cleveland.  In  1887-90  Oscar  Bischoff  was  United  States  Consul  at  Son- 
neberg,  Germany.  Gen.  John  C.  Caldwell  was  appointed  to  be  United  States 
Consul  at  San  Jose,  Costa  Rica,  in  1897,  and  is  still  in  the  diplomatic  service 
at  that  post.  During  the  period  from  1881  to  1885  Noah  C.  McFarland 
served  as  Commissioner  General  of  the  Land  Office,  under  the  administration 
of  President  Garfield.  Eugene  F.  Ware  was  appointed  to  be  Commissioner 
of  Pensions  in  1902,  by  President  Roosevelt,  and  served  until  1905,  when  he 
resigned. 

OFFICIALS  IN  WASHINGTON. 

Ward  Burlingame  has  been  clerk  and  chief  clerk  in  the  Dead  Letter  Office 
at  Washington  from  1885  to  the  present  time.  Prior  thereto  he  had  been  the 
private  secretary  of  four  Governors  of  Kansas  and  three  United  States  Sen- 
ators from  this  State.  Alex.  R.  Banks  has  been  a  special  examiner  of  the 
Pensions  Office  from  1880  to  the  present  date.  Robert  M.  Fulton  is  an  inspec- 
tor of  the  Post  Office  Department,  appointed  in  1897.  Everett  J.  Dallas  is 
one  of  the  members  of  the  Board  of  Pension  Appeals,  in  service  since  1901. 
Charles  Allen  Mills  is  a  special  agent  of  the  rural  free  delivery  service, 
1901-05.  B.  A.  Allen  is  one  of  the  chief  clerks  in  the  office  of  the  auditor  for 
the  Post  Office  Department,  1892- 1905.  T.  F.  Dennis  has  been  connected 
with  the  Pension  Office  for  many  years,  and  is  now  a  member  of  the  Board 
of  Review  of  that  office. 

THE  RAILROAD  LIST. 

Former  citizens  of  Topeka  now  filling  important  railroad  positions  out- 
side of  the  State  are  the  following :  A.  A.  Robinson,  president  Mexican  Cen- 
tral ;  H.  R.  Nickerson,  vice-president,  Mexican,  Central ;  H.  U.  Mudge,  vice- 
president,  Chicago,  Rock  Island  &  Pacific;  Samuel  T.  Fulton,  assistant  to 
president  of  Chicago,  Rock  Island  &  Pacific ;  John  Sebastian,  passenger  traffic 
manager,  Chicago,  Rock  Island  &  Pacific;  George  T.  Nicholson,  passenger 
traffic  manager,  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  system ;  George  R.  Peck,  solici- 
tor, Chicago,  Milwaukee  Si  St.  Paul ;  W.  H.  Brewer,  assistant  to  general  man- 
ager, Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  coast  lines ;  W.  F.  Evans,  general  attorney, 
St.  Louis,  Kansas  City  &  Colorado ;  Lewis  Kingman,  chief  engineer,  Mexican 
Central;  W.  B.  Biddle,  third  vice-president,  Chicago,  Rock  Island  &  Pacific; 
C.  F.  Jilson,  assistant  treasurer,  Chicago,  Rock  Island  &  Pacific;  Charles  R. 
Hudson,  president,  San  Antonio  &  Arkansas  Pass ;  Thomas  J.  Norton,  solicitor, 
Santa  Fe,  Prescott  &  Phoenix ;  W.  B.  Jansen,  assistant  to  president,  Atchison, 


ATCHISON,  TOPEKA  &  SANTA  FE  RAILWAY  GENERAL  OFFICES 


ATCHISON,  TOPEKA  &  SANTA  FE  RAILWAY  HOSPITAL 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  107 

Topeka  &  Santa  Fe ;  James  Dun,  chief  engineer,  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa 
Fe ;  Avery  Turner,  vice-president  and  general  manager,  Pecos  Valley  &  North- 
eastern; Don  A.  Sweet,  auditor  and  secretary,  Pecos  Valley  &  Northeastern; 
F.  J.  Shubert,  assistant  general  freight  agent,  Chicago,  Rock  Island  &  Pacific ; 
H.  H.  Embry,  general  freight  agent,  Chicago,  Rock  Island  &  Pacific  lines  west 
of  Missouri  River;  Robert  Dunlap,  general  attorney,  Atchison,  Topeka  & 
Santa  Fe;  R.  J.  Parker  and  H.  W.  Sharp,  division  superintendents,  Atchison, 
Topeka  &  Santa  Fe;  W.  H.  Simpson,  manager  advertising  department,  Atchi- 
son, Topeka  &  Santa  Fe.  Charles  S.  Gleed  and  Howel  Jones,  of  Topeka,  are 
resident  directors  of  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe. 

NEWSPAPER  HISTORY. 

Shawnee  County  has  from  the  very  beginning  been  a  great  field  for  news- 
papers, and  Topeka  has  for  more  than  half  a  century  maintained  its  reputation 
as  an  important  news  center.  The  first  newspaper  venture  was  the  Kansas 
Freeman  (weekly),  edited  and  published  by  E.  C.  K.  Garvey  in  1855,  at 
Topeka,  the  first  number  being  dated  July  4.  Mr.  Garvey  was  from  Milwau- 
kee. In  aid  of  his  newspaper  he  received  from  the  Topeka  Town  Association 
a  valuable  piece  of  property  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Kansas  and  Fifth  ave- 
nues, now  described  as  lots  numbered  146  to  156,  inclusive.  The  association 
built  for  him  on  the  corner  lot  a  substantial  frame  building,  the  first  to  be 
erected  in  Topeka  of  sawed  lumber.  It  is  still  standing  at  the  original  loca- 
tion, although  its  appearance  has  been  materially  changed.  The  paper  was 
discontinued  in  the  spring  of  1856.  During  the  month  of  October,  1855,  it 
was  published  as  a  daily,  and  contained  the  proceedings  of  the  Topeka  consti- 
tutional convention. 

JOHN   SPEER's  paper. 

The  second  newspaper  was  the  Kansas  Tribune.  It  was  established  at 
Lawrence  in  January,  1855,  and  renewed  at  Topeka  December  10,  1855,  by 
John  Speer  and  William  W.  Ross.  The  Tribune  appeared  first  as  a  weekly. 
A  daily  edition  was  printed  in  March,  1856,  while  the  Legislature  was  in  ses- 
sion, the  publishers  being  W.  W.  Ross  and  E.  G.  Ross — Mr.  Speer  having 
retired.  The  Ross  brothers  continued  the  weekly  publication  until  September, 
1858,  when  they  sold  to  Shepherd  &  Cummings.  Later  J.  F.  Cummings 
became  the  sole  proprietor.  Andrew  Stark  bought  the  paper  in  1863,  and 
published  it  until,  the  spring  of  1865.  Garvey  &  Holliday  became  the  proprie- 
tors May  5,  1865,  and  resold  to  John  P.  Greer,  October  27,  1866.  Mr.  Greer 
continued  it,  part  of  the  time  as  a  daily,  until  February  23,  1867,  when  it  was 


io8  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

suspended.  It  reappeared  as  a  daily  December  6,  1867,  and  continued  under 
the  proprietorship  of  Greer  &  Williams  until  the  spring  of  1868,  through  the 
legislative  session,  when  it  was  finally  discontinued. 

A  LEADING  JOURNAL  IN    ITS  DAY. 

The  third  newspaper  was  the  Kansas  State  Record  (weekly),  published 
at  Topeka,  October  i,  1859,  by  E.  G.  and  W.  W.  Ross,  the  latter  retiring  in 
1861.  E.  G.  Ross  continued  it  until  August  19,  1862,  when  he  sold  to  S.  D. 
McDonald  and  F.  G.  Adams.  Floyd  P.  Baker  bought  the  Adams  interest 
February  i,  1863,  and  the  McDonald  interest  February  6,  1868.  In  addition 
to  the  weekly,  a  daily  edition  was  started  June  3,  1868.  Capt.  Henry  King 
bought  a  half  interest  in  the  paper  April  20,  1869,  and  became  the  editor-in- 
chief.  Baker  and  King  were  the  proprietors  until  February  15,  1871,  when 
King  retired.  The  daily  Record  was  consolidated  with  the  Commonwealth, 
December  7,  1871.  The  weekly  Record  was  continued  by  G.  D.  Baker  and 
S.  D.  McDonald  until  May  25,  1875,  when  it  was  also  transferred  to  the  Com- 
monzvealth.  During  the  time  that  Captain  King  was  in  charge  of  the  Record, 
his  associate  editor  was  Noble  L.  Prentis. 

THE  FAMOUS  COMMONWEALTH. 

The  Topeka  daily  and  weekly  Commonwealth  was  established  by  S.  S. 
Prouty  and  J.  B.  Davis  May  i,  1869,  with  Ward  Burlingame  as  editor.  A.  W. 
Edwards  and  George  W.  Crane  became  identified  with  the  paper  July  i,  1869, 
and  a  month  later  the  firm  became  Prouty,  Davis  &  Crane,  Edwards  retiring. 
Davis  and  Crane  subsequently  sold  their  interest  to  F.  L.  Crane  and  S.  D. 
McDonald,  and  the  firm  name  was  changed  to  S.  S.  Prouty  &  Company. 
Upon  the  consolidation  of  the  Record  with  the  Commonzuealth,  December  7, 
1 87 1,  the  publication  was  continued  by  the  Commonwealth  Company,  of 
which  S.  S.  Prouty  was  president  and  manager,  and  Henry  King,  managing 
editor.  W.  H.  Rossington  and  James  L.  King  were  connected  with  the  paper 
in  1872,  and  in  1873  Mr.  Rossington  became  the  managing  -  editor.  S.  S. 
Prouty  retired  from  the  company  August  17,  1873,  and  Henry  King  became 
the  publisher  and  chief  editor.  The  paper  was  seriously  crippled  by  a  fire  which 
destroyed  its  entire  plant  October  20,  1873.  Under  the  reorganization,  George 
W.  Veale  succeeded  to  the  proprietorship  and  continued  the  business  until 
January  i,  1875,  when  he  sold  to  Floyd  P.  Baker.  The  latter  took  possession 
March  7,  1875,  and  engaged  Noble  L.  Prentis  as  editor.  After  June  i,  1876, 
the  paper  was  continued  by  F.  P.  Baker  &  Sons.  May  i,  1881,  they  organized 
the  Commonwealth  Company,  and  published  the  paper  under  that  name  for 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  109 

several  years,  with  T.  B.  Murdock  as  managing  editor.  The  Commonzvealth 
was  discontinued  in  1888,  the  franchise  and  good  will  being  purchased  by  the 
publishers  of  the  Capital. 

HISTORY   OF   THE    CAPITAL. 

The  Topeka  daily  Capitol  was  established  April  21,  1879,  by  J.  K.  Hudson 
and  E.  E.  Ewing,  the  latter  retiring  January  31,  1880.  It  was  an  evening 
paper  at  first,  a  five-column  folio,  but  grew  to  metropolitan  proportions  within 
a  year,  and  was  enlarged  to  eight  pages  January  i,  1881.  It  was  changed  to 
a  morning  paper  in  that  year,  and  a  stock  company  formed,  with  J.  K.  Hudson 
as  business  manager,  and  Henry  King  as  editor.  Mr.  King  retired  from  the 
paper  March  26,  1883,  and  J.  K.  Hudson  assumed  the  entire  editorial  and 
business  management.  A  part  of  the  editorial  work  was  afterward  done  by 
William  A.  Peffer.  The  Capital  absorbed  the  Commonwealth  November  i, 
1888,  the  principal  owners  at  that  time  being  J.  K.  Hudson  and  Dell  Keizer. 
In  June,  1890,  the  Topeka  Capital  Company  was  formed,  with  J.  K.  Hudson 
as  president;  James  L.  King,  vice-president;  Dell  Keizer,  business  manager; 
and  Harold  T.  Chase,  associate  editor.  November  19,  1895,  the  property  of 
the  company  was  transferred  to  John  R.  Mulvane,  under  the  operation  of 
various  mortgages  held  by  him.  The  paper  was  continued  under  the  business 
direction  of  Dell  Keizer,  and  the  editorial  management  of  Harold  T.  Chase, 
until  August  I,  1899,  when  a  sale  was  made  to  the  Capital  Publishing  Com- 
pany, organized  by  F.  O.  Popenoe  and  others,  Mr.  Keizer  remaining  as  busi- 
ness manager  and  Mr.  Chase  as  editor.  It  was  during  the  Popenoe  adminis- 
tration that  Rev.  Charles  M.  Sheldon  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  business 
management  and  editorial  direction  of  the  paper  for  one  week,  to  demonstrate 
his  idea  of  what  a  daily  newspaper  should  be  in  order  to  conform  to  the  relig- 
ious sentiment  of  the  community  in  which  it  is  published.  Another  change 
occurred  April  i,  1901,  when  a  majority  of  the  stock  of  the  company  was 
purchased  by  Arthur  Capper,  Richard  Thomas,  Harold  T.  Chase  and  W.  B. 
Robey.  Mr.  Keizer  retired  from  the  company  at  this  date.  Early  in  1905, 
Arthur  Capper  purchased  the  interest  of  his  associates,  and  he  is  now  the  sole 
proprietor,  Mr.  Thomas  and  Mr.  Robey  retiring,  and  Mr.  Chase  remaining  as 
managing  editor.  Through  all  its  changes  and  vicissitudes,  the  Capital  has 
for  more  than  25  years  been  the  leading  Republican  morning  newspaper  of 
Kansas. 

The  Topeka  daily  Blade  was  established  as  an  evening  newspaper  (inde- 
pendent) August  I,  1873,  by  J.  Clarke  Swayze.  Its  publication  was  suspended 
January  31,  1874,  but  resumed  under  the  same  management  January  7,  1875. 
Mr.  Swayze  continued  the  Blade  until  March  27,  1877,  when  he  was  shot  and 


no  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

killed  by  John  W.  Wilson,  the  homicide  resulting  from  a  newspaper  contro- 
versy. The  Blade  was  bought  Feburary  28,  1878,  by  George  W.  R'eed,  who 
conducted  it  as  a  Republican  paper  until  September,  1879. 

AN  INDEPENDENT  JOURNAL. 

The  Topeka  State  Journal,  daily  and  weekly,  was  the  successor  to  the 
Blade,  and  was  founded  October  i,  1879,  by  George  W.  Reed.  The  political 
policy  of  the  paper  was  changed  in  December,  1880,  when  it  became  the  State 
organ  of  the  Greenback  and  Labor  Reform  parties.  This  change  brought 
Rev.  D.  P.  Mitchell  to  the  editorial  chair.  Mitchell  died  in  September,  1881, 
and  Col.  S.  N.  Wood,  succeeded  him  as  editor.  Both  the  daily  and  weekly 
gained  a  wide  circulation  throughout  the  State,  and  a  stock  company  was 
formed  to  conduct  the  business  upon  an  enlarged  scale.  This  proved  to  be  the 
undoing  of  Colonel  Reed,  who  was  the  principal  owner,  and  he  was  obliged 
to  dispose  of  the  property.  It  was  purchased  October  29,  1885,  by  Frank  P. 
MacLennan,  who  converted  it  into  an  independent  newspaper,  and  has  con- 
tinued its  publication  up  to  the  present  time.  Mr.  MacLennan  is  the  sole 
owner  and  chief  editor,  and  in  20  years  has  built  up  one  of  the  finest  newspaper 
properties  in  the  State.  The  State  Journal  occupies  its  own  building,  equipped 
with  every  facility  for  gathering  and  disseminating  the  news,  and  is  a  splendid 
example  of  the  modern  American  daily  newspaper.  Fred  H.  Collier,  now  of 
the  St.  Louis  Globe-Democrat,  was  formerly  employed  on  the  State  Journal. 
The  present  associate  editor  is  Llewellyn  L.  Kiene. 

A    NEW    VENTURE. 

The  daily  JJerald,  an  evening  Republican  newspaper,  was  founded  by 
Dell  Keizer  July  i,  1901,  with  J..K.  Hudson  as  editor-in-chief,  the  business 
being  carried  on  in  the  name  of  the  Herald  Publishing  Company,  in  which 
Mr.  Keizer  owns  a  large  majority  of  the  stock.  The  Herald  was  launched  in 
midsummer  of  a  dull  year,  with  limited  backing,  and  against  the  advice  of 
prudent  and  far-seeing  business  men.  Through  his  ability,  energy  and  expe- 
lience,  Mr.  Keizer  has  obtained  a  secure  foothold  for  his  paper,  and  has  stead- 
ily increased  its  business  and  influence.  It  is  now  the  official  paper  of  the  State 
and  of  the  city  of  Topeka. 

At  the  present  time  there  are  three  daily  newspapers  in  Topeka — the 
Capital,  State  Journal  and  Herald — and  this  challenge  may  be  put  forth  with 
absolute  safety :  That  no  other  city  of  50,000  population  in  the  United  States 
can  show  three  daily  papers  so  well  printed,  so  well  edited,  so  well  conducted 
from  every  journalistic  standpoint. 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  iii 

FORTY  YEARS   OF   THE   FARMER. 

One  of  the  oldest  newspapers  in  the  State  is  the  Kansas  Fanner,  an  agri- 
cultural and  stock  journal,  founded  by  the  State  Agricultural  Society  May  i, 
1863,  and  managed  by  F.  G.  Adams,  secretary  of  the  society.  It  was  first 
published  as  a  monthly  at  Topeka,  but  on  January  i,  1865,  it  was  sold  to 
J.  S.  Brown,  and  removed  to  Lawrence.  George  T.  Anthony  bought  the 
paper  August  1,  1867,  and  removed  it  to  Leavenworth,  where  it  was  changed 
from  a  monthly  to  a  semi-monthly,  George  A.  Crawford  being  the  associate 
editor  and  traveling  representative.  In  January,  1873,  M.  S.  Grant  became  the 
owner,  with  Dr.  A.  G.  Chase  as  editor.  J.  K.  Hudson  purchased  the  paper 
November  15,  1873,  ^"d  removed  it  to  Topeka  January  i,  1874,  where  it  has 
ever  since  been  published  as  a  weekly.  E.  E.  Ewing  bought  a  half-interest 
in  the  business  May  i,  1878,  which  was  repurchased  in  a  year  by  Mr.  Hudson. 
The  firm  of  DeMotte  &  Ricks  purchased  from  Mr.  Hudson  in  1882,  and 
organized  the  Kansas  Farmer  Company,  of  which  H.  C.  DeMotte  was  presi- 
dent; R.  R.  Brown,  treasurer;  H.  A.  Heath,  business  manager;  and  W.  A. 
Peffer,  editor.  DeMotte  and  Ricks  subsequently  retired  from  the  company. 
The  present  officers  of  the  company  are :  E.  B.  Cowgill,  president  and  editor ; 
J.  B.  McAfee,  vice-president;  D.  C.  Nellis,  secretary  and  treasurer;  H.  A. 
Heath,  business  manager;  I.  D.  Graham,  associate  editor.  The  Farmer  has 
had  a  continuous  existence  for  more  than  40  years. 

The  first  number  of  the  Topeka  Leader  appeared  December  9,  1865,  J. 
F.  Cummings  and  Ward  Burlingame,  proprietors.  Burlingame  retired  in  a 
few  weeks  and  Cummings  continued  the  paper  until  March  4,  1869,  when  it 
was  absorbed  by  the  Coinmonzvealth.  Mr.  Cummings  undertook  to  revive 
the  Leader  in  1876,  but  the  effort  was  a  failure. 

Rev.  Peter  MacVicar  conducted  the  Kansas  Educational  Journal 
(monthly)  at  Topeka,  in  1866-67.  It  was  started  in  1864  at  Leavenworth, 
and  its  publication  continued  for  10  years  at  Leavenworth,  Grasshopper  Falls, 
Topeka,  Emporia,  Topeka  and  Leavenworth,  successively. 

KANSAS  MAGAZINE. 

The  most  ambitious  literary  venture  ever  undertaken  in  Kansas  was  the 
publication  of  the  Kansas  Magazine,  a  monthly  periodical,  by  a  stock  company 
which  included  S.  S.  Prouty,  Henry  King,  D.  W.  Wilder,  Thomas  A.  Osborn, 
C.  W.  Babcock,  John  A.  Martin,  D.  M.  Valentine,  M.  W.  Reynolds  and  W.  H. 
Smallwood.  The  first  number  was  printed  January  i,  1872,  with  Henry 
King  as  editor.    Only  four  volumes  were  completed,  covering  the  years  1872 


112  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

and  1873.     In  the  latter  year  James  W.   Steele  succeeded  Henry  King  as 
editor. 

NORTH  TOPEKA  ENTERPRISES. 

The  North  Topeka  Times  (weekly)  was  started  March  16,  1871,  by  C. 
Maynard.  He  sold  to  J.  V.  Admire  May  30,  1872.  V.  P.  Wilson  became  the 
owner  January  i,  1874.  From  March  i,  1875,  to  May  25,  1876,  it  was  pub- 
lished as  a  daily,  having  been  transferred  to  Topeka  proper,  with  James  L. 
King  as  editor.  It  was  then  sold  to  N.  R.  Baker,  and  six  weeks  later  was 
transferred  to  the  Commonwealth  and  discontinued. 

A  second  North  Topeka  Times  appeared  June  8,  1876,  under  the  man- 
agement of  Frank  A.  Root,  as  a  weekly  Republican  paper.  September  22, 
1877,  George  S.  Irwin  bought  a  half  interest  in  the  concern,  and  in  December, 
1879,  he  became  the  sole  owner.  It  was  purchased  in  November,  1881,  by 
F.  H,  Roberts,  J.  S.  Temple  and  J.  A.  Carruth,  who  sold  to  C.  G.  Coutant, 
February  15,  1882.  F.  S.  Stambaugh  and  A.  B.  Whiting  came  into  posses- 
sion of  the  Times  October  7,  1882.  Harry  S.  Whiting  was  one  of  the  editors. 
During  a  part  of  its  career  the  Times  appeared  in  daily  form.  Publication 
was  discontinued  in  1885. 

THE   MAIL   AND    BREEZE. 

The  North  Topeka  Mail  was  established  as  a  weekly  in  1882  by  F.  H. 
Collier  and  W.  E.  Coutant.  From  that  time  until  1893  it  was  published  suc- 
cessively by  C.  G.  Coutant  and  F.  H.  Collier;  F.  H.  Collier  and  J.  E.  Layton; 
J.  E.  Layton,  F.  H.  Collier  and  B.  F.  Seibert;  Collier  and  Layton;  the  Mail 
Company ;  F  A.  Root  &  Sons ;  and  F.  A.  Root.  The  paper  was  purchased  by 
Arthur  Capper  September  29,  1893.  It  was  enlarged  and  improved  by  Mr. 
Capper,  and  subsequently  transferred  from  North  Topeka  to  Topeka,  where 
it  has  since  been  published.  September  19,  1895,  it  absorbed  the  Kansas 
Breeze  and  has  since  been  known  as  the  Mail  and  Breeze.  Arthur  Capper  is 
the  owner  and  publisher;  Thomas  A.  McNeal  editor,  and 'George  M.  Craw- 
ford business  manager.  The  Kansas  Breeze  was  started  in  1894  by  Thomas 
A.  McNeal  and  Frank  C.  Montgomery  and  continued  for  one  year,  until 
merged  into  the  Mail. 

LIST   OF   CURRENT   NEWSPAPERS. 

There  are  40  newspapers  published  in  Topeka  at  the  present  time.  The 
classification  and  names  of  editors  or  publishers  are  shown  in  the  following 
list:  Annuitant,  monthly- fraternal,  W.  N.  Glass;  Ark  Light,  monthly-fra- 
ternal, Harry  C.  Wright;  Club  Member,  weekly-social,  Mrs.  Margaret  Hill 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  115 

McCarter;  Children's  Home  Finder,  monthly-charitable,  Rev.  O.  S.  Morrow; 
Climate  and  Crop  Service,  weekly-meterorological,  T.  B.  Jennings;  Commer- 
cial and  Hotel  Register,  monthly-trade,  Charles  H.  Trapp;  Congregational 
Kansas,  quarterly-religious,  Home  Missionary  Society;  Farmers'  Family 
Journal,  monthly-miscellaneous,  George  H.  Gillies;  Glada  Biidskapet  (Glad 
Tidings),  monthly-religious.  Rev.  G.  Nyquisf;  Household,  monthly-literary. 
Household  Publishing  Company;  Inland  Investor,  monthly-real  estate,  Leslie 
F.  Randolph ;  Investors'  Guide,  monthly-financial,  E.  W.  Poindexter ;  Journal 
of  the  Kansas  Medical  Society,  monthly-medical,  Dr.  W.  E.  McVey;  Kansas 
Baptist  Watchman,  weekly-religious,  Rev.  G.  W.  Harts;  Kansas  Farmer, 
weekly-agricultural,  Kansas  Farmer  Company;  Kansas  Issue,  monthly-tem- 
perance, Kansas  State  Temperance  Union;  Kansas  Kinderfreund,  monthly- 
charitable,  Rev.  A.  Schmid;  Kansas  Messenger,  monthly-religious,  W.  S. 
Lowe;  Kansas  Telegraph,  weekly-Democratic,  Leo  VonLangen;  Kansas 
Worker,  weekly-religious,  Seventh  Day  Adventist  Conference  Association; 
Labor  Champion,  weekly-labor,  J.  W.  Mitchell;  Knights  and  Ladies  of 
Security,  monthly-fraternal,  George  M.  Crawford;  Mail  and  Breeze,  weekly- 
Republican,  Arthur  Capper;  Memorial  Chimes,  monthly-religious.  Rev.  H. 
A.  Ott ;  Merchants'  Journal,  weekly-trade,  Charles  P.  Adams ;  Missouri  Val- 
ley Farmer,  monthly-agricultural,  Missouri  Valley  Farmer  Publishing  Com- 
pany; Modern  Mercury,  weekly-social,  Nanon  L.  Herron  and  Mrs.  Eugene 
Wolfe;  Orient  of  Kansas,  semi-annual-Masonic,  T.  B.  Jennings;  Poultry  Ga- 
zette, monthly-agricultural,  George  H.  Gillies;  State  Ledger,  weekly-Afro- 
American,  Fred  L.  Jeltz ;  State  Record,  semi-mpnthly-Populist,  W.  R.  Eyster ; 
Sunflower  Undertaker,  monthly-trade,  L.  M.  Penwell;  Topeka  Capital,  daily 
and  semi-weekly-Republican,  Arthur  Capper;  Topeka  Herald,  daily- Republi- 
can, J.  K.  Hudson;  Topeka  Legal  News,  daily-court  calendar,  Nanon  L. 
Herron;  Topeka  Plaindealer,  weekly-Afro- American,  J.  Hume  Childers  and 
Nick  Chiles;  Topeka  State  Journal,  daily  and  weekly-independent,  Frank  P. 
MacLennan ;  Washburn  Review,  weekly-college,  John  V.  VanDeMark ;  IVest- 
ern  Odd  Fellow,  monthly-fraternal,  H.  C.  Stevens;  Western  School  Journal, 
monthly-educational,  John  MacDonald. 

Outside  of  the  city  of  Topeka  there  are  only  two  newspapers  now  being 
published  in  Shawnee  County:  The  Blade,  at  Oakland,  weekly-Republican, 
by  W.  S.  Anderson;  and  the  Shawnee  County  Ncivs,  at  Rossville,  weekly-in- 
dependent, by  U.  S.  Stewart. 

SUSPENDED  DAILY  PAPERS. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  defunct  daily  newspapers  of  Topeka,  and 
the  period  of  their  publication:  Freeman,  1855  ;  Tribune,  1856;  Tribune  1864; 


ii6  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Leader,  1865;  Record,  1868-71;  Commonwealth,  1870-88;  Blade,  1873-79; 
Democrat,  1874-82;  Times,  1875;  Argus,  1876;  Leader,  1876;  Times,  1878; 
Tattler,  1879;  Post,  1880;  Pantograph,  1881 ;  PF/w'm  Wham,  1881 ;  Argus, 
1881-82;  Twnw,  1881-82;  Herald,  1882;  Republic,  1882;  CnYzc,  1884;  OV- 
i^^M,  1885-86;  Democrat,  1886-98;  A/'^it'j,  1888;  Courier,  1888;  Ma//,  1888; 
Leader,  1888;  Suniiower,  1888;  Globe,  1889;  Topics,  1891-92;  Truth,  1892; 
Sentinel,  1892-93;  Pr^jj,  1893-96;  Populist,  1893;  Ca//,  1893;  Ledger,  1893; 
Kansan,  1894;  Co-operator,  1895-96. 

From  1865  to  1905  more  than  300  weekly,  monthly  and  quarterly  jour- 
nals of  various  classes  had  their  birth  in  Topeka,  strutted  their  brief  hour  upon 
the  stage  and  were  gathered  into  ponderous  tomes  in  the  stack  room  of  the 
State  Historical  Society,  where  the  remains  are  marked  with  the  customary 
headstones. 


CHAPTER  X. 

The  Beginning  of  the  City  of  Topeka — A  Farm  Changed  to  a  Town-Site — 
Names  of  the  Pioneers  and  Their  Followers — The  Chase  Cabin — Organi- 
zation of  the  Town  Company — Reminiscences  of  the  Early  Settlers — 
The  First  Fire — Description  of  the  Country — Marking  the  Site  of  the 
First  Building. 

The  fathers  of  the  city  of  Topeka  were  Cyrus  K.  Holhday,  Fry  W.  Giles, 
Daniel  H.  Home,  Enoch  Chase,  Jacob  B.  Chase,  George  Davis,  Milton  C. 
Dickey,  Charles  Robinson  and  Loring  J.  Cleveland.  Holliday  was  from  Penn- 
sylvania, Giles  arid  Dickey  from  New  Hampshire,  Cleveland  from  Iowa,  and 
the  others  from  Massachusetts.  All  were  attracted  by  the  opening  of  a  new 
country  to  settlement,  and  the  opportunities  thus  presented  for  young  men  to 
engage  in  business.  In  the  case  of  some  of  them,  at  least,  there  was  the  natural 
American  love  of  adventure,  and  a  patriotic  desire  to  assist  in  making  Kansas 
a  free  State.  Most  of  them  came  through  the  instrumentality  of  the  New 
England  Emigrant  Aid  Company,  of  which  Charles  Robinson  was  the  agent, 
with  headquarters  at  Lawrence,  Kansas.  Mr.  Robinson  arrived  in  Kansas  early 
in  July,  1854;  Mr.  Holliday  in  October,  1854;  Enoch  and  Jacob  B.  Chase, 
George  Davis,  Fry  W.  Giles,  Milton  C.  Dickey  and  Loring  G.  Cleveland  in 
November,  1854;  and  Daniel  H.  Home  December  2,  of  that  year. 

topeka's    inception. 

Enoch  Chase,  Jacob  B.  Chase,  George  Davis  and  Milton  C.  Dickey  pre- 
ceded the  others  to  the  town-site  of  Topeka,  in  the  latter  part  of  November, 
1854  (about  November  29th),  although  it  is  probable  that  Holliday  and  Robin- 
son had  visited  the  locality  prior  to  that  date.  Mr.  Holliday  claims  to  have 
been  on  the  site  November  22nd,  with  a  party  of  seven  men,  and  that  the  idea 
of  establishing  a  town  originated  at  that  time.  The  record  shows  that  Fry  W. 
Giles,  Daniel  H.  Home  and  Loring  G.  Cleveland  left  St.  Louis  in  the  fall  of 
1854  on  the  steamer  "Lenora",  bound  for  Kansas  City.  Accompanying  the 
trio  were  Thomas  G.  Thornton,  Timothy  Mclntire,  Jonas  E.  Greenwood, 
George  F.  Crowe,  William  C.  Linaker  and  Samuel  A.  Clark.     This  party 


ii8  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY  ,    ,' 

walked  from  Kansas  City  to  Lawrence,  arriving  there  on  Saturday  evening, 
December  2,  1854.  A  meeting  was  held  in  that  city  on  Sunday  evening, 
December  3rd,  participated  in  by  the  Giles  party  and  Robinson  and  Holliday, 
at  which  the  organization  and  location  of  the  town  of  Topeka  were  definitely 
determined  upon.  The  town  was  accordingly  established  on  the  5th  day  of 
December,  1854. 

There  is  no  controversy  as  to  the  date  of  the  founding  of  the  town,  but 
there  have  been  so  many  conflicting  statements  regarding  the  circumstances  of 
the  founding,  the  selection  of  the  site  and  the  precedence  of  the  original  settlers, 
that  it  is  necessary  to  give  here  the  personal  recollections  of  some  of  the 
founders  in  order  that  complete  justice  may  be  done  to  all  concerned.  These 
statements  are  condensed  from  books,  newspaper  articles  and  personal  inter- 
views, and  while  there  may  be  some  variation  as  to  dates  and  incidental  circum- 
stances, the  general  facts  are  in  perfect  accord. 

ABOUT    ENOCH     CHASE. 

/ 

V 

In  the  year  1854  Enoch  Chase  was  living  in  Boston,  and  engaged  at  his 
trade,  that  of  an  upholsterer.  A  circular  issued  by  the  New  England  Emi- 
grant Aid  Company  fell  into  his  hands,  relating  to  affairs  in  Kansas,  and  he 
determined  to  make  a  personal  investigation  of  the  conditions  in  the  new 
Territory.  He  reached  the  Kansas  border  in  November,  1854.  With  eight 
companions  and  a  wagon-load  of  provisions  drawn  by  a  team  of  oxen,  he 
set  out  for  Lawrence,  arriving  there  November  24th.  The  party  built  a  sod 
house  for  their  own  accommodation,  and  lived  in  it  about  five  days,  at  the  end 
of  which  time  Enoch  Chase,  Jacob  B.  Chase,  Milton  C.  Dickey  and  George 
Davis  bought  the  interest  of  their  associates  in  the  load  of  provisions,  and 
decided  to  try  their  fortunes  at  a  point  further  west  on  the  Kansas  River, 
where  it  was  thought  a  new  town  might  be  located.  Upon  their  arrival  at 
the  point  in  view,  according  to  Mr.  Chase's  statement,  they  selected  the  section 
of  land  (section  31),  upon  which  the  town  was  afterwards  located.  Each 
man  took  a  quarter  of  the  section,  and  a  log  house  was  built  near  the  river, 
at  a  point  now  known  as  the  northwest  corner  of  Kansas  and  First  avenues. 
While  the  house  was  being  built,  Mr.  Dickey  went  back  to  Lawrence  for  sup- 
plies, and  returned  a  few  days  later,  bringing  with  him  the  other  parties  who 
had  become  interested  in  the  new  town.  Mr.  Chase  and  his  three  associates 
surrendered  their  section  of  land  for  town  purposes,  and  took  a  quarter  section 
each  of  the  adjoining  lands.  Mr.  Chase's  quarter  was  near  the  present  site 
of  Washburn  College.  The  section  these  four  men  surrendered  became  the 
property  of  the  Topeka  Town  Association.  Mr.  Chase  built  a  house  on  his 
quarter  section,  which  he  occupied  with  his  family  in  March,  1855.    In  October, 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  119 

1855,  he  moved  into  town,  and  later  conducted  a  boarding-house.  He  built 
a  large  frame  house  on  Sixth  avenue,  which  was  used  as  a  hotel,  and  in  1857 
he  opened  the  Chase  House,  afterwards  converted  into  the  Capitol  Hotel,  and 
later  into  a  part  of  the  Stormont  office  building.  He  also  built  and  resided  in 
the  stone  house  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Sixth  avenue,  now  used  as  a  store 
building. 

COLONEL    HORNE's    STATEMENT. 

Daniel  H.  Home,  a  tanner  and  furrier  by  trade,  left  Massachusetts  in 
November,  1854,  and  reached  Kansas  December  2nd,  of  that  year,  stopping 
at  Lawrence.  He  attended  the  meeting  of  13  men  in  Lawrence  on  the  evening 
of  December.  3rd,  at  which  the  Topeka  enterprise  was  suggested.  Mr.  Home 
says  that  these  men  were  acting  for  themselves,  and  that  Cyrus  K.  Holliday, 
Charles  Robinson  and  Milton  C.  Dickey  were  not  included  in  the  thirteen. 
The  three  last  named  gentlemen  came  into  the  meeting  after  it  had  been 
organized.  Robinson  and  Holliday,  whose  business  it  was  to  direct  the  Kansas 
immigrants  to  places  of  settlement,  spoke  of  the  possibilities  of  a  new  town  25 
miles  west  of  Lawrence,  and  Mr.  Dickey  stated  that  the  proposed  town  was 
ready  for  settlement,  and  that  the  necessary  land  had  been  obtained  by  himself, 
George  Davis  and  Enoch  and  Jacob  B.  Chase,  the  last  three  being  then  on 
the  ground.  A  committee  consisting  of  Daniel  H.  Home,  Fry  W.  Giles,  Loring 
G.  Cleveland  and  Samuel  A.  Clark  was  appointed  to  inspect  the  proposed  site. 
These  four  men  proceeded  at  once  to  the  point  designated,  arriving  there 
Monday  evening,  December  4th,  accompanied  by  Holliday,  Robinson  and 
Dickey.  They  found  Enoch  Chase,  Jacob  B.  Chase  and  George  Davis  on  the 
ground,  and  working  on  the  log  cabin  abyve  referred  to  by  Enoch  Chase.  The 
party  of  10  men  slept  in  the  cabin  that  night,  or  a  part  of  the  night,  for  it 
was  partially  destroyed  by  fire  before  morning.  Robinson  returned  to 
Lawrence  on  Tuesday,  after  articles  of  agreement  had  been  executed  for  laying 
out  the  town.  Home  maintains  that  Charles  Robinson  was  acting  only  as  a 
guide  for  the  party,  and  that  he  did  not  sign  the  articles  of  agreement  for  the 
organization  of  the  town,  but  Robinson's  name  appears  on  the  instrument, 
and  Mr.  Home  is  evidently  in  error.  In  the  negotiations  over  the  site,  Enoch 
and  J.  B.  Chase,  Milton  C.  Dickey  and  George  Davis  were  given  their  choice 
of  160-acre  tracts  outside  the  town  limits,  for  relinquishing  the  section  upon 
which  the  town  was  to  be  erected,  and  they  were  likewise  to  have  equal  shares 
in  the  town  company.  The  committee  adopted  a  resolution  that  no  other 
distribution  of  lots  or  claims  should  be  made  until  the  men  who  had  been  left 
at  Lawrence  should  arrive.  After  their  arrival  a  distribution  was  made  by 
lottery,  Jonas  E.  Greenwood  securing  the  first  choice  and  selecting  a  claim  east 
of  town,  where  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  shops  are  now  located. 

6 


I20  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY  ; 

■Greenwood  immediately  sold  his  claim  to  Thomas  G.  Thornton  for  $15.  Daniel 
H.  Home  obtained  second  choice,  selecting  a  claim  west  of  town,  where  he 
resided  for  many  years,  and  which  afterwards  was  sold  for  town-lot  purposes. 
Of  the  party  that  came  up  from  Lawrence  to  join  the  Home  committee,  the 
following  names  are  given :  Thomas  G.  Thornton,  George  F.  Crowe  and  his 
son,  Zenas,  aged  15  years;  W.  C.  Linaker,  Jonas  E.  Greenwood,  Timothy 
Mclntire,  and  a  man  named  Williams — the  last  named  disappeared  after  re- 
maining a  short  time.  After  the  destruction  of  the  Chase  cabin  by  fire,  Daniel 
H.  Home  and  Loring  G.  Cleveland  proceeded  to  erect  a  sod  hut,  which  was 
occupied  as  a  residence  during  the  winter.  The  Chase  cabin  was  also  rebuilt 
and  retained  its  prestige  as  the  first  building  on  the  town-site. 

THE     GILES     HISTORY. 

In  his  book,  "Thirty  Years  in  Topeka,"  published  in  1886,  Fry  W.  Giles 
corroborates  all  that  has  been  said  of  the  transaction  on  the  5th  of  December. 
He  notes  the  presence  of  the  nine  men  whose  names  are  above  given,  and 
■states  that  on  the  morning  of  that  day  these  men  walked  over  the  proposed 
town-site  to  a  point  midway  between  the  Kansas  River  and  Shunganunga 
Creek,  and  then  returned  to  the  Chase  cabin  to  conclude  the  details  of  organiza- 
tion. Milton  C.  Dickey  called  the  assemblage  to  order  and  moved  that  "the 
fellow  with  the  white  hat"  (pointing  to  Colonel  HoUiday)  be  invited  to  pre- 
side. This  was  agreed  to,  and  Mr.  Giles  was  made  secretary.  Mr.  Giles 
further  states  that  Charles  Robinson  did  not  remain  with  the  party  that  day 
or  take  any  active  interest  in  the  proceedings.  The  Chase  cabin  is  thus 
described  in  the  Giles  book : 

"Its  dimensions  were  about  12  by  14  feet,  and  five  feet  in  height  at 
the  sides.  The  gables  were  extended  up  some  three  feet  above  the  sides. 
Poles  upon  these,  supported,  first  a  layer  of  brush,  and  then  a  thatch  of  prairie 
grass.  At  the  west  end,  just  outside  of  the  logs,  was  piled  a  parcel  of  stones 
somewhat  in  the  form  of  the  fire-place  of  old,  without  mortar,  and  extending 
upward  just  above  the  roof,  the  logs  of  the  gable  forming  the  inside  wall 
of  the  chimney.  A  banking  of  earth  was  thrown  up  against  the  logs  on  the 
north,  and  the  interstices  between  the  logs  chinked  with  brush  and  plastered 
•with  mud.  The  only  opening  left  for  light  or  ingress  was  to  the  south, 
and  a  strip  of  cotton  cloth  hung  there  to  keep  out  the  cold. 

THE      FIRST      FIRE. 

"A  few  days  after  the  little  party  had  settled  down  to  the  necessities 
of  the  case,  and  got  in  a  few  supplies,  it  became  apparent  that  the  flames 
that  roared  up  the  chimney  occasionally  came  in  dangerous  proximity  to  the 


MASONIC  BLOCK  AND  GRAND  OPERA  HOUSE 


THE  TOPEKA  CLUB 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  123 

thatch  of  the  roof.  As  they  straightened  themselves  one  night  upon  the 
litter  of  hay  that  matted  their  cabin  floor,  and  sought  repose,  it  was  re- 
marked that  the  cabin  would  be  on  fire  before  morning,  but  with  jesting 
and  indifference  the  subject  was  dismissed,  and  in  weariness  all  eyes  were 
soon  closed.  They  had  not  slept  long,  however,  before  a  flash  of  light 
brought  all  eyes  open  again,  and  they  gazed  upon  a  mass  of  fire  enveloping 
the  brush  and  thatch,  and  burning  straws  falling  upon  the  hay  on  which  they 
lay.  There  was  work  to  be  done,  and  that  right  quickly.  In  one  corner  was 
stored  flour,  meal,  beans,  coffee,  tea,  clothing,  arms,  a  keg  of  molasses  and  a 
keg  of  powder.  To  remove  these  was  the  important  work  in  hand,  and 
it  was  fortunate  that  the  men  had  gone  to  rest  without  removing  their  hats 
and  boots.  One  caught  the  keg  of  powder  and  hurled  it  down  the  declivity 
toward  the  river,  while  others  seized  what  they  could,  and  in  a  twinkling  all 
except  a  few  garments  and  a  gun  or  two  was  safely  strewn  upon  the  prairie. 
The  'city'  was  in  ruins,  and  the  people  thereof  in  anxiety  queried  how  best 
to  guard  themselves  against  the  cold  during  the  night.  They  had  a  small 
tent,  which  they  erected,  and  in  vain  attempts  to  sleep  on  the  naked  ground 
with  their  canvas  alone  over  them,  a  part  suffered  through  the  night,  while 
others  secured  such  shelter  from  the  piercing  winds  as  they  could  in  the 
thicket  of  brush  near  by." 

It  will  be  observed  that  Mr.  Giles  records  the  fire  as  occurring 
several  days  after  the  arrival  of  the  party  from  Lawrence,  whereas  Daniel 
H.  Home  says  it  occurred  on  the  night  of  their  arrival,  December  4th. 
Colonel  HoUiday  and  others  agree  that  it  was  on  the  night  of  December  4th, 
but  there  is  good  reason  to  believe  that  the  Giles  account  is  the  correct  one, 
in  this  instance. 

COLONEL    HOLLIDAy'S  ACCOUNT. 

Col.  Cyrus  K.  Holliday's  story  of  the  founding  of  Topeka  is  best  told 
in  his  own  words : 

"On  November  21,  1854,  a  party  consisting  of  eight  persons  left  the 
town  of  Lawrence  for  a  trip  up  the  Kansas  River  to  its  head,  at  the  con- 
fluence of  the  Smoky  Hill  and  Republican  rivers.  The  party  consisted  of 
Charles  Robinson,  Rev.  S.  Y.  Lum,  Rev.  Clough,  Franklin  Billings,  George 
Davis,  W.  T.  A.  H.  Bolles,  John  Armstrong  and  C.  K.  Holliday.  During 
the  trip  three  points  were  agreed  upon  as  eminently  suited  for  town  pur- 
poses: First,  the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Topeka;  second,  that  of  Man- 
hattan ;  and  third,  that  of  Junction  City.  Our  party  stayed  at  Tecumseh  on 
the  night  of  November  21,  camping  out,  and  left  Tecumseh  at  9  o'clock  on 
Wednesday  morning,  November  22,  1854.    Having  crossed  the  Shunganunga 


124  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

and  emerged  from  the  timber,  near  what  was  afterwards  known  as  Khne's 
grove,  our  whole  party  were  in  raptures  at  the  beautiful  conformation  of 
land  spread  out  before  us,  and  its  complete  adaptation  to  the  building  of  a 
city,  so  far  as  the  new  site  was  concerned. 

"Immediately  after  the  return  of  our  party  to  Lawrence,  November 
27  or  28,  the  remnant  of  the  fifth  party  under  the  auspices  of  the  New  Eng- 
land Emigrant  Aid  Company  arrived  at  Lawrence.  These  were  the  few 
who  had  the  courage  to  remain — most  of  the  party  had  started  on  their 
homeward  trip  without  even  entering  the  Territory.  The  remnant  that  re- 
mained consisted  of  Enoch  Chase,  Jacob  B.  Chase,  Milton  C.  Dickey  and 
George  Davis.  These  gentlemen  were  counseled  with  by  Charles  Robinson 
and  myself,  and  informed  about  our  trip  up  the  river,  and  were  advised  and 
requested  to  take  hold  with  us  and  help  build  a  town  at  the  point  selected, 
near  Papan's  Ferry.  After  a  thorough  understanding  of  the  whole  matter, 
they  consented  to  do  so,  and  were  fully  instructed  precisely  where  to  go  and 
what  claims  to  take  up ;  and  to  hold  the  same  for  a  few  days  until  Charles 
Robinson  and  myself,  and  such  other  proper  persons  as  we  could  influence, 
could  join  them,  when  the  town  organization  would  be  perfected. 

POSSESSING     THE     LAND. 

"The  next  day,  November  29,  1854 — the  day  of  our  first  election  for 
delegate  to  Congress — these  four  gentlemen  went  exactly  as  they  were  ad- 
vised and  instructed  to  do  and  took  possession  of  the  land  we  had  indicated ; 
and  on  the  next  day,  November  30,  1854,  they  commenced  the  erection  of 
the  first  house  in  Topeka,  at  the  southwest  corner  of  Kansas  and  First 
avenues,  locally  known  as  the  Mill  Block.  A  few  days  after,  December  i 
or  2,  the  remnant  of  the  sixth  party  under  the  auspices  of  the  New  England 
Emigrant  Aid  Company  arrived  at  Lawrence.  The  project  of  a  new  town 
near  Papan's  Ferry  was  also  presented  to  them,  and  favorably  received,  and 
on  Monday,  the  4th  day  of  December,  1854,  the  following  members  of  that 
party,  to-wit :  Fry  W.  Giles,  Daniel  H.  Home,  Loring  G.  Cleveland,  and 
Samuel  A.  Clark,  in  company  with  M.  C.  Dickey,  who  had  returned  to 
Lawrence,  and  Charles  Robinson  and  myself,  came  up  from  Lawrence  to  the 
new  town-site,  and  took  quarters  at  the  new,  unfinished  cabin,  with  the  party 
which  had  come  up  the  preceding  Wednesday. 

"The  next  day,  Tuesday,  December  5,  1854,  articles  of  association  were 
agreed  upon,  and  duly  signed,  the  limits  of  the  town-site  were  indicated, 
surveys  were  arranged  for,  and  the  founding  of  the  new  city,  which  had  been 
selected  and  located  two  weeks  before,  became  an  accomplished  fact.  Those 
present  and  participating  in  the  founding  of  the  city,  as  their  names  appear 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  125 

in  the  records,  were  M.  C.  Dickey,  J.  B.  Chase,  George  Davis,  C.  K.  Holh- 
day.  Fry  W.  Giles,  D.  H.  Home,  L.  G.  Cleveland  and  S.  A.  Clark.  Charles 
Robinson  ably  assisted  in  the  inauguration  of  the  new  town,  but  declined  to 
act  as  a  member  proper  of  the  town  company,  deeming  it  unwise  to  do  so, 
inasmuch  as  he  was  representing  the  interests  of  the  New  England  Emigrant 
Aid  Company.  Taking  advantage  of  his  absence,  however,  he  was  promptly 
voted  is  as  the  tenth  member  of  the  Topeka  association. 

THE    COUNTRY     50    YEARS     AGO. 

"On  our  trip  of  November  21,  we  took  the  California  or  ridge  road  from 
Lawrence,  and  passed  west  over  the  high  prairies,  with  the  valleys  of  the 
Kansas  and  Wakarusa  to  the  right  and  left,  skirted  in  the  distance  by  dark 
fringes  of  timber.  For  a  distance  of  six  or  eight  miles  there  were  numerous 
log  cabins  scattered  along  the  road,  but  from  this  on  to  the  few  cabins  at 
Tecumseh,  the  country  was  almost  a  wilderness.  At  Tecumseh  there  were 
probably  a  dozen  log  cabins.  Leaving  there  we  followed  the  river  for  a 
distance  of  five  miles  and  came  to  the  beautiful  rise  of  ground  where  Topeka 
was  to  be  located,  although  the  name  had  not  then  been  determined  upon. 
We  had  other  locations  in  view,  as  I  have  stated,  at  Manhattan  and  Junction 
City,  but  for  the  purposes  of  a  little  colony  of  New  Englanders  who  were  to 
be  first  provided  for,  Topeka  was  by  far  the  better  location.  It  was  25  miles 
west  of  Lawrence,  the  Kansas  River  was  north  with  its  rich  bottoms  and 
the  Pottawatomie  Indian  reservation  extended  for  30  miles  westward.  The 
site  itself  was  a  beautiful  one,  and  it  possessed  many  of  the  requisites  for  the 
building  of  a  city,  stone,  sand  and  lumber  in  abundance.  In  addition  Papan's 
Ferry  was  already  a  well-known  institution,  where  the  two  great  trails  of 
the  continent  crossed  the  Kansas  River — the  one  from  Fort  Leavenworth  and 
St.  Joseph  to  Santa  Fe  and  interior  military  posts,  and  the  other  from  Inde- 
pendence and  Westport,  Missouri,  to  California  and  the  Pacific  Coast." 

THE      FIRST      HOUSE. 

In  another  part  of  his  account  Colonel  Holliday  speaks  of  the  Chase 
cabin  as  being  constructed  of  unhev^rn  logs  and  covered  with  prairie  sod,  its 
dimensions  being  12  by  13  feet,  with  a  door  so  low  that  persons  entering 
or  going  out  were  obliged  to  stoop.  Speaking  of  the  occupancy  of  the 
cabin  by  10  men  on  the  night  of  December  4th,  Colonel  Holliday  says :  "In 
this  rude  hut  the  entire  party  slept  for  the  night,  but  unfortunately  the 
dry  grass  between  the  logs  caught  fire,  and  a  good  portion  of  the  first  house 
was  destroyed.     The  next  two  or  three  huts  were  built  entirely  of  sod,  in 


126  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

which  the  first  settlers  of  Topeka  spent  their  first  winter,  which  fortunately 
for  them  was  of  an  extremely  mild  and  pleasant  character,  perhaps  uniformly 
more  so  than  any  winter  that  has  succeeded  it.  After  the  sod  houses,  the 
most  popular  style  of  tenement  was  called  the  'shake'.  These  'shakes'  were 
oak  logs  sawed  in  lengths  of  about  four  feet,  riven  in  a  manner  similar  to 
shingles,  and  made  to  look  like  clapboards." 

October  19,  1901,  upon  the  completion  of  a  large  brick  business  block 
on  the  site  of  Topeka's  first  cabin,  a  tablet  was  placed  in  the  wall  of  the  front 
corner  to  mark  the  historic  incident  and  locality.  The  exercises  were  in 
charge  of  the  Topeka  chapter  of  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution, 
Mrs.  A.  H.  Thompson,  regent,  presiding.  The  unveiling  of  the  tablet  was 
performed  by  two  young  misses,  Elizabeth  Holliday  and  Katherine  Kellam, 
granddaughters  of  Cyrus  K.  Holliday.  The  inscription  upon  the  tablet  is 
in  these  words :  "This  building  marks  the  site  of  the  first  cabin  in  Topeka, 
where  the  town  company  was  organized,  December  5,  1854 — Dedicated  by 
the  Topeka  Chapter,  D.  A.  R.,  September  19,  1901."  The  exercises  of  the 
dedication  were  postponed  one  month  on  account  of  the  death  of  President 
McKinley.  The  building  was  erected  by  Joab  Mulvane,  and  occupied  by  the 
Parkhurst-Davis  Mercantile  Company.  It  was  entirely  destroyed  by  fire  in 
February,  1903,  but  was  rebuilt  in  1904,  and  the  stone  tablet  restored. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

Dividing  the  Toivn-Site — The  First  Survey — Transactions  in  December, 
1854 — Title  Acquired  by  Means  of  an  Indian  Warrant — Claim  Jump- 
ing, and  Rival  Tozvn-  Organisations — How  Topeka  Was  Named,  and 
Its  Significance — The  Street  and  Avenue  Plan — Early  Buildings  and 
Schools. 

Although  the  agreement  to  erect  a  town  on  the  section  of  land 
relinquished  by  Messrs.  Dickey,  Davis,  and  Enoch  and  Jacob  B.  Chase  was 
entered  into  on  the  5th  of  December,  1854,  the  plans  were  not  consummated 
until  the  14th  day  of  that  month.  The  agreement  first  entered  into  was  in 
the  following  form : 

"We,  the  undersigned,  agree  that  we  will  proceed  to  select  and  stake 
out  claims  in  the  vicinity  of  the  dwelling  house  erected  by  M.  C.  Dickey, 
J.  B.  Chase,  Enoch  Chase  and  George  Davis,  situated  near  the  Kansas  River, 
to  be  disposed  of  as  follows,  namely:  One  and  a  half  miles  square  shall  be 
surveyed  for  a  town-site.  Four  claims  are  to  be  selected  by  M.  C.  Dickey, 
J.  B.  Chase,  Enoch  Chase  and  George  Davis,  respectively,  and  the  remainder 
to  be  assigned  by  lot  when  fifteen  or  more  persons  are  on  the  ground  and 
ready  for  a  drawing.  The  town  shall  be  divided  into  fifty  shares,  and  the 
lots  apportioned  among  the  stockholders  by  lot,  from  time  to  time,  as  the 
association  may  direct,  reserving,  however,  one-sixth  of  the  lots  of  the  town, 
to  be  donated  to  such  persons  as  will  improve  them  as  directed  by  the  asso- 
ciation, and  also  one-sixth  to  be  donated  to  the  Emigrant  Aid  Company, 
of  Massachusetts,  as  a  consideration  for  the  erection  of  a  mill,  a  school 
house,  receiving  house,  etc.  Moreover,  we  agree,  that  the  timber  and  wood 
on  'our  claims  may  be  used  by  any  member  of  the  association  for  his  own- 
improvement  for  one  year,  provided  that  no  person  shall  take  more  than  four 
thousand  feet  of  timber,  board  measure,  and  six  cords  of  wood,  except  from 
his  own  claim. 

"Signed :  C.  K.  Holliday,  F.  W.  Giles,  Daniel  H.  Home,  George  Davis, 
Enoch  Chase,  J.  B.  Chase,  M.  C.  Dickey,  C.  Robinson,  L.  G.  Cleveland. 
Dated :  Kansas  Territory,  December  5,    1854." 


128  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

OFFICERS     OF     THE     ASSOCIATION. 

Further  articles  of  association  were  adopted  December  14th,  and  the 
following  officers  were  elected  December  i8th :  President,  Cyrus  K.  Holli- 
day;  vice-president,  Enoch  Chase;  secretary,  William  C.  Linaker;  treasurer, 
Fry  W.  Giles;  trustees, — Milton  C.  Dickey,  Jacob  B.  Chase,  Thomas  G. 
Thornton,  Loring  G.  Cleveland  and  Daniel  H.  Home. 

The  original  four  settlers  who  had  camped  upon  the  town-site  for  preemp- 
tion purposes,  and  had  surrendered  the  same  to  the  town  company,  selected 
compensatory  claims  in  the  following  order :  Jacob  B.  Chase, — the  northwest 
quarter  of  section  6,  township  12,  range  16;  Milton  C.  Dickey, — the  north- 
east quarter  of  section  i,  township  12,  range  15;  Enoch  Chase, — the  north- 
west quarter  of  section  i,  township  12,  range  15;  and  George  Davis, — the 
northeast  quarter  of  section  2,  township  12,  range  15,  according  to  the  subse- 
quent government  survey.  A  preliminary  survey  for  lot  purposes  was  made 
by  Fry  W.  Giles,  Cyrus  K.  HoUiday,  Daniel  H.  Home  and  Enoch  Chase. 
They  had  a  cheap  compass  and  two  pieces  of  rope,  about  four  rods  each  in 
length,  which  had  been  used  to  tie  boxes  and  bales  of  supplies.  Holliday 
and  Giles  held  one  of  the  ropes,  and  Enoch  Chase  and  Home  the  other, 
Giles  also  handling  the  compass.  With  these  crude  implements,  and  guided 
by  the  shining  sun  and  a  fire  on  the  distant  prairie,  the  pioneer  surveying 
party  put  in  an  entire  day  running  the  lines  of  the  embryo  city,  which  they 
decided  should  be  enlarged  to  twice  its  original  dimensions.  The  two  pairs 
of  amateur  engineers  were  often  two  miles  distant  from  each  other  on  the 
open  prairie,  and  it  is  probable  that  their  survey  showed  a  still  greater  dis- 
crepancy in  measurement,  but  it  was  the  beginning  of  the  first  division  of 
Topeka  into  business  and  residence  lots. 

SOME     OF     THE     PIONEERS. 

In  addition  to  the  10  persons  forming  the  original  town  company,  17 
other  men  joined  the  colony  on  the  17th  of  December,  and  selected  farm 
claims  adjacent  to  the  city  of  great  expectations.  It  has  not  been  possible 
to  obtain  an  absolutely  accurate  list  of  the  17  accessions,  but  it  is  known  that 
the  following  persons  were  on  the  ground  at  the  date  named,  and  that  most 
of  them  participated  in  the  second  farm  drawing:  Abel  F.  Hartwell,  James 
A.  Hickey,  Harvey  G.  Young,  Sidney  J.  Case,  Philip  Briggs,  H.  F.  Root, 
George  F.  Crowe,  Thomas  G.  Thornton,  Jonas  E.  Greenwood,  Timothy 
Mclntire,  L.  S.  Long,  J.  F.  Merriam,  C.  N.  Gray,  Freeman  R.  Foster,  John 
Armstrong,  Edwin  S.  Dexter  and  Robert  L.  Mitchell.  Including  the  10 
original  settlers,  the  17  who  arrived  December  17th,  and  William  C.  Linaker, 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  129 

who  preceded  tliem,  there  were  just  28  individuals  on  the  town-site  on  the 
December  date  referred  to,  most  of  them  being  connected  in  some  way  with 
the  town  company.  Of  the  entire  number  only  two  are  known  to  be  Hving 
at  this  time :  John  Armstrong  and  James  A.  Hickey — both  residents  of 
Topeka. 

By  action  of  the  association  on  December  nth  it  was  decided  that  the 
limits  of  the  town  sliould  be  diminished  from  the  extravagant  survey  of 
HoUiday,  Giles,  et  al,  and  made  to  cover  territory  only  one  and  one-half  miles 
square.  A  regular  survey  was  commenced  about  December  20th  by  A.  D. 
Searle,  of  Lawrence,  who  used  as  a  basis  the  incomplete  plat  which  had 
already  been  prepared.  The  Chase  cabin  was  the  starting  point,  the  first 
stake  being  placed  near  that  structure,  which  was  designated  as  the  southwest 
corner  of  First  and  Kansas  avenues.  The  lines  of  Kansas  avenue  were  run 
from  that  point  southward  to  Sixth  avenue,  and  the  lots  properly  designated, 
fronting  75  feet  on  Kansas  avenue,  by  150  feet  deep;  and  from  this  plat  an 
allotment  was  made  on  the  28th  day  of  December  to  each  of  the  28  persons 
belonging  to  the  Topeka  association.  As  originally  agreed  upon,  the  property 
of  the  association  was  to  have  been  divided  into  50  equal  parts  by  allotment, 
but  on  the  3rd  of  January,  1855,  the  number  of  shares  was  increased  to  100, 
with  the  understanding  that  the  first  28  members  of  the  association  should 
have,  at  each  general  division  of  lots  that  might  be  made,  one  additional  or 
"award"  lot. 

Immediately  after  the  allotment  on  the  28th  of  December,  the  surveys 
were  extended  over  other  parts  of  town  as  detailed  by  Mr.  Giles  in  his  sketch 
of  Topeka.  All  of  the  tract  lying  between  First  and  Sixth  avenues,  west- 
ward to  Topeka  avenue  and  eastward  to  Jefferson  street  (then  known  as 
Eastern  avenue),  was  surveyed  and  platted  into  streets  and  avenues  as  at 
present  existing,  but  the  squares  formed  by  the  crossings  of  the  streets  were 
designated  as  blocks,  and  numbered  from  west  to  east,  beginning  with  No.  5, 
at  the  intersection  of  First  and  Topeka  avenues,  and  ending  with  No.  60,  at 
the  intersection  of  Sixth  avenue  and  Jefferson  street.  Each  block  was  divided 
into  12  lots,  75  by  -150  feet,  and  numbered  from  the  northeast  corner  south- 
ward, one  to  six,  and  from  the  southwest  corner  northward,  seven  to  12. 
This  plan  was  abandoned  at  a  subsequent  period,  after  the  completion  of  the 
entire  survey,  and  the  lot  plan  now  in  use  was  adopted.  The  land  embraced 
in  the  original  town-site  consisted  of  684  acres,  being  the  whole  of  section  31 
and  the  southeast  fractional  quarter  of  section  30,  township   11,  range  16. 

PURCHASE     OF     THE     INDIAN    TITLE. 

For  the  purpose  of  acquiring  title  to  the  tract  of  land,  the  trustees  resorted 
to  the  expedient  of  purchasing  what  was  known  as  a  "land  float" — a  govern- 


I30  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

ment  warrant  authorizing  a  Pottawatomie  Indian  or  his  assigns  to  locate  a 
piece  of  unoccupied  land  in  any  district  he  might  prefer.  This  right  was 
accorded  to  Isaiah  Walker,  and  34  other  members  of  the  Wyandotte  Nation, 
by  a  treaty  made  in  1842,  and  modified  in  1854,  and  under  one  of  its  pro- 
visions a  patent  from  the  government  was  thought  to  be  immediately  avail- 
able. The  Topeka  association  purchased  No.  20  of  this  series  of  floats  from 
Isaiah  Walker  for  the  sum  of  $1,200.  In  order  to  provide  funds  with  which 
to  pay  for  the  float,  the  association  sold  its  surplus  land  above  640  acres  to 
Franklin  L.  Crane,  John  Ritchie  and  Cyrus  K.  Holliday  for  $1,300.  It  was 
not  until  February  14,  1859,  that  the  patent  to  Walker  was  issued,  and  Walker 
did  not  deed  to  the  Topeka  association  until  July  i,  1859.  These  delays  caused 
confusion  and  uncertainty  in  disposing  of  lots.  Rival  claims  were  set  up,  and 
in  one  instance  a  rival  town  company,  called  "The  Valley  Town  Company," 
chartered  by  the  Territorial  Legislature,  undertook  to  assert  its  ownership  of 
the  town-site,  a  proceeding  which  the  Topeka  association  resisted  vigorously 
and  successfully.  There  was  the  usual  jumping  of  claims  incident  to  the  open- 
ing of  a  new  town  and  country.  One  such  attempt  was  made  at  the  corner  of 
Eighth  and  Topeka  avenues,  where  a  stranger  unloaded  material  for  a  log 
house.  A  vigilance  committee  drove  him  away  on  the  night  of  January  8, 
1855.  In  the  spring  of  1855  ^  T^^n  named  Michael  Hummer,  a  preacher,  set 
up  a  cabin  on  the  homestead  of  A.  A.  Ward,  having  induced  Ward  to  sign  a 
paper  giving  him  a  color  of  right.  It  soon  developed  that  Hummer's  purpose 
was  to  start  a  rival  town  under  the  name  of  Fremont.  He  built  a  cabin  on 
First  avenue,  just  east  of  the  present  D.  L.  Lakin  home.  Ward  insisted  that 
he  had  been  imposed  upon,  and  upon  receiving  this  explanation  his  friends  pro- 
ceeded to  Hummer's  cabin  and  filed  a  protest.  Hummer  exhibited  a  document 
which  he  claimed  was  a  deed  from  Ward,  and  one  of  the  party  snatched  the 
paper  from  him  and  tore  it  into  fragments.  In  the  melee  Hummer  was 
knocked  down  by  Robert  Edwards.  Upon  his  revival,  he  was  placed  in  a 
wagon  with  his  wife  and  other  belongings  and  driven  across  the  Shunga- 
nunga,  southwest  of  Topeka,  and  told  to  go  his  way  in  peace.  Most  of  the 
disputes  over  titles  were  settled  by  conveyances  from  Cyrus  K.  Holliday,  as 
trustee  of  the  Topeka  association,  and  these  titles  were  subsequently  confirmed 
by  the  District  Court  of  Shawnee  County. 

NAMING   THE    NEW    TOWN. 

The  important  question  of  bestowing  a  suitable  name  upon  the  city  which 
was  to  be  erected  around  the  Chase  cabin  was  not  taken  up  until  the  evening 
of  January  i,  1855,  at  a  general  meeting  held  in  the  cabin.  It  was  discussed 
that  night  and  the  following  night,  the  deliberations  resulting  in  the  choice 


KANSAS  AVENUE,  LOOKING  SOUTH  FROM  SIXTH  AVENUE 


VAN  BUREN  STREET,  LOOKING  SOUTH  FROM  COURT  HOUSE 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  133 

of  Topeka.  Cyrus  K.  Holliday  wanted  to  call  it  Webster,  after  the  great  ora- 
tor and  satesman,  but  was  overruled.  Papan's  Ferry  was  proposed,  but 
rejected  as  being  too  provincial,  and  Mid-Continent  was  too  cumbersome. 
The  suggestion  of  Topeka  came  from  Rev.  S.  Y.  Lum,  who  said  it  was  a  new 
word,  not  to  be  found  in  any  dictionary,  atlas  or  post  office  directory.  All 
agreed  that  it  was  novel,  euphonious  and  appropriate.  Its  Indian  flavor  could 
not  be  questioned,  and  its  equal  division  of  vowels  and  consonants  gave  it  a 
tripping  and  cadent  sound.  Topeka  was  born  on  the  spot.  There  was  no 
formal  ceremony  of  christening,  no  festal  rites — Bacchus,  Gambrinus  and  the 
goddess  of  hop  tea  had  not  yet  penetrated  beyond  the  confines  of  the  Missouri 
River,  and  the  joint-keeper  and  boot-legger  were  likewise  unknown. 

The  significance  of  the  name  "Topeka"  has  engaged  the  thoughtful  atten- 
tion of  philologists,  linguists  and  nomenclaturists  in  all  parts  of  the  country. 
Col.  William  A.  Phillips,  a  Kansas  correspondent  of  the  New  York  Tribune 
in  the  '50's,  claimed  that  the  word  was  synonymous  with  "Topheika,"  found 
in  the  language  of  the  Pottawatomie  Indians,  and  meaning  "mountain  potato." 
A  similarity  to  the  Indian  word  "Tohopeka"  was  traced,  until  it  was  found  that 
the  latter  signified  "barricade  or  fortification" — being  so  used  by  the  Choctaw- 
Muscogee  Indians,  and  not  applicable  to  the  conditions  in  Kansas.  Chief 
White  Plume,  of  the  Kaw  tribe  of  Indians,  claimed  that  his  people  applied 
the  name  "Topeka"  to  the  principal  stream  of  Kansas  long  before  the  govern- 
ment designated  it  as  the  Kansas  River.  The  name  was  so  applied  to  the 
stream  by  the  aborigines  on  account  of  the  vast  quantity  of  wild  potatoes 
which  grew  along  its  banks,  the  full  significance  of  the  word  being  "the  river 
upon  whose  banks  grew  the  wild  potato  plant."  Prof.  John  B.  Dunbar,  erst- 
while professor  of  languages  at  Washburn  College,  maintains  that  the  Kaw 
Indian  name  for  the  river  was  Kansa,  meaning  "swift,"  although  the  Iowa 
and  Omaha  tribes  may  have  referred  to  the  stream  as  Topeka  River.  Pro- 
fessor Dunbar,  who  went  to  the  root  of  the  subject,  gave  the  following  analysis 
of  the  derivation  and  meaning  of  the  word  "Topeka :" 

SIGNIFICANCE  OF  THE   WORD. 

"It  is  made  up  of  three  words,  common,  with  a  slight  dialectic  variation, 
with  the  languages  of  the  Iowa,  Omaha  and  Kansas  or  Kaw  Indians.  These 
words  are,  to,  a  word  meaning  potato  (the  wild  kind)  pe,  an  adjective  (short- 
ened from  pekae)  meaning  good,  and  okae,  a  word  meaning  to  dig.  In  the 
process  of  composition  the  e  of  pe  is  dropped,  or  rather  hardened  to  the  conso- 
nant y,  making  from  the  three  words  to-pyo-kac,  which  means  literally,  'a 
good  place  to  dig  potatoes.'  In  the  language  of  the  Iowa  and  Omaha  tribes 
the  word  was  applied  as  a  general  term  to  the  Kansas  or  Kaw  River,  or  the 


134  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE   COUNTY 

valley  along  its  course.  The  historical  origin  of  the  application  of  the  term 
was  the  fact  that  not  infrecjuently  in  the  spring,  when  the  supply  of  food  fell 
short,  the  various  tribes  of  Indians  resorted  to  this  region,  and  for  some 
weeks  secured  a  scanty  sustenance  by  digging  and  eating  the  wild  artichoke 
that  abounded  in  certain  parts  of  the  area  named.  The  name  of  the  city, 
therefore,  very  appropriately  perpetuates  the  most  important  aboriginal  asso- 
ciation connected  with  its  immediate  vicinity." 

In  harmony  with  these  views,  it  may  be  added  that  in  later  years  the 
entire  Kansas  River  Valley  became  one  of  the  greatest  potato  producing  sec- 
tions in  the  whole  country,  thus  indicating  the  judgment  and  natural  acumen 
of  the  untutored  savage.  Even  as  early  as  the  year  i860  it  is  related  that 
Cyrus  K.  Holliday,  who  farmed  a  part  of  the  site  of  Topeka,  raised  more 
potatoes  in  a  single  season  than  he  could  gather  with  men  who  would  consent 
to  dig  them  "on  the  halves."  Potatoes  are  now  shipped  from  Kansas  Valley 
points  by  car-loads  and  train-loads  to  all  parts  of  the  country,  and  the  indus- 
try is  growing  year  by  year. 

PLAN  AND  NAMES  OF  STREETS. 

In  designating  the  streets  of  Topeka  those  running  east  and  west  were 
given  numbers,  and  those  running  north  and  south  were  named  for  the  Presi- 
dents of  the  United  States,  from  Washington  to  Taylor.  President  Pierce 
was  in  office  at  the  time  of  this  action,  but  he  was  in  such  disfavor  with  the 
Abolitionists  of  Kansas  that  his  name  was  ignored,  and  Fremont  street  sub- 
stituted— Fremont  street  finally  gave  way  to  Fillmore.  A  street  was  named 
for  John  Adams,  but  when  John  Quincy  Adams  was  reached  in  chronological 
order  the  name  Quincy  street  was  substituted.  The  names  of  the  Presidents 
were  employed  in  regular  order  except  that  the  principal  business  street,  inter- 
vening between  Quincy  and  Jackson,  was  called  Kansas  avenue,  and  the  prin- 
cipal residence  street,  intervening  between  Harrison  and  Tyler,  was  called 
Topeka  avenue.  Western  avenue  also  intervened  between  Taylor  and  Fill- 
more streets.  Some  of  the  wider  thoroughfares  running  east  and  west  were 
designated  as  avenues  instead  of  streets,  notably  Sixth  and  Tenth  avenues. 
Practically  the  same  system  of  numbering  and  naming  the  streets  was  con- 
tinued in  later  years,  with  a  few  variations  made  necessary  by  peculiar  bounda- 
ries. Henry  Clay  was  honored  with  a  street,  immediately  preceding  Buchanan, 
and  Lincoln  follows  Buchanan.  Streets  have  been  named  for  Grant,  Cleveland 
and  Garfield,  but  not  in  regular  order.  Rutherford  B.  Hayes,  Andrew  John- 
son and  Chester  A.  Arthur  have  not  been  recognized,  and  President  Roosevelt 
is  on  the  waiting  list.     The  numbered  streets  run  up  to  28,  although  the 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  135 

original  plat  of  the  town  stopped  at  nth  street.    The  total  number  of  lots  in 
the  original  plat  was  4,228.    In  1905  the  lots  exceed  30,000  in  number. 

NEW  ARRIVALS. 

During  the  winter  of  1854-55  the  colony  of  28  Topekans  was  increased 
to  64,  by  the  arrival  of  36  persons — 30  males  and  six  females.  Early  in 
the  spring  of  1855  another  party  of  42  arrived,  known  as  the  Robinson  party. 
New  cabins  and  sod  houses  were  built,  and  a  few  board  shanties  erected. 
One  of  the  latter  was  a  boarding  house  built  by  A.  W.  Moore.  Sidney  J.  Case 
built  a  log  residence,  with  a  blacksmith  shop  in  the  rear.  Another  and  longer 
cabin  was  constructed  for  hotel  purposes,  with  berths  one  above  another, 
and  called  the  Pioneer  House.  Gradually  the  character  of  the  buildings  im- 
proved, as  sawmills  and  brickyards  were  established.  In  April,  1855,  J.  T. 
Jones  built  and  opened  a  grocery  store.  On  the  13th  of  the  same  month  the 
Farnsworth  brothers  commenced  a  stone  building  on  the  west  side  of  Kansas 
avenue,  between  Fourth  and  Fifth  streets,  which  afterwards  became  known 
as  Constitution  Hall.  The  stone  for  this  building  was  taken  from  a  ravine 
back  of  the  present  Throop  Hotel.  Topeka  was  made  a  post  office,  in  March, 
1855,  with  Fry  W.  Giles  as  postmaster.  The  office  was  first  established  in 
a  log  house  belonging  to  Sidney  J.  Case,  on  the  east  side  of  Quincy  street, 
near  Second,  but  was  soon  removed  to  a  frame  building  on  the  southeast  cor- 
ner of  Kansas  avenue  and  Fifth  street.  J.  C.  Gordon  and  Asaph  Allen  started 
a  store  at  No.  103  Kansas  avenue  in  the  summer  of  1855.  J.  C.  Miller  started 
the  first  brick  house  on  the  i8th  of  April  of  that  year,  near  the  corner  of  Kan- 
sas and  Sixth  avenues.  A  little  later  Robert  L.  Mitchell  opened  a  cabinet  shop 
at  the  northwest  corner  of  Sixth  and  Harrison,  afterwards  the  residence  for 
many  years  of  William  Marshall,  and  now  the  property  of  the  Topeka  Club. 
In  September,  1855,  this  was  the  meeting  place  of  the  first  delegate  convention 
looking  to  the  formation  of  a  constitution  and  State  government.  From  that 
convention  sprang  the  Topeka  constitutional  convention. 

PIONEER  SCHOOLS. 

The  first  school  was  kept  in  a  little  house  belonging  to  Dr.  F.  L.  Crane, 
situated  on  Madison  street,  just  north  of  the  present  Lincoln  School.  The 
teacher  was  Miss  Sarah  C.  Harlan,  niece  of  United  States  Senator  Harlan, 
of  Iowa.  Others  of  the  early  teachers  were  Miss  Carrie  Whiting  (afterwards 
Mrs.  L.  C.  Wilmarth)  and  Miss  Jennie  Allen  (afterwards  Mrs.  I.  E.  Perley). 
The  first  public  school  building  was  erected  by  the  New  England  Emigrant 
Aid  Company  in  the  summer  of  1857.    It  was  built  of  brick,  on  the  rear  end  of 


136  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

lots  145,  147  a.nd  149,  Harrison  street,  fronting  on  Fifth  street,  the  room 
being  24  by  18  feet  in  size.  On  these  lots  was  afterwards  built  the  present 
residences  of  Jacob  Smith  and  W.  A.  L.  Thompson,  and  a  part  of  the  brick 
from  the  old  school  house  went  into  the  construction  of  Mr.  Smith's  barn. 

Topeka  continued  to  improve  in  the  winter  of  1855-56,  and  there  was  a 
great  change  in  the  character  of  the  buildings.  The  work  of  establishing 
roads,  ferries  and  bridges  was  enthusiastically  commenced  and  vigorously 
prosecuted.  In  the  year  1856  the  first  three-story  building,  the  Topeka  House, 
was  erected  by  Walter  Oakley.  The  Chase  House,  another  three-story  build- 
ing, was  erected  in  the  same  year.  Buildings  were  also  constructed  by  Jere- 
miah Murphy,  I.  E.  Perley,  M.  K.  Smith,  E.  C.  K.  Garvey,  F.  L.  Crane  and 
John  Ritchie — the  last  named  erecting  what  was  known  as  the  Ritchie  Block. 
In  1857  and  1858  there  was  still  greater  activity  in  building  and  real  estate 
transactions.  There  was  a  gratifying  increase  of  immigration,  money  became 
plentiful,  and  property  advanced  to  high  figures.  These  conditions  were  main- 
tained throughout  the  years  1859  and  i860  except  that  the  city's  progress  was 
impeded  to  some  extent  by  the  "border  ruffian"  troubles,  Indian  uprisings  and 
a  protracted  season  of  drought,  from  all  of  which  the  State  and  city  emerged 
triumphant. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

County-Seat  Location — Movements  for  the  State  Capitol — Locations  at  Fort 
Leavenworth,  Sliawnee  Mission,  Pawnee,  Lecompton,  Lawrence,  Min- 
neola  and  Topeka — The  Several  Constitutional  Conventions — Free-State 
a}id  Pro-Slavery  Contests — First  State  Legislature — History  and  De- 
scription of  the  Finished  Capitol. 

Topeka  was  made  county-seat  of  Shawnee  County  by  a  vote  of  the  people 
on  October  4,  1858,  her  rivals  in  the  election  being  Tecumseh,  Auburn 
(Brownsville)  and  Burlingame.  The  electors  of  Tecumseh  refrained  from 
voting  on  the  county-seat  proposition,  although  they  voted  on  other  questions 
at  the  same  election.  When  it  became  known  that  the  majority  expression 
was  in  favor  of  Topeka,  the  citizens  of  Tecumseh  contested  the  results,  claiming 
that  the  election  was  illegal;  and  the  probate  judge,  Edward  Hoagland,  to 
whom  the  poll-books  were  returnable,  refused  to  certify  the  vote  until  compelled 
to  do  so  by  a  higher  judicial  authority.  While  the  controversy  was  pending, 
a  part  of  the  county  records  were  forcibly  removed  from  Tecumseh  to  Topeka. 
On  the  24th  of  January,  1859,  the  Legislature  legalized  this  election,  and  de- 
clared Topeka  to  be  the  permanent  county-seat. 

THE  CAPITAL  CITY. 

Under  the  constitution  framed  by  the  Wyandotte  convention,  July  29, 
1859,  Topeka  was  designated  to  be  the  capital  of  Kansas,  and  this  action  was 
ratified  by  a  vote  of  the  people,  October  4,  1859.  The  events  leading  up  to 
this  action  are  so  much  a  part  of  the  general  history  of  the  State  that  it  is 
not  necessary  to  do  more  than  epitomize  them  in  this  connection. 

By  act  of  Congress,  May  30,  1854,  the  Territory  of  Kansas  was  thrown 
open  to  settlement,  a  Territorial  government  provided,  and  the  seat  of  govern- 
ment located  temporarily  at  Fort  Leavenworth.  Governor  Andrew  H.  Reeder, 
the  first  of  the  Territorial  Governors,  established  his  headquarters  there  Octo- 
ber 4,  1854.  The  executive  office  was  removed,  November  24th,  to  the  Shaw- 
nee Methodist  Episcopal  Indian  Mission,  near  the  Missouri  State  line,  about 
two  and  one-half  miles  southwest  from  Westport,  and  seven  miles  from  Kan- 


138  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

sas  City.  On  June  27,  1855,  the  Governor  transferred  the  seat  of  government 
to  Pawnee,  on  the  north  side  of  the  Kansas  River,  at  the  eastern  Hne  of  the 
Fort  Riley  Mihtary  Reservation. 

FIRST    CAPITOL    BUILDINGS. 

A  stone  building  was  erected  at  Pawnee  for  capital  purposes.  The  walls 
of  the  building  are  still  sanding,  and  the  spot  has  received  its  historical  mark 
of  preservation.  The  Legislature  met  in  this  building  July  2,  1855,  and 
changed  the  seat  of  government  back  to  Shawnee  Mission,  the  Governor  re- 
turning there  July  12th.  On  August  8th  of  the  same  year  the  Shawnee  Mis- 
sion Legislature,  by  vote  in  joint  session,  located  the  capital  at  Lecompton. 
The  United  States  government  spent  $50,000  in  the  construction  of  a  capitol 
building  at  this  point,  and  sessions  of  the  Legislature  were  held  at  Lecompton 
in  1855,  1856  and  1857.  The  Legislature  of  1857  adjourned  to  meet  at 
Lawrence,  where  it  assembled  January  8,  1858,  Lawrence  thus  becoming  the 
temporary  capital.  An  act  was  immediately  passed  removing  the  capital  to 
Minneola,  but  it  was  vetoed  by  Governor  Denver.  Sessions  of  the  Legislature 
were  held  alternately  at  Lecompton  and  Lawrence  in  1858,  1859,  i860 
and  1861. 

FREE    STATE    MOVEMENTS. 

The  foregoing  account  relates  in  most  part  to  the  acts  and  attitude  of 
the  Pro-Slavery  party  in  Kansas,  which  had  control  of  the  official  machinery. 
Of  far  greater  importance  to  Topeka  was  the  action  during  the  same  years 
of  the  Free-State  men,  who  were  trying  to  wrest  the  control  of  the  govern- 
ment from  the  other  faction.  The  proceedings  of  the  Free-State  men,  in 
their  meetings  and  conventions,  are  very  clearly  and  concisely  set  forth  in  an 
article  prepared  by  th^  late  Franklin  G.  Adams,  who  was  for  many  years 
secretary  of  the  Kansas  State  Historical  Society.  In  his  paper  Secretary 
Adams  says : 

"The  Free-State  party  in  Kansas  named  Topeka  as  the  capital  of  the 
State  as  early  as  in  1855.  It  became  the  capital  under  the  Free-State  constitu- 
tional movement.  That  was  the  movement  through  which  the  Free- State 
party  in  Kansas  in  1855  framed  a  constitution,  organized  a  State  government, 
and  applied  to  Congress  for  admission  into  the  Union.  This  movement  began 
by  reason  of  the  Shawnee  Mission  legislative  usurpation  and  the  oppressive 
legislation  enacted.  It  was  an  effort  of  the  body  of  the  actual  settlers  of  Kan- 
sas to  free  the  territory  from  the  thralldom  of  that  usurpation.  At  a  mass 
convention  held  in  Lawrence  August  14  and  15,  1855,  among  other  proceed- 
ings, a  resolution  was  passed  declaring  that  the  people  of  the  Territory  ought 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  139 

to  select  delegates  to  a  convention  to  frame  a  constitution  for  the  State  of 
Kansas,  with  a  view  to  an  immediate  admission  into  the  American  Union. 
This  convention  also  indorsed  a  call  which  had  been  issued  for  holding  a  gen- 
eral delegate  convention  of  the  Territory  at  Big  Springs  on  the  5th  of  Septem- 
ber. Another  convention,  held  at  Lawrence  on  the  15th,  appointed  a  delegate 
convention  to  be  held  at  Topeka  on  the  19th  of  September,  to  take  action  to- 
wards the  formation  of  a  State  constitution  and  government.  The  Big  Springs 
convention,  on  the  5th  of  September,  approved  the  constitutional-convention 
movement,  and  adopted  a  resolution  to  respond  to  the  call  made  for  the  Topeka 
convention  on  the  19th  of  September. 

THE  TOPEKA    CONVENTION. 

"The  convention  at  Topeka,  September  19th,  adopted  elaborate  resolu- 
tions setting  forth  the  reasons  in  favor  of  the  constitutional  movement.  The 
convention  appointed  an  executive  committee,  with  instructions  to  issue  an 
address  to  the  people  and  to  appoint  an  election  to  be  held  in  the  several  dis- 
tricts of  the  Territory  on  the  9th  of  October,  for  the  election  of  delegates  to 
convene  at  Topeka  on  the  23rd  of  October  to  form  a  constitution  for  the  State 
of  Kansas.  Thus  was  an  executive  committee,  appointed  by  a  spontaneous 
movement  of  the  people  and  representing  the  dominant  sentiment  of  the  people, 
clothed  with  the  power  to  organize  the  machinery  of  government  in  the  pros- 
pective commonwealth.  The  force  which  inspired  life  and  impelled  and 
directed  the  movements  for  a  State  government  lay  in  the  executive  committee. 
It  continued  to  issue  its  proclamations  through  its  chairman,  James  H.  Lane, 
and  to  do  in  the  most  efficient  manner  the  work  of  a  provisional  and  semi- 
revolutionary  government  through  the  darkest  and  most  disordered  and 
dangerous  period  of  the  Territorial  existence. 

"The  constitutional  convention  elected  in  pursuance  of  the  call  of  the 
executive  committee  met  at  Topeka  October  2^,  1855,  continued  in  session 
until  November  nth,  and  framed  the  celebrated  Topeka  constitution.  The 
constitution  was  sent  by  messengers  to  Washington  and  for  years  continued 
to  engage  the  attention  of  Congress  and  to  agitate  the  country  on  the  question 
of  its  ratification. 

"Other  constitutional  conventions  were  held  in  the  meantime  at  Lecomp- 
ton  and  Leavenworth." 

TOPEKA  AND   HER  RIVALS. 

The  location  of  the  capital  for  the  new  State  was  an  interesting  subject 
in  the  proceedings  of  the  Topeka  constitutional  convention,  for  there  were 
many  towns  or  projected  towns  at  this  period  having  capital  aspirations,  among 
7 


I40  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

them  being  Council  City,  Cottonwood,  Bloomington,  Topeka,  Leavenworth, 
Lawrence,  Lecompton,  Blanton,  Prairie  City,  Manhattan  and  Wabaunsee. 
On  the  third  day  of  the  sitting  of  the  Topeka  convention,  Cyrus  K.  Holhday 
moved  that  among  the  standing  committees  there  should  be  one  on  the  loca- 
tion of  the  capital.  On  November  6th  the  convention  voted  on  the  temporary 
location,  Topeka  being  chosen,  the  final  ballot  standing  20  for  Topeka  and  16 
for  Lawrence. 

This  action  was  not  immediately  effective,  as  the  Topeka  convention  was 
not  recognized  by  the  existing  government,  but  in  the  end  it  resulted  in 
fixing  Topeka  as  the  capital  of  the  State.  At  that  time  there  were  but  a  few 
buildings  here.  The  building  which  was  known  as  Constitution  Hall  was  the 
most  substantial.  It  was  a  stone  building,  erected  by  Loring  Farnsworth  on 
Nos.  425  and  427  Kansas  avenue  (under  the  new  system  of  numbering),  and 
the  walls  still  remain  as  a  part  of  the  present  building  in  the  same  place.  The 
building  was  so  far  completed  as  to  be  occupied  by  the  constitutional  conven- 
tion of  October  23rd,  and  also  by  the  Legislature  in  its  session  held  under  that 
constitution.     The  Adams  statement  continues : 

FIRST  LEGISLATIVE  BUSINESS. 

"Under  the  Topeka  constitution,  five  meetings  of  the  Legislature  were 
had  in  Constitution  Hall.  Under  the  constitution  three  elections  were  held 
for  the  election  of  State  officers  or  members  of  the  Legislature,  or  both.  The 
constitution  became  the  banner  under  which  the  Free-State  party  rallied  in  its 
struggle  to  free  the  Territory  from  the  clutches  of  the  Pro-Slavery  despotism 
under  which  it  was  placed  through  the  fraudulent  election  of  March  30,  1855. 
The  outrageous  laws  passed  by  the  Shawnee  Mission  Legislature  made  out- 
laws of  the  members  of  the  Free-State  government.  The  Topeka  constitu- 
tional movement  became  the  special  object  of  the  hatred  of  the  Pro-Slavery 
party.  Their  bogus  laws  contained  provisions  making  it  treason  for  the  people 
thus  to  combine  for  the  object  of  annulling  them.  Their  packed  grand  juries 
indicted  the  Topeka  State  officers  and  members  of  the  Legislature.  Marshals 
and  sheriffs,  supported  by  squads  of  so-called  militia  or  by  United  States  sol- 
diers, hunted  them  down  like  wild  beasts. 

"The  first  Legislature  under  the  constitution  met  March  4,  1856.  It  did 
little  legislation.  It  memorialized  Congress  for  the  ratification  of  the  Topeka 
constitution.  It  appointed  committees  to  prepare  a  code  of  laws.  It  adjourned 
to  mxet  again  July  4th.  When  that  memorable  4th  of  July  came,  and  the  mem- 
bers of  the  legislature  gathered  for  their  sepond  meeting,  through  orders  from 
Acting  Governor  Woodson,  backed  by  authority  from  Washington,  Gen.  E. 
V.  Sumner  appeared  with  a  force  of  United  States  troops  and  dispersed  them. 


BUILDING  FOR  INCURABLES,  STATE  HOSPITAL  FOR  THE  INSANE 


EAST  END  MAIN  BUILDING,  STATE  HOSPITAL  FOR  THE  INSANE 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  143 

They  met  again,  the  third  time,  January  5,  1857.  At  this  meeting  a  committee 
was  appointed  to  prepare  another  memorial  to  Congress  for  admission  into  the 
Union.  The  second  day  of  the  session  a  large  number  of  the  members,  includ- 
ing the  President  of  the  Senate  and  Speaker  of  the  House,  were  arrested  by 
a  United  States  marshal  and  taken  under  guard  to  Tecumseh.  Then  the  body 
took  a  recess  to  June  9th.  On  that  day  the  fourth  meeting  of  the  Topeka  Leg- 
islature convened.  A  census  law  was  passed,  an  election  ordered  in  August, 
a  State  University  was  located  at  Lawrence,  the  State  capital  was  again  estab- 
lished at  Topeka,  and  Congress  was  gain  memorialized  to  admit  Kansas  into 
the  Union  under  the  Topeka  constitution.  January  5,  1858,  the  fifth  and  last 
meeting  of  the  Topeka  Free-State  Legislature  was  held.  Little  was  done 
except  the  reading  of  Governor  Charles  Robinson's  message,  in  which  he 
advised  the  keeping  up  of  the  State  organization. 

THE   LEAVENWORTH    CONVENTION. 

"But  by  this  time  little  hope  remained  of  the  admission  of  the  State  into 
the  Union  under  the  Topeka  constitution.  The  population  of  the  Territory 
had  become  so  large  and  was  so  overwhelmingly  Free-State,  that  the  Free- 
State  votete  had  already  seized  the  lawmaking  power  by  the  election  of  the 
Territorial  Legislature,  and  that  body  was  at  this  time  in  session.  The  Topeka 
constitutional  movement  had  performed  its  mission.  For  Topeka  it  had  surely 
paved  the  way  for  the  permanent  capital  of  Kansas.  Mention  has  been  made 
of  the  Minneola  capital  and  the  Leavenworth  constitution.  The  Leavenworth 
constitution  served  a  purpose,  that  of  a  foil  to  the  Lecompton  constitution, 
steeped  in  fraud  as  that  was.  But  there  seemed  no  hope  that  Congress  would 
ratify  the  Leavenworth  constitution.  The  Territorial  Legislature  of  1859 
therefore  passed  a  law  providing  for  a  fourth  constitutional  convention.  This 
became  known  as  the  Wyandotte  convention,  and  it  framed  the  present  consti- 
tution of  Kansas.  This  convention  was  held  in  Wyandotte,  now  Kansas  City, 
Kansas,  in  July,  1859.  The  constitution  was  adopted  by  vote  of  the  people, 
October  4th,  but  it  was  not  until  January  29,  1861,  that  the  act  of  Congress 
ratifying  it  was  approved  by  President  Buchanan." 

THE  FINAL  CONVENTION. 

The  Wyandotte  constitutional  convention  provided  that  Topeka  should 
be  the  temporary  capital,  and  that  the  Legislature  should  submit  the  question 
of  the  permanent  location  to  a  vote  of  the  people.  In  the  Wyandotte  conven- 
tion two  votes  were  had  upon  the  temporary  location.  There  were  many  can- 
didates, and  the  first  vote  resulted  as  follows:     For  Mound  City,  2  votes; 


144  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Mapleton,  i;  Minneola,  2;  Topeka,  15;  Olathe,  2;  Lawrence,  6;  Burlington, 
I ;  Stanton,  i ;  Atchison,  5 ;  Manhattan,  2 ;  Le  Roy,  i ;  Emporia,  2 ;  Burlin- 
game,  i;  Louisville,  i;  Kickapoo,  i;  Troy,  i;  Humboldt,  i;  Palermo,  i; 
Paola,  I ;  Big  Springs,  i ;  Pike's  Peak,  i ;  Superior,  i. 

The  second  ballot  resulted  in  favor  of  Topeka,  the  delegates  voting  as 

follows : 

For  Topeka :  J.  M.  Arthur,  F.  Brown,  J.  T.  Barton,  W.  P.  Button,  R. 
C.  Foster,  John  W.  Forman,  John  P.  Greer,  William  R.  Griffith,  Samuel 
Hippie,  E.  M.  Hubbard,  S.  D.  Houston,  J.  Lamb,  G.  H.  Lillie,  E.  Moore, 
W.  C.  McDowell,  A.  D.  McCune,  C.  B.  McClelland,  W.  McCullough,  H.  D. 
Preston,  P.  S.  Parks,  R.  J.  Porter,  John  Ritchie,  E.  G.  Ross,  J.  A.  Signer, 
John  P.  Slough,  Samuel  A.  Stinson,  J.  Stairwalt,  J.  Wright  and  B.  Wrig- 
ley — 29. 

For  Lawrence :  J.  G.  Blunt,  J.  C.  Burnett,  John  T.  Burris,  J.  Blood,  N. 
C.  Blood,  A.  Crocker,  William  Hutchinson,  James  Hanway,  S.  E.  Hoffman, 
Edward  Stokes,  B.  F.  Simpson,  S.  O.  Thatcher,  P.  H.  Townsend  and  R.  L. 
Williams — 14. 

For  Atchison :  Robert  Graham,  John  J.  Ingalls,  Samuel  A.  Kingman, 
J.  A.  Middleton,  L.  R.  Palmer  and  T.  S.  Wright— 6. 

The  location  under  this  action  being  only  temporary,  the  L^islature  of 
1 86 1  authorized  a  vote  of  the  people  on  the  subject,  and  at  the  general  election 
in  November  of  that  year  the  capital  was  definitely  located  at  Topeka  by  the 
following  vote:    Topeka,  7,996;  Lawrence,  5,291;  all  others,  1,184. 

FIRST   STATE  LEGISLATURE. 

The  first  State  Legislature  under  the  Wyandotte  constitution  met  in 
Topeka  March  26,  1861,  the  city  at  that  time  having  about  800  inhabitants. 
Governor  Robinson  rented  rooms  for  the  executive  offices  in  the  Ritchie  Block, 
which  was  afterwards  destroyed  by  fire.  The  location  was  at  the  southeast 
corner  of  Sixth  and  Kansas  avenues,  where  Rowley  &  Snow's  drug-store 
now  is.  The  first  State  Senate  met  in  the  third  story  of  this  building  for  three 
years.  The  first  House  of  Representatives  met  in  the  Gale  Block,  now  known 
as  Crawford's  Opera  House,  and  here  the  joint  convention  was  held  which 
elected  James  H.  Lane  and  Samuel  C.  Pomeroy  to  the  United  States  Senate. 
Later  in  the  session  the  House  adjourned,  on  account  of  a  leak  in  the  roof, 
to  the  Congregational  Church,  on  the  corner  of  Seventh  and  Harrison  streets. 
In  1862  the  House  again  met  in  the  Gale  Block,  and  the  session  of  1863  was 
held  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  on  Quincy  street,  where  Odd  Fel- 
lows' Hall  is  now  located.  The  Legislature  of  1864  met  in  Constitution  Hall, 
which  was  enlarged  for  the  purpose  and  leased  to  the  State  for  a  period  of  five 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  145 

years,  until  the  east  wing  of  the  permanent  State  Capitol  was  ready  for  occu- 
pancy, in  1869. 

SITE   FOR  THE  CAPITOL. 

The  square  of  20  acres  of  ground  upon  which  the  State  Capitol  stands 
was  donated  for  that  use  by  the  Topeka  association,  the  reservation  being  first 
made  in  1855.  The  site,  which  is  equivalent  to  four  city  blocks,  was  accepted 
by  the  Legislature  in  1862,  and  in  1866  a  law  was  passed  to  proceed  with  the 
erection  of  a  State  House  in  accordance  with  plans  prepared  by  E.  Townsend 
Mix.  An  appropriation  of  $50,000  was  voted,  the  money  to  be  raised  by  the 
sale  of  10  sections  of  land  which  the  State  had  received  from  the  Federal  gov- 
ernment. On  October  17,  1866,  the  corner-stone  of  the  Capitol  was  laid  by 
the  Grand  Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  assisted  by  Topeka  Lodge,  No.  17.  In  the 
construction  of  the  first,  or  east,  wing  of  the  building,  the  contractors  used 
a  brown  sandstone  from  a  quarry  near  Vinewood  Park,  but  this  was  found  to 
be  defective  and  the  wing  was  completed  with  Junction  City  stone.  This  also 
proved  to  be  unsatisfactory,  and  the  other  parts  of  the  structure  were  built  of 
a  more  durable  stone  from  Cottonwood  Falls. 

•  DIMENSIONS  AND  COST. 

Rooms  in  the  new  Capitol  were  first  occupied  by  State  officers  December 
25,  1869,  and  the  first  legislative  session  in  the  building  was  in  1870.  The 
west  wing  was  built  in  1880,  and  work  commenced  on  the  central  portion  in 
1883.  It  was  not  until  March  24,  1903,  that  the  finished  structure  was  turned 
over  to  the  State.  The  dimensions  of  the  building  are  as  follows :  Extreme 
diameter  or  breadth  of  the  building,  including  the  porches,  north  and  south, 
399  feet;  east  and  west,  386  feet;  square  of  the  dome  at  the  base,  80  by  80 
feet;  height  of  dome  to  balcony  at  lantern,  258  feet;  height  of  dome  to  extreme 
top,  304  feet.  The  total  cost  of  the  finished  Capitol  was  $3,200,588.92,  of 
which  $481,000  was  for  the  east  wing,  including  the  remodeling;  $314,237  for 
the  west  wing;  $1,289,611.30  for  the  central  portion,  including  dome;  and 
$416,876.19  for  decoration  and  furnishings.  Most  of  the  money  was  ex- 
pended under  the  supervision  of  a  State  House  Commission,  which  had  charge 
of  the  letting  of  contracts.  The  following  architects  have  been  employed  at 
dififerent  times  on  the  work:  E.  Townsend  Mix,  John  G.  Haskell,  L.  M. 
Wood,  E.  T.  Carr,  Kenneth  McDonald,  Van  Brunt  &  Sutton,  J.  C.  Holland, 
E.  J.  Putnam,  Seymour  Davis,  W.  C.  Hills,  T.  H.  Lescher  and  John  F. 
Stanton. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

Drought  of  i860 — Depression  Resulting  from  the  War — How  the  City  Ap- 
peared in  1862 — Prominent  Business  Firms  and  Professional  Men — The 
Growth  from  1865  to  1870 — Renewed  Activity  in  Real  Estate  Transac- 
tions— The  Railroad  Situation — Wagon  Routes  from  Topeka — Associa- 
tion of  Old  Settlers. 

Topeka' s  growth,  as  well  as  that  of  Shawnee  County,  was  greatly  re- 
tarded by  the  memorable  drought  of  i860.  The  labors  of  agriculture  at  that 
time  were  entirely  confined  to  the  raising  of  corn  and  vegetables,  of  which 
a  scant  supply  matured.  It  is  estimated  that  the  population  of  the  city  and 
county  decreased  fully  20  per  cent,  in  that  year  and  the  general  stagnation 
was  added  to  by  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War.  Following  the  close  of  the 
war,  the  tide  of  immigration  again  set  in,  capital  sought  investment,  property 
felt  the  stimulus  of  increased  value,  there  was  abundant  work  for  the  mechanic 
and  laborer,  and  enterprises  of  great  pith  and  moment  were  undertaken  with 
a  confidence  inspired  by  the  general  firmness,  politically  and  socially,  that 
marked  the  new  life  in  Kansas. 

RETROSPECTIVE. 

In  the  year  1862  Topeka  had  a  population  of  less  than  700.  All  that 
portion  of  the  country  north  of  the  river  was  practically  uninhabited,  there 
being  but  a  few  log  houses  in  the  valley  between  Indianola  and  the  river.  Dr. 
Franklin  L.  Crane  was  farming  that  portion  of  the  city  lying  north  of  Fifth 
street  and  east  of  Monroe,  including  the  land  where  the  Atchison,  Topeka  & 
Santa  Fe  depot  now  stands.  Col.  Cyrus  K.  Holliday  lived  on  the  farm  ad- 
joining Dr.  Crane's  on  the  south,  now  the  center  of  a  big  city  where  the 
family  residence  has  been  maintained  for  50  years.  South  and  east  of  Kan- 
sas and  loth  avenues  was  John  Ritchie's  farm.  South  and  west  of  the  Ritchie 
property  were  the  claims  of  Col.  Joel  Huntoon,  Milton  C.  Dickey,  J.  C.  Gor- 
don and  Daniel  H.  Home.  Southeast  of  the  city  were  the  farms  of  W.  B. 
Wade,  L.  C.  Conwell  and  Justus  Brockway,  and  close  by  were  farms  belong- 
ing to  Dr.  S.  E.  Martin,  R.  S.  Martin,  John  Long  and  D.  R.  Young.     Fry 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  147 

W.  Giles  had  a  farm  on  the  Shunganunga,  and  was  operating  an  express  and 
stage  oifice  in  town.  The  Topeka  House  stood  on  the  present  site  of  the  Gov- 
ernment Building,  and  opposite  it  was  the  Garvey  House.  The  Chase  House 
stood  where  the  Stormont  office  building  now  stands,  and  on  Sixth  avenue 
were  the  Tuttle  and  Ashbaugh  hotels. 

The  lawyers  of  that  time  were  John  Martin,  A.  H.  Case  and  W.  P. 
Douthitt.  The  physicians  were  S.  E.  Martin,  Deming  &  Miller  and  B.  F. 
King.  The  ministers  were  Revs.  Lewis  Bodwell,  Charles  M.  Calloway,  J.  H. 
Defouri,  Ira  Blackford,  John  A.  Steele  and  E.  Alward.  The  leading  store 
was  conducted  by  Hamilton  &  Company,  Fielding  Johnson  and  George  W. 
Veale  being  the  "Company."  H.  W.  Farnsworth  and  Willis  Gordon  were 
millers,  Jacob  Smith  was  the  proprietor  of  a  tin  shop,  George  O.  Wilmarth 
owned  the  post  office  book-store,  Charles  C.  Kellam  was  postmaster,  William 
Marshall  was  the  only  tailor,  Thomas  Archer  was  constable  and  J.  C.  Miller, 
justice  of  the  peace.  In  the  block  on  the  west  side  of  Kansas  avenue,  between 
Sixth  avenue  and  Seventh  street,  there  was  then  only  one  building,  and  south 
of  that  on  the  avenue  was  vacant  prairie.  The  young  ladies  of  that  period 
were  Miss  Mary  Ward,  Miss  Belle  Chase,  Miss  Murphy,  Miss  Miller,  Miss 
Allen,  Miss  Blush  and  Miss  Farnsworth,  and  the  list  of  young  men  included 
George,  Frank  and  Orville  Crane,  T.  B.  Mills,  J.  C.  French,  George  Trott, 
David  Seagraves,  Perry  Tuttle  and  Henry  C.  Lindsey.  The  only  business 
men  of  the  early  '6o's  who  have  continued  uninterruptedly  from  that  date 
to  this  are  John  W.  Farnsworth  and  Jacob  Smith.  Mr.  Farnsworth  changed 
his  business  from  dry  goods  to  queensware,  and  Mr.  Smith's  tin-shop  became 
the  basis  of  the  present  W.  A.  L.  Thompson  Hardware  Company. 

AFTER    THE    WAR. 

Topeka's  activity  suffered  no  abatement  between  the  years  1865  and 
1870.  In  that  period  many  fine  business  blocks  were  erected  and  handsome 
residences  built.  It  was  also  the  era  of  bridge  building,  railroad  projection 
and  general  improvement.  School  houses  and  churches  were  built,  sidewalks 
laid  and  much  public  work  done.  The  city  rapidly  outgrew  its  original  dimen- 
sions, and  the  first  farm  claims  were  nearly  all  converted  into  town  lots.  Many 
additions  were  platted  and  taken  into  the  city,  known  as  Young's,  Home's, 
Crane's,  Ritchie's,  King's,  Holliday's  and  Huntoon's  additions.  The  Kaw 
Indian  land  opposite  the  city,  on  the  north  side  of  the  Kansas  River,  came 
into  market  through  an  act  of  Congress  authorizing  the  Indians  to  sell  their 
property,  and  reservation  No.  4  of  the  land  belonging  to  the  half-breeds  was 
bought  and  platted  for  town  purposes.  Eugenia  was  the  name  first  given  to 
the  town,  but  the  territory  was  attached  to  Topeka  in  April,  1867,  and  thence- 


148  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

forth  took  the  name  of  North  Topeka,  being  the  first  ward  of  the  main  city. 
Some  of  the  buildings  erected  and  new  institutions  established  in  the 
period  between  1865  and  1870  were  the  following:  The  Mortimer  Cook 
Building  at  the  southwest  corner  of  Kansas  and  Sixth  avenues;  the  Baker  & 
Tinkham  Block,  opposite  Crawford's  Opera  House;  Grace  Episcopal  Church, 
at  the  northwest  corner  of  Jackson  and  Seventh  streets ;  the  Tefft  House,  where 
the  First  National  Bank  Building  now  stands ;  Charles  F.  Kendall's  dry  goods 
store;  E.  W.  Baker  &  Company's  wholesale  grocery  establishment;  an  iron 
foundry  established  on  the  corner  of  Second  and  Jefferson  streets;  a  flouring 
mill  erected  at  the  corner  of  Kansas  avenue  and  Third  street,  and  another 
one  in  North  Topeka,  built  by  L.  Laurent;  the  Topeka  Bank,  Kansas  Valley 
National  Bank,  Capital  Bank,  and  the  Giles  &  Jewell  Bank,  opened  for  busi- 
ness; the  Adams  Building,  North  Topeka;  and  the  Union  Pacific  Hotel  and 
Depot,  North  Topeka.  The  principal  residences  built  were  those  of  Jesse 
H.  Crane,  on  Madison  between  Fourth  and  Fifth  streets ;  Hugo  Kullak,  north- 
west corner  of  Topeka  avenue  and  Seventh  street;  and  Jacob  Smith,  south- 
west corner  of  Harrison  and  Fifth  streets. 

BUSINESS  AND   PROFESSIONAL   MEN. 

In  addition  to  those  already  named,  the  well-known  business  and  profes- 
sional men  of  that  period  were:  Barnum  &  Company,  George  C.  Kenyon, 
Bates  &  Company,  C.  A.  Butts,  Geiger  &  McGrath  and  G.  F.  Merriam,  dry 
goods ;  A.  J.  Arnold,  Rowley  Brothers,  Stringham  &  Brown  and  C.  C.  Kellam, 
druggists;  Benjamin  Haywood,  John  Worth  and  Andrew  Seller,  furniture; 
Guilford  Dudley,  private  banker ;  Crane  &  Byron,  blank  books ;  A.  H.  Thomp- 
son, dentist;  John  P  Cole,  Whitton  &  Weiss,  E.  G.  Moon,  Rodgers  Brothers, 
Craigue  &  Company  and  R.  E.  Randolph,  groceries;  J.  A.  McLaughlin,  fire- 
arms ;  Smith  &  Hale,  J.  M.  Baird,  E.  H.  Blake  &  Company  and  T.  H.  Whit- 
mer,  hardware;  Burkhard  &  Oswald,  harness;  Hartsock  &  Gossett,  hides; 
Henry  Clarkson,  Gavitt  &  Scott,  Orrin  T.  Welch  and  Stone  &  Bodine,  insur- 
ance; J.  &  R.  Thomas,  Shellabarger  &  Leidigh  and  C.  Reed,  lumber;  J.  Lee 
Knight  and  J.  V.  Wintrode,  photographers;  James  Douglass,  John  Lahmer 
and  Fred  Ortman,  jewelers ;  David  Brier,  Bishop  Crumrine,  Edgar  W.  Dennis, 
M.  P.  Garretson,  John  Guthrie,  N.  F.  Handy,  Lewis  Hanback,  A.  W.  Hayes, 
John  M.  McDonald,  Noah  C.  McFarland,  Ross  Burns,  John  Mileham,  J.  H. 
Moss,  J.  H.  Putnam,  B.  J.  Ricker,  Thomas  Ryan,  John  G.  Searle,  Hugh  M. 
Spalding,  A.  H.  Vance,  J.  G.  Wood,  J.  G.  Waters  and  A.  L.  Williams,  attor- 
neys; W.  S.  Baker,  George  Dick,  Eli  Lewis,  John  McClintock,  M.  Bailey, 
L.  G.  Murphy,  M.  F.  Price,  W.  W.  Rodgers,  Silas  E.  Shelden,  E.  Tefft,  D.  W. 
Stormont  and  George  Wyman,  physicians. 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  I49 

The  Episcopal  Female  Seminary  was  in  operation  at  the  corner  of  Topeka 
avenue  and  Ninth  street,  under  the  patronage  of  Bishop  Thomas  H.  Vail. 
Rev.  J.  N.  Lee  was  principal  and  Mrs.  R.  N.  Baldwin,  vice-principal.  Miss 
Minnie  Beales,  Kansas'  most  famous  vocalist,  was  one  of  the  teachers.  The 
Masons,  Odd  Fellows  and  Good  Templars  were  the  only  secret  societies  in 
existence.  The  Union  Pacific  Railroad  had  been  extended  as  far  west  as 
Carson,  Colorado,  and  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  line  was  running 
trains  to  Emporia.  The  wagon  roads  leading  out  of  the  city  were  marked 
as  follows :  To  Grasshopper  Falls,  Kansas  avenue  due  north  across  Soldier 
Creek;  to  Tecumseh,  Sixth  avenue  east;  to  Clinton,  loth  avenue  to  Shunga- 
nunga  bridge,  thence  south ;  to  Burlingame,  Jackson  street  south ;  to  Auburn, 
loth  avenue  west  to  Fillmore  street,  thence  in  a  southwesterly  direction;  to 
Mission  Creek,  on  the  Auburn  road  to  the  crossing  of  nth  street,  and  then 
branching  off  to  the  west ;  to  Wabaunsee,  Sixth  avenue  west. 

ASSOCIATION  OF  OLD  SETTLERS. 

At  various  meetings  of  the  Old  Settlers'  Association  of  Topeka,  the  fol- 
lowing persons  signed  the  roll  of  membership,  giving  their  names  and  the  date 
of  their  citizenship : 

1854 — ^John  Armstrong,  Freeman  R.  Foster,  Caroline  S.  Scales,  L.  S. 
Long,  William  C.  Gibbons,  J.  S.  Freeland,  S.  E.  Martin,  W.  W.  Phillips, 
Fry  W.  Giles,  George  W.  Berry,  J.  S.  Freeland,  J.  W.  Miller,  E.  J.  Haynes, 
John  Long  and  Mrs.  E.  J.  Dailey. 

1855 — H.  W.  Curtis,  Mrs.  John  Long,  Mrs.  C.  A.  Giles,  Mrs.  Augusta 
W.  Lescher,  Mrs.  Mary  Herbert,  Charles  H.  Lovejoy,  Josiah  Jordan,  Sarah 
C.  Stone,  Franklin  G.  Adams,  C.  G.  Howard,  W.  H.  Moffitt,  G.  W.  Gillis, 
Martha  Allen,  William  P.  Thompson,  Mrs.  C.  S.  Baker,  Mrs.  Susanna  M. 
Weymouth,  Marion  E.  Thomson,  A.  H.  Slayton,  Josiah  B.  McAfee,  Anna  R. 
McAfee,  T.  B.  Pitcher,  Samuel  J.  Reader,  Susan  Howey,  Richard  Russell, 
Hale  Ritchie,  William  H.  Weymouth,  Mrs.  Celeste  M.  Forbes,  Mrs.  Jennie 
M.  Nellis,  Mrs.  Louisa  T.  Oakley,  Sarah  E.  Doane,  Abner  Doane  and  Mrs. 
Sarah  Curtis. 

1856 — Joel  Huntoon,  John  S.  Firey,  John  ElHott,  W.  H.  Fitzpatrick, 
George  E.  Flanders,  Thomas  H.  Haskell,  G.  S.  Gordon,  Walter  Oakley,  John 
P.  Greer,  Kate  Farnsworth  Akin,  Harvey  D.  Rice,  William  Owen,  Maria  M. 
Martin,  Jasper  M.  Howard,  Samuel  Dolman,  Minda  K.  Dolman,  E.  Marple, 
H.  K.  Winans,  Alpheus  Palmer,  R.  A.  Randlett,  W.  D.  Paul,  William  Wal- 
lace, J.  B.  Miller,  James  M.  Harvey,  Mrs.  G.  S.  Gordon,  Edward  Chapman, 
Mrs.  Edward  Chapman,  Hiram  W.  Farnsworth,  John  W.  Farnsworth  and 
William  Chase. 


ISO  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

1857 — Avery  Washburn,  Mrs.  L.  P.  Huntoon,  Rebecca  Brittain,  E.  G. 
Moon,  N.  J.  Moon,  Henry  W.  McAfee,  Mrs.  Freeman  R.  Foster,  Mrs.  J. 
M.  Foster,  Martha  M.  James,  Mrs.  W.  H.  Fitzpatrick,  Miss  Rena  Fitzpatrick, 
Miss  Mary  Fitzpatrick,  Mrs.  Ehzabeth  Fisher,  Jacob  Smith,  William  P. 
Douthitt,  E.  M.  Chase,  Jane  T.  Randlett,  T.  H.  Lescher,  Olive  A.  Owen, 
Flora  C.  Harvey,  M.  J.  Freeland,  Amanda  G.  Person,  Charles  F.  Spencer, 
J.  S.  Stansfield,  James  Mecham,  V.  B.  Howey,  G.  W.  Packard,  J.  M.  Bryan, 
D.  W.  Boutwell,  Mrs.  E.  V.  Boutwell,  Emily  R.  Douthitt,  Christian  Bowman, 
Josephine  Stafford,  A.  J.  Huntoon,  Ellen  S.  Huntoon,  Daniel  Thompson, 
Frank  A.  Root,  William  S.  Bennett,  W.  W.  Climenson,  Mrs.  C.  Crawford, 
L.  M.  Ayers,  Peter  Fisher,  Henry  Taylor,  David  L.  Lakin,  Mrs.  Ann  Spencer, 
Castorn  Washburn,  Sarah  A.  Elliott,  M.  P.  Hillyer  and  Georgiana  Packard. 

1858— A.  F.  Barker,  T.  A.  Barker,  Kate  Rudolph  Wilson,  James  V. 
Douthitt,  H.  D.  Fisher,  E.  M.  Fisher,  Lucius  Kingman,  E.  A.  Goodell,  Sarah 
Goodell,  Mrs.  Martha  Paine,  Mrs.  Emma  Campbell  Hudson,  Allen  Holcraft, 
George  W.  Weed,  D.  O.  Crane,  Mrs.  H.  M.  Prouty  and  Mrs.  F.  A.  Root. 

1859 — F.  M.  Fletcher,  R.  J.  Miller,  Amond  Benton,  Mrs.  Ella  Phillips, 
Mrs.  Mary  A.  Rice,  Emma  Bodwell  Stagg,  Miss  Zu  Adams,  Mary  Marple, 
Sophie  G.  Ashbaugh,  John  F.  Carter,  Allan  Maxson,  Mrs.  W.  W.  Phillips, 
Hattie  Fletcher,  Emily  Thompson  and  Elizabeth  Taylor. 

i860 — Guilford  Dudley  Baker,  Elizabeth  Flanders,  G.  W.  Dailey, 
Matilda  Steele  McFarland,  Martha  A.  Herriott,  Floyd  P.  Baker,  Robert  B. 
Steele  and  Marcia  G.  Gordon. 

1 86 1 — Emma  B.  Stagg  and  Josephine  E.  Ashbaugh. 

1862 — Miss  Lou  Climenson. 

1863— George  D.  Butts  and  Mrs.  C.  A.  Butts. 

1864 — Sarah  A.  Elliott  and  C.  S.  Baker. 

1865 — Robert  Robinson  and  James  A.  Troutman. 

1866 — Anna  Foster,  Henry  Evans,  Mrs.  Henry  Evans,  William  J.  Stagg 
and  Anna  S.  Crane. 

1867 — Celestine  Stoker,  George  D.  Hale,  George  S.  Evarts  and  Emma 
Evarts. 

1868— Francis  S.  McCabe,  George  P  Bates,  Oresta  H.  Bates.  B.  F. 
Golden  and  Mrs.  S.  A.  Robinson. 

1869 — Joseph  Andrews,  J,  Gandion,  A.  A.  Ripley  and  Sarah  E.  Evarts. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

The  Railway  System — Four  Trunk  Lines  at  Topeka — Mills  and  Factories — 
Commercial  and  Banking  Institutions — Public  Utilities — Finances  of  the 
City — Parks  and  Resorts — Assessed  Valuation,  Bonded  Debt  and  Finan- 
cial Resources — Present  City  Officers  and  List  of  Former  Mayors — The 
Commercial  Club. 

A  general  railroad  convention  was  held  in  Topeka,  October  7,  i860, 
attended  by  125  delegates,  to  consider  plans  for  a  State  railway  system,  and 
to  inaugurate  a  movement  for  securing  the  same.  Five  lines  of  railroad  were 
favored  by  the  delegates,  as  the  result  of  their  deliberations,  two  of  which 
were  to  run  to  Topeka.  One  of  them  was  a  line  from  the  city  of  Wyandotte, 
up  the  Kansas  Valley,  by  way  of  Lawrence,  Lecompton,  Tecumseh,  Topeka, 
Manhattan  and  the  Fort  Riley  Military  Reservation,  to  the  western  boundary 
of  the  Territory;  and  the  other,  a  line  from  Atchison,  by  way  of  Topeka, 
through  the  Territory  in  the  direction  of  Santa  Fe,  New  Mexico. 

Previous  to  that,  in  1855,  the  Union  Pacific  system  had  received  a  charter 
from  the  Legislature  under  the  title  of  the  Leavenworth,  Pawnee  &  Western 
Railroad  Company,  and  in  1857  the  Legislature  granted  a  charter  to  a  corpo- 
ration to  build  the  St.  Joseph  &  Topeka  Railroad,  of  which  Cyrus  K.  Holliday, 
Franklin  L.  Crane,  Milton  C.  Dickey  and  John  W.  Forman  were  the  Topeka 
directors.  In  1858  th^  Kansas  Central  Railway  was  projected  by  W.  Y. 
Roberts  and  others,  proposing  to  build  a  line  of  railroad  from  Wyandotte,  up 
the  Kansas  Valley,  on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  by  way  of  Lawrence  and 
Topeka,  to  Fort  Riley. 

UNION      PACIFIC. 

From  these  beginnings  the  present  railway  facilities  of  Topeka  were 
realized.  The  Union  Pacific,  then  known  as  Kansas  Pacific,  was  completed 
to  Topeka,  January  i,  1866.  The  arrival  of  the  first  train  at  North  Topeka 
on  that  date  was  an  occasion  of  great  rejoicing,  the  people  of  Topeka  extend- 
ing the  hospitality  of  the  city  to  the  mayors  and  councilmen  of  Wyandotte 
and  Lawrence,  and  to  the  president  of  the  road,  R.  M.  Shoemaker.     The 


152  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

principal  address  was  delivered  by  Gen.  James  H.  Lane.  North  Topeka  was 
at  that  time  known  as  Eugene,  and  contained  more  Indian  than  white  inhab- 
itants.    The  Union  Pacific  was  completed  to  Denver  in  1872.1'^) 

SANTA      FE. 

The  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  system  was  the  outgrowth  of  the 
St.  Joseph  &  Topeka  Railroad  Company.  Work  was  commenced  at  Topeka 
in  October,  1868,  the  first  section  being  built  to  Carbondale,  to  tap  the  Osage 
County  coal  fields.  It  was  opened  to  Carbondale,  18  miles  south  from 
Topeka,  in  July,  1869,  and  to  Emporia  in  1870.  More  than  four  years 
elapsed  before  the  construction  had  progressed  to  the  State  line  on  the  west. 
The  inception  of  this  enterprise  was  in  very  great  measure  due  to  Col.  Cyrus 
K.  Holliday,  of  Topeka,  who  was  the  first  president  of  the  company,  and  one 
of  its  directors  up  to  the  date  of  his  death,  March  29,  1900.  Citizens  of 
Topeka  subscribed  $30,000  to  the  original  St.  Joseph  &  Topeka  Railroad,  and 
the  county  voted  $250,000  in  bonds  to  aid  in  the  construction  of  the  Atchi- 
son, Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  road.  A  further  sum  of  $100,000  was  voted  by  the 
city  for  the  location  of  the  general  offices  and  shops.  The  shops  were  located 
here  in  1872,  and  a  general  office  building  erected  in  1884.  To  aid  in  the 
construction  of  this  road  the  government  made  a  grant  of  nearly  3,000,000 
acres  of  the  public  lands  of  Kansas. 

Under  the  original  plan  of  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railway 
Company  the  eastern  terminus  of  the  road  was  at  Atchison,  no  provision 
having  been  made  for  connecting  Topeka  with  Kansas  City  on  the  south  side 
of  the  Kansas  River.  To  meet  this  oversight  the  city  of  Topeka,  in  April, 
1874,  subscribed  $160,000  to  the  capital  stock  of  the  Kansas  Midland  Rail- 
road Company,  which  had  been  projected  some  years  before,  but  left  in  a 
languishing  condition  by  reason  of  financial  embarrassment  and  the  opposi- 
tion of  rival  cities.  This  line  was  completed  in  1874,  and  in  June,  1875,  was 
leased  to  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe,  \Vhich  eventually  absorbed  it. 
The  Santa  Fe  system  also  operates  the  Leavenworth,  Topeka  &  Southwestern 
road,  which  it  jointly  owns  with  the  Union  Pacific.  The  extent  of  the  Santa 
Fe  system,  and  its  importance  to  Topeka,  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  it  employs 
more  than  2,000  men  in  its  various  shops,  and  800  in  its  general  offices,  at 
this  point.  The  local  pay-roll  of  the  road  exceeds  $1,000,000  a  year,  and  the 
product  of  its  Topeka  shops  will  average  in  value  more  than  $2,000,000  a 
year. 

ROCK     ISLAND. 

Topeka  is  also  the  Western  headquarters  of  the  great  Rock  Island  rail- 
way system.     This  road  was  extended  from  St.  Joseph  to  Topeka  in  1887, 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  155 

and  later  by  three  lines  across  the  State,  to  Oklahoma,  Indian  Territory  and 
Texas ;  to  Denver,  Colorado  Springs  and  Pueblo ;  and  to  the  Mexican  border 
at  El  Paso.  The  Rock  Island  also  maintains  a  train  service  between  Topeka 
and  Kansas  City  over  the  Union  Pacific  tracks.  The  Rock  Island  may  well 
be  called  one  of  the  great  trunk  lines  of  the  West,  and  Topeka  is  one  of  its 
principal  business  points.  A  fine  passenger  station  at  the  intersection  of 
Kansas  and  First  avenues  is  also  the  headquarters  of  the  division  and  of  the 
local  officers  of  the  road.  The  company  employs  a  force  of  100  men  at 
Topeka,  and  the  number  is  being  increased  from  year  to  year. 

MISSOURI     PACIFIC. 

Topeka  is  connected  with  the  Missouri  Pacific  system  by  means  of  a  branch 
line  built  in  1886  from  Fort  Scott  to  Topeka.  It  opened  a  rich  farming  coun- 
try tributary  to  Topeka  and  increased  the  transportation  facilities  of  the 
capital  city  to  a  needed  and  important  extent.  The  stations  immediately  south 
of  Topeka  are  Berryton,  Tevis,  Richland,  Overbrook,  Michigan  Valley  and 
Lomax.  Connection  is  made  at  the  last  named  point  with  the  main  line  of 
the  Missouri  Pacific  extending  from  the  Missouri  River  to  Colorado. 

MANUFACTURING     INDUSTRIES. 

Without  claiming  to  be  a  great  manufacturing  center,  Topeka  has  a 
number  of  extensive  and  well-known  manufacturing  concerns,  of  which  the 
milling  industry  is  the  most  important.  The  principal  institutions  are  the 
Central  Mill  and  Elevator,  Crosby  Roller  Milling  Company,  Farmers'  Ex- 
change Mill,  Gyrator  Mills,  Inter-Ocean  Mills,  Kansas  Valley  Cereal  Mill, 
Mid-Continent  Mills,  Shawnee  Milling  Company  and  Topeka  Milling  Com- 
pany. The  combined  capacity  of  the  several  mills  is  4,500  barrels  of  flour  a 
day.  Topeka's  proximity  to  the  great  wheat  belt  of  Kansas  and  the  splendid 
shipping  facilities  make  it  one  of  the  leading  flour  markets  of  the  United 
States.  The  mills  employ  175  persons,  and  the  total  product  of  the  industry 
in  1904  amounted  to  $4,000,000. 

The  Charles  Wolff  Packing  Company,  an  independent  company  em- 
ploying 200  men,  did  a  business  in  1904  aggregating  nearly  $2,000,000.  Two 
creamery  companies,  the  Continental  Creamery  Company  and  the  Topeka 
Pure  Milk  Company,  did  a  business  amounting  to  $2,773,850  and  gave  em- 
ployment to  108  men  and  64  women.  There  are  three  cold  storage  plants, — 
the  Topeka  Ice  &  Cold  Storage  Company,  the  Continental  Creamery  Com- 
pany and  Seymour  &  Company, — which  reported  a  total  business  of  nearly 
$1,000,000  last  year.     The  combined  printing  and  book-binding  product  for 


156  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

the  year  1904  amounted  to  over  $800,000,  giving  employment  to  500  persons, 
who  received  wages  amounting  to  $350,000.  The  total  value  of  all  manu- 
factured products  for  the  year  1904  was  $16,752,540,  the  number  of  firms 
engaged  in  manufacturing,  345;  total  capital  invested,  $7,273,129;  number 
of  employees, — male  5,379,  females  1,080;  total  annual  wages  paid,  $3,224,- 
427;  value  of  material  used,  $10,000,000. 


COMMERCE     AND     FINANCE. 

Topeka  has  30  wholesale  and  jobbing  houses,  whose  total  business  in 
1904  amounted  to  $17,000,000;  the  total  retail  business  was  $7,000,000. 
There  are  22  builders  and  contractors  in  the  city,  value  of  wor£  last  year, 
$924,000,  and  wages  paid,  $252,000.  The  product  of  the  lighting  and  heat- 
ing plants  in  1904  was  $431,700,  employees,  206,  and  wages  paid,  $123,700. 
The  six  planing  mills  employed  200  men,  paying  $100,000  in  wages,  and 
yielding  a  product  of  $300,000. 

The  banking  institutions  of  the  city  are  the  following :  Bank  of  Topeka, 
capital  $210,000;  Central  National  Bank,  capital  $250,000;  Citizens'  State 
Bank,  capital  $25,000;  First  National  Bank,  capital  $300,000;  Merchants' 
National  Bank,  capital  $100,000;  Shawnee  State  Bank,  capital  $60,000; 
State  Savings  Bank,  capital  $25,000.  The  several  banks  have  a  total  capital 
of  $970,000,  a  total  surplus  of  $281,518,  and  total  deposits  amounting  to 
$6,000,000. 

PUBLIC      UTILITIES. 

Topeka  owns  its  own  water-works  system,  recently  purchased  at  a  cost 
of  $620,000,  and  its  own  street  lighting  plant,  installed  at  a  cost  of  $150,000. 
In  the  year  1900  the  city  built  a  public  auditorium  which  cost  $100,000, 
seats  4,000  people,  and  provides  offices  for  the  city  government  and  quarters 
for  the  Fire  Department.  The  building  has  a  frontage  of  350  feet,  and  is 
equipped  with  a  four-manual  pipe  organ  which  cost  $15,000. 

Two  telephone  systems,  the  Independent  Telephone  Company  and  the 
Missouri  &  Kansas  Telephone  Company,  provide  the  city  with  5,000  tele- 
phones, and  afford  long  distance  connections  with  all  important  points  in 
Kansas  and  the  leading  cities  of  other  States.  There  are  38  miles  of  paved 
streets — granite,  asphalt  and  vitrified  brick.  The  Topeka  Railway  Company 
operates  T,y  miles  of  street  railway,  reaching  all  parts  of  the  city,  the  princi- 
pal suburbs  and  Vinewood  and  Garfield  parks.  Topeka  is  well  provided  wnth 
light,  heat  and  power  by  the  Edison  Illuminating  Company  and  the  Excelsior 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  157 

Coke  &  Gas  Company.  A  pipe  line  is  now  being  constructed  from  the  gas 
fields  of  Southern  Kansas,  which  will  provide  the  city  with  natural  gas  before 
the  close  of  the  year  1905. 

PLEASURE     PLACES. 

The  public  play-ground  and  recreation  system  of  Topeka  is  embraced  in 
the  following  parks :  Central,  City,  Chesney,  Gage,  Holliday,  Huntoon,  Gar- 
field and  Vinewood,  well  distributed  throughout  the  city  and  convenient  of 
access  by  trolley  lines.  The  improvement  and  promotion  of  the  park  interest 
is  in  charge  of  a  pubhc  commission  composed  of  M.  A.  Low,  Edward  Wilder, 
M.  C.  Holman,  A.  B.  Quinton  and  J.  P.  Griswold.  A  new  organization  under 
the  name  of  the  Topeka  Country  Club,  with  200  members  and  a  capital  stock 
of  $25,000,  will  in  the  near  future  provide  ample  grounds  near  the  city  for 
golf  links,  tennis  courts  and  other  forms  of  outdoor  amusement.  The  Topeka 
Base  Ball  Park  and  Washburn  Athletic  Park  afford  excellent  facilities  for 
athletic  sports,  and  riding  and  driving  exhibitions  are  well  provided  for  on 
the  Shawnee  County  Fair  Grounds.  In  connection  with  the  subject  of  parks 
it  may  be  added  that  the  entire  residence  district  of  Topeka  is  an  umbrageous 
forest  of  stately  elms  and  glowing  maples, 

— With  seats  beneath  the  shade 
For  talking  age  and  whispering  lovers  made. 

The  property  assessment  of  the  city  for  1904,  upon  a  one-third  valuation 
was  as  follows:  Real  estate,  $8,425,450;  personal  property,  $2,348,070; 
railroad  property,  $501,900;  total,  $11,275,420.  Bonded,  indebtedness — city 
at  large  $525,600;  internal  improvement,  $514,800;  sewer  and  drain  bonds, 
$52,388.  The  general  revenue  fund  of  the  city  for  the  last  year  amounted 
to  $106,399.63;  the  general  improvement  fund,  $102,629.56;  school  tax  levy, 
including  building,   interest  and  sinking  funds,   $180,426.72. 

CITY     GOVERNMENT. 

The  present  city  government  of  Topeka  is  composed  of  the  following 
officers,  elective  and  appointive:  Mayor,  William  H.  Davis;  president  of 
Council,  L.  A.  Ryder;  clerk,  J.  H.  Squires;  attorney,  Frank  G.  Drenning; 
treasurer,  M.  M.  Hale ;  physician,  H.  B.  Hogeboom ;  fire  marshal.  George  O. 
Wilmarth;  chief  of  police,  A.  G.  Goodwin;  food  inspector,  W.  H.  Gilfillan; 
license  collector,  R.  F.  Clough;  plumbing  inspector,  E.  A.  Chaney;  superin- 
tendent of  water-works,  Jesse  Shaw;  police  judge,  S.  S.  Urmy;  engineer, 
James  F.  McCabe;  police  matron,  Laura  E.  Thorpe;  commissioner  of  elec- 


1=^8 


HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 


tions,  Charles  H.  Titus;  street  commissioner,  James  Ramsey;  superintendent 
of  electric  light,  H.  K.  Goodrich;  weighmaster,  O.  A.  Peck;  councilmen — 
First  Ward,  L.  A.  Ryder  and  F.  B.  Simms ;  Second  Ward,  Charles  K.  Holli- 
day  and  Joseph  Griley;  Third  Ward,  William  Green  and  Fred  E.  Nipps; 
Fourth  Ward,  S.  S.  Rice  and  C.  W.  Horn;  Fifth  Ward,  Samuel  T.  Howe 
and  J.  C.  Shimer;  Sixth  Ward,  J.  W.  F.  Hughes  and  S.  A.  Swendson. 

Mayors. — Since  the  organization  of  the  city  the  following  persons  have 
been  elected  to  the  office  of  mayor,  for  the  years  named :  Loring  Farnsworth, 
1858-59;  Lorenzo  Dow,  1859;  Cyrus  K.  Holliday,  1859-60;  Hiram  W. 
Farnsworth,  1860-61;  Harris  Foster  Otis,  1861-62;  Noah  W.  Cox,  1862-63; 
Joseph  F.  Cummings,  1863-64;  Samuel  H.  Fletcher,  1864-65;  William  W. 
Ross,  1865-66;  Ross  Burns,  1866-67;  Cyrus  K.  Holliday,  1867-68;  Orrin  T. 
Welch,  1868-69;  Cyrus  K.  Holliday,  1869-70;  Josiah  B.  McAfee,  1870-71; 
Orrin  T.  Welch,  1871-74;  Henry  Bartling,  1874-75;  Thomas  J.  Anderson, 
1875-77;  Milton  H.  Case,  1877-81;  Joseph  C.  Wilson,  1881-83;  Bradford 
Miller,  1883-85;  Roswell  L.  Cofran,  1885-87;  Dkvid  C.  Metsker,  1887-89; 
Roswell  L.  Cofran,  1889-93;  Thomas  W.  Harrison,  1893-95;  Charles  A. 
Fellows,  1895-99;  Charles  J.  Drew,  1899-1901;  J.  W.  F.  Hughes,  1901- 
1902;  Albert  Parker,  1902-03;  W.  S.  Bergundthal,  1903-05;  William  H. 
Davis,    1905 — . 

COMMERCIAL     CLUB. 


A  great  factor  in  promoting  the  business  growth  and  material  interests 
of  the  city  is  the  organization  known  as  the  Commercial  Club  of  Topeka, 
of  which  Charles  K.  Holliday  is  president,  T.  F.  Garver,  vice-president,  L.  M. 
Penwell,  treasurer,  and  Thomas  J.  Anderson,  secretary.  The  membership  roll 
of  the  Commercial  Club  for  1905  includes  the  following  firms  and  indi- 
viduals : 


Adams  Brothers,  Printers  and  Publishers. 
Auerbach,  H.  A.,  Palace  Clothing  Company. 
American  Steam  Laundry. 
Austin  &  Hungate,  Attorneys. 
Abrahams,  John  V.,  Lawyer. 
Auto  Fedan  Hay  Press  Company. 
Arnold,  W.  J.,  Architect. 

Bauer,  A.  D.,  Printer. 

Baumgartner,  John,  Merchant  Tailor. 

Barns,  T.  L.,  Steward  Elks  Club. 

Black,  W.  J.,  General  Passenger  Agent, 
Santa  Fe. 

Blaine,  R.  D.,  Real  Estate,  Loans  and  Col- 
lections. 

Beal,  L.  G.,  Loan  Broker. 


Bowman,  C.  H.,  Topeka  Desiccating  Com- 
pany. 
Brigham,  R.  S.,  Street  Car  Advertising. 
Bischoff,  Oscar,  Capitalist. 
Barnum,  S.,  Co.,  Dry  Goods. 
Bird,  W.  A.  S.,  Lawyer. 
Blakely,  C.  G.,  Insurance. 
Bowman,  H.  C,  Insurance. 
Bates,  A.  H.,  Capitalist. 
Bergundthal,  W.  S.,  Real  Estate. 
Betts,  J.  B.,  Contractor. 
Bromich,  Joseph,  Steam  Boiler  Works. 
Buffkin,  J.  A.,  Manufacturer. 
Brown,  Milton,  Lawyer. 
Bennett,  A.  H.,  Grain  Commission. 
Butler,  J.  N.,  Signs. 


TOPEKA  WOOLEN  MILLS 


VEALE  AND  THOMPSON  BLOCK 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS. 


i6i 


Brown,  Frank  J.,  Financial  Agent. 

Blitz,  I.  M.,  Jeweler. 

Bradshaw,  George  L.,  Harness  and  Sad- 
dlery. 

Bailey  Brothers,  Insurance,  Real  Estate  and 
Steamship  Agents. 

Burghart,  George,  Cigar  Manufacturer. 

Crane  &  Company,  Publishers,  Printers  and 
Binders. 

Crosby  Brothers,  Dry  Goods,  Carpets,  Fur- 
niture, Shoes. 

Crosby,  Warren  M.,  Dry  Goods,  Shoes,  etc. 

Capper,  Arthur,  Pres.  Daily  Capital,  Prop. 
Mail  and  Breeze. 

Crane,  D.  O.,  Supt  Topeka  Cemetery  Ass'n. 

Cuthbert  &  Sargent,  Contractors. 

Capital  City  Vitrified  Brick  and  Paving  Co. 

Chicago  Lumber  Co. 

Chase,  G.  M.  &  Co.,  Shoes. 

Central  National  Bank. 

Coughlin  Hardware  Company. 

Currie  Windmill  Co. 

Continental  Creamery  Co. 

Cooper,  John  G.,  Capitalist. 

Combs,  W.  M.,  Chief  Dispatcher,  Santa  Fe. 

Council,  M.,  Contractor. 

Calkins,  Charles  R.,  Orchestra  Director. 

Clemens,  G.  C,  Lawyer. 

Clark,  Elon  S.,  Mgr.  Mutual  Life  Ins.  Co., 
New  York. 

Chappelle,  James,  Prop.,  Copeland  Hotel. 

Central  Sash  and  Door  Company. 

Conklin  &  Gustafson,  Plumbers. 

Crawford,  George  M.,  Business  Mgr.  Mail 
Printing  House. 

Crockett,  J.  E.,  Dry  Goods. 

Grain,  Ralph  W.,  Mgr.  Remington  Type- 
writer Co. 

Colville,  J.  P.,  Photographer. 

Campbell,  Dr.  A.  C,  Oculist. 

Durell  &    Cummings,    Proprietors    Oxford 

Hotel. 
Davis,  W.  L.,  Parkhurst-Davis  Mercantile 

Company. 
Devlin,  Charles  J.,  Pres.  Mt.  Carmel  Coal  Co. 
Dudley,  John,  Ranchman. 
Dun,  R.  G.  &  Co.,  Commercial  Agency. 
Dougherty,  George  E.,  Shorthand  School. 
Dreisbach  &  Wallace,  Groceries  and  Meats. 

Elliott,     Charles     S.,     Shawnee    Insurance 
Agency. 

8 


Excelsior  Coke  &  Gas  Company. 

Edison    Electric    Illuminating    Co.,    Heat, 

Power,  Light. 
Edson,   Frank   P.,   Plumbing   and   Steam 

Heating. 
Embree,  Rev.  A.  S. 
Eagle,    Charles    S.,    Wholesale   and    Retail 

Cigars. 
Emerson,  Z.  A.,  Manager  Postal  Telegraph 

Company. 
Evans,  Clinton  J.,  Attorney. 
Elliott,  E.  T.,  Manager  Grand  Union  Tea 

Company. 

Felix  &  Sons,  Clothes  Store  for  Men. 

Fleishman,  S.  M.,  Topeka  Pants  Co. 

First  National  Bank. 

Fellows,  C.  A.,  Contractor. 

Findlay,   George  W.,   Special  Agent  Mass. 

Mut.  Life  Ins.  Co. 
Frost,  John  E.,  Real  Estate,  etc. 
Foster,  Frank  H.,  Lawyer. 
Freeman,  F.  W.,  Vice-President  Merchants' 

National  Bank. 
Ferry  &  Doran,  Lawyers. 
Forbes,  D.  H.,  Hardware. 
Foote,  C.  E.,  Financial  Broker. 

Godard,  A.  A.,  Attorney,  President  State 
Savings  Bank. 

Greenwald,  D.  J. 

Green,  William  &  Sons,  Groceries  and 
Meats. 

Guthrie,  John,  Postmaster. 

Glenn,  H.  H.,  "The  Fair." 

Gavitt,  W.  W.,  Medical  Company,  Manu- 
facturing Chemists. 

Guild,  Charles  W.,  Marble  and  Granite 
Works. 

Gleed,  Charles  S.,  Attorney. 

Garver  &  Larimer,  Lawyers. 

Griley  &  Griley,   Capital  Barber   Shop. 

Guild,  E.  B.,  Music  Co.,  Pianos,  Organs  and 
Musical  Mdse. 

Garvey,  H.  O.,  Manager  Massachusetts  Mu- 
tual Life  Ins.  Co. 

Guibor,   Charles  R.,  Shirt  Manufacturer. 

Grear,  Frank,  New  Era  Department  Store. 

Goodwin,  A.  G.,  Automobiles. 

Garvey,  W.  C,  Freight  Agent,  Santa  Fe. 

Heinz,  Peter,  Capitalist. 
Hanley  &  Ritchie,  Contractors. 


l62 


HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 


Henderson,  M.  D.,  Real  Estate. 
Hubbard,  C.  E.,  Hardware  and  Seeds. 
Howe,    Samuel    T.,    Manager    Missouri    & 

Kansas  Telephone  Co. 
Hall  Lithographing  Company. 
Heery,  Michael,  Contractor. 
Holman,  M.  C,  President  Western  Woolen 

Mill  Co. 
Hammel,  George  M.,  Merchant  Tailor. 
Heil,  Peter  &  Sons,  Dairy  Supplies. 
Hayden,  James  B.,  Jeweler  and  Oculist. 
Holland  &  Squires,  Architects. 
Howard,  H.  B.,  Sporting  Goods  and  Ma- 
chine Shop. 
Horn,  E.,  Planing  Mill. 
Holliday,  C.  K.,  President  Excelsior  Coke 

&  Gas  Company. 
Hankla,   T.   J.,    Proprietor    Fifth    Avenue 

Hotel.  • 

Hutton,  W.  W.,  General  Secretary  Railway 

Conductors. 
Horsfield,  Thomas,  Meat  Market. 
Harvey,  A.  M.,  Lawyer, 
Hayden,  R.  F.,  Probate  Judge. 
Hulse,  Hiram,  Florist. 
Hurley,  J.  E.,  General  Manager,  Santa  Fe. 
Herron  &  Middaugh,  Clothing  and  Shoes. 
Hollcraft,  M.  E.,  Florist. 
Hamilton,    Charles   B.,     Proprietor    Hotel 

Throop. 
Hodgins,  Fred  H.,  Sixth  Avenue  Pharmacy. 
Hagan,  Eugene,  Lawyer. 

Jones,  J.  K.J  Paints  and  Glass. 

Jordan,  E.  P.,  Electrical  Construction  and 

Supplies. 
Judd,  Dr.  C.  E. 
Jones,    George    H.,    Agent    U.    S.    Express 

Company. 
Jones  Dry  Goods  Company. 

Kuehne,  Otto,  Proprietor  Kuehne  Preserv- 
ing Works. 

Kane,  A.  S.,  Manager  Crawford  Opera 
House. 

Kaczynski,  Vincent,  Wood,  Coal  and  Feed. 

Knights  and  Ladies  of  Security,  Fraternal 
Insurance. 

Kansas  Book  Company,  School  Books. 

Keizer,  Dell,  General  Manager  Topeka 
Daily  Herald. 

Kistler-Metzler  Mercantile  Co.,  Wholesale 
Grocers. 


Kansas  Farmer  Company,  Publishers  Kan- 
sas Farmer. 

Klingaman,  A.  C,  Druggist. 

Kelly  &  Kelly,  Bond  Attorneys  and  Brokers. 

Keith,  Dr.  H.  H. 

Koontz,  J.  R.,  General  Freight  Agent,  Santa 
Fe. 

King,  J.  J.,  Attorney  and  Real  Estate. 

Kohl,  Chas.  W.,  Proprietor  Kohl's  Phar- 
macy. 

Kraushaar,  Henry  F.,  Proprietor  Royal 
Bakery. 

Kinney,  John  J.,  Sec.  Coughlin  Hardware 
Company. 

Klauer,  Herman,  Tobacco  and  Cigars. 

Kellar,  N.  E.,  Contractor. 

King,  W.  E.,  Assistant  City  Engineer. 

King,  Thomas  L.,  Ticket  Agent,  Santa  Fe. 

Kutz,  Charles  H.,  Teacher. 

Klinge,  William,  Merchant  Tailor. 

Lake,  W.  F.,  Druggist. 

Leahey,  Daniel,  Contractor. 

Lewis,  F.  A.,  Agent  Pacific  Express  Co.  and 

U.  P.  Ry. 
Longaker,  Amos,  Contractor. 
Lytle,  J.  F.,  Wells  Fargo  &  Co.  Express. 
Low,  M.  A.,  General  Attorney,  Rock  Island. 
Lindsay,  W.  S.,  Physician  and  Surgeon. 
Loomis,   Blair  &    Scandrett,    Attorneys  at 

Law. 
Lindsey,  H.  C,  Prop.  Fashion  Stables. 
Lucas,  A.  T.,  Sheriff  Shawnee  County. 
Lux,  Philip,  Retired  Farmer. 
Lux,  Samuel  E.,  Commission  Merchant. 
Lee.  'E.  S.,  Druggist. 
Lewis,  Charles  W.,  Provident  Savings  Life 

Insurance  Company. 
Lyman  &  Lyman,  Dentists. 
Lord,  John  E.,  Mgr.   Mutual   Benefit  Life 

Insurance  Company. 

Mulvane,  Joab,  Pres.  Edison  Electric  Illu- 
minating Co. 

Mulvane,  John  R,,  Pres.  Bank  of  Topeka. 

Mulvane  &  Gault,  Attorneys. 

MacLennan,  Frank  P.,  Editor  and  Prop. 
State  Journal. 

Miller,  W.  I.,  Lumber. 

Moore,  J.  E.,  Mgr.  Symns  Grocer  Company. 

Moore,  C.  A.,  Manufacturer. 

Montgomery,  E.,  "Star  Grocery." 

Montgomery,  H.  S.,  Gen.  Watch  Inspector, 
Santa  Fe. 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS. 


163 


McEntire  Brothers,  Mattress  Manufacturers 
and  Spring  Beds. 

Mid-Continent  Mills,  Flour  and  Mill  Stuffs. 

Iilerchants'  Transfer  Company. 

McAfee,  Henry  W.,  Stockman. 

McClintock,  Dr.  J.  C,  Physician  and  Sur- 
geon. 

Myers,  C.  W.,  Groceries  and  Meats. 

MacDowell,  E.  B.,  Office  Supplies. 

Miller,  W.   S.,  Prop.  Miller's  Pharmacy. 

Matthews  &  Drechsel  Shoes. 

McCormick,  O.,  Rug  Factory. 

MacDonald,  John,  Editor  and  Prop.  West- 
ern School  Journal. 

McCabe,  James  F.,  City  Engineer. 

Merriam  Mortgage  Co.,  Real  Estate  Mort- 
gages. 

Massey,  Arthur,  Horse  Shoer. 

Morehouse,  R.  H.,  Watch  Inspector,  Santa 
Fe. 

Morrison,  James  E.,  M.  D. 

Monroe  &  Schoch,  Attorneys  at  Law. 

Mills,  A.  M.,  Vice-Pres.  The  Mills  Dry 
Goods  Co. 

McKeever,  J.  R.,  Furniture,  Carpets,  etc. 

Maxwell,  William  A.,  Vinewood  Stone  Co. 

McManus,  John  F.,  Gas  Expert. 

Mullin,  A.  B.,  Meats. 

Morrison,  C.  H.,  Jeweler. 

Maxwell,  John,  Contractor. 

McCaslin,  C.  L.,  Contractor. 

Milligan,  William,  Loan  Agent. 

Mize,  L.  D.,  Barber. 

McKnaught,  J.  F.,  Transfer. 

Neil,  George,  Pres.  Topeka  Woolen  Mill 
Co. 

Norton,  Jon.  D.,  Sec,  and  Asst.  Treas.  Mt. 
Carmel   Coal   Co. 

Newland,  F.  M.,  Groceries  and  Meat  Mar- 
ket. 

Noble,  George  M.  &  Co.,  Fin.  Agents,  Real 
Estate  and  Ins. 

Neiswanger,  W.  A.,  Mgr.  Capital  Real  Es- 
tate Co. 

Newman,  A.,  County  Clerk. 

Nipps,  F.  E.,  Agent  Missouri  Pacific. 

O'Neil,  Edward  L.,  Bookkeeper. 

Ott,  S.  S.,  Real  Estate, 

Osborn,  W.  L.,  Mgr.  Topeka  Desiccating  Co. 

Poindexter,  E.  W.,  Gen.  Agt.  Northw. 
Mutual  Life  Ins.  Co. 


Philips  &  Chaney,  Real  Estate. 

Parkhurst-Davis  Mer.  Co.,  Wholesale  Gro- 
cers. 

Prescott,  F.  M.,  Real  Estate. 

Plass,  Dr.  Norman,  Pres.  Washburn  Col- 
lege. 

Penny,  George  B.,  Dean  Fine  Arts  Dept. 
Washburn  College. 

Plank,  M.  C,  Contractor. 

Penwell,  L.  M.,  Undertaker. 

Quail,  William  L.,   Stockman. 
Quinton  &  Quinton,  Lawyers. 

Roudebush,  Emmett  E.,  Real  Estate,  Loans 

and  Insurance. 
Redden,  A.  L.,  Lawyer. 
Robinson,    Marshall    &    Co.,    Clothing   and 

Fupiishings. 
Robinson,    A.    A.,    Pres.    Mexican    Central 

Railroad. 
Reinisch,  A.,  Superintendent  City  Parks. 
Rees,   B.   L.,    General   Agent    International 

Harvester  Co. 
Roehr,  W.  F.,  Music  Co.,  Pianos,  Organs, 

and  Musical  Instruments. 
Reynolds  &  Childers,  Props.  Topeka  Pan- 

tatorium. 
Ruff,  W.  H.,  Pension  Office. 
Roof,  C.  H..  Grocer. 
Rodman,  J.  E.,  Florist. 
Roediger   &     Son,     Dyeing    and     Cleaning 

Works. 
Radges,  Sam,   Publisher  "Topeka  City  Di- 
rectory." 
Rinner  &  Warren,  Tin  Shop. 
R,obinson,  F.  A.,  Manager  Fox  Typewriter 

Co. 

Sells,  Wm.,  Sells  &  Forepaugh  Shows. 
Sterne,   W.   E.,   County  Commissioner. 
Switzer,  John  F.,  Attorney. 
Strickler,  L.  H.,  Principal  Topeka  Business 

College. 
Schich,  William,  Mfr.  &  Jobber,  Mattress  & 

Iron  Beds,  Couches. 
Stephenson,  W.  C,  Real  Estate,  Loans,  and 

Fire  Insurance. 
Stansfield,  George  W.,  Druggist. 
Smith,  James  C,  Hides  and  Tallow. 
Shawnee  Building  &  Loan  Association. 
Standard  Oil  Company. 
Stewart,  Dr.  S.  G. 
Squires,  J.  H.,  City  Clerk. 


1 64 


HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 


Strauss  Agency,  Real  Estate,  etc. 

Sullivan,  James  D.,  Art  Store. 

Saxon,    Theodore,   Farmer. 

Steves,  F.  M.,  &  Sons,  Printers  and  Pub- 
lishers. 

Scrinopskie,  Albert,  Prop.  Fitwell  Shoe 
Company. 

Snyder,  C.  W.  &  Son,  Bankers. 

Scott,  C.  L.,  Cremerie  Restaurant. 

Stump,  Albert  D.,  Meat  Market. 

Sheard  &  Logan,  Western  Baseball  Asso- 
ciation. 

The  Southwestern  Fuel  Co.,  Coal. 

Thompson,  W.  A.  L.,  Wholesale  Hardware. 

The  Topeka  Trunk  Factory. 

Topeka  Laundry  Co. 

Topeka  Water  Co. 

Topeka  Railway  Co. 

The  Exchange  Grocery  Co. 

Trapp,  C.  T.,  Merchant  Tailor. 

The  Mills  Dry  Goods  Co. 

The  State  Savings  Bank. 

The  Ewart  Lumber  Co. 

The  A.  B.  Whiting  Paint  &  Glass  Co. 

Thomas,  J.,  Lumber  Co. 

Topeka  Milling  Co. 

Troutman  &  Stone,  Lawyers. 

Thurston  &  Van  Kirk,  Abstracters. 

Thurston,  J.  W.,  Cashier  Bank  of  Topeka. 

Trapp,  Charles  H.,  Printer. 

Topeka  Pure  Milk  Co. 

Thompson,  E.  W.,  Mgr.  National  Life  Ins. 

Co.,  Vermont. 
Taylor,  W.  L.,  Pres.  Taylor  Grain  Co. 
Topeka  Independent  Telephone  Co. 
The  People's  Ice  &  Fuel  Co. 
Taylor,  R.  E.,  Groceries  and  Meat  Market. 
Topeka  City  Troop. 
Topeka  Bridge  &  Iron  Mfg.  Co. 
Topeka  Transfer  Co. 
Taylor,  Dr.  W.  T. 

Van  Ostrand,  Byron  D.,  Gen'l  Agent,  Pru- 
dential Insurance  Co. 


Van  VIeck  &  Co.,  Wall  Paper. 

Van  Valkenburg,  M.  W.,  State  Agt.  Liver- 
pool, London  &  Globe. 

Van  Dorp,  Louis,  Cornice  and  Sheet  Metal 
Works. 

Valentine,  H.  E.,  Lawyer. 

i 
Wagner,  George,  Editor  Kansas  Democrat. 

Wilson,  A.  P.  Tone,  Jr.,  Real  Estate  and 
Lawyer. 

Wilson,  Anthony  P.,  Kansas  Collection 
Agency. 

Wilder,  E.,  Treasurer,  Santa  Fe. 

Wolff,  Chas.,  Packing  Co. 

Woolverton,  L.  S.,  Druggist. 

Wright,  John  M.,  Deputy  County  Treasurer. 

Warner  &  Potter,  Agric.  Implements,  Car- 
riages and  Wagons. 

White  Star  Laundry. 

Weber,  W.  F.,  Groceries. 

Wood,  C.  L.,  Prop.  National  Hotel. 

Waters,  John  C,  Lawyer. 

Webster-Tulloch  Coal  Co. 

Willis  Norton  &  Co.,  Inter-Ocean  Mills. 

Webb  &  Nichols,  Real  Estate,  Insurance 
and  Loans. 

Wood,  L.  M.,  Architect. 

Western  Woolen  Mill  Co. 

Wilson,  Richard,  Conductor,  Santa  Fe. 

Whitcomb,  Geo.  H.,  Lawyer. 

Wood,  J.  G.,  Receiver  U.  S.  Land  Office. 

Wear,  Norman  S.,  Wear  Coal  Co. 

Walker,  Fred  T.,  Drugs  and  Photo  Sup- 
plies. 

Wilson,  Carey  J.,  Insurance. 

Ware,  E.  F.,  Lawyer. 

Williams,  A.  F.,  Lawyer. 

Young,  Clarence,  Drugs. 

Zercher  Book  &  Stationery  Co. 
Zanditon  Company,  Men's  and  Women's 

Clothing. 
Zahner,  A,,  Mortgage  Loans. 
Zeis,  Burg  E.,  Retired  Merchant. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

The  Decade  from  1880  to  1890 — Results  of  the  Boom — Territory  Added  to 
the  City — Population  for  Fifty  Years — Immigration  from  the  South — 
Prohibitory  Liquor  Laws  and  Their  Enforcement — Early  Work  in  Be- 
half of  Temperance — Activity  of  Women  in  Civic  Affairs. 

From  1880  to  1890  was  another  very  prosperous  decade  in  the  history 
of  Topeka.  During  that  period  an  era  of  unexampled  activity  in  real  estate 
transactions  and  all  branches  of  business  set  in,  culminating  in  the  great 
boom  of  1886-88.  The  boom  proved  to  be  a  splendid  thing  for  Topeka,  but 
a  very  unfortunate  one  for  the  private  fortunes  of  most  of  her  citizens. 
Property  values  soared  far  beyond  reasonable  bounds,  and  the  collapse  of  it 
all  at  the  end  not  only  caused  the  failure  of  many  enterprising  firms  and  indi- 
viduals but  gave  the  city  a  temporary  setback  from  which  it  was  slow  in 
recovering.  In  the  year  1886  there  were  23  new  additions  platted  and  thrown 
upon  the  market,  some  of  them  two  miles  distant  from  the  former  extreme 
limits  of  the  city.  The  real  estate  transfers  averaged  $30,000  a  day,  or 
$600,000  a  month,  and  were  more  than  those  of  any  other  Western  city.  The 
bank  clearings  averaged  more  than  $1,000,000  a  month.  This  period  of 
advancement  continued  through  the  years  1887  and  1888,  with  a  steady 
increase.  In  the  year  1888  it  is  estimated  that  3,000  new  buildings  were 
erected,  at  a  total  cost  of  $3,000,000.  One  firm,  Bartholomew  &  Norton, 
built  315  residences  in  the  several  additions  which  they  laid  out.  Forty-five 
blocks  of  street  pavement,  equivalent  to  four  miles,  were  laid  in  that  year, 
at  an  expense  of  $375,000.  Twelve  miles  of  sewers  and  five  miles  of  brick 
sidewalks  were  laid,  a  $35,000  viaduct  built,  and  an  electric  light  plant  in- 
stalled, the  total  expenditure  for  public  improvements  being  $598,000.  The 
bank  clearings  for  the  year  reached  the  high  figure  of  $17,000,000  and  the 
real  estate  transfers  aggregated  $7,879,569. 

Some  of  the  prominent  buildings  erected  in  that  year  were :  The  Joseph 
Black  building  (Oxford  Hotel),  electric  power  station.  Hotel  Throop,  Para- 
more  Block  (North  Topeka),  Crawford's  Flats,  Clugston's  residence  block, 
George  H.  Evans'  residence  block.  Sells  Building,  Chesterfield  Hotel,  Edison 


i66  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

electric  light  plant,  Crawford  office  block,  Columbian  Building,  Episcopal 
Guild  Hall,  First  Presbyterian  Manse,  Hammatt  Building,  Thompson  Block, 
Thatcher  Building,  and  the  private  residences  of  Joseph  C.  Wilson,  M.  Snat- 
tinger,  David  L.  Lakin,  John  Brier,  J.  W.  Davis  and  John  E.  Frost.  The 
cotton  mill  and  the  sugar  works  were  also  Topeka  enterprises  of  1888,  and 
the  Martin's  Hill  investment  by  Boston  capitalists  was  made  in  the  same  year. 

I 

A     GROWING     CITY. 

The  number  of  city  additions  platted  in  that  year  was  69,  most  of  which 
were  rapidly  settled.  It  was  in  that  year  that  the  greater  part  of  the  lots 
in  Potwin  Place  and  Oakland  were  disposed  of.  Potwin  Place  was  bought  in 
1869  by  Charles  W.  Potwin,  of  Zanesville,  Ohio,  for  $14,400.  It  comprised 
a  tract  of  70  acres  northwest  from  the  central  part  of  Topeka.  He  platted  it 
into  80  lots,  each  122  feet  front  by  205  feet  deep,  laid  out  beautiful  drives 
with  circular  parks,  and  planted  a  large  number  of  shade  trees.  In  selling 
lots  he  made  a  condition  that  no  residence  should  be  built  costing  less  than 
$2,000.  Most  of  the  lots  were  disposed  of  in  1888,  and  most  of  the  resi- 
dences cost  much  more  than  the  stipulated  figure.  It  is  estimated  that  Mr. 
Potwin  made  $140,000  profit  on  his  investment.  There  are  probably  600 
persons  living  in  Potwin  Place  at  this  time,  and  it  is  a  most  attractive  and 
desirable  suburb. 

Oakland  is  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  city,  in  the  railroad  shop 
district,  and  contains  a  population  of  500,  a  majority  of  them  owning  their 
own  houses,  ranging  in  cost  from  $1,500  to  $5,000.  Oakland  now  has  a 
separate  municipal  organization,  having  been  incorporated  as  a  city  of  the 
third  class  in  1903.  The  present  city  officers  are:  Mayor,  F.  A.  Brigham; 
treasurer,  F.  E.  Jordan;  clerk,  B.  W.  Steinhour;  police  judge,  B.  P.  Wil- 
liams; marshal,  Egbert  B.  Wilson;  street  commissioner,  C.  G.  Sherer; 
assistant  marshal,  A.  W.  Sherer;  councilmen, — G.  H.  Ensign,  Charles  M. 
Stockham,  A.  J.  VanSant,  Oscar  W.  Neil  and  N.  E.  Copeland. 

Other  additions  which  were  active  in  the  year  1887-88  were:  Lowman 
Hill,  Highland  Park,  Quinton  Heights,  Euclid  Park,  Ladies'  Addition, 
Veal's  Addition,  Orchard  Hill,  College  Hill,  Martin  &  Dennis'  Addition, 
West  Side,  Washburn  Place,  Cottage  Grove,  Auburndale,  Knox'  Addition, 
Fair  View,  Wilder's  Addition,  Boston  Heights,  Seabrook,  Brooklyn  Heights, 
Steele's  Addition,  Franklin  Park,  Orchard  Highlands,  Bel!  View,  Crystal 
Springs,  Deer  Park,  Brentwood,  Kaw  Reserve,  East  Hill,  South  Park  and 
Chicago  Heights — the  last  named  "heights"  being  a  flat  piece  of  raw 
prairie,  nine  miles  out.     Some  of  these  additions  eventually  came  into  neigh- 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  167 

borly  affinity  with  the  city  of  Topeka,  but  many  of  them  lapsed  with  alacrity 
into  aromatic  clover  beds  and  fields  of  forgiving  daisies. 

POPULATION      BY     YEARS. 

Following  the  experience  of  boom  days,  Topeka  settled  down  to  legiti- 
mate business,  and  there  has  been  no  reverse  or  cessation  of  growth  in  any 
of  the  succeeding  years.  The  population  of  the  city  is  shown  in  the  following 
statement  covering  a  period  of  50  years : 

1855  408  1880  15.528 

1856  432  1881  16,240 

1857  507  1882  21,562 

1858  512  1883  22,425 

1859  700  1884  22,693 

i860  759  1885  23,499 

1861   600        1886  25,005 

1862  -. 670        1887  29,973 

1863    86s         1888  34,199 

1864   990         1889  35,622 

1865   1,310         1890  31,809 

1866   2,020         1891   33,247 

1867   2,810         1892   33,685 

1868   ; 3,120         1893   31,422 

1869  3,465  1894  30,724 

1870  5,790  1895  30,151 

1871  7,355  1896  31,612 

1872  9,220  1897  31,842 

1873  8,770  1898  32,651 

1874  6,865  1899  35,365 

1875  7,272  1900  36,782 

1876  7,863  1901  38,067 

1877  8,496  1902  38,809 

1878  9,003  1903  38,952 

1879  1 1,204  1904  39,149 

The  effect  of  the  unhealthy  boom  to  which  reference  has  been  made  is 
shown  in  the  loss  of  population  in  the  year  1890.  A  partial  recovery  of  this 
loss  was  made  in  the  two  succeeding  years,  when  the  depression  of  1893  set 
in,  and  during  the  ensuing  three  years  there  was  another  slump  in  population. 
One  of  the  principal  causes  of  the  decrease  in  the  years  1893,  1894  and  1895 
was  the  removal  of  several  hundred  of  the  citizens  of  Topeka  to  the  new 
Territory  of  Oklahoma,  then  being  thrown  open  to  settlement.  This  new  field 
was  especially  attractive  to  the  colored  people,  who  at  that  time  constituted 
a  large  factor  in  the  population  of  Topeka.    In  the  year  1880  it  was  estimated 


i68  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

that  one-third  of  the  population  of  the  city  was  of  the  colored  race,  a  propor- 
tion much  larger  than  obtained  in  most  of  the  leading  cities  of  the  South. 

THE   EXODUS. 

In  explanation  of  this  fact,  it  should  be  stated  that  for  many  years 
various  inducements  had  been  held  out  to  the  negro  of  the  South  to  find 
homes  in  Kansas.  Conventions  were  held  in  different  sections  of  the  South 
in  1878  and  1879,  at  which  the  proposition  of  removal  to  the  North  and  West 
was  earnestly  considered  by  the  blacks.  The  result  was  a  general  hegira  to 
Kansas.  It  started  in  April,  1879,  and  by  August  ist  fully  7,000  refugees 
had  arrived  in  this  State,  many  of  them  stopping  at  Topeka.  It  became 
necessary  to  establish  barracks  in  North  Topeka  for  the  purpose  of  sheltering 
and  caring  for  the  refugees.  To  meet  this  condition  the  Kansas  Freedmen's 
Relief  Association  was  formed,  composed  of  Governor  John  P.  St.  John, 
president;  John  Francis,  P.  I.  Bonebrake,  Albert  H.  Horton,  Cassius  G. 
Foster,  James  Smith,  J.  C.  Hebbard,  Willard  Davis,  Noah  C.  McFarland, 
Thomas  W.  Henderson  and  A.  B.  Jetmore.  Under  the  direction  of  this 
organization,  colonies  were  located  in  Wabaunsee,  Graham,  Morris  and 
Hodgeman  counties,  but  at  least  3,000  of  the  refugees  remained  in  Topeka. 

The  exodus  movement  continued  through  the  years  1879  ^^'^  1880, 
adding  at  least  40,000  men,  women  and  children  to  the  population  of  Kansas. 
During  the  first  year  of  their  residence  the  sum  of  $150,000  was  contributed 
from  different  parts  of  the  country  for  their  support.  The  refugees  came  from 
Mississippi,  Texas,  Tennessee,  Louisiana,  Georgia  and  Alabama.  Those  who 
settled  in  Topeka  were  principally  from  Mississippi  and  Tennessee.  Additional 
school  buildings  were  constructed  for  the  accommodation  of  the  children, 
and  night  schools  were  established  for  the  benefit  of  the  adults.  Most  of 
them  were  field  hands,  but  they  adapted  themselves  to  their  new  condition  and 
found  employment  as  mechanics,  laborers,  teamsters,  and  in  various  other 
branches  of  industry.  A  settlement  was  built  up  in  the  western  part  of  the 
city  called  "Tennesseetown,"  where  many  of  them  continue  to  reside,  although 
a  considerable  number  emigrated  to  Oklahoma  at  the  time  of  the  opening. 

PROHIBITION. 

It  is  not  an  extravagant  claim  to  make  that  there  are  young  men  in 
Topeka  of  voting  age  who  can  truthfully  declare  that  they  have  never  seen  a 
saloon  sign,  a  public  bar  or  any  other  evidence  of  a  place  where  intoxicating 
liquor  is  sold.  There  is  not  at  this  time,  nor  has  there  been  since  1885,  a 
single  open  saloon  in  the  city  of  Topeka.     The  amendment  to  the  State  con- 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  171 

stitution  prohibiting  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  liquor  was  submitted  by  the 
Legislature  of  1879  to  a  vote  of  the  people,  which  was  had  at  the  general 
election  of  1880.  It  was  adopted  by  a  majority  of  8,998,  the  vote  for  the 
amendment  being  93,302,  and  against,  84,304.  The  amendment,  as  adopted, 
was  written  by  a  citizen  of  Topeka,  Noah  C.  McFarland,  at  the  request  of  a 
mass  meeting  of  temperance  workers  held  on  February  7,  1879,  in  Topeka. 
Upon  the  adoption  of  the  amendment,  the  Legislature  of  1881  enacted  a  law 
making  it  effective  May  i,  1881.  There  was  considerable  difficulty  in  enforc- 
ing the  constitutional  provision  at  first,  and  succeeding  Legislatures  enacted 
several  laws  to  carry  it  into  effect,  notably  the  Murray  drug-store  law,  the 
metropolitan  police  law  and  the  Hurrell  search  and  seizure  law.  The  mietro- 
politan  police  law  was  subsequently  repealed.  It  is  undeniable  that  there  have 
been  many  infractions  of  the  law  throughout  the  State,  and  in  some  localities 
it  is  totally  ignored,  but  in  Topeka  it  has  been  as  well  enforced  as  most  other 
statutes  of  restraint.  It  was  not  until  1885  that  its  strict  enforcement  was 
accomplished  in  Topeka.  At  the  beginning  of  that  year  there  were  probably 
100  saloons  in  the  city.  All  were  closed  within  60  days,  and  since  that  time 
no  open  saloons  have  existed.  The  question  of  prohibition  has  been  a  source 
of  endless  contention  and  litigation,  both  in  the  city  and  the  State,  and  Several 
attempts  have  been  made  to  have  the  amendment  submitted,  so  that  the  people 
might  have  an  opportunity  to  express  themselves  as  to  its  wisdom,  but  all 
such  efforts  have  thus  far  proved  futile. 

EARLY     TEMPERANCE      WORK. 

Topeka  was  the  foe  of  liquor  from  the  very  beginning.  A  majority  of 
its  founders  were  strong  advocates  of  temperance.  When  the  Topeka  Town 
Association  adopted  its  first  code  of  by-laws,  March  12,  1855,  the  following 
provision  was  incorporated  therein: 

"No  member  of  this  association  shall  be  permitted  to  buy,  sell  or  give 
away,  where  profit  accrues,  any  intoxicating  liquors  of  whatever  kind,  nor 
permit  them  to  be  bought,  sold  or  given  away,  where  profit  accrues,  upon  his 
premises ;  and  the  full  force  of  this  article  shall  attach  in  all  its  particulars  to 
the  entire  shares  which  any  member  may  sell,  exchange,  transfer,  give  away 
or  make  over  by  any  process,  to  any  other  person  whatever,  and  shall  be  so 
mentioned  in  any  article  or  deed  of  sale  which  may  hereafter  be  made  in 
the  exchange  of  city  shares  or  parts  of  shares ;  and  further,  the  full  force  of 
this  article  shall  attach  in  all  its  particulars  to  the  city  lots  to  be  donated  to 
actual  settlers,  and  also  to  any  interest  now  held  by  the  Emigrant  Aid  Company 
in  this  city  property:  Provided,  That  nothing  in  this  article  shall  be  con- 
strued to  prevent  the  sale  and  use  of  such  liquors  for  medical,  mechanical  or 


172  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

sacramental  purposes,  under  penalty  of  the  forfeiture  of  the  premises  on 
which  such  sale,  use  or  gift  of  liquors  may  be  made,  to  the  Topeka  Associa- 
tion." 

In  violation  of  this  agreement,  and  in  defiance  of  the  well-known  senti- 
ment of  the  little  community,  a  saloon  was  opened  on  lower  Kansas  avenue 
in  the  spring  of  1857,  with  all  the  necessary  goods  and  appurtenances  and 
sales  were  made  for  several  days  to  Indians  and  whites  without  interruption. 
Finally,  a  mass  meeting  was  called,  presided  over  by  Dr.  S.  E.  Martin,  at 
which  resolutions  of  protest  were  passed,  and  a  committee  appointed  to  wait 
upon  the  offender  and  request  him  to  discontinue  the  dramshop.  The  resolu- 
tions failed  to  produce  the  desired  result  and  more  rigorous  measures  were 
resorted  to.  The  committee  seized  the  barrels  and  kegs  of  liquors  and  rolled 
them  out  into  the  street,  where  they  were  destroyed.  Not  satisfied  with  this, 
the  committee  and  their  abettors  visited  other  places  in  the  town  where  it  was 
suspected  that  liquor  was  kept  for  sale,  and  a  wholesale  destruction  of  the 
inhibited  article  ensued.  Liquors  to  the  amount  of  $1,500  in  value  were 
disposed  of  in  this  way.  The  local  paper,  the  Kansas  Trihiine,  in  commenting 
upon  the  affair,  said :  "The  liquor  spilling  was  participated  in  by  a  large 
number  of  our  most  prominent  and  highly  respected  citizens,  and,  what  is 
equally  important,  with  the  entire  approval  of  the  ladies." 

The  above  incident  transpired  July  11,  1857.  On  the  occasion  of  the 
first  picnic  in  Topeka,  held  May  17,  1855, -when  a  number  of  toasts  were  given 
and  responded  to,  this  one  is  recorded :  "The  Maine  Law — May  it  be  to 
Topeka  what  the  main  pillar  is  to  the  Temple  of  Liberty;  having  its  founda- 
tion in  the  hearts  of  the  people ;  may  the  superstructure  be  such  as  shall  with- 
stand the  shafts  of  adversity  untilits  topmost  stone  shall  be  laid  in  triumph, 
crying  grace!  grace!  unto  it!"  Harking  back  to  1855  and  1857,  it  is  easy  to 
discover  the  source  from  which  Topeka  inherited  its  intense  prohibitory 
proclivities  and  its  zeal  for  "smashing". 

Regular  organizations  are  now  maintained  for  the  enforcement  of  the 
prohibitory  liquor  law,  and  to  bring  the  offenders  to  punishment.  Foremost 
•in  this  movement  is  the  Kansas  State  Temperance  Union,  which  has  its  head- 
quarters in  Topeka,  and  employs  lecturers  to  stimulafe  the  moral  sentiment, 
and  attorneys  to  conduct  the  militant  campaign.  The  officers  of  this  organiza- 
tion are :  President,  E.  B.  Cowgill ;  vice-president,  A.  C.  Pearce ;  secretary. 
Rev.  W    L.  Dexter;  treasurer,  William  Macferran. 

HELP     OF     THE     WOMEN. 

The  women  of  Topeka  play  an  important  part  in  supporting  prohibition 
and  advancing  the  cause  of  temperance.     They  have  the  privilege  of  voting 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  173 

at  municipal  and  school  elections,  and  in  most  instances  take  an  active  interest 
in  the  campaigns  for  municipal  officers,  their  influence  often  controlling  the 
result.  The  women  have  always  been  a  power  in  the  governmental  affairs 
of  Topeka,  and  many  of  the  local  reforms  and  public  improvements  are  due 
to  their  efforts.  The  beautifying  and  decorating  of  school  rooms,  the  in- 
auguration of  manual  training,  the  preservation  of  historic  landmarks,  the 
promotion  of  the  musical  and  artistic  interests  of  the  city,  the  establishing  of 
traveling  libraries  and  traveling  art  displays,  and  many  kindred  movements 
for  civic  betterment,  are  due  to  the  wisdom  and  perseverance  of  the  women 
of  Topeka. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Public  Institutions  and  Buildings,  Federal,  State  and  Municipal — Post  Office 
Locations  and  Postmasters — City  Hall  and  Auditorium — Free  Public 
Library — Charitable  Associations  and  Hospitals — Halls  and  Opera 
Houses — Prominent  Hotels  and  Their  History — Political  and  Social 
Incidents — The  Topeka  Cemeteries. 

Of  the  public  buildings  of  Topeka,  the  State  Capitol  is  the  most  extensive 
and  conspicuous.  The  location  is  central,  the  grounds  spacious  and  taste- 
fully adorned  with  trees,  shrubbery  and  flower  gardens,  through  which  are 
wide  and  well-kept  drives  and  walks.  The  lofty  and  graceful  dome  of  the 
building,  rising  above  all  other  spires  and  eminences  within  its  radius,  can  be 
seen  for  many  miles  in  either  direction  from  the  city,  and  forms  an  object 
from  which  local  distances  and  directions  are  measured. 

HOSPITAL      FOR      THE      INSANE. 

Two  miles  from  the  city,  near  the  Kansas  River,  are  the  buildings  of  the 
Kansas  Hospital  for  the  Insane.  This  institution  was  located  here  in  1877, 
and  the  first  of  the  buildings  erected  in  1878,  the  citizens  of  Topeka  and 
Shawnee  County  donating  the  site  of  80  acres,  to  which  the  State  subse- 
quently added  other  tracts  by  direct  purchase.  The  hospital  was  opened  to 
patients  in  1879,  under  the  superintendency  of  Dr.  D.  B.  Eastman.  Since 
that  time  the  State  has  expended  more  than  $800,000  in  the  erection  of  build- 
ings and  the  purchase  of  additional  land.  The  site  now  covers  360  acres, 
comprising  farm  divisions,  pastures,  orchards  and  one  of  the  finest  lawns  in 
the  State.  More  than  1,000  patients  are  accommodated  in  the  group  of  brick 
and  stone  buildings,  where  every  attention  and  comfort  are  provided.  The 
general  management  is  in  the  hands  of  the  State  Board  of  Control,  appointed 
by  the  Governor.  Dr.  T.  C.  Biddle  is  the  present  superintendent,  and  has 
been  unusually  successful  in  managing  the  institution  and  maintaining  its  high 
standard  of  efficiency. 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  175 

REFORM      SCHOOL. 

The  State  Industrial  School  for  Boys  is  located  about  three  miles  north 
from  the  Capitol,  on  a  tract  of  160  acres,  purchased  for  that  purpose  by  the 
city  of  Topeka  and  the  county  of  Shawnee,  and  donated  to  the  State.  Build- 
ings were  erected  in  1880  and  1884,  the  first  at  a  cost  of  $35,000  and  the 
last  at  a  cost  of  $43,000.  The  school  was  opened  in  1881,  with  accommoda- 
tions for  100  boys.  Additional  buildings  have  increased  the  capacity  of  the 
institution  to  350,  the  total  expenditures  being  about  $200,000.  Since  the 
school  was  established  more  than  2,000  boys  have  had  the  benefit  of  its  train- 
ing and  discipline.     H.  W.  Charles  is  the  present  superintendent. 

THE     FEDERAL     BUILDING. 

The  United  States  Custom  House  and  Post  Office  was  commenced  under 
a  contract  awarded  in  January,  1879,  for  basement  and  area  walls,  and  was 
completed  and  occupied  March  i,  1884,  the  cost  of  the  construction  being 
$286,058.24.  The  first  purchase  of  land  on  account  of  this  building  was  made 
in  September,  1878,  when  100  feet  of  ground  fronting  on  Kansas  avenue  at 
the  northeast  corner  of  Fifth  avenue  was  secured  for  $20,000,  one-half  of 
which  was  contributed  by  the  citizens  of  Topeka.  The  first  appropriation  for 
structural  work  was  obtained  by  Congressman  Thomas  Ryan.  Additional 
land  on  the  north  was  purchased  in  1897  by  the  government  for  $25,000. 
Under  act  of  Congress,  passed  in  March,  1899,  through  the  influence  of  Con- 
gressman Charles  Curtis,  an  enlargement  of  the  building  was  provided  for 
at  an  expenditure  of  $85,000.  At  the  same  session  of  Congress  another  act 
was  passed  making  a  further  provision  for  enlargement  at  a  cost  of 
$71,394.73.  The  entire  cost  of  building,  grounds,  furnishings,  elevator, 
tower  clock  and  repairs  has  been  about  $550,000.  White  stone  was  used  in 
the  construction,  and  the  building  is  one  of  the  best  in  Kansas.  It  accom- 
modates the  Post  Office,  Pension  Office,  the  United  States  Circuit  and  Dis- 
trict courts,  the  United  States  Land  Office  and  other  Federal  offices. 

Postmasters. — Thomas  J.  Anderson  was  the  first  postmaster  to  occupy 
the  new  building.  Previous  to  that  the  office  had  been  located  in  store  build- 
ings in  various  parts  of  the  city.  In  1855  it  was  on  Quincy  street  near 
Second,  and  later  on  the  southeast  corner  of  Kansas  and  Fifth  avenues, 
directly  across  the  street  from  its  final  location;  in  1858  it  was  on  the  south- 
east corner  of  Kansas  and  Sixth  avenues;  in  1861-69  it  occupied  quarters  at 
Nos.  147,  131  and  194  Kansas  avenue,  respectively,  and  at  No.  104  East 
Sixth  avenue — where  it  was  burned  out;  in  1870  it  was  at  No.  129  Kansas 
avenue,  and  again,  in  1871,  at  No.   104  East  Sixth  avenue;  in  1873  it  was 


176  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

moved  to  the  Crawford  Opera  House  Block,  in  1878  to  No.  117  East  Fifth 
avenue,  and  in  1880  to  No.  136  Kansas  avenue.  The  postmasters  of  Topeka 
and  their  terms  of  service  are  shown  in  tlie  following  list :  Fry  W.  Giles, 
1855-57;  E.  C.  K.  Garvey,  1857-58;  Charles  C.  Kellam,  1858-61;  Samuel 
Fletcher,  1861-69;  Hiram  W.  Earns  worth,  1869-73;  Henry  King,  1873-81; 
Thomas  J.  Anderson,  1881-85;  John  Mileham,  1885-89;  James  L.  King, 
1889-93;  Frank  S.  Thomas,  1893;  Andrew  J.  Arnold,  1893-97;  John 
Guthrie,  1897-05. 

CITY     HALL     AND     AUDITORIUM. 

A  building  in  which  the  citizens  of  Topeka  take  great  pride  is  the  new 
City  Hall  and  Auditorium,  built  in  1900  at  a  cost  of  $102,000.  It  is  located 
on  Quincy  street,  occupying  a  frontage  of  300  feet  between  Seventh  and 
Eighth  streets.  The  City  Hall  and  Fire  Department  are  on  the  Seventh  street 
corner,  and  the  Auditorium  connects  on  the  south.  In  the  Auditorium  are 
held  all  the  conventions  that  select  Topeka  as  their  meeting  place,  as  well  as 
all  of  the  large  local  gatherings,  lectures  and  concerts.  For  many  years  the 
city  officers  occupied  leased  quarters,  generally  the  second  floor  of  a  store 
building,  but  in  1878  a  City  Hall  was  erected  at  the  southwest  corner  of 
Kansas  avenue  and  Seventh  street,  and  the  city  became  a  landlord  instead  of 
a  lessee,  as  the  City  Hall  project  included  two  business  rooms  on  the  first 
floor,  which  were  readily  rented  at  $1,000  each  per  annum.  The  total  cost 
of  the  building  and  site  was  $38,000,  and  it  was  subsequently  disposed  of  to 
the  Knights  and  Ladies  of  Security  for  $40,000.  The  basement  of  the  build- 
ing was  fitted  up  as  a  city  prison,  but  this  plan  was  abandoned  after  three 
years  trial  and  a  new  prison  built  at  the  northeast  corner  of  Fifth  and  Jackson 
streets. 

CITY     LIBRARY. 

In  1 88 1  the  Union  Pacific  and  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  railroad 
companies  joined  in  providing  funds  for  the  construction  of  the  Topeka  Free 
Public  Library  Building,  stipulating  that  the  location  should  be  upon  the 
block  of  ground  known  as  Capitol  Square.  Permission  was  obtained  from 
the  Legislature  to  locate  the  library  upon  the  State  grounds,  using  a  space  200 
feet  square  in  the  northeast  corner  of  the  square.  The  two  railroad  com- 
panies contributed  $12,500  each  for  the  library,  which  was  built  in  1882,  the 
total  cost  being  $44,000,  the  excess  above  $25,000  being  loaned  to  the 
Library  Association  by  prominent  citizens  who  were  friendly  to  the  enter- 
prise. Direct  contributions,  in  various  sums  and  for  various  purposes,  have 
been  made  by  James  D.  Burr,   C.  W.   Potwin  and  John  R.   Mulvane,   of 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  179 

Topeka;  C.  C.  Wheeler  of  Chicago,  the  late  Barney  Lantry  of  Cottonwood 
and  others.  The  negotiations  for  the  railroad  donation  were  conducted  by 
Edward  Wilder,  who  has  been  president  of  the  association  since  1875.  Mr. 
Wilder  has  also  been  a  generous  contributor  to  the  artistic  collections  of  the 
library,  and  has  given  time,  money,  labor,  ability,  patience  and  zeal  to  the 
upbuilding  of  all  its  departments. 

Founders  of  the  Library. — Topeka's  Free  Public  Library  was  founded 
by  the  Ladies'  Library  Association,  which  was  organized  November  12,  1878, 
with  the  following  members :  Mesdames  Daniel  M.  Adams,  Floyd  P.  Baker, 
W.  S.  Baker,  Marcus  Bosworth,  E.  B.  Clarkson,  Clara  M.  Crane,  William 
Carpenter,  George  W.  Crane,  E.  Chrisman,  James  Douglas,  W.  P.  Douthitt, 
Esther  F.  Ekin,  Hiram  W.  Farnsworth,  John  W.  Farnsworth,  George 
Geiger,  Fry  W.  Giles,  A.  J.  Huntoon,  Benjamin  Haywood,  L.  M.  Higgins, 
C.  H;  Hayes,  Joel  Huntoon,  Thomas  L.  King,  Maria  L.  King,  Ella  King, 
Charles  C.  Kellam,  S.  S.  Lawrence,  F.  A.  Lighter,  T.  F.  Leidigh,  Thomas 
B.  Mills,  L.  H.  Merrill,,  S.  D.  MacDonald,  Noah  C.  Mcparland,  Francis  S. 
McCabe,  H.  C.  Price,  C.  Reed,  L.  A.  Rudisill,  W.  S.  Rankin,  H.  A.  Rain, 
Thomas  Ryan,  Irene  A.  Safford,  Emma  Swallow,  James  M.  Spencer,  Ann 
Eliza  Sheldon,  M.  V.  Snyder,  O.  P.  Smith,  Mary  C.  Todd,  J.  B.  Thompson, 
E.  W.  Tweeddale,  Shipman  Thompson,  E.  O.  Taylor,  James  Veale,  Edward 
Wilder,  M.  E.  Whitton,  George  Work,  W.  E.  Webb,  A.  P.  Wilder,  S. 
Walley,  Margaret  Walker,  M.  A.  Winchip,  Orrin  T.  Welch,  and  Misses 
Anna  Ekin,  Mary  Johnson,  Jennie  Kimber,  Sarah  Webb,  Sara  Petit,  Sarah 
G.  Wright,  Nancy  Smith,  Harriet  J.  Wetmore  and  Fannie  Woodard. 

The  library  now  contains  20,000  volumes,  with  a  circulation  of  80,000 
books  a  year.  Mrs.  Evelyn  S.  Lewis  is  librarian.  The  board  of  directors  is 
composed  of  John  R.  Mulvane,  J.  L.  Shellabarger,  J.  P.  Davis,  C.  F.  Men- 
ninger,  Eugene  F.  Ware,  Charles  S.  Gleed,  N.  F.  Handy,  Harold  T.  Chase, 
M.  A.  Low,  T.  F.  Garver,  E.  B.  Merriam,  Charles  J.  Devlin  and  Edvvard 
Wilder.  The  law  under  which  the  library  was  located  provides  that  the 
Governor  of  the  State,  the  Chief  Justice,  the  Speaker  of  the  House  and  the 
mayor  of  the  city  shall  be  ex  officio  directors. 

PROVIDENT     ASSOCIATION. 

The  Topeka  Provident  Association,  the  leading  charitable  organization 
of  the  city,  recently  came  into  possession  of  a  permanent  home  through  the 
generosity  of  Norris  L.  Gage,  of  Ashtabula,  Ohio,  who  purchased  and  deeded 
to  the  association  a  two-story  brick  block  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Fourth 
and  Jackson  streets.  Mr.  Gage's  contribution  was  $6,000  and  an  additional 
;$i,ooo  has  been  spent  in  improvements.     The  building  contains  an  ample 


i8o  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

number  of  rooms  to  accommodate  the  many  different  departments  of  the 
association.  The  Provident  organization  has  charge  of  the  systematic 
charitable  work  of  Topeka.  The  departments  include  general  relief,  medical 
aid,  employment,  the  boys'  club,  the  girls'  sewing  club,  mothers'  club,  nursery 
and  kindergarten.  Officers  of  the  institution  are:  J.  E.  Nissley,  president; 
Thomas  Page,  vice-president;  Rev.  O.  S.  Morrow,  secretary;  William  Mac- 
ferran,  treasurer;  Dr.  C.  B.  Van  Horn,  general  secretary  and  physician  in 
charge. 

orphans'    home. 

The  Topeka  Orphans'  Home,  an  organization  chartered  in  1889,  owns 
a  substantial  building  at  the  northeast  corner  of  Third  and  Fillmore  streets. 
Beneficiaries  of  the  home  are  orphans  and  friendless  and  destitute  children. 
It  has  cared  for  1,500  children,  an  average  of  100  a  year,  since  its  organiza- 
tion. It  is  supported  by  the  city  and  county,  and  receives  a  small  annual 
appropriation  from  the  State.  The  value  of  the  property  is  $7,000.  Mrs. 
J.  F.  Daniels  is  president ;  Mrs.  M.  J.  Hunter  and  Mrs.  C.  E.  Hawley,  vice- 
presidents;  Mrs.  L.  S.  Wolverton,  recording  secretary;  Mrs.  M.  E.  Stewart, 
corresponding  secretary;  Mrs.  William  H.  Davis,  treasurer;  and  Dr.  C. 
Hammond,  house  physician. 

HOME    FOR    AGED    WOMEN. 

Ingleside,  a  home  for  aged  women,  is  located  at  the  corner  of  Huntoon 
and  Tyler  streets.  It  was  established  in  1886,  and  a  building  erected  through 
the  efforts  of  the  public-spirited  women  of  Topeka.  In  the  year  1902  an  addi- 
tional building  was  constructed,  the  expense  of  which  was  borne  by  Jonathan 
Thomas.  The  buildings  are  of  great  architectural  beauty,  and  the  interior 
appointments  of  the  most  cheerful  and  convenient  character.  Many  of  the 
venerable  women  who  make  Ingleside  their  home  are  contributors  to  its 
support,  and  others  are  cared  for  from  the  revenues  of  the  association,  to 
which  the  citizens  of  Topeka  are  liberal  subscribers.  The  officers  of  the  asso- 
ciation are:  Mrs.  Jonathan  Thomas,  president;  Mrs.  Joab  Mulvane,  ist  vice- 
president;  Mrs.  M.  A.  Low,  2nd  vice-president;  Mrs.  M.  C.  Hammatt, 
secretary;  Mrs.  George  F.  Penfield,  treasurer;  Mrs.  Margaret  Dowding, 
matron. 

HOSPITALS. 

There  are  six  hospitals  in  the  city,  having  a  total  capacity  of  500.  The 
largest  is  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railway  Hospital,  Sixth  avenue 
and   Jefferson   street,    occupying    10   acres   of   ground.     The   building   cost 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  i8i 

$125,000,  and  is  in  charge  of  Dr.  J.  P.  Raster,  chief  surgeon.  It  was  built  for 
the  special  care  of  employees  of  the  railroad  company,  and  accommodates  100 
patients. 

Christ's  Hospital  occupies  a  tract  of  14  acres  of  ground  in  the  western 
part  of  the  city,  and  was  founded  by  the  late  Bishop  Thomas  H.  Vail,  of  the 
Kansas  Diocese  of  the  Protetstant  Episcopal  Church,  in  1882,  although  the 
charter  provides  that  the  hospital  shall  be  in  no  sense  sectarian.  Buildings 
were  erected  in  1883  and  1884,  at  a  cost  of  $25,000,  of  which  Bishop  Vail 
contributed  $7,000,  and  Mrs.  Ellen  S.  Bowman  Vail,  $5,000.  Bishop  and 
Mrs.  Vail  obtained  the  additional  $13,000  from  friends  living  in  Topeka  and 
elsewhere.  Through  their  instrumentality,  and  the  help  of  the  church,  an 
endowmait  fund  of  $25,000  was  also  provided.  Through  donations  from 
other  sources  the  hospital  was  subsequently  enlarged,  and  now  accommodates 
100  patients.  Bishop  Frank  R.  Millspaugh  is  the  president  of  the  hospital; 
Rev.  James  P.  de  Beavers  Kaye,  vice-president,  and  J.  G.  Slonecker,  Jona- 
than Thomas,  Charles  S.  Gleed  and  August  Zahner,  directors. 

In  the  year  1895  Mrs.  Jane  C.  Stormont  made  a  contribution  for  the 
founding  of  The  Jane  C.  Stormont  Hospital  and  a  fine  brick  building  was  con- 
structed at  No.  332  Greenwood  avenue,  Potwin  Place.  It  is  managed  by  a 
board  of  trustees  and  a  staff  of  physicians:  Jonathan  Thomas,  president;  Dr. 
Lewis  Y.  Grubbs,  vice-president;  Frank  G.  Willard,  secretary;  Dr.  Clarence 
A.  McGuire,  treasurer;  Charles  J.  Devlin,  additional  trustee.  Officers  of 
staff:  Dr.  Lewis  Y.  Grubbs,  president;  Dr.  George  W.  Hogeboom,  vice- 
president;  Dr.  L.  M.  Powell,  secretary;  Dr.  L.  H.  Munn,  treasurer; 
Catherine  Strayer,  superintendent.  In  1889  Mrs.  Guilford  G.  Gage  built  an 
addition  to  the  hospital,  known  as  the  Gage  Annex,  at  a  cost  of  $15,000. 
There  are  accommodations  for  50  patients,  and  2,000  have  been  cared  for 
within  the  past  10  years.  In  connection  with  the  hospital  a  training  school 
for  nurses  is  conducted.     The  whole  property  is  valued  at  $40,000. 

Other  hospitals  in  the  city  are  the  Detention  Hospital  (an  annex  to  the 
city  prison),  built  by  Rev.  Charles  M.  Sheldon  in  1901 ;  Keith's  Hospital,  a 
private  institution,  at  No.  603  Clay  street ;  and  Bedwell  Asylum,  a  private 
hospital  for  insane  patients,  on  East  Sixth  avenue. 

HALLS   AND  OPERA    HOUSES. 

Museum  Hall,  in  the  old  Ritchie  'Block,  on  the  southeast  corner  of 
Kansas  and  Sixth  avenues,  was  the  scene  of  the  first  public  dramatic  per- 
formance in  Topeka,  in  1858,  and  hence  may  be  taken  as  the  beginning  of 
the  city's  places  of  amusement.  Museum  Hall  was  afterwards  known  as 
Wilmarth's  Hall.  Prior  to  the  above  date.  King  Smith's  Hall,  at  No.  104 
9 


i82  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Sixth  avenue  east,  was  used  for  lyceums,  conventions  and  religious  meetings, 
but  it  never  aspired  to  the  dignity  of  a  playhouse.  The  first  regular  theater, 
with  curtain  and  stage,  was  known  as  Union  Hall,  occupying  the  second 
-floor  of  the  Shorb,  Tinker  &  Baker  Block,  built  in  1869,  at  Nos.  619  and  621 
Kansas  avenue.  A  stairway  ran  almost  directly  into  the  main  part  of  the 
auditorium,  the  opening  being  railed  off  from  the  seats,  the  stage  was  aS 
feet  wide  and  20  feet  deep,  with  wings,  flats  and  sky  borders  of  a  crude  pat- 
tern. Prof.  Henry  Worrall  painted  the  drop  curtain — a  Topeka  street  scene 
in  lurid'  colors,  with  a  border  filled  with  advertising  cards.  Across  the  top 
of  the  curtain  a  Union  Pacific  train  was  shown  at  full  speed.  In  one  corner 
was  a  portrait  of  Chief  Burnett,  of  the  Pottawatomies,  and  in  the  opposite 
corner  the  picture  of  "Kaw  Charley,"  ringing  a  bell.  "Kaw  Charlie"  was  a 
half-breed  Indian,  a  well-known  character  of  that  day.  Some  of  the  early 
performances  on  the  stage  of  Union  Hall  were  given  by  Charles  W.  Couldock 
and  daughter,  Duprez  &  Benedict's  minstrels,  the  Louise  Sylvester  company, 
and  the  "As  You  Like  It"  Club  of  Topeka. 

In  1870  Lorenzo  Costa  built  the  first  opera  house,  known  as  Costa's 
Opera  House,  at  Nos.  612  and  614  Kansas  avenue.  It  was  opened  January 
12,  1871.  In  1880  the  property  was  purchased  by  Lester  M.  Crawford 
who  reconstructed  the  interior,  and  opened  it  September  3rd  of  that  year, 
as  Crawford's  Opera  House.  It  has  remained  under  his  management  since 
that  time,  being  a  part  of  the  Crawford  circuit  of  theatrical  enterprises,  which 
embraces  many  of  the  principal  theaters  in  the  West,  and  includes  two  of 
the  leading  theaters  in  St.  Louis.  Crawford's  Opera  House  was  destroyed 
by  fire  December  2,   1880,  and  rebuilt  in   1881. 

A  corporation  was  organized  in  1881  for  the  construction  of  the  Grand 
Opera  House,  the  most  pretentious  amusement  enterprise  ever  undertaken  in 
Topeka.  The  Grand  was  built  on  lots  Nos.  193,  195  and  197,  Jackson 
street,  at  a  cost  of  $40,000,  and  opened  in  September,  1882,  with  the  Emma 
Abbott  opera  company  as  the  attraction.  It  was  operated  under  various 
managers  for  a  period  of  12  years,  with  a  limited  financial  success,  and  finally 
passed  into  the  hands  of  the  Crawford  syndicate,  and  has  been  closed  for  the 
past  five  years.  When  in  actual  running  order  it  was  a  model  playhouse, 
with  a  stage  60  by  60  feet,  a  splendid  equipment  and  a  seating  capacity  of 
1,500. 

HOTELS     OF     TOPEKA. 

When  Horace  Greeley  visited  Kansas  in  1859,  he  wrote  a  series  of 
letters  to  the  Nezv  York  Tribune,  giving  his  impressions  of  the  country  and 
its  characteristics.  On  the  subject  of  hotels  his  impressions  were  jotted  down 
in  this  manner:     "May  23rd — Leavenworth — Room-bells  and  baths  make 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  183 

their  last  appearance;  May  24th — Topeka — Breakfast  and  wash-bowls  (other 
than  tin)  last  visible — barber  ditto;  May  26th — Manhattan — Potatoes  and 
eggs  last  recognized  among  the  blessings  that  brighten  as  they  take  their 
flight;  May  27th — Junction  City — Last  visitation  of  a  boot-black,  with  dis- 
solving views  of  a  broad  bed-room — Chairs  bid  us  good-bye;  May  28th — 
Pipe  Creek — Benches  for  seats  at  meals  have  disappeared,  giving  place  to 
bags  and  boxes — We  write  our  letters  in  the  express  wagon  that  has  borne 
us  by  day,  and  must  supply  us  lodgings  for  the  night." 

If  the  shade  of  the  great  journalist  could  come  West  at  this  time,  it 
would  be  rejoiced  to  find  modern  hotels  and  all  the  comforts  of  civilization — 
telephones  instead  of  room-bells,  marble  lavatories  instead  of  tin  wash-bowls, 
and  every  known  variety  of  breakfast  food  to  supplement  the  matutinal 
potatoes  and  eggs. 

Topeka's  hotels  began  with  the  Pioneer  House,  built  of  poles  and  rough 
lumber,  in  June,  1855,  by  Mitchell  &  Zimmerman,  on  the  southeast  corner  of 
Kansas  avenue  and  Third  street.  It  was  conducted  by  Enoch  Chase,  and  for 
a  short  time  by  Guilford  Dudley.  In  1856  Walter  C.  Oakley  built  the  Topeka 
House,  at  the  northeast  corner  of  Kansas  and  Fifth  avenues — a  two-story, 
frame  building  with  a  flat  roof,  which  was  subsequently  enlarged  to  three 
stories,  with  a  shingle  roof.  It  stood  until  1870,  when  it  was  destroyed  by 
fire.  The  building  constructed  in  September,  1855,  on  the  southeast  corner 
of  Kansas  and  Fifth  avenues,  where  the  first  newspaper  in  Topeka  had  its 
home,  was  also  used  in  part  as  a  hotel,  under  the  name  of  the  Garvey  House. 
Enoch  Chase  built  the  Chase  House,  in  the  autumn  of  1856,  on  the  south 
side  of  Sixth  avenue,  near  the  corner  of  Kansas  avenue,  afterwards  known 
as  the  Capitol  House. 

Other  early  enterprises  were  the  Curtis  House,  North  Topeka;  the 
Quincy  House,  on  the  east  side  of  Quincy  street,  between  Fifth  and  Sixth 
avenues;  the  Ashbaugh  House,  at  No.  205  West  Sixth  avenue;  the  Farmers' 
Hotel,  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Kansas  and  Fifth  avenues;  the  Carney 
House,  on  the  southwest  corner  of  Fifth  avenue  and  Jackson  street;  and  the 
Parks  House,  opposite  the  Union  Pacific  Depot,  in  North  Topeka. 

MR.    Gordon's    enterprises. 

The  Gordon  House,  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Kansas  avenue  and  Fifth 
street,  built  and  conducted  by  J.  C.  Gordon,  was  one  of  the  most  popular  of 
the  early  Topeka  hostelries,  and  held  its  position  as  the  leading  hotel  for 
many  years.  It  was  rebuilt  in  1877,  and  sold  in  1881  to  Dr.  J.  J.  Burtis,  of 
Davenport,  Iowa.  Dr.  Burtis  sold  it  to  H.  P.  Throop,  who  remodeled  it 
throughout  at  an  expense  of  $80,000,  and  changed  its  name  to  the  Throop 


I §4  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Hotel,  by  which  it  is  now  known.  It  is  one  of  the  finest  buildings  on  Kansas 
avenue,  and  its  cost  seriously  impaired  the  fortune  Mr.  Throop  had  accumu- 
lated. The  property  was  sold  in  1901  to  J.  J.  O'Rourke,  and  is  now  under 
the  management  of  the  Hamilton  Hotel  Company,  composed  of  C.  B.  Hamil- 
ton, James  L.  Brooks  and  Harry  H.  Hamilton. 

After  disposing  of  the  Gordon  House,  J.  C.  Gordon  built  a  new  hotel 
on  the  southeast  corner  of  Kansas  avenue  and  Ninth  street,  called  the  Cope- 
land  Hotel.  It  is  a  four-story  building,  with  a  spacious  annex,  and  has  been 
in  successful  operation  since  1883,  the  date  of  its  construction.  The  Copeland 
is  located  near  the  State  Capitol  and  has  long  been  a  sort  of.  headquarters  for 
politicians,  especially  those  of  the  Republican  faith,  and  this  fact  led  a  news- 
paper correspondent,  Ferd  L.  Vandegrift,  to  give  it  the  popular  designation 
of  "Copeland  County,"  by  which  it  is  familiarly  known.  Many  of  the  State 
officers,  who  are  temporarily  located  in  Topeka,  make  their  home  at  the 
Copeland.     James  Chappelle  is  the  present  proprietor  of  the  hotel. 

When  the  Populists  came  into  power  in  Kansas,  their  Topeka  gathering 
place  was  at  the  Button  House,  a  small  hotel  at  No.  407  Kansas  avenue,  now 
managed  by  A.  T  Pigg.  The  name  was  recently  changed  to  the  Savoy,  and 
the  building  is  being  added  to  on  the  north  by  the  reconstruction  of  the  old 
County  Court  House.  The  Savoy  no  longer  claims  any  special  political 
clientele,  but  appeals  to  the  general  public  and  has  a  liberal  patronage. 

The  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel  was  constructed  in  1870,  and  was  at  that  time 
the  most  modern  hotel,  as  well  as  the  handsomest  from  an  architectural  stand- 
point, in  the  city.  J.  B.  Fluno  and  the  firm  of  Hankla  Brothers  were  among 
the  early  managers,  and  T.  J.  Hankla  is  the  present  manager.  The  most 
noted  event  connected  with  the  history  of  the  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel  was  the 
entertainment  on  January  22,  1872,  of  the  Grand  Duke  of  Russia  and  his 
party  who  were  just  returning  from  a  buffalo  hunt  in  Western  Kansas.  The 
party  included  Grand  Duke  Alexis,  Vice  Admiral  Poissiett,  Lieutenant  Tuder 
and  Lieutenant  Stortdegraff,  of  the  imperial  navy ;  Chancellor  of  State  W.  T. 
Machin,  Consul  General  Brodisco,  Count  Olsenfieff  and  Secretary  Shuveloff. 
The  American  wing  of  the  party  was  made  up  of  Gen.  Phil.  H.  Sheridan, 
Gen.  George  A.  Custer  and  Colonels  G.  A.  Forsythe,  M.  V.  Sheridan  and 
N.  B.  Sweetzer.  The  Kansas  Legislature  gave  a  reception  and  banquet  at 
the  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel  in  honor  of  the  visitors. 

A     NOTED     RESORT. 

The  most  famous  hotel  in  Topeka  was  known  as  the  Tefft  House, 
situated  on  the  northwest  corner  of  Kansas  avenue  and  Seventh  street.  It 
was  a  modest  building  at  first,  occupying  a  single  lot  on  the  corner,  which 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  187 

was  bought  in  1859  by  Dr.  Erasmus  Tefft  for  the  sum  of  $300.  It  was  an 
isolated  location,  far  above  the  center  of  business,  but  is  now  the  most  cen- 
tral business  corner  in  Topeka.  Dr.  Tefift  erected  the  original  building  in 
i860, — a  stone  structure,  17  by  25  feet,  and  two  stories  in  height.  In  1865 
he  added  the  lot  on  the  north  at  an  expense  of  $700,  and  made  the  hotel  into 
a  three-story  building,  50  by  60  feet  in  dimensions.  Two  years  later  an  addi- 
tion was  constructed  in  the  rear  of  the  original  buildings,  95  by  35  feet  in 
dimensions,  four  stories  in  height,  with  a  mansard  roof.  In  1868  the  front 
part  was  also  increased  to  four  stories.  The  building  was  leased  in  1866  to 
James  Harris  and  John  Beasley.  Harris  sold  his  interest  to  J.  A.  Burr,  and 
the  firm  become  Burr  &  Beasley.  It  was  leased  in  1867  to  Henry  D.  Mc- 
Meekin,  an  old  and  popular  citizen  of  Kansas,  under  whose  management  it 
was  again  enlarged,  and  became  the  political  and  legislative  headquarters  of 
the  State — a  position  it  retained  up  to  the  time  of  the  opening  of  the  Cope- 
land  Hotel. 

Some  of  the  most  celebrated  senatorial  elections  in  Kansas  were  planned 
and  practically  consummated  in  the  so-called  "dark  and  fitful  recesses 
of  the  Tefft  House."  In  the  period  between  1867  and  1880  it  entertained 
all  of  the  public  men  of  Kansas  and  was  the  scene  of  many  brilliant  social 
functions.  McMeekin  retired  from  the  management  in  1871,  but  returned 
in  1875,  with  Samuel  Hindman  as  his  partner,  the  business  in  the  meantime 
having  been  conducted  by  E.  A.  Smith  and  Williams  &  Babcock.  J.  W. 
Hartzell  became  associated  with  McMeekin  in  1876,  and  in  1878  the  build- 
ing was  bought  from  Dr.  Tefft  by  Dr.  J.  J.  Burtis  for  $24,000.  Three  years 
later  Burtis  sold  to  Allen  Sells  for  $25,000.  After  undergoing  extensive 
repairs,  it  was  leased  to  Hankla  Brothers  and  opened  as  the  Windsor  Hotel. 
In  later  years  the  managers  were  C.  M.  Hill  &  Company,  Passmore  &  Wig- 
gin,  Odell  &  Forward  and  W.  W.  Smith.  The  entire  property  was  bought  in 
1889  by  the  First  National  Bank  of  Topeka,  and  the  building  reconstructed 
into  its  present  form,  the  bank  occupying  the  corner  room  on  the  main  floor, 
and  the  rest  of  the  building  being  devoted  to  hotel  purposes,  under  the  name 
of  the  National-  Hotel.  The  National  was  opened  in  1890  by  Hankla 
Brothers,  and  a  few  years  later  passed  into  the  hands  of  Manager  Charles  L. 
Wood,  who  is  now  at  the  helm. 

THE     TOPEKA     CEMETERY. 

The  beautiful  sloping  ground  directly  west  from  the  city  was  set  apart 
in  1859  by  Dr.  Franklin  L.  Crane  for  the  purposes  of  a  cemetery,  and  the 
general  arrangement  of  the  grounds  remains  as  he  planned  it  45  years  ago. 
The  first  burial  in  the  new  cemetery  was  of  Mrs.  Marcia  Gordon,  who  died 


i88  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

about  December  20,  1859.  Since  that  time  it  has  afforded  a  resting-place 
for  nearly  11,000  deceased  persons.  Soon  after  coming  to  Topeka,  Dr. 
Crane  settled  upon  this  tract  of  land,  and  built  a  small  house  on  the  west 
side  of  the  tract.  In  Topeka's  infancy  there  was  considerable  difficulty  ex- 
perienced in  obtaining  a  proper  place  for  the  interment  of  the  dead,  and 
interments  were  first  made  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Kansas  and  loth 
avenues.  By  an  arrangement  with  the  Topeka  Town  Association,  Dr.  Crane 
set  apart  his  original  claim  to  meet  this  contingency,  and  took  up  other  land 
near  the  city  for  his  personal  homestead.  The  interments  made  at  Kansas 
and  loth  avenues  were  removed  to  the  new  cemetery  in  i860.  Officers  of  the 
Topeka  Cemetery  Association  are:  A.  B.  Quinton,  president;  George  W. 
Crane,  secretary,  and  D.  O.  Crane,  superintendent  and  treasurer. 

The  other  cemeteries  near  Topeka  are  the  following :  Catholic  Cemetery, 
on  loth  avenue  road,  three  miles  west;  Foster  Cemetery,  on  Burlingame 
road,  three  miles  southwest;  Jewish  Cemetery,  on  East  loth  avenue,  adjoin- 
ing Topeka  Cemetery ;  Ritchie  Cemetery,  directly  south  from  the  city ;  Mount 
Hope  Cemetery,  on  Sixth  avenue,  four  miles  west;  and  Rochester  Cemetery, 
two  miles  Northwest  from  North  Topeka. 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

Topeka's  Educational  Facilities — Public  Schools,  Colleges  and  Other  Insti- 
tutions— High  School  and  Manual  Training  Departments — The  City's 
Churches  and  Their  History — Early  Pastors  and  Those  of  the  Present 
Time — Religious  Societies,   Fraternal  Orders  and  Club   Organizations. 

If  any  one  thing  more  than  another  can  be  said  to  have  made  Topeka 
famous,  it  is  her  magnificent  school  system,  which  is  hardly  surpassed  by 
that  of  any  city  in  the  United  States.  The  founders  of  Topeka  were  educated 
men,  some  of  them  coming  here  directly  from  college,  and  after  organizing 
the  Topeka  Town  Association,  and  reducing  the  territory  to  lots,  almost 
their  first  thought  was  to  provide  educational  facilities  in  keeping  with  the 
plans  they  had  formed  for  establishing  a  large  and  important  city.  Early 
in  the  month  of  February,  1856,  the  association  took  up  a  collection  for 
building  a  school  house,  and  levied  an  assessment  upon  its  shares  for  the 
same  purpose,  a  suitable  site  having  been  donated  near  the  corner  of  Harri- 
son street  and  Sixth  avenue,  where  the  Harrison  School  now  stands.  Before 
the  school  house  could  be  erected,  private  schools  were  opened  in  convenient 
locations,  so  that  the  school  system  was  practically  inaugurated  in  1856, 
before  the  new  city  was  three  months  old.  In  1857  the  New  England  Emi- 
grant Aid  Company  erected  the  first  school  building.  The  first  direct  tax 
for  school  purposes  was  levied  in  1862,  providing  for  the  running  expenses 
of  the  schools  and  for  a  building  fund.  The  old  Harrison  street  school  was 
the  first  school  building  erected  at  public  expense.  The  first  of  the  school 
buildings  erected  in  North  Topeka  was  at  No.  128  Kansas  avenue  north, 
the  cost  being  $1,350.  Beginning  with  the  year  1868,  the  city  made  liberal 
appropriations  for  educational  purposes  and  for  additional  buildings,  the 
amount  for  that  year  being  $10,000.  In  1869  the  sum  of  $40,000  was  appro- 
priated, and  buildings  commenced  at  Nos.  50,  52  and  54  Monroe  street,  and 
at  the  southeast  corner  of  Monroe  and  Fifth — the  latter  being  known  as  the 
Lincoln  School.  The  Lincoln  School,  when  completed,  cost  $55,000.  An- 
other school  building  was  erected  in  1871  on  the  southeast  corner  of  Quincy 
and  Gordon  streets.  North  Topeka,  at  a  cost  of  $28,000.  The  building 
occupied  by  Washburn  College,  at  the  northeast  corner  of  loth  avenue  and 


igo  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Jackson  street,  was  also  purchased  by  the  city,  for  $15,000,  and  a  small 
building  for  school  use  erected  on  the  corner  of  Quincy  and  13th  streets. 
From  1 86 1  to  1871  the  sum  of  $155,000  was  spent  for  buildings  and  equip- 
ment, providing  facilities  for  2,000  pupils  and  28  teachers.  During  the 
ensuing  10  years  several  new  buildings  were  constructed  and  most  of  the 
old  ones  enlarged,  the  value  of  the  public  school  property  at  the  close  of 
1880  being  over  $200,000,  and  the  school  population,  4,728. 

GROWTH   OF   SCHOOLS. 

The  school  idea  which  possessed  the  founders  of  the  city  has  retained 
its  hold  upon  their  successors,  and  at  the  close  of  the  year  1904  Topeka  had 
23  first-class  public  school  buildings,  valued  at  $700,000,  a  school  population 
of  10,665,  an  enrollment  of  6,437,  ^^'^  employed  211  teachers.  The  annual 
cost  of  conducting  the  city  schools  is  $150,000.  A '  model  High  School 
building  was  constructed  in  1893  on  the  northwest  corner  of  Harrison  street 
and  Eighth  avenue,  at  a  cost  of  $85,000,  and  in  1904  a  Manual  Training 
School  was  completed  on  the  southwest  corner  of  the  same  streets,  at  a  cost 
of  $100,000.  These  institutions  are  the  culmination  of  the  hopes  and 
efforts  of  Topeka's  progressive  and  far-seeing  Board  of  Education,  which 
is  composed  of  the  following  members :  First  Ward, — C.  C.  Nicholson 
and  E.  E.  Miller ;  Second  Ward,— F.  E.  Mallory  and  W.  H.  Wilson ;  Third 
Ward, — J.  W.  Gleed  and  Edward  Wilder;  Fourth  Ward, — Jonathan  D. 
Norton  and  T.  F.  Garver;  Fifth  Ward, — C.  F.  Hardy  and  D.  L.  Hoatson; 
Sixth  Ward, — E.  E.  Roudebush  and  L.  C.  Bailey.  F.  E.  Mallory  is  presi- 
dent of  the  board,  and  T.  F.  Garver  vice-president,  and  J.  E.  Stewart,  clerk. 

L.  D.  Whittemore  is  the  present  superintendent  of  the  city  schools. 
His  predecessors  in  the  office  have  been:  W.  H.  Butterfield,  1867-69;  J. 
A.  Banfield,  1869-71;  A.  W.  Haines,  1871-72;  W.  H.  Butterfield,  1872-81; 

D.  C.  Tillotson,  1881-86;  John  M.  Bloss,  1886-92;  William  M.  Davidson, 
1 892- 1 904;  L.  D.  Whittemore,  1904 — .  The  Board  of  Education  has  had 
the  following  clerks:     L.  C.  Wilmarth,    1867-69;  J.  A.  Banfield,   1869-71; 

E.  B.  Fowler,  1871-72;  R.  H.  C.  Searle,  1872-75;  T.  H.  Church,  1875-76; 
Hiram  W.  Farnsworth,  1876-99;  J.  E.  Stewart,  1899-1905. 

The  following  table  shows  the  designation  of  the  several  schools,  names 
of  principals  and  enrollment  of  pupils : 

School.  Principal.  Enrollment. 

High  School H.  L.  Miller  897 

Grant E.    A.    Simmerwell 455 

Quincy   E.  F.   Stanley    482 

Lincoln W.  H.  Wright  478 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  191 

School.  Principal.  Enrollment. 

Branner  H.   W.   Jones    4S2 

Lafayette E.  H.  Roudebush   35° 

Garfield Carrie  Goddard   340 

Van  Buren Elizabeth  Guy   6l 

Jackson   Fenella  H.  Dana   61 

Polk Elizabeth  Tharp   ■  •  ■  412 

Euclid   Madge  E.  Moore 290 

Lowman  Hill Lola  A.  Graham  IQO 

Clay  O.  P.  M.  McClintock 3S0 

Potwin  Eliza  Nagle   220 

Sumner G.   H.   Mays    352 

Harrison  Eli  G.  Foster  324 

Lane  S.  G.  Watkins  131 

Madison  R.  H.  Wade  123 

Washington J.  L.  Harrison   145 

Monroe   Fred  Roundtree 139 

Douglas  Mary  E.  Langston  Si     • 

Buchanan   C.  F.  Clinkscale   134 

Manual  Training  H.  L.  Miller   

Total 6,437 

WASHBURN    COLLEGE. 

In  1858  John  Ritchie  donated  160  acres  of  land  directly  southwest 
from  the  city  as  the  site  for  a  college,  which  was  proposed  to  be  established 
by  the  Congregational  churches  of  Kansas.  The  college  was  located  in 
Topeka  in  1858,  changed  to  Lawrence  in  1859,  and  relocated  at  Topeka  in 
i860,  under  the  name  of  Topeka  Institute.  When  the  incorporation  was 
efifected  in  1865,  at  the  close  of  the  war,  the  name  of  Lincoln  College  was 
substituted.  The  first  building  was  erected  in  that  year  on  the  northeast 
corner  of  loth  avenue  and  Jackson  street,  at  a  cost  of  $8,000,  and  in  the 
month  of  January,  1866,  the  institution  was  opened  with  Rev.  Samuel  D. 
Bowker  as  principal,  and  Professors  E.  D.  Hobart  and  George  H.  Collier  as 
assistants.  The  first  president  was  Rev.  H.  Q.  Butterfield,  who  was  suc- 
ceeded in  1 87 1  by  Rev.  Peter  MacVicar.  The  catalogue  issued  in  1867  gave 
the  number  of  students  as  92,  and  contained  the  following  names  of  trustees : 
Lewis  Bodwell,  S.  D.  Storrs,  J.  D.  Liggett,  Ira  H.  Smith,  Richard  Cordley, 
Harrison  Hannahs,  John  Ritchie,  Harvey  D.  Rice,  William  E.  Bowker, 
J.  W.  Fox  and  Hiram  W.  Farnsworth. 

The  name  of  the  institution  was  changed  to  Washburn  College  in  1868, 
in  honor  of  one  of  the  benefactors,  Ichabod  Washburn,  of  Worcester,  Massa- 
chusetts, who  contributed  $25,000  to  the  endowment  fund.  A  new  building 
was  erected  on  the  permanent  site  in  1870,  at  a  cost  of  $60,000,  and  since 
that  date  10  other  large  and  substantial  buildings  have  been  erected,  the  last 


192  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

one — a  Carnegie  Library — in  1905.  The  buildings  represent  a  cost  of  $300,- 
000,  and  the  campus  of  160  acres  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  pieces  of  prop- 
erty in  the  suburbs  of  Topeka. 

Dr.  Norman  Plass  became  the  president  of  the  college  in  1902,  after 
the  death  of  Dr.  Mac  Vicar.  The  college  is  conducted  under  the  auspices  of 
the  Congregational  Church,  through  a  board  of  trustees  officered  as  follows : 
Norman  Plass,  president;  L.  H.  Greenwood,  secretary;  James  F.  Griffin, 
treasurer ;  Rev.  D.  M.  Fisk,  field  secretary ;  Norman  Plass,  L.  H.  Greenwood, 
Jonathan  Thomas,  John  R.  Mulvane,  Arthur  J.  McCabe,  Albe  B.  Whiting, 
Timothy  B.  Sweet,  Francis  L.  Hayes,  Marcus  A.  Low,  John  C.  McClin- 
tock  and  William  S.  Lindsay-  executive  committee ;  D.  L.  McEachron,  dean 
of  college ;  Dr.  H.  L.  Alkire,  dean  of  medical  department ;  Ernest  B.  Conant, 
dean  of  law  department;  George  B.  Penny,  dean  of  fine  arts  department; 
W.  W.  Silver,  principal  of  academy;  and  Dr.  A.  H.  Thompson,  dean  of 
dentistry  department.  The  college  has  well-equipped  laboratories,  a  fine 
■library  of  12,000  volumes,  and  employs  25  professors  and  instructors  in  the 
various  departments.     The  present  enrollment  is  about  700. 

BETHANY    COLLEGE. 

On  a  large  square  of  20  acres  fronting  Capitol  Square,  west  on  Ninth 
street  from  the  Capitol,  stands  the  College  of  the  Sisters  of  Bethany,  an 
institution  for  the  education  of  girls.  It  was  founded  as  the  Episcopal 
Female  Seminary  of  Topeka,  under  a  charter  from  the  Territorial  Legisla- 
ture. In  1870  a  new  charter  was  granted  and  in  1872  the  name  was  changed 
to  "The  College  of  the  Sisters  of  Bethany,"  the  name  not  referring  to  any 
order  of  Sisters,  but  to  the  scriptural  model  and  example  of  the  two  sisters 
of  Bethany — Martha  and  Mary.  The  main  building  is  of  the  Gothic,  rock- 
faced,  broken  ashlar  style.  Wolfe  Hall  and  other  adjacent  buildings  are  in 
harmony  with  the  main  structure,  and,  together  with  the  large  park,  present 
a  most  beautiful  appearance.  The  college  is  under  the  general  management 
of  Bishop  Frank  R.  Millspaugh.  The  course  of  study  embraces  not  only 
a  primary  and  preparatory  branch,  a  scientific  and  classical  branch,  but  also 
departments  for  thorough  instruction  in  vocal  and  instrumental  music,  draw- 
ing and  painting. 

The  original  site  was  donated  by  the  Topeka  Town  Association  in 
1857,  being  a  tract  at  the  northeast  corner  of  Topeka  avenue  and  Ninth 
street.  Rev.  Charles  M.  Callaway,  a  missionary  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church,  conducted  the  negotiations  with  the  town  company,  and  in  addition 
to  the  original  site  the  association  gave  the  20-acre  tract  now  known  as 
Bethany  Square,  where  the  permanent  buildings  were  erected.     The  incor- 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  195 

porators  were  Rev.  N.  O.  Preston,  Rush  Elmore,  Wilson  Shannon,  Cyrus 
K.  Holliday,  J.  P.  Bodine,  George  Fairchild  and  J.  E.  Ryan.  Wilson  Shan- 
non was  president  until  September  14,  1864,  when  he  was  succeeded  by 
Bishop  Thomas  H.  Vail.  The  main  college  building  was  completed  in  1871, 
and  is  known  as  Wolfe  Hall,  named  in  honor  of  John  D.  Wolfe,  of  New 
York,  and  his  daughter,  Catharine  L.  Wolfe,  who  gave  $32,000  to  assist 
the  institution.  Holmes  Hall  w-as  constructed  in  1882  at  an  expense  of 
$16,000,  the  money  being  contributed  by  Miss  Jane  Holmes,  of  Baltimore. 
There  are  five  buildings  in  all,  the  total  value  of  the  property  being  $450,000. 
Fifteen  teachers  are  employed,  and  the  average  attendance  is  200.  The  build- 
ing at  the  corner  of  Topeka  avenue  and  Ninth  street,  first  occupied  by 
Bethany  College,  and  still  belonging  to  the  Episcopal  Diocese  of  Kansas, 
is  now  used  for  a  theological  school,  of  which  Bishop  Frank  R.  Millspaugh 
is  president  and  dean,  and  Rev.  Irving  E.  Baxter,  Rev.  James  P.  deBeavers 
Kaye,  Rev.  Charles  B.  Crawford  and  Rev.  DeLou  Burke,  instructors. 

INDUSTRIAL   INSTITUTE. 

The  Topeka  Industrial  and  Educational  Institute  was  organized  in  May, 
1895,  following  the  plan  of  the  Booker  T.  Washington  Institute  at  Tuske- 
gee.  It  is  located  three  miles  east  of  the  city  on  a  tract  of  land  sufficient  in 
extent  to  afford  facilities  for  instruction  in  farming.  It  is  non-sectarian 
and  its  beneficiaries  are  the  colored  youth  of  Kansas,  of  both  sexes.  There 
are  two  brick  and  stone  buildings  and  one  frame  shop  building,  the  value 
of  the  property  being  $12,000.  The  enrollment  is  140,  and  750  pupils  have 
been  cared  for  in  the  past  10  years.  The  institution  has  no  endowment,  but 
receives  an  annual  appropriation  of  $1,500  from  the  State,  in  addition  to 
help  from  other  sources.  William  R.  Carter  is  principal  of  the  school,  which 
is  managed  by  a  board  of  trustees  comprised  of  Joab  Mulvane,  president; 
J.  B.  Larimer,  vice-president;  Robert  Stone,  secretary;  and  John  M.  Wright, 
treasurer. 

OTHER   SCHOOLS. 

A  convent  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity  is  maintained  at  No.  723  Jackson 
street,  and  in  connection  therewith  is  a  Catholic  parochial  school,  which  has 
an  average  attendance  of  225.  The  convent  is  in  charge  of  Sister  Alberta, 
superior,  and  five  Sisters  of  Charity  make  their  home  in  the  institution.  The 
German  Catholic  Church  also  maintains  a  school  near  the  corner  of  Third 
and  VanBuren  streets,  with  accommodations  for  200  pupils.  Alois  Nusang 
is  principal  of  the  school,  and  Christine  Seitz  and  Minnie  Sonderman, 
teachers. 


196  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

In  addition  to  those  named,  the  following  educational  institutions  are 
conducted  in  Topeka :  Studio  of  Voice  Culture  and  Piano  Instruction,  No. 
8i6  Kansas  avenue,  Gertrude  Tracy,  teacher;  Dougherty's  Shorthand  School, 
No.  ii8  West  Eighth  avenue,  George  E.  Dougherty,  principal;  Standard 
School  of  Shorthand  and  Typewriting,  No.  630  Kansas  avenue,  Anna  E. 
Canan,  principal;  Topeka  Business  College,  No.  523  Quincy  street,  L.  H. 
Strickler,  superintendent;  Pond's  Business  College,  No.  521  Kansas  avenue, 
M.  A.  Pond,  principal;  Homeopathic  Night  School,  No.  704  Kansas  avenue, 
Dr.  Eva  Harding,  president;  Art  Studio,  No.  630  Kansas  avenue,  George 
O.  Beardsley,  instructor;  School  of  Dramatic  Art,  No.  816  Kansas  avenue, 
Nellie  Lincoln,  instructor;  Music  Studio,  No.  109  West  Sixth  avenue,  Kate 
B.  Whittlesey,  instructor;  School  of  Pianoforte  Playing,  No.  722  Kansas 
avenue,  Annie  Parry  Bundy,  principal;  Violin  Studio,  No.  704  Kansas 
avenue,  W.  C.  Stenger,  instructor;  Reid-Stone  School  of  Art,  No.  501 
Jackson  street,  Albert  T.  Reid  and  George  M.  Stone,  directors. 

CONGREGATIONAL    CHURCHES. 

There  are  80  separate  church  organizations  in  Topeka,  representing  17 
different  denominations.  The  First  Congregational  Church  is  the  pioneer, 
its  organization  dating  from  October  14,  1855.  The  first  deacons  were 
Hiram  W.  Farnsworth  and  James  Cowles,  and  the  first  trustees,  Milton  C. 
Dickey,  John  Ritchie  and  H.  P.  Waters.  Meetings  were  held  in  Constitu- 
tion Hall  and  other  places,  occasional  sermons  being  preached  by  Rev.  S. 
Y.  Luni,  Rev.  Paul  Shepherd  and  Rev.  Jonathan  Copeland.  The  first  reg- 
tilar  pastor  was  Rev.  Lewis  Bodwell,  who  assumed  charge  in  October,  1856, 
and  on  Sunday,  Noveruber  2nd  of  that  year,  the  communion  of  the  Lord's 
Supper  was  celebrated  for  the  first  time  in  Topeka.  A  donation  of  lots 
by  the  Topeka  Town  Association,  and  a  popular  supscription  at  home  and 
in  the  East,  enabled  the  Congregationalists  to  begin  the  first  church  struct- 
ure in  Topeka,  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Harrison  and  Seventh  streets. 
The  walls  were  twice  blown  down  by  wind  storms,  but  the  building  was 
finally  completed  in  1861,  at  a  cost  of  $7,000.  In  the  year  1880  a  new  and 
more  substantial  church  building  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $35,000.  Since 
its  organization,  the  church  has  had  the  following  pastors :  Lewis  Bodwell, 
Peter  MacVicar,  James  G.  Merrill,  Linus  Blakesley,  D.  M.  Fisk  and  Francis 
L.  Hayes.  Rev.  Mr.  Blakesley  was  pastor  from  1870  to  1899 — nearly  30 
years — the  longest  continuous  service  ever  performed  by  any  of  the  Topeka 
pastors. 

The  Central  Congregational  Church,  at  the  corner  of  Huntoon  and 
Buchanan  streets,  is  one  of  the  most  famous  in  the  West,  by  reason  of  the 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  197 

personality  of  its  pastor,  Rev.  Charles  M.  Sheldon,  who  came  to  the  city 
in  1889,  and  is  best  known  perhaps,  as  the  author  of  "In  His  Steps,"  a  semi- 
religious  novel  which  has  had  a  remarkable  circulation.  Rev.  Mr.  Sheldon 
also  established  a  library  and  kindergarten  in  what  is  known  as  "Tennessee- 
town,"  a  colored  settlement  in  Topeka,  and  added  to  his  fame  in  1900  by 
editing  the  Topeka  Capital  for  one  week  as  a  distinctly  Christian  daily. 

There  are  four  other  Congregational  organizations  in  the  city :  North 
Congregational,  Rev.  T.  J.  Pearson,  pastor;  Seabrook  Congregational,  Rev. 
P.  B.  Lee,  pastor;  Swedish  Congregational,  Rev.  Peter  Persson,  pastor; 
and  the  Mission  or  Central  Congregational  Church,  B.  E.  Crane,  superin- 
tendent. 

METHODIST    CHURCHES. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  had  an  organization  in  Topeka  in 
1855,  but  was  not  regularly  estabhshed  until  a  later  date.  In  1859  the 
Topeka  and  Tecumseh  circuit  was  formed,  and  in  1861  Topeka  was  orga- 
nized as  a  station,  with  Rev.  J.  Paulson  as  pastor.  Religious  services  were 
conducted  prior  to  that  date  by  Rev.  J.  S.  Griffing.  Other  pastors  of  the 
church  have  been :  J.  V.  Holliday,  T.  A.  Parker,  John  D.  Knox,  T.  J.  Leak, 
Ira  Blackford,  James  E.  Gilbert,  J.  J.  Thompson,  O.  J.  Cowles,  D.  P. 
Mitchell,  S.  McChesney,  D.  J.  Holmes,  W.  G.  Waters,  J.  A.  Lippincott, 
A.  S.  Embree  and  J.  T.  McFarland.  Rev.  W.  C.  Evans  is  the  present  pastor. 

A  church  building  was  commenced  in  1857,  on  lots  numbered  157  to 
169  Quincy  street,  donated  by  the  Topeka  Town  Association.  The  lots  so 
donated  were  at  the  time  covered  with  stone  fortifications,  which  had  been 
erected  to  defend  the  town  against  an  invasion  of  border  ruffians.  The 
church  was  built  during  the  period  between  i860  and  1867.  It  was  en- 
larged in  1870  and  continued  to  be  the  home  of  the  church  until  18^,  when 
a  new  building  was  erected  on  the  southwest  corner  of  Harrison  street  and 
Sixth  avenue,  at  a  cost  of  $30,000. 

Other  Methodist  churches  and  their  pastors  at  this  time  are  the  follow- 
ing: Kansas  Avenue,  Rev.  J.  A.  Stavely;  Oakland,  Rev.  J.  W.  Reed; 
Walnut  Grove,  Rev.  F.  E.  Adell;  Parkdale,  Rev.  J.  T.  Sawyer;  Lowman 
Hill,  Rev.  J.  R.  Madison;  German,  Rev.  H.  Bruns;  Asbury,  Rev.  J.  D. 
Smith;  Mount  Olive,  Rev.  J.  S.  Burton;  Brown  Chapel,  Rev.  J.  M.  Pope; 
Euclid,  Rev.  J.  J.  Skinner;  St.  John's  African,  Rev.  J.  F.  C.  Taylor; 
Wesleyan,  Rev.  C.  F.  Carkuff;  Second  Wesleyan,  Rev.  William  Walters; 
Free  Methodist,  Rev.  C.  J.  Chaney;  St.  Mark's,  Rev.  J.  W.  Williams;  and 
Lane  Chapel,  Rev.  J.  W.  Jacobs. 


198  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

PRESBYTERIAN     CHURCHES. 

Rev.  A.  T.  Rankin  organized  the  First  Presbyterian  Church,  December 
9,  1859,  but  it  made  indifferent  progress  until  the  following  year,  when  Rev. 
John  A.  Steele,  assumed  the  direction  of  its  affairs.  After  his  death,  in 
1864,  Rev.  S.  T.  McClure  became  the  pastor,  and  he  was  followed  by  Rev. 
John  Ekin  in  1866.  Rev.  Francis  S.  McCabe,  D.  D.,  became  the  pastor 
January  i,  1869,  and  his  long  pastorate  of  15  years  was  the  most  flourishing 
in  the  history  of  the  church.  He  was  succeeded  in  1883  by  Rev.  H.  W. 
George.  Following  Rev.  Mr.  George,  the  church  had  the  services  of  Rev. 
Edward  C.  Ray,  Rev.  S.  B.  Alderson,  Rev.  J.  D.  Countermine,  and  the  pres- 
ent pastor.  Rev.  S.  S.  Estey.  In  1864  the  Presbyterians  built  a  small  brick 
church  at  No.  230  Kansas  avenue,  which  was  afterwards  sold  to  the  city 
for  a  school.  In  1868  they  built  a  chapel  in  the  rear  of  the  lots  now  occu- 
pied by  the  building  of  the  Topeka  Capital,  enlarging  it  and  adding  a  spire 
in  1870.  The  present  church,  on  Harrison  street,  was  dedicated  April 
12,   1885. 

The  Second  Presbyterian  Church  is  located  on  Quincy  street.  North 
Topeka,  Rev.  John  S.  Glendenning,  pastor;  and  the  Third  Presbyterian 
Church  on  Fourth  street,  Rev.  William  M.  Cleaveland,  pastor.  Other  Pres- 
byterian churches  in  the  city  are:  Westminster,  Rev.  Frank  Ward;  Oak- 
land, Rev.  S.  A.  Alt;  Cumberland,  Rev.  A.  H.  Kelso;  Second  Cumberland, 
Rev.  J.  E.  Gary;  First  United,  Rev.  J.  A.  Renwick,  and  Second  United, 
Rev.  J.  P.  White.  A  new  building  for  the  First  United  Presbyterian  Church 
has  just  been  completed,  at  the  northeast  corner  of  Topeka  avenue  and 
Eighth  street,  at  a  cost  of  $12,000. 

BAPTIST   CHURCHES. 

About  March  i,  1857,  the  First  Baptist  Church  was  organized  by  Rev. 
David  Seagraves,  Joseph  C.  Miller,  Jesse  Stone,  J.  F.  Merriam  and  William 
Jordan,  assisted  by  Rev.  J.  Gilpatrick,  who  had  charge  of  an  Indian  mission 
near  Auburn.  The  first  regular  pastor  was  Rev.  C.  C.  Hutchinson,  author 
of  "Resources  of  Kansas."  Services  were  held  in  i860  on  the  second  floor 
of  a  mercantile  building  at  No.  191  Kansas  avenue.  A  permanent  site  for  the 
church  was  donated  by  the  Topeka  Town  Association,  being  the  lots  at  the 
northeast  corner  of  Jackson  and  Ninth  streets,  where  a  building  was  erected 
in  1 87 1,  at  a  cost  of  $15,000.  This  continued  to  be  the  home  of  the  church 
until  1905,  when  a  more  commodious  structure  took  its  place,  upon  the 
same  site.  It  is  a  magnificent  edifice,  built  of  bowlders  of  varying  shades, 
and  crowned  with  a  stately  and  symmetrical  dome.  The  cost  of  the  new 
church  was  $40,000.     The  several  Baptist  pastors  have  been  the  following: 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  199 

E.  Alward,  Isaac  Sawyer,  H.  P.  Fitch,  E.  O.  Taylor,  C.  Monjeau,  C.  C. 
Foote,  T.  R.  Peters,  J.  B.  Thomas,  M.  L.  Thomas,  P.  W.  Crannell  and 
Thomas  S.  Young,  the  last  named  being  the  present  pastor. 

Rev.  J.  Barrett  organized  the  North  Topeka  Baptist  Church,  April  4, 
1869,  and  was  its  pastor  for  many  years.  There  are  10  other  churches  of 
this  denomination  in  the  city,  the  principal  ones  being:  First  German,  Rev. 
Jacob  Albert;  Swedish,  Rev.  Gustaf  Nyquist;  Second  Baptist,  Rev.  C.  H. 
Duvall;  Third  Baptist,  Rev.  W.  P.  Banks;  "B"  Street,  Rev.  W.  H.  Hart; 
Central,  Rev.  H.  W.  White;  Shiloh,  Rev.  C.  G.  Fishback;  and  Mount  Hope, 
Rev.  A.   B.  Stoner. 

CATHOLIC    CHURCHES. 

The  Church  of  the  Assumption  was  organized  and  the  first  building 
erected  in  1862,  the  first  service  being  held  on  Christmas  Day  of  that  year, 
conducted  by  Rev.  James  H.  Defouri.     The  church  was  dedicated  August 

16,  1863,  by  Rt.  Rev.  J.  B.  Miegie.  Rev.  Elmira  Fourmont,  Rev.  Eugene 
Bonoveini,  Rev.  Felix  Swembergh  and  Rev.  Sebastian  Favre  were  Father 
Defouri's  assistants  during  the  early  years  of  the  church's  history.  The 
present  church  building  on  Eighth  avenue,  opposite  the  Topeka  Free  Library, 
was  erected  in  1882  at  a  cost  of  $20,000.  One  of  the  first  workers  in  behalf 
of  the  church  was  Daniel  Handley,  afterwards  killed  in  the  battle  of  the 
Blue.  A  relic  of  the  church  is  a  bell  presented  by  E.  C.  K.  Garvey  in  1862, 
now  used  in  the  Catholic  school.  Father  Defouri  continued  in  charge  of 
the  church  for  14  years,  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  J.  F.  Cunningham,  who 
remained  until  1882,  and  was  then  succeeded  by  Rev.  James  O'Reilly.  Very 
Rev.  Francis  M.  Hayden  became  dean  and  rector  of  the  church  in  1887  and 
is  still  in  charge.     His  sacerdotal  silver  jubilee  was  celebrated  here   May 

17,  1900,  and  was  attended  by  four  bishops  and  60  clergymen. 

St.  Joseph's  German  Catholic  Church  was  established  in  1889  through 
the  instrumentality  of  Rev.  Francis  Henry,  who  has  since  served  continu- 
ously as  its  pastor.  He  has  not  only  organized  a  large  congregation  but  has 
caused  to  be  erected  one  of  the  finest  church  buildings  in  the  city,  at  the 
northwest  corner  of  VanBuren  and  Third  streets — a  massive  brick  structure, 
with  double  towers  and  cathedral  chimes.  Father  Henry  has  been  promi- 
nent in  the  charitable  work  of  the  city,  and  his  general  influence  in  the  com- 
munity is  as  strongly  felt  as  that  of  any  citizen  of  Topeka. 

GRACE  EPISCOPAL  CATHEDRAL. 

A  mission  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  was  begun  by  Rev. 
Charles  Callaway  in  1857,  resulting  in  the  organization  of  Grace  Episcopal 


200  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Church,  September  9,  i860,  with  Rev.  Mr.  Callaway  as  rector,  the  first 
vestrymen  being  Charles  C.  Kellam,  James  Fletcher,  John  W.  Farnsworth, 
Cyrus  K.  Holliday  and  Joseph  F.  Cummings.  Rev.  N.  O.  Preston  suc- 
ceeded to  the  rectorship  December  7,  i860.  From  1864  to  the  present  time 
the  church  has  had  the  following  rectors  and  deans :  R.  W.  Oliver,  John  N. 
Lee,  John  Bakewell,  Henry  H.  Loring,  J.  F.  Walker,  Richard  Ellerby, 
James  W.  Colwell,  Percival  Mclntire;  Assistant  Bishop  E.  S.  Thomas, 
Henry  I.  Bodley,  John  W.  Sykes,  and  James  P.  deBeavers  Kaye,  the  last 
named  being  the  present  dean.  Rev.  J.  F.  Walker  was  the  first  dean,  the 
church  having  been  accepted  as  a  cathedral  chapel  in  1879.  Services  were 
first  held  on  the  third  floor  of  the  Ritchie  Block,  corner  of  Kansas  and  Sixth 
avenues,  and  then  at  the  old  Episcopal  Female  Seminary,  corner  of  Topeka 
avenue  and  Ninth  street.  A  building  was  erected  in  1863,  at  the  southwest 
corner  of  Jackson  and  Seventh  streets,  known  as  Grace  Church.  The  build- 
ing was  enlarged  in  1874,  and  while  the  improvements  were  in  progress 
services  were  held  in  Union  Hall.  The  property  at  the  corner  of  Jackson 
and  Seventh  streets  was  subsequently  sold  and  a  guild  hall  and  chapel  erected 
on  Bethany  square,  where  the  permanent  cathedral  is  to  be  built  in  the  near 
future.  In  connection  with  the  cathedral  are  the  churches  of  the  Good  Shep- 
herd, Calvary  Mission,  and  St.  Simon  the  Cyrenian  Mission,  conducted  by 
Rev.    DeLou   Burke,   canon. 

LUTHERAN    CHURCHES. 

The  English  Lutheran  Church,  now  known  as  the  First  Lutheran,  had 
its  beginning  April  7,  1867.  It  was  organized  by  Rev.  Morris  Officer,  and 
had  as  its  original  members  Rev.  Josiah  B.  McAfee,  John  Guthrie,  C.  H. 
Ellison,  A.  P.  Benson,  George  Rubble,  A.  S.  Halmburg  and  Hugo  Kullak. 
Rev.  A.  J.  Hasson  was  the  first  pastor,  followed  by  Rev.  B.  F.  Alleman  and 
Rev.  T.  F.  Dornblazer.  Services  were  first  held  in  Germania  Hall.  A  small 
frame  church  was  built  in  1871  on  lots  163,  165  and  167  Topeka  avenue. 
In  1885  a  large  brick  structure  was  erected  at  the  northeast  corner  of  Harri- 
son and  Fifth  street,  which  is  the  present  home  of  the  church,  with  Rev. 
H.  A.  Ott  as  pastor. 

The  German  Lutheran  Church,  evangelical,  has  a  building  at  the  corner 
of  VanBuren  and  Second  streets.  Rev.  H.  F.  Eggert,  pastor.  The  Swedish 
Lutheran  Church  has  its  home  at  the  northeast  corner  of  Fourth  and  Tyler 
streets,  with  Rev.  A.  M.  L.  Herenius  as  pastor.  This  church  was  organized 
in  September,  1869,  by  Rev.  A.  W.  Dahlsten,  the  succeeding  pastors  being 
Rev.  C.  J.  Scheleen,  Rev.  C.  V.  Vestling  and  Rev.  John  Holcomb.  Another 
of  the  Lutheran  organizations  is  the  St.  Paul's  German  Evang'elical,  corner 


ST.  JOSEPH'S  GERMAN  CATHOLIC  CHURCH 


CHURCH  OF  THE  ASSUMPTION 


GRACE  CATHEDRAL 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  203 

of  Monroe  and  Fourth  streets,  of  which  Rev.  Silverman  is  pastor.    Swedish 
Bethel,  on  Polk  street,  is  conducted  by  Rev.  Mr.  Peter  Persson. 

CHRISTIAN    CHURCHES. 

The  First  Christian  Church  is  located  in  a  handsome  stone  building  on 
the  east  side  of  Topeka  avenue,  between  Sixth  avenue  and  Seventh  street, 
the  present  pastor  being  Rev.  Charles  A.  Finch.  The  church  was  established 
January  i,  1881,  by  Rev.  S.  T.  Dodd,  with  the  following  officers:  Dr. 
S.  T.  Dodd,  pastor;  Willard  Davis,  clerk;  Alfred  Ennis  and  W.  D.  Stone, 
elders ;  J.  A.  Mullen,  W.  M.  Hess  and  J.  O.  Leary,  deacons ;  Ira  Miller, 
David  Eckert,  William  Niccum,  E.  H.  Roudebush  and  G.  W.  Fought,  trus- 
tees; and  Buel  Shuler  and  A.  A.  Stewart,  ushers.  There  are  four  other 
Christian  churches  in  the  city,  known  as  the  North  Topeka,  Rev.  J.  T. 
Purvis;  Second,  Rev.  B.  C.  Duke;  Third,  Rev.  F.  E.  Mallory;  and  Oakland, 
Rev.  N.  Overman. 

UNITARIAN    CHURCH. 

The  First  Unitarian  Church  had  its  beginning  in  June,  1883,  when  the 
society  was  organized  by  the  following  persons :  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  W. 
Wood,  Dr.  O.  B.  Morse,  Robert  Pierce,  Mrs.  Anna  G.  Brown,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  A.  P.  Wilder,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  R.  Peck,  Miss  Belle  Wilder, 
John  A.  Dailey,  F.  M.  Hayward  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frank  H.  Foster.  The 
first  pastor  was  Rev.  Enoch  Powell.  The  present  pastor  is  Rev.  Abram 
Wyman.  The  church  building  at  Nos.  302,  304  and  306  Topeka  avenue 
was  erected  in  1885  at  a  cost  of  $8,200. 

NEW   JERUSALEM    CHURCH. 

In  1880  the  Topeka  Society  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  Swedenborgian, 
was  organized,  the  first  meetings  being  held  at  the  home  of  Edward  Wilder. 
In  the  following  year  a  chapel  and  parsonage  were  erected  at  the  southeast 
corner  of  Topeka  avenue  and  Harrison  street.  The  first  ministers  were  Rev. 
Howard  C.  Dunham  and  Rev.  Frank  L.  Higgins.  The  church  is  now  with- 
out a  pastor  and  regular  services  have  been  discontinued. 

CHURCH    OF    CHRIST SCIENTIST. 

Topeka  has  two  Christian  Science  organizations,  with  a  rapidly  growing 
affiliation.     The  First  Church  of  Christ  is  located  at  the  corner  of  Huntoon 
10 


204  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

and  Polk  streets,  in  its  own  building,  with  W.  C.  Fisk  as  first  reader.  The 
Second  Church  of  Christ  occupies  leased  rooms  at  No.  io8  West  Ninth 
street,  with  Willis  D.  McKinstry  as  reader. 

MISCELLANEOUS    RELIGIOUS    ORGANIZATIONS. 

A  church  of  the  Evangelical  (Albright)  German  denomination  is 
maintained  at  the  corner  of  Fourth  and  Monroe  streets,  with  Rev.  Peter 
Schuman  as  pastor,  and  the  Seventh  Day  Adventists  have  a  church  at  the 
corner  of  Fifth  street  and  Western  avenue,  with  Rev.  E.  T.  Russell  in 
charge.  The  Salvation  Army  conducts  a  shelter  at  No.  312  Kansas  avenue, 
in  charge  of  Captain  and  Mrs.  E.  Stinnett,  and  its  splendid  work  among  the 
poor  is  cordially  cooperated  with  by  the  churches. 

CHRISTIAN   ASSOCIATIONS. 

The  officers  of  the  Young  Women's  Christian  Association  are :  Mrs. 
C.  J.  Evans,  president;  Mrs.  J.  B.  Larimer,  vice-president;  Mrs.  A.  Vander- 
pool,  recording  secretary;  Mrs.  W.  H.  Holmes,  treasurer;  Miss  M.  E.  Reid, 
general  secretary;  Anna  H.  Waldron,  house  secretary;  and  Miss  Ethel 
Estberg,  physical  director.  The  organization  was  formed  February  10, 
1887,  and  has  rooms  in  the  Masonic  Building. 

Topeka  is  the  Kansas  headquarters  of  the  State  Executive  Committee 
of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  of  which  Andrew  Baird  is  state 
secretary  and  Charles  Fenstamacher,  office  secretary.  The  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
Central  Department  of  Topeka  is  located  at  Nos.  iii  to  117  East  Eighth 
avenue.  It  is  managed  by  a  board  of  directors  consisting  of  J.  B.  Larimer, 
Harold  T.  Chase,  H.  B.  Lautz  and  H.  S.  Morgan.  The  officers  are :  George 
E.  Lerrigo,  general  secretary;  F.  G.  Mitchell,  assistant  secretary;  J.  E. 
Manley,  assistant  secretary;  J.  L.  Montgomery,  office  secretary;  and  J.  A. 
Augustus,  physical  director.  The  Railroad  Branch  occupies  a  fine  building 
on  Fourth  street,  near  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Depot,  which  was 
erected  in  1902,  the  corner-stone  being  laid  by  President  Roosevelt.  Other 
branches  are  maintained  at  Washburn  College  and  the  Kansas  Medical  Col- 
lege. Negotiations  are  in  progress  for  the  erection  by  the  Central  Depart- 
ment of  a  new  $80,000  building. 

FRATERNAL    AND    BENEVOLENT    SOCIETIES. 

There  are  34  Masonic  organizations  in  Topeka,  the  parent  body,  Topeka 
Lodge  No.  17,  having  been  chartered  October  18,  1859.    Most  of  the  organi- 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  205 

zations  have  their  headquarters  and  hold  their  meetings  in  the  Masonic 
Building  at  Nos.  619,  621  and  623  Jackson  street.  The  Grand  Lodge  offices 
are  in  the  Real  Estate  Building  at  No.  701  Jackson  street.  A  Masonic  library 
and  office  building  is  now  in  process  of  construction  at  the  northeast  corner 
of  Eighth  avenue  and  Harrison  street,  to  cost  $20,000. 

Lincoln  Post,  No.  i,  is  the  parent  organization  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic  in  Kansas.  There  are  five  other  posts  in  Topeka,  a  camp  of  the  Sons 
of  Veterans  and  three  women's  auxiliaries  of  the  G.  A.  R. 

Topeka  is  the  headquarters  of  the  National  Council  of  the  Knights  and 
Ladies  of  Security,  of  which  W.  B.  Kirkpatrick  is  president;  C.  A.  Gower, 
vice-president;  J.  M.  Wallace,  secretary;  W.  M.  Forbes,  treasurer;  and  H. 
A.  Warner,  medical  director.  The  council  owns  the  Security  Building  at 
the  southwest  corner  of  Kansas  avenue  and  Seventh  street,  representing  an 
investment  of  $50,000.  There  are  five  local  councils.  The  total  membership 
throughout  the  country  is  more  than  50,000,  and  the  total  insurance  in  force 
exceeds  $60,000,000. 

Topeka  Lodge,  No.  204,  was  the  first  lodge  organized  in  Kansas  of  the 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  It  has  450  members  and  occupies 
the  whole  of  the  third  floor  of  the  Masonic  Building.  The  officers  are: 
Leroy  M.  Penwell,  exalted  ruler;  Henry  Ruff,  esteemed  leading  knight; 
Arthur  M.  Mills,  esteemed  loyal  knight ;  Harry  W.  Donaldson,  esteemed  lect- 
uring knight;  Joseph  E.  Morgan,  secretary;  Clarence  S.  Bowman,  treasurer; 
and  H.  B.  Hogeboom,  esquire. 

The  Kansas  Grand  Lodge  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  has 
its  headquarters  in  Topeka,  in  charge  of  W.  H.  Kemper,  grand  secretary. 
There  are  12  subordinate  organizations  in  the  city,  inclusive  of  the  Rebekah 
lodges.  Shawnee  Lodge,  No.  i,  the  oldest  of  the  Topeka  organizations,  owns 
a  business  block  at  No.  523  Quincy  street,  in  which  its  hall  is  located. 

Topeka  has  six  lodges  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen,  four 
lodges  of  the  Degree  of  Honor  and  two  of  the  Select  Knights  and  Ladies. 
The  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  the  Woodmen  of  the  World  have 
seven  distinct  organizations;  the  Knights  and  Ladies  of  the  Maccabees,  six; 
Knights  of  Pythias,  six;  the  Patriotic  Legion  of  America,  three;  and  the 
Independent  Order  of  Red  Men,  two.  Most  of  the  other  fraternal  and  benev- 
olent societies  of  the  country  are  represented  in  Topeka  by  one  or  more  lodges, 
the  total  list  running  into  the  hundreds.  The  labor  organizations  and  trades 
unions  are  numerous,  covering  nearly  every  vocation  and  industry. 

The  Catholic  societies  embrace  the  Ancient  Order  of  Hibernians,  Knights 
of  Columbus,  Catholic  Muttial  Benefit  Association,  Ladies'  Catholic  Benevo- 
lent Association  and  the  Catholic  Knights  and  Ladies  of  America. 


206  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

CLUB  ORGANIZATIONS. 

Of  clubs  and  societies,  from  the  field  of  athletics  to  the  arena  of  philsophy 
and  politics,  there  are  probably  lOO  organizations.  In  addition  thereto  the 
women  of  the  city  have  a  total  of  46  separate  organizations,  which  are 
grouped  with  the  Topeka  Federation,  with  the  following  general  officers : 
Mrs.  Clement  Smith,  president;  Mrs.  James  W.  Going,  ist  vice-president; 
Miss  Lucy  D.  Kingman,  2nd  vice-president;  Mrs.  Eli  G.  Foster,  secretary; 
Mrs.  E.  D.  Robertson,  treasurer;  and  Mrs.  George  A.  Huron,  auditor.  Had 
the  founders  of  Topeka  known  what  was  coming,  they  might  have  christened 
the  new  town  "Clubville,"  instead  of  delving  into  aboriginal  lore  to  find  a  name 
with  a  purely  vegetable  significance. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

The  Disastrous  Flood  or  1903 — Principal  Events  in  North  Topeka — Hozv  the 
Sufferers  Were  Rescued — Boats  atid  Cables  in  Service — Loss  of  Life  and 
Damage  to  Property — Systematic  Relief  Afforded — Strange  Experiences 
and  Odd  Incidents — Major  Harvey  and  His  Salvage  Corps — North 
Topeka  Restored. 

A  calamity  befell  Topeka  in  1903  so  appalling  is  its  nature  that  it  will 
be  recalled  in  future  years,  no  doubt,  as  the  most  famous  event  in  the  history 
of  the  city.  For  a  period  of  one  week,  beginning  May  30,  1903,  the  city  was 
the  scene  of  an  almost  unexampled  flood,  by  which  the  entire  northern  part 
of  the  city,  and  a  considerable  territory  south,  east  and  west  from  the  main 
business  district,  were  inundated  by  water  from  the  Kaw  River  and  its  tribu- 
taries, resulting  in  the  loss  of  29  lives  by  drowning  and  exposure,  the  destruc- 
tion of  a  vast  amount  of  property,  and  the  eviction  of  8,000  persons  from  their 
homes. 

CAUSE  OF  THE   FLOOD. 

In  the  general  district  drained  by  the  Kaw  River  rain  had  been  falling 
almost  continuously  from  May  i6th.  The  waters  of  the  Saline,  Blue  and 
Smoky  Hill  rivers,  added  to  that  of  the  Kaw,  forced  the  latter  out  of  its  banks 
at  Topeka  on  Friday,  May  29th,  completely  submerging  the  valley.  By  Sat- 
urday night,  May  30th,  that  part  of  Topeka  lying  north  of  the  river,  and 
known  as  North  Topeka,  was  entirely  under  water,  endangering  the  lives  of 
thousands  of  citizens  who  had  remained  at  home  to  make  a  valiant  effort  for 
the  protection  of  their  property.  At  this  time  8  inches  of  water  had  fallen 
at  Topeka.  West  from  Topeka,  at  Manhattan,  the  rainfall  was  9  inches,  and 
at  Salina,  further  west,  it  amounted  to  17  inches. 

SCENE    OF    THE    OVERFLOW. 

North  Topeka,  which  is  the  First  Ward  of  the  city  of  Topeka,  had  a 
population  of  9,000,  and  was  the  seat  of  some  of  the  larger  manufacturing 
industries  of  the  city,  such  as  flouring  mills,  woolen  mills,  elevators,  planing 


2o8  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

mills,  lumber  yards  and  smaller  concerns.  The  Union  Pacific  Railroad  passes 
through  the  place,  and  maintains  the  Union  Pacific  Hotel  and  extensive 
freight  and  passenger  depots  there.  The  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Rail- 
way also  has  a  station  on  the  north  side  for  the  accommodation  of  its  line 
to  Atchison.  All  kinds  of  business  were  represented  in  the  business  district, 
as  it  was  the  trading  point  for  a  large  community  of  farmers  living  north, 
east  and  west.  When  it  became  apparent  that  the  flood  was  about  to  reach 
the  point  of  danger,  many  families  living  close  to  the  river  abandoned  their 
homes  and  moved  to  the  south  side.  Those  residing  further  away  felt  secure 
in  the  belief  that  the  water  could  never  reach  them.  Old  settlers,  who  had 
lived  there  for  40  years  or  more,  insisted  that  the  water  could  rise  no  higher 
than  it  did  in  the  time  of  former  freshets,  through  which  they  had  passed  in 
safety.  By  noon  of  Sunday,  May  31st,  all  traditions  of  the  early  days  had 
been  superseded,  and  the  old  settlers  found  themselves  moving  to  the  upper 
floors,  or  clinging  to  the  roofs  of  their  houses,  refuge  in  some  cases  being 
sought  in  the  branches  of  tall  trees. 

The  flood  covered  the  entire  limits  of  North  Topeka.  The  river,  bursting 
from  its  low  banks,  cut  a  new  channel  across  the  center  of  the  town,  through 
which  the  water  rushed  with  tremendous  force.  To  add  to  the  distressing 
situation,  fire  broke  out  in  the  Thomas  and  Gabriel  lumber-yards,  caused  by 
slaking  lime,  the  burning  timbers  being  carried  by  the  current  to  all  parts  of 
the  beleaguered  town,  setting  fire  to  numerous  frame  buildings  and  increas- 
ing the  peril  to  human  life.  From  a  placid  stream  200  yards  in  width,  the 
Kaw  River  became  an  angry  torrent  extending  for  a  distance  of  five  miles 
north  and  south. 

RESCUING  THE  VICTIMS. 

As  soon  as  the  extent  of  the  flood  and  the  danger  to  life  were  realized 
the  problem  of  relief  and  rescue  was  promptly  undertaken  by  the  citizens  of 
Topeka.  All  of  the  telephone  lines  were  down,  the  street  railway  bridge  had 
been  swept  away,  the  approaches  to  the  Melan  passenger  and  wagon  bridge 
had  been  carried  out,  and  there  was  no  way  of  communicating  with  North 
Topeka  from  the  south  side  of  the  river  except  by  boat.  Even  this  facility 
was  limited.  Ordinarily  the  Kaw  River  is  so  shallow  that  boating  is  not 
practicable.  The  entire  naval  equipment  of  Topeka  at  that  time  comprised 
about  25  light  canoes,  and  there  were  about  that  number  of  men  in  the  city 
who  were  capable  of  rowing  a  skiff.  Whatever  craft  could  be  found,  how- 
ever, was  promptly  put  into  commission,  and  willing  hands  volunteered  to 
row  across  the  river  in  these  frail  barks.  Freeman  Sardou,  a  fisherman,  was 
one  of  the  men  who  worked  persistently  at  the  oars,  making  a  trip  every  45 


LOOKING  SOUTHEAST  FROM  LUKENS'  OPERA  HOUSE.  NORTH  TOPEKA 


LOOKING  SOUTH  ON  KANSAS  AVENUE,  SHOWING  WRECKAGE  ON  NORRIS  STREET 

THE  FLOOD  OF  J903 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  211 

minutes  until  he  had  gathered  about  200  persons  from  tree-tops  and  isolated 
buildings,  and  landed  them  in  places  of  safety.  On  Sunday  a  line  of  boats 
was  established  at  the  foot  of  Western  avenue  and  many  of  the  flood  sufferers 
were  landed  there  during  the  ensuing  three  days. 

The  channel  was  not  only  difificult  of  passage,  but  the  volume  of  drift- 
wood and  timbers  from  dismantled  bridges  and  wrecked  houses  made  the 
boating  exceedingly  difficult.  The  mass  of  debris  lodging  against  the  big 
bridge  connecting  North  Topeka  with  the  south  side  forced  the  water  around 
the  south  end  of  the  bridge  and  backed  it  up  Kansas  avenue  and  other  streets 
for  a  distance  of  three  blocks,  doing  great  damage  to  the  Wolfif  packing 
house  and  several  wholesale  establishments  and  commission  concerns  near 
the  Rock  Island  Depot.  Further  up  the  river  the  City  Park  and  Turner 
garden  were  covered  to  a  depth  of  three  feet,  and  the  city  pumping  station 
was  inundated,  cutting  ofif  the  water  supply.  The  river  reached  its  greatest 
height  on  Saturday  evening,  May  31st,  when  it  was  27  feet  above  low-water 
mark,  and  began  to  recede  at  9  o'clock  that  night,  but  the  fall  was  so  slow 
that  it  seemed  to  make  no  impression,  and  it  was  not  until  June  4th  that  the 
water  ceased  running  in  the  streets  of  North  Topeka. 

HOW  THEY   WERE  BROUGHT   OVER. 

To  aid  in  the  work  of  rescue,  a  pontoon  bridge  was  constructed,  extend- 
ing from  Second  street  to  the  south  end  of  the  Melan  bridge.  When  this  had 
been  finished,  it  was  discovered  that  the  north  approach  to  the  big  bridge  had 
also  been  carried  out,  and  that  North  Kansas  avenue  and  the  streets  east  and 
west  of  that  point  were  merged  into  a  lake  of  water  extending  to  Garfield 
Park,  Soldier  Creek,  and  two  miles  beyond.  A  heavy  cable  was  then 
stretched  from  the  north  end  of  the  bridge  to  the  brick  buildings  along  Kan- 
sas avenue  as  far  north  as  the  Skinner  ice  plant,  and  by  this  means  strong 
men  pulled  boats  to  and  from  the  bridge,  hand  over  hand,  carrying  food  in 
one  direction  and  returning  laden  with  human  freight  rescued  from  points  of 
shelter.  This  work  continued  for  several  days,  supplemented  by  similar  work 
at  the  Santa  Fe  bridge,  and  the  Sardou  bridge  further  down  the  river.  Those 
first  to  be  rescued  were  families  living  nearest  to  the  river  where  the  water 
was  deepest  and  the  exposure  most  severe.  A  temporary  relief  station  was 
established  in  two  street-cars,  which  had  been  left  standing  on  the  north  bank 
of  the  river  when  the  street  railway  bridge  went  down.  While  the  situation 
was  at  its  worst,  a  half  dozen  of  the  students  of  Washburn  College  run  a 
cable  across  the  chasm  made  at  the  north  end  of  the  big  bridge,  attached  pul- 
leys thereto,  and  drew  a  large  number  of  women  and  children  over  by  means 
of  a  "breeches  buoy." 


212  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

With  the  downpour  of  rain  on  Saturday  and  Sunday  came  a  chilling 
wind.  It  was  November  rather  than  June  weather,  and  women  and  children 
shivered  with  cold  in  damp  rooms,  or  upon  the  roofs  to  which  they  climbed  in 
dripping  garments.  On  Sunday  500  persons  were  rescued  in  boats,  250 
more  were  brought  away  on  Monday,  and  after  that  probably  100  a  day  were 
brought  over  until  the  danger  was  past.  The  receding  water  left  a  deposit  of 
mud  from  six  inches  to  three  feet  deep  in  every  building  in  North  Topeka. 
In  many  instances  the  weight  of  mud  caused  the  floors  to  collapse,  carrying 
the  contents  of  the  rooms  into  the  cellars.  The  loss  in  household  furniture 
was  very  large,  and  700  pianos  were  water-soaked  and  ruined. 

IMPRISONED    IN     HOUSES. 

The  first  outside  aid  came  from  St.  Joseph,  Missouri.  The  Rock  Island 
railroad  was  able  to  operate  trains  from  the  north  to  the  town  of  Elmont, 
from  which  point  boats  could  be  worked  into  North  Topeka  from  the  direc- 
tion of  the  State  Reform  School.  The  mayor  of  St.  Joseph  sent  a  force  of 
60  men  equipped  with  boats  and  carrying  provisions  and  clothing  for  the 
needy.  These  boats  took  out  about  4,000  persons,  who  were  cared  for  at  the 
Reform  School  or  sent  to  Holton  and  other  towns  to  which  the  flood  had  not 
extended.  Without  this  timely  succor  many  of  the  flood  victims  must  have 
perished,  as  they  were  not  only  short  of  food  but  beyond  the  reach  of  the  few 
boats  in  service  from  Topeka.  In  some  instances  men  refused  to  be  taken 
away  from  their  houses,  stating  that  they  preferred  to  remain  and  go  down 
with  their  homes  if  necessary.  Many  who  abandoned  their  homes  found 
shelter  in  the  larger  buildings  throughout  Topeka  which  were  best  calculated 
to  withstand  the  terrible  force  of  the  tempest.  In  the  Davis  grain  elevator 
at  one  time  were  200  persons;  in  the  "B"  Street  Baptist  Church,  150;  in  the 
First  Ward  fire  station,  no;  in  the  woolen  mills,  300;  in  the  Grant  School, 
200;, and  there  were  a  dozen  groups  of  smaller  numbers  in  other  protected 
buildings.  It  was  impossible  to  remove  them  while  the  water  was  rising,  but 
by  desperate  efforts  food  was  conveyed  to  them  in  sufficient  quantities  to 
minimize  their  distress.  Those  in  the  Davis  elevator  were  taken  out  by  the 
St.  Joseph  boats,  and  the  rest  were  removed  by  the  local  rescue  parties.  On 
Friday  and  Saturday  nights  persons  living  on  the  higher  ground  10  blocks 
distant  from  the  scene  of  the  flood  could  hear  the  cries  of  victims  who  were 
perched  on  the  roofs  of  houses  or  in  the  branches  of  trees,  and  there  were 
occasional  reports  of  revolver  shots  fired  as  signals  of  distress. 

Headquarters  for  the  refugees  and  relief  committees  were  established  in 
the  Topeka  Auditorium,  where  the  sufferers  were  fed  and  clothed,  and  dis- 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  213 

tributed  to  other  buildings  in  the  city,  and  to  the  private  residences  which 
were  thrown  open  to  them.  The  total  registrations  at  the  Auditorium  was 
nearly  2,000,  but  more  than  that  number  found  shelter  with  relatives  and 
friends  elsewhere.  Hospitals  were  established,  and  physicians  and  nurses 
exerted  every  effort  in  caring  for  the  sick  and  helpless.  The  Salvation  Army 
fed  500  homeless  persons  daily  for  a  week  or  more,  and  other  charitable  orga- 
nizations afforded  every  possible  relief. 

PROPERTY  DESTROYED. 

An  idea  of  the  property  loss  may  be  gained  from  the  statement  that  in 
North  Topeka  alone  the  flood  extended  to  1,500  residences  and  300  business 
blocks  and  public  buildings.  What  was  true  of  North  Topeka  was  equally 
true  of  the  whole  district  up  and  down  the  Kaw  River,  the  richest  valley  in 
the  State,  although  the  destruction  in  North  Topeka  was  greater,  by  reason 
of  the  fact  that  the  land  is  lower  and  the  population  denser.  The  flood  damage 
and  suffering  extended  for  a  distance  of  200  miles  in  length  and  six  miles  in 
width.  Farms  were  laid  waste,  crops  washed  out,  and  much  live  stock 
drowned.  It  is  not  possible  to  give  an  accurate  statement  in  detail  of  the  total 
property  loss,  but  the  following  is  believed  to  be  a  reasonable  and  comprehen- 
sive estimate  of  the  losses  in  the  Topeka  district,  as  given  by  the  local  news- 
papers at  the  time : 

Residence    property    in    North    Topeka    $300,000 

Rock   Island,    Santa   Fe   and   Union    Pacific   Railways i7S,ooo 

Topeka    City    Railway    7S,ooo 

Lumber   Yards   and   Sash   Factory    40,000 

Otto    Kuehne    Preserving   Works    10,000 

Mills    and    Elevators    3S,ooo 

J.   Thomas    Lumber   Company    3S,ooo 

Other  Business   Concerns   in   North  Topeka    300,000 

Charles    Wolf    Packing    Company    50,000 

Parkhurst  &  Davis  Mercantile  Company   S.ooo 

Other   Wholesale   and    Commission   Houses 50,000 

Potato   Growers   and    Market   Gardeners 400,000 

Nursery  and  Fruit   Growers    150,000 

Cattle,   Hogs,    Poultry   and    Grain    85,000 

Farm  Improvements  and  Growing  Crops    450,000 

Shawnee  County  Bridges   40,000 

Western   Union   Telgraph    Company    10,000 

Telephone   Companies    8,000 

City  of  Topeka — Pavements,    Sewers,    Sidewalks,   Etc 50,000 

Total    $2,268,000 


214  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

THE  DEATH  LIST. 

The  loss  of  life  by  reason  of  the  flood  was  greater  at  North  Topeka  than 
at  any  other  point  on  the  river.  The  known  deaths  amounted  to  29  in  num- 
ber, of  which  the  following  is  a  correct  list : 

Edward  Grafstrom.  James  Phillips. 

Henry  Jordan.  Miss  Minnie  L.  Puryear. 

J.  W.  Houser.  Mrs.   Nellie  Watson. 

Henry  Ward.  Mrs.  Minnie  King. 

Raymond  Garrett.  Theodore  Edwards. 

Miss  Louise  Seahaven.  Forest  Kutz. 

Murle  Story.  Girl,  unidentified. 

John  L.  Adams.  Mrs.   Nancy  Shonkweiler. 

Mrs.  Alice  Bishop.  James  H.  Stout. 

Benjamin  McDonald.  Mrs.  Jessie  Stout. 

Mrs.  Kirrie  Buford.  Agnes  Stout. 

Simon  Taylor.  Josephine  Stout. 

Mrs.   Jerry   Mayweather.  Lena  Stout. 

Mrs.  Sallie  Halyard.  Infant  son  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stout. 

Mrs.  Mary  Kennedy. 

Edward  Grafstrom  was  a  mechanical  engineer  of  the  Atchison,  Topeka 
&  Santa  Fe  Railway.  He  was  drowned  on  Tuesday  evening,  June  2nd,  by 
the  sinking  of  a  small  gasoline  launch  which  he  had  built  for  the  purpose  of 
rescuing  those  in  distress.  Forest  Kutz  was  a  school  teacher  who  was  found 
in  a  tree,  so  weakened  by  cold  and  exposure  that  when  the  rescuers  reached 
him  he  fell  into  the  boat  with  such  force  that  it  was  capsized,  and  he  was 
unable  to  regain  it.  Henry  Jordan  lost  his  life  by  the  sinking  of  a  boat  in 
which  he  was  endeavoring  to  rescue  a  man  from  a  telegraph  pole.  J.  W. 
Houser  fell  from  the  Santa  Fe  railroad  bridge  and  was  drowned.  Henry 
Ward,  an  old  soldier  living  near  Oakland,  fell  into  the  river  from  a  tree  and 
was  drowned.  Raymond  Garrett,  the  five-year-old  son  of  Fireman  G.  H. 
Garrett,  lost  his  life  by  the  overturning  of  a  boat.  Miss  Louise  Seahaven, 
an  employee  of  the  Western  Woolen  Mills,  was  drowned  near  the  Forbes 
elevator,  together  with  Murle  Story,  the  12-year-old  daughter  of  George  M. 
Story.  Mrs.  Alice  Bishop  died  in  Christ's  Hospital,  after  being  rescued  from 
her  home.  Mrs.  Nancy  Shonkweiler,  James  H.  Stout  and  his  wife,  Mrs. 
Jessie  Stout,  and  their  four  children  were  drowned  on  Sunday  by  the  col- 
lapse of  a  house  in  which  they  had  taken  refuge.  The  others  named  in  the 
death  list  are  colored  persons  who  lost  their  lives,  either  through  direct  flood 
causes  or  from  the  overturning  of  boats  which  were  almost  unmanageable 
against  the  violent  current.  It  is  probable  that  there  were  other  losses  of  life, 
the  full  extent  of  which  will  never  be  known. 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  215 

SOME    OF    THE    EXPERIENCES. 

Volumes  might  be  written  without  covering  more  than  a  fraction  of  the 
thrilling  experiences  and  odd  incidents  of  the  flood.  Parents  were  separated 
from  their  children  in  the  storm,  boats  were  capsized  on  paved  streets  where 
the  water  was  12  feet  deep,  horses  and  cows  were  drowned  while  tied  to  trees 
in  front  of  their  owners'  premises,  houses  were  lifted  from  their  foundations 
and  moved  a  block  or  more  away  by  whirlpools,  or  carried  down  stream  to 
be  dashed  to  splinters  against  the  railroad  bridge.  One  man  pulled  lumber 
and  tools  to  the  top  of  a  cottonwood  tree  and  built  a  rude  cabin,  in  which  he 
stored  supplies  enough  to  last  him  a  month.  Another  was  found  upon  a  roof, 
■  calmly  playing  a  cornet.  Another  and  more  desperate  fellow  stood  at  the 
upper  window  of  his  home  with  a  shotgun  in  his  hand  and  swore  that  he 
would  kill  the  first  man  who  tried  to  rescue  him.  Women  refused  to  get  into 
the  boats  without  their  children,  and  children  refused  to  go  without  their  pet 
dogs  and  cats.  Horses  and  cows  were  found  in  the  second  stories  of  houses, 
a  pig  was  found  in  a  brass  bed,  and  a  lamb  was  rescued  from  an  upper  porch, 
where  its  cries  of  agony  had  convinced  the  boatman  that  it  was  a  young  child 
in  distress. 

Of  personal  experiences,  that  of  Robert  Anderson  is  a  fair  sample  of 
what  happened  in  a  hundred  other  instances.  Anderson  lived  at  No.  iioi 
Madison  street.  When  he  returned  home  from  work  on  Friday  evening,  the 
streets  were  waist-high  with  water.  Two  blocks  from  home  he  fell  into  an 
open  sewer,  but  saved  himself  from  being  drawn  into  the  pipes  by  clinging  to 
a  passing  log.  When  he  finally  reached  home,  the  members  of  the  family  were 
found  upon  the  second  floor.  His  mother  and  younger  brother  were  rescued 
by  boat.  Anderson,  his  father,  and  another  brother  remained  behind.  During 
the  night  the  kitchen  of  their  home  caught  fire.  They  made  ropes  of  bed 
clothes,  by  which  young  Anderson  was  lowered  to  the  scene  of  the  fire  with  a 
bucket.  He  succeeded  in  extinguishing  the  flames  and  was  then  drawn  up- 
stairs. They  remained  in  the  house  from  Friday  evening  until  Sunday 
morning,  when  they  were  taken  in  a  boat  to  the  woolen  mill.  Two  girls  were 
caught  by  the  flood  while  trying  to  save  some  of  their  wearing  apparel.  They 
were  driven  to  the  second  floor  by  the  rising  water,  and  then  to  the  attic. 
With  a  pair  of  scissors  they  cut  a  small  hole  in  the  roof,  and  with  bed-slats 
pried  off  the  shingles  until  the  opening  was  large  enough  to  permit  them  to 
crawl  through,  and  a  boat  subsequently  carried  them  beyond  danger. 

THE     RELIEF     WORK. 

The  citizens  of  Topeka  subscribed  $50,000  to  aid  in  caring  for  the  suf- 
ferers, and  there  were  other  contributions  from  outside  sources  amounting 


2i6  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

to  $20,000.  In  the  work  of  relief  Capt.  H.  M.  Philips  served  as  chairman  of 
the  committee  to  provide  food  and  shelter;  Otis  E.  Hungate  as  chairman  of 
the  rescue  committee;  A.  A.  Godard  as  chairman  of  the  finance  committee, 
and  Mrs.  Charles  F.  Spencer  as  chairman  of  the  woman's  relief  committee. 
Frank  H.  Foster  had  charge  of  the  rescuing  party  at  the  south  end  of  the 
Melan  bridge.  Judge  A.  W.  Dana  directed  the  operation  of  the 
cable  line.  A.  M.  Harvey  and  E.  L.  Overton  were  in  command  at  the  north 
approach  to  the  bridge.  The  relief  work  at  the  Sardou  landing  was  directed 
by  Ralph  Brigham,  and  that  at  the  Western  avenue  landing  by  A.  M.  Fuller 
and  Frank  Blanch.  William  Taylor  and  M.  D.  Henderson  had  charge  of  the 
boat  service.  The  construction  of  the  pontoon  bridge  and  the  flatboats  was 
performed  under  the  direction  of  J.  B.  Betts  and  George  H.  Henderson.  W. 
J.  Stagg  was  principal  assistant  to  Captain  Philips.  Congressman  Charles 
Curtis  and  Mayor  W.  S.  Bergundthal,  both  residents  of  North  Topeka,  did 
everything  in  their  power  for  the  relief  of  their  neighbors  and  friends,  and 
efficient  help  was  furnished  by  Sheriff  A.  T.  Lucas,  Chief  of  Police  Carlos  A. 
Goff,  and  by  President  John  E.  Frost  and  Secretary  Thomas  J.  Anderson, 
of  the  Topeka  Commercial  Club.  Special  branches  of  the  relief  and  rescue 
work  enlisted  the  services  of  Dr.  Norman  Plass,  James  A.  Troutman,  Charles 
K.  Holliday,  Alfred  B.  Quinton,  J.  B.  Larimer,  Frank  M.  Bonebrake,  W.  W. 
Mills,  J.  W.  Thurston,  C.  E.  Hawley,  Jonathan  Thomas,  Henry  Auerbach, 
W.  T.  Crosby,  E.  H.  Crosby,  and  of  hundreds  of  others,  men  and  women, 
who  were  not  identified  with  the  various  committees. 

HISTORIES     OF     THE     FLOOD. 

Two  excellent  accounts  of  the  great  flood  have  been  written  in  book 
form :  one  by  Llewellyn  L.  Kiene,  a  souvenir  pictorial  book,  and  the  other 
by  Mrs.  Margaret  Hill  McCarter,  under  the  title  of  "The  Overflowing 
Waters."  A  graphic  description  of  the  rescue  work  was  written  by  Maj. 
Alexander  M.  Harvey,  former  Lieutenant  Governor  of  Kansas,  in  these 
words 

"On  Saturday  evening.  May  30th,  of  the  flood  period,  accompanied  by 
Judge  Richard  F.  Hayden,  I  made  my  way  across  the  bridge  to  the  north 
side.  We  found  eight  or  ten  men  there,  who  were  doing  what  they  could  to 
bring  refugees  over,  and  we  joined  them  in  the  work.  Judge  Hayden  went  out 
in  a  boat  with  a  companion  about  9  o'clock,  and  we  saw  nothing  more  of  him 
during  the  night.  Dr.  Conrad  Biorke  and  two  colored  men  soon  same  in  with 
W.  H.  Troutman  and  daughter,  whom  they  had  picked  up.  These  colored 
men  were  perfectly  at  home  in  the  water  and  assisted  us  in  landing  two  other 
parties.    The  water  was  then  at  its  highest  point,  and  the  currents  were  run- 


MELAN  ARCH  BRIDGE,  AFTER  WATER  HAD  FALLEN   SIX  FEET 


GENERAL  VIEW  OF  THE  FLOOD,— LOOKING  NORTHEAST  FROM  PARKHURST-DAVIS  BUILDING, 
SHOWING  NORTH  TOPEKA  AND  SANTA  FE  BRIDGE 


THE  FLOOD  OF  1903 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  219 

ning  like  mill-races  all  around  us.  We  were  stationed  in  two  cars  that  were 
stranded  at  the  north  end  of  the  bridge,  and  had  a  telegraph  pole  swung  from 
one  of  them  to  the  end  of  the  street-car  bridge,  which  yet  extended  up  to 
the  Melan  bridge.  From  there  we  crossed  to  the  Melan  bridge  on  boards. 
Up  to  12  o'clock  we  had  sent  out  several  boats  and  had  received  a  number  of 
persons  and  transferred  them  to  the  south  side. 

"About  midnight  Dr.  L.  M.  Powell  informed  me  that  Llewellyn  L. 
Kiene,  of  the  State  Journal,  was  stranded  at  the  corner  of  Van  Buren  and 
Gordon  streets,  and  urged  me  to  send  a  boat  to  him  as  soon  as  possible.  We 
sent  four  different  boats  before  we  succeeded  in  getting  him  back  to  the  cars. 
Two  of  the  boats  that  were  compelled  to  return  without  him  brought  back 
other  persons  that  were  found  in  trees.  About  4  o'clock  on  Sunday  morning 
we  discovered  that  the  portion  of  the  street-car  bridge  which  we  were  using 
would  soon  wash  out,  and  although  we  still  had  one  boat  out  with  a  number  of 
men  in  it,  we  thought  it  best  to  cross  over  to  the  Melan  bridge.  Two  young 
men  named  McCauley  and  Ramsey  soon  returned  with  Mr.  Kiene. 

CONSTRUCTING     THE      CABLE. 

"After  crossing  to  the  south  side,  I  secured  breakfast  and  some  dry 
clothing  and  then  returned  to  the  bridge,  where  I  found  that  the  north  ap- 
proach and  the  street  railway  bridge  which  we  had  used  the  night  before  had 
washed  out,  and  a  terrific  current  separated  us  from  the  men  on  the  stranded 
cars.  As  I  went  through  the  line  on  the  south  end  of  the  bridge,  I  found  Frank 
Ritchie  and  a  number  of  other  Washburn  College  boys,  who  were  trying  to 
get  through  to  the  stricken  district.  The  guards  informed  us  that  a  com- 
mittee was  on  the  bridge  at  that  time  to  determine  whether  anything  more 
could  be  done  at  that  point.  We  waited  until  the  committee  came  back,  and 
they  told  us  that  everything  would  have  to  be  abandoned  at  the  bridge,  the 
guards  having  been  instructed  to  permit  no  one  to  go  over.  We  interviewed 
them,  and  asked  permission  to  cross,  in  order  to  undertake  the  establishment  of 
a  line  to  the  north  side.  It  was  then  agreed  that  such  of  us  as  wanted  to  work 
together  might  go  on  to  the  bridge  for  that  purpose,  and  so  they  at  once  passed 
the  Washburn  boys  and  any  others  that  I  knew  to  be  good  workers,  and  we 
started  some  of  them  over,  while  others  were  collecting  a  supply  of  cord,  rope 
and  cable.  By  the  time  our  second  detachment  had  reached  the  bridge  with 
the  material  the  ones  who  had  gone  first  had  succeeded  in  establishing  com- 
munication with  the  men  in  the  car,  on  the  north  side. 

"This  was  accomplished  by  the  men  on  the  bridge  getting  loose  a  tele- 
graph wire  that  yet  extended  across  the  current,  and  then  signaling  the  men 
on  the  car  to  get  hold  of  the  same  wire.     The  men  on  the  car  tied  a  rope 


220  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

around  one  of  their  number  and  let  him  get  into  the  water  and  wash  across 
the  street  to  a  place  where  the  wires  were  entangled.  This  being  done,  he 
broke  loose  the  same  wire  our  boys  were  holding,  and  was  then  hauled  back 
through  the  water  to  the  car,  and  our  communication  was  established.  We 
soon  had  a  half-inch  steel  cable  extended  across  the  chasm,  and  fearing  that 
it  might  not  be  strong  enough,  we  sent  over  an  inch-and-a-half  rope  to  be  used 
with  it.  To  keep  the  rope  out  of  the  water  we  fastened  it  to  the  cable  with 
short  pieces  of  wire  about  every  six  or  eight  feet.  Then  we  put  a  pulley 
around  the  wire  cable  and  rope,  and  Fred  Ritchie,  who,  as  well  as  his  brother, 
Frank,  has  the  same  sort  of  courage  that  old  John  Ritchie  possessed,  was 
swung  onto  the  cable  and  pulled  over.  He  had  to  stop  about  every  six  feet 
to  take  off  the  little  wires  that  held  the  rope  and  cable  together,  and  this  made 
it  a  slow  journey. 

"After  the  apparatus  was  in  working  order,  and  a  number  of  persons 
had  been  brought  over,  the  large  rope  parted  at  a  splice  and  let  R.  A.  Beyrans, 
who  was  then  on  the  cable,  drop  into  the  swift  current  as  far  as  the  steel 
cable  would  stretch.  The  boys  dragged  him  through  the  water,  and  over 
timbers  and  wires,  as  they  would  haul  in  a  catfish,  and  landed  him  on  the 
bridge  in  safety.  A  heavier  cable  was  then  put  up  and  it  worked  without 
accident  as  long  as  needed.  Early  on  Monday  morning  I  was  stationed  at  the 
north  end  of  the  cable,  and  in  addition  to  sending  out  boats  we  organized  a 
force  to  extend  a  cable  north  on  Kansas  avenue.  J.  E.  Wilson  had  charge  of 
this  crew,  and  they  worked  hard  all  day  in  a  terrible  current,  and  succeeded 
in  running  a  cable  straight  up  Kansas  avenue  past  the  fire  station,  and  as  far 
as  the  Methodist  Church.  I  remained  at  the  car  all  day  Monday.  Monday 
night  and  Tuesday,  directing  the  boats  in  going  after  persons  who  were  in 
distress  and  bringing  them  to  the  bridge.  The  boats  also  took  out  a  large 
quantity  of  food  to  people  who  could  not  be  removed  from  the  houses. 

MAJOR  Harvey's  helpers. 

"On  Tuesday  evening  I  was  relieved  by  E.  L.  Overton,  who  took  charge 
and  stayed  on  the  north  side  all  of  that  night.  I  relieved  him  Wednesday 
morning  and  kept  up  the  same  work  all  of  that  day,  he  again  relieving  me  on 
Wednesday  night.  On  Thursday  morning  the  water  had  fallen  so  that  our 
landing  had  to  be  established  several  blocks  from  the  car.  Thursday  even- 
ing we  were  relieved  by  the  regular  authorities  of  the  city  and  county.  While 
at  work  we  made  no  attempt  to  take  the  names  of  those  who  assisted,  and  the 
list  can  nefver  be  given  entire,  as  it  embraced  many  men  whose  names  I  never 
learned.  I  give  the  following  as  a  partial  list  of  those  who  worked  with  me : 
E.  L.  Overton,  Prof.  Orwell  B.  Towne,  Frank  Ritchie,  Fred  Ritchie,  Hugh 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  221 

McFarland,  C.  A.  Steele,  George  Anderson,  P.  Anderson,  Hugh  Reed,  Conrad 
Biorke,  Carl  Stahl,  Harden  B.  Leechman,  J.  E.  Wilson,  Ray  Gregg,  R.  A. 
Beyrans,  Ray  Gill,  Omar  Mehl,  H.  H.  Donahue,  Samuel  Percy,  J.  Cooper, 
William  Haynes,  H.  W.  Banks,  Henry  Ogee,  Dr.  Buck,  George  W.  Reed,  Jr., 
Luther  Nellis,  Harvey  Parsons,  Paul  Adams,  Harry  Nichols,  Clifford  Cun- 
ningham, Edward  McCann,  Jerome  Stahl,  Frank  Stahl,  A.  B.  Smith,  Ralph 
Stahl,  K.  W.  King,  J.  A.  Zimmerman,  Louis  Hauck,  Lu  VanLiew,  W.  C. 
Goodman,  C.  O.  Fletcher,  R.  M.  Breezy,  L.  J.  Brown,  James  Faucht,  Robert 
Stone,  W.  M.  Cowles,  Kay  Miles,  Merrill  Mills  and  Lewis  Strauss." 

In  concluding  the  flood  chapter,  it  is  only  necessary  to  add  that  in  the 
two  years'  lapse  of  time  since  the  occurrence  of  the  great  calamity  nearly 
every  trace  of  its  damaging  effect  has  disappeared,  most  of  the  houses  have 
been  rebuilt,  or  new  ones  erected  in  their  place,  a  system  of  dikes  has  been 
established  for  protection  against  future  overflows,  and  both  from  a  business 
and  residence  point  of  view  North  Topeka  has  been  fully  restored. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

Brief  Historical  Notes  of  City  and  County — Some  of  the  First  Happenings 
in  Topeka — Social,  Literary  and  Musical  Events — Native  Kaiisans  in 
Shawnee  County — Commercial  Features  of  Fifty  Years  Ago — Accounts 
of  an  Early  Flood — Col.  Richard  J.  Hinton's  Reminiscences — Two 
Morning  Scenes  in  Topeka. 

Topeka's  first  Christmas  was  in  1854,  and  its  first  Fourth  of  July  in 

1855- 

The  Kansas  Freeman,  Topeka's  first  newspaper,  appeared  July  4,  1855, 

published  by  E.  C.  K.  Garvey. 

Miss  Sarah  C.  Harlan  taught  the  first  school  in  Topeka,  in  a  little  shanty 
on  lower  Madison  street,  near  the  river. 

The  first  death  was  recorded  in  1855 — a  case  of  cholera.  The  first 
cemetery  was  at  the  intersection  of  Kansas  and  loth  avenues. 

The  first  liquor-smashing  crusade  in  Topeka  occurred  July  11,  1855, 
about  $1,500  worth  of  beverages  being  destroyed  in  four  saloons. 

The  first  school  building  was  erected  by  the  New  England  Emigrant  Aid 
Company  in  1857,  on  lots  145,  147  and  149  Harrison  street,  fronting  on  Fifth 
street. 

Rev.  S.  Y.  Lum,  a  Congregational  minister,  preached  the  first  sermon 
heard  in  Topeka,  at  the  residence  of  A.  A.  Ward,  in  the  winter  of  1854. 

Coal  was  found  in  1856,  in  the  river  bluff,  two  miles  from  town — not  in 
commercial  quantities,  but  sufficient  to  keep  the  blacksmiths'  forges  going. 

January  28,  1858,  was  the  date  of  the  first  city  election  in  Topeka,  and 
the  first  levy  of  taxes  for  city  purposes  was  made  in  that  year,  Howard  Cutts 
being  designated  as  collector. 

Wilson  L.  Gordon,  first  city  marshal,  was  directed  March  24,  1858,  to 
grade  the  first  block  south  from  the  river  on  Kansas  avenue,  at  an  expenditure 
not  to  exceed  the  sum  of  $150. 

The  first  well  dug  was  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Kansas  avenue  and 
Third  street,  water  being  found  at  a  depth  corresponding  to  the  level  of  the 
river. 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  223 

BUILDING      OPERATIONS. 

Dr.  Franklin  L.  Crane  opened  the  first  lime-kiln,  and  the  first  stone 
building  was  erected  at  Nos.  133  and  135  Kansas  avenue,  afterwards  known 
as  Constitution  Hall. 

Guilford  G.  Gage  had  charge  of  the  first  brick-making  plant  on  the 
town-site,  and  his  product  entered  largely  into  the  construction  of  the  earlier 
buildings  in  the  town. 

The  first  sidewalks  were  laid  in  the  town  in  1863,  on  Kansas  avenue 
between  Fourth  and  Seventh  streets,  and  on  Sixth  avenue  between  Monroe 
and  Van  Buren.     They  were  built  of  oak  lumber. 

The  first  sawmill  was  located  on  the  river  bank  at  the  foot  of  Madison 
street,  an  engine  being  drawn  by  wagon  from  Kansas  City.  The  first  grist 
mill  was  at  the  northwest  corner  of  First  and  Kansas  avenues. 

The  first  telegraph  line  reached  Topeka  November  15,  1865,  in  con- 
nection with  the  building  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad.  For  several  years 
thereafter  North  Topeka  was  the  only  telegraph  office  in  Shawnee  County. 

On  July  4,  1866,  the  first  soldiers'  reunion  was  held  in  Topeka,  orations 
being  delivered  by, Gen.  James  G.  Blunt,  Governor  Samuel  J.  Crawford  and 
Judge  Samuel  A.  Kingman. 

Thomas  N.  Stinson,  the  founder  of  Tecumseh,  received  from  his  Pro- 
Slavery  friends  of  1855  a  silver  pitcher  in  recognition  of  his  services  to  the 
cause.     It  bore  an  engraved  representation  of  negroes  cultivating  sugar  cane. 

Cyrus  K.  Holliday  was  Topeka's  first  justice  of  the  peace,  Daniel  H. 
Home  the  first  constable,  and  T.  W.  Hayes  the  first  census  enumerator.  John 
Horner,  of  Tecumseh,  was  the  first  tax  assessor  in  Shawnee  County. 

The  first  hotel  in  Topeka  was  built  of  poles  and  "shakes,"  at  the  south- 
east corner  of  Kansas  avenue  and  Third  street.  It  was  called  the  "Pioneer 
House,"  and  locally  known  as  a  "receiving  house." 

J.  T.  Jones,  an  immigrant  from  Missouri,  established  the  first  store  in 
the  town,  a  grocery,  located  on  lower  Kansas  avenue — then  a  river  path.  The 
first  brick  store  building  was  erected  near  the  corner  of  Kansas  avenue  and 
Fourth  street,  and  occupied  by  Allen  &  Gordon. 

During  its  brief  existence  as  the  county-seat  of  Shawnee  County,  the 
town  of  Tecumseh  had  three  local  newspapers :  the  Southerner,  the  Settler 
and  the  Note-book. 

CAPITOL      SQUARE. 

Col.  Cyrus  K.  Holliday  is  credited  with  the  suggestion  of  setting  apart 
a  square  in  the  center  of  Topeka  for  State  Capitol  purposes,  long  before  his 
11 


224  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

pioneer  comrades  entertained  an  idea  that  the  city  could  win  the  seat  of 
government. 

The  popular  subscription  habit  fastened  itself  upon  Topeka  in  a  very  early 
day.  In  1861  the  sum  of  $500  was  raised  to  assist  in  the  construction  of  a 
wagon  road  by  the  Smoky  Hill  route  to  Pike's  Peak — the  first  money  donated 
by  the  city  to  a  public  enterprise. 

Topeka's  first  band  was  composed  of  Samuel  Hall,  L.  W.  Home,  John 
B.  Home  and  D.  H.  Moore.  It  consisted  of  two  violins,  a  tenor  drum  and  a 
fife.     The  band  was  a  power  in  all  of  the  Free-State  meetings. 

The  first  application  of  lynch  law  in  Topeka  was  in  the  winter  of  i860, 
the  victim  being  Isaac  Edwards,  who  had  fatally  stabbed  a  Pottawatomie 
Indian.  The  stabbing  was  done  while  both  were  riding  up  Kansas  avenue 
on  the  same  pony.  Edwards  was  hanged  at  night  from  the  rafters  of  the 
jail. 

The  first  destructive  fire  in  Topeka  occurred  June  10,  1859,  destroying 
a  building  at  No.  146  Kansas  avenue,  owned  by  E.  C.  K.  Garvey.  Later 
fires  of  greatest  consequence  were  the  burning  of  the  State  Record  ofiice  and 
the  Ritchie  Block. 

During  the  last  week  in  May,  1855,  the  first  steamboat  arrived  at  the 
Topeka  levee,  after  a  turbulent  voyage  of  six  days  from  Lawrence.  The 
sound  of  the  whistle  caused  greater  excitement  than  the  shriek  of  a  calliope  in 
after  days. 

Anthony  A.  Ward  built  the  first  blacksmith  shop  on  the  town-site  in 
the  fall  of  1854.  He  settled  in  Shawnee  County  some  time  in  advance  of 
the  founders  of  Topeka,  and  owned  one  of  the  city's  most  desirable  suburban 
farms. 

In  the  merry  month  of  May,  1855,  occurred  the  first  wedding  in  Topeka, 
the  contracting  parties  being  S.  J.  Thomas  and  Harriet  N.  Hurd.  The  cere- 
mony was  performed  by  Rev.  Mr.  Poole. 

THE    FIRST   VOTERS. 

At  the  first  election  in  Topeka  the  qualified  electors  included  "every 
white  male  person,  and  every  civilized  Indian  who  has  adopted  the  customs  of 
the  white  man,  of  the  age  of  twenty-one  years  and  upwards." 

In  the  year  1854  Tecumseh  was  "boomed"  as  the  most  desirable  resi- 
dence point  in  Kansas,  the  attractive  claim  being  made  that  a  number  of 
aristocratic  families  from  the  South  had  already  settled  there  with  their 
slaves. 

The  Papan  brothers  operated  the  first  ferry  across  the  Kansas  River 


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AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  227 

near  Topeka  in  1842.  Other  ferries  were  established  at  different  points  on 
the  river  in  the  same  year. 

Fry  W.  Giles  established  the  first  banking  house  in  the  city  in  1864. 
In  1866  the  firm  was  known  as  F.  W.  Giles  &  Company,  and  in  1872  it  be- 
came the  Topeka  National  Bank. 

Daniel  Boone,  a  grandson  of  the  famous  Kentuckian,  was  the  first  actual 
farmer  in  Shawnee  County,  and  instructed  the  Indians  in  the  arts  of  agri- 
culture. 

Topeka's  first  city  directory  appeared  in  1870,  compiled  by  Sam  Radges, 
who  has  compiled  all  of  the  Topeka  directories  from  that  date  to  1905,  the 
volumes  being  of  increasing  size  and  usefulness. 

Maj.  Thomas  J.  Anderson  was  president  of  the  first  Topeka  Base  Ball 
Club,  in  1869,  and  William  J.  Stagg,  secretary.  Charles  N.  Rix  was  captain 
of  the  field.  Topeka  now  maintains  a  team  in  the  Western  Base  Ball  Asso- 
ciation. 

Topeka  had  an  earthquake  shock  April  24,  1867 — its  first  and  only 
seismic  disturbance  of  noteworthy  extent.  It  was  felt  in  all  parts  of  the  city, 
and  most  noticeably  at  the  Methodist  Church,  where  the  funeral  services  of 
H.  S.  Herr  were  being  conducted  by  Rev.  John  D.  Knox. 

REAL     ESTATE     ON     THE     MOVE. 

The  first  piece  of  property  transferred  in  the  city,  of  which  record  was 
made,  covered  the  lots  at  the  northeast  corner  of  Sixth  avenue  and  Harrison 
street.     Date,  April  7,   1855;  consideration,  $30. 

The  first  $1,000  transaction  in  Topeka  city  lots  was  the  sale  in  1857 
of  the  property  on  the  northwest  corner  of  Kansas  and  Sixth  avenues,  80  by 
130  feet,  the  purchase  price  being  paid  in  gold. 

The  first  school  building  erected  at  the  expense  of  the  city  was  the  Harri- 
son street  school,  in  1865 — which  was  afterwards  changed  into  the  present 
Harrison  School,  one  of  the  largest  in  the  city. 

Illuminating  gas  was  first  used  in  Topeka  in  1870,  and  the  Brush  elec- 
tric light  in  1882.  One  electric  street-lighting  tower  was  erected  at  the  inter- 
section of  Kansas  and  loth  avenues,  but  was  soon  discontinued.  Incandescent 
lights  came  in  1886,  and  the  telephone  in  1880. 

On  the  8th  day  of  September,  1874,  a  colony  of  Menonites  to  the 
number  of  1,100  arrived  in  Topeka.  They  subsequently  purchased  100,000 
■  acres  of  land  in  Southwestern  Kansas,  on  the  line  of  the  Atchison,  Topeka  & 
Santa  Fe  Railway. 

On  February  11,  1856,  President  Pierce  threatened  to  employ  the  army 
and  navy  of  the  United  States  in  dispersing  the  Free-State  Legislature  in 


228  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Topeka.  The  army  executed  the  threat  on  July  4th,  of  that  year,  without 
the  intervention  of  battleships. 

The  first  child  born  in  the  city  was  Topeka  Zimmerman,  son  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Israel  Zimmerman,  whose  birth  was  recorded  in  the  spring  of  1855. 
In  recognition  of  the  important  event,  the  boy  was  given  a  valuable  lot  by  the 
Topeka  Town  Association. 

Topeka's  first  Fire  Department  was  organized  in  1870,  with  one  engine, 
two  carts  and  1,500  feet  of  hose.  Tobias  Billings  was  chief  of  the  company, 
and  George  W.  Veale,  foreman  of  the  hook  and  ladder  company. 

The  public  water-works  system  was  introduced  in  July,  1882,  being  built 
by  a  local  corporation  at  an  expense  of  $200,000.  Extensive  additions  were 
made  in  later  years,  and  in  1905  the  city  purchased  the  plant  for  $620,000. 

In  his  "Thirty  Years  in  Topeka,"  Fry  W.  Giles  states  that  in  the  year 
1862  he  issued  a  policy  of  marine  insurance  upon  a  cargo  of  freight  to  be 
shipped  from  the  city  of  New  York  to  Topeka,  via  New  Orleans  and  the 
Mississippi,  Missouri  and  Kansas  rivers. 

EARLY     RAILWAY     FACILITIES. 

Topeka  first  enjoyed  the  benefit  of  a  street  railway  in  the  month  of  June, 
1 88 1 — a  horse-car  line,  with  five  12-foot  cars.  It  was  later  changed  into  a 
steam  dummy  line,  and  then  to  the  present  very  complete  electric  system. 

The  Union  Pacific  was  the  first  railroad  built  into  Topeka,  arriving 
January  i,  1866.  The  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  road  was  built  from 
Topeka  to  Burlingame  in  1869,  and  the  line  from  Atchison  to  Topeka  was 
opened  May  16,   1872. 

The  first  real  estate  office,  independent  of  the  Topeka  Town  Association, 
was  operated  by  Asaph  Allen  and  Harris  Stratton,  in  1856,  with  headquarters 
in  the  Topeka  House. 

Topeka's  first  academy  of  learning  was  opened  January  2,  1856,  by 
James  Cowles,  A.  B.,  for  a  term  of  12  weeks,  offering  instruction  in  the 
elementary  grades  and  in  Greek,  Latin  and  French,  the  tuition  ranging  from 
$3  to  $6  for  the  term. 

One  of  the  patents  to  the  land  covered  by  the  city  of  Topeka  bears  the 
date  of  February  14,  1859,  and  is  signed  by  President  James  Buchanan.  A 
second  patent,  issued  in  1S61,  covering  an  additional  62  acres  on  the  Kansas 
River  bank,  is  signed  by  President  Abraham  Lincoln. 

In  1855  the  stage  fare  from  Kansas  City  to  Topeka  was  $5  for  each 
passenger.  The  freight  rates  from  St.  Louis  to  Kansas  City  averaged  from 
30- cents  to  $2.50  per  hundred  pounds,  according  to  the  stage  of  the  water, 
being  highest  in  March,  October  and  November,  and  lowest  in   May  and 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  229 

June.     Transportation  by  wagon  from  Kansas  City  to  Topeka  was  very  ex- 
pensive. 

The  first  State  Fair  in  Topeka  was  held  September  9-12,  1871.  On  the 
last  day  of  the  fair  an  inebriated  stranger  was  riding  down  Kansas  avenue  at 
a  furious  pace  and  reined  his  horse  against  Sheriff  Sherman  Bodwell,  throw- 
ing him  to  the  ground  and  causing  his  death.  The  drunken  man  rode  away 
and  was  not  apprehended. 

ARBOR     DAY. 

April  22,  1875,  was  designated  as  Arbor  Day  in  Topeka,  by  Thomas  J. 
Anderson,  then  mayor  of  the  city.  In  response  to  the  mayor's  proclamation, 
business  was  suspended  and  the  citizens  planted  800  trees  in  the  State  House 
grounds.  Most  of  the  trees  were  subsequently  cut  down  by  a  landscape 
gardener  in  the  employ  of  the  State. 

Five  of  the  Presidents  of  the  United  States  have  been  entertained  in 
Topeka,  viz :  Grant,  Hayes,  Harrison,  McKinley  and  Roosevelt.  Vice-Presi- 
dent Henry  Wilson  was  here  May  19,  1875.  He  also  visited  the  city  May 
25,  1857,  and  upon  his  return  to  Massachusetts  raised  $2,500  to  be  expended 
in  behalf  of  the  Free-State  cause  in  Kansas. 

The  first  literary  organization  in  the  town  was  The  Kansas  Philomathic 
Institute,  whose  members  gave  the  first  dramatic  performance,  the  piece  being 
"The  Drunkard."  The  same  society  collected  the  first  public  library  in 
Topeka,  which  was  lost  in  the  burning  of  the  Ritchie  Block  in  1869. 

At  an  old  settlers'  meeting  held  in  Topeka  in  1904,  after  some  of  the 
pioneers  of  1854  had  signed  the  roll  and  boasted  of  being  first  on  the  town- 
site,  a  colored  man  named  John  E.  Allen  smashed  all  of  their  records  by 
stating  that  he  crossed  the  Kansas  River  near  Topeka  in  1842  with  John  C. 
Fremont's  expedition,  the  crossing  being  made  in  rubber  boats. 

The  Methodists  erected  the  first  church  spire  in  Topeka,  and  had  the 
first  bell  of  commanding  size.  The  bell  weighed  1,068  pounds,  and  was  given 
to  the  church  in  1866  by  John  Paisley,  of  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania.  It  was 
given  during  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  John  D.  Knox,  to  commemorate  the 
centennial  year  of  American  Methodism. 

OUTDOOR     CELEBRATION. 

The  first  Topeka  picnic  was  held  May  17,  1855,  on  the  river  bank  west 
of  Kansas  avenue  and  north  of  First  avenue,  now  known  as  the  City  Park. 
A  roast  pig  and  a  20-pound  catfish  graced  the  table.  At  this  picnic  Mrs. 
F.  J.  Case  was  toasted  as  the  first  woman  to  grace  Topeka  with  her  presence. 


230  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

early  in  1855.  Miss  Harriet  Hartwell,  of  Massachusetts,  had  the  honor  of 
being  the  first  unmarried  woman  on  the  town-site,  also  in  1855.  She  after- 
wards became  the  wife  of  James  G.  Bunker. 

Topeka's  first  production  of  grand  opera  was  that  of  "Martha,"  at 
Costa's  Opera  House  in  1873,  by  a  small  company  headed  by  Mme.  Anna 
Bishop.  The  local  critic  was  esthusiastic  over  her  "trills  caught  of  skylarks, 
and  love-notes  learnt  of  robins."  The  Templeton  opera  company  gave  the 
first  performance  of  comic  opera  in  Topeka. 

J.  Butler  Chapman,  of  Ohio,  who  spent  the  years  1854  and  1855  in 
Shawnee  County,  was  one  of  the  original  boomers  of  Kansas  pasteboard 
towns.  His  wife  was  one  of  the  original  woman  suffragists,  and  visited  the 
Territorial  Legislature  in  the  interest  of  that  cause.  The  Chapmans  returned 
to  Ohio  in  1856,  and,  instead  of  living  happily  ever  afterwards,  were  divorced. 

GRASSHOPPER     RAIDS. 

The  first  grasshopper  raid  in  Shawnee  County  was  in  i860.  The  insects 
arrived  September  15th  of  that  year,  entirely  destroying  crops  and  vegeta- 
tion. A  second  and  worse  visitation  of  this  plague  occurred  in  the  summer 
of  1874,  causing  another  appeal  for  aid,  a  general  issue  of  bonds,  and  a 
special  session  of  the  Kansas  Legislature  in  the  following  winter.  The 
Kansas  Central  Relief  Committee  was  organized  in  Topeka  to  distribute  aid 
throughout  the  State,  Lieutenant-Governor  E.  S.  Stover  being  chairman  and 
Henry  King,  secretary.  The  committee  disbursed  money  and  supplies  to  the 
value  of  $131,313.65. 

The  first  school  in  Topeka  for  colored  children  was  started  in  1865  in 
a  small  building  on  the  south  side  of  Sixth  avenue,  between  Kansas  avenue 
and  Quincy  street,  in  charge  of  Miss  Mabee.  The  following  year  the  school 
was  divided,  the  colored  pupils  occupying  the  upper  floor,  and  the  white  chil- 
dren the  lower  floor — the  white  pupils  being  taught  by  Miss  Gilbert  (after- 
wards Mrs.  G.  C.  Foss). 

NATIVE     KANSANS. 

Various  claims  have  been  put  forth  to  the  honor  of  being  the  first  white 
person  born  in  the  territory  comprising  the  State  of  Kansas,  but  the  pre- 
ponderance of  history  is  in  favor  of  Col.  Alexander  S.  Johnson,  who  was 
born  July  11,  1832,  at  the  Methodist  Indian  Mission,  in  Johnson  County — 
at  that  time  in  charge  of  his  father.  Rev.  Thomas  Johnson.  Col.  Alexander 
S.  Johnson  died  at  Dallas,  Texas,  in  1904,  and  was  buried  in  Topeka,  which 
for  many  years  had  been  his  home. 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  231 

There  is  abundant  evidence  showing  that  Elizabeth  Simmerwell  was 
the  first  white  female  born  in  the  Territory  of  Kansas,  the  date  of  her  birth 
being  December  24,  1835.  Her  father,  Rev.  Robert  Simmerwell,  was  then 
located  at  the  Baptist  Shawnee  Indian  Mission,  in  Johnson  County,  and  was 
one  of  the  best  known  of  the  early  missionaries  to  the  several  Indian  tribes 
in  Kansas.  Elizabeth  Simmerwell  married  John  Carter,  of  Williamsport 
township,  Shawnee  County. 

The  following  excerpt  from  the  Topeka  Tribune  of  April  6,  1856,  shows 
that  the  editor  of  that  day  was  as  enthusiastic  as  all  of  his  successors  have 
constantly  been :  "The  immigration  continues  to  pour  into  the  Territory 
with  increased  volume.  So  great  is  the  rush  that  it  is  impossible  at  all  times 
to  secure  suitable  accommodations  or  conveyance  to  the  dififerent  parts  of  the 
country.  We  had  anticipated  a  very  large  immigration  but  the  realization  is 
beyond  all  our  preconceived  ideas.  They  come  like  the  locusts  of  Egypt,  not 
however  to  destroy,  but  to  save,  and  right  welcome  they  are.  A  large  pro- 
portion, too,  have  come  to  stay,  and  will  add  vastly  to  our  strength,  both  for 
defense  against  usurpation,  and  in  developing  the  resources  of  the  country." 

The  cost  of  breaking  prairie  in  the  early  years  of  Topeka's  history  was 
from  $2.50  to  $4  per  acre.  Lumber  was  worth  from  $25  to  $30  per  thousand 
feet.  Oxen  were  worth  about  $100  per  yoke,  mules  from  $100  to  $200  per 
head,  and  horses  from  $75  to  $150  each.  Sheep  sold  for  $2  a  head,  and 
chickens  for  25  cents  each.  Masons  and  carpenters  received  from  $2  to  $3 
per  day  in  wages.  Wheat  was  worth  $1.50  per  bushel,  and  flour  $4.50  per 
hundred  weight. 

AN      INDIAN      SEAL. 

The  original  seal  of  the  Probate  and  County  Court  of  Shawnee  County 
bore  the  words,  "Shawnee  County  Court,  Tecumseh,  Kansas,"  and  above 
the  word  "Tecumseh"  was  the  figure  of  an  Indian  chief,  in  hostile  attitude, 
about  to  strike  with  his  tomahawk,  his  rifle  trailing  on  the  ground — ^the 
figure  intending  to  represent  Tecumseh,  the  celebrated  Shawnee  chief,  at  the 
battle  of  the  Thames.  The  county  commissioners  subsequently  ordered  the 
removal  of  the  word  Tecumseh,  and  the  Indian  figure,  from  the  seal. 

The  first  mail  under  lock  was  received  at  Topeka  May  i,  1855.  A 
regular  service  was  established  in  that  year,  by  four-horse  coaches,  between 
Kansas  City  and  Fort  Riley,  via  Topeka.  In  1859  Topeka  had  a  daily  mail 
from  Leavenworth,  and  from  St.  Joseph  via  Lecompton ;  a  tri-weekly  mail 
to  Rulo,  Nebraska;  and  a  weekly  mail  to  Grasshopper  Falls,  Burlingame, 
Emporia,  Council  Grove,  Williamsport  and  Brownsville,  Nebraska. 

In  September,  1882,  when  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  held  its 
annual   encampment  in  Topeka,   many  distinguished  visitors  were  present. 


232  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

The  local  newspapers  made  record  of  the  assignment  of  the  following  visitors 
to  Topeka  homes :  Hon.  James  G.  Blaine  and  wife,  and  Col.  Clark  E.  Carr  and 
wife,  at  George  W.  Wood's;  Hon.  Walker  Blaine,  at  C.  C.  Wheeler's;  Gen. 
and  Mrs.  J.  Warren  Keifer,  at  Thomas  Ryan's;  Gen.  John  Pope  at  Joab 
Mulvane's;  General  Bingham,  at  M.  Bosworth's;  Hon.  William  Warner,  at 
M.  H.  Case's;  Hon.  John  A.  Anderson,  at  Dr.  Silas  E.  Sheldon's;  Senator 
and  Mrs.  John  J.  Ingalls,  at  Henry  King's;  Senator  and  Mrs.  Preston  B. 
Plumb,  at  Floyd  P.  Baker's;  and  Gen.  John  S.  Marmaduke,  at  W.  G. 
Dickinson's. 

A   poet's   felicity. 

Upon  the  occasion  of  his  visit  to  Topeka  in  1881,  Robert  J.  Burdette 
wrote  a  characteristic  letter  descriptive  of  the  activity  and  energy  of  the 
growing  city,  introducing  his  letter  with  the  following  paraphrase  of  Tenny- 
son's "Gate  of  Camelot :" 

So,  when  their   feet  were  planted  on  the  plains 

That  broaden  to  the  swiftly  rolling  Kaw, 

Far  off  they  saw  the  silent  misty  morn 

Rolling  the  smoke  about  the  Capitol, 

And   piles   of  stone   and   brick  were   in   the   streets, 

And  men  were  shrieking  "Mort"  from  scaffoldings — 

The  mort,  perhaps,  of  Arthur, 

But  more  liken  of  Mike. 

Then  those  who  went  with  Gareth  were  afraid. 

One  crying:   "Let  us  go  no  further, 

Here  is  a  city  of  enchanters,  built 

By  fairy  kings."     Gareth  answered  them. 

That  it  was  built  more  liken  by 

Descendants  of  Irish  kings,  the  hod  fellows 

Co-operaten  with  the  Free 

And  Expected  Masons. 

So  he  spake,  and  loffen 

Did  enter  with  his  train 

(The  eastern  bound  U.  P.  Express) 

Topeka,  a  city  of  modern  palaces. 

AN      EARLY      FLOOD. 

In  the  year  1844,  where  Topeka  now  stands,  there  was  a  flood  quite 
similar  to  that  of  1903,  although  its  consequences  were  less  destructive  and 
fearful.  The  river  went  out  of  its  banks,  and  the  bottom  lands  were  sub- 
merged with  eight  feet  of  water.  The  Indian  settlers  were  terribly  frightened, 
many  of  them  loading  their  tents  on  ponies  and  departing  hastily  for  higher 
ground.     Most  of  them  returned  in  the  spring  of  the  following  year.     The 


RESIDENCE  OF  JOHN  E.  FROST 


RESIDENCE  OF  CAPT.  GEORGE  M.  NOBLE 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  235 

cabin  home  of  Louis  Gonvil  and  family,  which  preceded  any  of  the  houses 
erected  upon  the  site  of  Topeka,  was  destroyed  by  the  flood.  The  channel 
of  the  Kansas  River  was  then  some  distance  south  of  the  present  channel, 
aad  the  river  not  so  wide  as  in  after  years.  The  Gonvil  house  was  built  on 
land  lying  about  the  middle  of  the  present  river  channel,  and  a  short  distance 
below  the  present  bridge  at  the  Kansas  avenue  crossing.  In  commenting  upon 
this  storm  several  years  prior  to  the  great  flood  of  1903,  Fry  W.  Giles  said: 
"At  the  site  of  Topeka  the  river's  breadth  was  from  the  line  of  Third  street 
on  the  south  to  the  bluffs,  two  miles  to  the  north  of  its  usual  channel,  the 
water  standing  to  a  depth  of  20  feet.  Such  a  flood  now  would  destroy  many 
million  dollars'  worth  of  property."  A  further  reference  to  this  early  flood 
is  found  in  W.  W.  Cone's  "Historical  Sketch  of  Shawnee  County :"  "During 
the  flood,  Major  Cummings,  Paymaster  of  the  United  States  Army,  wishing 
to  cross  from  the  south  to  the  north  side  of  the  Kansas  River,  near  Topeka, 
stepped  into  a  canoe  at  about  the  corner  of  Topeka  avenue  and  Second  street, 
and  was  rowed  from  there  to  the  bluffs  in  Soldier  township,  the  water  being 
twenty  feet  deep  over  the  ground  where  North  Topeka  now  stands.  One 
of  the  Papans  lived  in  a  house  on  the  island  just  above  the  bridge.  This 
house  stood  the  flood  until  the  water  came  above  the  eaves,  and  then  was' 
washed  away.    The  island  at  that  time  was  a  part  of  the  main  land." 

COtONEL     HINTON'S     REMINISCENCES. 

Col.  Richard  J.  Hinton,  an  early  friend  of  Kansas,  who  died  in  London, 
December  20,  1901,  made  his  last  visit  to  Topeka  in  January,  1900,  and 
delivered  an  address,  "On  the  Nationalization  of  Freedom,"  before  the 
Kansas  State  Historical  Society.  Incidental  to  the  address,  he  gave  some 
reminiscences  of  Topeka  which  are  appropriate  in  this  connection, — "I  have 
been  strolling  about  Topeka,"  he  said,  "trying  to  find  landmarks.  It  is  forty- 
five  years  since  I  crossed  the  Kansas  River  and  entered  Topeka.  Certainly 
there  is  a  vast  change.  I  am  delighted  with  the  beauty  of  the  location,  the 
breadth  of  your  streets  and  the  homelike  attractiveness  that  I  see  about  me. 
When  I  first  crossed  the  river,  the  associations  and  surroundings  were  cer- 
tainly of  a  much  different  character.  My  party  was  one  of  the  companies  that 
came  in  from  the  north  to  assist  the  Free-State  people  against  the  Southern 
invaders.  We  formed  the  rear  guard  of  that  column  of  over  one  thousand 
men  by  whose  aid  the  conflicts  at  Franklin,  Washington  Creek,  Titus  Camp 
and  Osawatomie  were  fought  and  won.  There  was  at  that  time  a  little  town 
on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  known  as  Indianola,  which  has  no  existence 
now.  It  was  then  the  seat  of  a  border  ruffian  colony.  Approaching  within 
a  short  distance  of  Indianola,  we  could  see  from  rising  ground  a  great  com- 


236  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

motion  in  the  straggling  street.  Men  were  hurriedly  riding  backward  and 
forward  with  guns  across  their  saddles.  Immediately  dividing  our  little  com- 
pany, we  surrounded  the  place  and  captured  ten  or  twelve  mounted  men, 
who,  we  afterwards  learned,  were  preparing  for  a  raid  upon  Topeka.  The 
town  of  Topeka  had  been  left  with  only  its  women  and  children,  the  men 
having  gone  to  Lawrence  to  assist  their  comrades.  I  remember  making  a 
personal  capture  of  the  man  supposed  to  be  the  leader,  while  he  was  engaged 
in  emptying  powder  and  shot  into  a  pair  of  old  boots,  swung  on  either  side  of 
his  saddle-bow.  We  did  them  no  special  harm,  but  as  I  rode  along  with  my 
little  company  I  recall  that  we  had  ten  or  twelve  more  mounted  men  than 
when  we  started. 

A    WELCOME   ARRIVAL. 

"We  were  ferried  across  the  river  early  in  the  afternoon,  and  as  we  landed 
here  all  of  the  few  inhabitants  were  on  the  bank  to  meet  us.  The  intended 
raid  from  Indianola  had  been  made  known  to  them,  but  our  presence  was 
entirely  unsuspected,  and  we  were  given  a  cordial  welcome.  Edmund  and 
William  Ross,  who  were  publishers  of  the  Free-State  paper,  had  a  little  stone 
building  partly  finished.  Nearly  all  of  our  men  were  printers  from  Boston, 
and  we  made  a  camping-place  for  that  night  of  the  unfinished  printing  office, 
remaining  there  until  early  the  next  day,  when  some  of  the  citizens  returned 
from  Lawrence.  It  is  a  great  delight  to  wander  about  and  travel  across 
Kansas — to  me  at  least — seeing  as  I  do  the  growth  of  town,  village  and  farm, 
where  memory  takes  me  back  to  days  when  all  was  open  plain,  when  the 
buffalo  could  be  found  in  great  herds,  when  the  nearest  Eastern  railroad 
station  was  400  miles  from  the  Missouri  River,  at  Iowa  City,  and  the  Southern 
one  was  400  miles  down  the  river,  at  Jefferson  City.  Being  in  Topeka  recalls 
to  me  the  stirring  events  of  your  history  and  the  brave  deeds  of  your  pioneers. 
My  young  manhood  was  spent  here,  and  now  in  the  mellower  days  of  my 
seventh  decade,  I  have  lost  none  of  my  good  feeling,  and  very  little  of  my 
interest  in  the  country's  welfare,  and  in  the  achievements  that  make  or  mar  the 
same.  Kansas  is  a  great  State,  and,  as  one  who  helped  to  make  and  mould 
her,  I  shall  remain  proud  of  her  progress  until  I  hear  Gabriel's  call." 

TWO      MORNING     SCENES. 

In  his  account  of  the  founding  of  Topeka,  December  5,  1854,  Fry  W. 
Giles  paints  a  word  picture  of  the  first  morning  in  the  city's  history :  "No 
cloud  was  within  the  bounding  horizon ;  the  atmosphere  clear,  cold  and  highly 
rarefied,  revealing  to  the  astonished  vision  objects  far  beyond  its  usual  ken. 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  237 

and  those  at  hand  in  strange  expanse ;  the  broad  belt  of  timber  emerging  past 
the  highlands  from  the  unknown  west,  and  stretching  far  away  to  the  east, 
holding  in  its  dark  embraces  the  river  of  Kansas,  its  presence  there  anon  re- 
vealed by  vista-views  of  cyrstal  ice,  radiant  with  morning  light.  The  general 
topography — the  limitless  field  of  ever-varying,  never-tiring  undulations, 
symmetrical  beauties  every  one — called  forth  devout  gratulations,  alike  for 
faculties  which  find  delight  in  form,  and  these  natural  objects  to  satisfy  their 
cravings.  The  great  sun  poured  its  flood  in  genial  rays  of  red  askance  the 
plain,  dissolving  frost  to  dewdrops  on  the  seared  grass,  and  inviting  the  per- 
ceptions to  the  pure  and  the  picturesque.  Memory  turns  to  such  a  morning, 
and  amid  such  surroundings  beholds  a  little  group  of  men  standing  against 
the  sky  on  yonder  plateau,  exchanging  glances  of  doubtful  recognition,  and 
contemplating  with  eager  interest  the  scene  of  life's  labors  before  them." 

In  closing  this  volume  the  writer  may  speak  of  another  morning  in 
Topeka — a  morning  in  June  instead  of  December.  The  same  river  threads 
its  way  in  silence  to  the  sea.  The  same  creeks  meander  through  winding  vales 
and  tufted  groves.  Fifty  years  have  passed,  and  what  was  then  an  echoless 
plain  is  now  a  city  of  50,000  people,  at  the  high  tide  of  20th  century  prosperity. 
A  city  in  which  mills  grind  unceasingly,  and  the  smoke  of  many  factories 
mottles  the  clouds.  A  city  with  fifty  daily  railway  trains,  five  thousand 
buzzing  telephones,  a  model  street-car  line,  paved  thoroughfares,  luxurious 
homes,  fine  business  blocks  and  every  modern  utility.  It  is  1905  instead  of 
1854  in  Topeka.  Colleges  and  schools  are  graduating  scores  of  young  men 
and  women  to  be  doctors,  lawyers,  teachers,  missionaries,  artisans,  merchants, 
engineers,  clerks,  and  workers  in  every  field  of  human  endeavor.  News- 
papers, libraries,  churches  and  other  agencies  are  stimulating  the  moral  and 
intellectual  advance  of  the  community,  and  directing  the  march  of  progress 
with  a  martial  hand.  It  is  June  instead  of  December,  banks  of  roses  instead 
of  drifting  snow.  The  prairies  of  fifty  years  ago  are  green  with  waving 
corn,  golden  with  ripened  wheat,  and  purple  with  the  first  bloom  of  the  alfalfa. 
From  school  house  and  dwelling  the  flag  of  freedom  and  happiness  floats  in 
the  Western  air — of  all  airs  the  blandest ;  and  above  is  the  arching  sky  of 
Kansas — of  all  skies  the  fairest  and  truest.  It  is  June  in  Topeka,  the  June 
of   1905. 


(^r^A\; 


nx)r 


\<^\ 


Representative  Citizens 


DAVID  WASSON   STORMONT,  M.  D. 

With  the  death  of  Dr.  David  Wasson  Stormont,  at  his  beautiful  home  in 
Topeka,  Kansas,  on  August  i8,  1887,  was  brought  to  a  close  a  useful  and 
well-rounded  life,  rich  in  good  deeds  and  dear  to  the  memory  of  thousands. 
He  was  born  September  26,  1820,  at  Princeton,  Gibson  County,  Indiana. 
His  father  was  a  substantial  man  of  that  locality  who  was  able  to  give  his 
son  the  advantages  of  a  college  education. 

Dr.  Stormont  received  his  degree  in  1845,  ^"d  began  and  continued  his 
practice  until  1859,  in  the  village  of  Grand  View,  Illinois,  in  the  meantime 
adding  to  his  medical  knowledge  and  surgical  skill  by  post-graduate  courses 
at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania.  In  1862  he  sought  the  attractive  field 
offered  by  the  rapidly  growing  city  of  Topeka,  with  which  city  he  was  identi- 
fied during  the  succeeding  25  years.  He  was  connected  with  many  medical 
organizations  and  was  a  strong  supporter  of  the  movement  that  was  organ- 
ized to  spread  a  knowledge  of  advanced  methods  and  to  require  a  higher 
standard  of  medical  education  for  the  profession.  For  a  number  of  years  he 
was  secretary  of  the  State  Board  of  Health.  In  practice  he  was  all  that  could 
be  desired  in  a  physician,  adding  to  this  medical  skill  the  true  sympathy  of  a 
tender-hearted  man.  The  influence  Dr.  Stormont  wielded,  both  directly  and 
by  his  stimulating  example,  was  not  confined  in  its  effects  entirely  to  the 
medical  profession,  but  was  apparent  in-the  promotion  of  educational  and 
philanthropic  works. 

On  October  30,  1848,  Dr.  Stormont  was  married  to  Jane  Cree  Smith, 
of  Grand  View,  Illinois.  This  estimable  lady  survives  and  it  has  been  her 
pleasure  to  not  only  carry  out  many  philanthropic  plans  of  her  late  husband 
but  to  erect  at  Topeka  enduring  monuments  to  his  memory.  In  the  Stormont 
Medical  Library  and  in  The  Jane  C.  Stormont  Hospital  and  Training  School 
for  Nurses  are  public  gifts  which  will  bring  blessings  in  their  wake  for  gen- 


244  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

erations.  Other  public  buildings  have  profited  by  her  generosity  while  her 
helping  hand  is  continually  extended  in  support  of  innumerable  charities. 
The  hospital  was  established  in  1895,  at  which  time  Mrs.  Stormont  gave  the 
building  lots  and  the  sum  of  $20,000.  This  institution  has  since  been  en- 
larged and  has  achieved  grand  results  in  the  field  of  charity.  Mrs.  Stormont 
gave  to  the  Stormont  Medical  Library  books  to  the  value  of  $5,000  and  for 
its  maintenance  endowed  the  library  with  the  same  amount.  She  also  con- 
tributed the  sum  of  $5,000  to  the  support  of  the  Topeka  Free  Public  Library. 

The  late  Dr.  Stormont  was  no  politician,  but  he  always  took  a  deep  in- 
terest in  public  matters  and  was  the  advisor  of  many  prominent  political  and 
business  organizers,  his  high  character  and  sterling  integrity  making  his  sup- 
port very  valuable.  During  the  administration  of  President  Lincoln  he  was 
appointed  receiver  of  public  moneys  at  Topeka.  His  remains  rest  in  the 
Topeka  Cemetery  under  a  monument  of  enduring  granite,  typical  of  the 
strength  of  his  character  and  also  of  the  long-continued  remembrance  of  his 
fellow-citizens. 

Mrs.  Stormont  resides  in  a  handsome  home  at  Ingleside,  and  is  sur- 
rounded by  many  friends  of  long  years  standing.  Portraits  of  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Stormont  accompany  this  sketch. 


HON.  W.  C.  WEBB. 

Hon.  W.  C.  Webb,  deceased,  was  for  many  years  a  leading  political 
factor  in  the  State  of  Kansas,  as  well  as  an  honored  member  of  the  Shawnee 
County  bench.  Judge  Webb  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  coming  from  a  family 
of  lawyers,  legislators  and  soldiers. 

The  father  of  Judge  Webb  and  his  three  brothers  were  lawyers,  two  of 
the  brothers  being  district  judges  and  one  a  circuit  judge,  and  his  three  sons 
are  also  lawyers,  and  six  of  the  eight  have  been  elected  to  the  legislative 
halls  of  their  various  States.  His  grandfather  was  a  private  soldier  in  a 
Connecticut  regiment  during  the  Revolutionary  War;  his  father  and  grand- 
father both  served  as  private  soldiers  in  the  second  war  with  Great  Britian, 
181 2-1 5,  and  Judge  Webb  and  his  three  brothers,  his  oldest  son  and  his 
sister's  two  sons,  all  served  in  the  Union  Army  during  the  Civil  War. 

After  the  close  of  the  Civil  War,  in  1866,  Judge  Webb  came  to  Kansas. 
His  earlier  life  had  been  one  of  industry  and  activity  and  he  had  already 
reaped  many  laurels.  He  commenced  his  career  as  a  practical  printer  and  he 
edited  and  published  a  Democratic  paper  for  some  years  in  Pennsylvania, 
but  left  that  political  organization  on  account  of  its  pro-slavery  attitude,  and 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  245 

in  1854  he  assisted  in  the  organization  of  the  Repubhcan  party.  Shortly- 
after  his  admission  to  the  bar,  he  removed  to  Wisconsin  and  enlisted  from 
that  State  and  after  the  close  of  three  years  of  service  had  won  the  rank  of 
colonel  through  personal  bravery. 

During  his  residence  in  Wisconsin,  Judge  Webb  supported  Republican 
principles,  was  there  elected  several  times  to  the  Legislature  and  was  made 
county  judge  and  district  attorney.  After  coming  to  Kansas  he  was  three 
times  elected  to  the  Legislature  and  held  many  offices,  including  county  at- 
torney, judge  of  the  District  Court,  judge  of  the  Superior  Court  of  Shawnee 
County  and  others.  He  was,  also,  the  first  insurance  commissioner  of  the 
State  and  was  Supreme  Court  reporter  during  the  time  covered  from  Vol.  6 
to  Vol.  20. 

With  his  experience  of  more  than  40  years  as  a  lawyer,  he  made  a  re- 
markable record  as  a  lawyer  and  a  jurist.  He  was  one  of  the  best  informed 
men  in  legal  circles,  but  was  not  a  brilliant  orator  or  a  spellbinder.  His 
work,  however,  was  so  accurate  and  his  conclusions  so  sound  that  he  was 
widely  consulted  on  intricate  points  by  his  brother  attorneys,  who  knew  that 
complete  confidence  could  be  placed  in  his  conclusions.  It  was  a  matter  of 
pride  with  him  that  the  Supreme  Court  had  upheld  every  bill  which  he  had 
adjudged  perfect.  He  owned  one  of  the  best  law  libraries  in  the  State,  and 
was  the  author  of  works  himself,  his  last  labor  of  this  kind  being  the  compila- 
tion of  the  "Revised  Statutes  of  Kansas,"  authorized  by  the  previous  Legisla- 
ture. 

In  1 89 1  he  released  himself  from  the  Republican  party  and  became  an 
advocate  of  the  principles  of  the  Populist  party,  and  in  1896  was  a  candidate 
for  the  Populist  nomination  for  chief  justice  of  the  Supreme  Court. 

Judge  Webb  died  April  19,  1898,  at  his  home.  No.  827  Quincy  street, 
Topeka,  which  continues  to  be  thet  family  residence.  He  was  survived  by 
his  widow  and  four  children,  the  latter  being  as  follows:  Sarah  (Mrs.  Richard 
L.  Walker),  of  Kansas  City,  Kansas,  whose  husband  died  in  February,  1903; 
Linus  S.,  of  Parsons,  Kansas;  Mary  W.  (Mrs.  George  L.  Walker),  of 
Topeka,  and  Lovell  H.,  of  Winfield,  Kansas. 


HON.  J.  B.  JOHNSON. 

The  death  of  Judge  J.  B.  Johnson  in  February,  1899,  at  his  home  on 
West  Sixth  street,  Topeka,  removed  one  of  Kansas'  leading  attorneys  and 
able  men,  one  who  had  distinguished  himself  as  signally  in  peaceful  pursuits 
as  he  had  done  on  the  field  of  battle.  Judge  Johnson  was  born  in  Mc- 
Donough  County,  Illinois,  in  1841. 


246  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

When  but  a  lad  of  17  years  he  took  up  arms  in  defense  of  his  country's 
liberties  and  his  valiant  services  were  of  such  a  nature  that  he  was  given  a 
captain's  commission  before  the  close  of  the  war.  He  then  entered  upon  the 
study  of  the  law,  for  which  his  great  talents  especially  fitted  him,  becoming 
a  notable  member  of  the  profession  and  rising  to  an  honorable  position  on 
the  bench.  He  was  judge  of  the  Circuit  Court  of  Shawnee  County  when 
that  court  existed  and  was  a  candidate  for  the  Republican  nomination  for 
Governor  on  several  occasions.  After  serving  several  terms  in  the  Kansas 
House  of  Representatives  from  Jefferson  and  Shawnee  counties,  he  was 
chosen  Speaker  of  the  House  in  1881  and  four  years  later  was  again  chosen 
Speaker.  His  personality  was  of  such  a  character  that,  in  a  city  of  particularly 
able  men,  he  filled  a  place  which  no  other  has  been  found  to  occupy. 

Judge  Johnson  was  an  honored  and' valued  member  of  the  Lincoln  Post 
of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  which  had  charge  of  the  funeral 
obsequies,  which  were  of  a  most  impressive  nature.  After  a  beautiful  sermon 
by  Dr.  Linus  Blakesley,  of  the  First  Congregational  Church,  the  mortal  re- 
mains of  one  who  had  been  loyal  in  every  relation  of  life  were  taken  in 
charge  by  his  comrades,  who  paid  them  every  military  honor  before  leaving 
them  in  the  vault  which  had  been  prepared  in  the  Topeka  Cemetery.  A 
wealth  of  the  most  beautiful  blossoms  to  be  secured,  arranged  in  every 
artistic  design  to  express  love  and  regret,  had  been  sent  in  token  of  the  honor, 
affection  and  respect  entertained  by  his  professional  brethren,  business  asso- 
ciates and  the  general  public.  The  active  pall-bearers  on  this  sad  occasion 
were:  Judge  Charles  F.  Johnson,  of  Oskaloosa,  Kansas;  Dr.  George  W. 
Hogebloom;  Charles  Blood  Smith;  Judge  W.  A.  Johnson;  Capt.  R.  M.  Spivey 
and  George  W.  Findlay.  The  honorary  pall-bearers,  appointed  by  the  Topeka 
Bar  Association,  were :  Judges  S.  A.  Kingman,  A.  H.  Horton,  D.  M.  Valen- 
tine, S.  H.  Allen,  John  Martin,  John  T.  Morton,  John  Guthrie  and  Z.  T. 
Hazen. 


C.  H.  GUIBOR,  M.  D. 

Few  members  of  the  medical  profession  in  the  State  of  Kansas  have 
been  more  justly  entitled  to  eminence  than  the  late  Dr.  C.  H.  Guibor,  whose 
death  took  place  at  The  Jane  C.  Stormont  Hospital,  Topeka,  on  September 
22,  1 90 1,  as  the  result  of  an  operation  made  necessary  by  an  aggravated 
stomach  trouble,  which  his  own  great  knowledge  and  skill  could  not  cure. 
Dr.  Guibor  was  born  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  January  4,  1842,  and  was  a 
son  of  Augustus  and  Edith  (Harrington)  Guibor. 

Dr.  Guibor's  parents  removed  from  St.  Louis  to  Peru,  Illinois,  when  he 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  £47 

was  a  child,  and  there  his  father  was  extensively  interested  until  i860  in 
the  manufacture  of  plows.  When  our  subject  was  18  years  old,  the  family 
removed  to  Colorado  where  the  father  engaged  in  mining,  in  which  he  met 
with  considerable  success.  The  youth  was  at  an  age  when  the  adventurous 
life  of  the  mines,  mountains  and  changing  population  attracted  him  and  he 
never  lost  interest  in  that  section  where  he  subsequently  owned  vast  properties. 
Prior  to  the  location  of  the  family  in  Denver,  in  1873,  Dr.  Guibor  had  been 
sent  East  to  begin  his  medical  studies  and  these  he  pursued  to  graduation  at 
Rush  Medical  College,  Chicago,  subsequently  being  attached  to  the  St.  Luke 
Hospital  staff  as  interne. 

After  closing  his  medical  student  life  in  Chicago,  Dr.  Guibor  located 
for  practice  at  Iowa  Falls,  Iowa,  happening  to  go  there  just  in  time  to  find 
his  services  needed  in  a  smallpox  epidemic.  This  trying  ordeal  for  a  new 
physician  was  successfully  lived  through  and  the  experience  he  gained  was 
of  the  greatest  value  to  him,  while  his  fidelity  to  his  patients  marked  a  notable 
phase  of  his  character,  one  which  made  him  honored  and  beloved  through  his 
entire  professional  career.  In  1875  he  moved  to  Beloit,  Kansas,  where  he 
practiced  until  1887-88,  when  he  went  back  to  Chicago  to  take  a  post-graduate 
course  along  the  lines  of  what  later  became  his  specialty.  One  year  later,  his 
health  failing,  he  came  to  Topeka,  where  he  opened  an  office  and  purchased 
a  home  at  No.  822  Buchanan  street.  Later  he  purchased  the  present  handsome 
family  residence  at  No.  1015  Harrison  street,  where  his  family  still  reside. 
Dr.  Guibor  was  known  as  one  of  the  most  thoroughly  competent 
specialists  in  the  diseases  of  the  nose,  throat  and  lungs,  in  Kansas,  was  a 
member  of  the  staff  of  physicians  of  the  Santa  Fe  Hospital  Association,  and 
he  was  called  all  over  the  State  for  consultation  in  the  treatment  of  difficult 
cases.  During  his  residence  at  Beloit,  he  was  a  member  of  the  State  Board 
of  Medical  Examiners  and  a  large  portion  of  his  time  was  then  spent  in  con- 
ducting examinations  in  the  various  county-seats  in  Eastern  Kansas.  During 
his  time  of  general  practice,  he  held  membership  in  all  the  medical  societies 
of  the  day  and  held  every  office  in  the  Kansas  State  Medical  Society.  He  had 
read  extensively  and  traveled  widely  and  his  culture  was  as  genuine  as  his 
information  was  general.  He  was  a  man  of  large  means,  owning  an  immense 
lumber  camp  and  sawmill  in  Arkansas,  considerable  real  and  personal  prop- 
erty in  Kansas,  Illinois  and  Colorado,  many  mining  and  banking  interests  and 
was  the  largest  stockholder  in  the  Little  Bay  Lumber  Company.  He  enjoyed 
his  large  income  in  that  it  enabled  him  to  carry  on  various  philanthropic 
enterprises.  The  extent  of  his  private  charities  will  never  be  known,  for  the 
hundreds  who  came  with  empty  hands  to  profit  by  his  skill  were  freely  treated 
and  as  carefully  tended  as  were  those  who  had  fortunes  to  offer  to  regain 
health. 

12 


248  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

On  June  i6,  1879,  at  Beloit,  Kansas,  Dr.  Guibor  was  married  to  Mrs. 
Fannie  Bross,  who  still  survives,  with  a  daughter,  Edith,  and  a  son,  Charles, 
the  latter  of  whom  was  at  school  at  Jarvis  Hall,  Mount  Clair,  Colorado,  at 
the  time  of  his  beloved  father's  death. 

Dr.  Guibor  was  never  active  in  political  life.  He  belonged  to  no 
fraternal  societies  but  was  a  member  of  the  Topeka  Club.  To  himself  his 
probable  death  was  an  accepted  fact,  but  to  his  family  it  came  as  a,n  un- 
expected calamity.  After  two  months  spent  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Michigan, 
his  health  had  seemingly  so  much  improved  to  their  loving  eyes,  that  they 
awaited  the  results  of  the  operation  with  thoughts  of  a  happy  future.  Dr. 
Guibor  was  of  an  exceptionally  genial  and  cordial  disposition,  generous  and 
kind  of  heart,  and  devoted  to  his  family,  his  home,  his  city  and  his  profession. 


HON.   PARKISON   I.  BONEBRAKE. 

Hon.  Parkison  I.  Bonebrake,  banker  and  prominent  and  representa- 
tive citizen  of  Topeka,  Kansas,  was  born  September  25,  1836,  in  Preble 
County,  Ohio,  and  is  a  son  of  Rev.  George  Bonebrake. 

For  many  years  the  father  of  Mr.  Bonebrake  filled  the  arduous  duties 
of  circuit  rider  in  Ohio  so  faithfully  that  his  health  became  impaired, 
necessitating  his  retirement,  in  middle  life,  from  the  ministry  of  the  United 
Brethren  Church.  During  our  subject's  boyhood,  he  removed  to  Iowa  and 
embarked  in  a  mercantile  business. 

Parkison  I.  Bonebrake  enjoyed  excellent  educational  opportunities,  lay- 
ing the  foundation  in  the  common  schools  and  subsequently  attending  Cornell 
College  at  Mount  Vernon,  Iowa.  His  business  education  was  acquired  in 
his  father's  store  and  this  he  put  to  good  account  when  he  came  to  Topeka, 
in  the  summer  of  1859.  This  was  early  in  the  city's  life  and  men  of  his 
ability  and  enterprise  were  welcomed  as  they  were  needed.  He  soon  became 
identified  with  public  affairs,  in  1866  being  elected  county  clerk  by  the  Re- 
publican party,  in  which  office  he  subsequently  succeeded  himself  for  four 
terms.  In  the  meantime  he  had  so  gained  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  his 
fellow-citizens,  irrespective  of  party,  that  when  he  became  a  candidate  for  the 
Legislature  he  received  every  vote  cast  in  his  district,  a  unique  condition  of 
affairs  and  a  marked  testimonial  to  his  sterling  character.  The  financial 
ability  which  has  later  made  him  noted  as  a  financier  all  over  the  State  was 
very  apparent  when  he  drafted  the  excellent  assessment  and  taxation  laws 
which  stood  on  the  records  for  many  years.  In  1876  he  was  appoiiited  to  fill 
a  vacancy  in  the  office  of  State  Auditor,  to  which  office  he  was  elected  soon 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  249 

after,  and  Mr.  Bonebrake  is  one  of  the  few  men  who  have  served  in  a  State 
office  for  three  consecutive  terms. 

In  1882,  upon  retiring  from  the  auditorship,  Mr.  Bonebrake  decHned 
other  pohtical  honors,  desiring  to  give  his  attention  more  closely  to  personal 
affairs.  He  organized  the  Central  Bank  of  Kansas,  and  subsequently  was 
one  of  the  prime  movers  in  the  organization  of  the  Central  National  Bank  of 
Topeka,  of  which  he  was  elected  president,  an  office  he  has  held  for  21  years 
to  the  present  day,  his  careful,  conservative  direction  of  the  bank's  affairs 
making  it  one  of  the  soundest  institutions  of  its  kind  in  the  State.  The  other 
officers  of  .the  bank  are  as  follows  :  Charles  S.  Downing,  vice-president;  Edwin 
Knowles,  cashier;  F.  C.  Thompson,  assistant  cashier.  The  directors  include 
the  president  and  the  vice-president  and  the  following  well-known  capitalists 
and  business  men  of  Topeka :  Charles  J.  Devlin,  V.  B.  Kistler,  H.  P.  Dillon, 
Charles  S.  Gleed,  A.  S.  Johnson,  Eugene  F.  Ware  and  J.  D.  Norton.  The 
latest  statement  of  the  bank,  as  rendered  to  the  Comptroller  of  the  Currency, 
November  10,  1904,  is  as  follows : 

RESOURCES. 

Loans,  Discounts  and  Securities  $845,969  SS 

Overdrafts  711  09 

U.  S.  Bonds  and  Premium  334,40O  00 

Real    Estate    11,50000 

Furniture   and  Fixtures    2,500  00 

Redemption  Fund  with  U.  S.  Treasury  12,500  00 

Cash  and  Sight  Exchange   437,825  76 

Total     $1,645,406  40 

LIABILITIES. 

Capital  Stock  Paid  In  $250,000  00 

Surplus    Fund    45,000  00 

Undivided    Profits     18,413  93 

Circulation    250,000  oo 

Deposits    1,081,992  47 

Total $1,645,406  40 

In  1859  Mr.  Bonebrake  was  united  in  marriage  with  Martha  A.  Lowe, 
and  the  two  survivors  of  their  family  of  four  children  are :  Frank  M.,  who  is 
cashier  of  the  Merchants'  National  Bank;  and  Frederic  B.,  who  is  vice-presi- 
dent and  treasurer  of  the  Osage  City  Grain  &  Elevator  Company.  The  family 
belong  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of  which  Mr.  Bonebrake  has  been 
a  member  since  youth. 

Mr.  Bonebrake  has  never  lost  his  interest  in  politics,  and  is  now,  as  he 
has  been  for  many  years  past,  treasurer  of  the  Republican  State  Central  Com- 


250  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

mittee.  He  has  served  many  years  as  a  member  of  this  committee  and  much 
of  the  time  as  its  chairman,  and  his  advice  and  counsel  have  long  been  sought 
by  party  leaders.  He  is  known  to  his  fellow-citizens  as  preeminently  a  man 
of  affairs,  and  the  results  he  has  accomplished  justify  the  opinion.  His 
ability  has  not  been  confined  to  his  own  affairs ;  in  fact,  Topeka  owes  much  to 
his  public  spirit  and  personal  endeavor.  He  has  taken  a  very  prominent 
position  in  inaugurating  and  perfecting  many  of  the  great  business  enter- 
prises which  have  contributed  so  largely  to  Topeka's  commercial  prosperity, 
notably  tlae  building  of  the  water-works,  of  which  construction  company  he 
was  president  and  secretary,  and  the  securing  of  important  railroad  lines  to 
and  through  this  point.  He  is  vice-president  of  the  American  Bankers'  Asso- 
ciation of  Kansas. 

Personally,  Mr.  Bonebrake  is  the  soul  of  integrity.  Although  for  many 
years  he  has  held  a  commanding  position  in  the  business  world,  he  is  simple 
in  his  tastes  and  unassuming  in  manner.  Few  of  his  fellow-citizens  know 
the  extent  of  his  charities,  of  the  struggling  youths  he  has  helped,  of  the 
benevolent  objects  he  has  encouraged  or  of  the  religious  enterprises  he  has 
furthered.  In  Parkison  I.  Bonebrake,  the  city  of  Topeka  has  a  citizen  of 
sterling  worth. 


WILLIS  NORTON. 

During  the  last  decade.  Death  has  many  times  entered  the  ranks  of 
Topeka's  business  men,  removing  from  the  city's  busy  activities  those  who 
had  been  instrumental  in  promoting  her  prosperity,  and  in  no  case  was  the 
loss  more  deeply  felt  than  in  the  passing  of  Willis  Norton,  late  president  of 
the  Bank  of  North  Topeka,  sole  proprietor  of  the  Inter-Ocean  flour  mills,  and 
an  able,  forceful  factor  in  almost  every  circle.  Willis  Norton  was  born  July 
22,  1845,  ^t  London,  Ohio,  and  died  at  Topeka  on  April  10,  1895.  He  was 
a  son  of  Thomas  R.  Norton,  being  one  of  a  family  of  11  children  born  to 
his  parents,  six  of  whom  still  survive,  namely:  John  F.,  of  Topeka;  Charles 
F.,  of  Canton,  Ohio;  Mrs.  Fassler,  of  Topeka;  Mrs.  Kauffman,  of  Columbus, 
Ohio;  Percy;  and  Mrs.  Burnett,  of  Springfield,  Ohio. 

Mr.  Norton  entered  into  business  life  upon  the  conclusion  of  his  school- 
ing, becoming  connected  with  the  dry  goods  house  of  his  uncle,  John  Foss, 
at  Springfield,  Ohio.  In  1871  he  came  to  Topeka,  where  his  energies  were 
given  until  his  death  to  founding  and  fostering  her  greatest  business  enter- 
prises. In  1871  the  Capital  Bank,  one  of  the  early  financial  institutions  of 
Topeka,  was  organized  by  Mr.  Norton,  John  D.  Knox  and  Mrs.  E.  Chris- 
man.      At  a   later   date,   Mr.    Norton   became   connected   with  the   Central 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  251 

National  Bank,  and  in  1883  he  bought  a  half  interest  in  the  Bank  of  North 
Topeka,  and  continued  as  its  president  until  the  close  of  his  life. 

Mr.  Norton  was  interested  in  many  business  undertakings  and  identified 
with  the  founding  of  charitable  institutions  and  the  promotion  of  civic  im- 
provements. In  the  industrial  world  he  is  most  prominently  recalled  as  the 
head  of  the  great  Inter-Ocean  flour  mills,  the  largest  plant  in  Topeka.  This 
business  was  established  in  1879  by  Mr.  Norton,  Thomas  Page  and  Messrs. 
Shellabarger  and  Griswold.  In  1882  Mr.  Norton  became  the  sole  owner.  In 
this  great  enterprise  as  in  every  other,  his  ability  was  a  recognized  factor 
and  his  business  integrity  stood  unquestioned. 

Mr.  Noron  was  twice  married.  His  first  wife,  Lillian  Coats,  died  in 
October,  1890,  leaving  one  daughter, — ^Josephine.  On  December  5,  1894, 
Mr.  Norton  married  Lizzie  Thompson,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Thompson. 
Mrs.  Norton  with  one  child,  survives.  They  occupy  one  of  Topeka's  beauti- 
ful homes  at  No.  908  Topeka  avenue  and  move  in  the  best  circles  of  the  city's 
society. 

Politically,  Mr.  Norton  was  identified  with  the  Republican  party.  In 
religious  views  he  was  a  Methodist.  His  fraternal  and  social  connections  in 
Topeka  were  quite  extensive. 


ALEXANDER  McQUISTON. 

Alexander  McQuiston,  one  of  the  well-known  residents  of  Mon- 
mouth township,  Shawnee  County,  is  also  one  of  the  old  settlers,  having 
preempted  160  acres, — the  northeast  quarter  of  section  10,  township  13, 
range  16, — as  early  as  1858.  He  was  born  in  Venango  County,  Pennsyl- 
vania, February  7,  1834,  and  is  a  son  of  David  and  Mary  (Davidson)  Mc- 
Quiston. 

On  the  paternal  side  our  subject  comes  from  Scotch  ancestry,  although  the 
family  has  been  American  for  several  generations,  his  grandfather  having 
been  born  in  Westmoreland  County,  Pennsylvania.  In  1800  the  grandfather 
worked  in  Cincinnati  and  helped  to  shingle  some  of  the  first  houses  ever  built 
there,  but  his  home  was  in  Venango  county.  Our  subject's  mother  was  born 
in  Pennsylvania  of  Irish  parentage.  Our  subject  is  one  of  a  family  of  1 1  sons 
bom  to  his  parents,  namely :  John,  deceased ;  William,  deceased ;  James,  who 
died  in  infancy;  David  H.,  deceased;  Alexander;  Joseph,  of  Pennsylvania; 
Davidson,  deceased,  who  served  in  the  Civil  War ;  Ira.  of  Platte  County,  Ne- 
braska ;  Robert,  an  old  soldier  of  the  Civil  War,  living  at  Big  Springs ;  Cyrus, 
of  Pennsylvania;  and  Hiram,  deceased,  who  served  in  the  Civil  War.     Three 


252  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

of  the  sons  of  this  family  served  in  the  Civil  War.  There  have  been  three 
fatal  accidents  also  in  the  family :  the  grandfather  Davidson  was  killed  while 
doing  his  duty  as  sheriff  in  Pennsylvania;  Rev.  John  McOuiston  was  killed 
by  the  cars  at  Pauline,  Kansas ;  and  Hiram  McQuiston  was  accidentally  shot 
after  safely  passing  through  the  dangers  of  the  Civil  War. 

Our  subject  remained  at  home  with  his  parents  until  21  years  of  age 
and  then  went  to  Bureau  County,  Illinois,  to  join  his  brother  John,  who  had 
settled  there  in  the  previous  year.  After  three  years  of  farming  there,  Mr. 
McQuiston  returned  to  Pennsylvania  on  a  visit.  In  July,  1858,  he  came  to 
Shawnee  County,  Kansas,  where  he  preempted  his  present  farm  in  Monmouth 
township.  He  lived  in  a  little  board  shanty  until  he  put  in  his  first  crop. 
When  everything  looked  promising,  he  returned  to  Illinois  and  was  married 
there  in  July,  1859.  That  Mr.  McQuiston's  first  agricultural  operations 
were  a  complete  failure  was  no  fault  of  his,  for  that  was  the  year  of  the  great 
drought  which  is  a  part  of  the  history  of  the  settlement  of  the  State.  He 
was  one  of  the  hundreds  of  unfortunate  men  who  saw  all  their  efforts  go  for 
naught.  The  fall  of  i860  found  the  little  family  in  dire  need  and  on  this 
account  Mr.  McQuiston  accepted  the  invitation  of  his  father-in-law  to  re- 
turn to  Illinois  for  a  season. 

Mr.  McQuiston  expected  to  almost  immediately  return  to  Kansas,  but 
just  then  the  war  clouds  broke  over  the  land  and  as  two  of  his  wife's  brothers 
enlisted,  he  remained  to  assist  his  father-in-law  and  did  not  come  back  to 
his  Kansas  farm  for  five  years.  This  has  been  his  home  ever  since  and  he  has 
a  valuable  property.  The  planting  of  maple  and  Cottonwood  trees  proved  a 
wise  measure  and  he  now  has  a  fine  grove.  He  also  set  out  orchards,  apple 
trees  alone  to  the  number  of  1,000,  built  a  comfortable  home  and  substantial 
barns  and  has  continued  to  prosper.  His  farm  is  devoted  to  grain,  fruit 
and  stock. 

Mr.  McQuiston  was  married  to  Mary  A.  Winder,  a  native  of  Illinois, 
who  died  in  Kansas  after  25  years  of  happy  wedded  life.  They  had  three 
children,  the  one  survivor  being  Mrs.  Mary  Alice  Lovell,  of  Pennsylvania,  who 
has  nine  children.  Mr.  McQuiston's  second  union  was  to  Susan  A.  Newman, 
who  was  born  in  Breckenridge  County,  Kentucky,  October  11,  1856,  and 
came  to  Kansas  with  her  parents  in  1879.  She  is  a  daughter  of  John  J. 
Newman.  They  have  three  children.  Nora  Viola,  William  A.  and 
Frank  H. 

Politically,  Mr.  McQuiston  is  a  Republican.  For  14  years  he  has  served 
as  justice  of  the  peace,  twice  being  appointed  by  the  Governor.  He  has  been 
a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  for  many  years. 

The  detailed  story  of  Mr.  McQuiston's  early  experiences  in  Kansas  is 
very  interesting.    It  was  hard  work  to  place  his  farm  in  its  present  condition. 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  253 

but  the  results  show  what  determination  and  energy  will  finally  accomplish. 
Every  year  agricultural  operations  are  becoming  more  and  more  the  subject 
of  scientific  study  and  those  who  succeed  to-day  have  much  less  to  contend 
with  than  did  those  of  even  a  decade  ago. 


HON.  CASSIUS  G.  FOSTER. 

The  roster  of  distinguished  jurists  who  have  brought  honor  to  the 
bench  and  bar  of  Kansas  contains  many  names  of  deserved  eminence,  and 
among  the  great  leaders  in  the  legal  profession  was  the  late  Judge  Cassius 
G.  Foster.  Judge  Foster  was  born  at  Webster,  Monroe  County,  New  York, 
January  22,  1837,  and  died  at  his  beautiful  home  in  Topeka,  on  June  21, 
1899.  He  was  a  son  of  Rufus  W.  and  Prudence  (Stewart)  Foster,  members 
of  families  whose  ancestral  lines  reach  back  to  colonial  days. 

Cassius  G.  Foster's  early  education  was  obtained  in  the  common  and 
high  schools  of  his  native  place,  and  that  he  was  fitted  for  the  law,  in  Michi- 
gan, was  something  of  an  accident.  He  had  become  a  member  of  the  family 
of  a  maternal  uncle,  who  lived  near  Adrian,  Michigan ;  after  a  short  time  spent 
in  the  Adrian  Academy,  he  became  a  law  student  in  the  office  of  Hon. 
Fernando  C.  Bowman,  of  that  city.  One  year  later  he  went  to  Rochester, 
New  York,  continuing  his  law  studies,  which  he  later  completed  with  Bartaw 
&  Olmstead,  at  Leroy,  New  York,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  the  spring 
of  1859.  In  June  of  the  same  year,  he  removed  to  Kansas,  selecting  the 
healthy  little  town  of  Atchison  as  the  scene  of  his  first  legal  struggles.  There 
he  formed  a  partnership  with  S.  H.  Glenn  and  the  firm  soon  became  one  of 
importance,  handling  cases  of  all  kinds  with  the  skill  and  ability  which  brought 
in  a  large  income  for  the  young  firm  and  much  prominence  for  its  members. 

Judge  Foster  possessed  too  ardent  a  temperament  and  too  much  force 
of  character  to  stand  aside  during  those  stormy  days  in  the  political  field, 
and  his  influence  was  soon  felt.  During  the  Civil  War  he  served  with  the 
rank  of  colonel  on  the  staff  of  Governor  Carney  until,  in  1862,  he  was 
elected  by  the  Republican  party  to  the  State  Senate.  Upon  the  close  of  his 
term,  he  resumed  his  law  practice  and  in  1867  he  was  called  to  fill  the  posi- 
tion of  ma/or  of  Atchison,  then  a  city  of  largely  increased  importance.  In 
March,  1874,  he  was  honored  further  by  appointment  as  United  States  dis- 
trict judge,  an  office  he  filled  with  the  greatest  efficiency  until  his  retirement 
on  January  6,   1899,  by  special  act  of  Congress. 

Judge  Foster  sat  upon  the  bench  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  and  during 
this  long  period  of  judicial  life  proved  himself  to  be  one  of  the  ablest  men 


254  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

that  has  ever  administered  justice  in  the  State  of  Kansas.  His  opinions 
showed  him  to  be  learned,  fearless  and  impartial.  Personally,  he  was  a  man 
of  deep  sympathies  and  wide  interests,  an  appreciative  supporter  of  educa- 
tional, scientific  and  moral  movements.  The  Topeka  Foster  Humane  Society 
is  the  outcome  of  his  efforts  in  one  direction,  and  this  benevolence,  like  many 
others,  was  supported  mainly  through  his  liberality. 

On  September  12,  1878,  Judge  Foster  was  married  to  Angle  V.  Luding- 
ton,  who  was  a  daughter  of  R.  W.  Ludington,  a  prominent  citizen  of 
Lawrence,  Kansas.  Mrs.  Foster  still  survives,  with  two  daughters,  Beatrice 
and  Lillian;  they  reside  in  a  beautiful  residence  on  the  corner  of  nth  and 
Harrison  streets,  and  move  in  the  best  society  of  Topeka.  During  the  later 
years  of  Judge  Foster's  life,  the  family  traveled  in  many  lands,  in  a  vain 
search  for  health  for  the  beloved  husband  and  father.  Although  perfect  re- 
covery from  his  malady  was  not  granted,  his  days  were  prolonged.  He  was 
permitted  to  pass  away  surrounded  by  his  family  and  friends  and  in  the  city 
where  he  had  gained  so  many  legal  triumphs. 


ERNEST  B.  CONANT. 

Ernest  B.  Conant,  one  of  the  prominent  members  of  the  bar  of  Shaw- 
nee County,  Kansas,  who  has  been  a  resident  of  Topeka  only  since  August, 
1903,  but  whose  connection  with  Washburn  College  has  made  him  many 
friends  among  the  citizens,  was  born  at  Enfield,  New  Hampshire,  and  is  a 
son  of  Washington  I.  and  Anna  F.   (Skinner)  Conant. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Conant  were  both  of  New  England  birth  and  educa- 
tion, the  father  being  a  native  of  New  Hampshire  and  the  mother,  of  Ver- 
mont. Enfield  is  one  of  the  important  mill  towns  of  Grafton  County,  the 
center  of  a  large  manufacturing  district,  and  the  father  of  Mr.  Conant  was 
superintendent  of  one  of  the  great  woolen  mills  there.  In  1886  he  retired 
from  active  life  and  his  death  took  place  in  1902,  at  Boston,  Massachusetts, 
but  his  burial  was  at  Enfield. 

Ernest  B.  Conant  completed  the  common-school  course  in  his  native 
State  and  in  September,  1887,  he  entered  Phillips  Academy  at  Exeter,  New 
Hampshire,  where  he  remained  four  years,  completing  the  course  in  June, 
1 89 1.  He  then  entered  Harvard  University,  where  he  was  graduated  in 
1895,  with  the  degree  of  A.  B.  In  the  same  year  he  entered  the  Harvard  Law 
School  where  he  was  graduated  in  law  in  1898  and  in  September  of  the  same 
year  was  admitted  to  the  Massachusetts  bar. 

Mr.  Conant  entered  into  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Boston,  where 


FOSTER  DWIGHT  COBURN 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  257 

he  remained  until  the  end  of  1902,  when  he  moved  to  Chicago,  having  been 
appointed  one  of  the  professors  in  the  Ilhnois  College  of  Law.  In  May 
of  the  same  year  he  was  elected  dean  of  the  law  department  of  Washburn 
College,  and  came  to  Topeka  the  following  August.  Since  taking  up  his 
residence  here,  he  has  been  engaged  in  general  practice,  having  become  a 
member  of  the  Shawnee  County  bar  in  October,   1904. 


FOSTER  DWIGHT  COBURN. 

Foster  Dwight  Coburn,  whose  prolific  pen  devoted  to  the  agricultural 
interests  of  Kansas,  as  well  as  his  distinguished  public  services  in  connection 
with  the  State  Board  of  Agriculture  and  the  State  Agricultural  College,  have 
made  him  known  all  over  the  land,  is  a  native  of  Wisconsin  but  Kansas  has 
claimed  him  since  1867.  Mr.  Coburn  was  born  in  Jefferson  County,  Wis- 
consin, May  7,  1846,  and  remained  there  on  the  parental  farm  until  13  years 
old  and  then  lived  three  years  at  Hannibal,  Missouri. 

Mr.  Coburn  is  a  graduate  of  no  college  or  university,  his  school  train- 
ing having  been  confined  to  what  he  could  secure  in  the  common  schools  of 
his  native  county.  When  but  a  youth  of  18  years  he  enlisted  for  service  in 
the  Civil  War,  entering  as  a  private  Company  F,  135th  Reg.,  Illinois  Vol. 
Inf.,  at  Greenville,  Illinois.  After  the  close  of  his  first  term  of  service,  he 
reenlisted  in  the  62nd  Regiment,  Illinois  Vet.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  served  until 
March,  1866,  when  he  was  mustered  out  with  the  rank  of  sergeant  major,  at 
Fort  Gibson,  Indian  Territory. 

After  the  close  of  the  war,  Mr.  Coburn  came  to  Kansas,  more  interested 
in  agriculture  than  anything  else,  being  led  to  this  section  on  account  of  the 
location  here  of  his  former  superior  officer.  Col.  L.  C.  True.  Colonel  True 
owned  a  ranch  in  Franklin  County  and  he  engaged  Mr.  Coburn's  services 
and  gave  him  an  oportunity  to  prove  his  ability.  He  soon  became  so  inter- 
ested in  the  various  branches  of  his  work  that  he  consented  to  discuss  various 
topics  at  the  farmers'  meetings  and  to  contribute  articles  for  the  local  press  upon 
what  he  considered  important  subjects,  that  by  1880  he  had  attracted  enough 
attention  to  be  offered  a  position  in  the  office  of  the  State  Board  of  Agriculture. 
In  the  following  year  he  was  unanimously  elected  its  secretary.  After  serv- 
ing for  a  short  period,  he  located  at  Wyandotte,  now  Kansas  City,  Kansas, 
where  he  took  editorial  charge  of  the  Kansas  City  (Missouri)  Live-Stock 
Indicator,  a  journal  he  conducted  successfully  for  nearly  six  years,  increasing 
in  this  time  his  popularity  as  an  agricultural  authority  to  such  a  degree  that 
in  1882  he  was  appointed  by  Governor  George  W.  Glick,  a  regent  of  the  State 


2S8  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Agricultural  College,  and  made  president  of  the  board.  Upon  the  expiration 
of  his  term  he  was  reappointed,  and  reelected  president.  In  1894  he  again 
became  secretary  of  the  State  Board  of  Agriculture  and  was  reelected  on 
five  excessive  occasions  by  acclamation.  When  Governor  William  E.  Stan- 
ley became  chief  executive  of  the  State,  he  appointed  Mr.  Coburn  a  regent  of 
the  State  Agricultural  College,  and  he  was  elected  vice-president  of  the  board. 

Mr.  Coburn  has  contributed  vastly  to  the  agricultural  history  of  Kan- 
sas and  his  books  on  general  agricultural  subjects  form  of  themselves  a 
library,  which  covers  many  of  the  most  important  subjects.  Among  these 
works  may  be  mentioned  as  leading  ones :  "Swine  Husbandry,"  "Alfalfa 
Growing,"  "The  Helpful  Hen,"  "Cow  Culture,"  "The  Modern  Sheep,"  "The 
Horse  Useful,"  "Corn  and  the  Sorghums,"  "Forage  and  Fodders,"  "Short- 
horn Cattle,"  "Hereford  Cattle,"  "Polled  Cattle,"  "Pork  Production,"  "Kan- 
sas Wheat  Growing,"  'Modern  Dairying"  and  "Potato  Production,"  all  of 
these,  as  will  be  noted,  on  such  practical  subjects  as  to  make  them  valuable 
as  text-books. 

Mr.  Coburn  was  married  in  1869  to  Lou  Jenkines,  and  they  have  three 
children,  all  of  whom  are  graduates  of  the  State  Agricultural  College. 

Mr.  Coburn  has  always  been  a  consistent  Republican  and  on  more  than 
one  occasion  has  been  urged  to  accept  political  offices  of  the  highest  character. 
In  1898  he  was  brought  forward  as  his  party's  candidate  for  Governor  but 
absolutely  declined  the  honor.  He  has  also  been  tentatively  proffered  the 
presidency  of  the  Agricultural  College,  but,  while  appreciating  the  confidence 
of  his  fellow-citizens,  has  declined  to  serve.  Mr.  Coburn's  portrait  accom- 
panies this  sketch. 


REV.  FRANK  E.  MALLORY. 

Rev.  Frank  E.  Mallory,  pastor  of  the  Christian  (Disciples)  Church 
Topeka,  Kansas,  was  born  at  Franklin,  Pennsylvania,  June  4,  1865,-  and  is  a 
son  of  Russell  and  Elizabeth  (Shearer)   Mallory. 

The  Mallory  family  came  from  Pennsylvania  to  Jewell  County,  Kansas, 
about  1879,  settling  on  a  tract  of  160  acres  where  the  father  carried  on  gen- 
eral farming  for  some  years.  He  now  resides  at  Jewell  City  where  his  wife 
died  May  8,  1898.  The  family  consisted  of  10  children,  the  survivors  being: 
Jennie,  wife  of  A.  J.  Wise,  of  Pennsylvania;  David  C,  of  Atchison,  Kansas; 
James  M.,  a  farmer  of  Jamestown,  Kansas;  Elmira,  of  Jewell  City;  Frank 
E.,  of  this  sketch;  George  W.,  of  Jewell  City;  Clayton,  of  Mankato,  Kansas; 
and  John  C,  of  Concordia,  Kansas. 

Our     subject  accompanied  the  family  to  Kansas  and  lived  in  Jewell 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  259 

County  until  1883,  when  he  graduated  from  the  High  School.  In  1893 
he  came  to  Topeka.  For  one  year  he  served  as  general  secretary  of  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association  at  Atchison.  In  September,  1893,  the 
Christian  (Disciples)  Church  was  organized  at  Topeka,  with  a  membership 
of  429,  and  on  October  ist  Mr.  Mallory  was  invited  to  become  its  first  pastor. 
He  has  continued  in  this  relation  to  the  present  time  and  the  encouraging 
condition  in  which  this  little  body  of  earnest  men  and  women  find  themselves 
is  mainly  due  to  his  untiring  energy  and  faithful  stewardship.  In  1894  the 
church  edifice,  which  is  situated  at  Third  and  Lake  streets,  was  erected  to 
seat  1,000  persons,  and  it  is  almost  entirely  paid  for.  In  connection  with  the 
Christian  (Disciples)  Church  is  a  Sunday-school  of  300  members,  the  Ladies' 
Auxiliary  to  the  C.  W.  B.  M.  and  the  Ladies'  Aid  Society,  all  these  organi- 
zations being  in  a  flourishing  condition. 

On  August  12,  1884,  Rev.  Mr.  Mallory  was  married  to  Mary  Glad- 
felter,  of  Nortonville,  Kansas,  who  is  a  daughter  of  Wesley  and  Henrietta 
(Berry)  Gladfelter,  who  are  engaged  in  farming. 

Rev.  Mr.  Mallory  has  been  a  member  of  the  Topeka  Board  of  Educa- 
tion for  six  years  and  has  been  its  president  for  the  past  three  years.  He  has 
always  been  identified  with  educational  and  religious  progress  here.  His 
fraternal  relations  are  with  Topeka  Lodge,  No.  40,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  Sun- 
flower Camp,  No.  536,  Modern  Woodmen  of  America. 


EDWARD   HENRY  MOESER. 

In  the  course  of  human  events,  the  older  citizens  of  a  community  pass 
off  the  threshold  of  life  to  give  place  to  the  new  generation  pressing  on 
behind,  and  thus  the  time  comes  when  the  pioneers,  those  who  have  borne 
the  heat  and  labor  of  the  day  that  others  may  enjoy  the  shade  and  ease,  are 
represented  only  by  memories.  In  the  death  of  E.  H.  Moeser,  Topeka  lost 
a  pioneer,  an  honorable  man  and  a  valued  citizen. 

Edward  Henry  Moeser  was  born  April  6,  1849,  ^^  Giessen,  Hessen- 
Darmstadt,  Germany.  He  came  of  good,  sturdy  German  stock,  his  father 
being  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  a  respected,  industrious  man.  In  1857 
our  subject  emigrated  to  America  with  his  mother  and  located  in  Chicago. 
In  1862  he  came  to  Kansas,  settling  first  at  Leavenworth;  one  year  later  he 
took  up  his  residence  at  Topeka,  which  city  continued  to  be  his  home  and 
the  scene  of  his  business  success.  Shortly  after  settling  at  Topeka,  with 
his  brother  Philip  he  became  int-erested  in  the  operation  of  an  ice  and  cold 
storage  business  which  he  developed  into  the  large  concern  at  Nos.  200  to 


26o  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

218  Polk  street,  known  as  the  Moeser  Ice  &  Cold  Storage  Company. 
Although  Mr.  Moeser  was  not  officer  of  the  company  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  he  was  one  of  its  founders  and  to  his  early  business  enterprise  and 
fostering  care  its  expansion  to  its  present  proportions  may  be  mainly  attrib- 
uted. During  his  active  business  years  his  integrity  and  ability  brought  him 
many  friends  who  entertained  a  life-long  respect  for  him  and  confidence  in 
his  judgment. 

Mr.  Moeser  was  married  at  Topeka,  July  4,  1871,  to  Ida  Bohne,  who 
still  survives,  with  four  children :  Etta  E. ;  George  E.,  a  well-known  engi- 
neer ;  Clara  I.  and  Irma  R.  The  three  daughters  reside  with  their  mother  in 
their  handsome  home  at  No.  208  Tyler  street.  This  attractive  residence  was 
erection  in  1901  under  the  supervision  of  Mr.  Moeser.  To  daily  watch  the 
completion  of  this  new  home  was  a  task  he  enjoyed,  although  he  was  con- 
scious that  he  could  scarcely  survive  to  long  enjoy  its  comforts. 

The  death  of  Mr.  Moeser,  which  occurred  on  Thursday  evening,  March 
2,  1905,  was  not  altogether  unexpected,  as  he  had  been  a  sufferer  from 
Bright's  disease  for  some  five  months.  His  remains  rest  in  the  Topeka 
Cemetery. 

Mr.  Moeser  was  connected  with  a  number  of  the  early  civic  organiza- 
tions and  was  a  member  of  the  first  city  fire  company.  He  was  a  just  man 
in  all  his  dealings  and  gave  to  charitable  objects  that  he  deemed  worthy  of 
support.     With  his  family,  he  attended  the  Lutheran  Church. 


EUGENE   HAGAN. 

Eugene  Hagan,  a  prominent  figure  in  almost  all  the  legal  controver- 
sies, in  the  past  decade,  at  Topeka,  gaining  eminence  at  the  bar  while  yet  in 
middle  life,  and  rich  in  personal  gifts  and  scholarly  attainments,  belongs 
to  the  State's  long  list  of  leading  men.  Mr.  Hagan  was  born  July  8,  1859, 
in  Monroe  County,  Missouri,  and  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Mary  Hagan,  and 
a  descendant  of  Revolutionary  stock. 

Mr.  Hagan  spent  the  period  between  the  age  of  14  and  18  years  at  school 
in  St.  Mary's,  Kansas,  and  then  went  to  Louisville,  Kentucky,  ■  where  he  was 
graduated  from  the  academic  and  law  departments  of  the  State  University 
of  Kentucky.  After  a  short  season  of  practice  at  Chicago,  Mr.  Hagan  turned 
to  the  West  for  a  less  crowded  field,  coming  in  1880  to  Topeka,  where  he 
became  associated  with  the  old  law  firm  of  Peck,  Ryan  &  Johnson.  At  a  later 
date  Mr.  Peck  became  general  attorney  for  the  Atchison,  Topeka  and  Santa 
Fe  Railway  Company,  and  a   new  firm  was  formed,  Johnson  &  Hagan,  which 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  261 

continued  for  three  years.  He  has  since  practiced  alone.  He  has  been 
retained  in  many  notable  cases,  has  assisted  in  forming  the  policies  of  many 
great  concerns  and  the  State  records  are  filled  with  his  successes.  It  was 
Mr.  Hagan  who  brought  the  action  in  the  Supreme  Court  which  was  known 
as  the  Gunn  case,  which  resulted  in  the  settlement  of  the  legislative  struggle 
of  1893.  Another  notable  instance  was  when  he  was  attorney  for  Mrs. 
Mary  E.  Lease  and  gained  a  victory  over  the  opposing  counsel  and  over 
Ex-Governor  Lewelling.  While  every  phase  of  law  is  familiar  to  him,  he 
takes  a  particularly  active  interest  in  criminal  cases  and  has  won  a  justifiable 
reputation  in  this  branch  of  practice.  Mr.  Hagan  is  noted  for  his  faithful 
adherence  to  his  clients  and  has  the  manner  which  immediately  inspires 
confidence.  Gifted  with  a  retentive  memory  and  quickness  of  perception,  a 
complete  comprehension  of  every  legal  point  and  avenue,  he  is  an  antagonist 
to  be  feared  and  an  advocate  to  be  depended  upon. 

In  political  as  well  as  in  professional  life,  Mr.  Hagan  has  become  promi- 
nent in  Kansas.  A  consistent  Democrat  of  the  old  school,  in  1882  he  was 
elected  president  of  the  Young  Men's  Democratic  League  of  Kansas,  a  posi- 
tion he  held  for  four  years.  In  1885  he  was  appointed  assistant  United  States 
district  attorney  for  the  district  comprising  Kansas  and  Oklahoma  Terri- 
tory, and  served  as  such  for  five  years.  In  1888  he  was  a  delegate  to  the 
Democratic  National  Convention.  Although  for  12  years  previous  to  1896 
he  had  been  a  member  of  the  Democratic  State  Central  Committee,  he  that 
year  resigned  on  account  of  the  Free  Silver  issue  and  was  instrumental  in 
promoting  the  National  Democratic  party  in  Kansas.  As  chairman  of  the 
Sound  Money  Democratic  State  Committee,  he  was  a  member  of  the  Kansas 
delegation  at  Indianapolis.  He  is  a  man  of  strong  convictions  and  has  the 
courage  to  uphold  them. 

On  January  5,  1899,  Mr.  Hagan  was  united  in  marriage  to  Madge 
Johnson,  daughter  of  Hon.  J.  B.  Johnson,  a  former  law  partner  of  Mr. 
Hagan. 


DAVID  LONG  LAKIN. 

David  Long  Lakin,  deceased,  who  for  40  years  was  closely  identfied 
with  the  important  agencies  which  have  resulted  in  the  development  of  Kansas 
into  one  of  the  greatest  States  of  the  Union,  and  for  almost  as  long  a  period 
was  an  important  factor  in  the  building  and  management  of  the  great 
Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railway  and  its  mighty  interests,  was  one  of 
Topeka's  most  honored  and  valued  citizens.     The  birth  of  Mr.   Lakin  oc- 


262  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

curred  at  Zanesville,  Ohio,  May  2^,  1830,  and  his  long  and  useful  life  closed 
at  Topeka,  on  October  8,  1897. 

Mr.  Lakin  enjoyed  excellent  educational  advantages,  graduating  with 
credit  from  Zanesville  College.  His  natural  inclinations  and  mental  equip- 
ment led  him  to  seek  a  career  which  would  involve  mental  rather  than  man- 
ual activity,  and  he  accepted  a  position  as  a  school  teacher  in  Alabama.  At 
that  period  there  were  many  calls  from  the  South  for  the  services  of  educa- 
tors from  the  North,  and  Mr.  Lakin  spent  many  pleasant  and  profitable  years 
in  that  Southern  State.  In  1857,  after  the  final  settlement  of  many  of  the 
public  problems  which  had  marred  the  fame  of  this  beautiful  and  fruitful 
country,  Mr.  Lakin  came  to  Kansas,  and  through  his  whole  subsequent  life 
gave  his  allegiance  and  most  unselfish  and  earnest  efforts  to  promote  the 
State's  welfare.  As  years  passed,  his  sterling  character  was  recognized  by 
his  community  and  he  was  placed  in  many  positions  of  responsibility  which 
increased  public  confidence.     In  1862  he  was  appointed  Auditor  of  the  State. 

Mr.  Lakin's  connection  with  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railway 
began  early  in  its  organization,  and  in  February,  1864,  he  was  elected  to 
membership  on  its  directing  board  and  was  made  its  first  treasurer.  Until 
the  close  of  his  life,  Mr.  Lakin  remained  with  this  great  transportation  sys- 
tem, one  of  its  most  active  and  influential  managers,  and  much  of  the  credit 
was  due  him  for  the  general  prosperity  brought  about  a  decade  later,  when 
the  road  was  completed  to  the  western  border  of  the  State.  He  was  con- 
cerned with  everything  that  has  made  this  road  one  of  the  greatest  lines  in 
the  country,  and  his  death  brought  not  only  a  sense  of  personal  loss  to  those 
with  whom  he  had  been  so  closely  connected  and  who  had  learned  to  depend 
upon  his  almost  unerring  judgment,  but  to  the  many  great  interests  involved. 

Mr.  Lakin  was  married  July  14,  1868,  at  Topeka,  to  Mary  E.  Ward. 
She  was  born  in  1844  at  Shawnee  Mission,  and  is  a  daughter  of  the  late 
Anthony  A.  and  Mary  J.  (Foster)  Ward.  There  were  five  children  born 
to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lakin,  namely :   Burr,  Mary,  David,  Alice  and  Samuel. 

Politically,  Mr.  Lakin  was  identified  with  the  Democratic  party,  believ- 
ing in  its  principles  and  consistently  supporting  its  candidates.  His  fraternal 
associations  were  with  different  branches  of  Masonry.  He  was  more  or 
less  interested  in  various  social  organizations  and  was  a  dependable  factor 
in  public-spirited   enterprises. 

In  this  too  brief  sketch  of  David  Long  Lakin,  a  summary  of  his  life 
and  character  would  show  that  he  was  a  man  of  force,  ability  and  integrity. 
His  fellow-citizens  know  that  he  was  wise  in  council  and  generous  and  fair 
in  spirit;  his  business  associates  remember  his  scrupulous  attention  to  all 
the  absorbing  duties  of  his  office;  and  his  family  recall  one,  whose  constant 
care  was  for  their  welfare. 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  263 

There  are  few  more  delightfully  situated  homes  than  that  of  Mrs.  Lakin, 
at  No.  100  North  Western  avenue,  Topeka.  The  large,  old-fashioned  resi- 
dence, surrounded  by  noble  trees  of  luxuriant  growth,  is  located  on  a  hill 
that  not  only  overlooks  the  whole  of  the  beautiful  capital  city  with  the  great 
dome  of  the  State  House  showing  to  the  south,  but  also  enables  the  beholder 
to  follow  the  graceful  curves  of  the  Kansas  River  as  it  winds  away  through 
its  green  banks  to  the  Missouri.  It  is  a  home  indicative  of  rest  and  refinement 
and  here  Mr.  Larkin  enjoyed  the  ease  which  gave  him  the  physical  and 
mental  strength  necessary  for  the  carrying  out  of  his  important  duties. 


ELIAS  BRANSON   COWGILL. 

Elias  Branson  Cowgill,  a  veteran  newspaper  man  of  Kansas,  and  a 
member  of  the  Kansas  Farmer  Publishing  Company,  of  Topeka,  has  been 
prominent  in  all  matters  pertaining  to  the  State's  agricultural  interests  for 
a  great  many  years.  Mr.  Cowgill  was  born  March  27,  1845,  ^t  Martin's 
Ferry,  Ohio,  and  is  a  son  of  Phineas  and  Sarah  Ann   (Branson)   Cowgill. 

The  Cowgill  family  came  to  America  with  William  Penn  and  settled 
near  Philadelphia;  a  branch  moved  to  Loudoun  County,  Virginia,  and  sub- 
sequently, during  the  infancy  of  our  subject's  grandfather,  to  Belmont 
County,  Ohio.  The  latter  was  an  old  and  exemplary  resident.  He  was  an 
elder  in  the  Society  of  Friends  and  presided  at  the  head  of  the  local  meeting 
at  St.  Clairsville  for  over  30  years.  The  father  of  Mr.  Cowgill  was  also  born 
in  Ohio,  where  he  married  and  engaged  in  farming  until  1852,  when  he 
moved  to  Iowa. 

Elias  B.  Cowgill  was  mainly  reared  and  entirely  educated  in  the  State 
of  Iowa,  where  he  completed  his  preliminary  studies  and  then  entered  the 
State  University  of  Iowa,  where  he  was  graduated  in  1869.  His  beginning 
in  newspaper  work  was  as  editor  of  the  university  paper,  and  his  second 
effort  was  at  Enterprise,  Mississippi,  where  he  also  became  interested  in 
cotton  raising.  He  was  later  made  superintendent  of  the  schools  of  Clarke 
County,  Mississippi. 

In  1871  Mr.  Cowgill  came  to  Kansas,  locating  at  Great  Bend,  Barton 
County.  He  surveyed  the  Great  Bend  town-3:;e  in  September,  1871.  In 
December,  1875,  he  moved  to  Sterling,  Kansas,  where  he  established  the 
Rice  County  Gazette,  a  paper  wh'ch  he  continued  to  issue  for  the  succeeding 
16  years.  It  was  mainly  devotvid  to  the  mterests  of  that  part  of  the  State 
and  won  a  place  in  the  front  rank  of  tlae  newspapers  of  the  country.     In 


264  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

1884  he  was  appointed  by  the  Commissioner  of  Agriculture  to  investigate 
the  sugar  industry,  and  in  the  following  year  he  was  elected  to  the  chair 
of  physics  and  engineering  in  the  Kansas  State  Agricultural  College.  These 
trusts  he  accepted  although  he  still  retained  his  ownership  of  the  Gazette, 
which  was  placed  under  the  management  of  A.  L.  McMillan.  In  1887, 
however,  Mr.  Cowgill  decided  to  return  to  Sterling,  resigning  his  work  at 
the  college.  He  was  again  appointed  by  the  Commissioner  of  Agriculture 
to  look  further  into  the  sugar  industry,  and  to  ascertain  the  best  kind  of 
machinery  to  use  and  the  best  processes  to  follow.  In  1889  Mr.  Cowgill 
went  into  the  erection  of  sugar  machinery  and  became  general  Western  rep- 
resentative of  the  Kilby  Manufacturing  Company,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio.  He 
built  factories  for  the  manufacture  of  sugar  at  Medicine  Lodge,  Conway 
Springs  and  Ness  City,  and  rebuilt  the  factory  at  Topeka,  which  had  been 
burned  in  1890.  In  1891  he  disposed  of  all  his  interests  in  this  line  and 
bought  an  interest  in  the  Kansas  Farmer  Publishing  Company.  The  Kansas 
Farmer  was  first  printed  in  1863  by  Judge  Adams,  later  by  Ex-Governor 
George  T.  Anthony  and  still  later  by  Maj.  J.  K.  Hudson.  A  company  was 
then  formed  which  was  succeeded  by  the  present  company.  The  publication 
has  a  circulation  of  23,000,  which  extends  all  over  Kansas,  Missouri,  Ne- 
braska, Oklahoma  and  Indian  Territory.  It  supplies  the  needs  of  hundreds 
of  households  in  the  valleys  and  plains  in  these  various  States  and  occupies  a 
place  of  prominence  on  many  a  cultured  library  table.  Its  issue  is  weekly 
and  its  aim  is  to  be  a  strictly  home  and  agricultural  paper. 

On  September  20,   1869,  Mr.  Cowgill  was  married  to  Helen  Prescott, 
who  was  a  daughter  of  John  S.  and  Mary  (Harris)  Prescott,  the  former  of 
Massachusetts  and  the  latter  of  Ohio,  Iowa,  Mississippi  and  Kansas.     Mrs. 
Cowgill  died  at  Great  Bend,  Kansas,  in  1875,  leaving  one  child,  Sadie  C, 
the  wife  of  William  J.   Graves,  of  Neosho,  Missouri,   who  is  in  the  real 
estate  business  and  is  land  agent  for  the  Kansas   City  Southern   Railroad 
Company.     In  May,  1877,  Mr.  Cowgill  was  married,  second,  to  Rena  Harri- 
man,  of  Sterling,  Kansas,  who  is  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Leonard  B.  and  Angeline 
(Kezer)  Harriman.     Dr.  Harriman  died  at  Sterling,  but  his  widow,  a  native 
of  Canada,  is  a  resident  of  Guthrie,  Oklahoma.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cowgill  have 
these  children:     Ruth — the  talented  editor  of  the  home  departments  of  the 
Kansas  Farmer,  and  Horace  B.,  who  are  graduates  of  Washburn  College; 
Ella  L.  and  Harry  L.,  who  are  students  at  Washburn  College;  Clyde  P.,  who 
is  attending  the  Topeka  High  School;  and  Clinton  H.,  Paul  K.  and  David 
M.,  who  are  still  in  the  graded  schools.     The  family  belong  to  the  Congrega- 
tional Church,  in  which  Mr.  Cowgill  has  been  a  deacon  for  some  time.     He 
is  president  of  the  State  Temperance  Union,  belongs  to  the  Commercial  Club, 
is  a  member  of  Oak  Grange  and  of  Topeka  Lodge  No.  17,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 


HON.   JOHN    MARTIN 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  2^7 

His  sympathies  are  with  the  Democratic  party.  Mr.  Cowgill  has  a  very 
pleasant  home  at  No.  1325  Clay  street.  The  Kansas  Farmer  headquarters 
are  at  No.  116  West  Sixth  street. 


HON.  JOHN   MARTIN. 

Hon.  John  Martin^  ex-United  States  Senator,  whose  portrait  is  here- 
with shown,  stands  as  one  of  the  great  and  strong  men  of  Kansas.  Entering 
public  life  through  the  avenue  of  the  law,  he  pursued  an  upward  course  until 
he  attained  the  honorable  ambition  of  every  American  statesman, — a  place 
in  the  United  States  Senate.  Here  his  great  legal  abilities  made  him  a  valued 
coadjutor,  in  the  handling  and  solving  of  some  of  the  most  important  issues 
ever  brought  before  that  body. 

John  Martin  was  born  November  12,  1833,  ^^  Wilson  County,  Tennes- 
see, and  is  a  son  of  Matt  and  Mary  (Penn)  Martin.  The  Martin  and  Penn 
families  were  old  families  of  lineage  and  breeding,  but,  like  many  others  in 
that  locality,  possessed  of  only  limited  financial  resources.  Our  subject's 
home  was  an  ideal  one,  its  atmosphere  being  one  of  family  affection  and 
gentle  refinement,  but  when  the  time  came  for  the  ambitious  youth  to  push 
out  for  himself,  little  but  good  wishes  could  be  given  him. 

Turning  his  face  Westward,  in  search  of  a  favorable  field  of  operation, 
Mr.  Martin  reached  Tecumseh,  Shawnee  County,  Kansas,  on  April  8,  1855. 
After  casting  about  a  little,  he  decided  that  here  he  could  complete  his  law 
studies,  to  which  he  had  already  given  considerable  attention  in  Tennessee, 
and,  in  the  words  of  a  well-known  public  man,  now  passed  ofif  the  theater 
of  life,  "grow  up  with  the  country."  His  ability  was  almost  immediately 
recognized  and  he  was  made  assistant  clerk  of  the  first  Territorial  Legisla- 
ture. As  soon  as  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  he  was  made  county  attorney 
of  Shawnee  County  and  served  as  county  clerk  and  register  of  deeds  from 
1857  to  1859.  From  the  latter  year  up  to  January,  1861,  he  was  assistant 
United  States  attorney. 

In  1 861  Mr.  Martin  opened  his  office  at  Topeka,  where  his  legal  ability 
continued  to  more  and  more  bring  him  into  prominence,  and  in  1883  he  was 
appointed  judge  of  the  Third  Judicial  District,  to  which  office  he  was  sub- 
sequently reelected.  In  1873  he  was  sent  to  the  State  Legislature  to  repre- 
sent Shawnee  County  and  again  in  1874,  and  during  this  period  he  worked 
hard  for  the  best  interests  of  Topeka,  securing  many  advantages  for  this 
city,  one  of  these  being  the  location  of  the  Insane  Asylum  here.  His  political 
affiliation  has  always  been  with  the  Democratic  party  and  on  several  occa- 

13 


268  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

■sions  it  has  insisted  on  making  him  the  standard-bearer  in  the  contests  for 
■gubernatorial  honors.  His  foUowing  has  always  been  large  and  influential, 
and  in  1893  he  was  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate,  to  fill  the  unexpired 
term  of  Senator  Plumb.  While  in  Washington  his  work  showed  him  to  be 
a  steadfast  supporter  of  the  principles  of  his  party  and  a  man  of  broad,  en- 
lightened views  and  in  every  sense  a  true  patriot.  Judge  Martin  has  served 
also  as  clerk  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Kansas.  He  still  continues  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession  at  Topeka,  where  he  is  justly  numbered  with  the 
eminent  members  of  the  bar. 

Judge  Martin  was  married  November  12,  i860,  to  Caroline  Clements, 
who  was  a  daughter  of  Judge  C.  B.  Clements,  of  Tecumseh,  and  they  have 
had  three  children,  viz.:  Charles  C,  deceased;  Hon.  John  E.,  who  is  not 
only  the  mayor  of  Emporia,  Kansas,  but  is  the  first  Democratic  mayor  the 
■city  has  ever  elected ;  and  Carrie,  an  accomplished  lady  who  is  the  competent 
stenographer  of  the  Kansas  State  Historical  Society. 


SYLVANUS  LORENZO   LEAVITT. 

Sylvanus  Lorenzo  Leavitt,  for  man  years  a  leading  business  citizen 
of  Topeka,  who  now  lives  retired  from  active  affairs,  was  born  September 
14,  1 82 1,  at  Effingham,  New  Hampshire,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Ruth 
{Champion)    Leavitt. 

The  Leavitt  family  originated  in  England  and  its  American,  founders 
settled  in  New  Hampshire.  The  great-grandfather  reared  five  children  at 
Hampton,  namely:  John,  Herson,  Morris,  Jeremiah  and  James.  Jeremiah 
Leavitt  was  the  first  settler  at  Effingham  (formerly  known  as  Leavitt's  Town) 
New  Hampshire.  Of  the  11  children  of  John  and  Ruth  (Champion) 
Leavitt,  but  two  survive, — our  subject  and  a  brother,  William  H.,  a  retired 
resident  of  Portland,  Maine. 

Sylvanus  L.  Leavitt  lived  at  home  on  his  father's  farm,  attending  the 
district  school  of  the  neighborhood  in  the  winter,  until  he  was  14  years  old. 
He  was  then  for  one  year  employed  as  a  clerk  in  his  brother's  store.  He 
then  returned  home  and  worked  on  his  father's  farm  in  the  summer  and 
attended  the  Effingham  Academy  during  the  fall  and  spring  terms.  Li  the 
winters  of  1839  and  1840  he  taught  a  district  school  in  the  town  of  Eaton, 
New  Hampshire.  In  the  spring  of  1841  he  went  to  Boston,  Massachusetts, 
where  he  worked  in  a  sash  and  blind  factory  until  the  fall  of  1847.  He  then 
moved  to  Manchester,  New  Hampshire,  and  engaged  as  a  clerk  in  a  clothing 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  269 

store,  remaining  there  until  the  spring  of  1852.  He  then  removed  to  Laconia, 
New  Hampshire,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  dry  goods  and  carpet  business 
until  January,  1868.  While  there,  besides  conducting  his  mercantile  busi- 
ness, he  was  one  of  the  promoters  and  president  of  the  first  gas  company 
established  in  Laconia  and  was  also  a  director  in  the  Laconia  Savings  Bank. 
In  January,  1868,  he  removed  his  business  to  Plattsburgh,  New  York,  and 
continued  in  business  there  until  April,  1872.  Wishing  for  a  larger  field 
where  he  could  extend  his  business  he  removed  to  Norwich,  Connecticut, 
and  continued  there  as  a  dry  goods  and  carpet  merchant  until  September, 
1875,  when,  on  account  of  the  loss  of  his  voice,  caused  by  a  paralytic  affec- 
tion of  the  throat,  he  decided  to  give  up  his  business  and  on  the,  advice  of  his 
physician  to  seek  a  milder  climate,  in  order  to  restore  his  health.  Selling 
out  his  establishment  to  a  Boston  firm,  he  then  removed  to  Southern  Cal- 
ifornia. 

In  the  year  1880  Mr.  Leavitt  came  to  Topeka  and  interested  himself  in 
business  as  one  of  the  promoters  and  stockholders  in  the  A.  Prescott  Loan 
&  Banking  Company  (incorporated).  Soon  after  this  he  sold  his  interest  in 
the  company  and  returned  to  California.  In  1882  having  in  the  meantime 
recovered  the  use  of  his  voice,  he  returned  to  Topeka  and  took  a  position 
with,  the  Kansas  Investment  Company.  He  remained  with  this  company 
until  July,  1889.  About  this  time  Mr.  Hay,  of  the  firm  of  Hay,  Wiggin  & 
Company,  died  and  Mr.  Leavitt  purchased  his  interest  in  the  firm,  thus 
associating  himself  in  the  dry  goods  business  with  his  two  nephews,  Fred 
and  Charles  Wiggin,  under  the  copartnership  style  of  Wiggin  Brothers  & 
Company.  About  18  months  later,  Fred  Wiggin,  the  elder  of  the  two 
brothers^  died  and  thereupon  Mr.  Leavitt  took  an  active  part  in  the  business. 
At  the  end  of  two  years,  however,  he  was  again  taken  sick  and  as  Charles 
Wiggin  was  too  young  to  assume  the  cares  of  so  large  a  concern  the  firm  sold 
out  its  interest  in  1890  to  Wiggin,  Crosby  &  Company.  Since  then  Mr. 
Leavitt  has  not  engaged  actively  in  business. 

On  October  18,  1846,  Mr.  Leavitt  was  married  to  Emma  Hilton,  of 
Boston,  Massachusetts,  a  daughter  of  Hugh  Hilton,  of  Sandwich,  New 
Hampshire.  The  two  children  of  this  union  were  Charles  and  Harrison  H. 
The  former  was  born  at  Manchester,  New  Hampshire,  and  died  at  Laconia. 
The  latter,  who  is  a  contractor  at  Wichita,  Kansas,  has  been  twice  married; 
the  three  daughters  of  his  first  marriage  are:  Frances  E.  (Mrs.  Aspey) ; 
Pearl  E.,  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri;  and  Beulah  L.,  who  resides  with  her 
grandfather,  our  subject. 

Mr.  Leavitt  has  been  a  life-long  Republican.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Congregational  Church.     For  six  years  he  was  president  of  the  first  young 


270  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

men's  total  abstinence  society  in  Boston's  South  End,  assuming  the  duties 
upon  its  organization.  He  is  one  of  the  most  highly  regarded  citizens  of 
Topeka. 


HON.  ALFRED  B.  QUINTON. 

Hon.  Alfred  B.  Quinton  is  the  senior  member  of  the  prominent  law 
firm  of  Quinton  &  Quinton,  with  offices  in  the  Columbian  Building,  Topeka. 
The  firm  has  been  in  existence  since  1885  and  is  made  up  of  two  brothers, — 
Alfred  B.  and  Eugene  S.  Quinton. 

Alfred  B.  Quinton  was  born  in  1855  in  Lee  County,  Iowa,  and  was 
educated  in  Denmark  Academy,  where  he  was  graduated  in  1874.  He  then 
entered  the  law  department  of  the  University  of  Michigan  at  Ann  Arbor, 
where  he  was  graduated  in  1876  with  the  degree  of  LL.  B.,  and  in  the  same 
year  was  admitted  to  the  Supreme  Court  of  Michigan.  Later  he  came  to 
Topeka,  Kansas,  and  was  admitted  by  courtesy  to  the  Supreme  Court  here. 
Mr.  Quinton  entered  into  general  practice  and  was  elected  city  attorney  in 
1 88 1,  which  office  he  held  for  three  consecutive  years.  He  practiced  alone 
until  1885,  when  the  firm  of  Quinton  &  Quinton  was  formed.  In  1887  he 
was  brought  forward  by  the  Republican  party  as  its  candidate  for  probate 
judge.  He  was  easily  elected  and  continued  on  the  bench  until  1891,  since 
which  year  Judge  Quinton  has  declined  all  office,  devoting  his  attention 
entirely  to  his  large  private  practice.  He  has  successfully  handled  some  of 
the  most  important  cases  in  the  State  and  is  given  high  consideration  by  his 
associates  at  the  bar.  Formerly  he  was  very  active  in  politics  and  served  as 
chairman  of  the  Republican  Central  Committee  of  Shawnee  County  for  a 
number  of  years. 

Judge  Quinton  was  married  to  Georgia  H.  Hoffman,  who  was  born 
in  New  York,  and  they  have  three  daughters  and  one  son,  all  of  whom  are 
attending  school. 

In  all  public-spirited  enterprises  in  Topeka,  Judge  Quinton  has  been  an 
active  and  interested  participant.  He  has  been  particularly  active  in  bring- 
ing about  park  improvements  and  was  mainly  instrumental  in  securing  the 
park  commission  and  present  park  ordinance,  which  have  resulted  in  so  much 
added  attractiveness  to  the  city,  and  he  is  now  one  of  the  park  commissioners 
of  the  city.  The  placing  of  the  fountain  in  Hontoon  Park  was  the  direct 
result  of  his  efforts.  He  is,  also,  a  friend  of  the  public  schools  and  advocates 
the  securing  of  the  best  of  talent  in  the  line  of  teachers,  and  the  paying  of 
salaries  which  will  secure  instructors  of  ability.  Since  its  organization,  he 
has  been  a  director  of  the  Humane  Society  and  also  of  the  Topeka  Orphans' 


REV.   JOSIAH  B.   McAFEE 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  273 

Home.    In  Masonry  he  is  a  Knight  Templar  and  a  Scottish  Rite  Mason.     He 
also  belongs  to  the  Woodmen  of  the  World. 


REV.   JOSIAH   B.   MCAFEE. 

Rev.  Josiah  B.  McAfee^  whose  portrait  accompanies  this  sketch,  is 
one  of  the  remarkable  men  of  the  State  of  Kansas,  and  it  is  difficult  to  men- 
tion any  line  of  activity  or  notable  development,  from  early  pioneer  days 
down  to  the  present,  without  giving  a  full  measure  of  credit  to  this  honored 
and  now  venerable  citizen.  All  over  the  expanse  of  the  State  may  be  found 
the  material  results  of  his  foresight,  judgment,  unselfish  public  spirit,  and 
many  of  the  established  educational  and  religious  institutions  have  incor- 
porated in  their  usefulness  the  work  of  his  brain  and  heart. 

The  birth  of  Josiah  B.  McAfee  occurred  August  6,  1830,  at  McAfee- 
town,  in  Juniata  County,  Pennsylvania.  He  is  a  son  of  James  and  Sarah 
McAfee,  whose  parents  were  old  and  respected  residents  of  that  particular 
section.  Our  subject's  education  was  a  liberal  one,  early  being  directed  into 
theological  channels,  and  in  1854  he  was  admitted  to  the  ministry  of  the 
Lutheran  Church  by  the  Maryland  Synod.  Selecting  Kansas  as  his  field  of 
labor,  Rev.  Mr.  McAfee,  with  his  family,  reached  the  city  of  Leavenworth 
on  April  15,  1855,  since  which  time  he  has  been  a  Kansan,  heart  and  soul. 
One  month  later  he  founded  the  Leavenworth  Collegiate  Institute — the  first 
educational  institution  of  prominence  in  the  State — and  was  the  organizer  of 
the  first  Sunday-school  in  the  State.  Pupils  flocked  to  his  .instruction  but  he 
did  not  confine  his  efforts  to  general  education,  for  his  aims  were  still  higher. 
In  those  days  of  lawlessness,  many  good  men  suffered  for  their  outspoken 
opinions,  but  Rev.  Mr.  McAfee  continued  without  fear  or  favor  to  teach  and 
preach  against  slavery  and  took  sides  on  other  questions  at  issue  in  the  early 
days  of  the  Territory.  A  man  of  such  decided  opinions  and  of  such  fearless- 
ness in  advocating  them,  could  not  be  held  down  by  old-time  canons  of  ob- 
servance and  in  1856  he  took  a  very  active  part  in  the  political  campaign, 
visiting  his  old  home  at  this  time  where  he  aroused  enthusiasm  for  Gen.  John 
C.  Fremont,  the  Republican  nominee  for  President.  It  was  during  his  ab- 
sence that  threats,  which  formerly  had  been  made,  were  put  into  execution 
and  he  returned  to  find  his  home  in  ruins.  He  then  left  Leavenworth  and 
established  his  home  at  what  is  now  Valley  Falls,  where  he  engaged  in  farm- 
ing and  stock-raising,  having  invested  in  land.  In  passing  it  may  be  noted 
that  from  this  source  has  come  all  of  Rev.  Mr.  McAfee's  income,  all  his  services 
in  the  cause  of  education,  religion  and  temperance,  having  been  given  freely 
for  the  benefit  of  his  fellowmen. 


274  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Under  the  caption  of  "The  Muhlenberg  of  Kansas,"  there  appeared  in 
the  Lutheran  Evangelist,  bearing  date  of  November  22,  1901,  an  article  from 
the  pen  of  Rev.  D.  Earhart,  which  contains  some  interesting  facts  concerning 
our  subj  ect,  and  we  here  reproduce  it : 

"We  are  quite  sure  a  short  biographical  sketch  of  Rev.  J.  B.  McAfee 
will  be  interesting  as  he  was  the  first  Lutheran  minister  that  settled  in  Kan- 
sas. Besides  preaching  the  Gospel  when  an  opportunity  offered,  he  per- 
formed many  noble  deeds  and  lived  a  very  useful  life. 

"Rev.  J.  B.  McAfee  was  born  August  8,  1830,  in  Juniata  County,  Penn- 
sylvania. He  received  his  primary  education  in  the  district  school  near  his 
home  and  like  General  Garfield  drove  a  team  of  horses  on  the  (Pennsyl- 
vania) canal  when  a  boy.  He  received  his  further  education  at  Gettysburg, 
Pennsylvania.  In  1849,  he  was  received  into  full  membership  with  the  Evan- 
gelical Lutheran  Church  at  Port  Royal,  in  his  native  county.  In  1854  he 
taught  a  district  school  for  a  while,  and  then  took  charge  of  the  academy  at 
Clear  Springs,  Maryland.  In  1854,  he  was  licensed  by  the  Maryland  Synod 
to  preach  the  Gospel  and  administer  the  sacraments. 

"April  I,  1855,  he  with  his  young  wife  started  for  Leavenworth,  Kan- 
sas, with  a  view  of  making  Kansas  his  future  home,  arriving  there  safely  two 
weeks  later.  He  at  once  commenced  his  ministerial  work,  and  work  on  a 
school  house  and  church  building,  and  also  taught  school  in  order  to  support 
himself  and  family.  During  1855  and  1856,  the  border  ruffian  war  raged 
in  Kansas,  and  Brother  McAfee  had  several  narrow  escapes  from  the  border 
ruffian  lynchers.  In  1856,  he  visited  his  native  State  and  in  October  of  that 
year  the  Maryland  Synod,  in  session  in  Frederick  City,  ordained  him.  As 
his  ministerial  labors  and  trials  are  recorded  in  'The  History  of  the  Early 
Lutheran  Church  in  Kansas,'  I  will  not  repeat  them  here,  but  will  give  some 
historic  facts  not  so  well  known. 

"September  i,  1862,  Rev.  J.  B.  McAfee  enlisted  as  a  private  soldier  in 
the  Union  Army,  and  on  the  15th  of  the  same  month  he  was  unanimously 
elected  first  lieutenant  by  the  company.  The  Lutheran  Osberver  of  Decem- 
ber 8,  1892,  says  (of  soldier  McAfee)  :  'that  he  was  in  four  battles,  and 
during  1862-3-4  he  served  in  various  capacities  as  lieutenant,  captain  and 
superintendent  of  refugees  at  Fort  Smith.  From  1865  to  1867,  he  was  pri- 
vate secretary  to  Governor  Crawford  of  Kansas,  with  the  rank  of  colonel,  and 
often  acted  as  Governor.  During  his  service  as  adjutant  general,  he  organ- 
ized two  battalions  for  service  against  the  Indians  in  Western  Kansas.  He 
wrote  and  compiled  from  reliable  data  the  official  "MiHtary  History  of  Kan- 
sas Regiments  in  the  War  for  the  Suppression  of  the  Great  Rebellion."  He 
was  also  chaplain  of  the  Second  Colored  Regiment  of  Kansas  Volunteers 
whilst  he  was  in  the  army.' 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  275, 

"He  was  elected  mayor  of  Topeka,  for  1870  and  1871.  One  day  he  was 
informed  that  a  faro-bank  was  in  operation  over  the  Wehs,  Fargo  &  Com- 
pany express  office  in  the  city  of  Topeka.  Armed  with  a  warrant  he  and  sev- 
eral policemen  started  to  raid  the  building  where  the  nuisance  was  kept. 
Finding  the  entrance  to  the  building  closed,  the  mayor  ordered  a  large  meat 
axe  to  be  brought,  and  then  instructed  the  marshal  to  take  the  axe  and  break 
open  the  door,  and  the  order  was  promptly  obeyed.  The  faro-bank  and 
fixtures  were  secured,  and  were  valued  at  $625,  and  burned  in  a  public  street 
in  Topeka,  by  order  of  the  mayor.  The  pugnacious  Col.  C.  R.  Jennison  had 
his  faro-bank  burned  in  Topeka,  in  1871,  by  order  of  the  mayor.  No  saloon 
man  got  a  license  with  which  to  debauch  the  citizens  of  Topeka  during  Mayor 
McAfee's  administration.  He  was  a  terror  to  evil-doers.  For  four  terms 
he  was  a  member  of  the  Kansas  Legislature  and  served  on  the  temperance 
committee. 

"In  1893-94  Rev.  J.  B.  McAfee  delivered  over  100  lectures  and  sermons 
in  as  many  Kansas  pulpits,  in  the  interest  of  prohibition,  when  the  anti-pro- 
hibition people  tried  to  elect  a  Legislature  for  the  purpose  of  calling  a  con- 
vention that  would  annul  the  prohibition  amendment  of  the  constitution  of 
Kansas.  He  labored  and  traveled  in  Kansas  at  his  own  expense  under  the 
auspices  of  the  State  Temperance  Union.  He  likely  did  more  than  any  other 
man  in  Kansas  to  thwart  the  plans  and  hopes  of  the  liquor  men  of  his  State. 
Though  he  was  not  a  party  Prohibitionist,  yet  the  party  of  Prohibitionists  were 
more  willing  to  trust  him  on  this  subject  as  chief  executive  of  the  State  than 
his  own  party  was. 

"The  Kansas  Prohibitionist^  a  party  paper,  said  of  R'ev.  McAfee :  'He 
is  the  peer  of  any  man  who  is  named  in  connection  with  the  offifce  of  chief 
magistrate.  A  life-long  temperance  man,  he  is  without  blemish;  a  fearless 
defender  of  the  right,  his  integrity  is  unquestioned.  If  the  people  of  Kansas 
want  a  Prohibitionist  Governor,  there  stands  J.  B.  McAfee.     Match  him.' 

"In  1873,  Brother  McAfee  sufifered  a  bleeding  of  the  lungs  for  the  third 
time,  and  was  so  low  that  he  was  speechless.  Two  of  his  neighbors  were 
very  ill  at  the  same  time;  their  doctors  gave  them  brandy  as  a  remedy  for 
their  disease  and  affirmed  that  it  helped  them  much.  Rev.  Mr.  McAfee's 
doctor  urged  him  to  take  some  brandy,  and  affirmed  that  if  he  did  not  take  it, 
he  would  be  in  the  next  world  before  the  next  morning.  He  refused  to  take 
the  brandy,  and  as  he  could  not  speak,  he  wrote  on  the  slate :  'Well,  Doctor, 
I  will  be  sober  when  I  get  there.'  The  doctor  missed  his  guess  for  the  brother 
is  alive  and  well  now,  twenty-eight  years  after  the  event.  The  two  patients 
that  took  the  brandy  never  recovered,  but  died  in  a  short  time  afterwards. 

"The  people  of  Kansas  may  well  congratulate  themselves  that  Kansas 
has  furnished  a  counterpart  to  the  renowned  Pennsylvanian,  Rev.  John  Peter 


276  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Gabriel  Muhlenberg,  son  of  the  patriarch  Muhlenberg  of  the  Evangelical 
Lutheran  Church  of  America.  The  former  doffed  the  clerical  robe  of  the  pastor 
and  attired  himself  in  the  military  uniform  of  a  soldier.  He  was  made  a  colo- 
nel, major  general.  Member  of  Congress,  United  States  Senator,  and  died 
October  i,  1807.  Had  our  J.  B.  McAfee  been  clothed  with  the  needful 
authority  and  properly  sustained  by  the  people,  he  would  have  suppressed  the 
rum  and  beer  rebellion  in  Kansas,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  19th  century,  as 
Washington  suppressed  the  whiskey  rebellion  in  Western  Pennsylvania  in 
the  latter  part  of  the  i8th  century. 

"We  are  glad  in  concluding  this  sketch  to  say  that  Rev.  Mr.  McAfee 
is  still  active  in  life's  affairs,  and  lives,  highly  respected  in  Topeka,  Kansas, 
where  we  hope  he  may  yet  be  spared  many  years  of  usefulness." 

Mr.  McAfee  is  the  only  survivor  in  this  State  of  the  organizers  of  the 
Lutheran  Synod  of  Kansas.  It  was  through  his  labors  that  the  first  five 
Lutheran  churches  of  Kansas  were  organized  and  they  long  felt  the  influence 
of  his  presence  and  the  assistance  of  his  purse.  He  is  a  valued  member  of 
Lincoln  Post,  No.  i.  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Kansas  State  Historical  Society,  one  of  its  directors,  and  it  owes  much  to 
his  interest  and  careful  research. 

The  following  appeared  in  the  Central  Christian  Advocate  of  September 
7th,  1904: 

"On  his  seventy-fourth  birthday.  Rev.  J.  B.  McAfee,  a  veteran  Lutheran 
clergyman  in  Kansas,  wrote  to  Dr.  D.  H.  Fisher  a  letter  which  deserves 
publicity :    ; 

Dear  Brother  Fisher — I  see  in  the  Daily  Capital  of  August  6th  that  you  are  in  the 
Buena  Vista  Hospital,  Little  Orleans,  Maryland.  I  am  very  sorry  that  there  is  any  occasion 
for  your  being  in  a  hospital.  I  do  hope  and  pray  that  you  may  soon  be  restored  to  health 
again.  I  have  had  the  pleasure  and  honor  of  knowing  you  and  your  good  work  in  Kansas 
for  about  forty-eight  years.  You  have  been  the  most  faithful  and  untiring  worker  in  the 
Master's  vineyard  in  all  these  years  that  I  have  ever  known.  Kansas  is  truly  better  because 
you  have  lived  in  it.  You  never  waited  for  opportunities  to  do  good ;  you  made  the  oppor- 
tunities. You  never  waited  for  the  enemies  of  the  church  and  good  government  to  attack 
you;  you  went  forth  to  meet  them  in  the  byways  and  highways.  To  you  more  than  to  any 
other  person  are  we  indebted  for  constitutional  prohibition  in  Kansas.  I  well  remember, 
thirty-seven  years  ago,  when  you  offered  in  the  State  Temperance  Convention  the  first  reso- 
lution looking  to  constitutional  prohibition  in  Kansas,  and  after  the  resolution  was  voted 
down,  you  held  it  high  in  your  left  hand,  as  high  as  you  could,  and  exclaimed :  "Brethren, 
I  do  believe  God  will  spare  my  life  to  see  the  principles  of  this  resolution  embodied  in  the 
constitution  and  laws  of  Kansas."  God  not  only  spared  you  to  see  it,  but  to  be  one  of  the 
most  important  factors  in  securing  it. 

During  my  almost  fifty  years  of  residence  in  Kansas  I  know  of  no  one  who  has  worked 
so  hard  and  so  faithfully  and  efficiently  to  secure  good  laws  and  good  government  and  to 
advance  the  cause  of  Christ  in  this  State.  May  the  Almighty  hand  of  that  loving  Savior  who 
led  a  sinking  disciple  from  a  grave  in  the  waters  of  Galilee  lead  you  safely,  day  by  day,  down 
the  pathway  of  life,  safely  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  and  in  the  morning 


HON.   CHARLES    CURTIS 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  279 

of  eternity  may  you  hear  the  welcome  plaudid  of  "Well  and  faithfully  done."  Brother,  it 
won't  be  long  until  you  will  rest  your  weary  head  within  your  loving  Savior's  arms.  Soon 
we  will  meet  and  greet  each  other  in  the  land  of  the  blest,  in  the  home  of  the  redeemed. 
God  bless  you.  Most  fraternally  yours,  J.  B.  McAfee. 

P.  S. — I  am  seventy-four  years  old  today." 

At  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  March  20,  1852,  in  the  parlor  of  the 
Theological  Seminary,  Rev.  Mr.  McAfee  married  Anna  R.  Yowler,  and  they 
have  two  daughters:  Celeste,  who  was  married  in  1874  to  D.  H.  Forbes; 
and  Emma  Virginia,  who  was  married  on  the  same  day  to  Judge  D.  C. 
Nellis;  and  one  son,  Henry  W.,  who  married  a  sister  of  Judge  Nellis  of 
Topeka,  in  1880.  Rev.  Mr.  McAfee  has  retired  from  active  life.  As  he  re- 
calls the  many  stirring  incidents  he  can  but  feel  that,  while  the  path  led  often 
over  rugged  heights,  he  was  permitted  to  place  many  landmarks  on  the  way 
and  it  has  led  into  quiet  pastures  at  last. 


HON.  CHARLES  CURTIS. 

Hon.  Charles  Curtis,  who  is  serving  his  seventh  term  as  Representa- 
tive of  the  First  Congressional  District  of  Kansas  in  the  United  States 
Congress,  stands  unique  among  all  the  members  that  Kansas  has  ever  sent  to 
that  body,  in  that  he  is  a  native  of  the  State.  He  was  born  in  North  Topeka, 
January  25,  i860,  and  is  a  son  of  Capt.  O.  A.  and  Helen  (Papan)  Curtis. 
His  father  was  born  in  Indiana,  moved  to  Kansas  in  1856,  and  with  a  regi- 
ment of  this  State  saw  hard  service  during  the  Civil  War,  being  captain  of 
Company  F,  15th  Kansas  Vol.  Cav. 

Maternally,  Mr.  Curtis  is  of  French  and  Indian  blood.  His  maternal 
grandfather,  Louis  Papan,  was  a  native  Canadian  Frenchman  and  was  one 
of  the  representatives  of  the  great  Hudson  Bay  Fur  Company.  Louis 
Papan's  wife,  Julie  Gonvil,  who  was  named  in  the  treaty  between  the  United 
States  and  the  Kansas  or  Kaw  tribe  of  Indians  in  1825,  was  a  daughter  of 
one  of  the  heads  of  the  tribe. 

Charles  Curtis  received  a  good  education  in  the  schools  of  Topeka.  He 
is  a  self-made  man  and  can  well  take  pride  in  his  achievements.  While  work- 
ing his  way  up,  he  read  law  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  passing  a  rigid 
examination  in  1881.  Almost  immediately  he  entered  politics,  for  which  he 
has  a  natural  aptitude,  being  elected  county  attorney  of  Shawnee  County  in 
1884  and  reelected  in  1886.  He  made  criminal  and  corporation  law  a  spec- 
ialty while  in  the  practice,  being  engaged  as  counsel  in  the  celebrated  Spend- 
love  and  some  25  other  murder  cases.     In  1892  he  ran  for  Congress  on  the 


28o  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Republican  ticket  and  was  elected  by  a  majority  of  2,800  over  the  Fusion 
candidate  in  a  district  that  had  given  the  Fusion  candidate  of  the 
campaign  before  a  majority  of  5,000.  He  was  reelected  in  1894, 
1896,  1898,  1900,  1902  and  in  1904.  In  1897,  the  Populist  Legisla- 
ture changed  the  First  and  Fourth  districts  of  the  State  so  as  to  throw 
Shawnee  County,  his  home,  into  the  First  District  with  Judge  Broderick  and 
thus  made  sure  of  defeating  one  or  the  other  for  renomination.  Mr.  Curtis 
is  a  member  of  the  ways  and  means  committee,  the  most  prominent  and  im- 
portant committee  of  the  House,  his  appointment  being  made  on  the  strength 
of  his  record  without  outside  indorsements.  He  is  the  second  member  of 
the  committee  on  Indian  affairs  in  the  House,  and  is  its  acknowledged  leader 
on  all  matters  requiring  technical  knowledge  of  the  subject.  He  was  selected 
as  one  of  the  Republicans  on  the  House  committee  of  11  members,  whose 
duty  it  was  to  prepare  a  bill  for  the  settlement  of  the  financial  policy  of  the 
country.  The  bill  reported  by  this  committee  was  afterwards  enacted  into 
law.  Mr.  Curtis  had  the  honor  of  introducing  the  bill  that  provided  for  the 
carrying  out  of  the  administration  policy  of  President  Roosevelt  and  Secre- 
tary of  War  Taft,  in  regard  to  the  admission  of  the  products  of  the  Philip- 
pines into  this  country.  He  is  an  ardent  friend  of  the  old  soldier  and  proud 
to  belong  to  the  Sons  of  Veterans,  of  which  organization  he  is  a  valued 
member.  Although  dignified  in  manner,  with  much  of  the  reserve  of  his 
Indian  parentage,  he  is  easy  of  approach  and  always  frank  and  obliging.  He 
speaks  easily  and  well,  his  earnestness  commanding  the  attention  of  his  asso- 
ciates in  the  House,  where  the  majority  merely  talk  "to  the  record."  As  a 
campaign  speaker  he  is  primed  with  good  stories.  Among  his  colleagues  he 
is  often  referred  to  as  "John  A.  Logan  II,"  his  resemblence  to  the  "Black 
Eagle"  of  Illinois  being  most  striking  although  he  is  of  slighter  figure.  He 
is  a  personal  friend  of  President  Roosevelt  and  is  a  welcome  visitor  at  the 
White  House. 

Mr.  Curtis  was  united  in  marriage  November  27,  1884,  with  Anna  E. 
Baird,  and  the  following  children  were  born  of  their  union:  Permelia  J., 
Harry  K.  and  Leona  V.  His  family  are  active  members  of  the  Baptist 
Church,  in  the  support  of  which  he  is  most  liberal.  A  portrait  of  Mr.  Curtis 
accompanies  this  sketch. 


CAPT.   PATRICK  H.  CONEY. 

Capt.  Patrick  H.  Coney,  one  of  Topeka's  most  successful  lawyers, 
is  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  War  and  during  his  many  years  residence  in  Kansas 
has  fought  with  relentless  vigor  for  the  protection  of  the  rights  of  the  old 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  281 

soldier,  his  widow  and  orphans.  He  was  born  in  Newbury,  Vermont,  March 
10,  1848,  and  is  a  son  of  Luke  and  Honor  Berry  (Reddy)  Coney. 

The  genealogy  of  this  family  is  traceable  back  to  Laogare,  ancestor  of 
the  Southern  Hy  Nials,  a  son  of  Nial  of  the  Nine  Hostages,  King  of  Ire- 
land, in  A.  D.  379. 

Luke  Coney,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  County  Roscommon, 
Ireland,  .and  emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  1839,  locating  in  Boston, 
Massachusetts.  Thence  he  removed  a  few  years  later  to  Vermont,  where  he 
met  and  married  Honor  Berry  Reddy,  at  White  River  Junction  in  1844. 
From  there  they  removed  to  Newbury,  Vermont,  and  in  1850  located  in  the 
towns  of  Macedon  and  Wahvorth,  Wayne  County,  New  York.  Mr.  Coney 
was  a  hard-working  man,  and  although  at  times  it  was  difficult  for  him  to 
make  prosperous  headway  he  was  successful  in  giving  his  children  a  common 
school  education.  He  is  now  living  at  the  home  of  his  son  in  Topeka,  at  the 
advanced  age  of  92  years. 

Patrick  H.  Coney  worked  in  boyhood  on  a  farm  during  the  summer 
months  and  worked  for  his  schooling  during  the  winters.  When  15  years 
of  age,  he  enlisted  in  Company  H,  iiith  Reg.,  New  York  Vol.  Inf.  He 
was  detailed  as  dispatch  bearer  on  the  staff  of  General  McDougall,  and  was 
later  promoted  to  be  orderly  dispatch  bearer  on  the  staff  of  Gen.  Nelson  A. 
Miles,  and  served  in  that  capacity  up  to  Lee's  surrender  at  Appomattox 
Court  House.  He  was  transferred  June  5,  1865,  to  Company  H.  Fourth 
New  York  Heavy  Artillery,  and  served  until  October  5,  1865,  when  he  was 
honorably  discharged  at  Hart's  Island,  New  York.  He  was  wounded  at 
Peach  Orchard  in  front  of  Petersburg,  Virginia,  on  June  16,  1864,  which 
detained  him  in  hospital  for  60  days.  In  November,  1864,  he  was  absent 
for  a  period  of  15  days  to  attend  the  funeral  of  his  mother,  who  was  killed 
in  a  railroad  accident  at  Palmyra,  New  York,  on  returning  home  after  assist- 
ing in  the  work  of  caring  and  providing  for  the  sick  and  wounded  soldiers  in 
the  Rochester  (New  York)  hospitals.  Captain  Coney  was  in  the  most  im- 
portant engagements  of  his  regiment  in  the  great  Army  of  the  Potomac,  from 
Gettysburg  to  Appomattox  Court  House,  more  than  30  in  all,  his  regiment 
losing  in  killed  and  wounded  412  out  of  a  total  of  1,103  "^en  in  the  fighting 
line. 

After  his  discharge  he  returned  to  his  home  in  Walworth,  Wayne 
County,  New  York,  where  he  attended  the  Academy,  graduating  therefrom 
in  April,  1867.  Removing  to  the  "Sunflower"  State,  April  21,  1867,  he  lived 
at  Leavenworth  until  1881,  attaining  prominence  as  a  business  man,  student, 
writer  and  publicist.  Since  that  year  he  has  been  a  resident  of  Topeka.  He 
founded  and  published  the  first  exclusively  soldier  and  sailor  paper  in  the 
West, — the  National  Banner,  which  was  subsequently  merged  into  the  Knight 


282  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

and  Soldier  and  afterwards  the  Western  Veteran.  In  1885  he  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  at  Topeka,  and  afterwards  to  the  United  States  District  and 
Supreme  courts.  He  has  practiced  as  a  lawyer  in  all  the  courts,  and  in  all 
the  departments  of  the  government  since  making  a  specialty  of  pensions 
and  war  claims.  He  has  prosecuted  and  procured  the  allowance  of  more 
pensions  for  comrades  and  their  widows  and  orphans  than  any  or  all  of  the 
attorneys  in  the  entire  West.  He  has  been  the  special,  resistless  champion 
of  his  comrades  and  their  rights,  through  all  trials  and  tribulations,  through 
good  and  ill  report.  It  is  safe  to  say,  no  comrade,  his  widow  or  orphan, 
however  poor  or  desperate  the  case,  ever  asked  him  for  assistance  in  securing 
his  or  her  just  dues  and  was  denied  the  same.  Captain  Coney  fearlessly  and 
ably  exposed  the  perfidious  and  false  "Cleveland-Lx)chren"  administration 
and  defended  his  comrades  and  their  widows  against  the  wicked  and  disloyal 
assaults  on  all  .pension  claimants  and  pensioners.  He  was  first  and  strongest 
to  arraign  the  administration  of  H.  Clay  Evans,  ventilating  his  conduct  of 
the  Pension  Office.  He  pinioned  Evans  in  the  most  masterly  manner,  expos- 
ing him  in  detail  as  no  other  person  dared  to  do,  and  he  did  so  at  the  peril 
of  his  extensive  practice  before  the  Pension  Office  and  the  Interior  Depart- 
ment. He  successively  and  successfully  arraigned  him  before  Congress  and 
before  the  national  and  department  G.  A.  R.  encampments,  and  brought  him 
justly  before  the  bar  of  public  opinion  and  public  justice,  thereby  forcing  him 
out  of  the  Pension  Office  in  the  face  of  the  strongest  forces  in  the  nation  that 
were  sustaining  Evans.  Captain  Coney  and  Capt.  J.  G.  Waters  brought 
quo  zmrranto  proceedings  against  the  County  Board  of  Shawnee  County  to 
compel  county  boards  to  technically  respect  and  obey  the  law  for  the  burial 
of  soldiers,  which  was  favorably  decided  by  the  court.  He  also,  with  David 
Overmyer  as  assistant,  instituted  the  quo  warranto  proceedings  in  the  Su- 
preme Court  against  Mayor  Bergunthal  and  the  city  of  Topeka  in  behalf  of 
H.  K.  Goodrich  to  compel  compliance  with  and  to  test  the  constitutionality 
of  the  "Soldiers'  Preference  Law,"  which  was  sustained  and  held  to  be 
constitutional  for  the  first  time  on  March  12,  1904.  Captain  Coney  received 
no  compesation  for  services  in  either  of  these  cases,  in  fact  they  resulted 
in  considerable  financial  loss  to  him.  It  was  a  labor  of  love  and  duty  to  him, 
and  he  fought  where  others  sulked.  His  voice  for  over  20  years  has  been 
heard,  respected  and  heeded  in  the  national  encampments,  and  he  is  now  the 
best  known,  respected  and  loved  comrade  of  the  West,  not  alone  in  Kansas 
but  in  the  national  encampment  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 

Captain  Coney  has  one  of  the  finest  libraries  in  the  city  of  Topeka,  and 
recently  received  from  his  close  personal  friend,  Lieut.-Gen.  Nelson  A.  Miles, 
a  copy  of  the  latter's  recent  book,  bearing  on  the  fly-leaf  the  authors  auto- 
graph and  kind  wishes.     The  library  also  contains  many  of  the  choicest, 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  283 

rarest  and  costliest  publications ;  among  them  are  genealogies  of  Irish  families 
and  other  races. 

Captain  Coney  has  always  affiliated  most  actively  and  prominently  with 
the  Republican  party  and  although  not  an  office  holder  or  seeker,  he  has, 
since  attaining  the  age  of  citizenship,  been  one  of  the  party  officials,  being 
chairman  of  the  City  and  County  Central  committees  of  Leavenworth  County 
when  only  22  years  of  age.  He  was  a  member  of  every  State  convention 
of  his  party  in  Kansas  for  34  years,  and  served  more  or  less  in  the  councils 
of  the  party  as  an  officer,  delegate,  representative  or  public  speaker  without 
compensation  or  reward  during  all  his  public  political  Hfe.  He  was  president 
of  the  Republican  Silver  League  of  Kansas. 

In  the  great  political  campaign  of  1884  Captain  Coney  took  a  prominent 
part  in  support  of  Blaine  and  Logan,  the  standard-bearers  of  the  Republican 
party.  As  Blaine  was  his  ideal  statesman,  and  Logan  his  ideal  representative 
of  the  volunteer  soldier  of  America,  the  ticket  appealed  to  him  as  no  other 
had  done  since  the  attainment  of  his  majority.  Although  the  ticket  went 
down  in  defeat,  his  interest  in  the  Republican  cause  did  not  wane  or  waver, 
and  in  the  succeeding  campaigns,  both  national  and  State,  he  was  active  with 
voice  and  pen  in  the  defense  and  dissemination  of  Republican  principles.  He 
helped  to  turn  the  tide  of  Populism  in  Kansas,  to  prevent  the  overthrow  of 
civil  government,  and  to  restore  the  State  to  the  Republican  column.  In  1888 
he  canvassed  New  York  for  Harrison  and  Morton,  and  received  the  special 
commendation  of  the  Republican  National  Committee  for  his  efficient  service. 
For  some  years  thereafter  he  was  closely  identified  with  the  Topeka  Daily 
Capital,  the  leading  Republican  organ  of  the  State,  and  provided  funds  for  its 
operation  in  every  emergency  that  confronted  it,  through  a  period  of  serious 
business  depression,  when  it  had  no  political  patronage  to  fall  back  upon,  and 
the  company's  financial  resources  were  inadequate  to  maintain  it.  Many  other 
instances  might  be  given  of  his  devotion  to  the  interests  of  his  party  and 
the  welfare  of  his  political  associates  and  personal  friends.  Responding  to 
every  call  of  duty  as  a  citizen,  performing  much  more  than  the  average  citi- 
zen's share  in  public  matters,  and  laboring  zealously  in  every  campaign  for  the 
advancement  of  the  party  and  its  candidates.  Captain  Coney  has  neither  held 
nor  sought  official  position,  preferring  his  home,  his  books,  his  business 
affairs  and  his  private  station,  to  all  the  fleeting  rewards  and  glories  of  office. 

Captain  Coney  joined  Custer  Post,  No.  6,  G.  A.  R.,  at  Leavenworth,  in 
1870,  and  with  others  reorganized  Lincoln  Post,  No.  i,  of  Topeka,  in  1881. 
He  organized  Rice  Post,  now  Topeka  Post,  No.  71,  G.  A.  R.,  and  served  as 
its  commander.  He  was  elected  department  commander  of  Kansas  G.  A.  R. 
at  Parsons,  Kansas,  May  24,  1905.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Irish  National 
Alliance,  and  has  been  a  stanch  advocate  and  supporter  of  its  movement  for 


284  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

an  independent  government  for  Ireland.  During  the  World's  Columbian 
Exposition  at  Chicago  in  1893,  he  organized,  promoted  and  successfully 
conducted,  as  president  and  general  manager,  the  Lapland  Exhibit  Company. 
He  is  a  member  of  Orient  Lodge,  No.  51,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Topeka;  Capital 
City  Tent,  K.  O.  T.  M. ;  Irish  American  Historical  Society ;  New  England 
Society  of  Kansas;  State  Camp,  No.  75,  W.  O.  W. ;  Capital  Lodge,  No.  i, 
Select  Knights  and  Ladies;  and  U.  S.  Grant  Command,  No.  i,  U.  V.  U.  All 
Kansas  knows  and  respects  him,  for  he  has  "stood  up"  for  this  State  and  her 
interests  and  welfare  with  eloquent  voice  and  pen  for  more  than  38  years. 


CHARLES  F-   SPENCER. 

Charles  F.  Spencer  is  one  of  the  leading  members  of  the  Shawnee 
County  bar.  He  was  born  in  Johnson  County,  Indiana,  June  22,  1854,  and 
is  a  son  of  George  W.  and  Ann  (Brewer)  Spencer.  His  father  was  a  native 
of  New  York  State  and  after  living  in  Michigan  and  Indiana  for  a  time  came 
to  Kansas  in  1856  as  a  Free-State  man,  and  located  in  Topeka,  which  con- 
tinued to  be  his  home  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  in  January,  1881.  He  was 
one  of  the  most  prominent  and  respected  residents  of  Shawnee  County. 

Charles  F.  Spencer  came  to  Topeka  in  the  spring  of  1857  and  has  lived 
here  continuously  ever  since.  He  received  his  education  in  the  common 
schools  and  Topeka  High  School,  read  law  in  the  office  of  A.  H.  Case,  was 
admitted  to  the  Shawnee  County  bar  in  1878,  and  has  since  been  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Topeka. 

In  1883  he  was  elected  county  clerk  of  Shawnee  County  on  the  Demo- 
cratic ticket  and  served  one  term.  He  was  one  of  the  two  Democrats  first 
elected  to  office  in  Shawnee  County.  In  1889  he  was  appointed  by  Governor 
Humphrey  as  the  Democratic  member  of  the  Board  of  Police  Commissioners 
of  the  city  of  Topeka,  was  reappointed  by  the  same  Governor  in  1891,  and 
served  four  years  with  Dr.  Francis  S.  McCabe  and  P.  I.  Bonebrake  as  the 
other  members  of  the  board. 

Mr.  Spencer  was  a  Democrat  up  to  the  time  his  party  became  fully 
allied  with  the  Populist  party,  at  which  time  he  became  a  Republican.  He 
was  elected  city  attorney  of  Topeka  as  a  Republican  in  1901,  reelected  in 
1903,  and  served  four  years.  At  the  expiration  of  his  service  as  city  attorney, 
he  was  employed  by  the  mayor  and  council  to  compile  and  revise  the  ordi- 
nances of  the  city. 

Mr.  Spencer  was  married  in  1884  to  Belle  Alexander,  a  daughter  of 
Col.  W.  D.  Alexander,  who  died  at  Topeka  in  1899  and  was  one  of  the  most 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  285 

honored  and  esteemed  residents  of  Shawnee  County.  One  son  was  born 
as  the  issue  of  this  marriage.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spencer  have  a  very  comfortable 
home  in  Topeka. 

Mr.  Spencer  has  for  many  years  been  a  member  of  the  Kansas  State  Bar 
Association.  He  has  a  very  high  standing  for  ability  and  integrity  at  the 
bar,  and  the  best  of  records  in  each  of  the  public  positions  held  by  him. 


HENRY  HOBART  MILLS. 

For  many  years  the  late  Henry  Hobart  Mills  was  a  part  of  the  commer- 
cial life  of  Topeka,  Kansas,  one  of  the  founders  and  the  active  head  for 
many  years  of  the  well-known  dry  goods  house  of  H.  H.  Mills  &  Sons,  now 
known  as  the  Mills  Dry  Goods  Company.  Mr.  Mills  was  born  at  Geneseo, 
Livingston  County,  New  York,  November  21,  1827,  and  after  an  unusually 
busy  and  successful  life  passed  away  at  his  home,  No.  1105  Polk  street, 
Topeka,  November  7,  1901. 

Mr.  Mills  passed  his  boyhood  in  Livingston  County,  New  York.  When 
he  was  15  years  old  the  family  moved  to  Michigan  and  settled  on  a  farm 
in  VanBuren  County,  in  the  vicinity  of  PawPaw,  where  the  youth  grew  to 
manhood,  assisting  his  father  in  clearing  and  operating  the  pioneer  farm. 
He  cleared  a  farm  out  of  the  forest  for  himself,  disposed  of  it  in  1857,  and 
moved  to  the  village  of  Howell,  Livingston  County,  Michigan,  where  he 
engaged  in  the  mercantile  business,  which  he  conducted  for  the  following  28 
years.  In  1885  the  business  field  presented  by  the  wonderful  activity  dis- 
played at  Topeka  led  him  to  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  business-builders  here. 
With  his  son,  William  W.  Mills,  as  one  of  the  partners,  the  dry  goods  firm 
of  Mills,  McPherson  &  Company,  was  established,  later  becoming  H.  H. 
Mills  &  Sons.  Upon  the  reorganization  of  the  business  and  the  change  of 
title  to  that  of  The  Mills  Dry  Goods  Company,  the  officers  were:  William 
W.  Mills,  president;  Charles  Emery,  vice-president;  W.  H.  Whitton,  secre- 
tary; and  H.  H.  Mills,  treasurer. 

Through  all  the  varying  fluctuations  in  the  business  and  financial  world, 
this  company  kept  on  its  way,  under  the  firm  control  and  wise  management 
of  its  officials,  mainly  directed  by  the  experience  of  its  founder,  and  to-day 
it  stands  as  a  monument  to  the  ability,  energy  and  recognition  of  the  sound 
business  principles  of  Henry  Hobart  Mills. 

Mr.  Mills  was  married  May  2,  1854,  to  Isabella  McPherson,  whom  he 
survived.  Three  of  their  children  died  in  infancy,  and  Mr.  Mills  desiired  to 
be  laid  to  rest  with  them  and  his  wife  in  the  quiet  cemetery  at  Howell,  Michi- 


286  HISTORY   OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

gan.  The  three  survivors  of  the  family  are:  Mrs.  George  J.  Grossman,  of 
Gleveland,  Ohio;  and  Arthur  M.  and  William  W.,  who  are  now  at  the  head 
of  The  Mills  Dry  Goods  Company. 

The  late  Mr.  Mills  was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  for  50 
years.  In  all  that  goes  to  make  up  a  good  man,  that  builds  character,  that 
leaves  a  lasting  influence  to  benefit  others,  Mr.  Mills  was  an  exemplification. 
Personally  he  was  a  man  of  gentle  dignity,  kind  and  generous,  and  those  who 
found  in  him  an  employer  found  also  a  benefactor. 


ABRAM  HAMMATT. 

Abram  Hammatt,  deceased,  formerly  chief  clerk  of  the  Supreme  Court 
of  Kansas,  and  one  of  the  prominent  and  highly  esteemed  citizens  of  Topeka, 
was  born  at  Howland,  Maine,  May  19,  1844,  and  was  a  son  of  William  C. 
Hammatt.  His  death  took  place  at  Aiken,  South  Carolina,  May  24,  1880. 
Mr.  Hammatt  belonged  to  one  of  the  old  Puritan  families  of  New 
England,  his  forebears  having  come  to  American  shores  in  the  "Mayflower," 
landing  at  Plymouth  Rock.  William  C.  Hammatt  was  long  a  prominent 
citizen  of  Maine,  an  extensive  farmer,  a  large  lumber  dealer  and  still  later, 
a  government  official. 

The  late  Mr.  Hammatt  was  educated  in  his  native  State,  where  he  en- 
joyed academic  and  collegiate  advantages  and  in  1869  graduated  from  the 
law  department  of  Yale.  Following  his  graduation,  he  made  a  pleasure 
trip  abroad  and  upon  his  return  he  located  for  the  practice  of  the  law  at 
Ottawa,  Kansas.  In  the  latter  part  of  1870  he  settled  permanently  at  Topeka, 
and  was  appointed  chief  clerk  of  the  Supreme  Court,  a  position  he  filled  for 
the  succeeding  10  years  of  his  life.  He  was  an  intimate  friend  of  all  the 
judges.  Mr.  Hammatt  was  a  man  of  superior  education  and  more  than 
usual  native  ability.  When  occasion  demanded  he  showed  powers  as  an 
orator  and  his  complete  perception  of  law  and  jurisprudence  made  his  Su- 
preme Court  service  one  particularly  satisfactory. 

Mr.  Hammatt  married  Maria  B.  Crosby,  who  is  the  daughter  of  John 
Crosby,  one  of  the  prominent  men  of  the  State  of  Maine.  Mrs.  Hammatt 
still  survives,  with  two  sons,  Theodore  D.  and  Daniel  C,  both  of  whom  are 
connected  with  The  Crosby  Roller  Milling  Company,  which  operates  the 
largest  mills  in  Shawnee  County,  located  at  Topeka,  the  former  as  manager 
and  the  latter  as  secretary  of  the  company.  Both  are  enterprising  and  popu- 
lar business  men.     Mrs.  Hammatt  continues  to  reside  in  her  beautiful  home 


HON.   DANIEL  MULFORD  VALENTINE 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  289 

at  No.  602  West  loth  avenue,  Topeka.    Socially,  the  family  has  always  stood 
very  high  here. 

While  Mr.  Hammatt  was  a  stanch  Republican,  he  was  in  no  sense  a 
politician.  His  education  and  travel  made  him  a  man  of  culture  and  he  was 
deeply  interested  in  the  welfare  of  Topeka,  not  only  in  a  material  sense,  but 
in  its  development  into  a  city  of  beauty  and  intellectual  prominence.  It  was 
his  Vish  that  his  remains  should  rest  with  those  of  his  ancestors,  in  his  native 
State,  and  the  desire  was  carried  out.  Personally  he  was  a  man  of  winning 
manner  and  he  left  not  only  his  family  to  mourn  his  loss,  but  many  friends 
and  associates  who  continue  to  recall  him  affectionately. 


HON.  DANIEL  MULFORD  VALENTINE. 

Hon.  Daniel  Mulford  Valentine,  ex-justice  of  the  Supreme  Court 
of  Kansas  and  one  of  the  State's  eminent  men,  whose  portrait  accompanies 
this  sketch,  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  born  in  Shelby  County,  June  18,  1830.  He 
is  a  son  of  John  W.  and  Rtbecca  (Kinkennon)  Valentine. 

In  his  youth  the  subject  of  this  sketch  enjoyed  academic  schooling  and 
when  he  began  to  teach  school  in  185 1  he  also  began  to  devote  his  spare 
time  to  the  study  of  the  law.  In  1854  he  removed  to  the  West  and  spent 
five  years  in  Adair  County,  Iowa,  during  which  time  he  completed  his  law 
studies.  He  served  that  county  in  1855-56  as  surveyor  and  also  taught 
school  one  year.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1858,  and  served  during  that 
year  as  attorney  of  Adair  County.  During  his  residence  there  he  had  made 
many  friends  and  a  fair  professional  and  political  outlook  was  offered,  but 
he  thought  a  better  field  was  open  in  Kansas.  He  spent  one  year  at  Leaven- 
worth and  then  removed  to  Franklin  County,  which  county  he  was  elected 
to  represent  in  the  Legislature  in  November,  1861.  He  served  during  the 
fore  part  of  1862,  and  the  character  of  his  services  to  the  citizens  of  the 
county  was  so  highly  esteemed  by  them  that  he  was  elected  in  November, 
1862,  to  the  State  Senate,  in  which  he  served  throughout  the  year  1863  and 
the  fore  part  of  1864.  While  residing  in  Franklin  County,  he  first  practiced 
alone ;  later  he  formed  a  partnership  with  W.  W.  H.  Lawrence.  After  a  time 
he  was  again  alone  but  soon  associated  himself  with  Joel  K.  Goodwin,  with 
whom  he  was  in  partnership  at  the  time  of  his  election  as  judge  of  the  Fourth 
Judicial  District. 

In  November,  1864,  he  was  elected  judge  of  the  Fourth  Judicial  Dis- 
trict and  filled  that  office  during  the  following  four  years.  In  November, 
1868,  he  was  elected  an  associate  justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Kansas  for 

14 


290  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

a  term  of  six  years,  and  was  three  times  reelected, — in  1874,  1880  and  1886, 
— his  term  of  office  extending  to  1893.  He  moved  to  Topeka  in  March, 
1875,  and  has  Uved  ever  since  in  the  house  in  which  he  then  estabhshed  his 
home. 

During  the  24  years  that  Judge  Valentine  was  an  associate  justice  of 
the  Supreme  Court,  he  prepared  and  delivered  1,572  opinions,  and  in  the 
amount  of  work  performed,  as  well  as  in  the  number  of  years  of  servic^he 
holds  the  record  among  Kansas  jurists.  He  has  served  his  State  with  rare 
fidelity.  He  has  won  the  approbation  of  the  bar  by  a  work  of  the  greatest 
value  to  the  profession, — a  complete  digest  of  the  decisions  of  the  Supreme 
Court  and  Courts  of  Appeal  of  Kansas.  Since  his  retirement  froni  the  bench, 
he  has  continued  his  legal  associations  in  Topeka  and  is  the  senior  member 
of  the  firm  of  Valentine,  Godard  &  Valentine. 

In  1855,  Judge  Valentine  was  married  to  Martha  Root,  who  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  Judge  Azariah  Root,  formerly  of  Adair  County,  Iowa.  They  have  a 
family  of  five  sons  and  four  daughters,  namely :  D.  A.,  clerk  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  Kansas;  Eva  (Mrs.  A.  A.  Godard),  of  Topeka;  J.  W.,  a  lumber 
dealer  at  Admire,  Kansas;  Harry  E.,  an  attorney  at  Topeka;  Martha,  who 
lives  at  home;  Elsie  (Mrs.  James  F.  Merrick),  of  the  city  of  Mexico;  Ralph 
E.,  a  land  agent  at  Topeka;  Lillian,  who  has  a  position  in  the  Kansas  State 
House;  and  Louis  F.,  who  is  engaged  in  newspaper  work  in  Clay  County, 
Kansas. 

In  all  his  public  career  Judge  Valentine's  conduct  has  been  governed 
by  principles  of  equity  and  justice.  He  has  always  upheld  the  right,  has 
never  been  accused  of  partiality  and  has  a  record  that  holds  out  a  stimulus 
and  example  to  those,  who  in  turn  will  be  called  upon  to  assume  equal  re- 
sponsibilities. 


WILLIAM  S.   BERGUNDTHAL. 

William  S.  Bergundthal^  mayor  of  the  city  of  Topeka  and  one  of 
her  most  distinguished  citizens,  is  the  largest  real  estate  dealer  in  this  section 
of  the  State.  Here  he  has  resided  since  1884  and  during  this  period  has 
always  identified  himself  with  the  best  interests  of  the  city  and  its  people. 

Mr.  Bergundthal  was  one  of  four  children  born  to  Benedict  and  Sarah 
(Powell)  Bergundthal,  and  was  born  in  Ohio  on  June  24,  1855.  Some  years 
after  his  birth  the  family  moved  to  Indiana,  and  he  was  educated  in  that 
State  at  Columbus.  He  came  West  to  Topeka,  Kansas,  in  November,  1884, 
and  embarked  in  the  lumber  business  as  chief  clerk  for  Jonathan  Thomas, 
with  whom  he  remained  for  nearly  16  years.     In  the  year  1900  he  succeeded 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  291 

to  the  real  estate  and  loan  business  conducted  by  Mr.  Thomas.  His  activity 
and  enterprise  at  once  placed  him  in  the  front  rank  of  real  estate  men  in 
Eastern  Kansas  and  there  he  remains  at  the  present  time.  He  was  elected 
mayor  of  Topeka  on  the  Republican  ticket  in  April,  1903,  and  has  given  the 
city  an  honest  business-like  administration,  the  progress  made  during  his 
term  being  most  notable.  Prior  to  his  election  to  that  office,  he  served  a  term 
of  4:wo  years  in  the  Common  Council. 

Mr.  Bergundthal  was  married  to  Leonora  Neely,  a  daughter  of  Moses 
Neely,  by  whom  he  has  two  children :  David  C.  and  Mary  W.  He  and  his 
family  reside  in  a  handsome  home  at  No.  1134  Jackson  street  and  move  in 
the  best  social  circles.    Fraternally  our  subject  is  a  prominent  Mason. 


HON.   ALSTON   W.   DANA. 

Hon.  Alston  W.  Dana,  presiding  judge  of  the  Third  Judicial  Dis- 
trict and  formerly  the  junior  member  of  the  well-known  law  firm  of  Bergen 
&  Dana,  is  one  of  the  prominent  and  representative  men  of  Topeka.  Judge 
Dana  was  born  at  Mount  Holly,  Vermont,  and  is  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Mary 
(Chilson)  Dana. 

The  parents  of  Judge  Dana  were  natives  of  Vermont.  The  father  was 
a  farmer  in  the  environs  of  Mount  Holly,  a  man  able  to  afford  his  family 
of  eight  children  only  the  advantages  of  the  common  schools.  Five  of  his 
children  still  survive. 

The  future  Kansas  judge  obtained  his  early  education  in  the  common 
schools  of  his  native  locality  and  then  entered  Goddard  Seminary,  at  Barre, 
Vermont,  where  he  prepared  for  college,  and  was  graduated  at  Tufts  College, 
Boston,  Massachusetts,  in  1884,  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Philosophy. 
He  then  became  principal  of  Goddard  Seminary  where  he  had  previously 
spent  four  years,  and  remained  there  from  1884  until  1887,  when  he  came  to 
Topeka.  Here  he  read  law  in  the  office  of  Waters  &  Chase  and  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  in  1889.  For  several  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  law  firm  of 
Tillotson  &  Dana,  and  later  formed  a  law  partnership  with  Judge  Abram 
Bergen,  which  continued  until  January,  1905,  when  he  took  his  seat  as  pre- 
siding judge  of  the  Third  Judicial  District,  to  which  he  was  elected  in  No- 
vember, 1904.  This  elevation  to  the  bench  is  considered,  by  Judge  Dana's 
many  friends,  as  a  just  recognition  of  his  high  abilities. 

In  1895  Dudge  Dana  was  united  in  marriage  with  Kate  J.  Whiting,  who 
is  a  daughter  of  Chauncy  C.  Whiting,  a  prominent  pioneer  of  Topeka,  and 
one  of  the  city's  capitalists,  at  one  time  president  of  two  banks  and  formerly 


292  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

sheriff  of  Shawnee  County  and  United  States  marshal.  Judge  and  Mrs. 
Dana  have  two  children,— Grace  and  Marion.  They  are  members  and  liberal 
supporters  of  the  Presbyetrian  Church. 

Politically  Judge  Dana  has  always  been  identified  with  the  Republican 
party  and  has  taken  a  prominent  part  in  its  deliberations.  On  many  occa- 
sions he  has  been  a  delegate  to  both  State  and  congressional  conventions. 
Fraternally  Judge  Dana  is  a  32nd  degree  Mason  and  is  also  a  member  of 
the  Elks. 


FRYE  W.  GILES. 


Frye  W.  Giles,  deceased.  Among  the  cities  of  Kansas,  Topeka,  its 
beautiful  capital,  rears  her  lofty  spires  and  encourages  education,  commerce 
and  industry  to  a  greater  degree  than  any  of  her  sister  municipalities,  and 
yet  but  a  few  decades  cover  the  span  of  her  existence.  When  Frye  W.  Giles 
and  six  other  pioneers  laid  out  what  then  seemed  an  impossible  city,  scarcely 
any  one  would  have  had  the  courage  to  confess  the  hope  that  was  in  his  mind, 
an'd  yet,  that  would  scarcely  have  come  up  to  the  present  realization. 

Frye  W.  Giles,  one  of  these  original  pioneers,  was  born  in  Littleton, 
New  Hampshire,  May  30,  18 19.  He  was  reared  and  educated  in  his  native 
locality,  and  on  attaining  manhood  embarked  in  a  mercantile  business,  which 
absorbed  his  energies  for  20  years.  In  1854  he  came  to  Kansas  and  soon 
became  interested  in  agricultural  pursuits.  Shortly  after  Topeka  was  recog- 
nized by  the  government,  he  was  made  the  first  postmaster  of  the  place,  and 
held  that  ofiice  for  a  long  period.  He  was  one  of  the  progressive  men  of  his 
day,  one  who  naturally  dominated  in  public  affairs  and  subsequently  he  be- 
came connected  with  various  pioneer  business  enterprises  and  then  engaged 
in  banking.  He  accumulated  a  large  fortune  and  lived  retired  during  the  last 
years  of  his  life.  Mr.  Giles  died  June  9,  1898,  and  his  remains  were  laid  to 
rest  in  the  Topeka  Cemetery.  He  never  ceased  to  be  interested  in  the 
material  development  of  the  city  which  he  had  assisted  to  lay  out  and  through 
his  long  life  was  ready  to  promote  her  welfare  in  all  possible  ways.  He  was 
a  stanch  Republican  and  he  was  equally  firm  in  his  devotion  to  the  principles 
of  the  Masonic  fraternity. 

On  July  10,  1844,  Mr.  Giles  was  married  to  Caroline  A.  Fellows,  who 
is  a  daughter  of  Moses  Fellows,  of  Salisbury,  New  Hampshire.  She  was 
born  in  1821,  and  still  survives,  Time  having  touched  her  very  gently.  She 
still  occupies  her  old  homestead  at  No.  113  West  Eighth  avenue,  where  she 
has  lived  continuously  since  1859.  This  is  the  oldest  residence  in  Topeka, 
one  which,  before  inevitable  decay  accomplishes  its  ruin,  should  be  pictured 


AVERY  WASHBURN 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  295 

and  preserved  as  a  city  landmark.  Mr.  Giles  was  a  consistent  member  of  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  to  which  he  liberally  contributed.  Mrs.  Giles 
is  also  a  member  and  her  benefactions  in  the  cause  of  religion  and  charity 
proclaim  a  gentle  heart  and  a  true  Christian  spirit. 


AVERY  WASHBURN. 

Avery  Washburn^  one  of  the  pioneer  citizens  of  Shawnee  County^ 
has  resided  continuously  on  his  farm  in  Topeka  township,  in  section  35,  town- 
ship II,  range  15,  since  1857,  except  12  years  spent  in  the  East,  and  in  ad- 
dition to  farming  has  at  times  engaged  in  business  in  the  city  of  Topeka.  He 
was  born  on  a  farm  in  Safford,  Connecticut,  October  23,  1818,  and  is  a  son 
of  John  Elithorpe  and  Lovina  (Avery)  Washburn. 

The  Washburn  family  has  been  established  in  the  United  States  for 
many  generations.  Our  subject's  great-grandfather,  Solomon  Washburn, 
was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  He  married  Mary  Warner,  who 
died  in  18 16,  and  they  reared  11  children,  who  lived  to  an  average  age  of  86 
years.  One  of  these  children  was  Nathan,  grandfather  of  our  subject,  who 
was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution.  He  participated  in  the  battle  of 
Bunker  Hill,  and  other  notable  ones,  and  with  Washington's  army  endured 
the  privations  and  hardships  of  wintering  at  Valley  Forge,  when  the  soldiers 
were  but  half  clothed  and  many  were  without  shoes.  He  married  Annah 
Elithorpe,  who  lived  to  reach  the  age  of  92  years,  and  they  were  parents  of 
six  daughters  and  one  son. 

John  Elithorpe  and  Lovina  (Avery)  Washburn  became  parents  of  eight 
children,  two  of  whom  are  now  living,  namely :  Avery ;  and  John  Randolph, 
who  is  84  years  of  age  and  lives  in  Connecticut,  in  which  State  he  has  served 
nine  terms  in  the  Legislature.  The  father,  who  was  born  May  19,  1788,  in 
Connecticut,  died  October  2,  1858,  and  his  wife,  born  August  13,  1787,  died 
May  4,  1829. 

Avery  Washburn  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  Stafford,  Connecticut,  where 
he  attended  the  common  schools,  and  later  attended  select  school  in  New 
York  State,  also  taking  one  term  in  Middlebury  Academy.  He  left  home 
for  New  York  State  at  the  age  of  19  years  and  there  worked  upon  a  farm. 
He  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  woolen  goods  and  continued  for  a  period 
of  25  years,  also  being  identified  for  a  number  of  years  with  the  First  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Brockport,  New  York,  17  miles  west  of  Rochester.  He  came 
West  to  Topeka,  Kansas,  in  1857,  and  pre-empted  a  quarter-section  of  land 
in  section  35,  township  11,  range  15,  in  Topeka  township,  but  returned  to 


296  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

New  York  State  in  the  fall  of  the  following  year  to  look  after  his  extensive 
business  interests.  He  again  came  to  his  farm  in  Shawnee  County  in  1869, 
and  has  resided  continuously  upon  it  ever  since.  He  has  farmed  this  place 
with  a  great  deal  of  success,  and  also  served  as  cashier  of  the  Kansas  National 
Bank  of  Topeka  for  four  years.  He  is  a  man  of  unusual  business  ability,  and 
has  achieved  a  high  degree  of  success.  When  he  first  came  to  this  county  it 
was  in  a  primitive  state,  and  the  east  line  of  the  Pottawatomie  Indian  reser- 
vation was  just  one  mile  west  of  his  claim.  He  has  seen  the  community 
develop  into  one  of  the  richest  in  a  State  which  is  destined  to  become  one  of 
the  very  foremost  in  point  of  wealth  and  resources.  He  has  served  as  treas- 
urer of  a  number  of  the  organizations  of  his  township.  Dviring  the  Civil 
War  he  served  as  a  provost  marshal's  officer,  and  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R. 
and  the  Sons  of  the  American  Revokition.  He  assisted  in  the  construction 
of  school  buildings  in  his  district,  and  in  the  erection  of  the  new  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  of  which  he  is  a  member. 

Mr.  Washburn  was  united  in  marriage  with  Castorn  Gordon,  who  was 
born  in  Vermont,  March  10,  1820,  and  is  a  daughter  of  William  and  Martha 
(Gary)  Gordon,  and  granddaughter  of  James  Gordon.  The  last  named  came 
from  Scotland  with  General  Burgoyne  and  served  in  Washington's  army,  be- 
coming one  of  the  early  pensioners  in  this  country.  Three  children  have 
been  born  to  our  subject  and  wife:  Lovina,  deceased  at  the  age  of  three 
years ;  Cornelia,  who  died  at  the  age  of  six  years ;  and  Frank  Monroe,  who 
lives  adjoining  and  has  four  children, — George  Avery,  born  March  i,  1889; 
Ellwood  Gordon,  born  July  8,  1893;  Frances  E.,  born  April  8,  1898;  and 
Mary  C,  born  September  11,  1903.  A  portrait  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
appears  on  a  foregoing  page. 


JOSEPH  C.  WILSON. 

Joseph  C.  Wilson,  who  was  one  ot  Topeka's  most  esteemed  and  valued 
citizens  for  many  years,  died  at  his  home  here  on  September  18,  1895.  Mr. 
Wilson  was  born  near  Richmond,  Indiana,  October  29,  1845,  ^"^d  was  a  son 
of  Jonathan  and  Drusilla  (Cox)  Wilson. 

Mr.  Wilson  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm,  one  of  a  family  of  five 
children.  After  finishing  the  common  school  course,  Mr.  Wilson  was  grad- 
uated from  the  High  School  at  Richmond,  where  he  resided  until  1869  when 
he  came  to  Kansas.  In  1874  he  became  a  resident  of  Topeka.  In  the  same 
year  he  was  appointed  clerk  of  the  United  States  District  Court,  under  the 
late  Judge  C.  G.  Foster,  whose  sketch  will  be  found  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 
Mr.  Wilson  continued  to  faithfully  fill  the  duties  of  this  position  until  the  time 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  297 

of  his  decease.  He  was  a  man  of  estimable  character,  trusted  by  business 
associates,  respected  by  his  fellow-citizens  and  dearly  beloved  in  private  life. 

In  1869  Mr.  Wilson  was  united  in  marriage  with  Anna  J.  Morris,  who- 
is  a  daughter  of  Exum  Morris.  They  had  seven  children,  five  of  whom  are 
residents  of  Topeka:  Eleanor  (Mrs.  J.  B.  Furry),  Helen,  Morris  N.,  Doro- 
thy and  Ruth.  Joseph  C,  Jr.,  is  a  prominent  business  man  of  St.  Louis^ 
Missouri,  and  Mabel  (Mrs.  C.  M.  Butlin),  is  a  resident  of  the  city  of  Mexico. 
The  family  home  is  at  No.  516  Topeka  avenue.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilson 
came  from  old  and  most  highly  regarded  families  who  belonged  to  the 
Society  of  Friends  and  they  reared  their  children  in  the  same  simple  faith. 

Politically,  Mr.  Wilson  was  a  stanch  supporter  of  the  Republican  party. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen. 


AUGUSTUS  L.  ENTSIVIINGER. 

Augustus  L.  Entsminger,  proprietor  of  the  "Silver  Lake  Fruit  Farm," 
was  born  December  25,  1834,  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  and  has  been  a  resident 
of  Silver  Lake  township,  Shawnee  County,  since  December,  1873.  He  is 
a  son  of  Joseph  L.  and  Abigail  (Randall)  Entsminger. 

The  father  of  Mr.  Entsminger  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  and  the  mother 
in  Connecticut.  The  father  was  an  agriculturist  and  went  from  his  native 
State  first  to  Virginia  and  then  to  Sandusky  County,  Ohio,  where  he  died 
in  1858.  The  mother  survived  until  1866  and  both  are  interred  near  their 
old  home.  Of  their  six  children,  our  subject  was  the  only  one  to  come  to 
Kansas.  The  family  record  is  as  follows :  Stephen,  who  served  in  the 
Third  Regiment,  Ohio  Vol.  Cav.,  in  the  Civil  War  as  a  private  until  he 
suffered  the  loss  of  three  fingers,  deceased  in  December,  1902,  aged  71  years; 
Augustus  L.,  of  this  sketch;  William,  who  served  as  a  private  in  the  Third 
Regiment,  Ohio  Vol.  Cav.,  deceased  in  1897;  Alice  (Mrs.  Peter  Plantz), 
deceased  in  1893;  Sarah  (Mrs.  Stanton  Huffman),  who  resides  in  Sandusky 
County,  Ohio,  and  has  five  children;  and  Martha  (Mrs.  John  Timmons), 
who  resides  at  Kalamazoo,  Michigan,  and  has  six  children. 

Augustus  L.  Entsminger  obtained  his  education  in  the  Sandusky  County 
schools  and  spent  three  years  learning  the  carriage-maker's  trade.  Then 
with  the  intention  of  fitting  himself  completely  as  a  machinist,  he  went  into 
the  blacksmithing  department.  Here  he  found  that  the  work  was  affecting 
his  eyes,  but  he  continued,  with  many  interruptions,  to  follow  one  or  the 
other  trade  until  1879.     In  i860  he  visited  Kansas  and  bought  a  preempted 


298  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

claim  of  120  acres  on  Mission  Creek.  After  living  on  it  for  two  weeks  he 
went  back  to  Ohio  and  in  1861  enlisted  in  Company  E,  49th  Reg.,  Ohio 
Vol.  Inf.  On  account  of  his  training  as  a  machinist,  he  was  soon  transferred 
to  the  car  department  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  with  headquarters 
at  Nashville,  Tennessee,  where  he  remained  three  years  and  was  there  mus- 
tered out  on  August  I,  1864.  It  was  then  his  desire  to  return  at  once  to 
Kansas,  but  as  affairs  were  still  in  a  disturbed  condition  he  was  not  given 
transportation  and  therefore  went  to  Ohio  instead. 

In  the  following  spring  Mr.  Entsminger  settled  down  on  his  farm  on 
Mission  Creek,  spent  one  summer  there  and  then  removed  to  Topeka,  where 
he  entered  the  employ  of  William  Boyd  as  a  machinist,  receiving  wages  of 
$5  a  day.  From  the  fall  of  1865  until  the  fall  of  1866  he  was  a  partner  with 
Mr.  Boyd,  when  he  returned  to  farming,  locating  on  what  was  known  as  the 
'  Dick  Clark  place,  where  he  remained  from  May  until  December.  In  May 
he  paid  the  sum  of  $442  for  this  land  and  in  December  he  sold  the  same  for 
$1,500.  He  then  bought  another  quarter  section  from  a  man  named 
Petapher.  From  this  place,  in  December,  1874,  he  removed  to  his  present 
farm,  where  he  purchased  83  acres.  He  has  since  devoted  his  attention  to 
raising  cattle  and  to  fruit  culture,  growing  every  choice  kind  that  the  climate 
permits.     His  early  output  is  sold  at  Topeka,  but  the  bulk  goes  to  the  West. 

Mr.  Entsminger  has  been  wonderfully  successful  in  his  projects  and 
owns  a  very  valuable  property.  It  has  a  historic  interest  also.  Here  might 
be  seen  until  recently  the  remains  of  a  double  log  house  built  in  1847,  ^^  which 
M.  B.  Bobein,  a  Pottawatomie  half-breed  Indian,  kept  tavern  in  the  very  early 
days.  It  was  on  the  stage  line  and  in  its  day  sheltered  many  distinguished 
g'uests.  At  one  time  Mark  Twain  made  it  his  resting  place  for  a  time,  and 
it  was  within  its  picturesque  old  kitchen  that  Horace  Greeley  wrote  one  of 
his  New  York  Tribune  letters,  in  praise  of  Kansas.  It  remained  standing 
until  last  year  and  many  an  interesting  tale  its  walls  could  have  told  had 
speech  been  given  them. 

Mr.  Entsminger  was  married,  first,  August  11,  1859,  to  Caroline  Wark- 
ley,  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio,  who  was  a  daughter  of  Peter  Warkley.  She 
died  August  28,  1870,  and  was  buried  in  Silver  Lake  Cemetery.  The  two 
children  of  this  union  were :  Ambrose  H.,  who  is  supposed  to  have  been 
lost  in  the  great  flood  at  Galveston,  Texas;  and  Arthur  D.,  of  Silver  Lake, 
who  married  Clara  Hansford,  daughter  of  Eri  Hansford,  and  has  two  chil- 
dren,— May  and  Carl.  Our  subject  was  married,  second,  on  June  13,  1871, 
to  Mary  A.  Mills,  daughter  of  William  Mills.  She  died  June  28,  1875,  leav- 
ing a  daughter, — Mary  Maud.  The  latter  became  Mrs.  Wilcox  and  has 
one  son,  Augustus,  who  lives  with  his  grandfather  and  is  a  bright,  manly 


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HON.   ALBERT  HOWELL  HORTON 


AND  ■  REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  301 

lad  of  eight  years.  Mr.  Entsminger  was  married,  third,  on  June  23,  1881,  to 
Clara  E.  Munn,  daughter  of  John  and  Phoebe  (Homan)  Munn. 

Mr.  Entsminger  is  the  only  raiser  in  Shawnee  county,  of  Red  Polled 
cattle,  of  which  he  has  a  herd  of  48  head.  There  are  many  registered,  full- 
blooded  animals  and  present  a  magnificent  appearance. 

Politically,  until  the  last  presidential  election,  Mr.  Entsminger  was  a 
Democrat.  He  is  a  justice  of  the  peace  and  has  long  been  a  member  of  the 
School  Board.  He  has  been  a  member  in  good  standing  so  long  in  the  Odd 
Fellows  that  the  time  has  almost  arrived  for  him  to  be  presented  with  the 
veteran's  jewel.     He  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church. 


HON.  ALBERT  HOWELL    HORTON. 

Hon.  Albert  Howell  Horton,  deceased,  late  chief  justice  of  the 
Supreme  Court  of  Kansas^  and  one  of  the  eminent  jurists  of  the  State,  was 
born  March  12,  1837,  near  Brookfield,  New  York,  and  was  a  son  of  Dr.  Har- 
vey A.  and  Mary  (Bennett)  Horton,  who  were  of  English  ancestry  and  Pur- 
itan stock. 

Judge  Horton,  after  previous  literary  preparation,  entered  the  Univer- 
sity of  Michigan  in  1855,  prepared  for  the  law  and  was  admitted  in  1858  to 
the  bar  of  the  State  of  New  York.  In  the  following  year  he  offered  his  pro- 
fessional services  to  -the  residents  of  Atchison,  Kansas,  where,  in  the  next 
year,  he  was  appointed  city  attorney,  to  fill  a  vacancy,  and  was  elected  to  the 
office  in  1861.  That  his  abilities  were  far  beyond  the  ordinary  must  have 
been  the  case,  else  he  had  not  been  chosen  for  the  bench  by  Governor  Charles 
Robinson,  after  serving  in  his  previous  position  only  from  April  to  Septem- 
ber. He  served  through  three  terms  as  judge  of  the  Second  Judicial  District 
and  then  resigned  the  honorable  position  in  order  to  devote  his  time  more 
closely  to  an  increasing  private  practice. 

Judge  Horton  was  not  permitted,  however,  to  remain  in  private  life 
very  long,  in  May,  1869,  being  appointed  by  President  Grant,  United  States 
district  attorney  for  Kansas.  In  1868  he  was  one  of  the  Republican  presi- 
dential electors  and  was  honored  with  the  commission  of  carrying  the  elec- 
toral vote  from  his  State  to  Washington.  His  party  continued  to  claim  his 
services,  electing  him  to  the  State  Legislature  in  1872;  to  the  State  Senate 
in  1877  and  his  supporters  were  only  checked  in  their  efforts  to  bring  him  to 
the  candidacy  of  still  higher  offices  by  his  appointment  as  chief  justice,  which 
was  made  in  1877  ^Y  Governor  Osborn.  He  filled  out  the  unexpired  term  of 
Judge  Kingman,  and  in  1878  was  elected  to  the  office  and  was  re-elected  in 


302  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

1884  and  1890.  After  retiring  from  the  bench,  he  resumed  his  practice  at 
Topeka,  and,  until  the  close  of  his  remarkable  career,  was  a  member  of  the 
law  firm  of  Waggener,  Horton  &  Orr. 

While  Judge  Horton  was  honored  in  his  profession  and  in  public  life, 
he  was  also  regarded  with  sentiments  of  esteem  and  admiration  in  other 
connections.  As  president  of  the  alumni  of  the  University  of  Michigan,  he 
received  tokens  of  respect  which  included  the  conferring  upon  him  of  a  highly- 
valued  honor, — the  degree  of  LL.  D.  As  a  keen,  clear,  forcible  journalist, 
he  was  known  beyond  his  State,  and  the  influence  of  his  judicial  mind  was 
frequently  apparent  in  the  forming  of  his  party's- political  policy.  After  years 
of  honorable,  dignified,  distinguished  service,  Judge  Horton  passed  away 
September  2,  1902. 

Judge  Horton  was  twice  married,  first  in  1864  to  Anna  Amelia  Robert- 
son, who  died  in  1883.  Three  daughters  and  one  son  were  born  to  them,  of 
whom  one  daughter,  Carrie,  the  wife  of  Frederick  K.  Brown,  a  young  busi- 
ness man  of  Topeka,  is  the  only  one  living  in  this  city.  Mary  B.,  Rosamond 
S.  and  Albert  H.  reside  in  Colorado.  His  second  marriage  was  in  1886  to 
Mrs.  Mary  A.  Prescott,  of  Topeka,  who  survives  him.  By  her  first  marriage, 
Mrs.  Horton  had  three  children,  namely:  Mrs.  E.  B.  MacDowell,  whose 
husband  is  one  of  the  leading  business  men  of  Topeka;  John  A.,  of  Kansas 
City,  Missouri  fand  Alice  M.,  wife  of  C.  L.  Brown,  of  Arkansas  City,  Kan- 
sas. Mrs.  Horton  resides  at  No.  921  Monroe  street.  A  portrait  of  Judge 
Horton  accompanies  this  sketch. 


REV.  JOHN   D.   KNOX. 

Rev  John  D.  Knox,  who  has  been  identified  with  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church  in  Topeka  since  this  city  boasted  of  a  population  of  1,600  in- 
habitants, has  been  identified  with  all  that  has  worked  for  Topeka's  educa- 
tional and  moral  advancement  for  the  past  40  years.  He  was  born  in  Bel- 
mont County,  Ohio,  October  28,  1828,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Mary 
(Davis)   Knox,  of  Scotch-Irish  ancestry. 

Rev.  Mr.  Knox  bears  a  noted  historical  name,  one  which  has  been  con- 
nected with  religious  work  and  faithful  adherence  to  conscious  duty  for 
generations  and  generations.  His  ancestors  as  far  back  as  John  Wesley  were 
Methodists.  Before  the  removal  of  the  family  to  the  North  of  Ireland,  they 
lived  in  Scotland,  about   12  miles  south  of  Glasgow. 

William  Knox,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Ireland,  in 
June,  1767,  and  was  licensed  to  preach  in  1787.    In  1791  he  came  to  America 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  303 

and  in  1800  he  joined  the  Baltimore  Conference  as  a  probationer,  from  which 
he  passed  into  the  Ohio  Conference  and  in  1825  into  the  Pittsburg  Confer- 
ence, on  its  organization.  He  was  a  faithful  and  useful  servant  of  the 
church,  and  died  at  his  home  at  Cadiz,  Ohio,  June  14,  1851,  when  a  few  days- 
over  80  years  of  age.  One  of  his  sons,  Jeremiah  Knox,  was  well  known  in 
Pittsburg  and  was  a  member  of  his  father's  conference,  and  the  ministry  is 
represented  in  the  third  generation  by  our  subject.  "Father"  Knox,  as  he 
was  affectionately  called  for  many  years,  is  mentioned  by  one  who  knew  him 
well,  as  a  composite  of  goodness.  In  no  sense  was  he  a  great  preacher,  but 
he  was  Methodistic  in  his  doctrines,  was  Biblical  in  his  teaching  and  touching 
in  his  exhortation.  His  sweetness  of  spirit  and  his  simple,  holy  manner  of 
life,  made  him  a  very  useful  minister.  For  a  number  of  the  last  years  of  his 
ministry,  he  was  relieved  from  a  settled  charge  and  was  placed  on  a  four  weeks 
circuit  as  second  preacher,  in  the  vicinity  of  his  home.  He  was  then  75  years 
of  age  and  a  remark  made  to  a  friend  at  that  time  showed  his  attitude  of 
mind.  "The  conference"  said  he,  "is  so  kind  in  placing  me  with  young  men, 
who  take  such  good  care  of  me." 

John  Knox,  father  of  Rev.  John  D.  Knox,  removed  from  Belmont 
County  to  Cadiz  and  later  to  Freeport,  Harrison  County,  Ohio,  while  our 
subject  was  young.  He  was  a  chairmaker  by  trade  and  -some  of  the  products 
of  his  skill  were  disposed  of  in  the  Capitol  Building  at  Washington.  He 
participated  in  the  War  of  181 2,  and  assisted  in  keeping  the  English  out  of 
Baltimore,  in  which  city  he  learned  his  trade.  He  died  at  the  age  of  62 
years.  His  widow,  who  was  born  in  1800,  survived  until  the  age  of  87 
years.  She  retained  all  her  faculties  and  her  physical  vigor  to  old  age,  her 
hair  not  becoming  gray  before  she  was  80  years  old. 

Rev.  John  D.  Knox  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  youthful  days  at  Free- 
port,  Harrison  County,  Ohio,  where  he  attended  the  local  schools.  He  also 
was  a  student  at  Franklin  College  and  graduated  from  Duff's  Mercantile  Col- 
lege at  Pittsburg.  In  his  17th  year  he  united  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  and  that  his  professions  were  regarded  as  entirely  sincere  was  shown 
by  his  appointment,  a  few  months  later,  as  a  class  leader.  It  was  the  desire 
of  his  parents  that  he  should  be  educated  as  a  physician  and,  with  this  end  in 
view,  he  was  sent  to  Dr.  McBain,  a  well-known  practitioner  at  Cadiz,  to 
study  the  science  of  medicine.  Probably  the  experienced  medical  man  soon 
discovered  that  his  pupil  was  only  half-hearted  in  his  devotion  to  the  study 
of  anatomical  charts  and  the  marvelous  construction  of  the  human  body,  and 
when  he  found  him  pouring  over  Horn's  "Introduction  to  the  Holy 
Scriptures"  instead  of  a  treatise  on  the  circulation  of  the  blood,  he  advised 
the  parents  to  give  up  their  plans  for  making  a  physician  of  him  and  to 
send  him  to  Franklin  College  to  study  for  the  ministry,  saying :  "He  will  make 


304  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

a  better  preacher  than  a  doctor."  This  sensible  physician  had  also  under  his 
teaching,  when  a  young  man,  the  late  distinguished  Bishop  Simpson,  but 
we  are  not  advised  as  to  whether  he  gave  the  same  advice  in  that  case. 

Thus  it  was  that  John  D.  Knox  became  a  theological  instead  of  a  medical 
student.  While  still  at  college  he  was  licensed  to  exhort  and  a  few  months 
later  was  licensed  as  a  local  preacher  on  his  home  circuit.  At  the  next  Quar- 
terly Conference  he  was  recommended  to  the  Pittsburg  Annual  Conference 
as  a  suitable  person  to  enter  the  traveling  connection.  Accordingly,  in  June, 
1850,  he  was  admitted  on  trial,  at  Canton,  Ohio,  and  was  sent  to  the  Wash- 
ington and  Cambridge  circuit.  For  15  years  he  took  work  in  that  conference 
and  served  three  stations  in  Pittsburg.  It  was  during  the  fearful  ravages  of 
cholera  in  that  city,  in  1854,  that  the  young  minister  particularly  attracted 
attention  by  the  practical  following  out  of  the  great  truths  he  loved  to  preach. 
Regardless  of  his  own  safety  and  comfort,  he  nursed  the  sick,  comforted  the 
dying  and  cared  for  the  dead  until  he  himself  fell  a  victim  to  the  dread  scourge. 
A  remarkably  strong  constitution  and  a  previous  abstemious  life  brought  him 
safely  through.  His  experiences  during  that  solemn  time  when  1,800  peo- 
ple in  Pittsburg  perished  in  two  months  and  when  at  one  period  there  were 
40  dead  and  unburied  persons  in  the  vicinity  of  his  Church,  Asbury  Chapel, 
can  never  be  forgotten,  nor  can  his  services  as  he  bravely  labored  night  and 
day  to  succor  those  in  need. 

In  1864,  Rev.  Mr.  Knox  served  the  Christian  Commission  at  Fred- 
ericksburg, Bells  Plain,  Falmouth  Station  and  other  points,  his  time  being 
filled  with  important  duties  and  great  responsibilities.  He  recalls  one  Sunday 
in  Fredericksburg  when  he  waited  on  sick  and  wounded  soldiers  in  two 
hospitals  until  10  o'clock  in  the  morning  (there  being  at  that  time  8,000  sick 
and  wounded  in  the  city)  and  then  preached  seven  different  sermons  up  to 
10  o'clock  that  night.  In  1865  he  was  transferred  to  the  Kansas  Conference 
and  was  stationed  at  Topeka  where  he  remained  three  years.  Later  he  was 
twice  appointed  presiding  elder  of  the  Fort  Scott  district,  but  work  and  ex- 
posure, with  attacks  of  fever  and  ague,  had  so  prostrated  him  that  he  requested 
to  be  relieved  from  the  duties  of  that  position.  Since  then  he  has  made  his 
home  at  Topeka  and  has  been  a  witness  to  the  wonderful  development  of 
this  whole  section.  When  he  came  here,  he  remembers  the  fort  that  then 
stood  on  the  corner  of  Sixth  and  Kansas  avenues. 

Rev.  Mr.  Knox,  while  accepting  no  charge,  has  never  entirely  given  up 
preaching  the  Gospel.  Finding  that  change  of  scene  and  climate  were  needed 
to  restore  him  to  health,  he  so  arranged  his  business  affairs  that  he  could  be 
absent  a  long  time  and  for  20  years  dd  not  travel  less  than  8,000  miles 
annually  and  sometimes  20,000  miles.  He  has  been  twice  through  Continental 
Europe,  Scotland  and  England,  once  in  Ireland,  Egypt  and  Palestine  and  has 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  305 

lectured  on  many  subjects  in  various  localities.  His  lecture,  "The  Holy 
Land,"  has  been  listened  to  by  thousands  with  pleasure  and  profit.  He  has 
been  a  valued  contributor  to  the  Pittsburg  Christian  Advocate;  for  four 
years  was  editor  of  the  Kansas  Methodist,  and  is  the  author  of  a  widely 
circulated  book  of  583  pages,  entitled  "Paths  to  Wealth."  At  various  times 
he  has  served  as  chaplain  to  a  number  of  organizations  like  the  Masons,  Odd 
Fellows  and  Sons  of  Temperance,  to  which  he  belongs  and  has  never  failed 
to  raise  his  voice  and  use  his  influence  in  promoting  everything  educational, 
reformatory  and  moral.  He  has  served  as  superintendent  of  public  instruc- 
tion for  Shawnee  County,  and  for  some  time  was  treasurer  of  the  Kansas 
Freedmen's  Relief  Association.  As  such  he  was  summoned  to  Washington, 
D.  C,  to  appear  before  the  committee  to  investigate  the  causes  that  led  to  the 
emigration  of  the  negroes  from  the  Southern  to  the  Northern  States.  In  1873 
he  was  honorary  commissioner  to  the  Austrian  Universal  Exposition  held  at 
Vienna. 

In  1858,  Rev.  Mr.  Knox  married  Mary  Dibert  and  they  had  eight  chil- 
dren, three  daughters  and  one  son  being  still  at  home.  All  the  children  still 
survive  and  there  are  11  grandchildren.  One  son,  William  C,  who  is  now 
located  at  San  Francisco,  built  what  is  now  known  as  the  Columbian  Build- 
ing on  West  Sixth  street,  Topeka,  formerly  known  as  the  Knox  Building. 
Mr.  Konx's  mansion,  known  as  "Belvoir,"  at  Potwin,  was  about  the  second 
house  erected  there.  This  addition  to  the  city  of  Topeka  is  now  filled  with 
some  of  the  most  beautiful  mansions  in  this  part  of  the  State.  The  population 
is  several  hundred  and  the  locality  is  considered  one  of  the  choicest  residential 
sections  of  the  city. 


CAPT.  GEORGE  M.  NOBLE. 

Capt.  George  M.  Noble,  senior  member  of  the  well-known  firm  of 
George  M.  Noble  &  Company,  of  Topeka,  is  known  all  over  the  State  of 
Kansas,  for  the  firm  deals  extensively  in  real  property  in  every  county.  He 
was  born  March  7,  1842,  in  Clermont  County,  Ohio,  and  is  a  son  of  Rev. 
James  H.  and  Angeline  E.  (Simmons)  Noble. 

The  Noble  family  is  of  English  extraction  but  has  been  established  in 
America  for  many  years.  The  father  of  Captain  Noble  was  a  minister  of 
tlie  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

In  1858  our  subject  went  to  Indiana  and  was  educated  at  Greencastle, 
graduating  at  Indiana  Asbury  University.  When  scarcely  out  of  school,  he 
enlisted  for  service  in  the  Civil  War,  October  17,  1861,  in  Company  D,  31st 
Reg.,  Indiana  Vol.  Inf.    This  company  was  organized  and  mustered  into  the 


3o6  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

service  of  the  United  States,  September  20,  1861,  at  Terre  Haute,  with 
Charles  Cruft  as  colonel,  John  Osborne  as  lieutenant  colonel  and  Frederick 
Arn  as  major.  It  proceeded  soon  afterward  to  Evansville,  Indiana,  thence  to 
Henderson,  Kentucky,  encamping  at  Calhoun,  on  the  Green  River. 

On  February  11,  1862,  the  regiment  moved  with  General  Grant's  forces 
to  Fort  Donelson  and  in  participating  in  the  assault  there  lost  nine  killed,  52 
wounded  and  one  missing.  It  was  then  marched  to  Fort  Henry  and  later  to 
Shiloh  or  Pittsburg  Landing,  actively  taking  part  in  both  days  of  battle 
there,  the  memorable  6th  and  7th  of  April,  1862.  Here  the  regiment  lost  22 
killed,  no  wounded  and  10  missing.  The  regiment  was  then  assigned  to 
the  Fourth  Division  of  the  Army  of  the  Ohio,  under  command  of  General 
Nelson,  and  took  an  active  part  in  the  siege  operations  before  Corinth,  in- 
cluding the  battle  of  Corinth,  after  which  it  moved  with  Buell's  army  through 
Northern  Mississippi  and  Alabama  into  Tennessee.  In  September  it  reached 
Louisville,  Kentucky,  and  following  General  Bragg's  retreat  from  that  State, 
after  the  battle  of  Perryville,  Kentucky,  it  went  to  Nashville,  thence,  in  De- 
cember, with  Crittenden's  corps  of  Rosecrans'  army,  it  marched  to  Murfrees- 
boro  and  engaged  the  enemy  for  three  days  at  Stone  River.  The  regiment 
remained  quietly  encamped  at  Cripple  Creek  after  this  vigorous  campaign, 
guarding  a  mountain  pass  near  Murfreesboro,  until  the  forward  movement  of 
the  army  to  Chattanooga  was  begun  in  June,  1863.  It  took  a  prominent  part 
in  the  battle  of  Chicgamauga,  after  which  it  went  into  camp  at  Bridgeport, 
Alabama,  where  on  January  i,  1864,  it  became  a  veteran  organization,  the 
members  reenlisting.  Our  subject  was  given  a  veteran  furlough  and  made 
a  short  visit  to  Indiana.  After  his  return  to  the  regiment,  now  an  organization 
of  considerable  reputation  on  account  of  its  gallantry  and  loyalty,  it  saw  much 
hard  service.  The  31st  was  conspicuous  at  the  battles  of  Rocky  Face  Ridge, 
Resaca,  Pine  Mountain,  Bald  Knob,  Kenesaw  Mountain,  Marietta,  Smyrna 
camp  ground  on  the  Chattahoochie  River,  siege  of  Atlanta,  Jonesboro,  Love- 
joy  Station,  Franklin  and  Nashville.  At  the  close  of  the  war,  the  regiment 
moved  with  General  Sheridan's  army  to  Texas,  where  it  was  mustered  out 
of  the  service,  December  8,  1865.  During  its  long  and  arduous  service,  this 
organization  of  brave  men  had  lost  432  of  its  members  in  killed  and  wounded. 
On  January  24,  1863,  Captain  Noble  was  honorably  discharged  by  reason  of 
promotion  from  sergeant  major  of  his  regiment  to  regimental  adjutant,  for 
meritorious  services.  His  former  promotion  had  been  for  the  same  reason,  in 
April,  1862.  On  September  13,  1864,  he  was  commissioned  captain  of  Com- 
pany C,  and  was  mustered  out  as  such  on  November  11,  1864,  being  breveted 
major  by  special  order. 

After  his  return  from  the  army.  Captain  Noble  settled  in  Illinois  and 
entered  upon  the  study  of  the  law  at  Champaign,  and  was  admitted  to  the 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  307 

Supreme  Court  of  that  State  in  May,  1870.     In  the  same  year  he  came  to 
Topeka,  where  he  engaged  in  the  practice  of  the  law  until  1873.     He  then 
became  associated  with  the  Kansas  Loan  &  Trust  Company  as  secretary,  vice- 
president  and  one  of  the  general  managers  until  1893,  when  this  company  was 
succeeded  by  the  Trust  Company  of  America,  of  which  he  served  as  vice- 
president  until  1898.    This  company  has  been  one  of  the  large  financial  organi- 
zations of  the  State,  having  made  loans  to  the  amount  of  $20,000,000.     Since 
1898  Captain  Noble  has  devoted  his  time  to  the  business  of  real  estate  loans, 
mortgages  and  insurance.     He  is  the  senior  member  of  the  firm  of  George 
M.  Noble  &  Company,  the  other  members  being  A.  D.  Washburn  and  J.  H. 
Noble.     The  firm  has  the  handling  of  property,  including  farms,  ranches, 
alfalfa  lands,  wheat  lands  and  pasture  lands,  in  all  sections  of  Kansas  and  in 
adjoining  States.     In  addition  to  their  extensive  operations  in  realty,  they 
handle  the  leading  insurance  lines  and  are  the  accredited  local  financial  agents 
for  Eastern  investors.    The  offices  of  the  firm  are  at  No.  435  Kansas  avenue. 
Captain  Noble  was  married  at  Champaign,  Illinois,  on  January  25,  1872, 
to  Eva  A.  Reed,  who  was  born  at  Fredericktown,  Ohio.    They  had  two  sons, 
Walter  T.  and  George  M.,  Jr.     The  former  was  a  very  brilliant  young  man, 
a  Princeton  graduate.     His  death  took  place  in  August,   1904,  leaving  his 
parents,  brother,  wife  and  three  children. 

Captain  Noble  is  an  ideal  citizen,  ever  ready  to  work  hard  in  the  in- 
terests of  his  community,  ready  to  unselfishly  foster  and  promote  enterprises 
that  will  add  to  the  general  welfare  and  to  support  public-spirited  measures 
for  the  benefit  of  all.  He  is  one  of  the  leading  members  and  has  been  one  of 
the  directors  of  the  Topeka  Commercial  Club.  He  has  long  been  connected 
with  the  higher  branches  of  Masonry  and  is  a  member  of  Orient  Lodge,  No. 
51,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  of  Topeka  Chapter,  No.  5,  R.  A.  M.  He  belongs  also 
to  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  and  the  Kansas  Commandery  of  the  Mili- 
tary Order  of  the  Loyal  Legion  of  the  United  States.  Since  1870  he  has 
been  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  almost  continuously 
since  has  been  one  of  the  trustees. 


HON.  FREDERICK  WELLHOUSE. 

Hon.  Frederick  Wellhouse,  one  of  the  leading  horticulturists  of 
the  State  of  Kansas,  and  a  prominent  and  valued  citizen  of  Topeka,  was  born 
November  16,  1828,  in  Wayne  County,  Ohio,  and  is  a  son  of  William  and 
Hannah    (Yohe)    Wellhouse. 

The  father  of  Mr.  Wellhouse  subsequent  to  the  latter's  birth  removed  to 
Summit  County,  Ohio,  where  he  purchased  a  farm  of  300  acres.     He  died 


3o8  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

there  in  1843,  leaving  the  management  of  this  large  estate  and  the  care  of 
several  younger  children  to  our  subject,  then  a  youth  of  15,  and  his  brother, 
who  was  18  months  older. 

In  1853  Mr.  Wellhouse  moved  to  Christian  County,  Illinois,  where  he 
engaged  in  farming  and  in  literary  pursuits.    In  1858  he  located  at  Indianap- 
olis, Indiana,  and  entered  into  the  publication  of  an  agricultural  journal  known 
as  the  Indiana  Farmer.    A  year  later  he  sold  this  newspaper  to  his  partner, 
J.  N.  Ray,  and  then  moved  to  Kansas,  locating  in  Leavenworth  County,  in 
1859.     Here  Mr.  Welhouse  set  out  great  orchards,  the  care  of  which  inter- 
ested him  for  a  number  of  years.    While  it  was  something  of  an  experiment, 
Mr.  Wellhouse  had  made  horticulture  a  scientific  study  and  the  remarkable 
success  which  rewarded  his  care  and  industry  sufficiently  demonstrated  his 
wisdom  as  well  as  his  knowledge  of  horticulture.     In  the  fall  of  1880,  Mr. 
Wellhouse  and  his  son  Walter,  who  is  associated  with  him,  gathered  the  first 
crop  of  apples,  the  yield  of  437  acres  of  orchard  being  1,500  bushels.     In 
1890,  10  years  later,  the  crop  amounted  to  the  vast  amount  of  79,170  bushels. 
The  total  yield  of  this  great  orchard  up  to  1905  has  been  498,148  bushels, 
which  sold  for  $199,253.20,  with  net  profits  amounting  to  $139,481.44.     The 
fruit  is  shipped  both  to  home  markets  and  foreign  ports.     The  whole  extent 
of  orchard  land  includes   1,630  acres,  making  the  Wellhouse  orchard  the 
largest  one  in  the  world  under  one  management.     No  other  orchard  in  the 
State  of  Kansas  or  in  the  world,  conducted  by  one  man  and  his  family,  has 
ever  equaled  its  record  in  annual  yield  of  apples.     Between  the  rows  of  trees 
in  the  orchard  Mr.  Wellhouse  has  also  grown  160,000  bushels  of  corn.     Five 
varieties  of  apples  are  grown :  Jonathan,  Ben  Davis,  Gano,  York  Imperial  and 
Missouri  Pippin;  the  orchard  is  noted  as  much  for  the  quality  as  for  the 
quantity  of  the  product. 

While  Mr.  Wellhouse  has  always  been  an  enthusiast  in  the  growing  of 
apples,  he  has  also  been  much  interested  in  the  culture  of  all  kinds  of  fruit. 
He  was  one  of  the  first  horticulturists  to  call  the  attention  of  other  States  to 
the  possibilities  of  fruit  culture  in  Kansas,  the  fine  exhibits  made  at  Philadel- 
phia, Richmond,  Boston  and  New  York  attracting  universal  and  favorable 
notice  and  resulting  in  attracting  capital  and  good  settlers  to  this  section  of 
the  State.  Mr.  Wellhouse  has  continued  his  active  interest  in  horticultural 
affairs  and  he  was  chosen,  as  eminently  fitted,  to  take  full  charge  of  the  fruit 
display  for  Kansas,  at  the  World's  Columbian  Exposition  at  Chicago  in 
1893  and  at  the  Trans-Mississippi  Exposition  at  Omaha,  Nebraska,  in  1898. 

Mr.  Wellhouse  has  been  an  active  member  of  the  Kansas  State  Horti- 
cultural Society  almost  since  its  organization,  has  been  its  president  for  the 
past  10  years  and  for  15  years  was  its  treasurer.    He  has  been  vice-president 


HON.   SAMUEL  T.   HOWE 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  311 

of  the  Kansas  State  Fair  Association  in  which  he  has  been  a  director  almost 
since  its  organization. 

During  the  Civil  War,  Mr.  Wellhouse  took  an  active  part  in  military 
matters  and  was  captain  in  the  19th  Kansas  State  militia.  In  1861  he  was 
elected  county  commissioner  and  made  chairman  of  the  board,  and  in  1866 
he  was  elected  by  the  Republican  party  to  the  Legislature  and  was  reelected 
in  1888.  Other  marks  of  party  favor  have  been  shown  him  at  various  times 
and  for  years  he  was  a  prominent  figure  in  public  life. 

Mr.  Wellhouse  married  Susan  Housely,  a  daughter  of  Daniel  Housely, 
and  they  reared  four  children,  namely:  Walter,  who  is  married  and  lives 
in  Topeka;  Mary  C;  Horace  M.,  deceased;  and  Cora  A.,  wife  of  H.  S.  Bul- 
lard,  of  Leavenworth  County,  who  is  living  on  one  of  subject's  farms. 


HON.  SAMUEL  T.   HOWE. 

Hon.  Samuel  T.  Howe,  district  manager  of  the  Bell  Telephone  Com- 
pany with  office  at  Topeka,  has  been  a  resident  of  Kansas  since  1868,  and 
during  this  long  period  has  been  identified  with  business ,  associations  and 
public  afifairs.  Mr.  Howe  was  born  July  23,  1848,  at  Savannah,  Wayne 
County  New  York,  coming  from  a  family  which  has  been  particularly  dis- 
tinguished in  the  professions  and  in  the  political  as  well  as  business  circles 
of  several  States. 

Mr.  Howe  accompanied  his  family  to  Toleda,  Ohio,  in  boyhood  and 
there  obtained  an  excellent  education,  which  was  scarcely  completed  at  the 
opening  of  the  Civil  War.  In  1862  he  became  a  member  of  the  State  militia, 
and  in  January,  1864,  received  an  appointment  in  the  military  service  of  the 
United  States,  connected  with  the  construction  of  military  railroads  in  Ala- 
bama. In  January,  1865,  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in  Company  B,  189th  Reg. 
Ohio  Vol.  Inf.,  and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war  in  the  14th  Army  Corps. 
After  his  discharge  in  1865,  he  returned  to  Toledo,  and  during  the  inter- 
vening period  until  1868  perfected  himself  in  carpenter  work. 

Mr.  Howe  came  to  Kansas  with  the  great  wave  of  immigration  in  1868 
and  found  abundant  need  of  his  skill  in  his  trade  in  the  rapidly  growing 
cities  of  Leavenworth,  Topeka,  Burlingame  and  Salina.  In  those  days  it  was 
a  difficult  matter  for  an  intelligent,  public-spirited  citizen  of  Kansas  to  keep 
out  of  politics,  and  in  1871  Mr.  Howe  found  himself  elected  sheriff  of  Marion 
County.  He  served  as  sheriff  until  1874,  when  he  was  elected,  and  later 
twice  reelected,  clerk  of  the  District  Court.  In  1879  he  was  shown  the  con- 
fidence of  Marion  County  by  being  elected  its  treasurer  and  was  reelected  in 

15 


31-2  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

1881  but  before  he  could  take  his  seat,  the  people  of  the  State,  recognizing 
in  him  a  man  of  the  sterling  traits  of  character  which  they  demanded  in  a 
State  Treasurer,  elected  him  in  1882  to  this  office,  m  which  he  served  most 
satisfactorily  until   1887. 

After  his  retirement  from  the  duties  of  the  offite  of  State  Treasurer, 
Mr.  Howe  located  his  home  at  Topeka,  where  for  many  years  he  was  active 
in  business,   particularly   in   land   dealing  and   banking,    and   was   also   the 
owner  of  mining  interests.     In  1895  he  was  elected  by  the  executive  council 
of  the  State,  consisting  of  the  Governor  and  other  State  officers,  to  the  office 
of  railroad  commissioner,  a  position  he  held  two  years.     He  is  a  qualified 
lawyer  but  has  never  engaged  in  general  practice,  but  his  undestanding  of 
the  law  has  made  him  a  very  efficient  official  and  member  of  various  boards. 
He  is  at  present  a  member  of  the  City  Council,  and  has  served  as  its  president ; 
he  is  now  serving  as  chairman  of  the  ways  and  means  committee.     He  was 
recently  appointed  by  the  Governor  on  a  commission  to  advise  with  the  Gov- 
ernor in  relation  to  an  investigation  of  the  State  departments,  ordered  by  the 
last  Legislature.     He  has  been  the  author  of  numerous  articles  on  public 
subjects,  especially  in  relation  to  financial  matters,  and  has  proved  his  close 
acquaintance  with  economic  questions  of  the  greatest  moment.     Since  1904 
Mr.  Howe  has  been  the  district  manager  of  the  Bell  Telephone  Company 
with  office  at  Topeka. 

In  1876  Mr.  Howe  was  married  to  Clara  B.  Frazer,  of  Portsmouth, 
Ohio,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  eight  children,  of  whom  five  still  sur- 
vive, as  follows :  Bertrice  A.,  Fred  L.,  Samuel  T.,  Jr.,  William  E.  and  Clare 
E.  Mr.  Howe's  fraternal  association  is  mainly  with  the  Masons  and  he  has 
been  treasurer  of  the  Masonic  Mutual  Benefit  Society  for  a  number  of  years. 
He  is  a  valued  member  of  the  Topeka  Commercial  Club.  His  portrait  is 
shown  on  a  foregoing  page. 


JOSEPH  VAN   VLECK. 

Joseph  Van  Vleck^  one  of  the  highly  respected  citizens  and  substantial 
■farmers  of  Rossville  township,  Shawnee  County,  who  resides  on  his  well- 
improved  farm  of  80  acres  in  section  16,  township  10,  range  13,  was  born  in 
182 1  in  Madison  County,  New  York,  and  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Hester 
{Francisco)  Van  Vleck. 

Herman  Van  Vleck,  the  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  born 
in  Holland  and  came  very  early  to  America,  settling  in  the  Mohawk  Valley, 
NTew  York,  and  removing  later  to  the  tract  in  Madison  County,  known  as  the 


:    I    AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  313 

"Mile  Strip."  His  land  was  adjacent  to  that  owned  by  the  noted  Abolition 
leader,  Gerrit  Smith,  and  they  together  attended  the  Congregational  Church. 
Politically  they  differed,  but  personally  were  good  friends  and  neighbors  and 
were  men  of  such  character  that  when  they  sat  together  in  the  little  church 
in  Peterboro,  their  religious  feelings  were  so  genuine  that  political  sentiments 
were  excluded.  The  family  continued  to  reside  in  Madison  County  until  the 
death  of  the  father.     The  mother  died  in  Ontario  County,  New  York. 

Joseph  Van  Vleck  received  his  educational  training  in  his  native  locality, 
later  moved  to  Grundy  County,  Illinois,  and  in  1878  came  to  Kansas.  He  pur- 
chased 320  acres  of  land  in  Rossville  township  from  the  Atchison,  Topeka  & 
Santa  Fe  Railway  Company,  the  land  being  located  in  sections  9  and  16, 
township  10,  range  13.  He  has  retained  80  acres  of  this  for  his  own  use, 
the  remainder  having  been  given  to  his  two  sons. 

Mr.  Van  Vleck  was  married  in  the  village  of  Penfield,  Monroe  County, 
New  York,  to  Mary  A.  Grain,  who  was  a  daughter  of  Mahlon  Grain,  a  native 
of  Vermont.  Mrs.  Van  Vleck  died  in  1901,  in  her  79th  year.  They  had  eight 
children,  the  six  survivors  being :  Mahlon,  who  has  been  a  resident  of  Chicago 
for  many  years;  T.  J.,  of  Topeka;  Frank  and  Eugene,  farmers  of  Rossville 
township;  Clara,  a  resident  of  McCook,  Nebraska;  and  C.  E.  who  remains 
on  the  homestead  with  his  father. 

Mr.  Van  Vleck  is  identified  with  the  Republican  party  and  takes  a 
great  deal  of  interest  in  its  successes.  For  many  years  he  has  been  an  Odd 
Fellow.     He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


CHARLES   A.   MAGAW. 

Charles  A.  Magaw,  a  well-known  lawyer  and  formerly  police  judge 
of  Topeka,  was  born  in  Ohio  in  1872,  and  is  a  son  of  John  B.  and  Margaret 
Magaw. 

John  B.  Magaw  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  lived  in  Ohio  until 
1879,  when  he  came  West  to  Kansas.  He  removed  to  Osage  County,  Kansas, 
in  1895,  and  lived  there  until  his  death  on  February  2,  1900.  He  is  survived 
by  Mrs.  Magaw  and  three  children,  namely :  Rachel,  wife  of  Samuel  Har- 
bour, of  Osage,  Kansas ;  William,  an  instructor  in  the  Topeka  High  School ; 
and  Charles  A.,  subject  of  this  biography. 

Charles  A.  Magaw  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  Jefferson  County,  Kansas, 
and  received  a  preliminary  educational  training  in  the  public  schools  of  his 
district.  He  pursued  a  literary  course  of  study  at  Washburn  College,  but 
left  that  institution  in  his  junior  year  to  take  up  the  study  of  the  law  in  the 


314  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

State  University  at  Lawrence.  After  graduation  with  the  degree  of  LL.  B. 
in  1897,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  has  been  engaged  in  practice  since 
in  the  city  of  Topeka.  He  has  an  office  in  the  Crawford  Building,  and  has 
an  extensive  practice.  He  served  two  terms  as  police  judge  at  Topeka,  and  is 
held  in  highest  regard  by  his  fellow  lawyers  and  the  public  in  general. 

Mr.  Magaw  is  unmarried  and  resides  at  No.  716  Lincoln  street.  Since 
the  death  of  his  father,  his  mother  has  made  her  home  with  our  subject.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Bar  Association  of  the  State  of  Kansas  and  of  Topeka 
Lodge,  No.  204,  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  Politically,  he  is 
a  Republican,  and  has  always  been  one  of  the  most  active  party  workers  in 
the  city. 


THOMAS   DUGARDE  HUMPHREYS. 

Thomas  DuGarde  Humphreys^  who  has  been  prominently  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  the  law  in  Topeka  for  many  years,  is  one  of  this  city's  best 
known  citizens  and  has  been  identified  with  numerous  of  its  most  successful 
business  enterprises. 

Mr.  Humphreys  was  born  in  Nottingham,  England,  February  22,  1858, 
and  is  a  son  of  Dr.  Matthew  and  Maria  Jane  (DuGarde)  Humphreys.  His 
father  was  a  successful  physician  and  surgeon  of  Nottingham. 

Thomas  D.  Humphreys  attended  the  Dame  Agnes  Meller  Grammar 
School  and  upon  leaving  that  institution  entered  the  merchant  marine  and 
naval  reserve,  making  three  complete  trips  around  the  globe.  Upon  leaving 
the  service  he  was  serving  as  third  officer  of  the  "Ophelia,"  carrying  emi- 
grants to  Queensland,  Australia.  He  then  became  private  secretary  to 
Charles  Bradlow,  a  Member  of  Parliament  and  a  distinguished  lawyer,  who 
was  known  as  the  "English  Ingersoll."  He  read  law  with  that  gentleman 
during  a  period  of  seven  years,  then  took  up  the  study  of  science  and  art  at 
the  Kensington  Science  and  Art  School,  upon  graduation  being  awarded 
Queen's  prize  in  acoustics,  light  and  heat,  botany,  freehand  and  mechanical 
drawing  and  chemistry.  He  next  attended  the  London  Science  Schools, 
receiving  honors  in  chemistry,  botany,  acoustics,  light  and  heat.  Upon 
coming  to  the  United  States,  he  located  at  Topeka,  Kansas,  in  1888,  and 
entered  upon  the  practice  of  the  law.  He  was  admitted  to  practice  in  the 
Federal  courts  in  1898,  and  in  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States  in 
1901.  He  built  up  a  large  and  lucrative  practice  which  has  demanded  the 
greater  part  of  his  attention,  but  he  has  found  time  to  devote  to  various 
enterprises  of  importance  in  this  city.  He  is  connected  with  the  Jewel  Coal 
Company,  secretary  of  the  Forceda  Coal  Company,  and  has  been  one  of  the 


JOHN  E.   FROST 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  317 

promoters  of  the  Landrus  Stove  &  Foundry  Company,  manufacturing  the 
"Landrus"  stove  radiator. 

Mr.  Humphreys  w^as  united  in  marriage  with  Mrs.  Ehzabeth  Lydia 
Gilmore,  a  widow.  He  has  one  son,  by  a  former  marriage, — Rene  DuGarde, 
— who  is  attending  Topeka  High  and  Manual  Training  School.  Fraternally, 
our  subject  is  a  member  of  the  Bar  Association  of  the  State  of  Kansas  and 
of  the  Masonic  order,  having  taken  all  the  degrees  of  the  York  rite  and  up  to 
the  32nd  degree  of  the  Scottish  rite.  He  is  a  man  of  broad  and  liberal  mind 
and  of  striking  personality,  and  has  many  stanch  friends. 


JOHN   E.  FROST. 


John  E.  Frost,  ex-president  of  the  Commercial  Club  of  Topeka,  and 
a  citizen  who  has  been  prominently  identified  with  public  affairs  in  Kansas 
for  very  many  years,  was  born  April  22,  1849,  ^^  Rome,  New  York,  and  is  a 
son  of  Hon.  Thomas  Gold  and  Elizabeth  A.  (Bancroft)  Frost. 

Mr.  Frost  comes  of  distinguished  ancestry  which  extends  in  both  pater- 
nal and  maternal  lines  to  old  and  honoroble  English  families  and  early  New 
England  settlers.  The  father  of  Mr.  Frost  was  prominent  in  politics  and  in 
the  law  prior  to  1857,  when  he  removed  to  Illinois,  and  took  up  his  residence 
at  Galesburg.  The  closing  years  of  his  life  were  spent  in  Chicago,  and  in 
both  cities  he  was  a  representative  legal  practitioner  and  the  recipient  of 
many  honors. 

John  E.  Frost  had  liberal  educational  opportunities,  including  collegiate 
advantages  at  Knox  College  at  Galesburg,  Illinois,  and  at  Hamilton  College 
at  Clinton,  New  York.  At  the  latter  institution  he  carried  off  honors  at  his 
graduation  in  1871.  He  then  read  law,  not  so  much  for  the  practice  of  the 
profession  as  to  thoroughly  inform  himself  upon  points  which  might  come 
up  in  his  business  transactions  later  in  life.  His  business  career  began  and 
has  been  mainly  connected  with  land  and  immigration  interests  and  prob- 
ably no  man  in  Kansas  more  thoroughly  masters  questions  relative  to  these 
lines  than  does  Mr.  Frost,  after  more  than  30  years  devotion  to  their  study. 
In  1904  he  was  elected  a  trustee  of  Hamilton  College,  his  alma  mater.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Chi  Psi  college  fraternity. 

From  1872  to  1879,  Mr.  Frost  was  district  agent  of  the  land  depart- 
ment of  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railway  Company,  and  after  his 
removal  to  Topeka,  in  1882,  he  filled  still  higher  offices  with  the  company  un- 
til 1890  when  he  was  appointed  general  land  commissioner  for  the  corpora- 


3i8  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

tion,  in  which  office  he  continued  until  his  resignation  in  1898,  when  he  pur- 
chased the  still  unsold  lands  of  the  company  in  Kansas. 

Mr.  Frost  has  held  many  honorable  positions  and  offices  with  dignity 
and  efficiency.  As  president  of  the  Exhibitors'  Association  at  the  Interna- 
tional Cotton  Exposition,  in  1881,  at  Atlanta,  Georgia;  as  vice-president  in 
1895  of  the  National  Irrigation  Congress  at  Denver  and  as  its  president  in 
1896,  at  Albuquerque,  New  Mexico;  and  as  vice-president  and  treasurer  of 
the  Kansas  Commission  of  the  Trans-Mississippi  and  International  Exposi- 
tion at  Omaha,  in  1898,  he  displayed  not  only  all  necessary  executive  ability, 
but  also  the  courtesy,  tact  and  diplomacy  so  essential  in  a  public  repre- 
sentative. 

Since  coming  to  Topeka  he  has  been  interested  in  many  of  the  city's 
most  successful  enterprises  and  has  shown  a  most  commendable  amount  of 
public  spirit.  As  president  of  the  Commercial  Club  from  1901  to  1804  he 
encouraged  and  headed  many  movements  looking  to  the  material  develop- 
ment of  the  city  and,  with  the  brain  of  a  scholar,  the  vigor  of  a  worker  and 
the  heart  of  a  gentleman,  enjoys  the  esteem  of  all  who  know  him  best. 

At  the  time  of  the  disastrous  flood  in  the  Kansas  River  in  1903,  Mr. 
Frost  served  as  chairman  of  the  General  Flood  Relief  Committee.  It  is 
acknowledged  by  all  that  similar  work  was  never  better  done  than  was  per- 
formed by  this  organization.  Mr.  Frost,  as  chairman,  deserves  much  of  the 
credit   for  the  committee's   excellent  showing. 

In  1 87 1,  Mr.  Frost  was  united  in  marriage  with  Margaret  E.  Kitchell, 
who  is  a  daughter  of  Hon.  Alfred  Kitchell,  of  Illinois,  and  they  have  six 
children.  The  family  belong  to  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Topeka. 
Their  beautiful  home  is  situated  at  the  corner  of  loth  and  Western  avenues 
and  it  is  the  scene  of  much  hospitality  and  many  social  functions.  A  por- 
trait of  Mr.  Frost  accompanies  this  sketch. 


O.  A.  HOLCOMB. 

O.  A.  HoLCOMB,  general  manager  of  the  Topeka  Foundry  Company,  of 
Topeka,  and  a  leading  business  man  of  this  city,  was  born  in  Sangamon 
County,  Illinois,  in  1855,  and  is  a  son  of  Myron  and  Dorcas  C.  (Winchell) 
Holcomb. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Holcomb  came  to  Kansas  from  Bloomington,  Illi- 
nois, in  1869,  and  now  reside  in  Topeka  township,  Shawnee  County.  Our 
subject  is  the  eldest  of  their  four  children,  the  others  being:  Carrie  G.,  wife 
of  Prof.   E.  A.   Popenoe,  entomologist  at  the  State  Agricultural  College; 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  31^ 

Elizabeth,  wife  of  Benjamin  Ost,  of  Los  Angeles,  California;  and  Mina  E., 
wife  of  E.  G.  Miner,  who  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  beneficiary  sotiety 
of  Knights  and  Ladies  of  Security  and  was  a  member  of  the  executive  board 
at  Topeka. 

Mr.  Holcomb  was  educated  at  Topeka  and  is  one  of  the  members  of  the 
first  class  to  graduate  at  the  High  School.  After  completing  his  education, 
he  taught  school  and  was  deeply  interested  in  educational  affairs  for  a  num- 
ber of  years.  He  taught  the  district  school  east  of  the  cemetery,  for  one 
year,  and  the  schools  at  Rochester  and  Indianola,  and  for  five  years  was 
principal  of  the  Lincoln  School,  Topeka,  and  for  three  years  of  the  old 
Washburn  School  on  Jackson  street.  During  this  time  he  took  up  institute 
work  every  year  and  was  known  in  educational  circles  all  over  the  county. 

Since  the  establishing  of  the  Topeka  Foundry  Company,  in  1885,  Mr. 
Holcomb  has  been  connected  with  it.  It  began  business  as  Newby  &  Com- 
pany, at  the  old  Capital  Iron  Works,  the  organizers  being:  A.  S.  Newby, 
president;  George  R.  Millice,  vice-president  and  O.  A.  Holcomb,  manager. 
They  met  with  success  from  the  start.  By  1887  they  were  obliged  to  provide 
larger  quarters  and  built  on  First  avenue,  opposite  the  Rock  Island  Depot 
and  did  business  until  1889  as  the  Topeka  Stove  Repair  Foundry.  Two 
years  later  they  added  to  their  machinery  to  the  amount  of  $3,000,  changing 
the  name  of  the  business  to  that  of  the  Topeka  Foundry  Company,  Mr. 
Newby  having  dropped  out  three  years  before.  In  1894  the  increase  in  busi- 
ness made  enlargement  of  space  and  facilities  necessary,  and  they  moved  to 
the  corner  of  Second  and  Jackson  streets,  where  they  remained  10  years. 
At  this  time  the  property  was  sold,  which  made  still  another  change  neces- 
sary. They  then  built  their  present  plant  at  Nos.  318-20-22  Jackson  street, 
a  great  building  75  by  115  feet  in  dimensions,  equipped  it  with  all  kinds  of 
modern  machinery  and  now  carry  on  a  vast  amount  of  business.  They 
manufacture  machinery  castings,  a  soil  packer  for  agricultural  purposes,  a 
line  of  creamery  supplies  and  do  a  general  repair  business  in  the  hne  of 
machinery.  It  is  the  best  equipped  foundry  in  the  city  and  its  success  reflects 
credit  upon  Mr.  Holcomb,  who  has  continued  manager  of  the  business 
through  all  these  years. 

Mr.  Holcomb  was  married  January  28,  1879,  to  Sarah  E.  Fowkes,  who 
is  a  native  of  Springfield,  Illinois,  and  they  have  six  children,  viz :  Berenice, 
who  is  the  capable  bookkeeper  for  the  Topeka  Foundry  Company;  Helen, 
who  is  a  teacher  in  the  Euclid  School;  Myron  (who  bears  his  grandfather's 
honored  name),  who  is  a  senior  in  the  High  School;  and  Inez,  Ruth  and 
Katherine.  The  comfortable  home  is  a  handsome  residence  at  No.  12 13 
Fillmore  street,  which  Mr.  Holcomb  built  and  in  which  he  has  resided  for 


320  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

the  past  25  years.  Mr.  Holcomb's  success  demonstrates  the  value  of  an 
educated  man  at  the  head  of  any  kind  of  business,  the  trained  facuhies  and 
broadened  view  being  of  inestimable  value. 


JAMES  R.  LYDIC. 


James  R.  Lydic,  one  of  the  well-known  citizens  and  successful  farmers 
of  Shawnee  County,  who  owns  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  4,  township 
12,  range  17,  in  Tecumseh  township,  is  also  entitled  to  prominence  and 
respect  as  one  of  the  survivors  of  the  great  Civil  War.  Mr.  Lydic  was  born 
October  14,  1841,  in  Indiana  County,  Pennsylvania,  and  is  a  son  of  James 
and  Rebecca  P.  (Johnson)  Lydic. 

The  Lydic  family  is  an  old  and  honorable  one  in  Indiana  County.  Our 
subject's  parents,  whose  whole  lives  were  spent  there,  were  prosperous 
farmers.    They  reared  a  family  of  12  children. 

Our  subject  attended  the  schools  of  his  native  locality  and  grew  up  on 
his  father's  farm,  assisting  in  its  management  until  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil 
War.  On  November  21,  1861,  after  the  farm  work  of  the  year  had  been 
finished  and  the  crops  gathered,  he  offered  his  services  in  defense  of  his  coun- 
try, enlisting  for  three  years  in  Company  K,  84th  Reg.,  Pennsylvania  Vol. 
Inf.,  under  Capt.  Joseph  L.  Kirby  and  Col.  William  G.  Murray.  From  the  very 
first  this  regiment  was  placed  in  active  service.  After  a  short  season  of  drill- 
ing at  Camp  Curtin,  Harrisburg,  it  was  sent  to  Hagerstown,  Maryland,  in 
time  to  take  part  in  the  battle  at  Bath,  then  on  to  Cumberland  and  thence  into 
Virginia.  Then  followed  the  battles  of  Winchester,  Fredericksburg  and  the 
second  battle  of  Bull  Run  or  Manassas  Junction.  After  considerable  skir- 
mishing, the  regiment  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville. 
It  was  in  the  terrible  struggle  on  the  morning  of  June  3,  1863,  at  Chancel- 
lorsville, that  both  our  subject  and  his  brother  were  wounded.  The  brother's 
injuries  resulted  in  the  loss  of  his  right  fingers  but  our  subject  was  so  fear- 
fully wounded  that  his  good  left  hand  had  to  be  amputated.  For  five  months 
he  suffered  in  the  Satterlee  Hospital,  Philadelphia,  and  then  returned  home, 
honorably  discharged  and  bearing  with  him  the  badge  of  his  faithful  service 
and  proof  of  his  loyal  devotion  to  his  country. 

Mr.  Lydic  resumed  farming  and  continued  to  live  in  Indiana  County, 
Pennsylvania,  until  1890,  when  he  removed  to  Ellis,  Kansas,  but  he  found 
the  western  part  of  the  State  too  dry  for  profitable  farming  and  only  re- 
mained there  until  November  of  that  year.  He  then  brought  his  family 
to  Topeka.     In  the  following  spring  he  removed  to  a  farm  and  on  May  i, 


HON.   JOHN    GUTHRIE 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  323 

1 89 1,  purchased  his  present  valuable  property.  Here  he  has  met  with  suc- 
cess, carrying  on  farming  and  stock-raising. 

In  1873  Mr.  Lydic  was  married  to  Kate  Barr,  who  was  born  in  Indiana 
County,  Pennsylvania,  February  17,  1850,  and  is  a  daughter  of  John  G. 
and  Katherine  (Allison)  Barr,  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  They  have  reared 
seven  children,  namely :  Vinnie,  wife  of  W.  E.  Lynch,  of  Tecumseh  town- 
ship; James  N.,  John,  Orrin,  Murray,  Clara  and  Jeannette.  Mr.  Lydic  and 
family  belong  to  the  Christian  Church  at  Meriden. 

Politically,  Mr.  Lydic  is  a  Republican  but  he  has  never  cared  for  public 
office,  although  his  services  to  his  country  would  seem  to  entitle  him  to 
official  consideration.  He  is  a  valued  member  of  the  Grand  Army  Post,  No. 
160,  at  Meriden. 


HON.  JOHN  GUTHRIE. 

Hon.  John  Guthrie^  postmaster  of  Topeka,  whose  portrait  is  shown 
on  the  foregoing  page,,  has  been  a  distinguished  resident  of  this  city  since 
1865.  He  attained  prominence  as  a  lawyer  and  judge  and  forced  his  way  to 
the  foremost  ranks  of  his  profession.  Judge  Guthrie  was  born  in  Switzer- 
land County,  Indiana,  in  1829,  and  was  one  of  14  children  born  to  William 
and  Margaret  (Japp)  Guthrie,  who  were  natives  of  Scotland. 

The  parents  of  John  Guthrie  removed  from  Scotland  to  New  York 
State  and  thence  to  Indiana,  where  he  was  reared  and  educated.  He  grew 
to  manhood  on  the  farm  and  assisted  in  the  work  on  the  home  place  when 
not  attending  school.  He  subsequently  engaged  in  teaching  school  during 
the  winter  months  for  several  seasons.  He  read  law  under  Hon.  Lewis 
Chamberlin,  of  Logansport,  Indiana,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  that 
State  in  1857.  He  immediately  embarked  in  practice  and  the  following  year 
was  elected  district  attorney  for  Cass  and  Miami  counties,  continuing  as  such 
for  one  and  a  half  years.  He  resigned  this  office  on  account  of  the  meager 
salary  and  engaged  extensively  in  private  practice  until  September,  1861, 
when  he  raised  Company  D,  46th  Reg.  Indiana  Vol.  Inf.,  for  service  in  the 
Union  Army  during  the  Civil  War.  He  was  made  its  first  captain  by  Gov- 
ernor Morton,  and  served  as  such  until  June,  1862,  when  he  was  discharged 
because  of  ill  health.  He  returned  to  Logansport  and  resumed  practice,  con- 
tinuing there  with  much  success  until  1865.  He  then  moved  West  to  To- 
peka, Kansas,  where  he  has  resided  continuously  since.  He  engaged  in  pri- 
vate practice,  soon  acquiring  a  prestige  throughout  this  section  of  the  State. 
He  was  elected  to  the  State  Legislature  in  1867,  1868  and  1869,  serving  in 
the  same  able,  patriotic  and  statesman-like  manner  that  has  characterized  his 


324  HISTORY    OF   SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

entire  career.  In  1872  he  was  presidential  elector  on  the  Republican  ticket, 
in  1872  and  1874  was  a  delegate  to  the  State  conventions,  and  twice  served 
as  chairman  of  the  Republican  State  Central  Committee,  in  which  capacity 
he  rendered  his  party  invaluable  service.  He  was  Republican  candidate  for 
Governor  of  Kansas  in  1876  and  was  defeated  by  George  T.  Anthony  by  the 
small  majority  of  four  votes.  He  was  elected  judge  of  the  Third  Judicial 
District  of  Kansas  in  1884,  and  from  that  date  until  1892  served  in  such 
manner  as  to  gain  the  hearty  commendation  of  the  bar  and  of  his  fellow-citi- 
zens in  general.  During  the  years  1890,  1891  and  1892,  he  filled  the  chair 
of  medical  jurisprudence  in  the  Kansas  Medical  College.  In  recognition  of 
his  services  to  the  party  in  past  years,  Judge  Guthrie  was  in  1898  appointed 
postmaster  of  Topeka  by  President  McKinley,  and  in  1902  was  reappointed 
by  President  Roosevelt,  the  present  being  the  seventh  year  of  his  service  in 
that  capacity.  He  is  a  member  and  has  served  as  president  of  the  Bar  Asso- 
ciation of  the  State  of  Kansas. 

On  October  24,  1854,  Judge  Guthrie  was  married  to  Mary  C.  H.  Upde- 
graff,  and  they  reside  at  No.  921  Clay  street.  They  move  in  the  best  social 
circles  of  the  city,  and  have  a  host  of  friends  of  long  years  standing.  Fra- 
ternally, our  subject  is  a  prominent  Mason,  having  joined  that  order  at  Lo- 
gansport,  Indiana,  as  early  as  1862.  He  was  first  master  of  Orient  Lodge, 
No.  51,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  in  1867,  and  in  1875  was  elected  grand  master  of  the 
Grand  Lodge  of  Kansas.  He  is  also  past  department  commander  of  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  in  Kansas.  Religiously,  he  and  his  wife  are 
devout  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 


HON.  NOAH   C.  McFARLAND. 

Hon.  Noah  C.  McFarland,  deceased,  was  one  of  the  distinguished 
men  of  Kansas,  whose  name  will  go  down  to  history  with  her  other  states- 
men, jurists  and  broad-minded,  steadfast,  useful  citizens.  Judge  McFarland 
was  born  April  23,  1822,  in  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  being  a  member  of 
one  of  the  substantial  old  families  of  Washington  County. 

Completing  a  collegiate  course  at  Washington  College,  at  the  age  of  23 
years,  Noah  C.  McFarland  turned  his  attention  to  the  study  of  the  law,  and  in 
1846,  at  Bucyrus,  Ohio,  he  entered  the  law  office  of  Judge  Scott,  who  after- 
ward became  a  member  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Ohio.  When  Judge  Scott 
removed  to  Hamilton,  Ohio,  Mr.  McFarland  became  his  law  partner  and 
resided  there  until  he  removed  to  Kansas  in  1870.  Prior  to  this,  Mr.  McFar- 
land's  ability  and  capacity  had  been  recognized  by  his  fellow-citizens  in  Ohio. 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  325 

In  1865  he  was  elected  to  represent  Butler  and  Warren  counties  in  the  Ohio 
State  Senate,  where  he  served  as  chairman  of  the  judiciary  committee.  He 
was  also  a  member  of  the  Ohio  delegation  at  the  Chicago  National  Republi- 
con  Convention,  in  1868,  which  nominated  General  Grant  for  the  Presidency. 

Within  three  years  of  settling  in  Kansas,  Judge  McFarland  was  elected 
to  the  State  Senate  from  Shawnee  County,  and  also  in  this  body  served  as 
chairman  of  the  judiciary  committee.  His  eminent  qualifications  brought 
about  his  appointment  as  a  member  of  the  Ute  Indian  Commission,  and  he 
also  served  as  regent  of  the  Kansas  State  University.  In  1881  he  was  ap- 
pointed United  States  Land  Office  Commissioner  at  Washington,  by  Presi- 
dent Garfield,  an  office  to  which  he  was  reappointed  by  President  Arthur. 

Politically,  Judge  McFarland  was  a  stalwart  Republican,  beginning 
campaign  speech-making  as  early  as  his  i8th  year,  first  in  the  interests  of 
the  Whig  party  and  later  ardently  supporting  the  principles  of  the  Republican 
party. 

Judge  McFarland  died  April  26,  1897,  at  the  Copeland  Hotel,  Topeka, 
after  an  illness  of  but  three  weeks  duration.  He  is  vividly  recalled  by  his 
business  and  political  associates  and  by  scores  of  personal  friends,  his  Abra- 
ham Lincoln  style  of  appearance  and  stature  making  him  a  conspicuous  figure 
in  any  assembly,  while  his  personal  attributes  in  a  like  manner  recalled  Lin- 
coln's rugged  honesty.  In  all  his  years  of  public  hfe  and  his  familiar  asso- 
ciation with  his  fellow-men  he  markedly  showed  the  possession  of  the  clear, 
keen  judgment  of  a  thinker,  and  the  sincere  and  unselfish  devotion  of  a 
patriot. 

The  death  of  Judge  McFarland  followed  that  of  his  cherished  wife 
within  a  year.  She  was  one  of  the  most  highly  esteemed  ladies  in  Topeka, 
beloved  for  her  personal  character  and  admired  for  her  philanthropies.  She 
was  one  of  the  founders  of  Topeka's  Free  Public  Library  and  of  Ingleside 
Home.     James  M.  McFarland,  the  only  son,  survives. 


JAMES  M.    MCFARLAND. 

James  M.  McFarland  was  born  at  Hamilton,  Ohio,  in  185 1,  and  was 
educated  in  the  Hamilton  public  schools  and  at  South  Salem  Academy  prior 
to  entering  Miami  University,  where  he  was  graduated.  From  his  alma  mater 
he  received  the  degree  of  M.  A.  on  July  21,  1887. 

In  addition  to  his  distinguished  father,  Mr.  McFarland  has  had  other 
noted  ancestors.  The  stock  is  Scotch  Presbyterian.  His  great-greatuncle, 
Major  McFarland,  was  the  officer,  who,  under  General  Scott,  led  the  attack 


326  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

at  Lundy's  Lane  in  the  War  of  1812.  His  great-uncle,  Hon.  Samuel  Mc- 
Farland,  was  nominated  for  the  vice-presidency,  on  the  Abolition  ticket,  as 
running  mate  with  Gerrit  Smith.  Up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  he  continued 
a  radical  Abolitionist,  and  he  left  a  part  of  his  estate  to  the  Freedmen's 
Bureau,  as  an  evidence  of  the  earnestness  of  his  convictions.  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  McFarland,  that  gallant  officer  of  the  19th  Iowa  Regiment,  who 
fell  at  the  battle  of  Prairie  Grove,  during  the  Civil  War,  was  another  uncle. 

James  M.  McFarland's  life  has  been  entirely  devoted  to  literary  pursuits 
and  he  is  well  known  as  an  essayist  and  author.  He  is  also  a  noted 
bibliophilist  and  owns  the  largest  and  by  far  the  most  valuable  private  library 
in  the  State.  This  magnificent  collection  of  books,  entirely  English,  includes 
some  6,000  volumes,  and  he  has  devoted  four  rooms  in  his  beautiful  home  at 
No.  1 192  Fillmore  street  to  their  housing.  In  the  arrangement  of  his  books, 
Mr.  McFarland  has  shown  artistic  taste  as  well  as  that  almost  personal  af- 
fection which  marks  the  true  lover  of  such  treasures.  The  works  are  care- 
fully classified.  One  room,  with  several  small  windows  just  under  the  roof, 
with  no  outside  doors,  in  its  exclusiveness  invites  to  the  study  of  history  and 
biography,  a  wealth  of  works  on  these  subjects  lining  the  shelves.  Here, 
with  other  rare  editions,  one  finds  Clarendon's  "Rebellion,"  Burnett's  "His- 
tory of  the  Reformation,"  a  set  of  Hume,  published  in  1800,  and  Rankin's 
"History  of  France,"  published  in  1801.  Another  beautiful  set  is  an  eight- 
volume  publication  of  Murphy's  "Tacitus,"  bearing  the  date  of  181 1.  From 
these  the  book  lover  turns  to  the  rare  set  of  13  volumes  in  embossed  calf, 
published  in  London,  in  1837,  containing  the  dispatches  of  Field  Marshal 
Wellington. 

The  section  devoted  to  American  history  includes  all  the  best  works  on 
all  pertinent  subjects,  by  the  best  acknowledged  writers,  and  a  very  interest- 
ing corner  is  entirely  given  over  to  works  on  the  great  Napoleon.  A  smaller 
room  on  the  east  adjoins  the  apartment  given  to  history,  and  this  contains 
about  1,500  volumes  of  fiction,  many  of  these  being  in  rare  and  costly  bind- 
ings. Even  the  casual  visitor  with  uneducated  taste  can  appreciate  the  beauti- 
ful, leather-bound  sets  of  Barbauld's  English  novels,  and  the  choice  bindings 
which  add  to  the  value  of  complete  sets  of  Dickens,  Thackeray  and  Reade. 
A  very  expensive  edition  of  the  original  "Arabian  Nights,"  for  which  he  has 
been  offered  $700,  occupies  a  prominent  place.  Another  apartment  is  de- 
voted entirely  to  essays  and  travels,  and  here  is  found  the  choicest  of  litera- 
ture. Only  a  catalogue  could  enumerate  them  all,  but  we  may  mention  a  rare 
edition  of  Montraye's  "Travels,"  in  three  large  octavo  volumes,  published 
in  1732;  Swinburn's  "Travels  in  Spain,"  published  in  1779;  Wilson's  "Pelew 
Islands,"  published  in  1789;  Bruce's  "Travels  to  Discover  the  Source  of  the 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  327 

Nile,"  in  five  large  volumes,  published  in  1790;  Polehapton's  "Gallery  of 
Art,"  in  six  volumes,  published  in  1818,  and  also  a  complete  set  of  Buffon, — 
nine  volumes  on  the  natural  history  of  birds,  nine  on  the  natural  history  of 
beasts,  and  one  on  the  natural  history  of  insects.  These  are  treasures  indeed, 
being  the  original  editions  published  in  1791,  1792  and  1793,  and  their 
value  is  beyond  price. 

While  every  volume  in  the  library  has  intrinsic  financial,  as  well  as 
literary,  value,  there  are  two  little  volumes  which  are  held  in  higher  regard  by 
their  discriminating  owner  than  any  other  of  the  rare  collection.  These, 
bound  in  tree  calf  and  as  perfect  as  the  book-binder's  art  can  achieve,  are 
the  two  volumes  of  Osborn's  "Monumental  History  of  Egypt,"  published  in 
1854.  Mr.  McFarland  has  been  offered  as  high  as  $400  a  volume  for 
them,  but  no  price  can  tempt  him  to  part  with  them. 

The  luxuriously  appointed  room  in  which  Mr.  McFarland  does  his  own 
literary  work,  is  also  the  one  which  he  has  devoted  to  philosophical  works 
and  to  his  reference  library,  this  collection  including  volumes  of  inestimable 
value  to  the  student  and  writer.  Surrounded  by  this  great  aggregation  of 
printed  thought,  and  encompassed,  as  it  were,  by  an  inspiring  atmosphere, 
Mr.  McFarland  spends  many  happy  hours,  and  scarcely  could  more  con- 
genial environment  be  imagined.  In  his  accomplished  wife  he  finds  a  com- 
panion whose  tastes  and  aims  are  in  harmony  with  his  own.  His  literary  work 
has  been  mainly  on  economic  subjects  and  displays  depth  of  thought  and  logi- 
cal reasoning.  From  collegiate  days  he  has  been  a  traveler  and  has  leisurely 
visited  almost  every  part  of  the  United  States,  on  many  occasions  lecturing 
before  educated  bodies,  his  favorite  subject  being  history.  Although  his 
studious  life  has  made  him  acquainted  with  almost  every  line  of  thought,  his- 
tory has  appealed  most  strongly  to  his  taste  and  has  given  him  the  most  en- 
joyment. 

Mr.  McFarland  was  connected  with  the  State  Board  of  Agriculture  from 
its  inception  until  1886,  during  a  part  of  this  time  being  its  assistant  secretary, 
and  for  a  long  period  has  been  State  statistician  for  the  Department  of  Agri- 
culture. Recently  he  has  become  a  member  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks. 

Many  of  Mr.  McFarland's  rare  and  valuabl-e  books  have  been  imported, 
some  of  these  by  himself  from  London,  and  others  by  a  Chicago  firm  in  his 
employ,  who  exhaust  all  their  resources  in  his  behalf.  He  keeps  in  constant 
communication  with  those  who  handle  choice  literature  of  any  time  or  age, 
the  price  being  no  object,  the  mere  possession  of  a  rare  volume  bringing  to 
him  its  own  reward.  Essentially  a  bibliophilist,  Mr.  McFarland  is  also  a 
connoisseur  as  to  bindings,  taking  delight  in  the  beautiful  enveloping  fabrics. 


328  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

combinations  of  color  and  intricate  designs.  These  satisfy  his  artistic  sense, 
while  still  another  sense  notes  the  contents  and  rejoices  in  the  date  on  the  title 
page,  which  proves  the  volume's  antiquarian  worth. 


WILLIAM  A.  NEISWANGER. 

William  A.  Neiswanger,  one  of  Topeka's  leading  business  men,  mas- 
ager  of  The  Capitol  Real  Estate  Company,  was  born  at  Mechanicsburg, 
Pennsylvania,  March  23,  1858,  and  is  a  son  of  David  and  Nancy  J.  (West- 
fall)   Neiswanger. 

David  Neiswanger,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  September  3,  1825, 
at  Mechanicsburg,  coming  of  Pennsylvania  Dutch  ancestry.  He  is  one  of  a 
large  family  and  the  only  survivor,  and  now  lives  retired  at  Osborne,  Kansas. 
The  mother  was  born  in  1833  and  died  March  8,  1905,  at  Osborne,  Kansas, 
where  her  burial  took  place.  She  was  a  strict  member  of  the  German  Baptist 
Church,  a  religious  body  to  which  her  surviving  husband  also  belongs.  Their 
children  were :  Edgar  M.,  deceased,  who  married  Lizzie  Mumma  and  left 
one  daughter, — Anna;  William  A.,  of  this  sketch;  H.  W.  and  Laura  A., 
residents  of  Osborne,  Kansas;  John  K.,  a  residest  of  East  Bethlehem,  Penn- 
sylvania; and  Charles  G.,  of  Osborne,  Kansas. 

William  A.  Neiswanger  was  reared  at  Mechanicsburg,  where  his  father 
was  a  substantial  citizen,  engaged  in  a  mercantile  business.  His  education 
was  secured  in  the  public  schools  and  the  Cumberland  Valley  Institute.  In 
1879  he  came  to  Kansas  and  entered  into  the  wool  growing  busisess  in 
Osborne  and  Russell  counties  and  continued  as  long  as  it  was  profitable,  some 
seven  years.  Previous  to  coming  to  Topeka,  he  was  engaged  one  year  in 
a  real  estate  business  at  Luray,  Kansas,  and  then  spent  two  years  in  Topeka 
in  the  office  of  the  State  Board  of  Agriculture.  His  attention  was  engaged  for 
the  12  succeeding  years  with  the  Investment  Trust  Company,  the  City  Real 
Estate  Trust  Company  and  the  receivers  of  the  Investment  Trust  Company. 
He  then  went  into  a  real  estate  business  at  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  remaining 
there  two  and  a  half  years,  and  then  settled  permanently  at  Topeka.  His 
present  position  as  manager  of  The  Capitol  Real  Estate  Company  is  one  of 
importance  and  prominence.  This  company  is  one  of  the  largest  handlers 
of  farm  lands  and  city  property  in  this  part  of  the  State  and  is  also  interested 
in  realty  in  Kansas  City,  Missouri. 

Mr.  Neiswanger  was  married  in  Osborne  County,  Kansas,  to  Margaret 
L.  Mohler,  who  is  a  daughter  of  the  late  Martin  Mohler,  whose  sketch  will 
be  found  in  this  volume.     Our  subject  and  wife  have  four  children,  namely : 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  329 

Donald  M.,  David  (his  grandfather's  namesake),  Laura  and  William  A., 
Jr.  The  beautiful  family  home  is  situated  at  No.  1601  Mulvane  street.  Mr. 
Neiswanger  belongs  to  the  Westminster  Presbyterian  Church  in  which  he 
is  one  of  the  deacons.  For  the  past  16  years  he  has  been  on  the  official  board 
of  the  church.    He  is  a  member  of  the  Sons  and  Daughters  of  Justice. 

Mr.  Njeiswanger  has  always  been  a  good  citizen  and  has  taken  a  deep 
interest  in  civic  improvements.  He  was  a  liberal  contributor  in  time  to  the 
improvement  of  College  Hill.  He  belongs  to  the  Commercial  Club  of  Topeka 
and  is  always  willing  to  assist  in  pushing  matters  pertaining  to  the  city's 
improvement  and  commercial  development. 


ELBRIDGE  HIGGINS. 

Elbridge  Higgins,  one  of  the  esteemed  residents  of  Topeka,  a  retired 
farmer,  was  born  in  1831  in  Massachusetts,  and  is  a  son  of  Josiah  and  Han- 
nah   (Snow)    Higgins. 

The  ancestry  of  Mr.  Higgins  includes  members  of  the  Plymouth  colony, 
soldiers  of  the  Revolution  and  of  the  War  of  1812,  and  old  established  resi- 
dents of  Cape  Cod,  many  of  these  having  been  sea-faring  men.  The  family 
has  also  been  noted  as  one  of  unusual  longevity.  The  paternal  grandfather, 
Ephraim  Higgins,  lived  to  the  age  of  99  years  and  his  son  Josiah  was  a  hale, 
liearty  man  up  to  the  age  of  89  years.  The  latter  followed  the  sea  during 
bis  early  years  and  then  became  a  farmer.  Of  his  six  children,  the  two 
survivors  are  Elbridge  and  Russell — the  latter  still  resides  on  the  old  home 
place  in  Massachusetts. 

Elbridge  Higgins  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm,  but,  like  all  coast 
boys,  had  a  fondness  for  the  sea,  and  by  the  age  of  14  years  he  had  gained 
his  family's  permission  and  shipped  for  a  voyage.  For  14  successive  years 
he  followed  this  life,  visiting  many  strange  lands  and  having  many  wonder- 
ful experiences.  In  1859  he  went  to  the  Pacific  Coast  and  engaged  in  mining 
in  Eastern  Oregon  and  in  Idaho,  remaining  in  Oregon  until  1872. 

Mr.  Higgins  then  came  to  Kansas  and  located  on  a  raw  prairie  farm  of 
160  acres,  which  he  purchased  from  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Rail- 
way Company.  It  was  located  in  Mission  township,  Shawnee  County.  Mr. 
Higgins  developed  this  into  a  fine  property  and  later  purchased  a  second 
i6o-acre  tract  for  meadow  purposes.  He  carried  on  extensive  farming  and 
handled  considerable  stock,  enough  to  consume  all  the  corn  he  raised.  About 
1 90 1  he  sold  his  first  farm,  but  still  retains  the  second.  He  had  erected  a 
■very  handsome  modern  residence  at  No.  1509  College  avenue,  Topeka,  and 


330  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

took  possession  upon  retiring  from  agricultural  work.  This  beautiful  home 
is  a  model  of  modern  building  and  is  appropriately  furnished  with  all  to 
please  the  eye  and  render  comfort  and  ease  to  its  occupants. 

Mr.  Higgins  was  married  at  Topeka,  in  1872,  to  Hepsa  Holway.  They 
adopted  a  child  of  five  years,  Hettie  M.  Bassett,  in  whom  they  centered  paren- 
tal affection.  She  grew  to  be  a  beautiful  maiden  of  16  years,  when  her  inno- 
cent young  life  ended,  leaving  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Higgins  sorely  bereft. 

Mr.  Higgins  takes  no  very  active  interest  in  politics,  merely  attending 
to  the  duties  of  a  good  citizen.  For  35  years  he  has  been  identified  with  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 


REV.  CHARLES  M.  SHELDON. 

Rev.  Charles  M.  Sheldon,  pastor  of  the  Central  Congregational 
Church  of  Topeka,  is  a  man  whose  name  and  fame  probably  extends  around 
the  world  and  one  whose  manly,  consistent  Christian  character  has  won  for 
him  the  unbounded  esteem  and  admiration  of  his  fellow-citizens.  Rev.  Mr. 
Sheldon  was  born  in  New  York,  February  26,  1857,  and  is  one  of  a  family 
of  six  children  born  to  Rev.  Stewart  asd  Sarah  (Ward)  Sheldon. 

The  venerable  father  of  our  subject  resides  with  him  in  Topeka.  For 
many  years  Rev.  Stewart  Sheldon  was  a  minister  of  the  Gospel  in  New  York, 
but  some  years  since  gave  up  his  last  charge  and  came  to  this  city. 

Charles  M.  Sheldon  was  reared  in  New  York  through  his  early  boyhood 
and  passed  the  remainder  of  that  impressionable  period  in  South  Dakota. 
His  education  was  of  a  very  ample  character,  pursued  is  Eastern  institutions 
of  learning.  In  1879  ^^  was  graduated  from  Andover  Academy,  in  Massa- 
chusetts, and  then  entered  Brown  University,  at  Providence,  Rhode  Island, 
which  has  been  the  alma  mater  of  so  many  illustrious  men.  He  was  gradu- 
ated from  Brown  in  1883  and  three  years  later  was  graduated  from  the 
Andover  Theological  Seminary. 

Rev.  Mr.  Sheldon's  first  charge  was  at  Waterbury,  Vermont,  where  he 
served  from  1886  to  1888.  In  January,  1889,  he  accepted  the  call  to  his 
present  charge,  the  Central  Congregational  Church  of  Topeka.  Here  his 
labors  have  been  continued  ever  since.  The  great  love  and  high  esteem  which 
he  has  inspired,  in  his  congregation  of  500  members,  tell  of  fidelity  to  duty, 
consistent  Christian  living  and  the  close  following  of  the  Master  he  aims  to 
serve.  When  Rev.  Mr.  Sheldon  took  charge,  he  found  many  difficulties  in 
his  path,  one  of  these  being  the  immediate  need  for  a  new  place  of  worship. 
The  completed  church  edifice,  which  tourists  come  far  to  see,  on  account  of 


HON.   GEORGE  A.   HURON 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  333 

the  reputation  pf  its  noted  pastor,  is  a  iiandsome,  substantial  structure  to 
which  an  addition  has  recently  been  made,  through  the  generous  gift  of 
$4,500  by  the  widow  of  the  late  T.  E.  Bowman,  and  is  known  as  the  Bowman 
Memorial  Annex.  A  sketch  of  Mr.  Bowman  will  be  found  elsewhere  in  this 
volume. 

In  1 89 1  Rev.  Mr.  Sheldon  was  married  to  Mary  Merriam,  who  is  a 
daughter  of  Everett  B.  Merriam.  They  have  one  son, — Merriam  W.  Their 
pleasant  home  is  located  at  No.  1515  West  15th  street. 

To  speak  extensively  of  either  Rev.  Mr.  Sheldon's  spiritual  work  or  of 
his  many  successes  in  authorship,  would  be  almost  superfluous,  in  a  work 
prepared  for  circulation  in  a  locality  where  his  name  is  almost  a  household 
word.  He  is  the  author  of  a  number  of  very  popular  books,  among  these 
being:  "His  Brother's  Keeper,"  "In  His  Steps,"  "Malcolm  Kirk,"  "Ed- 
ward Blake"  and  "Born  to  Serve." 

Rev.  Mr.  Sheldon's  influence  on  public  men  and  measures  has  been  great. 
He  is  constantly  concerned  with  great  philanthropic  ideas  and  is  gratified 
many  times  to  find  them  adopted  by  those  who  have  the  financial  resources 
to  carry  them  out.  He  is  a  man  who  has  spent  the  best  of  his  energies,  the 
gifts  of  his  intellect  and  the  deepest  resources  of  his  nature  in  aid  of  his  fel- 
low-men. He  does  not  convert  the  whole  world  to  his  way  of  thinking,  but 
abundant  success  testifies  to  the  sympathy  which  he  has  kindled  and  which 
will  perpetuate  the  work  as  well  as  the  name  of  one  of  the  most  retiring  and 
unostentatious  public  men  of  the  century. 


HON.  GEORGE  A.   HURON. 

The  substantial  citizenship  of  Topeka  is  largely  made  up  of  those  wha 
lay  claim  to  other  and  more  Eastern  States  as  to  places  of  birth,  and  not  a 
few  of  these  came  upon  the  arena  of  life  in  the  noble  old  State  of  Indiana. 
Such  is  the  fact  concerning  one  of  Topeka's  leading  professional  men,  Hon. 
George  A.  Huron,  who  was  born  March  29,  1838,  in  Hendricks  County, 
Indiana,  12  miles  west  of  the  beautiful  city  of  Indianapolis.  He  is  a  son  of 
Benjamin  Abbott  and  Katherine  (Harding)  Huron. 

The  ancestral  records  of  Judge  Huron's  family  are  easily  obtainable  and 
are  of  unquestionable  reliability.  The  family  is  of  Scotch  extraction,  and  it 
is  learned  from  volume  entitled  "Littell's  Genealogies,  First  Settlers  of  the 
Passaic  Valley,"  that  our  subject's  great-grandfather,  Seth  MacHuron,  was 
born  November  11,  1729,  in  New  England,  married  Mary  Hazen  and  in 
1753  removed  to  Morristown,  New  Jersey,  where  all  their  children  were 
la 


334  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

born.  The  family  belonged  to  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  at  Morris- 
town,  from  which  city  they  removed  in  1787,  to  Ulster  County,  New  York. 
After  the  death  of  Seth  MacHuron,  it  is  chronicled  that  his  four  sons,  0th- 
niel,  Enos,  Eli  and  Silas,  were  persuaded  to  drop  the  old  Scotch  prefix  and 
be  real  "American  boys,"  and  since  that  time  the  family  name  has  been 
written  either  Hurin  or  Huron.  Othniel  MacHuron,  who  was  the  grand- 
father of  our  subject,  was  born  January  10,  1759,  married  Bethiah  St.  John 
and  later  settled  in  Warren  County,  Ohio. 

Benjamin  Abbott  Huron,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  near  Lebanon, 
Ohio,  December  31,  181 1,  and  removed  to  Hendricks  County,  Indiana,  in 
1832.  On  December  10,  1835,  he  married  Katherine  Harding,  who  was 
born  August  4,  181 5,  at  Campbellsville,  Kentucky,  and  removed  to  Indiana 
in  1833.  After  marriage  the  young  couple  settled  in  the  Indiana  forest, 
where  they  developed  a  farm,  reared  a  creditable  family  and  became  the 
worthy  leaders  and  promoters  of  the  various  agencies  and  enterprises  which 
go  to  the  founding  of  a  happy  and  stable  community. 

George  A.  Huron  grew  up  under  the  home  roof  and  his  experiences 
were  those  which  naturally  came  to  a  boy  who  was  commendably  assisting 
his  parents  in  making  a  productive  farm  out  of  the  unbroken  forest,  and 
•while  tliey  were  not  notably  different  from  those  of  many  others,  the  ex- 
perienced man  can  recognize  that  each  had  its  value  in  the  development  of 
self-reliance  and  physical  endurance.  From  18  to  23  years  of  age,  he  alter- 
nately attended  and  taught  school,  enjoying  the  advantages  afforded  by  the 
public  schools  in  his  locality,  supplemented  by  an  academic  training  at  Dan- 
ville, Indiana,  where  a  Methodist  academy  was  supported.  His  ambitions 
were  in  the  direction  of  educational  work  and  he  proposed  making  special 
preparation  for  the  position  of  teacher,  but  on  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil 
War  he  enlisted  in  the  service  of  his  country. 

In  August,  1861,  Mr.  Huron  enlisted  in  Company  I,  7th  Reg.,  Indiana 
Vol.  Inf.,  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  quartermaster  sergeant  and  was 
mustered  out  with  his  regiment,  September  20,  1864.  He  saw  much  hard 
service  and  with  his  comrades  participated  in  innumerable  skirmishes  and  in 
these  battles :  Winchester,  Front  Royal,  Slaughter  Mountain,  Second  Bull 
Run,  Antietam,  Ashby's  Gap,  Fredericksburg,  Chancellorsville,  Gettysburg, 
Mine  Run,  the  Wilderness,  Laurel  Hill,  Spottsylvania,  Po  River,  North  Anna 
River,  Bethesda  Church,  Cold  Harbor,  siege  of  Petersburg  and  Yellow 
Tavern.  After  he  was  mustered  out  of  a  service  in  which  he  had  made  an 
honorable  record,  Mr.  Huron  was  commissioned  by  Governor  Oliver  P. 
Morton  as  Indiana  State  sanitary  agent  for  the  armies  of  the  Potomac  and 
James,  with  his  headquarters  at  City  Point,  Virginia,  in  which  duty  he  re- 
mained until  the  close  of  the  war.     He  arrived  at  the  front,  at  Appomattox 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  '335 

Court  House,  the  day  after  the  surrender,  with  the  first  sanitary  supphes  to 
reach  the  Union  Army. 

In  December,  1865,  Mr.  Huron  was  appointed  clerk  in  the  Third  Audi- 
tor's office,  United  States  Treasury  Department,  Washington,  D.  C,  where 
he  remained  until  June,  1868,  when  he  graduated  from  the  law  school  of 
Columbian  (now  George  Washington)  University.  In  August,  1868,  he  re- 
moved to  Valley  Falls,  Kansas,  and  practiced  law  in  Jefferson  County  until 
the  spring  of  1883,  when  he  removed  to  Topeka,  which  has  remained  his  home 
ever  since  and  where  he  has  been  prominent  in  his  profession.  In  1868  he 
was  elected  probate  judge  of  Jefferson  County  and  held  the  office  two  terms. 

Judge  Huron  was  married  July  31,  1861,  in  Hendricks  County,  Indiana, 
to  Mary  Frances  Freeman,  who  is  a  daughter  of  Blackstone  and  Sarah  J. 
(Bennett)  Freeman.  The  surviving  children  of  this  union  are:  Horace,  bom 
May  10,  1862,  who  resides  at  Rock  Island,  Illinois;  Mary  H.  (Hale),  of 
Topeka,  Kansas;  and  George  B.,  of  Galveston,  Texas. 

In  politics  Judge  Huron  has  always  been  a  Republican  and  is  an  able 
advocate  of  the  principles  of  his  party  and  has  done  much  effective  speech- 
making  in  various  campaigns.  He  has  identified  himself  with  all  public 
enterprises  and  in  various  ways  has  aided  much  in  the  development  of  the 
State.  Since  March,  1872,  he  has  been  an  active  Odd  Fellow  and  for  several 
years  was  grand  treasurer  of  the  Grand  Encampment  of  that  order ;  he  is  also 
a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen  and  of  the  Knights 
and  Ladies  of  Security,  of  which  last-named  society  he  has  been  the  head  of 
the  law  department  since  its  organization.  He  is  also  an  active  member  of 
Lincoln  Post  and  a  worker  in  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  Since  his 
1 6th  year  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  He  is 
a  popular  citizen  of  Shawnee  County  and  in  his  profession  ranks  with  its 
leaders.     His  portrait  is  shown  on  a  preceding  page. 


HON.   RICHARD   F.   HAYDEN. 

Hon.  Richard  F.  Hayden,  judge  of  the  Probate  Court  of  Shawnee 
County,  has  been  a  well-known  citizen  of  Topeka  for  some  years  past.  He 
is  a  native  of  Kansas,  the  date  of  his  birth  being  June  24,  1872,  and  is  one 
of  nine  children  born  to  Patrick  M.  and  Bridget  (Cavanaugh)  Hayden. 
His  parents  were  both  born  and  raised  in  Ireland,  coming  to  this  country 
after  their  marriage. 

Richard  F.  Hayden  was  reared  in  Westmore,  Kansas,  and  there  com- 
pleted the  prescribed  course  of  study  in  the  High  School.     He  then  attended 


336  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Campbell  College  and  subsequently  completed  the  course  in  the  law  depart- 
ment of  the  University  of  Kansas  at  Lawrence.  After  his  graduation  from 
the  latter  institution  in  1898,  he  came  to  Topeka  and  for  several  years  served 
as  United  States  commissioner  in  addition  to  practicing  law.  He  resigned 
this  position  in  1902  to  accept  the  appointment  of  probate  judge,  in  which 
capacity  he  has  served  continuously  since  that  time,  having  been  elected  on 
the  Republican  ticket  November  8,  1904,  by  the  overwhelming  majority  of 
5,000  votes.  He  has  a  clerk  and  a  stenographer,  and  has  so  conducted  the 
affairs  of  the  office  as  to  gain  the  respect  and  good-will  of  the  bar  and  the 
people  regardless  of  their  political  affiliation.  He  has  always  been  enthusi- 
astic in  his  support  of  Republican  principles  and  a  hardworker  for  the  success 
of  his  party. 

Fraternally,  Judge  Hayden  is  an  Elk,  a  Woodman  and  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Columbus.  He  is  unmarried  and  makes  his  home  at  the  Blower 
House. 


SAMUEL  HINDMAN. 

For  many  years  the  late  Samuel  Hindman  was  prominent  in  the  business 
circles  of  Topeka,  for  some  30  years  leading  in  the  grocery  interests  of  the 
city.  Mr.  Hindman  was  born  at  Dayton,  Ohio,  April  29,  1834,  and  died  at 
his  home.  No.  633  Polk  street,  Topeka,  October  3,  1904. 

Mr.  Hindman  grew  to  young  manhood  in  his  native  city  and  when  the 
Civil  War  broke  out  was  early  in  the  field  to  proffer  his  services.  He  became 
lieutenant  of  Company  B,  19th  Reg.,  Indiana  Vol.  Inf.,  and  served  with 
fidelity  and  bravery  until  the  close  of  the  war. 

In  1866  Mr.  Hindman  removed  to  Missouri,  but  did  not  settle  in  a  per- 
manent business  until  he  came  to  Topeka.  Here  he  established  himself  in  a 
grocery  business  at  Eighth  and  Kansas  avenues,  and  the  business  was  ex- 
panded until  a  company  was  formed,  the  Samuel  Hindman  Grocery  Com- 
pany, of  which  Mr.  Hindman's  eldest  son  is  manager. 

Through  the  whole  of  his  long  business  career,  Mr.  Hindman  was  known 
for  his  business  integrity,  a  reputation  which  extends  to  his  sons.  In  the 
early  days  he  was  a  promoter  of  many  of  the  enterprises  which  have  con- 
tributed to  Topeka's  subsequent  development. 

Mr.  Hindman  is  survived  by  his  widow,  who  resides  at  No.  633  Polk 
street,  and  three  sons :  Edmond  L.,  of  Topeka,  who  is  manager  of  the  Samuel 
Hindman  Grocery  Company,  and  resides  at  No.  523  Madison  street ;  William 
C,  who  is  in  the  grocery  business  and  resides  at  No.  710  West  Seventh 
street;  and  Claude  C,  who  is  also  in  the  grocery  business  at  Topeka,  and 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  337 

resides  with  his  mother  at  No.  633  Polk  street.  These  sons  of  the  late  Mr. 
Hindman  are  all  enterprising,  progressive,  public-spirited  men,  prominently 
identified  with  all  that  concerns  the  business  life  of  Topeka. 


4 « » 


WILLIAM  J.  ALLEN. 

William  J.  Allen,  one  of  the  prosperous  farmers  and  highly  respected 
citizens  of  Williamsport  township,  Shawnee  County,  was  born  February  21, 
1858,  in  this  county,  and  is  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Susanna  (Baxter)  Allen. 

Both  parents  of  Mr.  Allen  were  born  in  County  Down,  Ireland.  The 
father  came  to  America  in  1852  and  the  mother  in  1853.  Both  lived  at 
Oberlin,  Ohio,  several  years  and  then  came  to  Shawnee  County,  Kansas, 
where  they  were  married,  on  January  20,  1857.  The  father  had  followed 
the  stone-mason's  trade  in  Ohio,  but  when  he  came  to -this  county  in  1855 
he  preempted  80  acres  of  land  in  section  8,  township  13,  range  15,  in  Auburn 
township,  which  he  had  much  improved  at  the  time  of  his  death.  He  had 
always  been  a  Free-State  man  and  had  taken  part  in  a  number  of  the  early 
demonstrations  against  the  Pro-Slavery  men  that  make  up  so  large  a  part  of 
the  early  history  of  Kansas.  He  was  loyal  to  the  government  and  State 
and  when  the  State  militia  were  called  out  to  repel  Price's  invasion,  he  was 
one  of  the  brave  soldiers  of  Col.  George  W.  Veale's  regiment  who  perished 
at  the  battle  of  the  Blue.  Of  the  children  in  the  parental  family,  our  subject 
was  the  oldest  of  three.  Robert  Samuel,  born  May  12,  i860,  died  October 
14,  i860;  Anna  Elizabeth,  who  was  14  months  old  when  her  father  was 
killed,  is  the  wife  of  W.  A.  C.  Moore,  of  Auburn  township.  In  1865  our 
subject's  mother  married  James  Whitten,  a  fellow  countryman,  who  died 
October  30,  1903,  at  the  age  of  'j'j  years,  leaving  his  widow  and  three  sons. 

Our  subject  has  devoted  his  whole  life  to  farming.  His  present  farm  of 
160  acres  in  section  9,  township  13,  range  15,  in  Williamsport  township,  was 
but  unbroken  prairie  land  when  he  took  possession.  Hard  work  and  good 
management  have  converted  it  into  a  valuable  farm  where  Mr.  Allen  has  car- 
ried on  general  farming  and  stock-raising  for  a  number  of  years.  He  has 
witnessed  many  changes  since  he  has  come  to  years  of  discretion,  and  condi- 
tions no  longer  exist  in  his  native  State  which  confronted  his  father  and 
caused  his  early  death. 

On  January  i,  1880,  Mr.  Allen  was  married  to  Mary  Mitchell,  who 
was  born  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  December  18,  1861  and  came  to  Kansas  with 
her  parents,  Robert  and  Mary  Jane  (Boyd)  Mitchell,  in  1870.  They  have 
had  five  children,  namely:     Rosa  Irene  Lillian;  Jennie  Ellen  Estella;  Nellie 


338  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

R.,  deceased  at  the  age  of  seven  years;  William,  deceased  in  infancy;  and 
John,  who  also  died  in  infancy. 

Like  his  father,  Mr.  Allen  has  always  been  a  strong  Republican.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  as  was  his  father,  and  stands  very 
high  in  the  estimation  of  the  community. 


CROSBY  ROLLER  MILLING  COMPANY. 

The  State  of  Kansas  is  justly  celebrated  for  its  immense  crops  of  wheat, 
which  have  brought  wealth  and  prosperity  to  all  branches  of  industry  within 
the  commonwealth's  borders.  As  the  most  important  railroad  center  in  the 
State,  and  therefore  the  possessor  of  splendid  transportation  facilities,  the 
city  of  Topeka  has  had  much  to  do  with  the  forwarding  of  the  grain  and  with 
the  manufacture  of  the  cereal  into  flour. 

Among  the  important  flour  milling  concerns  of  this  city,  the  Crosby 
Roller  Milling  Company  occupies  one  of  the  leading  positions.  The  com- 
pany was  organized  in  1883,  and  for  22  years  has  transformed  many  millions 
of  bushels  of  hard  wheat  into  the  very  best  of  flour,  which  has  been  disposed 
of  in  both  home  and  foreign  markets,  and  has  won  for  itself  a  high  reputa- 
tion among  those  that  demand  the  very  best  of  wheat  flour.  The  daily  capac- 
ity of  the  plant  is  some  1,200  barrels.  A  view  of  the  mill  is  shown  on  an- 
other page  of  this  work.  The  officers  of  the  company  are  as  follows :  Guil- 
ford Dudley,  president ;  Franklin  W.  Crosby,  vice-president ;  D.  C.  Hammatt, 
secretary;  Daniel  Crosby,  treasurer;  and  T.  D.  Hammatt,  manager.  Since 
the  above  was  written,  the  president  of  the  company,  Guilford  Dudley,  died 
April   14,   1905. 


CLARENCE  H.  MARTIN. 

Clarence  H.  Martin,  who  for  18  years  was  one  of  the  leading  educa- 
tors of  Northeastern  Kansas  and  a  favorite  Normal  School  teacher  and  lect- 
urer, is  a  well-known  resident  of  Topeka  and  since  January,  1905,  has  been 
the  accredited  agent  of  the  Home-Seekers'  Land  Company,  a  corporation 
controlling  a  million  acres  of  Western  lands.  Mr.  Martin  was  born  in  1862 
in  Laporte  County,  Indiana,  and  is  a  son  of  Abraham  H.  and  Mary  A.  Martin. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Martin  were  born  in  the  State  of  New  York.  His 
father  was  a  college  man  and  in  his  earlier  years  taught  school.  Later  he 
removed  to  Kansas,  settling  first  in  the  old,  historic  town  of  Centropolis,  in 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  339 

Franklin  County,  and  removed  from  there  to  a  virgin  farm  in  Douglas 
County,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising.  His  family  con- 
sisted of  seven  children, — two  sons  and  five  daughters. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  three  years  old  when  his  parents  came  to 
Kansas  and  six  years  old  when  they  settled  in  Douglas  County.  Being  the 
eldest  son,  he  was  accustomed  to  farm  work  from  boyhood.  His  educational 
advantages  were  those  obtainable  in  the  district  schools,  which  he  attended 
for  29  months,  the  nearest  school  house  being  located  four  and  a  half  miles 
from  his  home.  He  was  a  youth  of  quick  perceptions  and  very  ambitious 
and  was  assisted  as  far  as  possible  by  his  father.  In  his  19th  year  he  entered 
the  State  Agricultural  College  and  after  two  years  work  in  this  institution 
began  teaching.  Subsequently,  in  1896,  he  graduated  from  Ottawa  Univer- 
sity and  also  obtained  a  State  certificate  the  same  year.  During  his  18  years 
as  an  instructor,  Mr.  Martin  filled  many  very  important  and  conspicuous 
positions.  Prior  to  coming  as  principal  to  the  Richland  School  in  Shawnee 
County,  in  1890,  he  had  served  elsewhere  in  the  same  capacity.  He  remained 
in  charge  of  the  Richland  School  for  two  years.  His  period  of  teaching  in 
Shawnee  County,  including  one  year  at  the  State  Reform  School,  and  as 
principal  of  Oakland  and  Belleview  schools,  covered  seven  busy  years.  His 
work  in  the  normal  schools  of  Shawnee  and  Osage  counties  was  as  instructor 
in  physics,  physiology  and  elocution. 

For  some  time  after  leaving  the  educational  field,  he  engaged  in  con- 
tracting and  building,  but  in  January,  1905,  he  embarked  extensively  in  the 
real  estate  line,  and,  as  mentioned  above,  became  associated  with  one  of  the 
large  organizations  of  the  country.  He  is  also  the  real  estate  representative 
of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  Company  for  Shawnee  County  and  has  met 
with  much  success,  disposing  of  over  50  sections  of  land  for  the  company 
within  two  months.  He  has  also  a  large,  personal,  real  estate  business,  hav- 
ing on  his  list  over  500  choice  farms  and  400  residences.  His  home  is  on 
Topeka  township  in  what  is  known  as  Belleview  Addition,  a  pretty  suburb  of 
Topeka,  where  he  takes  great  pride  in  the  propagation  of  all  kinds  of  fruit 
and  a  large  variety  of  flowers  and  shrubs.  His  well-appointed  offices,  located 
at  No.  819  Kansas  avenue,  Topeka,  are  shared  by  his  brother,  Scott  Martin, 
who  is  a  law  student,  attending  Washburn  College. 

Mr.  Martin  was  married  in  1885,  at  Centropolis,  Franklin  County, 
Kansas,  to  Anna  M.  Stanton,  who  was  born  in  West  Virginia.  They  made 
their  home  at  Lyndon,  Osage  County,  for  several  years.  They  have  three 
children,  viz:  Walter,  a  manly  youth  of  19  years,  a  member  of  Battery  B, 
Kansas  National  Guard;  Vera,  five  years  old;  and  Evelyn,  a  beautiful  babe 
of  six  months.  On  account  of  old  associations  and  personal  regard  for  Rev. 
Mr.  Hutchinson,  the  family  retain  their  membership  in  the  North  Topeka 


340  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Baptist  Church.  Fraternally,  Mr.  Martin  belongs  to  the  Knights  and  Ladies 
of  Security.  He  is  a  typically  self-made  man,  one  who  has  attained  per- 
sonal success  through  personal  endeavor  without  favor  or  financial  assistance 
from  any  one. 

Mr.  Martin  takes  quite  an  interest  in  literature  and  belles-lettres,  being 
a  lover  of  good  books.  He  has  gradually  built  up  a  remarkably  fine  library, 
which  now  contains  upwards  of  3,000  volumes.  The  classics  are  especially 
well  represented.  The  fields  of  history,  biography  and  travel  are  well  covered 
as  well  as  those  of  poetry,  essays,  the  drama  and  standard  works  of  fiction. 


WILLIAM  M.   BRUCE. 

William  M.  Bruce,  one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of  Topeka  township, 
Shawnee  County,  who  owns  50  acres  of  well-improved  land  situated  in  sections 
21  and  22,  township  12,  range  16,  is  also  a  survivor  of  the  great  Civil 
War.  Mr.  Bruce  has  been  a  resident  of  Kansas  for  the  past  28  years.  He 
was  born  at  Chester,  Vermont,  October  6,  1842,  and  is  a  son  of  Silas  and 
Hannah  D.   (Scott)   Bruce. 

Silas  Bruce  was  a  native  of  Vermont  and,  like  many  New  England 
men,  was  possessed  of  Yankee  ingenuity  which  made  him  able  to  successfully 
follow  many  kinds  of  employment.  He  became  the  father  of  five  children, 
viz :  Mrs.  Hannah  Elizabeth  Bancroft,  of  Oneida,  Illinois  •;  Mrs.  Mary  Jane 
Miles,  of  Illinois ;  Mrs.  Lucretia  Johnson,  who  died  three  years  ago ;  William 
M.,  of  this  sketch ;  and  Mrs.  Abbie  Catherine  Turney,  of  Galesburg,  Illinois. 

Our  subject  was  three  years  old  when  his  parents  moved  to  Illinois  and 
settled  on  a  farm  in  Knox  County.  There  he  grew  into  strong  young  man- 
hood, but  still  lacked  a  year  of  maturity  when  he  enlisted  in  defense  of  his 
country.  In  July,  1862,  he  became  a  member  of  Company  E,  83rd  Reg., 
Illinois  Vol.  Inf.,  under  Capt.  Gilson  and  Coloned  Harding.  His  regiment 
was  sent  to  the  army  of  the  Tennessee  and  assisted  in  the  defense  of  Fort 
Donelson  against  General  Forrest  and  then  was  given  garrison  duty.  Mr. 
Bruce  became  ill  from  exposure  and  when  the  physicians  had  decided  that  he 
would  not  live  three  months,  they  sent  him  home,  in  the  following  July. 
Although  he  continued  many  months  in  poor  health,  he  gradually  regained  his 
strength  and  began  to  work  at  the  carpenter's  trade.  This  business  he  contin- 
ued to  follow  for  13  years  and  many  of  the  substantial  buildings  through  his 
section  of  Illinois  testify  to  his  skill.  In  1876  he  came  to  his  present  farm  of 
40  acres  in  section  21  and  10  acres  in  section  22,  all  in  township  12,  range  16. 


REV.  JOSEPH   WAYNE 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  343 

He  has  made  all  the  excellent  improvements  now  to  be  found  on  the  property 
and  still  works  at  his  trade  and  operates  his  fertile  farm. 

Mr.  Bruce  was  married  September  8,  1870,  in  Illinois,  to  Sarah  J.  Parsell, 
who  was  born  in  Illinois,  November  11,  1843,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Joseph 
Parsell.  She  died  on  the  home  farm  in  Topeka  township,  January  6,  1891. 
She  was  the  mother  of  three  children:  Arthur  Earl,  who  died  in  infancy; 
Dwight  P.;  and  Ethel  L.,  who  was  born  November  5,  1878,  and  died  January 
7,  1886. 

In  political  sentiment,  Mr.  Bruce  is  a  Republican.  Although  he  is  not 
identified  with  any  particular  religious  body,  he  is  a  moral  man  and  an  in- 
terested Bible  student.  As  the  result  of  months  of  close  reading  and  intelligent 
study,  he  has  made  a  Bible  chart  which  is  not  only  exceedingly  interesting, 
but  is  very  valuable.  He  is  a  man  of  literary  tastes  and  enjoys  the  treasures 
of  an  excellent  library.  His  early  education  was  not  all  that  his  ambition 
desired,  but  years  of  thoughtful  reading  have  left  their  impress,  making  him 
not  only  well  informed  as  to  current  events  but  also  possessed  of  a  fund  of 
general  knowledge  far  beyond  that  of  the  ordinary  citizen. 


REV.   JOSEPH   WAYNE. 

The  death  of  Rev.  Joseph  Wayne,  in  Christ's  Hospital,  Topeka,  on  July 
23,  1902,  removed  a  prominent  clergyman  and  exemplary  citizen  from  the 
ranks  of  those  who  were  working  for  the  higher  interests  of  mankind.  He 
was  born  December  7,  1835,  in  Latton,  Wiltshire,  England,  and  was  one  of 
a  family  of  eight  children  born  to  John  and  Maria  (Bartlett)  Wayne. 

The  parents  of  Rev.  Mr.  Wayne  immigrated  to  America  and  settled  in 
Central  New  York.  There  he  was  educated,  completing  his  studies  at  Gene- 
see College,  in  1863,  and  later  finishing  a  theological  course  at  the  DeLancey 
Divinity  School.  In  1877  he  was  ordained  deacon  by  Bishop  A.  C.  Coxe, 
of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  and  in  1878  the  same  bishop  ordained 
him  to  the  priesthood.  He  filled  in  turn  the  following  parishes  in  New  York : 
Honeoye  Falls,  Angelica  and  Addison.  In  1882  he  removed  to  Burlington, 
Kansas.  In  1887  he  accepted  a  call  to  Marysville,  Kansas,  and  in  1892  to 
Moberly,  Missouri,  and  in  1894  to  Mason  City,  Illinois,  where  he  remained 
until  1896,  when  he  returned  to  Kansas.  From  that  date  until  his  death  he 
resided  at  Topeka,  being  chaplain  of  Christ's  Hospital,  and  also  acting  as 
city  missionary  for  the  bishop.  His  last  participation  in  the  holy  service  he 
loved  so  well  was  on  July  6,  1902,  when  he  celebrated  the  Holy  Communion 
at  the  hospital  and  later  assisted  in  the  services  at  Grace  Cathedral.     His 


344  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

death  took  place  in  the  Wayne  Building,  the  beautiful  hospital  annex  which 
was  built  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wayne  and  presented  to  the  diocese  in  June,  1902. 
His  was- the  first  death  to  occur  in  the  building.  This  annex  is  a  fine  structure^ 
erected  at  a  cost  of  $13,450.  It  had  been  a  source  of  so  much  happi- 
ness to  him  to  contribute  in  this  way,  his  heart  overrunning  with  phi- 
lanthropy and  charity.  On  July  25th,  at  Grace  Cathedral,  the  bishop  and 
other  members  of  the  Episcopal  clergy,  performed  the  burial  services  over 
their  companion  and  dearly  beloved  brother.  His  remains  were  laid  away 
in  the  beautiful  Topeka  Cemetery. 

On  June  22,  1865,  Rev.  Mr.  Wayne  was  married  to  Ardelia  B.  Bush, 
who  is  a  daughter  of  Elias  Bush,  a  prominent  farmer  in  New  York,  who  died 
when  Mrs.  Wayne  was  five  years  old.  She  resides  in  a  beautiful  home  at 
No.  1 1 64  Woodward  avenue,  carrying  out  many  of  the  benevolent  schemes, 
in  the  completion  of  which  she  and  her  husband  were  so  closely  united.  Rev. 
Mr.  Wayne  lived  a  life  that  remains  an  inspiration  to  other  Christian  laborers. 
Zealous  in  the  cause  of  his  church,  he  had  a  broad  mind  and  was  concerned 
both  in  the  material  as  well  as  spiritual  welfare  of  those  who  came  to  be 
dependent  upon  his  religious  guidance.  Thus  he  came  to  be  personally  known 
to  many  who  loved  him  as  a  man  as  well  as  reverenced  him  as  a  clergyman. 
His  portrait  accompanies  this  sketch. 


WILLIAM  H.  MACKEY,  JR. 

William  H.  Mackey,  Jr.,  United  States  marshal  for  the  State  of 
Kansas,  maintains  his  headquarters  at  Topeka,  although  his  residence  for 
many  years  past  has  been  at  Junction  City,  Kansas.  Mr.  Mackey  was  born 
in  Leavenworth  County,  Kansas,  on  July  28,  1856,  and  is  a  son  of  William  H. 
and  Anna  E.    (Boher)   Mackey. 

William  H.  Mackey,  Sr.,  was  born  in  Kentucky,  where  he  learned  and 
followed  the  trade  of  a  carriage-maker  for  some  years.  He  moved  West  to 
Leavenworth  County,  Kansas,  and  thence  to  Junction  City,  where  he  now 
resides. 

William  H.  Mackey,  Jr.,  was  six  years  of  age  when  in  1862  he  accom- 
panied his  parents  from  his  native  county  to  Junction  City,  Kansas,  and 
there  he  has  since  resided.  He  received  a  common-school  education  and  at 
an  early  day  embarked  in  business.  He  served  as  under  sheriff  a  period  of 
four  years  and  as  sheriff  six  years,  having  been  elected  to  the  latter  office. 
He  was  serving  as  postmaster  of  Junction  City  at  the  time  of  his  appoint- 
ment to  the  office  of  United  States  marshal,  this  appointment  being  confirmed 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  345 

by  the  United  States  Senate  on  December  18,  1903.  Under  him  are  six 
deputy  marshals,  of  whom  B.  F.  Flenkiken  is  chief  office  deputy,  while  two 
clerks  are  employed  in  the  counting  room.  William  H.  Mackey,  Jr.,  suc- 
ceeded L.  S.  Crum,  deceased.  Politically,  he  is  unswering  in  his  support  of 
the  Republican  party  and  its  principles. 

Mr.  Mackey  married  Eva  S.  Seymour  and  has  four  children.  They  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Fraternally,  Mr.  Mackey  is 
a  Mason,  a  Knight  of  Pythias  and  an  Odd  Fellow. 


SAMUEL  ALLEN. 


Samuel  Allen,  who  gave  up  his  life  in  defense  of  the  Union  at  the 
battle  of  the  Blue,  was  one  of  the  best  known  men  of  Auburn  township, 
Shawnee  County,  where  he  settled  in  1855.  The  80  acres  he  then  preempted 
continued  to  be  his  home  until  his  death.  Mr.  Allen  was  born  May  3,  1826, 
in  County  Down,  Ireland,  and  was  a  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Laughlin) 
Allen. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Allen  lived  in  Ireland  during  their  entire  lives.  Of 
their  six  children,  Samuel  was  the  youngest  and  he  was  the  only  one  to  seek 
a  home  in  Kansas.  In  1852  he  came  to  America  and  settled  at  Oberlin, 
Ohio,  where  he  farmed  and  followed  his  trade  of  stone-mason,  which  he 
had  learned  from  his  father  in  the  old  country.  He  came  to  Shawnee  County 
in  1855  and  preempted  80  acres  in  section  8,  township  13,  range  15,  in 
Auburn  township  and  worked  hard  to  put  it  under  cultivation  and  to  make 
improvements. 

When  the  State  militia  were  called  out,  he  went  under  Col.  George  W. 
Veale  and  he  was  one  of  the  brave  and  fearless  men  who  fell,  two  weeks 
later,  at  the  battle  of  the  Blue.  Samuel  Allen  was  a  man  sadly  missed  in  his 
neighborhood.  He  had  always  been  a  Free-State  man  and  during  the  con- 
flict with  the  border  ruffians  had  been  called  upon  to  prove  the  courage  of  his 
convictions.  He  was  one  of  the  liberal  supporters  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  Auburn  township  and  one  of  its  first  members.  In  business  he 
was  successful  because  he  was  cautious.  He  was  respected  for  his  honorable 
methods  by  all  who  knew  him. 

On  January  20,  1857,  Mr.  Allen  was  united  in  marriage  with  Susanna 
Baxter,  who  was  born  at  Tullinkill,  County  Down,  Ireland,  in  December, 
1830,  and  is  a  daughter  of  William  and  Anna  (McCully)  Baxter.  Her 
parents  passed  their  whole  lives  in  Ireland  and  reared  a  family  of  eight  sons 
and  three  daughters.     Susanna  Baxter  came  to  the  United  States  in   1853, 


346  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

with  her  brother  Isaac,  and  after  Hving  three  years  at  Oberlin,  Ohio,  joined 
this  brother  in  Shawnee  County,  where  she  married  Mr.  Allen.  They  had 
three  children,  viz :  William  J.,  of  Williamsport  township,  whose  sketch 
appears  elsewhere  in  this  volume;  Robert  Samuel,  born  May  12,  i860,  de- 
ceased October  14,  i860;  and  Anna  Elizabeth,  who  was  but  14  months  old 
when  her  father  was  killed  in  battle, — she  is  the  wife  of  W.  A.  C.  Moore, 
of  Auburn  township. 

In  October,  1865,  Mrs.  Allen  was  married  to  James  Whitten,  who  was 
born  in  County  Armagh,  Ireland,  and  died  on  the  farm  in  Auburn  township, 
on  October  30,  1903,  aged  "j-j  years.  In  young  manhood  he  came  to  the 
United  States,  worked  at  farming  for  eight  years  on  Long  Island  and  came 
to  Topeka  in  the  spring  of  1856,  securing  land  from  a  squatter.  He  left  a 
fine,  well-improved  farm  of  a  half-section  of  land  in  section  8,  township  13, 
range  15,  in  Auburn  township,  to  which  he  had  devoted  many  years  of  in- 
dustry. He  served  as  a  member  of  the  Ninth  Regiment,  Kansas  Vol.  Cav., 
during  the  last  18  months  of  the  Civil  War.  In  politics  he  was  a  Republican 
but  he  took  no  very  active  interest  in  public  matters,  being  a  man  much  de- 
voted to  his  home  and  family.  Early  in  life  he  was  a  member  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church,  but  later  became  an  Episcopalian. 

The  three  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Whitten  were:  James,  born 
September  18,  1869,  and  Lewis  and  Luther,  twins,  born  May  i,  1871,  both 
residents  of  Auburn  township.  Mrs.  Whitten  has  seen  many  changes  since 
she  came  to  Shawnee  County.  She  remembers  when  Indians  frequently  came 
to  the  homes  of  settlers  and  tells  an  amusing  story  of  one  occasion  when  a 
brave  came  to  her  door  and  bargained  to  exchange  wild  grapes  for  a  water- 
melon and  then  made  his  escape  with  both  the  melon  and  the  grapes. 


CHRISTIAN   BOWMAN. 

Among  the  early  business  men  of  Topeka,  Kansas,  for  years  a  very  prom- 
inent factor  in  the  city's  commercial  life,  was  the  late  Christian  Bowman,  who 
was  born  March  2,  1829,  being  one  of  a  family  of  two  children  born  to  his 
parents,  who  were  of  German  descent  and  natives  of  Pennsylvania. 

In  1857  Mr.  Bowman  came  to  Kansas,  from  Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania, 
taking  up  a  claim  in  Anderson  County.  Later  he  moved  to  Lawrence  and 
subsequently  to  Topeka,  where,  in  1866,  just  prior  to  the  Quantrell  raid,  he 
organized  the  clothing  and  gents'  furnishings  business  at  No.  533  Kansas 
avenue,  which  grew  to  such  large  proportions.  Mr.  Bowman  built  the  hand- 
some block  which  is  now  occupied  by  the  Moffitt  furniture  store  and  became 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  347 

the  owner  of  much  property,  having  invested  largely  in  real  estate  in  this 
city.  In  1894  he  retired  from  business  and  occupied  himself  for  the  suc- 
ceeding eight  years  of  his  life  in  looking  after  investments,  in  leisurely  travel 
and  in  the  quiet  social  enjoyments  in  accordance  with  his  years.  The  death 
of  Mr.  Bowman  took  place  at  his  home  at  No.  426  Harrison  street,  Topeka, 
on  March  7,  1902. 

In  i860,  Mr.  Bowman  was  married  to  Mary  Sutlifif,  who  survives,  with 
three  children,  viz:  Clarence  S.,  one  of  Topeka's  leading  business  men,  re- 
siding at  No.  911  West  loth  avenue,  who  is  assistant  cashier  of  the  First 
National  Bank;  Orville  S.,  of  Kansas  City;  and  Mrs.  W.  A.  Potter,  of  St. 
Paul,  Minnesota.  Politically,  Mr.  Bowman  was  a  Republican.  Fraternally, 
he  was  a  Mason. 


O.   E.  WALKER. 


O.  E.  WalkeRj  of  Mission  township,  proprietor  of  "Park  View  Farm," 
which  consists  of  124  acres  in  section  27,  township  11,  range  15,  is  one  of  the 
prominent  and  substantial  citizens  of  this  part  of  the  country.  Mr.  Walker 
was  born  in  1847  i"  Delaware  County,  New  York,  and  is  a  son  of  Aaron 
Walker. 

Mr.  Walker's  father  died  in  Warren  County,  Pennsylvania,  at  the  age 
of  80  years.  Four  of  his  sons  live  at  Warren,  viz :  S.  E.,  a  newspaper  man, 
editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Warren  Times;  E.,  also  in  business  at  Warren 
and  E.  D.,  also  of  Warren,  the  last  named  being  a  half-brother  of  our 
subject. 

In  1880  O.  E.  Walker  came  to  Kansas  mainly  in  search  of  health;  he 
brought  with  him  from  Jamestown,  New  York,  350  Shorthorn  calves  and 
engaged  in  a  stock  business  some  15  miles  from  Topeka.  Later  he  removed 
to  Topeka  and  engaged  extensively  in  a  real  estate  business,  erecting  a  num- 
ber of  fine  buildings  in  the  city,  many  of  which  he  still  owns.  Besides 
"Park  View  Farm"  he  owns  other  tracts  of  land  to  the  extent  of  235  acres 
and  operates  75  acres  additional. 

When  the  Cherokee  Strip  in  Oklahoma  was  opened,  the  government, 
through  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  appointed  a  Board  of  Township 
Trustees.  The  duties  of  this  board,  which  was  in  existence  two  years,  was 
the  allotment  of  town  lots  in  the  district  thrown  open  to  settlement.  The 
board,  which  consisted  of  three  members,  was  constituted  as  follows :  O.  E. 
Walker,  chairman;  Judge  Leach,  of  Sulphur  Springs,  Texas,  secretary;  and 
I.  V.  Ladd,  of  El  Reno,  Oklahoma.     Their  labors  were  of  a  very  important 


348  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

character  and  could  only  have  been  performed  by  men  of  judgment,  exper- 
ience and  discrimination. 

Mr.  Walker  was  married  in  Delaware  County,  New  York,  to  Loretta 
S.  Whittaker,  who  is  a  daughter  of  John  Ogden  Whittaker,  formerly  an  ex- 
tensive lumber  operator  of  Delaware  County.  Their  children  did  not  sur- 
vive infancy.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walker  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church.     In  his  political  views  he  is  independent. 


JOSEPH  T.   LOVEWELL. 

Joseph  T.  Lovewell,  analytical  chemist,  with  laboratories  at  No.  523 
Kansas  avenue,  Topeka,  and  secretary  of  the  Kansas  Academy  of  Science, 
has  been  a  resident  of  the  city  since  1878  and  is  well-known  in  scientific  circles. 
Professor  Lovewell  was  born  May  i,  1833,  at  Corinth,  Orange  County, 
Vermont,  and  is  a  son  of  Nehemiah  and  Martha  (Willis)   Lovewell. 

The  parents  of  Professor  Lovewell  were  natives  of  Vermont.  The 
father  was  an  extensive  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  owning  an  estate  of  some- 
thing like  400  acres  of  land.  They  had  four  children :  Elmina,  John,  Joseph 
T.  and  Harriet.  Elmina  married  Carlos  Bacon  of  Vermont  and  they  moved 
first  to  Michigan  and  later  to  Wisconsin,  where  Mr.  Bacon  became  a  teacher 
and  then  an  undertaker  and  furniture  dealer;  they  had  one  daughter, — Eva 
Belle, — who  died  at  the  age  of  20.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bacon  are  deceased — 
the  former  in  1880  and  the  latter  in  1863 — and  are  buried  in  Wisconsin. 
John,  a  prosperous  farmer  living  near  Willow  Springs,  Missouri,  married 
Sarah  Cowles.  Harriet,  who  is  the  widow  of  Frederick  Miller  (deceased  in 
January,  1882),  lives  at  Meridian,  Mississippi,  where  she  has  been  for  15 
years  principal  of  the  Lincoln  School. 

Joseph  T.  Lovewell  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Orange  County 
and  at  Newberry  Seminary.  In  1853  he  entered  Yale  College  and  was 
graduated  there  in  1857.  For  the  ensuing  five  years  he  was  an  instructor  in 
the  Wisconsin  State  Normal  School,  at  Whitewater,  Wisconsin,  and  for  the 
same  period  was  principal  and  superintendent  of  the  schools  of  Madison, 
Wisconsin.  Realizing  that  this  is  the  day  of  specializing,  Professor  Lovewell 
turned  his  attention  particularly  to  physics  and  chemistry.  For  three  years 
he  took  post-graduate  work  along  this  line  at  Yale  College  and  was  an  in- 
structor in  the  Sheffield  Scientific  School  at  Yale  for  one  year.  He  spent 
two  years  at  the  Pennsylvania  State  College  as  professor  in  these  sciences 
and  then  came  to  Topeka,  in  1878.  Here  he  became  a  member  of  the  faculty 
of  Washburn  College,  where  he  filled  the  chair  of  physics  and  chemistry  for 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  349 

21  years.  He  is  now  occupied  as  an  analytical  chemist  and  is  quietly  pursuing 
many  investigations  of  his  own.  This  branch  of  the  world's  work  is,  in  the 
main,  little  understood,  but  how  wonderful  have  been  its  results.  Putting 
aside  the  late  discoveries  which  come  close  to  the  mysteries  of  being,  we  have 
■only  to  recall  that  it  was  an  analytical  chemist  that  gave  the  world  iodine,  in 
181 1,  bromine  in  1826,  iodoform  in  1822,  chloroform  in  1831,  chloral  in  1832 
and  cocaine  in  i860,  all  great  medical  agents,  yet  not  one  was  discovered 
by  a  physician.  In  December,  1904,  Professor  Lovewell  was-  appointed 
secretary  of  the  Kansas  Academy  of  Science. 

Professor  Lovewell  was  married  September  3,  1863,  to  Margaret  Lois 
Bissell,  who  was  born  in  Ohio  and  died  in  Pennsylvania,  leaving  two  chil- 
dren: Bertha  Ellen  and  Paul  A.  The  daughter  is  a  lady  of  fine  ability  and 
Tiigh  grade  of  scholarship.  After  graduating  at  Washburn  College,  she  took 
a  post-graduate  course  in  English  literature  at  Yale  College.  She  married 
George  L.  Dickinson,  who  is  business  manager  of  the  Hartford  Courant. 
Paul  A.  Lovewell  is  connected  with  the  Topeka  Journal. 

On  June  30,  1885,  at  Topeka,  Professor  Lovewell  was  married  to  his 
present  wife,  Caroline  F.  Barnes;  they  have  two  daughters, — Margaret  B. 
and  Caroline  E.,  both  students.  The  family  attend  the  Congregational 
Church.  Professor  Lovewell  takes  no  very  active  interest  in  politics,  but 
"votes  with  the  Republican  party. 


GUILFORD  G.  GAGE. 

Topeka,  Kansas,  can  never  forget  or  fail  to  honor  the  late  Guilford  G. 
Gage,  capitalist  and  philanthropist.  In  years  to  come  citizens  will  point  out 
to  their  children  the  granite  monument  which  stands  on  the  crest  of  a  hill 
in  Topeka's  sacred  "God's  Acre,"  and,  while  telling  them  that  it  was  erected 
to  commemorate  the  death  of  comrades  in  battle,  they  will  also  urge  them  to 
emulate  the  virtues  and  profit  by  the  life  of  the  noble  man,  who  in  this  way 
testified  to  the  love  and  honor  he  felt  for  those  who  had  fallen  by  his  side 
while  in  the  path  of  duty. 

Guilford  G.  Gage  was  born  in  Ohio  and  was  21  years  of  age  when  he 
-came  to  Topeka,  beginning  a  life  of  unusual  business  success  as  a  workman 
in  a  brick-kiln.  This  was  hard  but  honorable  work  and  of  this  beginning, 
at  the  bottom  of  the  ladder,  Mr.  Gage  continued  to  be  proud  all  his  life. 
'The  thoroughness  with  which  he  in  after  life  handled  great  enterprises  was 
no  more  marked  than  the  carefulness  with  which  he  learned  all  the  practical 
■details  of  this  business.     Within  two  years  he  had  a  brick-kiln  of  his  own 


350  HISTORY   OF   SHAWNEE   COUNTY 

and  when  the  Civil  War  broke  out  he  was  the  proprietor  of  a  flourishing  busi- 
ness.   In  1863  he  enhsted  for  service  in  the  Second  Regiment,  Kansas  Artil- 
lery, under  Capt.  Ross  Burns,  and  participated  in  the  famous  battle  of  the 
Blue.    He  remained  at  his  gun  with  several  of  his  comrades  until  they  were 
captured  by  the  force  under  General  Price.    Afterwards  he  managed  to  escape 
but  not  until  he  had  endured  terrible  suffering  from  hunger  and  thirst.     In 
a  local  history  the  dreadful  sufferings  endured  by  these  brave  Kansans  are  set 
forth  with  a  vividness  which  calls  for  all  the  control  years  of  peace  have 
brought  to  enable  their  fellow-citizens  to  forgive  the  treatment  accorded  them 
by  the  Confederates.     The  noble  monument  in  the  Topeka  Cemetery  was 
erected  by  Mr.  Gage  as  a  tribute  to  the  men  who  fell  in  the  battle  of  the  Blue, 
and  Mr.  Gage  himself  wrote  a  history  of  the  event  which  stands  out  in  Kan- 
sas history  to  the  honor  and  glory  of  the  citizenship  of  the  State.     The  cost 
of  this  monument  was  $10,000.    It  was  unveiled  on  Memorial  Day,  1896,  and 
General  Caldwell,  now  United  States  consul  at  Vera  Cruz,  delivered  the  prin- 
cipal address.    The  press  all  over  the  country  made  extended  mention  of  this 
unusual  proof  of  loyalty  and  brotherly  love,  but  no  region  could  truly  appre- 
ciate the  gift  as  did  Topeka,  where  Mr.  Gage  had  been  so  long  known  and  so 
universally  honored  and  beloved. 

For  15  years  Mr.  Gage  continued  in  the  brick  business,  during  which 
time  he  acquired  much  property  in  the  city,  which  subsequently  brought  him 
large  returns.  At  the  opening  of  the  Pottawatomie  reservation,  he  secured 
a  valuable  farm  of  160  acres,  and  later  another  valuable  farm  on  which  is 
situated  Gage's  Lake,  both  of  which  he  held  until  his  death.  The  latter 
proved  very  valuable  on  account  of  the  discovery  of  bituminous  coal  in  large 
quantities.  He  owned  several  business  blocks  on  Kansas  avenue  and  was  the 
largest  taxpayer  in  the  county,  during  his  latter  years  occupying  his  time  mainly 
in  looking  after  his  investments.  In  all  his  dealings  he  proved  his  honorable, 
upright  character  and  a  man  was  never  found  to  question  his  word.  He  died 
on  May  19,   1899. 

Guilford  G.  Gage  was  united  in  marriage  January  9,  1868,  with  Louisa 
Ives,  who  was  bom  in  Allegheny  County,  New  York,  and  is  a  daughter  of 
Henry  and  Sarah  (Nicholas)  Ives,  her  father  having  been  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania. One  child,  a  daughter,  was  born  of  this  union,  but  died  at  the 
age  of  one  year.  Mrs.  Gage  resides  alone  in  her  handsome  home  at  No.  409 
Van  Buren  street. 

Mr.  Gage  was  a  prominent  member  of  the  Masonic  order  and  of  Lincoln 
Post,  No.  I,  G.  A.  R.  Topeka  and  its  citizens  individually  have  much  reason 
to  recall  this  honorable,  estimable  and  useful  citizen.  All  his  life  he  was 
simple  in  his  tastes  and  unostentatious  in  manner.  When  wealth  came  to  him, 
he  soon  found  avenues  for  its  judicious  distribution  and  civic  movements  for 


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LEVI  M.  DECKER 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS,  353 

improvement,  and  charitable  and  philanthropic  enterprises  of  all  kinds  felt 
his  guiding  hand  and  profited  by  his  benevolent  impulses.  He  was  chairman 
of  the  board  of  trustees  of  Christ's  Hospital,  contributing  liberally  to  its  sup- 
port during  his  life,  and  at  his  death  willed  it  the  sum  of  $1,000.  He  gave  to 
the  city  what  is  known  as  Gage  Park,  covering  80  acres.  He  had  planned  to 
give  to  The  Jane  C.  Stormont  Hospital  a  sum  of  money  to  aid  it  in  its  great 
work,  and  after  his  death  Mrs.  Gage  in  1899  caused  to  be  erected  what  is 
now  known  as  the  Gage  annex,  at  a  cost  of  $15,000. 

Mr.  Gage  was  a  self-made  man  and  was  proud  of  the  fact,  proud  of  hav- 
ing been  able  to  grasp  opportunities  and  to  be  indebted  to  no  one  but  himself 
for  his  life's  success.  With  his  noble  battle  comrades,  this  soldier,  too,  sleeps 
under  the  granite  shaft  he  built. 


LEVI  M.  DECKER. 

Levi  M.  Decker,  one  of  the  prominent  farmers  and  well-known,  sub- 
stantial citizens  of  Shawnee  County,  whose  portrait  accompanies  this  sketch, 
resides  on  his  well-improved  farm  in  section  13,  township  12,  range  16,  in 
Tecumseh  township.  He  owns  a  large  amount  of  land  in  this  county,  in 
Tecumseh  and  Dover  townships  and  in  and  about  Topeka,  aggregating  280 
acres.  Mr.  Decker  was  born  near  Paterson,  New  Jersey,  January  5,  1837, 
and  is  a  son  of  Martin  W.  and  Mary  (Bailey)  Decker,  who  lived  to  the  age 
of  85  and  78  years,  respectively. 

The  Deckers  came  originally  from  Holland  and  were  long  established 
in  Bergen  County,  New  Jersey.  By  his  first  marriage  Martin  W.  Decker 
had  four  children  and  eight  by  the  second,  the  latter  being:  Mrs.  Annis 
Maybe,  deceased;  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Wichem,  deceased;  John,  deceased;  Mrs. 
Rachel  Holdrum,  of  New  Jersey ;  Levi  M.,  of  this  sketch ;  and  Silas,  Thomas 
and  Mrs.  Mary  Jackson,  of  New  Jersey. 

Levi  M.  Decker  remained  on  his  father's  farm  in  Passaic  County,  New 
Jersey,  until  he  was  23  years  old  and  then  went  to  Clinton  County,  Ohio, 
where  he  engaged  in  farming  for  seven  years.  During  the  Civil  War  he  was 
a  member  of  the  State  militia  and  assisted  in  driving  the  raider,  Morgan, 
across  the  border.  In  1866  he  came  to  Kansas  and  bought  his  present  home 
place,  a  tract  of  160  acres  which  had  been  preempted  by  another  party  who 
had  built  a  cabin  but  had  done  no  clearing.  The  farm  was  still  unbroken 
prairie,  in  its  virgin  state.  Mr.  Decker  took  possession  of  the  cabin  and 
broke  the  land  with  oxen  and  as  soon  as  possible  placed  it  under  cultivation. 
He  has  improved  his  home  place,  made  it  one  of  the  valuable  farms  of  the 

17 


354  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

township  and  erected  a  convenient  and  attractive  residence.  He  has  added  to 
his  possessions  until  he  owns  280  acres,  distributed  somewhat  as  follows : 
160  acres  in  section  13,  township  12,  range  16,  and  40  acres  in  section  7, 
township  12,  range  17,  all  in  Tecumseh  township;  80  acres  in  Dover  town- 
ship and  more  than  70  lots  in  the  city  and  environs  of  Topeka.  For  the  last 
10  years  he  has  directed  his  attention  mainly  to  raising  corn,  hogs,  cattle 
and  horses. 

In  1859  Mr.  Decker  was  married  to  Mary  Ann  Hook,  who  was  born  in 
Ohio  and  was  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Rebecca  Hook.  She  died  on  the 
home  farm  in  Tecumseh  township  on  May  12,  1885,  aged  46  years.  The 
eight  children  of  this  union  are :  Emma,  who  lives  at  home ;  Elvie,  wife  of 
Edward  Reed,  of  Morris  County,  Kansas;  Melvina,  who  lives  at  home; 
Alvin,  of  Kansas  City;  Mrs.  Viretta  Cox,  a  widow,  of  Monmouth  township; 
and  Louis,  Nora  and  Myrtle.  By  a  second  marriage  Mr.  Decker  has  another 
daughter,  Elsie,  who  also  lives  at  home.  Mr.  Decker  has  been  a  life-long 
Democrat  and  cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for  James  B.  Buchanan. 


HON.  MARTIN  MOHLER. 

Hon.  Martin  Mohler,  formerly  secretary  of  the  Kansas  State  Board 
of  Agriculture,  was  born  March  20,  1830,  in  Cumberland  County,  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  died  at  Topeka,  Kansas,  March  20,   1903. 

In  his  youth  Mf.  Mohler  had  more  than  the  usual  amount  of  boyish 
enthusiasm  to  secure  a  good  education,  this  seeming  to  him  the  goal  toward 
which  he  must  direct  every  effort.  Fortunate  circumstances  gave  him  an 
opportunity  to  enter  Northwestern  University,  at  Evanston,  Illinois,  where 
he  finally  graduated,  one  of  the  three  members  of  the  second  graduating  class 
of  that  institution.  His  home  remained  in  Pennsylvania,  and  thither  he  re- 
turned, with  the  idea  of  devoting  his  future  to  educational  work. 

Time  brought  changes  and  other  interests  came  into  his  life,  and  lin 
1 87 1  he  removed  from  Pennsylvania  to  Osborne  County,  Kansas,  where  he 
secured  a  half-section  of  land.  This  was  early  in  the  settlement  of  that  part 
of  the  State,  conditions  were  hard  and  the  rewards  of  toil  were  only  won 
through  the  greatest  effort.  The  work  by  which  Mr.  Mohler  transformed  his 
wild  tract  of  land  into  what  seemed  then  a  garden  spot  doubtless  aroused  the 
deep  interest  in  his  mind  which  later  brought  him  so  prominently  forward 
and  identified  him  so  closely  with  agricultural  matters. 

Mr.  Mohler  held  several  positions  of  trust  in  Osborne  County,  and  he 
resided  there  until  he  was  appointed  to  the  State  Board  of  Agriculture  in 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  355 

1888.  He  then  moved  to  Topeka,  where  he  resided  until  his  death,  serving 
through  two  subsequent  terms.  During  his  administration  as  secretary,  he 
aroused  great  pubHc  interest  in  the  study  of  soils,  seeds  and  climate  and  it  is 
undoubtedly  due  to  his  efforts  that  Kansas  stands  to-day  as  one  of  the 
greatest  agricultural  States  of  the  Union.  The  sixth  biennial  report,  issued 
under  his  direction,  was  awarded  a  medal  and  diploma  at  the  paris  exposition, 
in  1889,  as  the  best  of  its  kind  in  the  world. 

Mr.  Mohler  is  survived  by  his  widow  and  by  two  daughters  and  two 
sons,  namely:  Margaret  L.,  wife  of  W.  A.  Neiswanger,  manager  of  The 
Capitol  Real  Estate  Company,  of  Topeka,  with  offices  at  No.  116  West 
Sixth  avenue;  Laura  M.,  wife  of  Rev.  H.  C.  Buell,  of  Willmar,  Minnesota; 
Jacob  C,  assistant  secretary  of  the  State  Board  of  Agriculture,  residing  at 
No.  1224  Fillmore  street;  and  Frank  M.,  a  student,  who  resides  with  his 
mother  in  the  family  home  at  No.  161 1  Warren  street.  Mrs.  Mohler  is  a 
daughter  of  Christiana  C.  Hoover,  of  Pennsylvania,  a  farmer  by  vocation,  now 
deceased. 

Mr.  Mohler  was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  and  one  whose 
life  was  in  consonance  with  his  professions.'  He  was  a  Mason  and  had  other 
fraternal  associations,  being  a  man  of  social  instincts.  He  was  also  one 
whose  culture,  education  and  refinement  impressed  his  companions  as  did 
his  strong  personality  and  sterling  attributes. 


HON.  MILTON   BROWN. 

Hon.  Milton  Brown,  one  of  the  most  prominent  members  of  the  bar 
of  Kansas,  and  formerly  a  member  of  the  State  Senate  from  the  38th  Sen- 
atorial District,  is  a  citizen  for  whom  Topeka  entertains  high  regard.  Mr. 
Brown  was  born  May  12,  1854,  at  Raysville,  Henry  County,  Indiana,  and  is 
a  son  of  Milton  and  Sally  Brown. 

Mr.  Brown  comes  of  Scotch-Irish  ancestry  and  of  forefathers  distin- 
guished for  their  military  prowess.  On  the  paternal  side,  both  grandfather 
and  great-grandfather  fought  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  the  latter  yielding 
up  his  life  in  the  cause.  During  the  Civil  War,  not  only  did  his  father  and 
four  brothers  serve  in  the  Union  Army,  but  his  mother  became  one  of  the 
leading  spirits  in  the  Sanitary  Commission  and  devoted  her  personal  services 
to  the  care  of  sick  and  wounded  soldiers.  She  was  honored  by  the  Governor 
of  Indiana  with  a  commission  for  her  invaluable  services,  but  still  dearer  to 
the  heart  of  this  noble  woman  was  the  tender  regard  and  esteem  accorded 
her  by  the  hundreds  of  weak  and  wounded  soldiers  to  whom  she  ministered 


356  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

as  long  as  life  held  and  whose  last  messages  were  whispered  into  her  sympa- 
thetic ear.  Old  veterans  all  over  the  land  can  be  found  who  show  enthusiasm 
when  the  name  of  "Aunt  Sally  Brown"  is  recalled  to  their  memory.  The 
father  of  Mr.  Brown  was  prominent  in  Henry  County  poHtics  and  at  the  time 
of  his  death,  May  12,  1876,  was  county  recorder. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  the  youngest  member  of  his  loyal  family. 
During  the  last  years  of  the  war,  he  took  "French  leave"  and  joined  a  com- 
pany at  Camp  Morton,  where  he  acted  as  a  drummer-boy  and  entertained  the 
hope  of  becoming  as  useful  in  the  Union  cause  as  others  of  his  family.  His 
hope  was  dissipated  as  soon  as  his  capable  and  careful  mother  discovered  his 
whereabouts.  When  his  father  was  elected  recorder  of  Henry  County,  the 
main  duties  of  the  office  fell  upon  Milton,  and  when  the  father  died,  he  was 
appointed  to  fill  out  the  unexpired  term  and  was  subsequently  appointed  dep- 
uty clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court  and  later  elected  clerk  of  the  same.  He  had 
been  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1876  after  several  years  of  preparation  under 
Hon.  Jehu  T.  Elliott,  and  soon  won  deserved  recognition  in  his  profession 
and  as  a  political  factor.  In  1878  he  was  sent  as  a  delegate  to  the  Republican 
State  Convention  at  Indianapolis  and  served  also  as  secretary  of  the  Henry 
County  Republican  Central  Committee. 

In  1884  Mr.  Brown  came  to  Kansas,  locating  upon  a  homestead  in  what 
is  now  Gray  County,  where  he  remained  until  the  following  year,  when  he 
removed  to  Garden  City  and  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession. 
From  the  very  first  his  ability  as  a  lawyer  was  recognized  and  he  has  been 
concerned  in  some  of  the  most  important  litigation  in  the  State.  In  this 
connection  mention  may  be  made  of  the  case  of  Mrs.  Lease,  whose  removal 
from  office  as  a  member  of  the  State  Board  of  Charities  his  pleas  secured,  and 
of  the  occasion  when  he,  as  attorney  for  the  Great  Eastern  Irrigation  Company, 
won  the  decision  against  the  Amazon  Ditch  Company  as  to  the  right  of 
priority  to  water  from  the  Arkansas  River.  Both  of  these  celebrated  cases 
are  so  familiar  to  residents  of  Topeka  as  to  scarcely  need  mentioning.  Mr. 
Brown  in  innumerable  cases  has  proved  himself  a  man  of  intellectual  power 
and  is  justly  ranked  with  the  State's  eminent  professional  men. 

Thus  well  equipped  for  a  very  successful  political  career,  he  was  elected 
in  1892  by  the  Republican  party  to  the  State  Senate  from  the  38th  Senatorial 
District,  a  district  which  includes  19  counties.  As  a  statesman  his  career  was 
satisfactory  in  every  way  and  during  his  senatorial  career  he  was  a  leading 
figure  both  in  debate  and  in  the  committee  room,  working  strenuously  for 
his  section  and  constituents. 

On  July  16,  1878,  Mr.  Brown  was  married  to  Emma  Cotteral,  and  three 
children  were  born  to  them.  In  religious  connection  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Christian    Church.      His    fraternal   associations   embrace   the   leading   secret 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  357 

organizations.  As  a  Mason,  he  is  a  Knight  Templar  and  a  member  of  Isis 
Temple,  Ancient  Arabic  Order  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  is  an  Odd 
Fellow,  a  Knight  of  Pythias  and  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America  and  the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees. 

Since  June,  1899,  Senator  Brown  and  family  have  resided  at  Topeka, 
where  he  is  absorbed  in  a  large  law  practice.  He  is  a  director  and  general 
counsel  of  the  Kansas  Fire  Insurance  Company.  Still  in  the  height  of  his 
intellectual  power,  with  friends  and  admirers  on  every  side,  he  occupies  a 
very  prominent  place  among  the  leading  men  of  Kansas  and  many  political 
and  professional  possibilities  are  within  his  grasp. 


JOHN   FREDERICK  STANTON. 

John  Frederick  Stanton,  Kansas  State  architect,  one  of  tlie  leaders 
in  his  profession  with  years  of  exacting  experience  behind  him,  has  been  a 
resident  of  Topeka  since  1887.  Mr.  Stanton  was  born  July  29,  1862,  at 
Manchester,  New  Hampshire,  and  is  a  son  of  John  M.  and  Meribah  F. 
(Pike)   Stanton. 

Mr.  Stanton  is  a  descendant  of  the  early  New  England  settlers,  his 
ancestors  having  come  to  this  country  from  England  in  1636  and  located  at 
Sahsbury.  His  father  was  born  at  Brookfield,  Maine,  and  his  mother  at 
Plymouth,  New  Hampshire.  After  completing  common  and  high  school 
courses  at  Manchester,  he  took  a  special  course  in  civil  engineering  under 
Joseph  B.  Sawyer.  While  interested  in  this  line,  before  turning  his  attention 
to  the  particular  field  of  art  in  which  he  has  been  so  successful,  he  served 
two  years  as  assistant  city  engineer  at  Manchester,  and  later  was  for  some 
time  connected  with  the  engineering  department  of  the  Stark  Corporation  in 
the  same  city. 

With  the  idea  of  supplementing  his  engineering  knowledge  he  took  a 
course  of  study  in  architecture,  combining  both  the  technical  and  practical 
phases  of  the  profession.  Later  a  partnership  was  formed  with  W.  M.  Butter- 
field  and  Mr.  Stanton  began  the  practice  of  architecture  as  a  profession;  dur- 
ing the  following  three  years  they  designed  some  of  the  best  public  and 
private  buildings  in  the  State. 

In  1887  Mr.  Stanton  came  to  Kansas  and  located  at  Topeka,  taking 
charge  of  the  office  work  for  J.  G.  Haskell,  at  that  time  the  leading  architect 
in  the  State.  For  six  years  he  occupied  this  position  and  then  became  a 
partner.     The  firm  of  Haskell  &  Stanton  during  the  following  two  years 


358  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

planned  many  of  the  best  buildings  erected,  not  only  in  Kansas,  but  also  in 
Nebraska,  Oklahoma,  Indian  Territory  and  Missouri. 

In  1895  Mr.  Stanton  was  appointed  superintendent  and  assistant  State 
House  architect,  having  in  charge  the  work  of  finishing  the  rooms  on  the 
first  and  second  stories  of  the  Capitol  Building  at  Topeka. 

In  1897  when  the  Populist  party  came  into  power,  he  was  removed  for 
political  reasons  and  immediately  entered  upon  the  independent  practice  of 
his  profession,  which  he  successfully  conducted  until  July,  1899,  when  the 
Republican  party  again  took  control  of  State  affairs  and  Mr.  Stanton  was 
appointed  State  House  architect.  During  the  succeeding  four  years  he  suc- 
cessfully filled  this  important  position  and  completed  the  magnificent  State 
Capitol  Building.  In  July,  1903,  the  State  Executive  Council  appointed  him 
State  architect,  having  in.  charge  the  architectural  work  for  all  of  the  various 
State  institutions.  This  work  he  so  satisfactorily  conducted  that  later  when 
the  Legislature  changed  the  law,  vesting  the  appointive  power  in  the 
Governor,  he  was,  in  1905,  again  appointed  for  a  term  of  two  years,  by 
Governor  Hoch,  the  appointment  being  one  of  the  most  popular  made. 

Mr.  Stanton  was  married  at  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  on  the  24th  of  Novem- 
ber, 1892,  to  Julia  M.  Lamb,  a  daughter  of  William  P.  and  Margaret  Lamb. 
They  have  one  child,  a  beautiful  little  girl  named  Mildred  who  with  them 
enjoys  the  comforts  of  a  substantial  home  at  No.  121 1  Western  avenue, 
Topeka.  Politically,  Mr.  Stanton  is  a  stanch  Republican  and  served  two 
terms  as  president  of  the  Topeka  Republican  Flambeau  Club. 


GEORGE  W.  CRANE. 

George  W.  Crane,  president  and  manager  for  Crane  &  Company,  one 
of  the  largest  printing  houses  at  Topeka,  was  born  August  25,  1843,  ^t  Fas- 
ten, Pennsylvania,  and  is  a  son  of  Dr.  Franklin  L.  and  Mary  Elizabeth 
(Howell)  Crane.  The  Crane  family  is  of  Puritan  ancestry  and  Revolutionary 
stock. 

In  the  spring  of  1855,  Dr.  Franklin  L.  Crane  removed  from  Easton, 
where  he  was  established  in  a  good  dental  practice,  to  Topeka,  Kansas,  where 
he  soon  became  identified  with  public  affairs.  He  was  made  secretary  of  the 
Topeka  Town  Association  and  it  was  mainly  through  his  good  taste  and 
artistic  ideas  that  the  present  beautiful  city  enjoys  its  distinction  for  wide 
streets  and  boulevards,  the  work  of  surveying  being  under  his  charge.  Dur- 
ing the  Civil  War  he  served  as  a  private  soldier  in  Company  E,  nth  Reg., 
Kansas  Vol.  Inf.,  and  later  as  hospital  steward,  his  admirable  work  while  he 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  359 

had  charge  of  the  smallpox  hospital  at  Hildebran's  Mills  being  still  recalled. 

George  W.  Crane  has  been  a  resident  of  Kansas  since  March,  1865. 
Because  of  the  death  of  his  mother  in  his  infancy,  he  was  placed  in  the  care  of 
Canadian  relatives,  with  whom  he  remained  during  the  period  of  his  school 
days.  His  brother,  Jesse  H.  Crane,  was  operating  a  store  at  Fort  Earned, 
Kansas,  where  he  was  post  trader,  and  George  remained  with  him  for  one 
year  and  then  came  to  Topeka.  For  some  three  years  he  engaged  at  market 
gardening,  but  in  1868  he  embarked  in  the  business  which  has  proved  such 
a  great  success  financially  and  has  given  him  a  very  prominent  place  in  the 
business  world.  In  partnership  with  J.  Y.  Byron,  he  entered  into  the  busi- 
ness of  bookbinding  and  blank-book  manufacturing,  and  in  the  following 
year  he  became  owner  of  a  one-third  interest  in  the  Daily  Commonwealth. 
This  journal  was  issued  under  the  company  name  of  Prouty,  Davis  &  Crane 
and  Mr.  Crane  was  its  manager.  Everything  was  in  a  promising  condition 
when  the  firm  lost  all  it  possessed  by  the  burning  of  the  Ritchie  Block  in  No- 
vember, 1869.  This  disaster,  so  soon  after  assuming  new  responsibilities, 
was  very  serious  to  the  members  of  the  firm,  but  with  courage  and  energy 
they  succeeded  in  resuming  business  some  months  later.  The  fall  of  1873  "wit- 
nessed another  disastrous  fire  in  Topeka,  during  which  the  Commonwealth 
Building  was  completely  destroyed  and  a  second  time  was  Mr.  Crane  forced 
to  begin  at  the  bottom. 

Only  a  man  of  much  courage  and  many  resources  could  so  soon  have 
recuperated;  in  a  comparatively  short  time  he  was  again  at  the  head  of  a 
business  which  he  managed  alone  until  he  had  expanded  it  to  such  proportions 
that  outside  help  was  needed.  Thus  came  about  the  founding  of  the  George 
W.  Crane  Publishing  Company,  in  1888.  At  great  expense  improved  ma- 
chinery was  installed  and  a  modern  plant  for  doing  all  kinds  of  printing  on  a 
large  scale  was  placed  in  operation  in  the  Keith  Block,  one  of  the  newest 
and  best  equipped  business  structures  of  the  city.  The  building  was  50  by 
135  feet  in  dimensions,  four  stories  high,  filled  from  basement  to  attic  with 
the  company's  plant.  The  fire  demon  for  the  third  time  assailed  Mr.  Crane's 
business,  this  handsome  building  being  totally  destroyed  in  February,  1889. 
This  loss  was  more  serious  than  any  other,  the  value  of  the  property  loss, 
above  insurance,  being  $135,000. 

The  word  discouragement  is  not  found  in  Mr.  Crane's  vocabulary.  With 
wonderful  philosophy  he  accepted  the  facts  and  with  customary  enterprise 
set  about  to  again  build  up  his  business.  A  corporation  was  then  formed  under 
the  name  of  Crane  &  Company,  Mr.  Crane  was  made  manager,  and  now  is  at 
the  head  of  one  of  the  largest  business  houses  in  his  line,  including  publish- 
ing, book-making  and  commercial  printing,  his  trade  extending  all  over 
Kansas  and  through  adjacent  States.     The  perfection  of  the  work  of  this 


36o  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

house  secured  it  the  contract  for  furnishing  a  large  part  of  the  books  used 
in  the  pubHc  schools.  Tenacity  of  purpose  is  a  marked  characteristic  of 
Mr.  Crane  and  this  he  carries  into  business,  political  and  social  life.  He  has 
settled  convictions  to  which  he  firmly  adheres  and  his  fellow-citizens  know  that 
when  he  is  convinced  of  the  justice  of  a  movement,  no  outside  influence  can 
move  him. 

In  June,  1870,  Mr.  Crane  was  married  to  Ella  Rain,  who  was  a  daughter 
of  Silas  and  Minerva  Rain.  Mrs.  Crane  died  in  April,  1881,  survived  by  two 
children:  Frank  S.,  who  is  cashier  and  superintendent  for  Crane  &  Company; 
and  Edna,  who  married  Charles  L.  Mitchell  and  died  at  Morenci,  Arizona, 
August  25,  1904.  In  1882,  Mr.  Crane  was  married  at  Elkhart,  Indiana,  to 
Fannie  Kiblinger,  a  cousin  of  his  first  wife. 

Politically,  Mr.  Crane  has  always  taken  a  lively  interest  in  city  and  State 
affairs,  voting  constantly  with  the  Republican  party,  but  he  has  never  con- 
sented to  hold  office.  In  1893  he  was  nominated  by  his  party  in  the  Legisla- 
ture for  the  office  of  State  printer,  one  for  which  he  is  eminently  qualified; 
he  lacked  only  one  vote  of  election.  Mr.  Crane  has  set  an  example  of  the 
conquest  over  misfortune  by  the  exercise  of  individual  energy,  and  has  shown 
in  a  remarkable  degree  his  capacity  to  mold  circumstances  and  to  grasp 
success  out  of  the  ashes  of  defeat. 


E.  P.  KELLAM. 


Among  the  prominent  business  men  of  Topeka,  who  stood  at  the  head 
of  commercial  life  here  for  some  40  years,  was  the  late  E.  P.  Kellam,  who 
died  very  suddenly  on  February  5,  1896,  of  neuralgia  of  the  heart,  superin- 
duced by  weakness  from  a  former  illness  and  also  from  grief  felt  over  the 
death  of  his  beloved  kinsman,  the  late  T.  J.  Kellam.  The  latter,  of  whom  a 
sketch  will  be  found  in  this  work,  died  on  February  4,  1896,  and  E.  P.  Kellam 
passed  away  on  the  following  day.  Both  were  men  of  importance  and  sub- 
stance and  Topeka  was  doubly  bereaved. 

E.  P.  Kellam  was  born  at  Irasburg,  Vermont,  February  28,  1832,  and 
was  a  son  of  Sabin  and  Lydia  Kellam,  being  one  of  10  children  born  to  his 
parents.  His  boyhood  and  early  youth  were  spent  in  his  native  environment, 
where  he  received  excellent  educational  advantages;  and  in  young  manhood 
he  went  to  Boston  to  enter  upon  a  business  career.  In  1857  he  came  to 
Topeka,  and  his  subsequent  life  was  spent  in  this  city.  With  his  cousin,  the 
late  T.  J.  Kellam,  our  subject  was  interested  in  charitable  movements  of 
various  kinds.    He  is  remembered  as  a  man  of  strict  integrity  and  independent 


HON.  JOSEPH  BENJAMIN  BURTON  BETTS 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  363 

views.  The  services  at  his  funeral  were  conducted  by  Rev.  Dean  Bodley,  of 
Topeka,  who. preached  the  sermon.  Rev.  Percival  Mclntire,  of  Chicago,  was 
also  present. 

Mr.  Kellam  was  married  December  31,  1862,  to  Orpha  Beulah,  daughter 
of  Pearl  De  Wolfe.  She  still  survives  and  makes  her  home  in  one  of  the 
handsomest  residences  of  the  city  at  No.  415  Topeka  avenue,  where  she  is 
spending  the  twilight  of  her  life  in  comfort  and  ease.  Mr.  Kellam's  son, 
E.  B.  Kellam,  lives  at  Cottonwood  Falls,  where  he  is  connected  with  a  tele- 
phone company.  Mr.  Kellam  was  a  Mason  and  was  buried  with  Masonic 
honors. 


♦  '♦ 


HON.  JOSEPH  BENJAMIN   BURTON    BEITS. 

.Hon.  Joseph  Benjamin  Burton  Betts,  an  influential  member  of  the 
Kansas  State  Senate  and  a  well-known  business  man  of  Topeka,  who  is 
reputed  one  of  the  largest  contractors  in  the  State,  was  born  February  22, 
185 1,  in  Morgan  County,  Illinois.  He  is  one  of  a  family  of  10  children  born 
to  his  parents,  Joseph  B.  and  Susan  (Wiemer)  Betts. 

The  father  of  Mr.  Betts  was  born  at  Dover,  Delaware.  Upon  removing 
from  the  East,  he  became  a  resident  of  Illinois  and  later  came  to  Kansas. 
He  served  two  terms  as  sheriff  of  Piatt  County,  Illinois.  His  occupation 
was  farming.     He  died  in  1878. 

The  subject  ot  this  sketch  is  a  self-made  man.  He  had  but  meager  edu- 
cational opportunities  in  his  boyhood,  his  father  having  settled  in  a  somewhat 
remote  region.  The  first  school  he  attended  was  in  a  small  school  house 
erected  after  he  was  old  enough  to  assist  in  hauling  the  lumber  that  was  used 
in  constructing  it.  Later  he  enjoyed  a  course  at  a  commercial  college  and 
that  was  about  the  extent  of  his  schooling.  He  has  been  a  resident  of  Kansas 
since  he  was  nine  years  old,  his  parents  settling  in  Atchison  County  in  i860. 
In  1861  he  came  to  Jefferson  County  and  to  Topeka  in  1878,  and  ever  since 
he  has  been  engaged  in  a  general  contracting  business.  This  he  built  up  into 
one  of  the  largest  and  most  important  in  the  city,  then  in  the  county  and  finally 
in  the  State.  His  superior  work  enabled  him  to  secure  numerous  large  and 
extensive  contracts  from  the  United  States  government.  After  completing 
a  government  contract  at  Fort  Riley,  in  the  fall  of  1904,  amounting  to  over 
$260,000,^  he  was  awarded  another  at  Fort  Russell,  Wyoming,  in  March, 
1905,  amounting  to  $136,244.  He  has  built  many  hotels  and  school  build- 
ings all  over  the  West,  one  of  these  recently  completed  being  the  beautiful 
High  School  building  at  El  Reno,  Canadian  County,  Oklahoma.     Many  of 


364  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

the  depots  and  terminal  buildings  of  the  various  railroads  through  this  and 
other  sections  are  specimens  of  his  work. 

For  many  years  Mr.  Betts  has  been  prominent  in  Republican  politics 
and  has  been  influential  in  party  affairs.  He  served  two  years  in  the  City 
Council  and  from  1901  to  1905  was  a  member  of  the  State  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives. Approval  of  his  course  in  this  body  was  shown  by  his  election 
in  1904  to  the  State  Senate.  His  career  as  a  statesman  has  been  a  very  cred- 
itable one  and  he  enjoys  the  confidence  of  his  party. 

Mr.  Betts  married  Lulu  Sandmeyer,  who  is  a  daughter  of  the  late 
Jacob  W.  Sandmeyer.  Mr.  Sandmeyer  was  a  German  by  birth  and  for  a 
number  of  years  lived  in  New  Orleans,  Louisiana,  where  he  built  the  first 
modern  hearse  ever  made  in  that  city.  He  died  in  Mrs.  Betts'  childhood, 
after  having  become  a  well-known  wagon  manufacturer.  His  widow  sur- 
vived until  January  10,  1892.  The  three  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Betts  are: 
Joseph  W.,  Rebecca  Myrtle  and  Freda  Marguerite.  The  family  belong  to 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Their  beautiful  and  artistic  home  is  situ- 
ated at  No.  1029  North  Quincy  street  (North  Topeka). 

Fraternally,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  connected  with  the  Masonic 
bodies  in  the  higher  branches,  the  Odd  Fellows,  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the 
Elks.     His  portrait  accompanies  this  sketch. 


MARIE  ANTONIN   EUGENE  JAQUES  CAMPDORAS,  M.D. 

The  death  of  Dr.  M.  A.  E.  J.  Campdoras,  on  April  6,  1881,  removed 
from  Topeka  a  physician  and  surgeon  of  remarkable  professional  skill,  and 
a  man  whose  nobility  of  life  and  self-sacrificing  spirit  in  the  cause  of  right 
aroused  feelings  of  veneration  and  admiration  which  attended  him  through 
years  of  a  very  unusual  public  career.  Dr.  Campdoras  was  born  at  Thuir, 
Department  of  the  Pyrenees  Orientales,  France,  and  was  a  son  of  Francois 
Sylvestre  and  Justine  (Joubert)   Campdoras. 

Dr.  Campdoras  was  graduated  at  the  college  at  Perpignan,  where  he 
received  the  degree  of  A.  B.  and  then  from  the  University  of  France,  at  Mont- 
pelier,  in  medicine  and  surgery,  and  then  was  assigned  to  hospital  practice 
at  Toulon.  He  entered  the  navy  as  auxiliary  surgeon  and  was  at  sea  six 
years.  When  Napoleon  HI  declared  himself  emperor,  Dr.  Campdoras  was 
surgeon  of  the  "Pengouin"  and  was  the  only  officer  in  the  French  Navy  who 
was  brave  enough  to  stand  firm  for  freedom  and  a  republic,  resulting  in  his 
desertion  of  his  ship.    In  the  campaign  of  the  Var,  when  the  insurrectionists 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  365 

were  beaten,  he  escaped  over  the  Alps  to  Italy  and  subsequently,  with  others, 
embarked  at  Genoa  for  New  York. 

In  the  spring  of  1852  the  party  reached  New  York  after  three  months 
of  stormy  voyaging  and  set  foot  on  free  land.  During  this  voyage  Dr.  Camp- 
doras  and  the  late  Charles  Sardou,  whose  life  story  is  related  in  this  volume, 
became  acquainted,  having  the  same  aims  and  suffering  the  same  hardships, 
and  later  both  settled  near  Topeka,  friends  for  life.  Dr.  Campdoras  practiced 
medicine  and  surgery  in  New  York  City  for  three  years  and  then  went  South 
to  Louisiana  where  he  spent  the  winter  of  1854  teaching  Spanish  at  the 
Louisiana  State  College  at  Donaldson ville.  In  the  spring  of  1855  he  came 
to  Kansas  and  practiced  among  the  very  few  settlers  and  the  half-breed  Kaw 
Indians  settled  along  the  bottom  lands  of  the  Kaw  River,  among  whom  were 
the  Papans,  the  Bellemeres  and  the  De  Aubries.  Here  he  took  up  a  claim  of 
160  acres  but  this  he  later  sold  to  the  father  of  Spencer  Wade.  For  some  years 
he  made  his  home  with  Charles  Sardou  and  continued  to  practice  until  1871, 
when  his  failing  health  caused  him  to  discontinue. 

Early  in  1862  Dr.  Campdoras  enlisted  as  surgeon  of  the  Second  Regi- 
ment, Kansas  Home  Guards,  Col.  John  Ritchie  commanding,  and  served  18 
months  but  was  obliged  to  resign  on  account  of  ill  health.  He  participated  in 
the  battles  of  Prairie  Grove  and  Cane  Hill,  and  in  the  latter  fight  his  horse 
was  shot  from  under  him  and  he  was  slightly  wounded.  After  being  mustered 
out  at  Fort  Smith,  in  October,  1863,  he  came  back  to  his  home,  which  was 
then  in  Indianola  and  resumed  practice.  In  1871  he  retired  to  the  farm  which 
is  located  just  west  of  the  State  Reform  School  for  Boys, — a  tract  of  160 
acres  upon  which  his  wife  had  a  squatter  right,  under  the  law  which  then  gave 
an  unmarried  woman  a  quarter-section  of  land.  His  health  continued  so  poor 
that  he  at  last  fancied  that  if  he  could  once  more  breathe  the  air  of  his  native 
land,  vigor  would  return  to  him  and  in  1880,  after  so  many  years  of  absence, 
he  once  more  trod  the  soil  of  France.  He  met  with  disappointment  and  re- 
turned to  his  Kansas  home  in  the  same  year.  He  learned  what  he  had  not  known 
before,  that  the  French  government  had  condemned  him  to  death  on  account 
of  the  part  he  had  taken  in  the  insurrection,  but  he  also  learned  that  he  had 
powerful  and  devoted  friends  there  who  met  and  drafted  a  special  bill  asking 
for  a  pension.  His  disappointment  was  in  the  change  that  time  had  wrought 
and  in  the  dififerent  way  that  freedom  in  his  native  land  was  regarded  in 
comparison  to  the  ideals  for  which  he  had  sacrificed  almost  everything.  As 
long  as  he  lived,  and  his  death  followed  his  visit  abroad,  he  placed  patriotism 
before  every  other  sentiment. 

In  1858,  Dr.  Campdoras  married  Eliza  Reader,  who  was  born  in  Penn- 
sylvania, of  English  and  American  parents,  respectively.  Her  mother  died 
when  she  was  two  years  old  and  she  lived  with  her  aunt,  Mrs.  Eliza  Cole,  and 


366  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

was  reared  and  educated  in  Illinois.  When  she  was  about  21  years  old  her 
uncle  and  aunt  and  brother  Samuel  decided  to  move  to  Kansas  and  they  left 
LaHarpe,  Illinois,  on  May  10,  1855,  in  a  prairie  schooner  and  reached  their 
destination  on  June  5th  of  the  same  year.  After  her  marriage  she  and 
her  husband  went  to  live  at  Indianola.  They  became  the  parents  of  seven  chil- 
dren, as  follows :  Leon  Samuel,  Johanna  Katherine,  Frank  Reader,  Virginia 
Justine,  Grace,  Velleda  Mathilde  and  Irene  May.  Leon  Samuel  operates  the 
home  farm  of  160  acres  which  his  father  bought  previous  to  his  death,  which 
is  located  two  and  a  half  miles  north  of  North  Topeka.  The  location  is  fine, 
the  residence  standing  on  an  elevation  among  grand  old  trees,  giving  a  charm- 
ing view  of  the  city  of  Topeka,  the  noble  dome  of  the  Capitol  Building,  the 
Kaw  River  winding  through  green  banks  and  the  wide  spread  of  fertile  farms. 
This  home  was  built  in  1887,  the  family  having  come  here  from  the  old  farm 
which  was  situated  in  the  lowlands.  The  eldest  daughter  resides  with  her 
mother  as  do  Velleda  Mathilde  and  Grace.  Frank  R.  lives  at  Richter  Station, 
where  he  is  agent  for  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railway  Company; 
He  married  Florence  Packard  and  they  have  two  children,  Francis  P.  and 
Cecile  C.  Virginia  Justine  is  the  wife  of  Albert  C.  Root,  of  Kansas  City, 
Kansas,  and  they  have  two  children, — Irving  C.  and  Eugenia  J.  The  youngest 
daughter  is  the  wife  of  Clarence  P.  Scott,  of  Kansas  City,  Kansas. 

Dr.  Campdoras  was  a  member  of  Golden  Rule  Lodge,  No.  90,  A.  F.  & 
A.  M.,  of  Topeka,  and  he  belonged  to  the  Capitol  Grange  organization,  also 
of  Topeka.  In  politics  he  embraced  the  principles  of  the  Republican  party 
and  always  voted  that  ticket  except  during  the  candidacy  of  Peter  Cooper,  with 
whose  sentiments  he  was  so  in  accord  that  he  cast  his  vote  for  the  great 
philanthropist.  It  was  always  a  matter  of  satisfaction  that  his  early  devotion 
to  his  native  country  was  so  valued  by  his  fellow  insurgents  that  he  was 
proffered  the  command  of  the  army,  a  position  he  declined  on  account  of  his 
youth,  realizing  that  more  experienced  men  would  be  needed  to  direct  so  great 
an  undertaking.  Neither  would  he  accept  political  preferment  in  his  chosen 
home,  although  he  could  easily  have  secured  it.  Joseph  M.  Cole,  an  uncle  of 
Mrs.  Campdoras,  was  a  member  of  the  first  Free-State  Territorial  Legisla- 
ture. 

The  following  lines  appear  in  Noel  Blache's  book  entitled  "Insurrection 
of  the  Var,"  December,  185 1,  translated  from  the  French  by  Mrs.  Camp- 
doras. 

"At  the  supreme  moment  the  insurgents  wish  to  show  some  appreciation 
of  one  who  has  always  been  dear  to  their  hearts  and  in  whom  they  had  every 
confidence.  Campdoras  was  surgeon  on  the  flag  ship  'Pengouin,'  at  that 
time  anchored  in  the  roadstead  of  St.  Tropez.  A  grand  garcon,  brown  and 
robust,  born  in  one  of  our  Pyrenees  departments.     His  black  hair  and  strong 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  36; 

beard,  his  mobile  countenance,  slightly  irregular,  his  eyes  sparkling  with 
intelligence,  he  looked  full  of  frankness.  A  fluent  speaker  with  easy  jestures, 
all  in  him  denoted  the  tribune.  The  virility  of  his  character  united  with  ex- 
treme prompitude  of  decision  predistined  him  to  the  important  part  he  played 
in  the  insurrection  of  the  Var.  His  republican  convictions  were  ardent  and 
enlightened  by  a  profound  study  of  our  revolutionary  history,  brave,  generous, 
his  love  for  the  people  was  without  limit.  His  goodness  without  equal.  All 
those  that  have  known  him,  especially  those  that  have  been  intimate  with  him, 
remember  how  his  conversation  was  witty,  sharp  and  to  the  point  owing  to 
its  originality  and  how  his  repartees  were  lively  and  piquant-  They  also  re- 
member what  heart  of  gold  beat  in  his  breast,  but  that  which  they  never  forget 
were  the  flashes  of  light  which  sprang  from  his  eyes  when  speaking  on  public 
affairs.  It  was  then  that  he  beat  into  retreat  the  reasoning  of  his  adversaries, 
carrying  conviction  into  their  minds  and  bringing  into  light  the  indignation 
of  their  souls.  When  Campdoras  learned  the  news  of  the  Coup  d'  Etat,  he  left 
the  'Pengouin'  at  once  and  sacrificed  to  what  he  considered  his  duty,  his 
future,  his  position,  his  well-being,  and  placed  himself  resolutely  at  the  head 
of  the  insurgents  of  St.   Tropez." 


HON.  STEPHEN   H.  ALLEN. 

Hon.  Stephen  H.  Allen,  who  has  been  an  honored  resident  of  Topeka, 
since  1892,  the  same  year  in  which  he  was  elected  a  Supreme  Court  judge, 
was  born  March  19,  1849,  at  Sinclairville,  New  York,  and  is  a  son  of  Caleb 
J.  and  Emily  (Haley)  Allen. 

The  Allen  family  is  an  old  New  England  one  and  both  parents  of  our 
distinguished  subject  were  born  in  Connecticut.  The  father  entered  business 
life  as  a  hatter,  but  later  became  a  merchant  at  Sinclairville,  New  York.  Of 
the  nine  children  of  the  family.  Judge  Allen  is  the  only  survivor. 

Like  many  o'ther  eminent  men,  Judge  Allen  found  no  royal  road  to  learn- 
ing. His  early  education  was  secured  in  the  public  schools  under  very  differ- 
ent conditions  from  those  of  the  present  day,  and  when  his  aptitude  for  mathe- 
matics and  later  leaning  toward  the  law  led  him  to  study  civil  engineering  and 
enter  upon  the  stud  of  Coke  and  Blackstone,  he  first  earned  the  money  to 
pursue  these  studies  by  teaching  school  and  various  other  labors.  His  pre- 
ceptor in  the  law  was  Obed  Edson,  a  well-known  practitioner  of  Sinclairville. 
He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  Buffalo,  New  York,  November  5,  1869,  and  in 
the  same  year  removed  to  Missouri  as  a  member  of  a  railroad  surveying 
party  and  reached  Pleasanton,  Kansas,  in  1870,  and  settled  in  Linn  County, 


368  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

where  he  still  owns  a  fine  farm  of  260  acres  not  far  from  Mound  City,  the 
county-seat.  From  1875  to  1876  he  served  as  prosecuting  attorney  of  Linn 
County  and  continued  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  there  until  1890  when 
he  was  elected  judge  of  the  Sixth  Judicial  District.  Two  years  later  he  was 
elected  to  a  seat  on  the  Supreme  bench.  Judge  Allen  has  always  enjoyed  a 
large  measure  of  professional  success  and  the  universal  esteem  of  both  bench 
and  bar. 

In  1872  Judge  Allen  was  married  to  Lucina  A.  Smith,  who  is  a  daughter 
of  Capt.  Otis  H.  and  Phoebe  A.  (Thurston)  Smith,  formerly  of  Illinois. 
The  four  children  born  to  Judge  and  Mrs.  Allen  are:  Otis  S.,  in  partnership 
with  his  father  in  the  practice  of  the  law,  who  was  married  October  19,  1904, 
to  Flora  B.  Jones,  of  Bloomington,  Illinois;  Emily  A.,  Mrs.  Charles  H. 
Drew,  of  Richfield,  Morton  County,  Kansas,  who  is  a  graduate  of  the  Kansas 
State  University ;  Ellen  A.,  who  resides  at  home ;  and  George  S.  Judge  Allen 
and  his  family  are  prominent  in  the  city's  social  life  and  he  is  a  valued  mem- 
ber of  the  Authors'  Club. 


NATHAN   P.  HORTON. 

Nathan  P.  Horton,  one  of  the  retired  farmers  of  Soldier  township, 
Shawnee  County,  whose  75  acres  of  fine  land  are  situated  in  section  17,  town- 
ship II,  range  16,  is  also  a  survivor  of  many  of  the  most  serious  battles  and 
thrilling  experiences  of  the  Civil  War  and  of  the  early  days  of  Topeka.  Mr. 
Horton  was  born  May  22,  1828,  at  Eastham,  Cape  Cod,  Massachusetts,  and 
is  a  son  of  Cushing  and  Rachel  (Higgins)  Horton. 

The  father  of  Mr.  Horton  was  a  farmer  and  also  kept  a  general  store, 
and,  as  was  customary,  was  also  the  local  postmaster.  Life  passed  too  quietly 
and  uneventfully  for  the  sturdy  and  ambitious  son  of  the  family,  our  subject, 
and  when  18  years  old  he  went  to  work  in  Boston  as  a  ferryboy  on  a  ferry  line 
between  East  Boston  and  Boston,  owned  by  the  Eastern  Railway.  Here  he 
remained  three  years  and  then  was  employed  in  a  new  meat  market  in  Boston 
and  remained  in  the  meat  business  for  about  eight  years.  After  disposing  of 
his  meat  market  interests,  he  went  into  the  restaurant  business  for  the  Eastern 
Railway  in  partnership  with  a  Mr.  Knowles,  and  prospered  for  some  four 
years. 

In  the  meantime  Mr.  Horton  had  been  much  impressed  with  the  ad- 
vantages afforded  by  the  West  and  concluded  to  try  his  fortune  beyond  the 
Mississippi  River,  but  in  New  York  he  was  dissuaded  from  his  purpose  and 
returned  to  Boston.    In  1858,  however,  he  succeeded  in  his  plans  and  came  to 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  369 

Topeka.  His  first  winter  was  spent  in  hunting  and  then  he  became  connected 
with  a  sawmill  and  later  handled  logs  and  wood  and  did  considerable  team- 
ing. The  life  was  one  of  adventure  and  often  fraught  with  considerable  hard- 
ship. 

Mr.  Horton  enlisted  at  Topeka,  September  i,  1862,  in  Company  H, 
nth  Reg.,  Kansas  Vol.  Inf.,  for  three  years  under  Capt.  Joel  Huntoon  and 
-was  mustered  out  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  September  13,  1865.  In  this  interim 
he  had  participated  in  these  battles :  Old  Fort  Wayne,  Cane  Hill,  Boston 
■Mountains,  Prairie  Grove,  Van  Buren  and  Sin  Hills,  spending  the  greater 
part  of  1863-64  in  fighting  guerillas  and  bushwhackers  in  Western  Missouri. 
He  took  part  in  the  pursuit  of  General  Price  and  was  concerned  in  the 
battles  of  Lexington,  Little  Blue,  Independence,  Westport,  Big  Blue,  Trading 
Post,  Byrom's  Ford  and  in  guarding  the  overland  route  in  the  Red  Butte 
country.  He  survived  the  dangers  of  this  long  campaign  in  which  he  made 
a  grand  record  for  gallantry  and  efficiency. 

After  being  mustered  out  of  the  army,  Mr.  Horton  then  bought  some 
horses  at  Fort  Leavenworth  and  went  to  teaming  in  Topeka,  including  street 
grading  and  similar  work,  until  1868,  when  he  bought  his  present  farm.  At 
this  time  he  was  toll-keeper  on  the  pontoon  bridge  across  the  Kansas  River 
at  Topeka,  a  position  he  held  for  three  years.  He  has  been  engaged  in  farm- 
ing from  1869  until  recently,  when  he  rented  his  land. 

Mr.  Horton  was  married  January  21,  1891,  to  Lorena  Stebbins,  who  is 
a  daughter  of  John  S.  and  Annie  (Gogan)  Stebbins,  of  Topeka,  and  they  have 
four  children :  Laura  P.,  John  S.,  Pearl  M.  and  Elmira  M. 

Mr.  Horton  is  affiliated  with  the  Republican  part,  and  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  School  Board  for  many  years.  He  is  a  valued  member  of  Blue 
Post,  No.  250,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 


VOIGT  BROTHERS. 

VoiGT  Brothers,  promment  business  men  of  Topeka,  whose  large  re- 
tail and  wholesale  baking  establishment  is  located  at  No.  1121  East  Sixth 
avenue,  Topeka,  are  sons  of  Herbert  and  Mary  Ann  (Rupple)  Voigt.  William 
Albert,  the  senior  member,  was  born  October  28,  1873,  ^^  Cowley  County, 
Kansas,  and  John  Theodore,  the  junior  member,  was  born  at  Topeka,  May  19, 
1881. 

Theodore  Voigt,  the  patrenal  grandfather,  was  a  very  highly  educated 
and  respected  school  teacher  in  Germany.  Paul  Rupple,  the  grandfather  on 
the  maternal  side,  was  also  a  man  held  in  esteem  in  Germany  and  at  one  time 


370  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

was  elected  mayor  of  the  city  of  Darmstadt.  Later  he  came  to  the  United 
States  and  settled  in  Pennsylvania.  His  death  took  place  September  23,  1867. 
Herbert  Voigt  was  born  in  1831  in  Prussia  and  came  to  America  a  lad  of 
14  years,  in  1845,  settling  in  Wisconsin,  where  he  followed  the  trade  of 
stone-mason  and  brick-layer  until  1862,  when  he  enlisted  in  Company  D, 
33rd  Reg.,  Wisconsin  Vol.  Inf.,  under  General  Fitch,  and  was  discharged 
August  9,  1865,  at  Vicksburg.  While  in  the  army  he  had  a  sunstroke  which 
prevented  his  working  at  his  trade  and  in  1866  he  came  to  Kansas,  from 
Wisconsin,  and  settled  at  Topeka.  Later  he  married  and  went  to  farming 
on  160  acres  in  Cowley  County.  This  land  he  cleared  and  there  he  built  a 
log  house  in  which  four  of  his  oldest  children  were  born.  He  died  June 
4,  1895. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  born  at  Frankfort,  Germany,  in  1843, 
and  came  to  America  in  1850  with  her  father  and  to  Kansas  in  1866,  being  the 
first  people  to  come  to  Topeka  by  train.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Voigt  had  eight  chil- 
dren, namely :  Charles,  Lizzie,  Henry,  William  Albert,  Frances  Lena,  Edward, 
John  Theodore  and  Alexander.  Charles  died  in  infancy.  Lizzie  is  the  wife 
of  W.  T.  Landis,  of  Auburndale,  now  baker  for  the  Royal  Bakery  at  Topeka, 
and  formerly  baker  for  the  State  Insane  Asylum.  They  have  six  children. 
Henry  and  Edward  died  in  infancy.  Frances  Lena  is  the  widow  of  Mr. 
McClure,  a  printer,  who  died  March  9,  1897,  and  is  buried  at  Topeka. 
Alexander  is  a  stenographer  at  Topeka  and  is  also  learning  the  electrical 
business. 

On  September  i,  1892,  William  A.  Voigt,  in  association  with  his  father, 
purchased  the  present  bakery  business  from  Orvil  H.  Thompson,  and  John 
T.  Voigt  learned  the  business  here  and  on  November  20,  1893,  was  taken 
into  partnership.  The  business  is  conducted  under  the  firm  name  of  Voigt 
Brothers  and  they  control  a  large  trade,  supplying  Bedwell's  private  insane 
asylum,  in  addition  to  the  larger  part  of  the  residence  district  in  the  Second 
Ward.  They  have  a  well-equipped  plant,  deal  both  wholesale  and  retail  and 
their  goods  are  noted  for  excellence  and  variety.  Both  members  of  the  firm 
are  men  of  exemplary  character. 

William  A.  Voigt  was  married  August  7,  1895,  at  Topeka,  to  Annie  E. 
Snyder,  who  is  a  daughter  of  James  M.  and  Mary  E.  (Lazarus)  Snyder, 
natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  they  have  four  children:  William  Robert, 
Howard  Murry,  Mary  Irene  and  Charles  Albert.  Mr.  Voigt  is  one  of  the 
leading  Republicans  of  his  ward. 

John  T.  Voigt  was  married  December  14,  1904,  at  Topeka,  to  Lucy 
Emeline  Hawkins,  who  is  a  daughter  of  William  Deville  and  Mattie  (Routhe) 
Hawkins,  natives  of  Bluffton,  Indiana.     The  father  was  born  in  New  York 


JOSEPH    BROMICH 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  373 

and  later  came  to  Kc^nsas  where  he  engaged  in  work  at  the  carpenter's  trade 
for  some  years.  He  still  survives  but  his  wife  died  July  3,  1884,  and  was 
interred  at  Bluffton.     Like  his  brother,  Mr.  Voigt  is  a  stanch  Republican. 


JOSEPH   BROMICH. 

Joseph  Bromich,  one  of  Topeka's  most  successful  business  men,  whose 
portrait  is  shown  on  the  opposite  page,  is  proprietor  of  the  Topeka  Steam 
Boiler  Works,  one  of  the  largest  and  best  equipped  west  of  the  Mississippi 
River.  This  concern  enjoys  a  very  large  local  trade,  and  has  shipped  exten- 
sively to  all  points  in  the  West. 

Mr.  Bromich  was  born  near  Birmingham,  England,  December  25,  1847, 
and  is  a  son  of  Benjamin  and  Emma  Bromich,  both  life-long  residents  of 
England.  Joseph  was  the  youngest  of  four  children  born  to  his  parents,  and 
began  working  during  his  boyhood  days,  his  education  being  such  as  he 
could  procure  at  night  after  his  hard  day's  work  had  ended.  He  learned 
the  trade  of  a  boiler-maker  in  Birmingham,  England,  and  there  followed  it 
until  he  reached  his  majority  in  1868.  Then  after  his  marriage,  he  crossed 
the  Atlantic  Ocean  to  seek  his  fortune  in  the  United  States.  He  located  in 
New  York  City  a  short  time,  then  went  to  Florida  where  he  obtained  work 
in  the  railroad  shops.  After  a  few  months  in  Florida,  he  embarked  for  the 
West  Indies.  After  visiting  many  seaports  and  places  of  interest,  he  took 
passage  on  the  Peruvian  naval  ship  "Maranon,"  joining  the  navy  as  boiler- 
maker  and  blacksmith  aboard  ship.  Tiring  of  the  navy,  he  returned  to  Liver- 
pool, England,  arriving  there  November  30,  1869.  He  was  employed  for  a 
time  in  the  phosphorus  works  of  Albright  &  Wilson  at  Birmingham,  and 
then  determined  to  return  to  the  United  States.  On  February  23,  1870,  he 
started  on  the  voyage,  his  family  following  in  November  of  the  same  year. 
Upon  arriving  in  this  country  he  engaged  with  Lowell  &  Rose,  of  Rancocas, 
New  Jersey,  to  build  a  phosphorous  works.  After  its  completion,  he  jour- 
neyed West  to  Topeka,  Kansas,  arriving  in  July,  1871,  and  here  obtained 
work  the  first  day  at  the  old  Kaw  Valley  (now  known  as  the  Western)  Foun- 
dry, conducted  by  Babcock  &  Cleland.  He  remained  with  this  concern  two 
years;  during  the  latter  part  of  this  period  it  was  owned  by  Andrew  Stark. 
He  then  worked  at  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railway  shops  under 
Master  Mechanic  Faries  until  in  partnership  with  R.  L.  Cofran,  ex-mayor  of 
Topeka,  he  purchased  the  Kaw  Valley  Foundry  property,  which  had  been 
destroyed  by  fire.  Although  it  was  the  time  of  the  panic  and  also  of  the 
disastrous  grasshopper  visitation,  these  thrifty  gentlemen  made  a  success  of 

18 


374  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

their  venture  and  soon  found  it  necessary  to  enlarge  the  plant.  At  the  end 
of  three  years,  our  subject  disposed  of  his  interest  in  the  business  to  his 
partner  and  established  the  Topeka  Steam  Boiler  Works,  and  success  has 
crowned  his  efforts  ever  since.  He  manufactures  all  kinds  of  boilers,  accord- 
ing to  specifications  furnished,  and  conducts  the  largest  and  most  complete 
plant  west  of  the  Mississippi,  with  the  exception  of  the  Union  Iron  Works 
of  San  Francisco,  but  not  e:!icluding  those  of  St.  Louis.  His  boiler  shop, 
which  in  dimensions  is  140  by  140  feet,  has  about  32,000  square  feet  of  floor 
space,  and  includes  in  its  equipment  all  of  the  most  modern  machinery  money 
can  procure.  It  has  labor-saving  machinery  of  every  description,  run  eco- 
nomically by  electric  power;  500  volts  are  required  when  the  plant  is  in  full 
operation.  So  complete  is  the  equipment  that  a  single  man  can  handle  large 
plates  of  iron,  and  the  plant  is  so  arranged  that  a  boiler  can  be  loaded  in  two 
minutes  time  with  the  aid  of  cranes.  In  connection  Mr.  Bromich  carries  a 
complete  stock  of  steam  and  water  supplies,  handling  the  very  best  goods. 
He  is  one  of  the  most  public-spirited  men  of  the  city,  whose  welfare  he  has 
at  heart. 

Mr.  Bromich  was  married  in  England  in  1868  to  Mary  Ann  Allton,  a 
native  of  Birmingham,  and  of  six  children  born  to  them,  three  are  living: 
Maria,  formerly  bookkeeper  and  stenographer  for  her  father,  who  is  the  wife 
of  Edward  McGinnis;  Walter,  who  attends  to  mechanical  affairs  connected 
with  his  father's  business;  and  Henry,  who  handles  the  financial  end  of  the 
business.  The  family  home  is  north  of  the  plant,  and  Mr.  Bromich  also  owns 
considerable  other  city  property. 


FREEMAN  SARDOU. 

Freeman  Sardou,  whose  handsome  brick  residence  at  No.  445  Freeman 
avenue, Topeka,  is  surrounded  by  a  tract  of  20  acres  mainly  devoted  to  fruit 
culture,  is  a  well-known  citizen  of  Shawnee  County  and  was  one  of  the  first 
residents  of  Topeka.  He  was  born  January  16,  1854,  on  the  Atlantic  Ocean 
en  route  for  free  America,  and  is  a  son  of  Charles  and  Josephine  (Mere) 
Sardou. 

The  life  of  the  father  of  Mr.  Sardou  was  full  enough  of  striking  events 
to  furnish  foundation  for  a  hundred  romances.  He  was  born  near  Carqueiranne, 
France,  in  1813,  and  for  23  years  of  his  life  was  a  sailor  on  the  sea.  He 
was  much  more  than  a  sailor  as  his  later  life  demonstrated,  possessing  cour- 
age and  fortitude  and  the  personal  bravery  which  made  the  revolutionists  of 
1848  such  a  menace  to  royalty  in  France.     For  these  qualities  he  was  con- 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  375 

sidered  a  dangerous  person  and  a  price  of  20,000  francs  was  set  on  his  head 
and  his  faithful  wife  was  exiled.  It  became  a  matter  of  necessity  for  him 
to  escape  to  a  land  where  each  man  could  enjoy  his  rights  of  citizenship  and 
be  protected  in  the  same,  and  thus  the  eyes  of  the  French  refugees  were  turned 
to  America.  With  a  party  of  his  mates  numbering  17,  he  seized  a  vessel  at 
one  of  the  ports  and  headed  for  the  land  across  the  Atlantic  which  was 
reached  after  a  voyage  of  120  days.  It  was  during  this  period  that  our  sub- 
ject came  into  the  world.  The  voyagers,  being  mostly  sailors,  knew  when 
and  how  to  beach  the  vessel  and  after  leaving  her  to  her  fate  made  their  way 
to  land  and  freedom. 

In  1854,  with  J.  B.  Billiard,  Frederick  K.  Vesscelda  and  a  Mr.  Berrenger, 
Mr.  Sardou  came  to  Kansas.  Each  took  up  160  acres  of  land  and  they  were 
the  first  white  people  to  locate  at  Topeka,  the  date  being  August  28,  1854. 
Charles  Sardou's  troubles  were  by  no  means  ended.  His  first  house,  a  dugout 
by  the  side  of  a  bank,  was  washed  away  by  a  sudden  flood ;  a  sod  house,  which 
took  its  place,  was  blown  down  by  a  furious  wind  storm,  and  the  third  home, 
a  log  house,  was  burned  to  the  ground,  on  November  23,  1854.  Two  days 
later  a  party  of  white  people,  led  by  the  well-remembered  Daniel  H.  Home, 
crossed  the  place  where  his  log  cabin  had  stood,  headed  for  Topeka.  The 
flood  which  covered  all  this  territory  about  this  time  washed  away  many 
landmarks,  but  fortunately  left  the  sills  of  his  house  standing.  During  the 
flood,  the  coming  of  which  was  sudden,  Mr.  Sardou  crossed  the  river  on  the 
ice  with  his  wife  and  child — Freeman. 

In  the  succeeding  April  Charles  Sardou  went  back  to  his  farm  and 
found  it  occupied,  a  Dr.  Martin  having  "jumped"  his  claim.  There  was 
nothing  to  do  but  to  enter  suit  for  his  land  and  it  was  not  until  i860  that 
he  was  able  to  oust  the  usurper.  During  all  this  time  no  work  had  been  done 
on  the  land,  but  nevertheless  he  had  to  pay  Dr.  Martin  all  he  possessed  in 
order  to  secure  it,  a  claim  being  made  for  improvements.  It  was  mainly  owing 
to  the  sworn  testimony  of  Daniel  H.  Home  that  Mr.  Sardou  obtained  his 
rights.  That  pioneer  testified  to  seeing  the  door-sills  of  the  log  cabin  on 
the  land  when  he  and  his  party  came  to  Topeka. 

Until  May  1870,  Mr.  Sardou  remained  on  his  farm,  quietly  cultivating 
it  and  reaping  large  returns,  but  his  heart  was  still  in  the  old  country  across 
the  ocean.  The  revolution  there  again  stirred  old  memories  and  finally  he 
decided  to  take  what  fortune  he  had  been  able  to  accumulate  and  to  return 
to  France  and  assist  in  the  overthrow  of  royalty.  With  $4,000,  which  the 
French  subjects  in  Kansas  had  subscribed  to  the  cause  he  went  to  New  York 
and  there  he  recruited  1,000  men  and  with  them  sailed  to  France  to  help 
the  cause.     He  took  part  in  the  battles  of  Strasburg,  Metz  and  Sedan,  and 


376  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

after  seeing  the  fall  of  Paris  he  returned  to  Kansas  in  September,  1871,  hav- 
ing been  absent  for  nine  months. 

It  has  been  stated  that  Mr.  Sardou's  friend,  Dr.  M.  A.  E.  J.  Campdoras, 
was  offered  the  first  presidency  of  France  in  1848.  Mr.  Sardou  was  pen- 
sioned and  after  his  second  return  to  that  land  was  elected  to  a  seat  in  the 
House  of  Deputies  for  life.  He  survived  all  of  his  companions  in  the  ship 
and  died  within  a  stone's  throw  of  the  house  in  which  he  was  born,  on 
November  2,  1894,  aged  81  and  a  half  years.  His  tomb  is  in  the  old  sailors' 
and  soldiers'  cemetery  there. 

Our  subject,  in  spite  of  the  adventures  of  which  he  was  an  unconscious 
witness  during  his  early  life,  grew  up  at  Topeka  as  a  happy  earnest  school 
boy.  He  was  a  pupil  in  the  school  located  at  loth  avenue  and  Jackson  street 
when  he  had  to  walk  two  miles  to  reach  the  school  house,  the  teacher  being 
a  Mr.  Drake  who  closed  the  school  in  1862  and  entered  the  army.  He  then 
became  a  student  in  the  Harrison  and  Lincoln  schools.  In  1869  he  was  one 
of  the  first  five  pupils  admitted  to  the  High  School,  the  others  being :  Emma 
Boyd,  now  Mrs.  F.  C.  Bowen;  Mrs.  Emma  Woods;  W.  C.  Campbell  and 
Lloyd  Hope,  all  still  surviving  except  Mr.  Hope. 

After  completing  his  education,  Mr.  Sardou  learned  the  tinner's  trade 
at  St.  Louis,  at  which  he  worked  for  13  years.  In  1883  when  his  father 
returned  to  France,  he  came  back  to  the  farm  and  has  continued  to  reside 
here  ever  since.  It  is  a  beautiful  place,  one  section  of  it  being  shaded  with 
stately  old  oaks  of  a  century's  growth  perhaps,  while  his  orchards  of  his 
own  planting  yield  lavishly  the  most  luscious  fruits  found  in  the  State. 
He  has  devoted  much  care  to  the  culture  of  fruit  and  has  great  arbors  of 
Concord  grapes,  four  kinds  of  choice  cherries  and  small  fruits  in  abundance. 

Mr.  Sardou  was  married  on  September  26,  1878,  to  Mary  A.  Morriss, 
who  is  a  daughter  of  George  A.  G.  and  Leddie  (Ladd)  Morriss,  and  they 
have  two  sons, — Charles  and  George.  The  former,  who  is  an  electrician, 
married  Emma  Isaacson  and  lives  at  Third  and  Madison  streets,  Topeka. 
The  latter,  also  an  electrician,  married  Gertie  Bradenburg  and  they  reside  with 
our  subject. 

Although  not  an  active  politician,  Mr.  Sardou  takes  much  interest  in 
public  affairs  and  votes  with  the  Democratic  party.  His  fraternal  connec- 
tion is  with  Topeka  Lodge,  No.  38,  Knights  of  Pythias. 

During  the  flood  of  1903  Mr.  Sardou  and  his  sons  succeeded  in  rescuing 
over  300  people  who  were  in  peril  of  their  lives,  and  the  citizens  of  Topeka 
in  grateful  remembrance  presented  him  and  his  sons  each  with  a  beautiful 
gold  medal,  appropriately  inscribed.  Mr.  Sardou's  medal  on  the  one  side 
has  in  gold  type  "For  Bravery," — below  being  a  representation  of  a  row 
boat  filled  with  a  party  he  had  just  rescued;  on  the  opposite  side  is  found 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  377 

this  inscription:  "Presented  by  citizens  of  Topeka,  Kansas,  to  Freeman 
Sardou  for  manly  and  heroic  efforts  in  behalf  of  his  fellow  beings  during  the 
flood  of  May  30th,  1903." 

As  may  be  supposed,  few  men  are  better  informed  concerning  the  early 
days  of  Topeka  when  a  few  indifferent  buildings  and  Indian  wigwams  repre- 
sented what  is  now  the  beautiful  capital  city  of  the  State.  The  wildest  dream 
of  that  time  would  not  have  pictured,  even  in  illusion,  the  busy  marts  of  trade, 
the  rush  and  roar  of  steam  and  electric  roads,  the  bustle  of  some  of  the 
largest  industries  in  the  world,  and  the  beautiful  Capitol  Building  looking 
down  through  streets,  avenues  and  boulevards  which  are  filled  with  the 
representatives  of  the  commerce,  intelligence,  beauty  and  culture  of  all  parts 
of  the  world.  And  the  time  has  come  when  Kansas  has,  through  native 
strength  and  self-assertion,  become  really  and  truly  the  land  the  French 
refugee  sought — one  of  freedom.  No  early  mention  of  Topeka  can  be  com- 
plete without  his  name. 


CHARLES   R.  MAUNSELL. 

Charles  R.  Maunsell,  superintendent  and  manager  of  the  Edison 
Electric  Illuminating  Company  of  Topeka,  one  of  the  city's  largest  and  most 
important  enterprises,  was  born  February  19,  1865,  in  the  city  of  Dublin, 
Ireland,  and  is  a  son  of  Robert  Charles  and  Isabella  (Hanks)  Maunsell. 

Mr.  Maunsell  came  to  America  with  his  parents  in  1869.  His  educa- 
tion was  obtained  in  the  public  schools  of  Chicago  and  he  received  his  techni- 
cal training  at  the  Chicago  Athenaeum  where  he  was  graduated  in  1886. 
He  then  entered  the  employ  of  the  Chicago  Edison  Company  and  when  the 
capitalists  of  Topeka  wanted  an  experienced,  capable  and  reliable  man  to 
manage  and  superintend  the  electric  system  here,  Mr.  Maunsell  was  chosen 
for  the  responsible  position.    In  1894  he  became  a  resident  of  Topeka. 

The  Edison  Electric  Illuminating  Company  of  Topeka  was  organized  in 
1887  by  some  of  the  city's  large  capitalists  and  was  one  of  the  first  electric 
enterprises  in  the  State.  The  plant  was  built  when  such  undertakings  had 
many  experimental  features,  but  the  officers  of  the  company  were  progressive, 
sensible  business  men  and  the  Topeka  Edison  plant  is  as  near  perfection  as  any 
such  concern  can  be  and  the  company  is  one  which  has  never  had  any  cause 
to  complain  as  to  its  prosperity.  The  officers  of  the  company  are:  Joab 
Mulvane,  president;  J.  R.  Mulvane,  vice-president;  Edward  Wilder,  secre- 
tary and  treasurer;  and  Charles  R.  Maunsell,  superintendent  and  manager. 

This  plant  was  built  by  the  Thomas  A.  Edison  Company,  in  1887,  con- 
sisting of  three  150-horsepower  boilers,  three  i2S-horsepower  engines  and 


378  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

six  "Edison"  generators.  The  buildings  were  so  designed  that  they  would 
hold  double  the  equipment,  which  was  soon  found  necessary.  At  present  the 
plant  is  equipped  with  1,600-horsepower  boilers  and  1,700-horsepower  engines 
and  generators.  Recently  contracts  have  been  let  to  make  the  engines  and 
generators  of  3,700-horsepower,  and  a  new  building  in  course  of  construction 
will  have  space  for  an  additional  2,000-horsepower  when  needed.  It  is  the 
company's  intention  to  furnish  power  to  all  manufacturing  concerns  whether 
they  use  i  or  1,000-horsepower.  All  the  buildings  are  fire-proof,  this  insuring 
reliable  and  permanent  service ;  the  switchboard  is  of  marble ;  the  boilers  are  of 
the  water-tube,  safety  type  with  automatic  stokers  and  coal-handling  ma- 
chinery. All  the  buildings  in  the  central  portion  of  Topeka  are  supplied  with 
steam  heat  through  underground  mains  from  this  company's  steam  heating 
system,  this  branch  of  the  business  having  been  in  operation  since  1897.  The 
company  propose  to  extend  this  branch  of  service  as  the  demands  and  growth 
of  the  city  require.  The  plant  is  located  at  No.  722  Van  Buren  street  and 
is  one  of  the  interesting  sights  of  the  capital  city. 

Mr.  Maunsell  was  married  June  i,  1887,  to  Angeline  Curtice,  and  they 
have  three  children,  Charles  J.,  Burton  R.  and  Bernard  S.,  all  attending  school. 
Mr.  Maunsell  and  family  belong  to  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church.  His 
fraternal  associations  are  with  the  Topeka  Lodge,  No.  204,  Benevolent  and 
Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  with  the  Woodmen  of  the  World. 


BYRON  ROBERTS. 

Byron  Roberts,  one  of  Topeka's  most  prominent  business  men,  presi- 
dent of  the  Aetna  Building  &  Loan  Association,  was  born  August  22,  1832, 
at  New  Comerstown,  Tuscarawas  County,  Ohio,  and  is  a  son  of  Lewis  and 
Katherine   (Neighbor)    Roberts. 

The  father  of  Mr.  Roberts  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  and  subsequently 
became  a  resident  of  Ohio  where  his  active  life  was  spent.  The  mother 
was  born  in  New  Jersey  and  came  from  an  old  family  established  in  America 
in  1700.  Of  their  three  sons  our  subject  is  the  only  survivor.  The  father 
died  when  his  son  was  but  four  years  old,  but  the  mother  survived  to  the 
unusual  age  of  102  years,  dying  in  1896. 

Mr.  Roberts  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  place  and 
later  attended  Madison  College  at  Antrim,  Ohio.  For  some  years  follow- 
ing he  was  interested  in  a  mercantile  line,  first  as  a  clerk  and  later  as  pro- 
prietor. His  settlement  in  Kansas  was  the  result  of  a  visit  he  made  in  1870, 
vhen  he  was  so  favorably  impressed  that  he  settled  at  Topeka  in  1871,  becom- 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE   CITIZENS.  379 

ing  cashier  of  the  old  Topeka  Bank,  with  which  institution  he  remained  asso- 
ciated until  the  fall  of  1886.  He  was  then  elected  county  treasurer  and  served 
two  terms,  until  1890,  in  which  year  he  was  appointed  receiver  for  the 
Hudson  &  Southern  Railroad  Company,  serving  in  this  capacity  for  two  and 
a  half  years. 

The  Aetna  Building  &  Loan  Association,  of  which  Mr.  Roberts  has  been 
president  since  its  founding,  was  organized  in  October,  1891,  and  began  to 
transact  business  on  January  i,  1892.  The  present  officers  of  the  company 
are:  Byron  Roberts,  president;  F.  M.  Kimball,  secretary.  The  board  of 
directors  include  these  capitalists:  Byron  Roberts,  A.  B.  Quinton,  H.  M. 
Steele,  J.  F.  Carter  and  F.  M.  Kimball. 

In  1858  Mr.  Roberts  was  married  at  New  Comerstown,  Ohio,  to  Ger- 
trude Dent,  who  was  born  in  Guernsey  County,  Ohio,  and  they  had  five  chil- 
dren, namely:  Lewis  Dent,  who  married  a  Miss  Norton;  George  S.,  de- 
ceased; Carrie,  who  married  J.  R.  Heinkle,  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the 
Broadway  Hotel  at  Los  Angeles,  California;  Mary,  who  married  Clifford 
Heisted,  an  attorney  at  Kansas  City;  and  Gertrude,  who  is  the  wife  of 
George  Rust,  of  Salt  Lake  City.  Mr.  Roberts  includes  seven  grandchildren 
in  his  family  circle,   which  is  a  particularly  united  one. 

In  political  sentiment,  Mr.  Roberts  has  always  been  a  Republican  and 
cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for  Gen.  John  C.  Fremont.  He  has  always 
been  something  of  a  leader  in  party  affairs,  although  he  has  seldom  consented 
to  accept  political  honors.  He  has  watched  the  city  almost  from  its  infancy 
and  has  been  prominently  identified  with  many  of  its  leading  enterprises  and 
public-spirited  movements.  He  can  recall  when  the  site  of  his  present  hand- 
some residence  at  No.  315  West  loth  avenue  was  almost  prairie  land.  In 
all  that  goes  to  make  up  good  citizenship,  Mr.  Roberts  is  prominent  and 
ranks  also  with  the  leading  capitalists  of  the  city. 


CHARLES  S.  DOWNING. 

Charles  S.  Downing,  vice-president  of  the  Central  National  Bank  of 
Topeka,  and  one  of  the  best  known  business  men  of  this  city,  was  born  in 
Iowa  in  1868  and  is  a  son  of  Andrew  Downing. 

Andrew  Downing  was  a  prominent  citizen  of  Boone,  Iowa,  and  was  the 
first  postmaster  there.  He  also  served  as  county  treasurer.  During  the  Civil 
War  he  was  a  captain  in  the  Seventh  Kansas  Cavalry,  making  a  fine  record. 

Charles  S.  Downing  was  educated  in  the  common  and  high  schools  at 
Kansas  City  and  then  engaged  with  his  father  in  a  real  estate  business  there. 


38o  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

In  1 89 1  he  entered  the  office  of  Dun  &  Company  as  a  clerk  and  remained 
four  years  with  the  company  as  manager  of  the  Kansas  district.  Since  Jan- 
uary, 1900,  he  has  been  vice-president  of  the  Central  National  Bank.  He  is 
also  interested  in  other  important  business  enterprises,  being  treasurer  of  the 
American  Oil  &  Gas  Company  and  also  treasurer  of  the  Franklin  Oil  Com- 
pany. His  identification  with  these  large  corporations  indicate  his  business 
capacity. 

In  January,  1902,  Mr.  Downing  was  married  to  Juanita  Oldham,  who  was 
born  at  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  and  they  have  two  children,  viz :  William, 
born  June  6,  1893,  and  Mignon,  born  March  8,  1898. 

Fraternally,  Mr.  Downing  is  a  Mason,  and  is  past  master  of  Siloam 
Lodge,  No.  225,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  He  is  also  one  of  the  directors  of  the  Topeka 
Club.  Mr.  Downing  is  one  of  the  city's  wide-awake  and  progressive  men, 
active  in  support  of  public  enterprises,  a  factor  in  shaping  business  and  social 
life,  and  a  citizen  whose  influence  is  felt  on  every  side.  In  manner  he  is 
unostentatious  and  courteous  and  he  is  held  in  very  high  esteem.  In  financial 
circles  his  careful,  conservative  attitude  is  known  and  it  adds  strength  to  the 
bank  with  which  he  is  so  prominently  identified. 


EARLY  WHITTEN   POINDEXTER. 

Early  Written  Poindexter^  who  has  control  of  the  general  agency 
of  the  Northwestern  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company  of  Milwaukee,  Wis- 
consin, for  Kansas,  with  offices  in  the  Real  Estate  Building  at  Topeka,  has 
had  many  years  of  experience  in  the  insurance  field,  both  in  Indiana  and  in 
Kansas.  Mr.  Poindexter  was  born  in  Martin  County,  Indiana,  January  8, 
1854,  and  is  a  son  of  Christian  and  Lourinda  Poindexter.  The  parents  of 
Mr.  Poindexter  were  natives  of  Tennessee,  but  they  settled  in  Indiana  prev- 
ious to  the  birth  of  our  subject. 

Early  W.  Poindexter  attended  the  district  schools  of  Martin  County 
and  for  two  years  enjoyed  the  advantages  offered  in  the  spring  terms  of 
school  at  Bedford.  He  began  teaching  school  at  the  age  of  17  and  in  this 
way  provided  the  means  for  several  years  attendance  at  the  Indiana  Univer- 
sity, where  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1879.  For  some  succeeding 
years  he  continued  in  the  educational  field,  serving  one  year  as  superintendent 
of  the  schools  of  Shoals,  Indiana,  then  accepting  a  similar  position  at  Bloom- 
field  and  subsequently  becoming  principal  of  the  Bloomfield  Normal  School. 

In  September,  1863,  Mr.  Poindexter  moved  to  Vincennes,  Indiana,  and 
entered  into  the  insurance  business,  taking  charge  for  the  New  York  Life 


CAPT.  FREDERICK  MARIUS  KIMBALL 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  383 

Insurance  Company  of  the  district  agency  of  Southwestern  Indiana,  where 
he  met  with  much  success.  Two  years  later  he  entered  into  a  contract  with 
the  Northwestern  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company  of  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin, 
for  the  general  agencv  of  the  State  of  Kansas,  and  assumed  control  in  March, 
1885.  He  closed  up  the  old  agency  at  Leavenworth  on  the  first  of  the  fol- 
lowing May  and  opened  his  office  at  Topeka.  The  Northwestern  had  been 
regularly  represented  by  a  general  agent  in  the  State  for  over  20  years  pre- 
viously, and  when  Mr.  Poindexter  took  charge  there  was  a  business  upon  the 
books  of  the  company  representing  $23,000  in  annual  premiums.  That  by 
1905  the  business  represented  nearly  25  times  as  much  as  it  did  in  1884  tells 
its  own  story, — a  story  of  enterprise  and  progression  that  reflects  the  greatest 
credit  upon  Mr.  Poindexter.  It  must  be  very  gratifying  for  him  to  note  the 
annual  receipts  growing  from  $23,000  to  $565,000,  the  amount  reached  in 
1905. 

Mr.  Poindexter  was  married  December  24,  1879,  to  Mollie  Hattfield,  of 
Owensburg,  Greene  County,  Indiana,  and  they  have  four  sons  and  three 
daughters,  viz:  Clarence  H.,  Urban  H.,  Marian  H.,  Early  W.,  Jr.,  Mildred 
H.,  Helen  H.  and  Mary  L. 

For  many  years  Mr.  Poindexter  has  been  active  in  Masonic  circles,  being 
a  Knight  Templar,  a  33rd  degree  Mason  and  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Arabic 
Order  of  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  is  also  past  grand  patron  of  the 
Order  of  the  Eastern  Star. 

Mr.  Poindexter  is  recognized  as  one  of  Topeka's  most  substantial  citi- 
zens, one  who  is  progressive  in  affairs  of  church  and  school  and  also  in  all 
other  organizations  promising  benefit  to  the  city. 


CAPT.  FREDERICK  MARIUS   KIMBALL. 

Capt.  Frederick  Marius  Kimball,  secretary  of  the  Aetna  Building  & 
Loan  Association,  of  Topeka,  and  one  of  the  city's  valued  and  esteemed  resi- 
dents, whose  portrait  accompanies  this  sketch,  belongs  to  one  of  the  old  and  dis- 
tinguished families  of  America,  and  one  which  has  been  identified  with  its  mili- 
tary history. 

In  tracing  the  Kimball  side  of  our  subject's  ancestry,  we  find  that  the 
family  was  founded  by  two  brothers,  Richard  and  Henry  Kimball,  probably 
living  in  Ipswich,  England,  whence  they  embarked  on  April  10,  1634,  in  the 
good  ship  "Elizabeth,"  of  which  William  Andrews  was  master,  evidently 
a  good  seaman  as  he  safely  landed  his  passengers  at  Boston,  Massachusetts. 
Richard  Kimball,  from  whom  our  subject's  line  descended,  was  a  Puritan. 


384  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

He  settled  at  Watertown,  where,  with  his  family  and  others  of  like  religious 
sentiments,  he  assisted  in  the  laying  of  foundations  of  a  social  life  which  has 
given  to  other  sections,  particularly  the  West,  a  large  majority  of  their 
notable  men.  Richard  Kimball  left  England  when  that  country  was  in  the 
throes  of  revolution,  when  the  conflict  between  the  Established  Church  and 
the  Puritans  was  at  its  height,  at  the  time  when  the  principles  of  civil  rights 
and  religious  liberty  were  struggling  for  existence.  Richard  Kimball  was 
evidently  a  man  of  affairs.  We  learn  that  he  was  proclaimed  a  freeman  in 
1635  and  was  a  proprietor  in  1636-37. 

Soon  after  this  date  he  was  invited  to  remove  to  Ipswich  where  the 
village  needed  a  competent  wheelwright,  and  he  accepted  the  offer  and  spent 
the  remainder  of  his  years  at  that  place.  The  town  granted  him  a  home  lot 
on  February  23,  1637,  and  he  was  also  granted  40  acres  of  land.  Among 
the  commoners  of  Ipswich  he  is  mentioned  frequently  in  the  records.  On 
March  i,  1645,  he  was  appointed  one  of  seven  selectmen.  In  January,  1649, 
permission  was  given  him  to  fell  such  white  oaks  as  he  had  need  in  order  to 
follow  his  trade,  and  in  1652  he  was  one  of  the  appraisers  of  the  estate  of 
John  Cross,  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  Ipswich.  Thus  he  is  seen  to  have 
been  a  man  of  industry  and  integrity,  a  worthy  progenitor  of  a  long  and  hon- 
orable line.  His  birth  probably  took  place  at  Rattlesden,  Suffolk,  England, 
and  his  death  at  Ipswich,  Massachusetts,  when  full  of  years.  He  was  twice 
married,  his  second  union  being  on  October  2^,  1661,  to  Margaret,  the 
widow  of  Henry  Dow,  of  Hampton,  New  Hampshire. 

II.  Benjamin  Kimball,  of  the  second  generation,  son  of  Richard  Kim- 
ball, the  founder,  was  born  in  1637  and  died  June  11,  1695.  At  Salisbury, 
Massachusetts,  in  April,  1661,  he  married  Mercy  Hazeltine,  who  was  born 
August  16,  1642,  and  died  January  5,  1707  or  1708. 

III.  Richard  Kimball,  son  of  Benjamin,  and  of  the  third  generation, 
was  born  December  30,  1665,  and  died  January  10,  171 1.  On  September  6, 
1692,  he  married  Mehitable  Day,  who  was  born  January  26,  1669. 

IV.  Benjamin  Kimball,  son  of  Richard,  of  the  fourth  generation,  was 
bom  at  Bradford,  Massachusetts,  July  11,  1695,  and  died  in  1752.  On  Feb- 
ruary 17,   1719,  he  married  Priscilla  ,  who  was  born  at  Haverhill, 

Massachusetts,  November  25,  1698,  and  died  in  November,  1782. 

V.  Deacon  John  Kimball,  son  of  Benjamin,  and  of  the  fifth  genera- 
tion, was  born  at  Bradford,  Massachusetts,  February  5,  1738  or  1739,  and 
died  at  Concord,  New  Hampshire,  December  31,  1817.  On  November  23, 
1765,  he  married  Anna  Ayer,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Ann  (Hazen)  Ayer, 
who  was  born  at  Haverhill,  Massachusetts,  October  3,  1740,  and  died  in 
March,  1819.  Deacon  John  Kimball  lived  on  the  homestead  at  Bradford, 
Massachusetts,  until  his  marriage  and  then  moved  with  his  bride  to  Concord, 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  •  385 

New  Hampshire,  a  great  journey  in  those  days.  He  lived  in  Concord  on  the 
place  now  occupied  by  Samuel  S.  Kimball.  He  united  with  the  church  at 
Bradford  at  the  age  of  18  and  during  a  period  of  30  years  was  absent  but 
once  from  public  worship.  Clergymen  were  always  welcomed  at  his  home 
and  he  was  their  valued  friend.  For  29  years  he  was  an  officer  in  the  church 
and  this  was  in  the  days  when  a  churchman's  walk  and  conversation  were 
much  more  closely  criticised  than  in  our  more  liberal  days.  In  his  wife  he 
found  a  true  and  loving  companion  through  50  years  of  wedded  life.  In 
1769  she  united  with  the  church  at  Concord.  They  both  loved  the  House 
of  God  and  Deacon  John  Kimball  remembered  the  Concord  church  in 
his  will. 

VI.  Judge  John  Kimball,  of  the  sixth  generation,  a  son  of  Deacon  John 
Kimball  and  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  born  at  Concord,  New 
Hampshire,  October  3,  1769,  and  died  at  Barton,  Vermont,  May  9,  1844. 
He  was  married  December  6,  1792,  to  Eunice  White,  who  was  born  at  Strat- 
ford, Vermont,  September  26,  1770,  and  died  May  24,  1840.  When  of  age 
he  settled  on  wild  land  in  Vershire,  Vermont,  but  returned  after  the  birth 
of  his  first  child  to  Concord  where  he  remained  until  1801,  when  he  went 
to  Barton,  where  our  subject  was  born.  He  served  as  town  clerk  and  justice 
continuously  from  1803  to  1842  and  was  frequently  a  selectman.  In  1807- 
8-9  he  was  a  Representative  and  in  1820  he  was  elected  judge  of  probate. 
He  held  the  latter  office  for  10  years,  and  later  was  assistant  judge  in  the 
County  Court.  He  was  one  of  the  18  founders  of  the  Congregational  Church 
at  Barton,  in  181 7,  of  which  church  he  was  an  influential  member  and  effi- 
cient officer. 

VII.  Frederick  White  Kimball,  of  the  seventh  generation,  a  son  of 
Judge  John  Kimball  and  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  at  Barton,  Ver- 
mont, January  7,  1805,  and  died  at  Glover,  Vermont,  December  2,  1872.  He 
was  married  in  1835  to  Mrs.  Mary  (Hinman)  Chadwick,  a  widow  with  two 
daughters, — Ann  and  Martha.  She  was  a  kind  and  loving  mother  and  died 
November  17,  1891.  When  gold  was  discovered  in  California,  Mr.  Kimball 
left  the  farm  and  in  1850  he  went,  by  way  of  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  to  the 
"Golden"  State,  having  comfortably  settled  his  wife  and  children  at  Glover. 
During  the  next  four  and  a  half  years  he  suffered  many  hardships  both  by 
sea  and  land,  but  returned  safely  home  in  1854,  having  secured  a  comfortable 
supply  of  gold  but  broken  in  health.  Subsequently  he  took  an  active  part 
in  the  affairs  of  town  and  county  and  in  1855  he  was  elected  a  justice  of 
the  peace,  an  office  he  held  for  17  years.  He  was  a  trial  justice  and  very 
seldom  were  any  of  his  decisions  reversed  by  a  higher  court.  In  1870  he  was 
a  member  of  the  State  Constitutional  Convention.     All  through  his  life  he 


386  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

was  a  shrewd  business  man,  a  highly  respected  citizen  and  one  who  held 
the  confidence  and  esteem  of  his  fellow  townsmen. 

In  the  eighth  generation  we  reach  the  esteemed  subjct  of  this  biography, 
Capt.  Frederick  Marius  Kimball,  who  was  born  at  Barton,  Vermont,  June 
14,  1840.  He  was  educated  at  the  Orleans  Liberal  Institute,  at  Glover,  Ver- 
mont, taught  school  for  several  winters  and  then  entered  upon  the  study 
of  the  law.  Before  finishing  his  legal  course,  however,  he  enlisted  for 
service  in  the  Civil  War,  on  October  15,  1861,  entering  Company  D,  Sixth 
Reg.,  Vermont  Vol.  Inf.,  at  Montpeher,  and  immediately  was  hurried  with 
his  comrades  to  the  seat  of  war.  During  the  following  winter  the  Sixth 
Regiment  was  quartered  at  Camp  Griffin,  Virginia,  and  was  brigaded  with 
four  other  Vermont  regiments,  this  combination  afterward  becoming  dis- 
tinguished, the  "Old  Vermont  Brigade"  making  a  record  second  to  no  other 
organization  in  the  entire  army,  this  reputation  being  gained  through  its 
individual  gallantry.  Captain  Kimball  participated  in  25  battles,  and  was 
twice  wounded.  He  entered  the  service  as  a  private  and  was  mustered 
out  a  captain.  He  took  part  in  these  great  engagements :  Lee's  Mills,  Wil- 
liamsburg, Golding's  Farm,  Savage  Station,  White  Oak  Swamp,  Malvern 
Hill,  Harrison's  Landing,  Second  Bull  Run,  South  Mountain,  Antietam, 
both  battles  at  Fredericksburg,  Maryus  Heights,  Bank's  Ford,  Gettysburg 
and  Funktown,  besides  many  minor  engagements  and  skirmishes.  From 
early  in  1863  he  was  in  command  of  his  company,  to  which  rank  personal 
bravery  had  promoted  him,  and  in  all  its  subsequent  movements  he  was  its 
leader.  He  was  wounded  at  Bank's  Ford  on  May  4,  1863,  and  again,  very 
severely,  at  Funkstown,  Maryland,  July  10,  1863,  and  from  the  effects  of  the 
latter  injury  he  has  never  recovered  entirely. 

His  experiences  on  both  of  these  occasions  were  thrilling  in  the  extreme 
and  their  recital  must  afford  interest  to  all  those  who  admire  courage  and 
valor.  At  Bank's  Ford,  when  his  regiment  charged  Early's  assaulting  col- 
umns, the  enemy  was  thrown  into  great  confusion  by  the  unexpected  attack, 
broke  and  ran,  hotly  pursued  by  the  Sixth  Vermont,  with  fixed  bayonets. 
Captain  Kimball's  belt-plate  turned  a  minnie  ball  and  thus  saved  his  life,  but 
in  glancing  ofif  wounded  him  slightly  in  the  arm.  The  regiment  captured 
over  400  prisoners  in  this  charge,  and  one  Confederate  captain  surrendered 
his  sword  and  the  remnant  of  his  company  to  Captain  Kimball,  after  having 
been  shot  through  the  face.  The  prisoners  threw  down  their  muskets  and 
we're  left  in  charge  of  several  privates  and  ordered  to  the  rear.  Captain  Kim- 
ball had  only  turned  to  go  forward  when  a  Confederate,  who  had  surrendered, 
picked  up  a  gun  from  the  ground  and  was  in  the  very  act  of  shooting  him 
when  his  movement  was  discovered  by  Sergeant  Cleveland,  of  Captain  Kim- 
ball's company,  who  was  still  quicker  with  his  gun  and  shot  the  Rebel.    After 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  387 

his  wound  at  Funkstown,  he  continued  to  direct  the  movements  of  his  com- 
pany until  his  boot  was  full  of  blood.  The  wound  was  a  serious  one  and 
after  this  he  was  never  able  to  perform  field  service,  receiving  his  honorable 
discharge  by  order  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  October  22,  1863. 

Within  a  week  of  his  discharge,  Captain  Kimball  was  commissioned  a 
2nd  lieutenant  in  the  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  by  President  Lincoln,  and  from 
this  time  until  the  close  of  the  war  he  performed  post  and  garrison  duties  at 
various  points,  a  portion  of  the  time  at  Brattleboro  and  St.  Albans,  Vermont. 
For  meritorious  conduct  he  received  several  promotions,  again  reaching  the 
rank  of  captain.  After  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  assigned  to  duty  in  the 
Freedman's  Bureau  and  was  stationed  in  Virginia  as  superintendent  of  several 
counties,  with  headquarters  at  Lawrenceville.  The  four  years  of  his  service 
in  this  difficult  and  trying  position  make  a  history  of  themselves.  The  men 
who  accepted  these  posts  had  to  bear  insult  and  injury  almost  beyond  belief 
and  with  courage  had  also  to  be  equipped  with  tact,  judgment  and  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  existing  conditions.  What  was  hard  to  bear  was  the  fact  that 
his  family  were  also  subject  to  insult  and  ostracism.  His  noble  wife  cheer- 
fully bore  it  all  and  not  only  gave  him  added  courage  by  her  loving  sympathy, 
but  at  least  on  one  occasion  saved  his  life.  Captain  Kimball  had  supervision 
of  the  registrations  and  elections,  a  dangerous  mission,  only  less  so  than 
the  organizing  and  sustaining  of  the  colored  schools.  Those  old  days  of 
bitter  feeling  have  mainly  passed  away  in  the  general  prosperity  and  mutual 
aims  of  the  reunited  country,  but  those  who  were  entrusted  with  official 
duties  and  faithfully  performed  them  as  did  Captain  Kimball,  can  scarcely 
forget  those  strenuous  years,  nor  should  their  fellow-citizens.  The  Freed- 
men's  Bureau  expired  by  hmitation  of  law,  January  i,  1869,  and  at  that  time 
Captain  Kimball  received  an  honorable  discharge  after  an  unbroken  service 
of  over  seven  years. 

Captain  Kimball  was  chosen  a  delegate  from  the  Fourth  Congressional 
District  of  Virginia  to  the  Republican  National  Convention  that  met  at 
Chicago,  May  20,  1868,  and  assisted  in  nominating  General  Grant  for  the 
presidency.  He  was  a  candidate  for  State  Senator  and  was  urged  by  his 
friends  to  run  for  Congress,  but  this  honor  he  declined  on  account  of  his 
youth  and  want  of  legislative  experience.  He  accepted  other  honors,  how- 
ever, and  served  under  the  appointment  of  General  Stoneman,  Provisional 
Governor  of  Virginia,  as  clerk  of  the  County  and  Circuit  courts  of  Bruns- 
wick County,  an  office  he  held  for  six  months.  As  a  business  opening  for  him 
appeared  in  the  West,  he  put  aside  political  aspirations,  resigned  his  offices 
in  Virginia,  and  in  September,  1869,  removed  to  Cameron,  Missouri. 

For  some  years  after  removing  to  Missouri,  Captain  Kimball  was  suc- 
cessfully engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits,  but  a  man  of  his  force  of  character 


388  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

and  enlightenment  and  progressive  spirit  could  not  be  hidden  in  the  commercial 
life  of  the  city,  and  from  being  elected  a  member  of  the  City  Council  he 
became  acting  mayor  and  in  1884  was  appointed  postmaster.  He  officiated 
in  this  office  until  a  change  of  administration  caused  a  change  in  this  office. 
The  succeeding  four  years  were  spent  pleasantly  in  Colorado,  where  Captain 
Kimball  engaged  in  dealing  in  real  estate,  but  in  the  fall  of  1890  he  again 
"took  up  his  residence  at  Cameron.  Two  years  later,  in  July,  1892,  he  came  to 
Topeka.  Since  then  his  whole  time  has  been  employed  in  the  interests  of  the 
Aetna  Building  &  Loan  Association,  of  which  he  is  the  secretary. 

The  Aetna  Building  &  Loan  Association  was  organized  in  October, 
1 89 1,  with  Byron  Roberts  as  president.  The  first  officers  were:  Byron 
Roberts,  president  and  treasurer;  John  Guthrie,  vice-president;  J.  W.  Hamil- 
ton, chairman;  F.  M.  Kimball,  secretary;  David  Overmyer,  counselor;  and 
A.  B.  Quinton,  attorney.  The  present  board  of  directors  is  composed  of 
these  capitalists :  Byron  Roberts,  A.  B.  Quinton,  H.  M.  Steele,  J.  F.  Carter 
and  F.  M.  Kimball.  The  association  began  business  on  January  i,  1892, 
and  Captain  Kimball  entered  upon  his  duties  as  secretary  in  July,  1892. 

On  September  27,  1863,  Captain  Kimball  was  married  to  Susannah 
Hoyt,  who  is  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Mary  Vinal  (Perry)  Hoyt,  the  latter 
of  whom  was  a  daughter  of  Anthony  and  Submit  (Wheatley)  Perry.  Sub- 
mit Wheatley  was  a  daughter  of  Nathaniel  and  Vinal  (Bliss)  Wheatley. 
Nathaniel  Wheatley  was  born  at  Norwich,  Connecticut;  May  21,  1752,  and 
died  at  Brookfield,  Vermont,  July  26,  1824.  He  was  a  son  of  John  and  Sub- 
mit (Peck)  (Cooke)  Wheatley.  In  the  Revolutionary  War  Nathaniel 
Wheatley  was  a  member  of  a  New  Hampshire  regiment  under  the  command 
of  Col  Jonathan  Chase,  and  he  was  at  Ticonderoga  and  Saratoga,  in  1776- 
•jj.  The  family  records  on  Captain  Kimball's  side  date  as  far  back  as  1595 
and  on  Mrs.  Kimball's  side  to  1634,  and  four  great-grandfathers  in  the 
Revolution  establish  very  completely  the  claims  of  Mrs.  Kimball  and  daugh- 
ter to  membership  in  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution.  Captain 
and  Mrs.  Kimball  had  four  children,  viz :  Carl  Willis,  born  August  26,  1867, 
a  graduate  of  the  Cameron  High  School  and  St.  James  Military  Academy  at 
Macon,  Missouri,  who  entered  into  business  in  1890  at  Pittsburg,  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  in  1893  connected  himself  with  the  Austin  Kimball  Company,  of 
New  York;  Mary  Gertrude,  born  at  Cameron,  Missouri,  May  9,  1870,  de- 
ceased December  11,  1870;  Claude  Frederick,  born  at  Cameron,  Missouri, 
May  27,  1873;  and  Maude  Louise  Inez,  born  at  Cameron,  Missouri,  Decem- 
ber 22,  1877.     The  family  belong  to  the  Congregational  Church. 

In  addition  to  being  a  Son  of  the  American  Revolution,  Captain  Kimball 
is  a  Knight  Templar  Mason  and  enjoys  membership  in  the  higher  branches 
of  the  order,  and  is  a  member  of  Lincoln  Post,  No.  i,  G.  A.  R.,  at  Topeka. 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  389 

He  was  commander  for  three  consecutive  terms  of  Joe  Hooker  Post,  G.  A.  R., 
at  Cameron,  Missouri.  He  has  become  thoroughly  identified  with  Topeka 
and  her  interests  and  in  him  the  city  recognizes  a  liberal-minded,  progressive 
citizen,  who  is  justly  entitled  to  the  universal  esteem  in  which  he  is  held. 


4 1 » 


WILLIAM  P.   SNYDER. 

William  P.  Snyder^  deceased,  for  many  years  a  prominent  agricul- 
turist of  Shawnee  County,  had  a  farm  in  section  2,  township  13,  range  13,  in 
Dover  township.  He  was  a  man  of  high  character  and  stability,  and  his 
death  which  occurred  on  July  27,  1898,  in  the  70th  year  of  his  age,  was 
mourned  as  a  loss  to  the  community. 

Mr.  Snyder  was  born  at  Washington,  Fayette  County,  Ohio,  October 
8,  1828,  and  was  a  son  of  John  and  Malinda  (Campbell)  Snyder,  being  one 
■of  three  children,  all  now  deceased.  The  father  was  born  in  Virginia, 
March  31,  1802,  and  died  May  27,  1840,  and  the  mother,  who  was  a  native 
of  Kentucky,  died  in  the  84th  year  of  her  age.  They  were  pioneer  settlers 
in  Fayette  County,  Ohio,  where  they  lived  throughout  the  latter  part  of 
their  lives. 

William  P.  Snyder  lived  on  the  old  homestead  in  Ohio  until  1869,  in 
which  year  he  came  West  to  Kansas,  bringing  his  wife  and  four  children. 
He  preempted  the  farm  in  section  2,  township  13,  range  13,  in  Dover  town- 
ship, where  his  widow  now  lives,  consisting  of  149  52-100  acres,  mostly 
xinder  cultivation.  He  made  all  of  the  improvements  on  this  place,  build- 
ing a  good  substantial  residence  and  numerous  necessary  outbuildings.  He 
"was  a  man  of  public  spirit,  and  took  a  deep  interest  in  all  that  concerned  the 
prosperity  and  welfare  of  his  home  community. 

In  1855  ^^-  Snyder  was  united  in  marriage  with  Matilda  Denious,  a 
■daughter  of  Isaac  and  Harriet  (Coffman)  Denious.  Isaac  Denious  was  born 
in  Virginia,  where  his  father  was  a  large  slave-owner ;  because  of  his  aversion 
to  slavery,  he  was  forced  to  leave  home  and  was  disinherited.  He  moved 
North  to-  Dublin,  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  where  he  lived  the  remainder  of 
liis  life  and  where  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Harriet  Coffman.  She 
"was  a  daughter  of  Henry  Coffman,  who  was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812. 
Her  mother,  Margaret  (Sells)  Coffman,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  and 
was  related  to  the  noted  showmen,  the  Sells  brothers.  Mrs.  Snyder  was  but 
"five  years  of  age  when  her  mother  died,  and  two  years  later  her  father  was 
also  called  to  the  unknown  beyond,  leaving  three  children,  as  follows :  Ma- 
tilda; Elizabeth,  wife  of  A.  P.  Herman,  of  Kansas  City;  and  Henry  Clark 


390  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Denious,  who  served  in  the  First  Regiment,  Ohio  Vol.  Cav.,  during  the 
Civil  War  and  is  now  a  resident  of  Fayette  County,  Ohio.  After  the  death 
of  her  parents,  Mrs.  Snyder  lived  with  her  maternal  grandparents  until  her 
marriage  in  1855.  As  a  result  of  her  union  with  Mr.  Snyder,  four  children 
were  born  in  Ohio  and  one  in  Kansas,  namely :  Cary,  deceased,  who  married 
Henrietta  E.  Beach  and  had  two  children, — Ray,  deceased,  and  William  P., 
who  is  attending  Washburn  College;  Earl,  living  in  Colorado,  who  married 
Lily  Smith  and  has  a  daughter,  Olive,  the  wife  of  Henry  Billings,  of 
Colorado;  Harriet  married  Joseph  Flicking,  who  was  born  in  Ohio  and  now 
lives  in  Kansas  City,  Missouri;  Ray,  who  conducts  a  farm  and  grist  mill, 
married  Sarah  Riley  of  Ohio  and  has  three  children, — Christa,  Tillie  and 
Margaret ;  and  Jennie,,  born  in  Kansas,  who  married  Floyd  Ross. 

Mrs.  Snyder  still  resides  on  the  old  homestead  in  Dover  township, 
Shawnee  County,  and  is  surrounded  by  many  friends,  whom  she  has  known 
during  her  long  residence  here.  She  is  possessed  of  womanly  attributes  and 
is  loved  by  all  who  know  her. 


ANSEL  E.   DICKINSON. 

Ansel  E.  Dickinson,  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Soldier  township, 
Shawnee  County,  who  resides  in  section  3,  township  10,  range  16,  on  his 
fine  farm  of  340  acres,  was  born  May  21,  1845,  in  Portage  County,  Ohio, 
and  is  a  son  of  Stoddard  and  Lucy  (Hine)  Dickinson. 

The  father  of  Mr.  Dickinson  was  born  in  1799  in  Massachusetts,  located 
in  Ohio  after  his  marriage  and  died  there  in  1873,  aged  74  years.  The 
mother  was  born  in  1807  in  Connecticut  and  died  in  1895,  aged. 88  years. 
They  reared  eight  children,  of  whom  four  are  now  living,  namely :  Truman 
B.,  who  conducts  an  insurance  business  at  Ravena,  Ohio;  George  W.,  a 
farmer  at  Shalersville,  Ohio;  Adelaide,  who  is  the  wife  of  Luman  Colton,  a 
retired  farmer  of  Ionia,  Michigan;  and  Ansel  E.,  of  this  sketch. 

Our  subject  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  his  native  locality, 
at  Hiram  Academy  and  spent  two  years  at  Hiram  College.  Then  after  teach- 
ing school  in  Ohio  for  two  years  he  came  to  Kansas  in  1868,  when  23  years 
old.  Here  he  bought  land  and  continued  to  teach  school.  Mr.  Dickinson 
taught  16  years  in  Kansas,  12  years  of  these  being  spent  in  three  different 
schools,  four  years  each,  which  is  considered  quite  a  record  for  country  schools 
of  that  time.  In  1880  he  added  a  second  quarter-section  to  the  one  he  had 
previously  purchased  and  since  then  has  devoted  his  attention  to  cultivating 
it    and  to  stock-raising.     His  land  was  all  wild  and  uncleared  when  he  pur- 


HON.  WINFIELD  AUSTIN  SCOTT  BIRD 


»  9 


,  AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  393 

chased  it  but  he  has  developed  it  into  a  very  fine  ■farm,  devoting  200  acres 
to  farming  and  the  remainder  to  pasture  and  fruit.  His  annual  yield  of 
apples  averages  1,200  barrels.  Mr.  Dickinson  has  a  very  attractive  home, 
its  location  being  on  a  gentle  eminence,  reached  from  the  highway  by  an 
avenue  shaded  by  beautiful  trees.  He  Utilizes  modern  machinery  and  has 
his  own  system  of  water-works,  opetated  by  air  pressure,  and  thus  is  able 
to  enjoy  the  luxuries  of  a  city  home. 

Mr.  Dickinson  was  married  March  3,  1873,  to  Eleanor  C.  Arnold,  who 
was  a  daughter  of  Shailor  S.  and  Elizabeth  (Cooley)  Arnold,  of  Jefferson 
County.  Mrs.  Dickinson  died  March  23,  1900,  aged  51  years.  They  had 
three  children,  viz :  Eda  A.,  who  married  Clayton  Casler,  a  clerk  in  the 
employ  of  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railway  Company,  and  has  two 
children, — Beulah  and  Louisa;  Walter,  who  married  Grace  Shaffer,  daughter 
of  John  I.  Shaffer  and  resides  with  his  father;  and  Josephine  A.,  who  also 
lives  at  home. 

Mr.  Dickinson  is  a  Republican.  He  has  served  many  years  in  school 
offices  and  has  been  a  .member  of  the  examining  board.  His  interest  has 
always  been  lively  in  agricultural  affairs  and  he  is  a  member  of  Muddy 
Creek  Grange,  of  which  he  is  lecturer  and  ex-master.  He  was  for  two  years 
assistant  in  the  right-of-way  department  of  the  Santa  Fe  road. 


HON.  WINFIELD  AUSTIN  SCOTT  BIRD. 

Hon.  Winfield  Austin  Scott  Bird,  member  of  the  Kansas  House  of 
Representatives  from  the  38th  District,  and  one  of  the  leading  attorneys  of 
Topeka,  whose  portrait  is  shown  on  the  opposite  page,  is  recognized  as  one  of 
the  prominent  and  useful  men  of  the  "Sunflower"  State.  Mr.  Bird  was  born 
August  31,  1855,  in  Somerset  County,  Pennsylvania,  and  is  the  seventh  mem- 
ber of  a  family  of  13  children  born  to  his  parents,  Archibald  and  Elizabeth  Ann 
(Heilman)  Bird. 

Mr.  Bird  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  Somerset  County  and  attended  the 
public  schools  until  the  age  of  16  years  when  he  entered  a  Normal  School. 
After  completing  a  course  of  six  months,  he  began  to  teach  school,  first  in 
Pennsylvania  and  later  at  Fall  City,  Nebraska.  His  study  of  the  law  was 
prosecuted  under  many  discouraging  conditions  but  he  finally  was  prepared 
for  his  examinations  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  at  Fall  City,  September  8, 
1880.  On  the  28th  of  the  same  month  he  came  to  Topeka,  where  he  has  been 
located  ever  since,  practicing  his  profession  alone,  with  the  exception  of  one 
year,  during  which  time  he  was  in  partnership  with  L.  S.  Ferry.  He  was 
10 


394  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

ambitious  and  soon  entered  into  politics,  making  himself  felt  in  this  field 
as  he  had  already  done  in  his  profession.  In  1887  he  was  appointed  city  at- 
torney of  Topeka,  served  two  years  as  such  and  then  served  six  subsequent 
years  by  election  on  the  Republican  ticket.  In  the  fall  of  1904  he  was  elected 
a  member  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  leading  the  ticket  by  more  than 
J, 800  votes. 

Mr.  Bird's  record  in  the  House  of  Representatives  is  a  remarkable  one 
and  shows  very  conclusively  his  deep  interest  in  public  affairs  and  his  fidelity 
to  the  people  who  have  placed  important  trusts  in  his  hands  as  a  legislator. 
He  introduced  43  bills,  three  more  than  any  other  member,  and  26  of  these, 
•either  in  the  original  bills  or  the  committee  substitutes,  or  submitted  Senate 
bills,  passed  the  Senate  and  are  now  laws.  The  most  important  may  be 
■enumerated : 

Bill  authorizing  the  city  of  Topeka  to  lay  water  mains  across  the  State 
Hospital  grounds,  by  which  the  city  may  remove  its  water  mains  from  all 
■danger  from  floods  of  the  river. 

Bill  appropriating  $28,500  for  the  Boys'  Industrial  School  north  of  the 
•city. 

Bill  appropriating  $10,000  for  rebuilding  the  north  and  south  approaches 
and  steps  to  the  State  Capitol,  and  $10,000  for  paving  the  walks  and  drives 
in  Capitol  Square. 

Bill  providing  for  boards  of  control  of  public  utilities  in  cities  of  the 
:first  and  second  classes. 

Mr.  Bird  was  a  member  of  the  conference  committee  on  the  part  of  the 
House  that  secured  the  appropriation  for  the  Old  Soldiers'  Home  at  Dodge 
•City.  As  chairman  of  the  committee  on  cities  of  the  first  class,  he  wrote 
the  substitute  bill  which  provides  that  when  a  voter  registers,  he  shall  not 
~be  required  to  register  again  so  long  as  he  does  not  move,  and  continues 
to  vote  at  each  subsequent  election.  As  will  be  seen  Mr.  Bird's  energies 
are  directed  along  practical  lines  and  the  bills  he  has  advocated  and  intro- 
duced are  all  of  a  public-spirited  nature,  showing  careful  and  thoughtful  con- 
.sideration  of  the  district's  welfare. 

On  March  21,  1883,  Mr.  Bird  was  united  in  marriage  with  a  daughter 
•of  Sydney  Dodge,  of  Hiawatha,  Kansas.  Mrs.  Bird  is  a  member  of  the 
Congregational  Church,  of  which  he  is  an  attendant.  They  are  prominent 
in  the  social  life  of  the  city,  being  the  dispensers  and  recipients  of  much 
"hospitality. 

Since  1883  Mr.  Bird  has  been  a  member  of  the  Bar  Association  of  the 
State  of  Kansas  and  is  also  a  member  of  the  Shawnee  County  Bar  Associa- 
tion.   His  offices  are  located  at  No.  601  Kansas  avenue,  Topeka. 

Mr.  Bird's  fraternal  connections  are  numerous  and  important.     He  is 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  395 

a  32nd  degree  Mason,  member  of  the  various  branches  of  the  Scottish  Rite; 
is  past  exalted  ruler  of  the  order  of  Elks ;  past  grand  chancelor  of  the  Supreme 
Lodge  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  ;  a  member  of  the  Shawnee  Tribe,  No.  14, 
Improved  Order  of  Red  Men,  of  which  he  is  the  present  great  senior  sagamore 
of  the  United  States,  attending  every  session  of  the  above  order  in  his  State 
since  1890  and  every  one  in  the  United  States  since  1895;  ^"d  for  the  past 
25  years  he  has  been  a  member  of  Shawnee  Lodge,  No.  i,  I.  O.  O.  F. 
Socially  he  is  connected  with  the  Lake  View  Shooting  and  Fishing  Associa- 
tion. 

Although  Mr.  Bird  has  met  with  gratifying  success  and  has  attained 
an  enviable  position,  he  owes  little  to  outside  influence.  What  he  is  he  has 
made  himself,  climbing  from  humble  positions — farm  boy,  lumber  worker 
and  railroad  section  hand — to  the  elevation  secured  through  his  own  abilities. 
To  have  thus  succeeded,  in  the  face  of  the  fierce  competition  of  modern  days, 
is  something  to  induce  a  measure  of  justifiable  pride. 


HENRY  S.  ALLEN. 

Henry  S.  Allen,  one  of  the  leading  builders  and  contractors  of  Topeka, 
which  city  has  been  his  home  since  1869,  was  born  at  Zanesville,  Ohio,  March 
23,  1837,  and  is  a  son  of  George  and  Marian  (Parkman)  Allen. 

The  father  of  Mr.  Allen  was  born  and  reared  at  Bristol,  England,  where 
he  contracted  his  first  marriage.  After  coming  to  America,  he  married  Ma- 
rian Parkman,  who  was  also  born  at  Bristol  and  came  to  America  in  child- 
hood. 

Our  subject  was  reared  at  Zanesville  and  was  educated  in  Putnam, 
across  the  Muskingum  River  from  Zanesville,  now  the  Ninth  Ward  of  that 
city.  When  16  years  old  he  was  apprenticed  to  the  carpenter's  trade,  for 
which  he  had  a  natural  faculty,  and  was  following  the  same  when  the  Civil 
War  descended  upon  the  land.  He  was  one  of  the  first  to  oi¥er  his  services 
and  was  assigned  to  Company  E,  Third  Reg.,  Ohio  Vol.  Inf.,  in  which  he 
gallantly  served  until  disabled  by  a  serious  wound  in  the  foot  at  the  battle  of 
Prairieville.  An  honorable  discharge  followed  and  he  returned  home,  but, 
in  1863,  when  Morgan  was  raiding  Ohio,  Mr.  Allen  again  turned  out  in  his 
country's  defense.  He  reenlisted,  entering  Company  B,  159th  Reg.,  Ohio 
Vol.  Inf.,  recruiting  the  company  and  being  placed  in  command.  He  partici- 
pated in  the  battles  of  Rich  Mountain,  West  Virginia,  and  Frederick,  Mary- 
land, and  then  the  iS9th  was  stationed  at  Baltimore.    Mr.  Allen  was  one  of 


396  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

the  members  of  a  scouting  expedition  under  command  of  the  late  Gen.  Lew 
Wallace,  for  whom  he  always  entertained  great  regard.  After  his  return 
from  the  field,  he  was  elected  lieutenant-colonel  of  his  regiment,  Colonel 
Munson  having  retired. 

In  1858  Mr.  Allen  had  made  a  visit  to  Kansas  but  took  up  his  residence 
in  Missouri  and  remained  there  until  the  fall  of  i860,  when  he  left  Kansas 
City  and  returned  to  Ohio  to  become  one  of  the  soldiers  in  his  native  State. 
In  1869  he  returned  to  Kansas  and  in  July,  1869,  he  built  a  home  on  the 
corner  of  Sixth  avenue  and  Fillmore  street,  Topeka.  Later  he  removed  to 
his  present  beautiful  home  at  No.  336  Woodlawn  avenue,  Potwin.  He  has 
been  identified  with  the  building  development  of  this  beautiful  suburb  ever 
since,  much  of  its  improvement  coming  directly  under  his  care  and  superin- 
tendence. He  accompanied  the  engineer  in  laying  out  the  parks,  placing  the 
stakes  for  trees  and  beautifying  the  addition  of  Potwin.  He  built  the  first 
house  on  Woodlawn  avenue,  opposite  his  own  residence,  for  Mr.  Potwin. 
Four  years  later  another  modern  residence  was  built,  which  was  then  the 
beginning  of  something  like  a  "boom."  Now  450  voters  have  delightful 
homes  in  this  jnost  aristocratic  suburb  of  Topeka,  and  many  of  these  Mr. 
Allen  has  constructed,  among  these  being  the  palatial  residences  of  W.  M. 
Forbes,  Mrs.  Burlingame  and  Mr.  Kent.  His  work  is  to  be  found  in  all  sec- 
tions of  Topeka,  particularly  in  residence  districts.  He  has  been  delegated 
by  the  First  Baptist  Church  as  superintendent  of  the  construction  of  their 
new  edifice  opposite  the  State  House. 

Mr.  Allen  married  Katie  Nesbaum.  They  have  no  children.  Both 
have  long  been  very  devoted  workers  in  the  religious  circles  of  the  city.  Mr. 
Allen  has  been  a  member  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  for  the  past  35  years 
and  is  one  of  its  board  of  trustees.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  Mason.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Lincoln  Post,  No.  i,  G.  A.  R.,  of  Topeka. 


MAJ.  WILLIAM   SIMS. 

Maj.  William  Sims,  president  of  the  First  National  Bank,  of  Topeka, 
financier,  capitalist,  statesman,  soldier  and  agriculturist,  has  had  a  life  of 
more  than  usual  interest  and  occupies  a  position  of  prominence  and  honor 
in  the  capital  city.  He  was  born  in  Muskingum  County,  Ohio,  May  22,  1831, 
and  is  a  son  of  Mahlon  and  Maria  Sims. 

Major  Sims  comes  of  French-Irish  ancestry.  His  parents  were  farmers 
of  comfortable  estate  in  Ohio  and  he  grew  up  on  a  farm,  becoming  so  thor- 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  397 

ouglily  interested  in  agriculture  that  he  has  been  a  farmer  to  greater  or  less 
degree  all  his  life.  In  his  native  county  he  attended  the  common  schools 
and  at  the  opening  of  the  Civil  War  was  one  of  the  prosperous  young  farmers 
of  his  locality.  In  March,  1862,  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in  Company  G, 
32nd  Reg.,  Ohio  Vol.  Inf.,  and  was  promoted  to  a  sergeancy.  He  was  then 
detailed  by  the  Governor  as  a  recruiting  officer,  and,  while  so  engaged,  his 
regiment  was  captured  at  Harper's  Ferry.  He  reported  to  Governor  Todd 
that  he  had  40  men.  With  these  as  a  nucleus  he  raised  a  full  company,  which 
became  Company  A,  Ninth  Reg.,  Ohio  Vol.  Cav.  Upon  the  organization  of 
the  I  St  battalion  of  the  regiment,  he  became  captain  of  his  company.  A 
year  later  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  major  and  served  as  such  until 
he  resigned  on  account  of  disability.  His  military  record  reflected  credit 
upon  his  loyalty  and  faithfulness  as  soldier,  both  as  private  and  as  officer. 
He  is  a  valued  member  of  Lincoln  Post,  No.  i,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic, 
of  Topeka. 

In  the  spring  of  1868,  Major  Sims  removed  with  his  family  to  De  Witt 
County,  Illinois,  where  he  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  for  four  years, 
and  then,  in  the  spring  of  1872,  he  came  to  Shawnee  County,  Kansas.  He 
settled  on  a  farm  in  Mission  township,  Indian  reservation  land,  where  there 
had  been  scarcely  any  improvement  and  where  very  few  settlers  had  yet 
located.  Topeka,  seven  miles  away,  seemed  much  farther  on  account  of  the 
unimproved  condition  of  the  country,  no  system  of  good  roads  at  that  time 
having  been  established.  Major  Sims  converted  this  into  a  beautiful  rural 
home  and  a  valuable  farm,  combining  fruit-growing  with  stock-raising, 
always  making  a  feature  of  the  latter  industry. 

About  1884  Major  Sims  became  a  resident  of  Topeka,  turning  his  farm- 
ing interests  over  to  his  son,  John  B.  Sims.  He  has  always  been  active  in 
political  and  public  life  and  in  1877  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate  from 
this  district  and,  by  appointment,  filled  out  the  unexpired  term  of  State 
Treasurer  James  Hamilton,  who  resigned.  In  January,  1882,  he  was  elected 
secretary  of  the  State  Board  of  Agriculture  and  served  in  that  office  for  the 
succeeding  six  years.  He  served  many  years  as  master  of  the  Kansas  State 
Grange,  Patrons  of  Husbandry,  and  has  shown  his  interest  in  and  sympathy 
with  agricultural  afifairs  all  over  the  State.  As  president  of  one  of  the  largest 
and  most  substantial  financial  institutions  of  Kansas,  he  has  also  become 
favorably  known  for  his  careful,  conservative  management. 

Major  Sims  was  married  in  Muskingum  County,  Ohio,  to  Hannah  A. 
Richey,  who  is  a  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Hannah  (Jackson)  Richey,  old 
residents  of  Hopewell  township,  Muskingum  County.  They  had  two  chil- 
dren, one  of  whom  is  deceased.  John  B.  Sims,  our  subject's  son,  resides  on 
the  homestead  and  carries  on  the  large  operations  in  progress  there.     He 


398  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

married  Josephine  McCracken  and  they  have  three  children :  John  B.,  Jr., 
Eleanor  and  Dorothy.  Politically,  Major  Sims  is  a  Republican.  For  40 
years  he  has  been  an  Odd  Fellow. 


WALTER   L.  BATES. 

Walter  L.  Bates,  a  well-known,  representative  citizen  of  Topeka,  who 
is  known  all  over  the  State  as  the  successful  breeder  of  White  Plymouth  Rock 
and  White  Wyandotte  poultry,  has  been  a  resident  of  this  city  since  1868. 
He  was  born  at  Alliance,  Ohio,  April  8,  1859,  and  is  a  son  of  George  Petti- 
bone  and  Oresta  (Roberts)  Bates. 

The  late  George  Pettibone  Bates  was  a  leading  citizen  of  Shawnee 
County  for  a  number  of  years.  He  was  born  January  10,  1825,  in  South- 
ampton, Massachusetts,  and  was  educated  in  the  common  schools.  His 
father  was  a  manufacturer  of  woolen  goods  in  Massachusetts,  and  when  the 
family  subsequently  migrated  to  Ohio,  he  was  wont  to  say  that  the  most 
conspicuous  part  of  the  wagon  loaded  with  family  goods  was  the  great  dye 
kettle  used  in  the  woolen  factory. 

The  Bates  family  settled  in  Trumbull  County,  Ohio,  and  there  George 
P.  worked  for  a  time  at  cabinet-making,  but  the  mercantile  spirit  was  strong 
within  him  and  he  gave  up  the  trade  and  started  out  on  the  road  with  a  wagon, 
selling  Yankee  notions  through  the  rural  districts.  When  he  had  accumu- 
lated enough  capital,  he  opened  a  store  at  what  was  then  known  as  Freedom, 
near  Alliance,  and  later,  when  the  first  railroad,  the  old  Pittsburg  &  Fort 
Wayne,  was  built  through,  he  removed  to  Alliance.  Here  he  was  engaged 
in  a  mercantile  business  for  the  next  20  years.  In  1868  he  came  to  Topeka, 
with  the  intention  of  opening  a  store  here,  but  at  the  outset  was  hampered  on 
account  of  lack  of  store  room.  The  bulk  of  the  business  houses  were  then 
located  on  Kansas  avenue  between  Fourth  and  Fifth  streets.  Finally  he 
obtained  possession  of  a  room  on  the  west  side  of  Kansas  avenue,  where  he 
remained  until  he  secured  the  building  later  occupied  by  Rogers  Brothers, 
but  after  a  season  he  moved  back  to  the  west  side  of  the  street  and  bought 
the  property,  which  is  now  utilized  by  W.  F.  Weber  as  a  grocery.  Several 
years  later,  with  Norris  L.  Gage,  he  erected  a  double  building  between  Fifth 
street  and  Sixth  avenue  and  moved  his  mercantile  stock  into  it. 

Mr.  Bates  had  almost  as  much  trouble  when  he  came  to  Topeka  in  finding 
a  suitable  place  of  residence.  He  settled  his  family  in  the  Gordon  House,  on 
Fourth  street  and  Kansas  avenue,  where  they  remained  until  he  finally  secured 
the  second  floor  of  the  residence  of  Guilford  G.  Gage,  at  No.  408  VanBuren 
street.    He  then  bought  a  residence  on  VanBuren  street,  and  a  few  years  later 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  399 

purchased  one  on  Topeka  avenue  and  still  later  he  erected  a  handsome  resi- 
dence on  Topeka  avenue,  where  he  passed  his  declining  years. 

Mr.  Bates  continued  in  the  mercantile  business  until  his  health  failed  and 
he  was  obliged  to  change  his  occupation.  For  some  years  he  was  associated 
with  Henry  Taylor  in  a  loan  business,  which  was  transacted  in  a  building  on. 
Kansas  and  Sixth  avenues  that  they  purchased  of  James  M.  Spencer.  Later 
Mr.  Bates  bought  Mr.  Taylor's  interest  and  the  property  now  belongs  to  the 
Bates  estate.  Although  the  years  were  beginning  to  weigh  heavily  on  him 
physically,  his  faculties  were  vigorous  and  his  judgment  was  as  good  as  in 
youth.  About  this  time  he  entered  into  a  large  land  deal  with  an  old  Ohio 
friend,  Bradford  Miller.  They  had  bought  40  acres  east  of  the  Santa  Fe 
shops,  and  Mr.  Miller  platted  the  east  one-half  and  Mr.  Bates  platted  the 
west  one-half.  They  retained  this  land  for  20  years.  In  May,  1887,  George 
P.  Bates,  C.  W.  Jewell,  Noah  C.  McFarland  and  H.  S.  Fairfield,  the  last 
named  of  Alma,  platted  and  laid  out  the  town  of  McFarland,  in  Wabaunsee 
County,  Kansas.  Mr.  Bates'  last  business  enterprise  was  the  building  of  the 
structure  which  now  stands  on  the  corner  of  Sixth  avenue  and  Jackson  street, 
known  as  the  Bates  Block.  During  this  period  his  health,  already  impaired, 
failed  rapidly  and  one  year  later,  on  November  17,  1903,  he  passed  away, 
at  his  home  on  Topeka  avenue,  aged  78  years. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  still  survives.  She  was  born  December  26, 
1826,  and  became  the  mother  of  three  children,  two  of  whom  died  in  infancy. 
After  the  death  of  her  husband,  she  removed  to  the  home  of  her  only  son,  our 
subject,  and  is  a  beloved  and  venerated  member  of  the  family.  George  P. 
Bates  was  a  Master  Mason,  a  member  of  Orient  Lodge,  No.  51,  A.  F.  &  A. 
M.,  to  which  his  son  also  belongs.  He  was  one  of  the  leading  members  of 
the  Congregational  Church  for  years  and  was  one  of  its  deacons. 

Walter  L.  Bates  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Topeka,  coming 
here  with  his  parents  when  nine  years  of  age.  After  completing  his  education, 
he  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  until  1890,  when  he  closed  out  his  interests 
and  entered  into  business  with  his  father.  Always  a  lover  of  flowers,  he 
engaged  in  the  florist  business  for  some  eight  years  and  built  several  large 
greenhouses  at  Auburndale.  This  was  very  congenial  as  his  tastes  have 
always  been  in  the  direction  of  rural  occupations,  as  may  be  seen  in  the  great 
success  which  has  attended  his  poultry  business.  With  him  this  is  a  recrea- 
tion, carried  on  with  enthusiasm  and  ambition.  In  1904  he  erected  a  commo- 
dious home  at  No.  1832  Park  avenue,  one  block  from  the  car  line,  where  he 
has  five  acres;  a  large  part  of  the  ground  is  given  up  as  an  ample  range  for 
his  choice  birds.  Mr.  Bates'  beautiful  home,  known  as  "Elmwold,'  is  a  very 
interesting  place  to  visit,  not  only  on  account  of  the  cordiality  of  its  owner, 
but  also  because  of  the  fine  poultry  shown  here. 


400  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Mr.  Bates  has  taken  so  much  interest  in  the  fascinating  occupation  of 
raising  and  displaying  fancy  poultry  that  there  is  little  connected  with  it 
which  has  escaped  his  attention.  Some  four  years  since  he  constructed  a 
brooder  and  has  since,  on  several  occasions,  improved  on  it,  and  this  he 
uses  in  his  own  yards  and  has  put  upon  the  market.  These  brooders  possess 
every  desirable  quality  to  be  expected  in  constructions  of  this  kind;  with  one 
of  these  inventions,  no  poultry  raiser  is  at  the  mercy  of  the  old-fashioned, 
oft-times  recalcitrant  mother  hen.  Mrs.  Bates  is  equally  interested  with  her 
husband  and  has  a  distinct  department  of  the  business  as  her  own. 

On  the  i8th  of  April,  1883,  Mr.  Bates  was  married  at  Milwaukee,  Wis- 
consin, to  May  E.  Merritt,  who  was  born  at  St.  Louis,  Missouri.  They  have 
four  children:  George  Merritt,  William  Mortimer,  Henry  Pennock  and  Al- 
bert Jewell.  The  eldest  son  bears  the  name  of  both  paternal  and  maternal 
grandparents.  The  second  son  also  bears  a  family  name,  as  does  the  third, 
while  the  youngest  was  named  in  honor  of  an  old  and  beloved  friend  of  the 
Bates  family. 

Prior  to  the  death  of  his  father,  our  subject  had  the  main  management 
of  the  latter's  business  and  at  his  decease,  assumed  the  business  responsibili- 
ties in  full.  Since  1888  he  has  been  a  notary  public,  but  has  not  been  active 
as  a  politician.  The  many  business  interests  to  which  he  succeeded  and  the 
management  of  his  feathered  pets  at  "Elmwold,"  make  up  a  busy  life,  one 
which  brings  adequate  enjoyment. 


THOMAS  JAMESON   KELLAM. 

The  death  of  Thomas  Jameson  Kellam,  at  his  beautiful  home  on  the 
corner  of  Western  avenue  and  Huntoon  street,  Topeka,  on  February  4,  1896, 
brought  added  meaning  to  the  trite  expression  that  "death  loves  a  shining 
mark."  A  man  endowed  with  so  many  personal  attractive  traits,  successful 
in  business,  honored  by  his  associates  and  fellow-citizens  and  in  the  enjoy- 
ment of  domestic  happiness,  surely  was  entitled  to  more  than  44  years  of  ex- 
istence. Such  seems  the  limited  human  view.  Mr.  Kellam  was  born  June 
15,  1852,  at  Irasburg,  Vermont. 

Mr.  Kellam  accompanied  his  father's  family  West  and  located  at  Chicago, 
from  which  city  he  came  to  Kansas,  in  1870  and  engaged  with  his  brother 
in  the  cattle  business.  Later  he  came  to  Topeka  and  filled  a  position  in  the 
Post  Office,  which  he  left  to  enter  into  business  with  Henry  King  in  a  book 
and  newspaper  business.  Subsequently  he  bought  Mr.  King's  interest,  and 
conducted  the  Kellam  book-store  for  some  years.     In  1888  the  Merchants' 


DAVID  O.   CRANE 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  403 

National  Bank  was  organized,  with  Mr.  Kellam  as  vice-president,  and  the 
Kellam  Book  &  Stationery  Company  was  formed,  the  employees  buying  a 
minority  interest  and  Mr.  Kellam  continuing  to  hold  a  majority  of  the  stock. 
Mr.  Kellam  was  also  a  director  of  the  Wichita  &  Western  Railroad  Company, 
a  director  of  the  Public  Library  and  of  the  Topeka  Club,  and  was  interested 
in  all  that  went  to  make  this  city  worthy  of  its  name  of  capital.  For  some 
14  years  he  had  been  a  vestryman  in  Grace  Cathedral. 

In  1877  Mr.  Kellam  married  Lillie  Holliday,  who  is  a  daughter  of  Colo- 
nel Holliday,  of  Topeka,  and  she,  with  three  children,  Kurtz,  Louise  and 
Katherine,  still  survives.  The  son,  who  was  formerly  the  manager  of  the 
Kellam  Book  &  Stationery  Company,  now  resides  in  Kansas  City. 

The  immediate  cause  of  Mr.  Kellam's  death  was  from  railroad  injuries 
received  near  Victor,  Colorado,  on  January  17,  1896.  For  some  days  hopes 
of  his  recovery  were  entertained,  but  they  proved  false.  His  passing  re- 
moved a  man  of  examplary  character,  one  who  took  more  than  a  slight 
interest  in  art  and  literature  and  in  all  that  goes  to  make  up  a  higher  life. 
His  manly  attitude,  his  generous  sympathies  and  his  winning  courtesy  made 
his  personal  friends  a  legion. 


DAVID  O.  CRANE. 

David  O.  Crane,  a  well-known  citizen  of  Topeka,  whose  portrait 
accompanies  this  sketch,  is  superintendent  of  the  Topeka  Cemetery,  in  which 
capacity  he  has  served  continuously  since  1884.  He  was  bom  at  Easton, 
Pennsylvania,  February  12,  1842,  and  is  a  son  of  Franklin  L.  and  Mary 
Elizabeth   (Howell)   Crane. 

Franklin  L.  Crane  was  born  in  the  town  of  East  Windsor,  Connecticut, 
January  10,  1808.  He  was  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  War,  serving  in  Com- 
pany E,  nth  Reg.,  Kansas  Vol.  Inf.,  and  his  son,  Franklin  L.,  Jr.,  served 
in  Company  G,  Second  Reg.,  Kansas  Vol.  Inf.  His  father,  David  Crane, 
grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  a  soldier  in  the  Continental  Army  in  the 
Revolutionary  War. 

David  O.  Crane  received  his  educational  training  in  the  public  schools 
of  Easton,  Pennsylvania,  and  of  Dobb's  Ferry,  New  York,  being  located  at 
the  last  named  place  a  period  of  four  years.  In  1858,  he  came  West  to 
Topeka,  Kansas,  where  he  attended  school  during  the  winter  of  that  year, 
then  learned  the  printer's  trade  under  J.  F.  Cummings,  proprietor  of  the 
Topeka  Tribune.  On  May  14,  1861,  he  enlisted  from  Shawnee  County  for 
the  three  months'  service  as  musician  in  Company  A,  Second  Reg.,  Kansas 
Vol.  Inf.,  under  Capt.  Leonard  W.  Home  and  Col.  Robert  B.  Mitchell.    The 


404  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

regiment  was  recruited  during  May  and  was  rendezvoused  at  Lawrence, 
Kansas.  It  was  mustered  in  at  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  June  20,  1861,  and 
then  joined  the  brigade  commanded  by  Major  Sturgis  at  CHnton,  Missouri, 
which  was  attached  to  the  division  of  Brigadier  General  Lyon  near  the  Osage 
River  at  St.  Clair,  Missouri.  Camp  was  established  near  Springfield  and 
drilling  commenced.  The  First  and  Second  Kansas  regiments  were  joined 
under  command  of  General  Dietzler,  and  first  underwent  fire  at  Forsythe, 
Missouri,  July  22,  1861.  They  moved  south  under  General  Lyon  and  on 
August  2nd  engaged  and  defeated  the  enemy  at  Dug  Springs,  pursuing  him  to 
McCulloch's  ranch.  The  enemy  fell  back  to  concentrate  their  columns  into 
one,  and  the  Second  Kansas  retired  to  Springfield,  where  a  large  and  heavy 
supply  train  awaited  them,  it  being  so  unwieldy  as  to  preclude  rapid  movement 
without  abandoning  it.  General  Lyon  determined  to  attack  at  daylight  on 
August  10,  1 86 1,  Colonel  Siegel's  artillery  opening  the  engagement  of 
Wilson's  Creek,  and  the  Second  Kansas  supporting  Totten's  battery  and 
the  extreme  left.  During  the  first  of  the  battle,  which  was  fought  in  a  corn- 
field, the  regular  infantry  fell  back,  the  Second  Kansas  covering  the  retreat 
with  the  aid  of  the  battery,  driving  the  enemy  beyond  the  field.  Colonel 
Mitchell  fell  wounded,  and  General  Lyon,  who  had  been  twice  wounded, 
answered  Colonel  Mitchell's  call  to  lead  the  regiment.  He  had  just  turned  to 
fulfill  the  order  with  the  words,  "Come  on  brave  men,"  when  he  fell,  mortally 
wounded  by  a  bullet  in  the  breast.  Lieutenant  Colonel  Blair  assumed  com- 
mand and  after  six  hours  of  severe  fighting  received  orders  to  withdraw  his 
command.  Feeling  it  impossible  to  retire  at  that  crucial  moment,  he  held 
his  ground  one  hour  and  a  half,  when  the  enemy's  fire  was  utterly  silenced 
and  they  withdrew.  The  Second  Kansas  was  the  only  regiment  to  keep  its 
line  and  organization  from  first  to  last,  but  it  was  at  the  cost  of  one-third  of 
its  men.  At  the  close  of  this  engagement,  the  command  returned  to  Spring- 
field, thence  by  way  of  Rolla  and  St.  Louis  to  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  where 
they  were  mustered  out  with  orders  to  reorganize.  Mr.  Crane  was  honorably 
discharged  October  31,  1861,  and  reenlisted  March  17,  1862,  for  the  three 
years'  service  as  a  private  in  Company  A,  Fifth  Kansas  Vol.  Cav.,  under  Capt. 
William  F.  Creitz  and  Col.  Powell  Clayton.  This  regiment  participated  in 
the  engagement  at  Dry  wood,  September  2,  1861 ;  at  Morristown,  Missouri, 
September  17,  when  Col.  Hampton  P.  Johnson  fell;  at  Osceola,  where  they 
attacked  the  rear  of  Price's  army,  routing  them.  Lieutenant  Colonel  Clayton 
assumed  command  of  the  regiment  in  February,  1862,  and  in  May  they  drove 
the  guerilla  band  of  Coleman  out  of  that  section  of  the  country.  On  July 
6th  they  routed  an  Arkansas  cavalry  regiment  at  Salem,  Arkansas,  and  dur- 
ing the  following  winter  engaged  in  skirmishes  with  the  Rebel  cavalry  near 
Helena,  Arkansas.     On  May  7,  1863,  they  joined  the  expedition  of  Colonel 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  405 

Clayton  through  the  country  west  and  south  of  Helena,  destroying  supplies, 
and  on  August  15th  joined  Colonel  Steele's  Arkansas  expedition.  On  Sep- 
tember loth  they  engaged  the  enemy  at  Little  Rock,  and  on  October  25th 
were  attacked  at  Pine  Bluff  by  General  Marmaduke  with  3,000  men  and  12 
pieces  of  artillery.  Colonel  Clayton  had  opposed  to  this  force  but  600  men  and 
nine  pieces  of  artillery.  After  six  hours  of  action,  the  Rebels  were  defeated 
at  all  points,  leaving  the  field  to  Colonel  Clayton  and  his  small  force  of  brave 
men.  Mr.  Crane  was  after  this  battle  transferred  to  Company  H,  Fifth 
Reg.,  Kansas  Vol.  Cav.,  with  which  he  served  throughout  the  remainder  of 
the  war.  He  was  honorably  discharged  at  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  July 
19,  1865,  and  returned  to  his  home  in  Topeka. 

David  O.  Crane  had  charge  of  the  Topeka  Cemetery  from  1868  to  1871, 
under  direction  of  his  father,  who  had  for  some  years  served  as  its  superin- 
tendent. In  the  spring  of  1871,  he  moved  to  Osage,  Kansas,  where  he  re- 
sided until  the  death  of  his  father,  November  17,  1884,  since  which  time 
he  has  lived  in  Topeka  and  has  had  charge  of  the  cemetery.  Prior  to  No- 
vember, 1884,  there  were  3,857  interments,  and  at  the  present  time  the  number 
aggregates  10,898. 

On  March  3,  1869,  Mr.  Crane  was  joined  in  wedlock  with  Anna  S.  Kay, 
of  Topeka,  Kansas.  Her  brother,  James  T.  Kay,  served  in  Company  C,  83rd 
Reg.,  Indiana  Vol.  Inf.,  during  the  Civil  War  and  was  killed  in  battle.  To 
this  union  have  been  born  four  children,  of  whom  three  are  now  living,  as 
follows:  Mary  E.  (Radcliff) ;  Anna  S. ;  and  Franklin  L.  Fraternally,  our 
subject  is  a  Mason  and  has  taken  all  the  degrees  up  to  and  including  the 
32nd  degree ;  he  is  also  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows ; 
Knights  of  Pythias;  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen;  Modern  Wood- 
men of  America;  Fraternal  Aid  and  other  societies.  He  is  a  member  of 
Lincoln  Post,  No.  i.  Department  of  Kansas,  G.  A.  R.  Mrs.  Crane  is  an 
active  and  honorable  member  of  Lincoln  Circle,  No.  i.  Ladies  of  the  G. 
A.  R.,  and  she  and  her  daughters  are  members  of  Naomi  Rebekah  Lodge, 
No.  95,  and  of  the  Order  of  the  Eastern  Star.  A  view  of  the  Crane  resi- 
dence is  shown  on  another  page  of  this  work. 


THE  FIRST  NATIONAL  BANK,  TOPEKA. 

The  First  National  Bank  of  Topeka,  one  of  the  leading  financial 
institutions  of  the  State,  was  organized  in  1882,  with  Thomas  Curran  as 
president  and  J.  W.  Redden  as  vice-president.  D.  A.  Moulton  was  cashier 
and  the  directors  were:     Maj.  William  Sims,  William  Wellhouse,  W.  A. 


4o6 


HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE   COUNTY 


Johnston,  T.  J.  Anderson,  W.  W.  Mansfield,  F.  L.  Stringham,  J.  D.  Burr, 
George  W.  Wood,  Theodore  Curran,  J.  W.  Redden  and  D.  A.  Moulton.  0£ 
the  above  officers  and  directors,  the  only  member  of  the  present  board  (1905) 
is  Maj.  William  Sims. 

The  present  officers  of  The  First  National  Bank  are:  Maj.  William 
Sims,  president;  W.  H.  Rossington,  vice-president;  Charles  E.  Hawley, 
cashier  and  C.  S.  Bowman,  assistant  cashier.  The  board  of  directors  is  made 
up  of  these  capitalists :  A.  A.  Robinson,  president  of  the  Mexican  Central 
Railway  Company;  Charles  J.  Lantry,  of  the  firm  of  B.  Lantry  &  Sons, 
contractors;  W.  H.  Rossington,  vice-president  of  the  firm  of  Rossington, 
Smith  &  Histed,  attorneys;  Charles  J.  Devlin,  coal  operator;  John  L.  Chris- 
topher, vice-president  of  the  T.  M.  &  N.  Railway  Company;  Maj.  Wilham 
Sims,  president  and  Charles  E.  Hawley,  cashier. 

The  condition  of  The  First  National  Bank  as  rendered  in  1883,  one  year 
after  its  organization,  was  encouraging.  The  capital  was  increased  from 
$100,000  to  $150,000.  In  1888  it  climbed  to  $200,000  and  in  1892  it  was 
raised  to  $300,000.  According  to  the  report  rendered  April  24,  1901,  the 
standing  was  as  follows : 


RESOURCES. 

Loans  and  discounts   $486,387  09 

Overdrafts    4,496  51 

U.  S.  and  other  bonds  129,73s  Si 

Real   estate    18,000  00 

Banking    house    furniture    and 

fixtures  115,00000 

Cash  and  sight  exchange  243,655  29 

Redemption    fund    with    U.    S. 

Treasury 2,500  00 


LIABILITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in  $300,000  00 

Surplus  and  profits   6,025  07 

Circulation    50,000  00 

Dividends  unpaid  40  00 

Deposits   643,709  33 


Total    $999,774  40 


Total    $999,774  40 


The  present  capital  of  the  bank  is  the  largest  of  any  bank  in  the  city. 
The  report  of  the  business  on  March  14,  1905,  was  as  follows : 


RESOURCES. 

Loans   and  discounts    $1,041,45230 

Overdrafts   3,087  06 

U.   S.  Bonds   314,000  00 

Other  bonds    80,000  00 

Real    estate    2,741  83 

Banking  house  fixtures,  etc.  . .  91,250  00 

Cash  and  sight  exchange 719,232  70 

Redemption   fund   with   U.    S. 

Treasury  15,00000 

Total   $2,266,763  89 


LIABILITIES. 

Capital  stock  paid  in  $300,000  00 

Surplus  and  profits   99,764  76 

Circulation    300,000  00 

Deposits    1,566,999  13 


Total    $2,266,763  89 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  407 

In  order  to  note  the  increase  in  the  volume  of  business,  a  comparison 
made  with  the  statement  at  the  close  of  business  on  July  15,  1901,  will  show 
that  at  that  time  the  loans  and  discounts  amounted  to  $557,624.65,  and  de- 
posits, $822,063.02.  Much  of  the  prosperity  of  the  institution  must  be 
attributed  to  Cashier  Charles  E.  Hawley,  a  man  of  extended  business  expe- 
rience. The  whole  make-up  of  the  bank  shows  the  influence  of  business 
experience  and  large  finances.  Maj.  William  Sims,  the  president,  is  a  finan- 
cier in  whom  the  public  has  the  greatest  confidence.  He  is  a  veteran  of  the 
Civil  War,  a  native  of  Ohio.  After  a  term  of  residence  in  Illinois,  he  came  to 
Topeka  in  1872.  In  1901  W.  A.  Stephens,  treasurer  of  the  T.  M.  &  N.  Rail- 
way Company,  was  one  of  the  directors  but  he  is  not  a  member  of  the  pres- 
ent board. 


CHARLES  E.  HAWLEY. 

Charles  E.  Hawley,  cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Topeka, 
and  an  enterprising  and  public-spirited  citizen,  was  born  in  Saratoga  County, 
New  York,  in  1850,  and  is  a  son  of  Isaac  H.  and  Jane  (Travis)  Hawley. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Hawley  were  substantial  farming  people  in  Saratoga 
County.  The  family  consisted  of  seven  children,  three  of  the  sons  and  three 
of  the  daughters  reaching  maturity  and  three  sons  and  one  daughter  still 
surviving. 

Mr.  Hawley's  boyhood  and  youth  was  similar  to  that  of  other  boys 
born  on  a  farm.  He  attended  the  district  school,  commencing  at  four  years 
of  age,  and  a  local  academy  until  he  was  13  years  old  and  then  entered  a 
general  store  in  the  capacity  of  clerk.  This  he  did  with  an  eye  to  preparing 
himself  for  a  business  career,  but  he  by  no  means  abandoned  his  books,  his 
evenings  and  leisure  hours  being  given  to  improving  his  mind.  The  Sara- 
toga County  merchant  was  also  the  postmaster  and  Mr.  Hawley  assisted  in 
receiving  and  distributing  the  mail  according  to  the  methods  then  in  use. 

In  1869  Mr.  Hawley  came  to  the  great  West,  locating  at  Rock  Island, 
Illinois.  For  eight  years  he  was  connected  with  the  First  National  Bank 
of  Rock  Island,  entering  as  bookkeeper  and  filling  positions  of  trust  and  sub- 
sequently becoming  teller.  After  a  residence  of  17  years  in  Rock  Island, 
he  removed  to  Kansas  and  in  1886  came  to  Topeka.  For  eight  years  Mr. 
Hawley  was  associated  with  Edward  Wilder,  treasurer  of  the  Atchison, 
Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railway  Company.  In  April,  1901,  Mr.  Hawley  became 
cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Topeka,  a  position  for  which  he  is 
well  equipped  on  account  of  his  years  of  thorough  business  training.  Per- 
sonally, he  is  a  man  of  affable  manner  and  sincere  courtesy,  qualities  which  add 


4o8  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

much  to  the  furthering  of  business  and  are  elements  in  adding  to  the  high 
regard  in  which  he  is  held  in  social  and  private  life. 

Mr.  Hawley  was  married  at  Rock  island,  Illinois,  to  Ella  Merrill,  who 
was  born  at  Providence,  Rhode  Island,  and  is  a  daughter  of  M.  D.  and  Sarah 
G.  Merrill.  They  have  three  children.  The  family  belong  to  the  Fir?t  Bap- 
tist Church  of  Topeka,  of  which  Mr.  Hawley  is  treasurer.  He  is  one  of  the 
leading  members  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association.  He  belongs  to 
the  Bankers'  Association  and  in  Masonry  has  taken  three  degrees.  Ever 
since  coming  to  Topeka  to  make  this  city  his  home,  he  has  taken  an  in- 
terested part  in  its  upbuilding  and  development,  and  stands  as  one  of  its 
highly  considered,  representative  men. 


GARY  SNYDER. 


Cary  Snyder,  who  came  of  a  prominent  family  of  Shawnee  County, 
Kansas,  was  engaged  in  general  merchandising  at  Dover  until  his  death  on 
September  8,  1899.  He  is  a  son  of  William  P.  and  Matilda  (Denious) 
Snyder.    A  sketch  of  his  father  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work. 

Mr.  Snyder  was  united  in  the  holy  bonds  of  wedlock  with  Henrietta  E. 
Beach,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Samuel  E.  and  Jane  (McGregor)  Beach.  Her 
father  was  born  in  Ashtabula  County,  Ohio,  February  22,  1822,  and  was  a 
son  of  William  K.  Beach,  a  native  of  Connecticut.  Samuel  E.  Beach  accom- 
panied his  parents  to  Ohio  in  his  early  youth,  and  there  received  a  primary 
education  in  the  schools  of  Medina  County.  He  was  graduated  from  the 
Cleveland  Medical  College  in  1849,  ^^'^  immediately  engaged  in  practice  in 
that  State.  He  then  located  at  Appleton,  Wisconsin,  where  he  practiced 
with  much  success  for  a  period  of  10  years.  Prior  to  leaving  there,  Dr.  Beach 
made  a  trip  to  Kansas  in  1856,  and  located  a  farm  of  160  acres  in  what  is 
now  Wabaunsee  County,  then  returned  home  and  continued  his  practice. 
In  1856,  his  father  also  went  to  Kansas  and  located  a  claim.  Dr.  Beach 
also  took  up  his  residence  on  this  place  in  1858  and  so  continued  until  the 
spring  of  1863,  when  he  joined  the  Union  Army  as  ist  assistant  surgeon  of 
the  Eighth  Regiment,  Kansas  Vol.  Inf.,  Colonel  Martin  commanding.  He 
was  immediately  sent  to  the  front,  and  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year  while 
left  in  charge  of  the  wounded  at  Chickamauga  was  taken  prisoner.  He  was 
one  of  the  three  surgeons  who  were  immediately  exchanged,  but  unfortun- 
ately died  on  his  way  home,  at  Officers'  Hospital  No.  2,  Nashville,  Tennessee. 
Mrs.  Beach  was  then  residing  on  the  old  home  farm  in  Kansas,  but  had  his 
remains  sent  to  Appleton,  Wisconsin,  for  interment,  as  the  railroad  facilities 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  409 

and  connections  were  very  poor  in  Kansas.  Fraternally,  he  was  an  Odd 
Fellow.    He  was  a  Republican  in  politics. 

Dr.  Samuel  E.  Beach  was  united  in  marriage  with  Jane  McGregor,  who 
was  born  in  Scotland  and  came  to  America  with  her  parents  when  four  years 
of  age.  Her  parents,  John  and  Isabelle  (Brock)  McGregor,  were  both  born 
at  Hamilton,  Lanarkshire,  Scotland,  where  John  McGregor  engaged  in  school 
teaching.  Upon  coming  to  America,  he  first  taught  school  in  Vermont,  then 
in  Canton,  Wadsworth  and  Sharon,  Ohio,  where  he  died  at  52  years  of  age. 
His  wife  died  15  years  later  at  Canton,  aged  67  years.  Some  40  years  after 
the  death  of  John  McGregor,  a  number  of  his  early  pupils,  scattered  through- 
out the  United  States,  erected  to  his  memory  a  statue  made  of  Scotch  granite. 
In  the  presence  of  ,a  large  number  of  his  early  students  the  monument  was 
unveiled  October  21,  1887.  John  McGregor  and  his  wife  reared  nine  chil- 
dren, three  of  whom  are  now  living,  as  follows :  Jane,  the  widow  of  Dr. 
Samuel  E.  Beach ;  John,  who  is  in  the  wholesale  hardware  business  at  Spring- 
field, Missouri;  and  Malcolm,  who  is  a  lawyer  and  formerly  was  a  judge  at 
Carthage,  Missouri.  Mr.  McGregor  was  a  Mason  and  a  Woodman.  He 
was  a  Democrat  in  politics.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beach  had  three  children :  Hen- 
rietta E.,  the  wife  of  our  subject;  William  K.  and  J.  M.,  the  two  last  named 
living  on  the  home  farm  established  by  their  father,  to  which  they  have  largely 
added.  Mrs.  Beach  is  now  81  years  of  age,  and  is  living  with  her  daughter, 
Mrs.  Snyder,  at  Dover,  Kansas,  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  best  of  health. 

Cary  Snyder  and  his  worthy  wife  became  the  parents  of  two  sons :  Ray, 
who  died  in  early  life;  and  William  P.,  who  is  now  in  attendance  at  Wash- 
burn College  at  Topeka.  Mr.  Snyder  was  a  man  of  ability  and  good  business 
judgment  and  met  with  a  high  degree  of  success.  Mrs.  Snyder  has  many 
friends  in  Dover  and  vicinity,  among  whom  she  has  lived  many  years. 


THEODORE  F.   KREIPE. 

Theodore  F.  Kreipe,  one  of  the  leading  citizens  and  large  farmers  of 
Tecumseh  township,  Shawnee  County,  who  owns  a  fine  farm  of  330  acres 
in  section  33,  township  11,  range  17,  on  the  Kaw  River,  was  born  December 
8,  i860,  at  Big  Spring,  Douglas  County,  Kansas,  and  is  a  son  of  Theodore 
and  Gertrude  (Deister)  (Engelke)  Kreipe. 

Theodore  Kreipe,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  December  16,  1828, 
in  Hildesheim,  Hanover,  Germany,  a  son  of  Conrad  and  Gertrude  (Molle) 
Kreipe.  His  father  died  when  he  was  four  years  old.  He  attended  school 
until  12  years  of  age  and  then  hired  out  to  farmers  for  $13  a  year  and  also 


4IO  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

worked  one  year  on  the  railroad  before  coming  to  the  United  States.  In 
1848  he  came  to  America  with  his  mother  and  his  two  brothers,  Frank  and 
Conrad.  The  family  settled  in  St.  Charles  County,  Missouri,  where  Mr. 
Kreipe  farmed  for  several  years  and  then  engaged  in  freighting  for  the  gov- 
ernment. From  1854  until  1859  he  made  many  trips  across  the  plains  to  Salt 
Lake  City,  Santa  Fe  and  other  points.  An  attack  of  mountain  fever  pros- 
trated him  in  Platte  County,  Missouri,  where  he  remained  until  the  spring 
of  i860,  when  he  removed  to  Douglas  County,  Kansas,  and  settled  on  a  farm 
two  miles  east  of  Big  Spring.  When  the  State  militia  were  called  out  to 
withsitand  the  invasion  of  General  Price,  he  enlisted  under  Col.  George 
W.  Veale. 

Mr.  Kreipe  remained  on  his  farm  of  80  acres  in  Douglas  County  until 
the  spring  of  1865,  when  he  sold  his  land  there  and  purchased  160  acres 
in  section  33,  township  11,  range  17,  in  Tecumseh  township,  where  he  now 
resides.  He  owns  about  2,000  acres  of  land,  the  greater  part  of  which  is  in 
this  township  and  in  Shawnee  County,  and  he  has  made  all  the  improvements 
on  the  different  farms.  His  present  farm  he  cleared  of  timber  and  in  1868 
erected  the  substantial,  stone  residence  and  later  all  the  necessary  barns  and 
buildings  to  carry  on  extensive  farming.  Mr.  Kreipe's  remarkable  success 
has  been  the  result  of  constant  industry  and  good  judgment.  His  business 
has  been  farming,  grain-growing  and  stock-raising.  He  raises  a  great  many 
hogs  and  has  150  head  of  white-faced  cattle.  Mr.  Kreipe  is  by  far  the  most 
successful  and  one  of  the  largest  farmers  of  the  county.  Politically,  he  is  a 
Democrat.     He  belongs  to  the  Catholic  Church. 

Theodore  Kreipe  was  married  to  Mrs*.  Gertrude  (Deister)  Engelke,  who 
was  born  in  Hanover,  January  2,  1826,  and  died  December  9,  1900.  The 
children  born  to  this  union  were:  Theodore  F.,  our  subject;  George  and 
Mary  (twins),  the  former  of  whom  farms  in  Tecumseh  township  and  the 
latter  lives  at  home ;  Conrad,  of  Franklin  County,  Kansas ;  and  William,  who 
lives  on  his  father's  place. 

Theodore  F.  Kreipe  came  to  his  present  farm  in  1865  with  his  parents 
and  has  resided  here  ever  since,  following  farming.  His  education  was 
secured  in  the  district  schools  and  his  agricultural  training  was  obtained 
under  the  guidance  of  his  father.  Like  the  latter,  he  has  been  very  successful, 
both  in  the  cultivating  of  his  land  and  also  in  the  raising  of  fine  stock.  He 
has  a  handsome  residence,  which  he  built  in  1904. 

Mr.  Kreipe  was  married  January  19,  1888,  to  Nettie  Busch,  who  was 
born  March  12,  1868,  at  Parkville,  Missouri,  and  is  a  daughter. of  John  and 
Gertrude  (Kollman)  Busch,  natives  of  Germany.  They  have  three  children: 
Edmund,  Bessie  and  Geraldine.  The  family  belong  to  the  Catholic  Church  at 
Big  Spring. 


JOHN  GREEN 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  413 

In  politics  Mr.  Kreipe  is  a  Democrat.  For  the  past  12  years  he  has  been 
one  of  the  township's  most  efficient  school  officers  and  in  the  fall  of  1904  was 
elected  township  trustee,  an  office  for  which  he  is  well  qualified. 


JOHN   GREEN. 


John  Green,  whose  portrait  accompanies  this  sketch,  was  one  of  the 
most  prosperous  farmers  of  Mission  township,  Shawnee  County,  where  he 
resided  from  1869  until  his  death,  September  6,  1903,  aged  76  years,  lacking 
five  days. 

Mr.  Green  was  a  native  of  England,  having  been  born  in  Gloucestershire 
on  the  iith  day  of  September,  1827.  He  emigrated  to  America  when  21 
years  of  age,  and  for  one  year  was  located  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  He  then  en- 
gaged in  farming  in  Union  County,  Indiana,  and  still  later  in  Cass  County, 
Michigan,  where  he  remained  until  1869.  In  that  year  he  came  West  to 
Shawnee  County,  Kansas,  and  homesteaded  a  claim.  He  was  a  man  of 
thrifty  habits  and  untiring  energy,  and  succeeded  where  others  failed  in 
raising  crops  on  new  land.  He  gradually  increased  his  holdings  until  at 
the  time  of  his  death  the  home  farm  consisted  of  370  acres,  all  under  cultiva- 
tion. It  is  a  finely  improved  place,  with  a  two-story,  stone  house  of  nine 
rooms,  which  he  erected  at  a  cost  of  $3,500,  and  a  stone  barn,  32  by  40 
feet  in  dimensions,  which  he  erected  in  1875  ^^  a  cost  of  $1,000.  The  latter 
affords  shelter  for  36  head  of  stock,  and  has  capacity  for  30  tons  of  hay  and 
considerable  grain.  In  addition  to  these  substantial  buildings,  Mr.  Green 
built  wagon  sheds  and  a  granary  and  a  large  hay  barn  70  feet  long,  which 
was  constructed  of  stone  and  timber.  He  raised  cattle  on  a  very  extensive 
scale  and  also  kept  a  large  number  of  horses  and  hogs.  The  receipts  from 
his  sales  of  cattle  often  amounted  to  as  much  as  $1,800  in  one  year. 

John  Green  was  united  in  marriage  in  1849  with  Mary  Diebolt,  a 
daughter  of  David  A.  Diebolt,  of  Union  County,  Indiana,  who  was  a  farmer 
by  occupation  and  lived  to  reach  the  remarkable  age  of  114  years.  Mrs. 
Green  died  in  1868  on  giving  birth  to  a  child,  leaving  eight  children  as 
follows:  John  A.,  whose  present  location  is  unknown;  Perry,  an  auctioneer 
of  Council  Grove,  Morris  County,  Kansas,  who  married  Olive  Reveal,  a 
daughter  of  M.  M.  Reveal,  a  blacksmith  of  Council  Grove,  and  has  three 
children, — Mamie,  of  Grand  Rapids,  Edith  and  Everett  Perry;  Emma; 
Charles ;  Ellen ;  Robert ;  George ;  and  Mary  Ann,  deceased. 

Our  subject  formed  a  second  marital  union  with  Mrs.  Philobia  LaPoint, 
widow  of  Mitchell  LaPoint.  She  was  born  in  Wayne  County,  Missouri, 
20 


414  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

December  15,  1818,  and  lived  there  until  1852,  when  she  accompanied  the 
family  of  Benjamin  Franklin  to  Uniontown.  She  was  adopted  as  one  of  the 
Pottawatomie  tribe  of  Indians,  and  was  married  to  Mitchel  La  Point,  a 
quarter-blood  Indian,  to  whom  was  alloted  the  quarter-section  on  which  the 
old  town  stood.  She  received  an  allotment  of  80  acres  in  .Shawnee  County. 
She  died  July  22,  1891,  without  issue. 

Mr.  Green  married,  as  his  third  wife,  Christina  Reinhard.  They  spent 
their  wedding  trip  in  touring  England,  leaving  this  country  in  April,  1892, 
and  returning  home  the  following  August.  Mrs.  Green  died  in  1895,  leav- 
ing a  son,  Herbert  Reinhard  Green. 

On  April  7,  1896,  occurred  the  fourth  marriage  of  John  Green.  He 
was  united  with  Mrs.  Augusta  Winn,  nee  Austin,  widow  of  James  Winn,  of 
Kentucky,  and  a  daughter  of  William  Austin,  who  was  born  in  London, 
England,  and  upon  coming  to  this  country  located  in  Jefiferson  County, 
Missouri,  where  his  daughter  Augusta  was  born.  James  Winn  died  at 
Eureka,  Missouri,  leaving  his  widow  with  three  children :  James  Edward, 
who  lives  with  his  mother;  Mary  Jane,  wife  of  Harry  Sillett,  of  Utah;  and 
William  Silas,  who  lives  on  the  home  farm.  Our  subject  and  his  wife  had  one 
son,  Ernest  Ray  Green,  born  in  1897.  Religiously,  Mr.  Green  was  a  faithful 
member  of  the  Methodist  Church.  He  was  for  many  years  a  Democrat  in 
politics  and  then  joined  the  Populist  party. 


GEN.  JAMES  W.  F.  HUGHES. 

Gen.  James  W.  F.  Hughes,  one  of  Topeka's  most  prominent  citizens. 
Adjutant  General  of  the  State  of  Kansas  by  appointment  of  Governor  Hoch, 
formerly  mayor  and  for  years  a  successful  business  man,  is  probably  as  well- 
known  as  any  other  citizen  of  Kansas.  General  Hughes  was  born  at  Colum- 
bia, Tennessee,  January  12,  i860,  and  is  one  of  a  family  of  five  children 
torn  to  A.  M.  and  Mattie  (Neill)  Hughes. 

The  forebears  of  General  Hughes  were  of  Southern  birth  for  generations. 
His  father  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina  and  for  years  was  an  eminent  mem- 
ber of  the  bar  of  Tennessee. 

General  Hughes  enjoyed  educational  advantages  and  university  training, 
being  graduated  at  the  university  of  his  native  State  in  188 1.  In  the  same 
year  he  came  to  Topeka,  with  a  view  of  practicing  engineering,  a  profession 
■for  which  he  had  qualified,  and  soon  became  connected  with  the  Atchison, 
Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railway,  remaining  with  that  road  until  1895.     He  then 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  415 

embarked  in  business  for  himself,  opening  a  retail  and  wholesale  coal  busi- 
ness, in  which  he  has  been  interested  ever  since. 

General  Hughes  has  the  record  of  serving  as  brigadier  general  of  the 
Kansas  National  Guard  under  the  administration  of  three  executives.  During 
this  time  his  career  has  been  filled  with  responsible  and  important  acts,  some 
of  these  being  matters  of  State  history.  For  10  years  he  was  colonel  of  the 
Third  Regiment,  Kansas  National  Guard.  He  was  in  command  at  the  time 
of  the  legislative  war  in  1893  and  became  a  most  conspicuous  and  important 
figure. 

At  this  time  two  political  parties  were  contending  for  the  mastery.  Two 
bodies  had  been  organized,  known  as  the  Douglass  (Republican)  House,  and 
the  Dunsmore  (Populist)  House,  both  claiming  to  be  the  duly  constituted 
House  of  Representatives  of  the  State  of  Kansas.  Both  bodies  were  in 
session  in  the  same  hall  and  endeavoring  to  transact  public  business.  Governor 
Lewelling,  the  executive,  a  Populist,  was  in  sympathy  with  the  Dunsmore 
branch  of  the  dual  House,  and  called  out  the  militia  to  aid  in  sustaining  it. 

General  Hughes  was  at  that  time  colonel  of  the  Third  Regiment,  Kansas 
National  Guard.  When  the  contest  between  the  two  Houses  was  at  its  highest. 
Governor  Lewelling  issued  an  order  directing  Colonel  Hughes  to  proceed  to 
Representative  Hall  with  the  forces  at  his  command  and  eject  the  members 
of  the  so-called  Douglass  House,  using  whatever  power  might  be  necessary 
to  accomplish  this  result.  Colonel  Hughes  refused  to  obey  the  order,  claiming 
that  it  was  illegal,  indefinite,  and  exceeding  his  authority  and  that  it  raised 
the  question  of  rightful  authority  between  the  legislative  and  military  depart- 
ments of  the  State  government. 

For  his  refusal  to  disperse  the  Douglass  House  and  precipitate  riot  and 
bloodshed  in  obedience  to  the  Governor's  order,  Colonel  Hughes  was  court 
martialed  and  dismissed  from  the  service,  after  a  prolonged  trial  in  which  the 
best  legal  talent  of  the  State  was  enlisted.  The  tribunal  before  which  he  was 
tried  was  created  by  the  Governor,  and  it  must  be  acknowledged  that  partisan 
feeling  entered  largely  into  its  findings,  as  the  Governor  was  the  reviewing 
officer.  The  Supreme  Court  subsequently  determined  that  the  Douglass 
House,  which  the  Governor  sought  to  disperse,  was  the  regularly  constituted 
body,  and  it  continued  its  sessions  during  the  rest  of  the  legislative  period  of 
that  year.  Honor  rather  than  discredit  came  to  General  Hughes  as  the  re- 
sult of  his  contest  with  Governor  Lewelling,  Governor  Morrill  appointing  him 
major  general,  K.  N.  G.  It  was  to  his  clear  head,  cool  judgment  and  knowl- 
edge of  his  rights  and  duties  as  an  officer,  that  a  desperate  conflict  was  averted 
and  the  cause  of  good  government  preserved.  The  subsequent  decision  of 
the  Supreme  Court  upholding  the  legality  of  the  Douglass  House,  was  a  com- 
plete vindication  of  the  course  pursued  by  General  Hughes,  and  the  people  of 


4i6  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

the  State  have  commended  his  action  and  honored  him  in  various  ways  for 
his  prudence  and  courage  at  a  trying  and  critical  hour. 

General  Hughes  served  the  city  of  Potwin  as  mayor  during  the  years 
1897  and  1898,  and  was  a  councilman  of  the  city  of  Topeka  in  1899  and  1900. 
In  1901  he  was  mayor  of  Topeka  and  in  1904  and  1905  he  served  in  the 
Topeka  City  Council.  His  appointment  as  Adjutant  General  was  one  of  the 
first  acts  of  Governor  Hoch's  administration,  the  Governor  having  been 
Speaker  pro  tern  of  the  Douglass  House  during  the  troubles  of  1893.  During 
recent  years,  under  Governor  Bailey,  General  Hughes  had  served  as  brigadier 
general,  Kansas  National  Guard. 

General  Hughes  married  Mary  A.  Clark,  who  is  a  daughter  of  Julius 
T.  Clark,  a  resident  of  Wisconsin.  They  have  three  children:  James  C, 
Alice  W.  and  Mary  J.  General  Hughes  and  family  belong  to  the  Presbyterian 
Church.    The  beautiful  family  home  is  situated  at  No.  305  Greenwood  avenue. 

As  may  be  judged.  General  Hughes  is  identified  with  the  Republican 
party  and  in  various  ways  he  has  contributed  to  its  success.  His  fraternal 
relations  include  the  Masons,  Elks,  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen, 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and  Woodmen  of  the  World.  General  Hughes 
is  known  as  a  man  of  high  character  and  lofty  aims.  Devoted  to  his  State 
and  her  institutions,  he  has  served  her  with  fidelity  and  with  both  physical 
and  moral  courage  has  done  his  full  duty  to  the  extent  of  his  powers. 


BRADFORD  MILLER. 

Bradford  Miller,  formerly  mayor  of  Topeka,  and  one  of  the  sub- 
stantial, valued  and  popular  citizens  of  Shawnee  County,  was  born  in  Stark 
County,  Ohio,  in  1840,  and  is  a  son  of  Rev.  John  B.  and  Sarah  (Shaffer) 
Miller.    The  Miller  family  is  of  Pennsylvania  Dutch  extraction. 

The  father  of  Mr.  Miller  was  born  in  Ohio  and  the  mother  in  Penn- 
sylvania. The  former  was  a  Presbyterian  minister  and  also  owned  farming 
lands  in  Stark  County,  his  father  having  been  a  farmer  there.  There  were 
seven  children  born  to  Rev.  John  B.  Miller  and  wife.  One  son,  H.  B.  Miller, 
is  now  a  member  of  the  Kansas  State  Senate,  from  Osage  County. 

Our  subject  obtained  his  primary  education  in  the  public  schools  and 
later  was  a  student  at  Mount  Union  College  and  classmate  of  the  noted  Bishop 
Hamilton,  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  When  only  16  years  of  age 
he  began  to  teach  school  and  continued,  more  or  less  continuously,  until  his 
22nd  year,  when,  in  1862,  he  enlisted  for  service  in  the  Civil  War,  entering  the 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  417 

86th  Regiment,  Ohio  Vol.  Inf.,  as  a  private.  At  the  election  of  officers  he  was 
made  ist  lieutenant  and  served  100  days  in  answer  to  the  second  call  for 
troops.  Upon  his  return  he  was  called  into  the  provost  marshal's  office  and 
served  as  a  deputy  and  as  enrolling  officer  at  Alliance,  Ohio,  until  the  close 
of  the  war.  While  in  Ohio,  he  was  elected  first  president  of  Council  No.  117, 
known  as  Knox  Union,  organized  by  the  National  Council  of  the  Union 
League,  at  North  Georgetown,  Columbiana  County.  The  charter  for  this  was 
issued  June  12,  1863,  and  at  the  Grand  Council  of  Ohio  he  received  this  honor, 
one  which  he  justly  prizes,  under  the  seal  of  Grand  President  Sam.  Galloway 
and  Grand  Secretary  E.  W.  Brownell.  Associated  with  him  in  Council  No. 
117,  as  its  first  secretary,  was  John  W.  Buck. 

In  1868  Mr.  Miller  left  Ohio  and  settled  in  Topeka.  In  1873  he  pur- 
chased a  farm  of  320  acres,  80  of  which  he  has  since  sold;  the  property  is 
located  in  Mission  township,  and  is  one  of  the  best  equipped  and  best  im- 
proved farms  in  Shawnee  County.  Mr.  Miller  has  not  resided  on  the  farm 
since  1902  and  not  continuously  prior  to  that,  as  many  calls  to  public  office 
made  it  necessary  for  him  frequently  to  take  up  his  home  in  Topeka.  During 
the  greater  part  of  his  residence  on  the  farm  he  devoted  special  attention  to  the 
development  of  clover  and  alfalfa,  concerning  which  he  has  contributed  a  num- 
ber of  valuable  articles  to  the  secretary  of  the  State  Board  of  Agriculture.  He 
makes  12  reports  a  year  to  the  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture. 
The  farm  is  now  run  as  a  dairy  farm,  and  in  the  last  three  years  milk  to  the 
value  of  $5,000  has  been  told  in  Topeka.  Mr.  Miller  has  spent  large  amounts 
of  money  in  developing  this  land  from  its  virgin  state  and  has  spent  a  fortune 
in  making  its  valuable  improvements.  His  farm  residence  is  an  ideal  rural 
home  and  the  great  barn  which  contains  34,000  feet  of  lumber  in  its  solid  tim- 
bers, and  the  immense  granaries  and  other  buildings  make  the  place  notable 
all  over  the  county. 

Mr.  Miller  wisely  invested  in  considerable  land  in  and  about  Topeka 
at  an  early  day.  He  laid  out  the  addition  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the 
city  known  as  the  Bradford  Miller  Addition,  building  several  fine  residences 
here  and  selling  the  whole  body  of  land  in  city  lots.  His  public  offices  have 
been  ones  of  responsibility,  testifying  to  the  esteem  in  which  he  has  long  been 
held  by  his  fellow-citizens.  From  1873  to  1876  and  from  1887  to  1890  he 
served  as  county  commissioner;  during  1878  he  was  assessor  of  Topeka  and 
in  December,  1883,  he  was  elected  mayor  of  Topeka  in  which  office  he  served 
until  April,  1885.  He  also  served  as  treasurer  of  Shawnee  County,  from 
1880  to  1884.  In  1885  he  returned  to  the  farm  and  devoted  his  attention  to  his 
great  clover  fields  until  failing  health  brought  about  his  retirement  to  the 
city,  in  1902.  He  has  been  one  of  the  leading  men  of  his  township  for  years, 
a  justice  of  the  peace,  and  treasurer  and  member  of  the  School  Board.    Mr. 


4i8  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Miller  occupies  a  very  pleasant  home  which  he  purchased  when  he  first  came 
to  Topeka,  which  is  situated  at  No.  626  Clay  street,  opposite  the  Clay  School. 

Mr.  Miller  was  married  in  Ohio,  in  1864,  to  Harriet  Summers,  who  was 
born  in  Columbiana  County,  Ohio.  They  have  five  children,  namely :  Minnie, 
who  married  C.  C.  McPherson,  of  Rossville,  Shawnee  County,  and  has  three 
children, — Clarence  L.,  Virgil  L.  and  Helen;  Henry  O.,  who  is  in  the  lum- 
ber business  at  Tulsa,  Indian  Territbry ;  Martha,  who  married  John  R.  Wilt, 
of  Rossville,  Kansas;  Mary,  who  married  A.  T.  Lucas,  sheriff  of  Shawnee 
County,  of  whom  a  sketch  appears  in  this  work, — they  have  one  daughter, 
Helen  Miller  Lucas  and  B.  H.,  who  is  auditor  of  several  large  lumber  com- 
panies at  Lawton,  Oklahoma,  who  married  Miss  Sessions,  of  Ottawa,  Kansas. 

Mr.  Miller  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Mission 
Center,  Kansas,  in  which  he  served  as  elder  until  failing  health  made  it  ad- 
visable for  him  to  curtail  his  activities.  His  first  religious  connection  was 
with  the  First  Presbyterian  Church,  of  Alliance,  Ohio.  He  is  a  citizen  who 
has  always  had  the  best  interests  of  city  and  county  at  heart  and  on  many 
occasions  has  demonstrated  his  progressiveness  and  public  spirit. 


P.   D.  FIRESTONE. 

P.  D.  Firestone,  one  of  the  well-known  agriculturists  of  Auburn  town- 
ship, Shawnee  County,  who  owns  a  fine  grain  and  stock  farm  of  160  acres 
situated  in  section  9,  township  13,  range  14,  was  born  in  York  County,  Penn- 
sylvania, May  II,  1828,  and  is  a  son  of  William  and  Margaret  (Better)  Fire- 
stone. 

George  Firestone,  the  paternal  grandfather,  was  born  in  Holland.  The 
father  of  our  subject  was  a  prosperous  farmer  in  Pennsylvania,  where  he 
died  when  our  subject  was  only  two  years  old,  leaving  nine  children :  Daniel, 
Mathias,  John,  William,  Susan,  Esther,  Polly,  Margaret  and  P.  D. 

After  the  death  of  the  father,  the  family  moved  to  Cumberland  County, 
Pennsylvania,  where  Mr.  Firestone  was  reared  and  remained  until  1854^  in 
the  meantime  attending  school  in  various  places  and  securing  a  superior 
education.  His  study  years  were  from  16  to  21,  during  which  period  he  was 
a  student  at  Gettysburg  for  a  time.  He  then  learned  the  tailoring  trade  only 
to  find  that  the  necessary  close  confinement  would  not  agree  with  him  and  an 
open  outdoor  life  would  be  more  beneficial.  In  the  spring  of  1854  he  moved 
upon  a  farm  in  Wayne  County,  Ohio,  which  he  operated  until  1878  when 
he  settled  on  his  present  property.    He  has  a  valuable  farm  here,  well-improved 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  419 

and  finely  cultivated,  to  which  he  has  devoted  much  attention  and  from  which 
he  obtains  very  satisfactory  results. 

Mr.  Firestone  was  married  in  1853,  in  Pennsylvania,  to  Christiana 
Conn,  who  was  born  in  York  County,  Pennsylvania,  in  1834,  and  died  on  our 
subject's  present  farm,  aged  49  years.  Of  the  1 1  children  born  to  them,  four 
died  in  infancy,  while  Margaret  died  aged  six  years,  Maude  died  aged  three 
years,  Clarence  died  aged  14  years  and  Samuel  died  aged  two  years.  The 
survivors  are:  William  L.,  of  Auburn  township;  Lucy,  wife  of  G.  W.  Lee, 
of  Worcester,  Ohio;  and  Bert,  who  resides  with  his  father. 

Mr.  Firestone  has  been  a  Republican  all  his  life  but  has  taken  only  a  good 
citizen's  interest  in  public  matters.  He  is  very  well  known  all  over  Shawnee 
County  and  is  much  respected.  He  has  witnessed  many  changes  since  coming 
here,  has  seen  all  this  section  developed  from  a  wilderness  and  has  always  done 
his  part  in  assisting  the  wheels  of  progress. 


WILLIAM  S.  CURRY. 

Among  the  pioneer  business  men  of  Topeka,  who  have  passed  away, 
none  stood  higher  in  public  esteem  than  the  late  William  S.  Curry.  He  was 
born  in  1823  near  White  Sulphur  Springs,  Virginia,  and  was  a  son  of 
James  and  Elizabeth   (Huston)   Curry. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Curry  were  also  of  Virginia  birth.  The  father 
owned  large  plantations  there,  but  in  1830  he  removed  with  his  family  to 
Rush  County,  Indiana.  Some  years  later  the  family  moved  to  Springfield, 
Illinois,  and  then  the  mother  died.  The  husband  died  in  Topeka  at  the  home 
of  his  son,  William  S.  Curry. 

William  S.  Curry  was  educated  in  Rush  County,  Indiana,  and  remained 
there  until  the  age  of  20  years,  when  he  removed  with  the  family  to  the 
vicinity  of  Springfield  to  Sangamon  County  Illinois.  He  remained  there 
engaged  in  farming  until  1866,  when  he  moved  to  Topeka.  During  his  many 
years  of  residence  in  the  capital  city,  Mr.  Curry  was  prominently  identified 
with  real  estate  interests  and  was  one  of  the  first  large  shippers  of  stock. 
He  attained  fortune  and  honorable  prominence,  his  name  became  synonymous 
with  honesty  and  fair  dealing,  and  he  left  behind  a  record  which  reflects  only 
credit  upon  a  busy  but  well  spent  life.  Mr.  Curry  died  at  Topeka  on  August 
14,  1893. 

Mr.  Curry  was  married,  first,  to  Sarah  Forden,  who  died  in  1864.  In 
1866  he  married  Cornelia  Holcomb,  who  is  a  daughter  of  Alonzo  Holcomb, 


420  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

and  they  had  eight  children,  six  of  whom  survive,  viz :  William  E.,  a  young 
business  man  of  Topeka;  Charles  E.,  a  large  real  estate  dealer  of  Topeka; 
Helen  F.,who  resides  w^ith  her  mother;  Mabel  C,  who  is  the  wife  of  John 
A.  Rosen,  patent  attorney,  whose  offices  are  at  No.  418  Kansas  avenue; 
Francis  H.;  George  H.  and  Kenneth  H.  The  family  home  is  situated  in 
Highland  Park,  one  of  the  most  attractive  suburbs  of  Topeka. 

Mr.  Curry  was  a  leading  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
and  his  family  attend  the  same.  In  politics  he  was  actively  identified  with 
the  Republican  party. 


REV.  HUGH  PARK  McCLURKIN,   D.  D. 

The  death  of  Dr.  McClurkin,  at  his  home,  No.-  1198  Fillmore  street, 
Topeka,  on  February  18,  1905,  removed  an  able  divine,  a  man  of  deep  spiritual 
character  and  one  of  the  great  expounders  of  the  Presbyterian  faith.  He  was 
born  near  Rock  Creek,  Chester  County,  South  Carolina,  November  12,  1823, 
and  was  a  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  McClurkin. 

The  parents  of  Dr.  McClurkin  were  deeply  religious  people,  who  gave  up 
all  the  advantages  they  enjoyed  in  a  beautiful  Southern  home,  because  they 
were  conscientiously  opposed  to  slavery.  They  removed  to  Illinois  in  the 
fall  of  1833,  settling  near  Sparta. 

Inheriting  much  from  these  worthy  parents,  our  subject,  was  also  a  youth 
of  strong  mentality,  and  during  his  school  days  and  at  Duquesne  College 
(now  Western  University),  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  was  graduated 
in  1845,  he  was  far  in  advance  of  his  fellow-students.  Upon  completing  his 
theological  course  in  the  Reformed  Presbyterian  Theological  Seminary  at 
Cincinnati,  he  was  licensed  by  the  Lakes  Presbytery,  April  20,  1848,  was 
ordained  by  the  Pittsburg  Presbytery  and  on  October  15,  1850,  was  installed 
Pastor  of  the  congregation  at  Salt  Creek  (now  known  as  New  Concord), 
Ohio.  This  charge  he  resigned  in  October,  1882,  after  32  years  of  work  in 
this  field.  From  1884  to  1891  he  was  pastor  at  Wahoo,  Nebraska;  from  1891 
until  1893,  he  was  pastor  of  the  United  Presbyterian  Church  at  Denison, 
Kansas.  He  then  came  to  Topeka,  where  he  served  as  pastor  of  the  Reformed 
Presbyterian  Church  from  1896  until  1902. 

Since  the  close  of  this  last  pastorate  Dr.  McClurkin  was  in  failing  health. 
During  his  active  years  no  clergyman  wielded  a  more  powerful  influence, 
which  was  not  confined  to  the  pulpit,  but  permeated  the  communities  in  which 
he  lived,  bringing  about  reforms  and  arousing  public  sentiment.  In  repro- 
ducing the  resolutions  adopted  by  the  Topeka  Ministerial  Union  on  this  sad 
occasion,  an  evidence  is  shown  of  the  high  value  placed  upon  his  years  of 


IDA   C.   BARNES,   M.  D. 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  423 

fidelity  to  his  calling  and  of  the  reverence  in  which  he  was  held.    This  paper 
reads  as  follows: 

Resolved,  by  the  Topeka  Ministerial  Union,  That  in  the  life  work  and  zeal  of  the  late 
Rev.  H.  P.  McClurkin,  D.  D.,  we  recognize  with  gratitude  to  God,  the  noble  man,  the 
Christian  gentleman,  the  ripe  scholar,  the  wise  teacher,  the  sound  theologian,  the  loving 
companion,  the  loyal  Christian,  and  zealous  worker  and  helper  in  all  good  causes  within 
his  reach.  His  long  and  useful  life  was  a  blessing  to  the  world,  and  his  faithfulness  to  this 
union  for  many  years  gives  a  fragrancy  to  his  memory  which  we  will  cherish  through  all 
the  coming  years.  (Signed)  : 

John  D.  Knox, 
Stewart   Sheldon. 

Dr.  McClurkin  is  survived  by  his  widow  and  six  children,  namely :  Mary 
E. ;  Juliett,  who  lives  at  home ;  Emma ;  Eva ;  Albert  W.  and  Carrie.  Mary 
E.  is  the  wife  of  Rev.  T.  P.  Stevenson,  D.  D.,  pastor  of  the  First  Reformed 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania.  They  have  five  chil- 
dren :  Waldo,  a  minister  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  and  missionary  to 
Cuba;  Clara,  wife  of  Matthew  McConnell,  of  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania; 
Helen  and  Eva,  who  live  at  home ;  and  T.  P.,  Jr.,  a  civil  engineer  under  Queen 
Wilhelmina,  of  The  Netherlands.  Emma  is  the  wife  of  Rev.  J.  C.  Gibney, 
of  Newton,  Kansas.  They  have  two  children,  Albert  and  Harry,  who  are 
students  at  Tarkio  College,  Tarkio,  Missouri.  Eva  is  the  wife  of  L.  E. 
Gruber,  an  attorney-at-law  at  Lincoln,  Nebraska.  They  have  two  daughters, 
Helen  and  Alberta.  The  only  son  of  our  subject.  Rev.  Albert  W.  McClurkin, 
is  a  Presbyterian  minister  of  Chicago,  Illinois.  He  married  Anna  Garland 
of  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  and  they  have  three  children :  Eleanor,  Rachel  and 
Jean.  Carrie  is  the  wife  of  W.  H.  Meyer,  a  merchant  at  Enid,  Oklahoma. 
They  have  one  daughter,  Lois. 


IDA  C.  BARNES,  M.  D. 

Ida  C.  Barnes,  M.  D.,  the  leading  woman  physician  and  surgeon  of 
Topeka,  whose  portrait  is  herewith  shown,  is  a  lady  who  combines  pro- 
fessional skill  with  the  attributes  which  make  her  an  esteemed  and  beloved 
member  of  her  sex.  Dr.  Barnes  was  born  in  Kansas  and  is  a  daughter  of 
Jared  and  Sarah  (Reed)  Barnes.  The  parents  of  Dr.  Barnes  were  both 
born  in  New  York.  They  came  to  Kansas  in  1857.  The  mother  died  in 
1888,  but  the  father,  who  is  a  retired  capitalist,  still  lives,  being  a  resident  of 
Topeka. 

Dr.  Barnes  remained  in  Kansas  until  she  had  completed  her  collegiate 
course  at  the  Kansas  State  University,  where  she  was  graduated  with  the 


424  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

degree  of  B.  A.  in  1885.  From  early  girlhood  her  tastes  had  led  her  in  the 
direction  of  medical  study,  and  after  due  preparation  she  entered  the  Woman's 
Medical  College  of  Pennsylvania,  at  Philadelphia,  where  she  was  most 
creditably  graduated,  receiving  her  diploma  in  1890.  She  remained  one 
year  in  Philadelphia  as  resident  physician  in  a  hospital,  working  in  clinics, 
and  absorbing  medical  and  surgical  knowledge  which  could  scarcely  have 
come  to  her  in  any  more  effective  way,  and  then  came  to  Topeka.  She  began 
practice  in  this  city  in  1891  and  has  finely  appointed  offices  at  No.  726  Kansas 
avenue,  where  she  employs  in  her  practice  every  pain-alleviating  medium  of 
modern  days,  which  has  received  the  sanction  of  the  profession.  She  is  a 
constant  student  and  has  taken  advantage  of  a  number  of  post-graduate 
courses  at  Chicago,  where  she  also  became  experienced  in  the  remedial  use  o£ 
the  X-ray  and  radium. 

Dr.  Barnes  is  a  valued  member  of  the  Shawnee  County  Medical  Society ; 
of  the  Kansas  State  Medical  Society;  of  the  American  Medical  Association 
and  of  the  Alumnae  of  the  Woman's  Medical  College,  of  Philadelphia  and 
the  Association  of  College  Alumnae. 

She  is  medical  examiner  for  a  number  of  fraternal  associations  and  for 
the  Penn  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company.  She  is  a  lady  of  most  enlightened 
views  and  of  great  force  of  character.  Possessing  in  a  notable  way  the 
necessary  requisites  for  a  good  physician,  she  finds  her  field  of  work  con- 
stantly extending.  She  has  filled  the  position  of  chairman  of  the  State 
Executive  Committee  of  the  Young  Women's  Christian  Association  of  the 
State  of  Kansas  for  the  past  13  years.  Her  beautiful  home  is  located  at  No. 
1273  Clay  street.     Like  her  parents,  she  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church. 


ANDREW  J.  ARNOLD. 

Andrew  J.  Arnold,  deceased,  at  one  time  postmaster  of  Topeka,  was. 
for  many  years  engaged  in  the  drug  business  in  this  city.  He  was  a  man  of 
considerable  prominence  and  his  death,  which  occurred  on  March  29,  1899, 
was  mourned  as  a  sad  loss  to  the  community. 

Mr.  Arnold  was  born  in  Indiana,  January  3,  1845,  and  was  one  of  seven 
children  born  to  Ephraim  and  EJdith  (Perry)  Arnold.  Of  these  children, 
N.  B.  Arnold,  the  well-known  attorney  of  Topeka,  is  the  only  survivor.  The 
father  was  a  man  of  prominence  in  his  native  State  and  served  for  many 
years  in  the  Indiana  State  Legislature. 

Andrew  J.  Arnold  was  reared  and  educated  in  his  native  State.  When 
a  young  man  he  enlisted  in  Company  G,  Second  Reg.,  Indiana  Vol.  Cav.> 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  425 

and  served  with  distinction  in  the  Union  Army  throughout  the  remainder  of 
the  Civil  War.  Upon  his  return  home  he  located  at  Bloomington,  Indiana, 
where  he  attended  the  State  University,  graduating  therefrom  in  June,  1868. 
In  April,  1870,  he  located  in  Topeka  and  embarked  in  the  drug  business,  con- 
ducting a  store  here  until  his  death.  During  the  second  administration  of 
President  Grover  Cleveland,  he  served  as  postmaster  of  Topeka,  giving  the 
people  faithful  and  business  like  service. 

On  October  21,  1869,  Mr.  Arnold  was  united  in  marriage  with  Louise 
Campbell,  a  daughter  of  Prof.  M.  M.  Campbell,  who  for  many  years  was 
identified  with  the  Indiana  State  University.  She  has  a  brother  who  is  well 
known  as  a  lawyer  in  Topeka.  Edgar  Campbell  Arnold,  the  surviving  child 
of  this  union,  is  one  of  the  largest  and  most  progressive  druggists  of  this 
city  and  is  also  a  director  of  the  Citizens'  Bank  of  North  Topeka,  having 
succeeded  his  father  as  such.  The  only  other  child,  Edith,  died  aged  16 
months.  Mr.  Arnold  was  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order,  the  Odd  Fellows 
and  the  Knights  of  Honor.  Mrs.  Arnold  and  her  son  reside  in  a  pleasant  home 
at  No.  927  North  Jackson  street,  where  they  are  surrounded  by  many 
friends. 


COL.  JAMES  BURGESS. 

Col.  James  Burgess,  one  of  the  retired  residents  of  Topeka,  has  been 
very  prominently  identified  with  the  development  of  this  city  in  which  he 
located  in  1868.  He  came  to  Kansas  several  years  after  the  close  of  the  great 
Civil  War,  in  which  he  took  a  distinguished  part  and  gained  high  rank  for 
gallant  and  faithful  services.  Colonel  Burgess  was  born  at  Springfield,  Ohio, 
August  I,  1826,  and  is  a  son  of  Thomas  F.  and  Elizabeth  (Ream)  Burgess. 

The  parents  of  Colonel  Burgess  were  born  in  Virginia,  of  English  extrac- 
tion. His  father  was  a  saddler  by  trade,  a  business  which  then  included  the 
tanning  of  leather  as  well  as  the  fashioning  of  it  into  articles  of  utility.  Prior 
to  the  birth  of  our  subject,  the  family  moved  to  Springfield,  Ohio.  About  1835 
the  Burgess  family  removed  to  Indiana,  settling  first  at  Richmond,  but  re- 
moving later  to  Hendricks  County,  and  there  our  subject  obtained  a  little  more 
instruction  in  the  subscription  schools,  supplementing  that  which  had  been 
afforded  him  in  Ohio,  but,  in  fact  amounting  to  very  little.  He  learned  the 
tanning  business  but  not  with  any  view  of  following  it  for  a  livelihood.  In 
seekmg  a  business  opening,  he  entered  into  a  partnership  with  a  resident  of 
Belleville,  Indiana,  for  a  short  time  and  then  for  a  while  engaged  in  busi- 


426  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

ness,  continuing  until  1852,  when  he  moved  to  Danville,  Indiana,  where  he 
was  located  at  the  opening  of  the  Civil  War. 

His  first  enlistment  was  as  a  private  in  the  three-months  call  for  troops, 
in  Company  A,  Seventh  Reg.,  Indiana  Vol.  Inf.,  but  he  was  elected  captain 
and  served  as  such  until  he  was  discharged.  Upon  his  return  home,  he  was 
selected  by  Governor  Morton  as  recruiting  and  organizing  officer  for  his  im- 
mediate (Seventh)  district.  As  each  such  appointed  officer  had  his  own 
district,  he  remained  there  until  he  had  succeeded  in  raising  three  regiments. 
In  the  meantime  the  70th  Regiment  had  been  raised,  Col.  Benjamin  Harri- 
son commanding;,  and  our  subject  became  lieutenant-colonel  under  him,  re- 
signing his  position  as  recruiting  and  organizing  officer  and  going  to  the 
front  with  Colonel  Harrison.  The  intimacy  then  established  continued  after 
Colonel  Harrison  became  President  of  the  United  States. 

After  two  years  of  service  under  Colonel  Harrison,  Mr.  Burgess  was 
ordered  back  to  Indianapolis  to  report  to  Governor  Morton  for  recruiting 
service,  and  the  raising  of  the  124th  Regiment  was  the  direct  result  of  his 
efforts.  He  was  appointed  colonel  of  this  regiment  and  served  as  such 
through  all  the  various  army  movements  and  in  the  campaign  before  the 
fall  of  Atlanta,  when  his  regiment  was  engaged  night  and  day.  He  was 
honorably  discharged  in  1865  and  returned  to  Indiana. 

In  1868  Colonel  Burgess  came  to  Shawnee  County,  Kansas,  and  settled 
on  a  farm  in  Soldier  township,  where  he  remained  20  years,  and  then  took 
up  his  residence  in  Topeka.  He  built  in  what  was  then  an  unsettled  portion 
of  the  city  (now  Tyler  street, — the  heart  of  the  aristocratic  section)  a  beauti- 
ful home,  which  was  erected  after  plans  of  his  own,  combining  beauty  of 
situation  with  attractiveness   and   solid  comfort. 

Colonel  Burgess  has  been  very  prominent  in  city  affairs.  For  12  years 
he  served  in  the  City  Council,  during  10  of  these  years  being  a  member  of 
the  committee  of  ways  and  means,  and  proved  his  thorough  efficiency  in 
promoting  the  needed  public  improvements.  He  also  served  in  the  Legisla- 
ture one  session  from  the  north  side.  He  was  long  connected  with  the  mail 
service,  having  charge  of  the  west  side  station  for  two  years  under  Post- 
master Henry  King  and  from  1881  to  1885  he  had  charge  of  the  north  side 
station  under  Postmaster  Thomas  Anderson.  He  was  the  first  superintendent 
of  the  mail  carriers'  district  appointed  on  the  north  side.  In  1886  he  was 
elected  register  of  deeds  of  Shawnee  County  and  was  reelected  in  1888. 
His  political  affiliation  has  always  been  actively  Republican. 

Colonel  Burgess  was  married  in  Clark  County,  Illinois,  August  27, 
1846,  to  Elizabeth  M.  Irons,  who  was  born  in  Hendricks  County,  Indiana, 
May  12,  1829.  They  have  had  five  children,  the  two  survivors  being  mar- 
ried daughters  who  reside  at  home.     Nannie  married  John  A.  Van  Vechten 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  427 

and  they  have  three  children :  Alba,  Burgess  and  Mary.  The  second  daugh- 
ter, Jessie,  married  S.  J.  Hodgins.  The  family  is  one  closely  united  in  af- 
fection. 

For  over  a  half  century  Colonel  Burgess  has  been  a  Mason  and  an  Odd 
Fellow;  he  is  a  Master  Mason  in  the  former  organization  and  past  grand  of 
his  lodge  in  the  latter.  While  in  Indiana  he  was  a  representative  to  the  Grand 
Encampment.  Although  entirely  retired  from  active  life,  there  is  no  citizen 
of  Topeka  who  takes  a  deeper  interest  in  her  continued  prosperity. 


RICHARD   BINNS. 


Richard  Binns,  one  of  the  leading  business  men  of  Rossville,  Shawnee 
County,  and  for  the  past  20  years  justice  of  the  peace,  was  born  in  1834  in 
Fayette  County,  Pennsylvania,  and  is  a  son  of  William  and  Ruth  (Gibson) 
Binns.  i 

David  Binns,  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  England  and 
there  followed  the  brewing  business,  which  he  continued  after  settling  in 
Pennsylvania.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends  and  thus  was 
led  to  abandon  his  brewery,  it  being  against  the  tenets  of  the  Quaker  faith 
to  manufacture  spirituous  liquors.  William  Binns  accompanied  his  parents  to 
America  when  eight  years  old.  He  married  Ruth  Gibson  who  was  born  in 
Loudoun  County,  Virginia,  and  they  both  lived  to  be  about  70  years  of  age. 
In  1844  they  moved  to  Eastern  Ohio,  settling  in  Harrison  County. 

Our  subject  lived  in  Fayette  County,  Pennsylvania,  and  then  in  Harrison 
County,  Ohio,  until  21  years  of  age,  having  attended  school  in  the  latter 
county  and  learned  the  carpenter's  trade.  He  then  went  to  Richmond,  Indiana, 
and  there  worked  at  his  trade  until  1870,  when  he  came  to  Topeka.  In  March, 
1 87 1,  he  settled  at  Rossville,  where  he  engaged  in  a  hardware  business  for 
six  years,  and  has  continued  to  follow  contracting  and  building  until  the 
present  time.  He  has  carried  out  a  number  of  very  important  contracts,  one 
of  these  being  the  first  government  building  which  was  erected  on  the 
Pottawattomie  reservation,  which  cost  $4,000.  In  his  earlier  ears  he  also 
taught  school,  and  for  the  past  20  years  has  administered  the  law  as  a  magis- 
trate at  Rossville,  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  all  concerned. 

In  1855,  in  Indiana,  Mr.  Binns  married  Elma  H.  Hill,  who  is  a  daughter 
of  Harmon  and  Mary  (Henley)  Hill,  and  they  had  six  children,  namely: 
Mary,  wife  of  Elias  J.  Burton,  deceased  in  1876;  William  A.,  a  resident  of 
Los  Angeles,  California,  married  first  to  Anna  Esson,  and  second,  to  Anna 


428  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Higgins;  Horace  M.,  deceased,  who  left  four  children, — Grace  E.,  Nellie, 
Ethel  and  Charles,  who  reside  with  their  mother  at  Rossville;  Frank  N., 
residing  in  Los  Angeles,  California,  who  married  Anna  Mary  Wilt  and  has 
one  daughter ;  Anna  Laura,  who  married  Charles  Smiley  and  died  leaving  two 
children, — Ruth  and  Ray;  and  John  B.,  who  died  when  27  years  of  age. 
Politically,  Mr.  Binns  is  a  stanch  Republican.    He  has  been  a  Mason  and  an 
Odd  Fellow  for  many  years.     He  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
The  Hill  family  is  an  old  established  one  of  Indiana,  of  English  ex- 
traction.    Mrs.  Binns'  grandfather,  Benjamin  Hill,  was  born  in  North  Caro- 
lina, June  22,  1770,  and  married  Mary  Jessup.     In  1802  he  moved  to  Vir- 
ginia and  in  the  fall  of  1806  he  moved  with  his  family  to  Indiana,  settling 
in  the  unbroken  forest  about  three  miles  east  of  Richmond,   entering  five 
quarter-sections  of  land.     Pioneer  privations  and  hardships  of  all  kinds  were 
endured  by  the  family  and  his  first  wife  soon  succumbed  to  them.     He  then 
married  Martha  Cox,  who  was  born  in  Randolph  County,  North  Carolina, 
November  28,  1779,  and  became  a  resident  of  Indiana  in  1807.    They  had  five 
children :  Benjamin,  Harmon,  Rebecca,  Ezra  and  Enos.     Mr.  Hill  was  an 
extensive  farmer  and  he  also  built  the  flour  and  saw  mill  east  of  Richmond 
which  was  known  as  Hill's  Mill.     He  died  February  9,  1829,  aged  59  years 
and  his  widow  died  January  25,   1867,  aged  88  years. 

Harmon  Hill  was  born  in  Wayne  County,  Indiana,  in  181 1  and  died  in 
1877.  When  he  was  15  years  old  he  worked  in  the  old  mill  which  remained 
in  the  Hill  family  until  it  was  burned  down  in  1870.  Later  he  became  a 
farmer.  He  married  Mary  Henley,  who  was  born  in  1813  in  Indiana,  and 
they  settled  on  the  old  Hill  homestead  in  1831.  They  had  five  children: 
Rebecca,  Samuel,  Martha  Ann,  Elma  H.  and  John  Henley. 


RUSSELL  U.  FARNSWORTH. 

Russell  U.  Farnsworth,  deceased,  for  a  period  of  years  was  one  of 
the  representative  men  of  Monmouth  township,  Shawnee  County.  He  was 
born  at  Haverhill,  New  Hampshire,  August  12,  1839,  and  died  at  Richland, 
Kansas,  on  January  31,  1897.  He  was  a  son  of  Calvin  and  Mary  Jane 
(Underwood)   Farnsworth. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Farnsworth  were  natives  of  New  Hampshire,  repre- 
sentative farming  people  of  their  locality.  They  had  five  children,  of  whom 
Russell  U.  was  the  eldest,  the  others  being :  Silas,  who  was  killed  in  the  army 
during  the  Civil  War,  a  bullet  passing  through  a  Bible  which  he  had  bound 
over  his  heart;  Robert,  a  Methodist  preacher,  who  died  in  California;  Charles, 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  429 

also  a  Methodist  minister,  a  resident  of  New  Hampshire;  and  Nellie,  wife  of 
Rev.  Orville  Clapp,  of  New  Hampshire. 

The  late  Russell  U.  Farnsworth  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  until 
young  manhood,  when  he  came  to  Monmouth  township,  Shawnee  County, 
and  entered  land.  He  then  went  back  to  New  England  and  soon  after  en- 
listed in  Company  G,  Third  Reg.,  Vermont  Vol.  Inf.,  for  service  in  the  Civil 
War.  His  regiment  was  attached  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  From 
the  first  the  life  did  not  agree  with  him  and  he  was  given  the  position  of 
regimental  clerk,  but  finally  his  health  gave  way  entirely  and  he  was  obliged  to 
ask  for  his  discharge  on  account  of  disability.  For  a  short  time  he  traveled 
through  Iowa  as  a  book  agent  and  then  decided  to  return  to  Kansas.  The 
long  journey  in  the  open  air,  driving  across  the  plains  with  an  ox  team, 
brought  about  a  better  state  of  health  and  when  he  settled  on  his  claim  he 
"was  able  to  begin  its  cultivation.  He  continued  on  the  farm  until  he  went 
into  the  implement  business  at  Richland,  with  E.  U.  McKee,  in  which  he  was 
still  interested  when  attacked  by  his  last  illness. 

Mr.  Farnsworth  was  a  consistent  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  and  was  unusuailly  liberal  in  his  support.  He  took  a  great  deal 
of  interest  in  public  matters  and  was  a  strong  advocate  of  prohibition,  but  all 
his  life  continued  to  act  with  the  Republican  party.  He  was  strictly  honest 
and  upright,  a  man  who  could  always  be  found  on  the  right  side  of  any 
movement  and  was  one  who  was  respected  by  the  whole  community.  He 
identified  himself  with  the  Grange  and  Farmers'  Alliance  and  he  belonged 
also  to  the  Masonic  organization  of  Auburn  and  to  the  Richland  Post,  No.  370, 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 

Mr.  Farnsworth  married,  first,  Ellen  Fairbrother,  and  they  had  two  chil- 
dren :  Josephine,  wife  of  E.  L.  Hopkins,  of  Topeka ;  and  Silas  Herbert,  who 
was  drowned  when  nearly  10  years  old.  He  married,  second,  Harriet  Isa- 
bella McDowell,  who  was  born  in  Illinois,  December  3,  1852,  and  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  Jeremiah  and  Matilda  (Foster)  McDowell.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mc- 
Dowell were  orphans  and  they  met  and  married  in  Illinois  and  reared  these 
■children :  Harriet  Isabella ;  James  P. ;  Edith  A.,  wife  of  O.,  C.  Kelley  of 
St.  Louis;  Arthur,  of  Shawnee  County;  and  Noble  and  Cora,  deceased. 
The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Farnsworth  were:  Noble  Albert,  who  died 
aged  two  years;  Jennie  A.,  a  graduate  of  the  Emporia  Normal  School,  who 
is  a  successful  teacher  in  Topeka;  and  Mabel  lone,  her  mother's  assistant, 
who  was  a  student  in  the  Normal  School  for  one  year  and  now  devotes  her 
spare  time  to  music. 

Mrs.  Farnsworth  has  been  the  capable  postmistress  at  Richland  for  the 
-past  eight  years.    She  is  a  lady  widely  known  and  much  beloved  in  the  com- 


430  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

munity  where  her  late  husband  was  also  held  in  such  high  esteem.  Mrs. 
Farnsworth's  uncle,  Luther  Purley  Foster,  was  prominent  as  a  merchant 
and  banker  and  resided  in  Parsons,  Kansas,  at  the  time  of  his  death. 


4»» 


DANIEL  H.  KOGER. 

Daniel  H.  Koger,  deceased,  one  of  the  large  farmers  and  well-known 
and  most  highly  esteemed  citizens  of  Topeka  township,  Shawnee  County, 
died  on  his  fine  farm  of  80  acres  located  in  section  35,  township  12,  range 
15,  on  April  9,  1899.  Mr.  Koger  was  born  April  20,  1838,  in  Powell's  Val- 
ley, Tennessee,  and  was  but  a  few  months  old  when  his  parents  removed  to 
Kentucky  and  settled  on  a  farm  near  Lexington,  which  remained  his  home 
until  he  was  22  years  of  age.  When  about  17  years  old  he  determined  to 
secure  a  good  education  and  managed,  by  boarding  himself,  to  spend  the  win- 
ters of  some  three  years  at  school  in  Lexington. 

When  the  trouble  between  the  North  and  South  threatened  to  result  in 
civil  war,  Mr.  Koger  determined  to  remain  neutral  but  different  members 
of  his  family  became  either  Union  men  or  Confederates,  and  as  political 
excitement  daily  grew  higher  he  decided  to  change  his  residence.  In  i860 
he  moved  to  Fort  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  and  during  the  whole  period  of  the 
war,  although  not  an  enlisted  man,  he  worked  in  some  capacity  for  the  gov- 
ernment. He  drove  a  wagon  with  army  supplies,  was  a  government  shipping 
clerk,  assisted  in  guarding  supply  trains  and  was  wagon  master  on  many 
dangerous  expeditions.  He  remained  at  Fort  Leavenworth  some  10  years 
and  then  bought  a  farm  of  160  acres  west  of  Leavenworth.  This  not  turn- 
ing out  as  well  as  he  had  hoped,  he  returned  to  Leavenworth  and  was  in  the 
employ  of  the  government  there  as  transportation  agent  and  in  other  capaci- 
ties until  1882,  when  he  came  to  Topeka.  He  also  spent  some  three  months 
on  one  of  the  Indian  reservations,  in  an  official  capacity  and  was  wont  to  tell 
many  remarkable  experiences  that  came  to  him  during  this  period.  He  was 
a  man  of  responsibility  and  the  greatest  confidence  was  placed  in  his  judg- 
ment and  ability. 

When  Mr.  Koger  came  to  Topeka,  he  engaged  with  his  brother-in-law 
in  a  livery  business,  which  was  continued  two  years  under  the  firm  name  of 
Bloomer  &.  Koger,  and  then  he  established  a  cattle  ranch  in  Sheridan  and 
Decatur  counties.  Western  Kansas,  in  partnership  with  Jacob  W.  Thomas, 
of  Leavenworth.  He  continued  to  reside  in  Topeka  some  five  years  and 
then  sold  out  to  his  partner  and  removed  to  the  farm  where  the  remainder 
of  his  life  was  spent.     He  erected  here  the  comfortable  family  residence  and 


WILLIAM  L.  TAYLOR 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  433 

made  many  improvements.  The  farm  is  now  conducted  by  his  son  as  a  dairy 
and  fruit  farm,  and  is  one  of  the  best  in  the  county. 

In  1872  Mr.  Koger  married  Annie  Smith,  who  was  born  near  Taney- 
town,  Carroll  County,  Maryland,  November  29,  1849,  ^"^  who  moved  to 
Leavenworth,  Kansas,  with  her  parents  in  1856.  She  is  a  daughter  of  David 
and  Caroline  (Spalding)  Smith,  the  former  of  whom  was  at  that  time  a 
well-known  buyer  and  shipper  of  stock, — ^he  now  resides  with  his  second  wife, 
at  Kansas  City.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Koger  had  six  children,  namely :  Walter  S., 
operating  the  farm,  who  is  a  'widower  and  has  one  son, — Daniel  Hugh ;  Mrs. 
Cora  Witwer,  of  Shawnee  County;  Daniel,  of  Topeka  township;  and  Mabel, 
David  S.  and  Frank  H.,  who  live  at  home. 

Mr.  Koger  was  a  life-long  Democrat,  but  he  consented  to  fill  no  offices 
except  those  relating  to  school  affairs  in  which  he  took  a  great  interest.  He 
was  a  man  who  loved  to  see  his  friends  under  his  roof  and,  with  his  estimable 
wife,  proffered  a  generous  hospitality.  During  his  long  period  of  suffering, 
prior  to  his  death,  he  always  had  a  welcome  for  all  and  a  genial,  pleasant 
manner  which  brought  him  many  friends.  By  his  family  he  was  deeply 
beloved  and  by  his  fellow-citizens,  universally  esteemed. 


WILLIAM   L  TAYLOR. 

William  L.  Taylor,  president  of  The  Taylor  Grain  Company,  of 
Topeka,  whose  portrait  accompanies  this  sketch,  is  one  of  the  enterprising 
and  progressive  men  who  have  been  attracted  to  this  section  of  the  United 
States  because  of  its  apparent  wide  field  of  business  opportunity.  Mr.  Taylor 
came  to  Topeka  on  April  15,  1902,  from  Columbus,  Ohio,  where,  although 
still  a  young  man,  he  had  been  identified  with  important  grain  interests. 

Milling,  in  these  modern .  days,  is  a  marvelous  industry.  From  the 
earliest  times  the  grinding  of  grain  has  gone  on  and  there  still  remain  a  few 
benighted  sections  where  it  is  carried  on  under  the  most  primitive  conditions. 
In  the  early  settlement  of  Kansas,  one  of  the  most  important  considerations 
was  the  possible  building  of  a  mill,  and  many  a  populous  city  of  the  present 
day  grew  up  around  the  old  water-wheel  mill.  Man's  ingenuity  has  made 
wonderful  changes  and  improvements  in  all  kinds  of  machinery  and  methods 
and  probably  no  industry  has  benefitted  more  than  that  of  milling.  Topeka, 
the  great  mill  city,  is  the  home  of  one  of  the  finest  mills  ever  constructed 
in  any  part  of  the  world,  one  where  perfection  of  plan  and  equipment  has 
resulted  in  a  plant  second  to  none  in  capacity.     Reference  is  made  to  the 

21 


434  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Gyrator  Mills  in  North  Topeka,  dedicated  on  January  24,  1905,  originally 
owned  by  The  Taylor  Grain  Company,  but  now  owned  and  operated  by  The 
Gyrator  Milling  Company.  The  establishment  of  this  plant  at  Topeka  and  the 
successful  completion  of  all  that  was  proposed  at  the  beginning  are  due  to  the 
energy  and  ability  of  William  L.  Taylor,  president  of  The  Taylor  Grain 
Company  and  vice-president  of  The  Gyrator  Milling  Company. 

Coming  here  in  1902  Mr.  Taylor  was  able,  in  two  years,  to  see  the  wide 
field  offered  for  the  enterprise  he  had  under  consideration.  When  he  an- 
nounced that  it  was  his  intention  to  build  here  the  largest,  finest  and  most 
complete  mill  in  the  world,  the  milling  journals  made  the  fact  known  all  over 
the  country  and  he  was  soon  visited  by  a  representative  of  Wolf  &  Company, 
of  Chambersburg,  Pennsylvania,  who  manufacture  the  "Gyrator"  line  of 
machinery.  After  considering  their  claim  as  well  as  others,  Mr.  Taylor 
made  the  agreement  with  this  company  that  he  would  construct  his  mill  after 
their  latest  improved  plans  and  specifications  and  they  were  to  install  the  most 
improved  milling  machinery  manufactured.  The  guarantee  was  given  that 
the  mill  would  produce  a  better  grade  of  flour,  at  a  less  cost  for  manufactur- 
ing, than  any  other  mill  made. 

The  mill  proper,  a  view  of  which  is  shown  on  another  page  of  this  work, 
is  five  and  a  half  stories  high,  made  of  pressed  brick  laid  in  cement  through- 
out and  the  walls  are  26  inches  thick  above  the  second  story.  The  first  and 
second  floors  are  of  white  maple,  the  third,  fourth  and  fifth  of  long  leaf  yellow 
pine,  quarter-sawed.  On  each  floor  there  is  a  stand-pipe  with  fire  hose  at- 
tached ready  for  use,  two  barrels  of  water  and  two  hand  fire-grenades. 
Speaking-tubes  run  to  the  office  from  all  floors  and  electric  light  is  furnished 
all  over  the  building,  provided  by  the  company's  own  motor.  The  walls, 
ceilings  and  posts  are  all  painted  a  pure  white  with  a  fire-proof  composition 
and  every  bearing  of  the  machinery  is  self-oiling.  A  brief  description  of 
the  manner  of  treating  the  wheat,  which  comes  to  the  consumer  so  thoroughly 
milled  yet  retaining  all  the  sustaining  qualities  of  the  grain,  must  be  in- 
teresting to  every  reader  of  this  work  who  depends  for  sustenance  upon  the 
"staff  of  life." 

In  1903  Mr.  Taylor  purchased  what  was  known  as  the  Capital  Elevator 
at  Topeka  and  changed  its  name  to  Elevator  A.  It  has  a  capacity  of  300,000 
bushels.  The  wheat  is  brought  from  this  elevator  through  an  underground 
tunnel  to  the  bottom  of  the  mill,  having  been  put  in  fine  condition  previously. 
It  is  then  elevated  to  the  top  and  put  on  a  special  milling  separator,  which 
is  composed  of  four  Wolf  gyrators,  in  four  compartments,  each  compart- 
ment having  five  sieves,  making  20  to  each  gyrator.  These  remove  more 
thoroughly  than  by  any  other  system  every  foreign  seed  such  as  cockle,  rye 
or  cheat.    From  here  the  grain  is  elevated  to  a  special  scouring  machine  where 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  435 

every  grain  has  its  coat  thoroughly  scoured  and  the  little  fine  fuzz,  only  to 
be  detected  by  the  use  of  a  glass,  is  removed.  From  here  the  wheat  is  dropped 
into  a  basin  where  it  receives  a  light  soaking  in  water  which  causes  it  to  swell 
and  loosen  the  bran.  It  is  then  elevated  into  what  is  called  a  brush  machine 
which  cleans  out  the  little  crevice  in  every  grain  of  wheat  so  that  when  it 
strikes  the  rolls  it  is  absolutely  clean  and  nothing  remains  but  the  sustaining 
berry  and  its  coat  of  bran. 

This  wonderful  mill  has  made  provision  for  the  rapid  handling  of  the 
grain  and  has  numberless  improved  machines  found  in  no  other  plant.  On 
the  first  floor  are  five  packers,  three  for  flour  and  two  for  feed ;  by  the  side 
of  each  packer  is  a  platform  scales,  on  which  every  package  is  weighed  as 
handled.  The  flour  elevators  and  chutes  are  all  tin-lined,  this  precaution  pre- 
cluding a  possibility  of  bugs  or  weevil.  On  the  second  floor  are  found  21 
rolls,  9  by  30  inch  double  stands,  which  grind  the  wheat,  taking  the  place  of 
the  stones  used  in  former  days.  On  the  fourth  floor  are  found  four  dust 
collectors,  six  middling  purifiers,  one  brush  machine  and  one  scourer.  On 
the  fifth  are  located  six  centrifugal  reels,  one  bran  duster,  one  shorts  duster, 
one  "Imperial"  rolling  screen,  one  separator,  two  tubular  dust  collectors, 
one  cyclone  dust  collector  and  the  four  mammoth  gyrators,  which  bolt  the 
flour,  separating  the  bran,  shorts,  etc.  This  mill  has  a  1,200-barrel  capacity. 
A  specialty  is  made  of  two  brands, — "Perfection"  and  "Invincible." 

In  1904  The  Taylor  Grain  Company  was  incorporated  as  a  stock  com- 
pany with  these  officers :  William  L.  Taylor,  president ;  Charles  E.  French, 
secretary  and  treasurer ;  and  Edward  A.  Austin  and  M.  A.  Taylor,  directors. 
A  very  recent  organization  was  The  Gyrator  Milling  Company  with  these 
officers :  W.  H.  Davis,  president ;  William  L.  Taylor,  vice-president ;  Charles 
E.  French,  secretary;  J.  B.  B.  Betts,  treasurer  and  C.  K.  Holliday,  director. 
This  company  leased  the  new  mill  of  The  Taylor  Grain  Company  and  will  do 
a  milling  and  flour  business,  both  domestic  and  foreign,  but  the  elevator  and 
grain  business  will  be  carried  on  by  The  Taylor  Grain  Company. 

The  Taylor  Grain  Company  has  established  branch  agencies  throughout 
Missouri,  Iowa,  Illinois,  Indiana  and  Ohio  and  ships  thousands  of  cars  of 
grain  annually  to  the  East.  Mr.  Taylor  is  credited  with  being  one  of  the 
best  posted  men  on  grain  freight  rates  in  the  United  States  and  can  name 
the  rate  to  every  place  without  any  reference  to  the  tariff  book.  He  has 
gathered  around  him  a  force  of  able,  experienced  grain  men,  all  of  whom  have 
had  business  experience,  although  none  have  reached  middle  life.  Among 
these  special  mention  should  be  made  of  A.  W.  Long,  the  capable  superin- 
tendent, who  has  had  much  milling  experience  in  Virginia,  in  the  Northwest 
and  in  Kansas.  Formerly  he  was  one  of  the  stockholders  of  the  Manhattan 
Milling  Company,  at  Manhattan,  Kansas,  and  retired  from  that  company  to 


436  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

become  one  of  the  stockholders  in  The  Taylor  Grain  Company.  It  was 
largely  upon  his  advice  that  the  celebrated  "Gyrator"  machinery  was  in- 
stalled here.  Charles  E.  French,  secretary  of  the  company,  came  originally 
to  Topeka  from  Farmer  City,  Illinois,  and  became  traveling  representative  of 
what  was  then  W.  L.  Taylor  &  Company,  and  in  this  capacity  he  became 
known  to  almost  every  shipper  in  Kansas,  Nebraska,  Indian  Territory  and 
Oklahoma.  The  auditor  of  the  company,  R.  B.  Nelson,  was  a  school  teacher 
in  Iowa  and  then  a  bookkeeper  for  one  of  the  largest  grain  firms  in  that 
State  and  subsequently  manager  of  the  Wheeler  Grain  &  Coal  Company  of 
Laurens,  Iowa.  He  next  accepted  a  position  as  chief  clerk  and  then  chief 
accountant  with  one  of  Pittsburg's  steel  companies.  Upon  the  incorporation 
of  The  Taylor  Grain  Company,  Mr.  Taylor  made  him  auditor  and  chief 
accountant,  a  position  for  which  he  is  qualified  by  long  experience,  added  to 
natural  ability  in  this  line.  The  company  has  representatives  at  all  the  lead- 
ing shipping  ports  and  their  manager  at  Galveston,  Texas,  has  been  appointed 
Belgian  consul  at  that  point. 


HON.  ARCHIBALD.  F.  WILLIAMS. 

Hon.  Archibald  F.  Williams,  United  States  commissioner  and  a 
prominent  attorney-at-law  of  Topeka,  was  born  at  Topeka,  October  ii, 
1869,  and  is  a  son  of  Archibald  L.  and  Elizabeth  C.  (Ferguson)  Williams 
and  a  grandson  of  the  late  Hon.  Archibald  Williams,  who  was  the  first  United 
States  District  judge  of  Kansas. 

Judge  Archibald  Williams  was  born  in  1801  at  Mount  Sterling,  Ken- 
tucky. The  name  is  of  Welsh  extraction  and  the  founder  of  the  family  in 
America  came  from  Wales  and  settled  in  Virginia,  forming  a  part  of  the 
loyalist  or  cavalier  party  known  by  the  Puritans  of  New  England  as  "Rake- 
hellies,"  which  was  a  derisive  name  applied  to  those  who  did  not  adopt  their 
own  austere  belief  and  follow  their  manner  of  living.  Frequent  mention 
may  be  found  of  these  objectionable  people  in  the  writings  of  Roger  Wil- 
liams, who,  without  doubt  came  from  the  same  parent  stock  in  Wales.  For 
many  years  the  Williams  family  flourished  in  Virginia  where  the  name  is 
still  one  well  known,  but  prior  to  the  birth  of  Judge  Williams  his  parents 
had  migrated  to  Kentucky.  A  young  law  practitioner.  Judge  Williams  re- 
moved to  Illinois  in  1826,  locating  at  Quincy,  and  he  subsequently  became  an 
intimate  personal  friend  of  Abraham  Lincoln.  Upon  many  occasions  he 
represented  his  county  in  the  Legislature,  and  under  the  administration  of 
President   Taylor  served  as  United   States   attorney.     When   the   Kansas- 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  437 

Nebraska  troubles  were  brewing,  he  was  made  a  nominee  for  Congress  on 
what  was  known  as  the  "Anti-Nebraska"  or  "Anti-Slavery"  ticket,  and  at  the 
organization  of  the  Republican  party  he  was  one  of  its  sponsors. 

When  Abraham  Lincoln  was  elected  President,  one  of  his  first  appoint- 
ments, after  his  selection  of  his  Cabinet,  was  that  of  Judge  Williams  as  the 
first  United  States  District  judge  of  Kansas,  and  in  this  connection  it  may 
be  noted,  that  Mr.  Lincoln  had  offered  a  position  of  the  Supreme  Court 
bench  of  the  United  States  to  his  trusted  friend.  This  great  honor,  which 
subsequently  fell  to  Judge  David  Davis,  of  Illinois,  was  declined  by  Judge 
Williams  who  modestly  declared  himself  not  well  enough  equipped  to  accept 
so  exalted  a  position.  While  this  opinion  was  not  shared  by  his  cotempo- 
raries,  his  decision  was  accepted  by  the  President  and  he  was  sent  to  Kansas 
in  a  scarcely  less  honorable  or  onerous  position.  Prior  to  his  decease  in  1863, 
he  had  returned  to  Quincy,  where  his  life  closed. 

Archibald  L.  Williams,  son  of  Judge  Williams,  located  in  Kansas  in 
1861,  a  short  time  before  his  father  came  to  the  State,  and  entered  upon 
the  practice  of  the  law,  a  profession  in  which  his  eminence  is  only  second 
to  that  of  his  distinguished  father.  At  different  times  he  served  as  city 
and  county  attorney  and  for  four  years  he  was  acting  United  States  attorney. 
In  1870  and  again  in  1872,  he  was  elected  by  the  Republican  party,  At- 
torney General  of  Kansas.  For  years  and  from  its  beginning,  he  was  con- 
sulting attorney  for  the  old  Kansas  Pacific  Railroad  Company  at  Topeka 
and  continued  in  office  with  the  different  railroad  organizations  which  suc- 
ceeded it.  In  1887  he  became  general  attorney  for  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad 
Company,  in  Kansas,  a  position  requiring  every  qualification  of  an  able,  ex- 
perienced, tactful  and  judicious  lawyer. 

While  Mr.  Williams'  eminence  in  the  profession  is  well  known  in  all 
departments  of  the  law,  his  services  to  the  State,  in  1874,  in  curtailing  the 
fraudulent  organizing  of  western  counties,  added  credit  to  an  administration 
of  the  attorney  generalship,  which  in  every  feature  had  been  a  credit  to 
the  State.  It  was  through  his  almost  unaided  efforts  that  the  practice  of  or- 
ganizing western  counties  by  fraud  was  broken  up.  A  short  time  previously, 
the  counties  of  Barbour  (since  changed  to  Barber),  Harper  and  Comanche 
had  been  organized,  and  they  had  issued,  between  them,  about  $250,000  in 
bonds.  This  sum  had,  to  put  it  mildly,  been  unloaded  partly  on  the  State 
School  Fund  but  more  extensively  on  unsuspecting  Eastern  investors.  In 
the  course  of  time  this  produced  trouble  and  a  public  investigation  was  de- 
manded. The  Legislature  appointed  an  investigating  committee  which  was 
composed  of  one  member  from  each  House  and  the  Attorney  General,  Mr. 
Williams. 

The  member  of  the  Senate  and  the  member  of  the  House  started  out  on 


438  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

a  tour  of  investigation  as  ordered,  but  certain  ones  who  had  reason  to  fear 
a  searching  visit  of  the  authorities  had  devised  a  scheme  by  which  Justice 
should  be  turned  aside  and  they  should  go  their  way  without  molestation^ 
Those  were  days  when  Indian  outrages  were  not  uncommon  and  as  the 
legislators  were  only  human  and  had  families  dependent  upon  them,  they  gave 
credence  to  the  tales  poured  in  their  ears  of  savage  uprisings  in  the  far 
western  counties  whither  their  duty  led  them  and  prudently  turned  back.  When 
this  scheme  was  tried  on  Attorney  General  Williams,  the  conspirators  found 
they  had  to  deal  with  a  man  of  different  mettle.  He  made  his  way  to 
the  lands  in  question,  visiting  Barbour,  Harper  and  Comanche  counties  and 
returned  alive  and  very  willing  to  make  a  report.  He  found  that  Barbour 
County  had  a  few  bona  fide  residents  although  not  numerous  enough  to 
legalize  the  organization  of  the  county,  but  that  Harper  and  Comanche  coun- 
ties were  not  settled  at  all. 

The  meaningless  report  submitted  by  the  other  members  of  the  com- 
mittee, from  hearsay,  was  supplemented  by  that  of  the  Attorney  General  and 
it  has  been  preserved  not  only  as  a  historic  paper  but  as  a  contribtition  to 
humorous  literature.     We  submit  an  excerpt : 

"There  is  no  population  in  Comanche  County.  If  Marius  sat  amid  the 
ruins  of  Carthage  and  wept,  I  camped  upon  the  town-site  of  Smallwood,  the 
county-seat,  and  feasted  upon  wild  turkey,  with  no  white  man  to  molest  or 
make  me  afraid.  In  Smallwood  there  are  two  log  cabins,  both  deserted, 
without  doors,  windows,  sash  or  blinds.  About  a  mile  off  is  a  deserted  ranch. 
These  compose  the  houses  of  the  householders  of  the  county.  In  this  county 
there  is  not  an  acre  of  land  or  a  dollar's  worth  of  property  subject  to  tax- 
ation ;  its  sole  inhabitants  are  the  Cheyennes  and  the  coyote,  the  wolf  and  the 
Arrapahoes,  and  its  organization  is  and  always  has  been  a  fraud.  Harper 
and  Comanche  counties  were  organized  solely  for  plunder.  The  vast  amount 
of  bonds  issued  has  seriously  injured  our  credit  abroad.  To  issue  these 
bonds  required  wholesale  perjury  and  forgery.  When  these  counties  are 
properly  attached  to  some  other  county  for  judicial  purposes,  the  thieves  who 
issued  these  bonds  should  be  attended  to.  The  State,  through  its  Attorney 
General  and  the  proper  county  attorneys,  should  put  every  engine  of  the  law 
in  force ;  should  pursue,  capture,  try,  convict  and  lock  up  these  rogues,  so  that 
our  credit  may  be  restored  and  other  incipient  rascals  of  a  like  character, 
quickened  with  a  similar  ambition,  may  be  deterred  from  the  crime  through 
a  fear  of  a  like  fate." 

This  vigorous  protest  had  the  effect  desired  and  the  whole  credit  rests 
with  Mr.  Williams.  He  still  continues  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  and 
his  name  still  is,  as  it  always  has  been,  held  in  the  highest  honor. 

On  August  28,   1862,  Archibald  L.  Williams  was  married  in   Posey 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  439 

County,  Indiana,  to  Elizabeth  (Cloud)  Ferguson,  and  they  have  six  chil- 
dren, all  of  whom  are  residents  of  Topeka. 

Archibald  F.  Williams,  our  immediate  subject,  was  educated  in  the 
common  schools  of  Topeka  and  at  Washburn  College,  with  three  years  in- 
struction at  a  military  school  at  Boonville,  Missouri.  He  then  read  law  under 
his  eminent  father  and  later  took  a  course  in  the  State  University  of  Michigan 
at  Ann  Arbor,  graduating  in  1892.  Mr.  Williams  began  to  practice  as  an 
attorney  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  Company,  later  formed  a  law  part- 
nership with  C.  K.  HoUiday,  but  since  1895  has  been  alone. 

Mr.  Williams  has  always  been  an  active  member  of  the  Republican 
party  and  has  been  frequently  honored  by  election  to  responsible  offices.  In 
1903  he  was  elected  to  the  Legislature,  a  position  he  resigned  in  order  to  accept 
.the  one  he  now  fills,  that  of  United  States  commissioner. 

Mr.  Williams  is  a  member  of  the  Bar  Association  of  the  State  of  Kansas 
and  of  the  Commercial  Club  of  Topeka  and  belongs  also  to  the  Elks. 


HON.  JOSEPH  S.  FARRELL. 

Hon.  Joseph  S.  Farrell,  a  successful  farmer  and  stock-raiser  of  Sol- 
dier township,  Shawnee  County,  who  owns  a  half-section,  the  best  part  of 
section  29,  township  10,  range  16,  was  born  December  24,  1849,  in  Delaware 
County,  Iowa,  and  is  a  son  of  Francis  and  Vin  (Ray)  Farrell. 

The  father  of  Mr.  Farrell  was  born  in  Ireland  and  after  he  came  to 
America  spent  some  years  at  Philadelphia,  where  he  was  employed  in  the 
construction  of  public  works.  In  1848  he  moved  to  Iowa,  where  he  followed 
farming  until  his  death  in  1852.  His  widow  survived  until  1858.  Our 
subject  has  two  brothers :  Francis,  a  resident  of  Pocahontas  County,  Iowa, 
who  has  seven  children;  and  Thomas,  of  Cherokee  County,  Iowa,  who  has 
one  child. 

Joseph  S.  Farrell  was  reared  and  educated  in  Iowa  and  early  devoted 
himself  to  agricultural  pursuits.  In  1878  he  came  to  Kansas  and  settled  on  a 
farm  of  160  acres  in  Jewell  County,  which  locality  remained  his  home  for 
22  years.  During  this  period  Mr.  Farrell  became  one  of  the  county's  most 
prominent  men,  serving  18  years  on  the  School  Board  of  the  local  district 
and  taking  a  very  active  interest  in  political  affairs.  In  1896  he  was  elected 
to  the  Legislature  on  the  Populist  ticket  and  served  one  term  and  through 
the  extra  session,  during  which  time  he  supported  the  maximum  railroad 
rate  bill  and  the  school  book  bill,  proving  himself  a  conscientious  and  faith- 


440  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

ful  legislator.  He  served  also  as  township  trustee  for  some  four  years  and 
dominated  party  affairs  in  his  township  for  a  number  of  years.  In  1900  he. 
sold  his  property  there  and  bought  his  present  farm,  which  he  conducts  in  a 
great  measure  as  a  stock  and  cattle  farm. 

Mr.  Farrell  was  married  October  6,  1879,  to  Bridget  Sullivan,  who  is 
a  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  (Cunningham)  Sullivan,  who  came  to  Kansas 
in  1888  and  settled  in  Jewell  County,  where  Mr.  Sullivan  died  April  18, 
1894.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Farrell  have  had  these  children :  Mary  V.,  residing  at 
home;  Katherine  (Mrs.  Charles  Rail),  of  Kansas  City,  who  has  two  chil- 
dren,— Charles  and  Emmet;  Francis  and  James,  both  at  home;  Agnes  Wini- 
fred, who  died  February  11,  1894;  and  Mabel  and  Marguerite,  both  at  home. 
The  family  belong  to  the  Catholic  Church. 

Mr.  Farrell  completed  the  beautiful  family  residence  a  year  ago.  It 
is  modern  throughout  and  is  situated  on  a  bluff  from  which  can  be  seen  a 
wide  stretch  of  valley  and  the  city  of  Topeka.  It  is  one  of  the  ideal  rural 
homes  of  the  township. 


JOHN   S.  JORDAN. 

John  S.  Jordan,  proprietor  of  the  "Elmdale  Fruit  Farm,"  is  one  of  the 
substantial  and  representative  citizens  of  Williamsport  township,  Shawnee 
County,  his  240  acres  of  valuable  land  being  situated  in  sections  23  and  24, 
township  13,  range  15.  Mr.  Jordon  was  born  near  Hudson,  Columbia 
County,  New  York,  June  26,  1835,  and  is  a  son  of  Abram  J.  and  Mary 
(Snyder)  Jordan. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Jordan  spent  their  whole  lives  in  New  York,  where 
the  father  was  a  prosperous  farmer.  The  family  consisted  of  two  daughters 
and  four  sons:  Mrs.  Caroline  Henry,  deceased;  Mrs.  Ann  Palmer,  de- 
ceased ;  John  S.,  of  this  sketch ;  Benjamin,  of  Columbia  County,  New  York ; 
George,  deceased;  William  A.,  who  lives  on  the  old  homestead;  and  Niram 
P.,  of  Wilkesbarre,  Pennsylvania.  Two  children  were  born  to  a  second 
marriage. 

Our  subject  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm  and  obtained  his  education 
in  the  schools  of  Columbia  County.  When  18  years  old  he  went  to  Kendall 
County,  Illinois,  and  engaged  in  farming  there  until  1873  when  he  removed 
with  his  family  to  his  present  farm  in  Shawnee  County.  It  was  then  well- 
improved  and  he  has  continued  improving  until  it  now  is  one  of  the  most 
valuable  fruit  farms  of  the  county.  He  has  120  acres  in  apples  of  the  best 
varieties  and  ships  an  immense  quantity.     He  also  carries  on  general  farm- 


■^"8  VAi^usms  Rooml-''^ 


t^r^^t^-r-^' 


f^^^.  ^.  ^^4^0^ 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  443 

ing  and  stock-raising  and  makes  every  branch  of  his  work  contribute  a  satis- 
factory income,  all  his  land  but  20  acres  being  under  cultivation. 

Mr.  Jordan  was  married  in  i860,  in  Illinois,  to  Helen  Jennie  Moore, 
who  was  born  at  Lisbon,  Kendall  County,  Illinois,  and  is  a  daughter  of 
Horace  and  Jane  (Cody)  Moore,  natives  of  Oneida  County,  New  York. 
They  have  four  children,  namely :  Edith  May,  wife  of  James  Stanley  Banks, 
of  Grantville,  Kansas;  Clyde  H.,  of  Williamsport  township;  Horace  A.,  liv- 
ing at  home ;  and  Lulu,  wife  of  Bert  Schaffer,  of  Williamsport  township. 

Prior  to  settling  in  Kansas,  Mr.  Jordan  had  crossed  the  plains  in  the 
employ  of  the  government  as  a  teamster,  and  was  then  impressed  with  the 
agricultural  possibilities  of  this  section.  Although  he  takes  only  an  intelligent 
citizen's  interest  in  public  affairs,  he  never  misses  an  election,  affiliating  with 
the  Republican  party. 


HON.  SILAS  E.  SHELDON,  M.  D. 

During  a  period  of  more  than  30  years,  the  late  Dr.  Silas  E.  Sheldon, 
whose  portrait  accompanies  this  sketch,  practiced  the  profession  of  medicine 
in  the  city  of  Topeka,  where  his  life  work  ended  on  April  19,  1900.  Dr. 
Sheldon  was  born  in  Lorain  County,  Ohio,  and  was  a  son  of  Elam  and  Azubah 
(Robinson)  Sheldon. 

Silas  E.  Sheldon  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm  and  attended  the  local 
schools  until  1854,  when  the  family  moved  to  Berea,  Ohio,  and  the  young 
man  entered  Baldwin  University  where  he  enjoyed  collegiate  advantages  for 
two  years.  In  that  city  he  began  the  study  of  medicine,  in  1856,  with  Dr. 
Alxander  McBride  as  his  preceptor,  and  in  1858  entered  the  University  of 
Michigan  at  Ann  Arbor.  In  i860  he  was  graduated  in  medicine  at  the  Cleve- 
land Medical  College.  Until  1862  he  practiced  in  Cleveland  but  then  entered 
the  army  in  the  capacity  of  assistant  surgeon  of  the  32nd  Regiment,  Ohio 
Vol.  Inf.,  with  which  he  continued  until  1864.  He  remained  in  the  service 
until  the  close  of  the  war,  from  the  above  date  being  medical  inspector  on  the 
staff  of  General  Coxy  who  later  was  elected  Governor  of  Ohio.  During  a  por- 
tion of  his  army  service,  he  was  surgeon  of  the  104th  Regiment,  Ohio  Vol. 
Inf.,  with  the  rank  of  major,  and  was  mustered  out  as  surgeon. 

Dr.  Sheldon's  coming  to  Topeka  was  probably  for  the  same  reason  that 
at  that  time  brought  professional  men,  business  men  and  laborers  here — a 
search  for  a  wider  field  of  opportunity.  He  was  welcomed  by  the  physicians 
already  established  who  found  in  him  a  congenial  colaborer,  a  valuable  assist- 
ant and  a  careful,  scientific  investigator  as  well  as  a  skilled  practitioner.  The 
work  he  accomplished  in  the  line  of  medicine  in  his  chosen  city  fills  an  import- 


444  HISTORY   OF   SHAWNEE   COUNTY 

ant  chapter  in  its  history.  For  a  considerable  period,  he  was  chief  surgeon 
for  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railway  Company.  Dr.  Sheldon  was 
noted  for  his  earnest  and  careful  private  practice  and  he  carried  the  same  quali- 
ties into  the  various  lines  of  public  work  which  called  for  his  disinterested 
services  on  many  occasions.  His  death  brought  to  a  close  a  life  rich  in  good 
deeds,  high  endeavor  and  notable  achievement. 

In  politics,  Dr.  Sheldon  was  only  active  so  far  as  he  thought  the  success 
of  his  party  would  promote  the  best  interests  of  his  country.  He  was  elected 
and  served  two  sessions  in  the  Kansas  State  Senate.  His  first  vote  was  cast 
for  Abraham  Lincoln,  for  whose  life,  character  and  principles  he  entertained 
the  most  profound  respect.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  Lincoln  Post,  G. 
A.  R.,  and  the  post's  first  commander.  An  enthusiast  in  Free  Masonry,  he 
held  many  of  the  high  offices  of  the  order.  In  this  body  he  was  prominent  for 
many  years  and  held  high  rank,  in  1876  being  elected  grand  commander  of 
Knights  Templar  of  Kansas.  He  was  a  vestryman  in  the  Protestant  Episco- 
pas  Church  for  17  years  and  devoted  to  church  work.  The  State  and  local 
medical  societies  had  in  him  a  useful  and  learned  member.  He  successfully 
maintained  his  private  hospital  in  Topeka  for  many  years.  Dr.  Sheldon  is 
buried  in  a  most  beautiful  spot  opposite  the  Garfield  Monument,  in  Lake  View 
Cemetery,  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  the  home  of  his  earlier  years  and  successes. 

In  1866,  Dr.  Sheldon  was  married  to  Ann  Eliza  Ball,  a  daughter  of  Cap- 
tain John  Ball,  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Cleveland,  Ohio.  She  still  sur- 
vives and  occupies  a  warm  place  in  the  hearts  of  a  large  circle  of  friends  and 
of  those  whom  her  many  charities  and  beneficences  have  reached.  She  gave 
to  the  State  Library  a  collection  of  100  valuable  books,  at  the  same  time  pro- 
viding for  the  maintenance  of  the  collection  by  a  gift  of  $5,000  as  an  endow- 
ment fund.  She  resides  in  handsome  apartments  at  the  Copeland  Hotel. 
Like  her  late  husband,  she  is  very  liberal  in  her  gifts  to  worthy  objects. 


CYRUS  CORNING. 

Cyrus  Corning,  one  of  the  well-known  business  men  of  Topeka,  whose 
able  and  independent  political  career  for  a  number  of  years  made  him  widely 
known,  was  born  July  12,  1844,  at  Stockholm,  St.  Lawrence  County,  New 
York,  and  is  a  son  of  Russell  and  Sarah  (White)  Corning. 

The  father  of  Mr.  Corning  was  born  in  New  York  and  his  mother  in 
Vermont.  The  father,  who  was  a  farmer,  moved  with  his  family  to  Wiscon- 
sin in  1850  and  came  to  Kansas  in  1878,  settling  on  a  farm  in  Ness  County 
where  he  died  in  1882.    His  wife  died  seven  years  later.     Both  parents  were 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  445 

interred  at  Plainfield,  Wisconsin.  They  had  five  children :  Henry,  a  mechanic 
and  farmer  at  Florence,  Colorado ;  Cyrus,  of  this  sketch ;  Sidney  A.,  a  lawyer 
at  Plainfield,  Wisconsin;  Lovina  (Mrs.  James  Sharp),  of  Nebraska;  and 
Charles  S.,  a  farmer  living  near  Plainfield,  Wisconsin. 

Mr.  Corning  was  educated  at  Allen's  Grove  Academy,  at  Allen's 
Grove,  Wisconsin,  Ripon  College,  at  Ripon,  and  then  attended  Lawrence 
University  at  Appleton,  acquitting  himself  so  well  that  by  the  time  he  was 
ly  years  old  he  was  authorized  to  take  charge  of  a  district  school.  He  con- 
tinued to  teach  and  became  principal  of  the  school  at  DePere,  Brown  County, 
and  subsequently  of  the  Appleton  High  School,  remaining  in  the  former  con- 
nection for  three  and  in  the  latter  for  two  years.  Failing  health  caused  him  to 
change  his  occupation  and  led  him  to  make  his  first  entrance  into  journalism. 
He  started  a  paper  called  the  Stockbridge  Enterprise,  which  he  conducted 
for  about  eight  months,  and  then,  in  the  spring  of  1876,  removed  to  Law- 
rence, Kansas,  where  he  read  law  with  Hon.  George  J.  Barker,  now  post- 
master there.  In  that  same  summer  he  was  admitted  to  practice  and  he 
continued  in  practice  for  seven  years.  During  this  time  his  health  again  gave 
him  trouble  and  caused  his  giving  up  his  practice  in  the  city  and  his  removal 
to  Ness  County,  where  he  was  elected  first  county  attorney.  Two  years  later 
he  came  to  Topeka. 

Soon  after,  Mr.  Corning  became  deeply  interested  in  the  reform  move- 
ment and  so  convinced  that  his  duty  lay  in  the  use  of  his  voice  and  pen  in 
furthering  the  day  of  its  success,  that  he  went  to  Osage  County,  which  seemed 
a  promising  field,  and  started  the  Kansas  Workman.  This  paper  he  conducted 
for  12  years  in  connection  with  a  fair  law  practice.  When  the  movement  in 
which  he  was  so  interested  became  still  more  one  of  the  issues  of  the  day, 
Mr.  Corning  entered  into  the  arena  as  a  worker  and  speaker,  but  before  long 
he  found  that  the  excitement  and  hardship  of  this  work  again  threatened  his 
health  and  again  he  was  compelled  to  retire  for  a  time.  In  1884,  however, 
he  entered  the  field  on  an  independent  ticket  and  defeated  the  Lewelling  party 
ticket  by  a  majority  of  35,ocx)  votes.  Mr.  Corning  has  lived  to  see  many  of 
his  prophesies  come  to  pass  and  an  encouraging  number  of  the  reforms,  to 
which  he  has  devoted  the  best  energies  of  his  life,  adopted.  He  is  a  strong 
believer  in  State  ownership  of  all  trusts  and  corporations  and,  in  times  past, 
he  has  predicted,  while  lecturing  on  socialism,  on  the  corner  of  Sixth  and 
Kansas  avenues,  such  laws  as  that  enacted  by  the  last  Legislature  giving  the 
State  the  ownership  of  the  oil  business. 

In  1904  Mr.  Corning  started  a  general  job  printing  office  at  No.  833 
Kansas  avenue  and  continues  interested  in  it.  During  the  fall  of  1901  he 
started  a  paper  at  Enterprise,  an  independent  journal  called  the  Enterprise 
Star,  its  policy  leaning  toward  Populism.     Since  1890  he  has  resided  perma- 


446  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

nently  at  Topeka.  Mr.  Corning  has  had  four  noted  public  discussions :  one 
with  Senator  Kelly,  at  McPherson,  in  1888;  the  second  with  Joseph  Ady, 
at  Newton,  in  the  same  year;  the  third  with  Mr.  Ady  at  Burlington;  and 
twice  in  1890  and  1891,  with  F.  B.  Dawes,  Attorney  General  of  the  State. 


HON.  MATTHEW  R.  MITCHELL. 

Hon.  Matthew  R.  Mitchell,  M.  D.,  one  of  the  citizens  of  Topeka, 
whose  distinguished  services  during  the  Civil  War  of  themselves  justify  a 
claim  to  prominent  mention,  without  considering  his  political  and  professional 
eminence,  was  born  Nevember  10,  1835,  in  Logan  County,  Ohio,  and  is  a  son 
of  Matthew  and  Margaret  S.   (Speer)   Mitchell. 

The  parents  of  Dr.  Mitchell  belonged  to  the  substantial  agricultural 
class  of  Ohio.  Of  their  1 1  children,  seven  still  survive,  the  three  who  became 
residents  of  Kansas  being  our  subject  and  a  brother,  William  S.  (a  retired 
farmer  of  Olathe,  Johnson  County),  and  a  sister  Elizabeth  (widow  of  Thomas 
Hutchinson,  of  the  same  place). 

Matthew  R.  Mitchell  was  educated  at  the  academy  at  Northwood,  Ohio, 
and  then  entered  Jefferson  College,  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  where  he 
was  graduated  in  June,  1862.  On  the  25th  of  the  following  September,  he 
enlisted  for  a  term  of  service  in  the  Civil  War,  becoming  a  member  of  Com- 
pany B,  88th  Reg.,  Ohio  Vol.  Inf.,  under  command  of  Colonel  Neff.  When  it 
became  public  policy  to  enlist  colored  troops,  Mr.  Mitchell  was  commissioned 
a  ist  lieutenant  and  two  weeks  later  was  appointed  adjutant  of  the  27th  Reg- 
iment, United  States  Colored  Troops,  under  Colonel  Blackman  and  Lieu- 
tenant Colonel  Donaldson.  He  served  as  adjutant  until  August  i,  1864, 
when  he  was  wounded  before  Petersburg,  being  shot  through  the  face.  On 
account  of  being  so  seriously  injured  he  was  given  a  furlough  of  two  months. 
When  he  rejoined  his  regiment  along  the  Weldon  Railroad,  he  found  that 
he  had  been  promoted  to  the  rank  of  captain  during  his  absence,  under  Gen- 
eral Butler.  This  resulted  in  his  participation  in  the  memorable  siege  of  Fort 
Fisher  when  the  colored  troops  gave  such  a  good  account  of  themselves.  In 
June  of  that  year  he  was  commissioned  major  and  with  this  rank  he  was 
mustered  out  at  Smithfield,  North  Carolina,  in  September,  1865.  Major 
Mitchell  saw  much  hard  service  and  took  part  in  all  the  dangerous  fighting  in 
front  of  Richmond  and  at  Petersburg,  and  endured  the  four  days  and  four 
nights  siege  at  Fort  Fisher. 

After  his  return  from  the  army,  where  he  had  made  a  brilliant  record. 
Major  Mitchell  began  the  study  of  medicine,  reading  under  Dr.  Clason,  Dr. 


V 


COL.   ALEXANDER  SOULE  JOHNSON 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  449 

Sullivan  and  Dr.  Fulton,  and  then  entered  the  Cincinnati  Medical  College, 
where  he  was  graduated  in  1868.  At  this  time  this  institution  had  a  faculty 
of  distinguished  and  able  men,  including  Dr.  Blackman,  Dr.  Wright,  Dr. 
Graham,  Dr.  Parvin,  now  of  Philadelphia,  subsequently  of  Jefferson  Medical 
College,  and  a  prominent  author,  and  Dr.  Barthelow,  the  author  of  "Medical 
Therapeutics,"  all  of  whom  gained  the  esteem  of  Dr.  Mitchell  and  gave  him 
great  encouragement. 

Dr.  Mitchell  located  at  Fairmount,  Leavenworth  County,  Kansas,  and 
during  his  seven  years  of  residence  there  became  one  of  the  leading  citizens, 
and  was  elected  to  the  House  of  Representatives  from  the  24th  District.  In 
1875,  after  the  expiration  of  his  legislative  term.  Dr.  Mitchell  located  at 
Topeka  and  this  city  has  been  his  place  of  residence  ever  since.  For  nine 
years  he  has  been  health  officer  here,  a  position  of  grave  importance,  and  has 
filled  the  duties  with  complete  efficiency. 

He  was  married  on  March  10,  1868,  to  Mary  M.  Fulton,  of  Bellefontaine, 
Ohio,  who  is  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Abraham  and  Lucretia  (Huntington)  Fulton, 
the  former  of  whom  was  one  of  Dr.  Mitchell's  early  preceptors.  They  have 
three  children:    Porter  M.,  Clara  and  Stella. 

Politically,  Dr.  Mitchell  votes  the  Republican  ticket.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  and  is  ex-commander  of  Blue  Post,  No. 
250,  Topeka.    He  is  an  elder  in  the  United  Presbyterian  Church. 


COL.  ALEXANDER  SOULE  JOHNSON. 

CoL.  Alexander  Soule  Johnson,  whose  portrait  is  shown  on  the  oppo- 
site page,  was  born  in  that  part  of  the  Indian  Territory  which  is  now  Wyan- 
dotte County,  Kansas,  on  July  11,  1832,  and  died  at  Dallas,  Texas,  December 
9,  1904.  He  was  born  in  Topeka,  in  the  State  whose  first  white  child  he  was 
and  where  he  lived  72  eventful  and  useful  years.  In  his  funeral  sermon  Dr. 
Evans  said :  "A  great  and  good  man  has  passed  away.  He  was  a  pioneer. 
He  was  one  of  the  prophesies  come  true  of  her  destiny.  He  was  her  first  son. 
It  is  unnecessary  to  review  the  life  of  Colonel  Johnson  with  a  desire  to  mag- 
nify his  name.  But  to  impress  upon  those  who  hear  this  his  manly  characteris- 
tics, his  unimpeachable  honesty,  his  spirit  of  fairness  and  justice,  we  will  go 
back  over  the  span  of  his  life  and  tell  its  history  from  his  deeds." 

The  story  of  his  life  runs  parallel  with  that  of  his  loved  State  and  little 
in  connection  with  its  settlement,  growth,  progress  and  prosperity  can  be 
mentioned  without  reference  to  him  and  to  his  influence.  "He  was  born 
brave,"  one  who  knew  him  said,  which  was  a  necessary  birthright  in  a  country 


450  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

overrun  by  savages.  His  parents  were  Rev.  Thomas  and  Sarah  (Tittle) 
Johnson.  All  the  immediate  family  of  Sarah  Tittle,  living  in  a  border  settle- 
ment of  Kentucky  less  than  a  hundred  years  ago,  were  massacred  by  Indians 
under  their  famous  chieftain  Tecumseh,  she  alone  escaping.  It  was  a  strange 
fate  that  later  sent  her,  wife  of  the  Virginia  Methodist  preacher,  a  missionary 
with  him  to  the  Shawnee  tribe  that  had  bereft  her  of  kindred.  With  Christian 
fortitude  and  courage  they  lived  and  labored  among  this  people.  In  1837 
the  Shawnee  Methodist  Mission  was  moved  to  what  is  now  Johnson  County, 
Kansas,  named  in  honor  of  Rev.  Thomas  Johnson.  Under  his  supervision 
the  Shawnee  Manual  Labor  School  was  established,  where  the  Indians  were 
taught  helpful  and  practical  knowledge  and,  by  precept  and  example,  the 
ways  of  peace.  He  conducted  this  school  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century 
and  here  his  son  Alexander  studied  much  besides  books  during  his  earlier 
years,  later  entering  Central  College  at  Lafayette,  Missouri,  and  completing 
its  course. 

In  185 1  Alexander  S.  Johnson  became  partner  in  the  firm  of  J.  Riddels- 
berger,  Westport  (now  Kansas  City),  Missouri,  then  the  foremost  forwarding 
and  commission  house  in  that  section  of  the  West.  His  business  success  was 
notable  but  a  fortunate  circumstance  turned  him  from  a  counting  room  career. 
When  the  Territory  of  Kansas  was  organized,  he  and  his  father  were  elected 
members  of  the  Territorial  Council,  which  body  chose  Rev.  Thomas  Johnson 
its  first  presiding  officer.  In  1886  Colonel  Johnson  was  elected  to  the  State 
Legislature  from  Johnson  County.  These  were  the  only  offices  held  by  him 
under  the  State,  inclination  leading  him  in  other  directions.  He  was  superin- 
tendent of  Shawnee  Mission  from  1858  to  1862  when  it  was  abandoned, 
later  becoming  the  home  of  the  family  by  grant  from  the  United  States  gov- 
ernment to  the  estate  of  Rev.  Thomas  Johnson. 

\\'hen  Civil  War  was  declared,  both  father  and  son  espoused  the 
Union  cause  which  resulted  in  death  of  the  former,  he  being  killed  on  New 
Years  Day,  1865,  while  defending  his  home  from  Rebel  Raiders.  The  latter 
organized  a  company  of  volunteers  which  became  part  of  the  13th  Kansas 
Militia,  of  which  he  was  appointed  lieutenant-colonel,  and  served  his  country 
with  great  bravery  and  distinction. 

In  early  manhood  young  Johnson  studied  surveying  and  as  United  States 
deputy  surveyor  surveyed  the  Indian  lands  of  Johnson  County.  Knowledge 
and  experience  thus  gained  proved  stepping  stones  to  his  appointment  in  1866 
as  land  commissioner  to  the  Fort  Scott  &  Gulf  road;  in  1870  surveyor  and 
appraiser  of  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  land  grant,  and  subsequently 
its  land  and  tax  commissioner,  which  positions  he  held  until  his  resignation 
in  1870.  During  these  years  with  the  Santa  Fe,  its  three  million  acres  were 
opened  for  settlement  and  sold  under  the  management  of  Colonel  Johnson. 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  451 

As  means  to  an  end,  he  conceived  and  perfected  the  road's  display  at  the  Cen- 
tennial Exposition,  repeating  the  object  lesson  at  the  Atlanta  Exposition. 
The  land  department  became  famous  the  world  over,  its  lieutenants  every- 
where telHng  of  "homes  for  millions"  upon  the  fertile  soil  of  Kansas.  Ere 
long  the  "Great  American  Desert"  became  a  tale  of  the  past.  An  army  of 
peaceful  invaders  turned  the  soil,  sowed  and  planted  and  lo!  what  had  been 
a  desolate  waste  was  converted  into  teeming  fields,  attractive  homesteads 
and  prosperous  communities.  The  successful  issue  was  due  to  Colonel  John- 
son's great  business  and  executive  ability,  backed  by  his  "unimpeachable 
honesty,  his  spirit  of  fairness  and  justice."  To  his  credit  and  that  of  his 
assistants  be  it  said  that  throughout  their  handling  of  the  land  grant  not  one 
lawsuit  resulted.  When  the  stupendous  task  was  accomplished  and  the  inti- 
mate relationship  of  20  years  was  sundered,  his  "boys"  paid  tribute  to  their 
chief  in  service  of  silver  and  words  of  gold.  The  speaker  said :  "During  all 
these  years  of  our  association  with  you  in  this  work,  which  we  have  seen 
crowned  with  triumphant  success,  we  have  perhaps  succeeded  in  bringing  to 
view  almost  every  phase  of  your  character  and  I  speak  for  all  when  I  say  it 
never  has  been  unfolded  to  your  reproach.  If  we  looked  for  business  industry, 
we  found  you  at  your  desk.  If  we  looked  for  friendship,  we  found  kind 
counsel.  If  we  looked  for  truth,  we  found  you  scorned  falsehood  and  misrep- 
resentation. If  we  looked  for  charity,  we  found  you  considerate  of  other 
industries.  If  we  looked  for  honor,  we  found  you  unmoved  by  every  bribe 
of  interest.  If  we  looked  for  constancy  of  friends,  we  found  you  defending 
your  'boys.'  If  we.  looked  for  the  broadest  manhood,  we  found  in  you  a 
Christian  gentleman."  Thus  spoke  those  who  had  known  Colonel  Johnson 
day  by  day  through  many  trying  years  and  their  words  of  commendation  and 
affection  voiced  so  long  ago  are  a  fitting  memorial  now  to  him  who  is  no  more. 

Colonel  Johnson  moved  to  Topeka  in  1870  and  immediately  became  iden- 
tified with  the  Methodist  Church  and  active  in  all  interests  pertaining  to  the 
city's  welfare.  He  was  one  of  those  instrumental  in  establishing  Topeka's 
water  service  and  Edison  electric  plant,  serving  on  each  board  of  control. 
For  18  years  he  was  vice-president  of  the  Central  National  Bank  and  one 
of  its  directors.  He  was  president  of  the  Topeka  Club  from  its  organization 
and  a  member  of  the  State  Historical  Society  and  of  the  Old  Settlers'  Asso- 
ciation. He  was  a  Knight  Templar  from  early  manhood.  Unassuming  to  a 
degree,  he  never  sought  personal  aggrandizement;  instead  he  forgot  self  in 
remembering  others.  He  was  a  rarely  attractive  and  lovable  man,  his  sweet 
and  gentle  nature  suggesting  one  familiar  only  with  the  amenities  and  refine- 
ments of  a  retired  and  peaceful  life,  not  a  son  of  the  border,  born  among 
Indians  and  reared  amid  scenes  of  strife. 

In  1852  Alexander  S.  Johnson  married  Prudence  C.  Funk,  of  Maryland. 


452  HISTORY   OF    SHAWNEE   COUNTY 

Four  children  were  born  to  them,  of  whom  but  one  is  living — Mrs.  Charles 
E.  Fargo,  of  Dallas,  Texas.  In  1887  he  married  Zippie  A.  Scott,  of  Man- 
chester, New  Hampshire,  who  survives  him. 

Colonel  Johnson  was  especially  a  domestic  man,  an  ideal  host  and  his 
beautiful  home  in  Topeka  was  an  appropriate  setting  for  the  genial,  courtly 
gentleman  whom  to  know  was  to  love  loyally.  In  his  passing  Kansas  lost 
her  oldest  and  one  of  her  most  distinguished  sons. 


SAMUEL  J.  YAGER. 

Samuel  J.  Yager,  who  has  been  a  resident  of  Auburn  township,  Shaw- 
nee County,  since  1866,  and  owns  a  well-improved  farm  of  240  acres,  situated 
in  section  23,  township  13,  range  14,  was  born  in  Oldham  County,  Kentucky, 
March  13,  1834,  and  is  a  son  of  Willis  and  Nancy  (Overstreet)  Yager. 

Jesse  Yager,  the  paternal  grandfather,  was  born  in  Virginia,  of  German 
ancestry.  He  moved  to  Kentucky,  where  his  son  Willis  was  born.  The  latter 
died  at  the  age  of  35  years.  The  mother  of  our  subject  was  a  native  of  Old- 
ham County  and  died  in  Shawnee  County,  aged  65  years.  Her  father,  Sam- 
uel Overstreet,  was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812.  The  father  of  Samuel  J. 
Yager  died  when  the  latter  was  but  two  years  of  age,  leaving  five  children, 
viz :  John,  deceased ;  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Fields ;  Willis,  deceased ;  Samuel  J., 
of  this  sketch;  and  Mrs.  Martha  Netherton,  deceased. 

After  the  death  of  the  father,  the  mother  took  her  little  ones  to  Johnson 
County,  Indiana.  In  1864  our  subject  visited  Shawnee  County  for  two 
months  and  was  so  pleased  with  the  appearance  of  the  land  that  in  1866  he 
came  here  and  settled  permanently,  buying  240  acres  of  land,  only  40  of  which 
had  been  fenced  and  cultivated.  Mr.  Yager  has  placed  his  land  under  cultiva- 
tion and  has  made  many  substantial  improvements  here,  including  the  build- 
ing of  a  fine  brick  dwelling  and  all  necessary  barns  and  outbuildings.  He 
devotes  his  land  to  growing  grain  and  stock.  Two  of  his  sons  are  located 
in  the  neighborhood,  each  owning  farms  of  80  acres. 

Mr.  Yager  was  married  in  1864,  in  Indiana,  to  Magdalene  M.  Terrill, 
who  was  born  near  Middleton,  Ohio,  in  1845,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Hampton 
and  Hannah  (Aten)  Terrill,  whom  she  accompanied  in  childhood  to  Indiana, 
which  was  her  father's  native  State.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Yager  have  four  children : 
Willis  H. ;  Sybil  Maud,  wife  of  Harry  Wright  of  Topeka ;  Jesse  M.  and  Gar- 
rett A. 

Politically,  Mr.  Yager  has  been  identified  with  the  Republican  party 
ever  since  the  administration  of  James  Buchanan  for  whom  he  cast  his  first 


PERRY   T.  FOSTER 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  455 

presidential  vote.  He  has  been  an  elder  in  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Au- 
burn for  many  years  and  ever  since  settling  here  has  been  one  of  the  trustees. 
He  has  also  taken  a  deep  interest  in  the  Sunday-school  and  has  served  as 
its  superintendent.  Mr.  Yager  is  a  man  of  sterling  integrity,  one  who  enjoys 
the  esteem  of  his  fellow-citizens  to  a  marked  degree. 


»»» 


PERRY  T.  FOSTER. 

Perry  T.  Foster^  a  pioneer  citizen  of  Shawnee  County,  whose  portrait 
accompanies  this  sketch,  has  a  fine  farm  of  ioo  acres  four  miles  southwest 
of  Topeka  in  Topeka  township,  which  his  father  owned  before  him.  He 
was  born  on  a  farm  in  Crawford  County,  Pennsylvania,  September  11,  1834, 
and  is  a  son  of  Robert  and  Nancy  (Meyler)  Foster. 

George  Foster,  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  England,  and 
at  an  early  age  accompanied  his  father  to  the  North  of  Ireland,  then  in  later 
years  came  to  America  alone,  settling  in  Pennsylvania.  His  foot  was  crip- 
pled by  an  accident  and  remained  so  throughout  the  remainder  of  his  life. 
He  died  in  Pennsylvania,  leaving  the  following  children:  Robert,  Thomas, 
William,  James,  George,  Mary  and  Isabelle. 

Robert  Foster,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Wyoming  County, 
Pennsylvania,  in  1796,  and  was  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser  throughout  life. 
He  tried  three  times  to  enlist  in  the  Union  Army  during  the  Civil  W-ar,  but 
was  rejected  because  of  advanced  age.  In  1864,  he  accompanied  his  son 
to  Kansas  and  took  up  the  claim  in  Topeka  township,  Shawnee  County,  on 
which  our  subject  and  his  son  now  reside.  He  lived  there  the  remainder  of 
his  days,  dying  at  the  age  of  70  years,  one  month  and  one  day.  He  was 
married  in  Pennsylvania  to  Nancy  Meyler,  who  was  born  at  Utica,  New 
York,  and  died  on  the  home  farm  in  Shawnee  County  at  the  age  of  79  years. 
They  reared  the  following  children :  Mary,  deceased ;  Jane,  deceased ;  Lov- 
ina,  deceased;  Nancy,  of  California;  Lorinda,  of  Denver,  Colorado;  Free- 
man R. ;  Perry  T.,  whose  name  heads  this  sketch;  and  Merriman,  who  was 
in  the  nth  Pennsylvania  Reg^iment  during  the  Civil  War,  serving  for  two 
years  until  discharged  by  reason  of  disability.  Freeman  R.  Foster,  who 
served  in  the  same  company  and  regiment  as  our  subject  during  the  Civil 
War,  was  a  member  of  the  Kansas  Legislature  two  terms.  He  came  to 
Shawnee  County  in  1854  and  assisted  in  laying  off  the  city  of  Topeka,  in 
which  he  owned  some  30  lots.  His  death  resulted  from  an  accident  on  his 
farm,  caused  by  a  team  running  away. 

Perry  T.  Foster  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  until  he  was  22  years 
of  age,  then  came  West  in  1856,  to  Jefferson  City,  Missouri,  by  rail,  thence 
22 


456  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

by  boat  to  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  and  by  team  to  the  southwest  quarter  of 
section  24,  township  12,  range  15,  in  Topeka  township,  Shawnee  County, 
which  adjoins  his  present  home.  He  built  thereon  a  log  house,  11  by  11  feet 
in  dimensions,  fenced  the  prairie  and  began  its  cultivation.  There  were  still 
buffaloes  in  this  country  and  he  had  the  pleasure  of  a  hunt  in  which  he  killed 
one  of  a  herd.  He  continued  farming  and  also  engaged  in  the  butcher  busi- 
ness until  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  when  he  returned  to  his  Eastern 
home,  enlisting  August  2,  1862,  in  Company  B,  137th  Reg.,  Pennsylvania 
Vol.  Inf.,  under  Capt.  Dillon  Walker  and  Colonel  Bosworth.  The  regi- 
ment was  attached  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  Mr.  Foster  participated 
in  engagements  at  South  Mountain  and  Antietam.  In  the  latter  engage- 
ment while  forming  in  line  in  double-quick  time,  he  stepped  into  a  dugout 
and  injured  his  foot  which  has  been  crippled  ever  since,  an  injury  very  like 
the  one  sustained  by  his  grandfather.  He  was  sent  home  and  was  hon- 
orably discharged  in  February,  1863.  He  remained  in  Pennsylvania  until 
1864,  and  then,  accompanied  by  his  wife  and  his  parents,  he  came  West  to 
his  Kansas  home,  living  in  the  cabin  until  the  following  winter,  when  he  sold 
the  property  and  moved  to  the  claim  taken  up  by  his  father.  This  has  since 
been  his  home.  He  has  erected  a  modern  house  for  himself  and  one  for  his 
son,  and  has  made  all  the  improvements  on  the  place. 

In  December,  i86r,  Mr.  Foster  married  Lucinda  Thompson,  who  was 
born  in  Crawford  County,  Pennsylvania,  July  4,  1841,  and  is  a  daughter 
of  John  and  Betsy  (Casler)  Thompson,  the  former  a  native  of  Crawford 
County  and  the  latter,  of  Utica,  New  York.  Three  children  have  been  born 
to  them:  Robert  J.,  who  has  four  children, — Francis  R.,  Ina,  Estella  and 
Marie;  Ahce,  who  married  George  Robinson,  of  Wabaunsee  County,  and 
has  a  daughter, — Myrtle;  and  Lena  P.,  who  married  Paul  E.  Dallas,  of 
Wabaunsee  County,  and  has  a  daughter,  Mabel,  and  a  son  not  yet  named. 
Mr.  Foster  is  one  of  the  substantial  men  of  his  community  and  has  many 
friends  of  many  years  standing. 


HERBERT  HACKNEY. 

Herbert  Hackney,  president  of  The  Topeka  Milling  Company,  belongs 
to  that  body  of  progressive  and  far-sighted  business  men  who  have  brought 
the  great  industries  of  the  United  States  to  almost  absolute  perfection.  Mr. 
Hackney  was  born  in  England  in  1850  and  is  a  son  of  George  and  Martha 
t^Jepson)    Hackney. 

George  Hackney,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  May  26,   1826,   in 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  457 

Cheshire,  England,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Hannah  (Simm)  Hackney.  He 
is  one  of  a  family  of  15  children  and,  as  far  as  he  has  been  able  to  trace,  is 
the  only  survivor.  He  was  educated  in  England  as  a  mechancal  engineer 
and  was  employed  on  the  London,  Brighton  &  South  Coast  Railway.  In 
1852  he  came  to  America  in  the  "Sarah  Sands,"  which  was  the  first  screw 
steamer  to  cross  the  Atlantic.  She  was  subsequently  lost,  burned  while  car- 
rying troops  to  Australia. 

On  April  5,  1848,  George  Hackney  was  married  to  Martha  Jepson,  who 
was  born  in  Cheshire  in  1827,  and  they  had  three  children,  the  two  survivors 
being  Herbert,  of  this  sketch,  and  Carrie  Elizabeth,  who  is  the  wife  of  Clar- 
ence Skinner,  of  Topeka.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Skinner  have  one  daughter, — Addie. 
After  coming  to  America,  George  Hackney  lived  for  three  years  in  New 
York  City  where  he  followed  his  trade,  in  1855  removing  to  Milwaukee,  and 
continuing  to  work  as  a  mechanical  engineer.  From  Wisconsin  he  moved 
to  Topeka,  Kansas,  in  1877  and  for  13  years  had  charge  of  the  mechanical 
department  of  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railway  from  Chicago  to, 
California.  During  his  residence  in  Chicago,  he  was  chairman  of  the  com- 
mittee of  three  members  which  was  appointed  by  the  mayor  of  that  city  to 
study  the  subject  of  elevated  railroad  terminals.  The  committee  was  composed 
of  practical  men  and  they  traveled  all  through  the  East  and  studied  the  sub- 
ject in  all  lights  at  different  points.  As  a  result,  Chicago  has  one  of  the  best 
elevated  railroad  terminal  systems  in  the  world.  Mr.  Hackney  retired  from 
active  life  in  1893  after  years  of  work  and  responsibility. 

George  Hackney  has  the  distinction  of  having  built  the  first  three  loco- 
motives ever  constructed  in  the  State.  The  first  one  was  named  for  Colonel 
Holliday,  who  was  then  president  of  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Rail- 
way Company;  the  second  was  named  for  C.  C.  Wheeler,  general  manager 
of  the  road,  and  the  third  for  W.  B.  Strong,  also  at  one  time  president  of  the 
Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railway  Company.  In  association  with  Levi  Z. 
Leiter,  P.  G.  Noel,  George  Lake  and  a  fifth  man,  Mr.  Hackney  built  the  first 
roller  mill  in  the  State,  which  is  now  operated  by  our  subject.  Mr.  Hackney 
is  the  only  survivor  of  this  body  of  business  men. 

During  the  winter  seasons  Mr.  Hackney  resides  in  Topeka,  but  his 
summers  are  spent  on  his  finely  improved  farm  of  1 5  acres  in  Highland  Park. 
In  a  remarkable  degree  he  retains  his  faculties  and  is  a  most  interesting  and 
entertaining  host.  Among  the  many  treasures  which  his  home  contains  is  a 
picture  which  was  painted  by  his  only  daughter,  of  an  old  church  of  Cheshire, 
England.  It  possesses  great  interest  for  him  as  the  original  dates  back  to 
the  time  of  Cromwell  and  in  it  his  father  and  mother  were  married  and  in 
its  shadow  they  lie  buried.  It  is  known  as  Asbury  Church.  Near  it  he  first 
met  his  wife  and  they  were,  married  there  and  the  baptismal  rite  was  there 


458  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

administered  to  Herbert  Hackney,  our  subject.  In  1854  Mr.  Hackney  was 
admitted  to  membership  in  the  Masonic  fraternity  in  New  York  and  ever 
since  he  has  performed  the  duties  and  Hved  up  to  the  obHgations  of  a  Master 
Mason. 

Herbert  Hackney  attended  school  in  Wisconsin  until  he  was  13  years  old 
and  was  then  apprenticed  in  a  machine  shop,  where  he  remained  until  he  had 
completed  every  detail  of  the  work  and  was  a  finished  machinist.  In  1870, 
at  the  age  of  28  years,  he  was  manager  of  a  large  iron  and  steel  plant  at 
Youngstown,  Ohio,  of  which  Brown  &  Bonnell  were  proprietors.  His  prac- 
tical knowledge  of  iron  and  steel  includes  every  part  of  the  business  from  the 
mining  of  the  iron  ore  to  the  finished  product.  At  this  time  he  managed  3,500 
men,  a  fact  indicative  of  the  reliance  placed  in  him  by  his  employers.  He 
has  been  connected  with  iron  and  steel  manufacturing  in  Ohio,  Illinois  and 
Oregon  and  in  Wisconsin.  His  experiences  covered  so  wide  a  territory  and  his 
positions  were  of  such  responsibility  that  his  knowledge  of  the  business  has 
been  gained  in  the  best  and  most  complete  way. 

In  1887  he  became  assistant  superintendent  of  the  machinery  department 
of  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railway  and  continued  until  1892,  since 
which  time  he  has  devoted  his  time  and  close  attention  to  his  present  business. 
This  enterprise  known  as  The  Topeka  Milling  Company,  is  operated  by 
Hackney  &  Company,  the  officials  being:  Herbert  Hackney,  president  and 
treasurer  and  George  W.  Hackney,  his  son,  secretary  and  manager.  The 
business  of  the  company  is  the  manufacture  of  the  famous  "Ralston  Health 
Flour,"  "Ralston  Health  Pancake  Flour,"  "Ralston  Health  Buckwheat 
Flour,"  "Blue  Cross  Health  Breakfast  Food"  and  "H.  H."  patent  flour,  pre- 
parations that  through  excellence  of  quality  have  found  a  market  all  over 
the  world. 

This  mill  was  built  in  1882  and  it  has  a  daily  capacity  of  650  barrels 
of  flour,  1,000  barrels  of  corn  meal  and  18,000  packages  of  cereals.  This 
institution  employs  eight  travelling  salesmen  and  the  goods  are  shipped  to  all 
parts  of  the  United  States.  In  this  line  the  products  of  The  Topeka  Milling 
Company  are  of  the  very  highest  class  manufactured  in  the  world,  having 
absolutely  no  superior.  Since  Mr.  Hackney  and  son  have  taken  charge  of 
this  business,  they  have  been  vigorously  pushing  to  the  front  as  American 
manufacturers. 

Mr.  Hackley  was  married,  first,  in  Milwaukee  to  May  L.  Todd,  and 
they  had  two  children :  George  W.  and  one  deceased.  Mr.  Hackney  was  mar- 
ried, second,  in  Chicago  to  Anna  S.  Norton.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Commer- 
cial Club  of  Topeka  and  has  always  been  active  in  furthering  the  city's  interests 
since  he  has  located  here. 

George  W.  Hackney,  junior  member  of  the  firm,  was  born  in  1877  at 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  459 

Milwaukee.  His  education  was  received  in  the  public  schools  and  at  North- 
western University,  Evanston,  Illinois.  After  leaving  school,  he  was  em- 
ployed by  the  World's  Fair  Company  and  then  joined  his  father  at  Topeka. 
He  is  a  practical  business  man,  like  his  father  and  grandfather,  and  gives  his 
undivided  attention  to  the  advancing  of  the  interests  of  this  large  enterprise, 
thoroughly  believing  in  the  value  of  modern  advertising.  The  offices  of  the 
company  are  situated  on  Jefferson  street,  while  the  mill  property  is  on 
Adams  street.  It  is  thoroughly  equipped  with  every  kind  of  modern  device 
and  improved  machinery  that  will  contribute  to  the  purity  of  the  goods  pro- 
duced so  that  they  may  be  just  what  they  are  claimed  to  be — health  foods. 


ALBERT  PARKER. 

Albert  Parker,  formerly  mayor  of  Topeka  and  for  many  years  a  very 
prominent  business  man  and  political  factor  here,  is  now  practically  retired 
from  business  activity  but  still  continues  interested  in  all  that  concerns  the 
capital  city.  Mr.  Parker  was  born  at  Lisbon,  New  Hampshire,  June  28,  1846, 
and  is  a  son  of  Levi  P.  and  Sally  (Forsaith)  Parker. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Parker  were  farming  people  of  Grafton  County, 
New  Hampshire,  and  their  lives  were  spent  in  that  vicinity.  Of  their  five  chil- 
dren, our  subject  and  one  sister  still  survive.  The  mother  died  in  1872,  but 
the  father  survived  until  1891.  Many  residents  of  Topeka  became  acquainted 
with  him  during  several  enjoyable  visits  he  made  here,  finding  in  him  many  of 
the  admirable  characteristics  notable  in  those  of  New  England  birth  and 
residence. 

Our  subject  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  Lisbon.  In  1866 
he  went  to  Littleton,  New  Hampshire,  and  spent  seven  years  there  in  the  drug 
business.  In  1873  he  came  to  Topeka  and  opened  a  drug-store  at  No.  621 
Kansas  avenue,  where  he  remained  for  five  years.  After  selling  his  store,  he 
entered  into  the  real  estate  and  loan  business  under  the  firm  name  of  A.  Parker 
&  Company  and  continued  to  be  active  in  this  line  for  about  10  years.  To 
this  day  he  still  continues  a  slight  interest  in  real  estate  and  oil  lands. 

In  1883  he  was  elected,  on  the  Democratic  ticket,  register  of  deeds,  re- 
ceivmg  1,000  more  votes  than  there  were  Democrats,  showing  a  large  meas- 
ure of  personal  popularity.  He  served  one  term  in  this  office.  In  1891  his 
party  chose  him  as  candidate  for  mayor,  the  Republican  candidate  being 
Col.  J.  W.  F.  Hughes,  of  Topeka.  The  result  of  the  election  was  a  majority 
of  1 1  votes  for  Mr.  Parker.  There  was  a  recount  ordered  on  account  of  sus- 
pected irregularity  and  the  result  was  that  Colonel  Hughes  was   declared 


46o  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

elected  by  a  majority  of  nine  votes.  In  order  to  vindicate  his  friends,  Mr. 
Parker  carried  tlie  contest  to  the  District  Court  and  later  to  the  Superior 
Court,  where  the  latter  body,  a  Republican  court  with  a  Republican  judge, 
decided  that  Mr.  Parker  was  mayor  by  a  majority  of  17  votes.  He  served 
the  remainder  of  the  term  of  15  months  and  was  renominated  but  declined 
to  serve  again.  While  always  ready  to  do  a  citizen's  duty,  he  has  never  been 
eager  enough  for  political  rewards  to  ask  a  man  for  a  vote.  Honors  have 
come  to  him  but  they  have  been  through  the  work  of  his  friends.  In  addition 
to  the  offices  mentioned,  in  1881  he  was  appointed  city  assessor  and  has  served 
two  terms  as  deputy  assessor. 

Mr.  Parker  was  married  May  24,  1873,  to  Cyrena  Giles,  of  Topeka, 
who  is  a  daughter  of  Nelson  and  Cyrena  (Dean)  Giles.  Mr.  Giles  was  born 
in  181 5  at  Bethlehem,  New  Hampshire,  and  is  spending  the  evening  of  life 
with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Parker.  The  latter  have  one  son,  Albert  G.  Parker.  He 
graduated  from  the  Topeka  High  School  and  is  now  a  student  at  Washburn 
College.  He  is  very  fond  of  athletics  as  the  modern,  manly  American  youth 
is  apt  to  be,  and  has  won  distinction  as  a  very  clever  pitcher.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Parker  reside  in  a  beautiful  home  at  No.  312  West  Eighth  avenue  facing  the 
Capitol  Building. 


DANIEL  DUCK. 


Among  the  early  settlers  in  Kansas  who  became  men  of  means  and 
prominence  was  Daniel  Duck,  who  died  while  on  a  visit  to  his  old  home  in 
Illinois,  on  November  30,  1896.  He  was  born  in  Center  County,  Pennsyl- 
vania, August  23,  1826,  and  "grew  up  on  his  brother's  farm,  his  father  having 
died  when  our  subject  was  nine  years  of  age,  and  was  educated  in  the  dis- 
trict schools. 

In  1846  he  enlisted  for  service  in  the  Mexican  War,  entering  Company 
E,  Third  Ohio  Regiment,  and  was  honorably  discharged  in  1847  o"  account 
of  disability.  He  moved  to  Stephenson  County,  Illinois,  and  after  his  mar- 
riage and  the  birth  of  one  child  came  to  Kansas  in  1857.  He  settled  in  Clin- 
ton township,  Douglas  County,  too  poor  at  that  time  to  enter  a  claim.  He 
soon  found  work  as  a  carpenter  and  then  secured  a  tract  of  wild  land  on 
which  there  was  a  log  cabin,  in  which  the  family  lived  for  a  long  time.  He 
was  a  man  of  great  energy  and  industry  as  well  as  business  judgment.  The 
time  came  when  he  owned  700  acres  of  fine  land.  About  1892  he  moved  to 
Richland  and  built  a  fine  home  and  lived  retired  from  active  farming  for 
about  four  years  before  his  death.     In  the  Civil  War  he  took  part  in  the 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  461 

famous  battle  of  the  Blue,  when  the  Kansas  Home  Guards  checked  Price's 
invasion  of  the  State. 

Mr.  Duck  was  married  in  Stephenson  County,  Illinois,  October  24,  1850, 
to  Polina  E.  Wells,  who  was  born  May  22,  1827,  in  Ohio,  and  accompanied 
her  parents  to  Illinois  when  eight  years  of  age.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Warner 
and  Mary  (Rimy)  Wells,  natives  of  New  York.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Duck  had 
three  daughters,  namely:  Mary  Angeline,  who  died  aged  17  months;  the 
eldest  daughter,  who  died  unmarried;  and  Ellen  S.,  who  married  Curtis 
Lamb  and  died  in  Richland  in  1895,  aged  40  years,  leaving  six  children, — 
Polina  E.,  wife  of  Joseph  Daily,  of  Richland;  Daniel  C,  of  Douglas  County; 
William  C,  of  Oklahoma;  Eva  S.,  wife  of  Anthony  Coyne  of  Douglas 
County ;  Myrtle  E.,  who  lives  with  her  grandmother ;  and  Frederick  O.  There 
are  12  great-grandchildren. 

Mr.  Duck  was  a  Republican  in  his  early  voting  days  but  in  the  latter 
part  of  his  life  was  a  Populist.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Farmers'  Alliance. 
He  was  a  devoted  husband,  a  kind  and  loving  father,  a  true  friend  as  many 
can  testify  and  an  upright,  honest  man.  He  became  possessed  of  worldly 
goods  in  large  amount  but  gained  them  through  years  of  hard  work.  He 
left  a  large  circle  of  friends  by  whom  he  was  much  respected  as  is  also  his 
widow  who  continues  to  live  in  the  comfortable  home  at  Richland.  With 
her  husband  she  saw  many  early  hardships  but  has  lived  to  enjoy  rest  and  ease 
in  her  declining  years. 


TIMOTHY  R.  JOHNSON. 

Timothy  R.  Johnson,  one  of  the  representative  citizens  and  promi- 
nent farmers  of  Silver  Lake  township,  Shawnee  County,  owning  160  acres 
in  section  22,  township  11,  range  14,  was  born  January  28,  1832,  in  Chau- 
tauqua County,  New  York,  and  is  a  son  of  John  B.  and  Lucy  (Merwin) 
Johnson. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  born  at  Keene,  New  Hampshire,  and 
the  mother  was  a  native  of  Connecticut.  They  removed  from  New  England 
to  New  York  and  from  there,  in  1836,  to  Washtenaw  County,  Michigan. 
Mr.  Johnson  bought  a  farm  of  80  acres  which  he  operated  for  10  years  and 
then  sold.  In  June,  1846,  he  removed  to  Porter  County,  Indiana,  purchasing 
a  farm  of  80  acres,  on  which  he  lived  for  45  years.  For  the  last  25  years  of 
his  life  he  made  his  home  with  our  subject,  accompanying  him  to  Kansas  in 
1891,  where  he  died  on  December  i8th  of  that  year,  aged  84  years.  Of  the 
eight  children,  three  survive,  namely:  Timothy  R.,  of  this  sketch;  Armena, 


462  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

married  James  Disbrow,  a  cooper,  a  resident  of  Michigan,  and  has  two  chil- 
dren,— Rose  and  Mary ;  and  Hiram,  of  Basin,  Montana,  whose  wife,  Martha 
OHnger,  died  April  i,  1901,  leaving  two  daughters, — Elsie,  who  resides  at 
Spokane,  Washington,  with  her  husband  and  two  children,  and  Florence,  who 
is  the  wife  of  J.  B.  Felts,  of  Basin,  Montana,  and  has  two  children. 

Our  subject  acquired  the  greater  part  of  his  education  in  Michigan 
and  when  his  school  days  were  over  he  learned  the  carpenter's  trade.  During 
his  two  years  of  apprenticeship,  he  received  $8  a  month  for  the  first  year  and 
$14  a  month  for  the  second  year  and  then  went  into  business  for  himself.  For 
the  next  10  years  he  worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade  and  then  bought  a  farm, 
which  he  subsequently  sold  when  he  came  to  Kansas.  On  March  2,  1891,  he 
bought  his  present  farm  in  Silver  Lake  township.  A  stone  house  stood  on 
the  place  and  about  the  only  other  improvement  was  a  very  poor  fence.  These 
conditions  did  not  at  all  meet  with  the  approval  of  Mr.  Johnson  and  the  stone 
house  was  soon  demolished  and  a  handsome,  modern,  comfortable  residence 
took  its  place.  Mr.  Johnson  has  put  all  his  land  under  cultivation  and  he 
raises  corn,  wheat,  potatoes  and  fruit,  while  his  apple  and  peach  orchards  of 
60  acres  yield  generously.  He  is  a  man  of  practical  ideas,  one  who  has  been 
accustomed  to  industry  all  his  life  and  he  has  proven  himself  as  good  a  farmer 
as  he  was  formerly  considered  a  competent  craftsman. 

Mr.  Johnson  has  also  an  honorable  army  record.  He  enlisted  for  service 
in  the  Civil  War,  in  April,  1864,  in  Company  C,  138th  Reg.,  Indiana  Vol. 
Inf.,  a  100-day  regiment,  and  was  mustered  in  at  Indianapolis  for  garrison 
duty.  Upon  the  expiration  of  his  term  he  reenlisted  in  the  151st  Regiment, 
Indiana  Vol.  Inf.,  for  a  year,  and  was  honorably  discharged  September  9, 
1865.     He  is  a  member  of  Silver  Lake  Post,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  married  February  2,  1852,  to  Mary  H.  Dille,  who  is  a 
daughter  of  Hiram  and  Nancy  (Reasoner)  Dille,  natives  of  Ohio,  who  re- 
moved to  Indiana  and  there  reared  a  family  of  16  children,  all  of  whom 
reached  maturity.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  have  had  these  children :  Floretta, 
who  died  October  14,  1855,  aged  two  years,  and  was  buried  in  Indiana; 
Celestia,  who  married  Eri  Hansford,  a  farmer  and  sorghum  manufacturer,  at 
Mencken,  and  has  nine  children, — John,  of  Topeka,  Clara,  wife  of  Arthur 
Ensminger,  of  Silver  Lake,  Mary,"  wife  of  Harry  Shetrone,  of  Menoken, 
Allen,  Hiram,  Effie,  Terry,  Eri,  Jr.,  and  Lester ;  Malinda,  deceased,  who  was 
the  wife  of  J.  C.  Freer,  of  Silver  Lake  township;  Minard,  residing  with  his 
father  who  married  Rosa  Ritenour  and  has  these  children, — Oscar  D.,  Bessie 
M.,  Floyd  T.  and  Mary  H. ;  Augusta,  who  married  C.  J.  McCoid,  a  farmer 
of  Silver  Lake  township,  and  has  three  children, — Ruth  and  Reuben  (twins), 
and  Harley;  Effie,  who  married  Riley  D.  Johnson,  a  farmer  of  Silver  Lake 
township,  and  has  one  son.  Nelson;  and  an  infant  who  died  aged  four  days. 


mr 


WILLIAM    C.   TRAPP 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  465 

Mr.  Johnson  has  been  identified  with  the  Republican  party  since  its  forma- 
tion, casting  his  first  presidential  vote  for  Gen.  John  C.  Fremont.  While  he 
resided  in  Indiana  he  filled  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace  and  also  served  as 
school  director.  While  not  accepting  office  since  coming  to  Kansas,  he  has 
taken  a  good  citizen's  interest  in  public  affairs  and  his  fellow-citizens  always 
know  just  where  to  find  him  on  any  important  matter  concerning  public 
utilities.  For  many  years  he  has  been  an  Odd  Fellow,  belonging  to  the  En- 
campment in  Indiana,  and  is  a  member  of  Ohio  Lodge,  No.  136,  I.  O.  O.  F., 
of  Silver  Lake.  With  his  family,  he  belongs  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  at  Silver  Lake,  and  in  this  body  he  is  a  deacon  and  trustee,  and  is  also 
the  leader  of  the  Bible  class.  He  is  a  man  respected  and  esteemed  wherever 
known. 


♦  ■ » 


WILLIAM  C.  TRAPP. 

William  C.  Trapp,  deceased,  was  one  of  the  best  known  merchant 
tailors  of  Topeka,  the  establishment  founded  by  him  still  being  conducted 
by  his  estate.  He  was  a  man  of  prominence  in  business  circles  and  enjoyed 
a  high  degree  of  popularity  among  his  fellow-citizens. 

Mr.  Trapp  was  born  in  Prussia,  Germany,  March  3,  1845,  and  was  one 
of  a  family  of  nine  children  born  to  his  parents.  His  father  was  born  in 
Prussia  and  in  1859  came  to  this  continent,  locating  in  Waterloo,  Canada. 
Our  subject  was  a  lad  of  14  years  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  across 
the  water  and  settled  in  Waterloo.  There  he  learned  the  trade  of  a  tailor 
and  worked  until  he  was  17  years  old,  when  he  started  for  himself.  Leav- 
ing his  Canadian  home,  he  was  located  at  various  places  until  1867,  when 
he  came  West  to  Topeka,  Kansas.  Here  he  accepted  employment  at  his 
trade,  and  in  1872  embarked  in  business  for  himself.  He  placed  his  estab- 
lishment on  a  firm  business  basis  and  became  one  of  the  prosperous  men 
of  the  city.  He  established  a  reputation  as  a  merchant  tailor  second  to  none 
and  commanded  the  highest  class  of  trade.  His  death  occurred  July  24, 
1892,  and  since  that  time  the  business  has  been  conducted  by  his  estate, 
being  under  the  management  of  W.  T.  Beerbohm  at  the  present  time.  Mr. 
Trapp  was  a  member  of  the  Topeka  Club  and  had  a  large  circle  of  intimate 
friends  who  mourned  his  death  as  a  personal  loss. 

On  October  7,  1875,  Mr.  Trapp  was  joined  in  marriage  with  Christina 
Holmes,  a  daughter  of  the  late  Hon.  George  B.  Holmes,  who  was  a  pioneer 
citizen  of  Topeka,  deceased  in  1879.  Four  children  were  born  to  this  union, 
namely:    William  H.,  who  married  Lavinia  Briscoe,  has  one  child,  Lillian 


466  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Earnestine,  and  resides  at  Miami,  Indian  Territory;  Lillian;  Ruth,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  i8  years;  and  Carl  W.  Mrs.  Trapp  and  Lillian  and  Carl  W. 
Trapp  reside  in  a  comfortable  home  at  No.  215  West  nth  street,  Topeka. 
The  family  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  A  portrait  of  Mr. 
Trapp  accompanies  this  sketch. 


\.  P.  TONE  WILSON,  JR. 

A.  P.  Tone  Wilson,  Jr.,  attorney-at-law  and  real  estate  specialist,  at 
Topeka,  with  offices  at  No.  413  Kansas  avenue,  is  one  of  the  city's  progres- 
sive, enterprising  and  successful  business  men.  Mr.  Wilson'  was  born  in  Ne- 
braska, June  26,  1874,  and  is  a  son  of  Anthony  P.  and  Mary  E  (Boldon) 
Wilson. 

Anthony  P.  Wilson,  father  of  our  subject,  is  one  of  the  leading  attor- 
neys of  Topeka  and  is  largely  also  interested  in  farm  loans  and  insurance, 
together  with  the  publishing  of  a  very  valuable  and  important  journal  known 
as  the  Kansas  Collection  Agency  Legal  Directory.  He  was  born  at  Kenosha, 
Wisconsin,  in  1846,  and  completed  his  law  studies  at  Milwaukee.  During 
three  years  of  the  Civil  War  he  honorably  wore  the  Union  blue,  serving  as 
a  member  of  Company  I,  33rd  Reg.,  Wisconsin  Vol.  Inf.  In  1867  he  took 
a  homestead  in  Southeastern  Nebraska,  and  in  1904  located  at  Topeka.  His 
beautiful  residence  is  located  at  No.  1220  Logan  street.  North  Topeka.  Mr. 
Wilson  married  Mary  E.  Boldon,  formerly  a  school  teacher  of  Alden,  Iowa. 
They  have  a  family  of  five  sons  and  two  daughters,  all  of  the  sons  adopting 
law  as  their  profession.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilson  are  associated  with  the 
Christian  Church. 

A.  P.  Tone  Wilson,  Jr.,  completed  his  early  education  in  the  Nebraska 
schools  and  then  graduated  from  the  Western  Business  College,  at  Lincoln, 
subsequently  entering  the  Kansas  City  Law  School,  at  Kansas  City,  Missouri, 
where  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1898  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  the  same  year.  For  the  next  five  years  he  practiced  law  at  Colby,  Kansas, 
removing  then  to  Topeka  where  he  has  continued  in  successful  practice,  hav- 
ing numerous  cases  before  the  Supreme  Court.  In  addition  to  his  large  legal 
business,  he  is  extensively  interested  with  his  father  and  three  brothers  in 
Kansas  real  estate,  this  private  syndicate  owning  over  15,000  acres  of  some  of 
the  best  land  in  the  "Sunflower"  State.  Mr.  Wilson  has  made  so  close  a 
study  of  land  values  and  conditions  that  he  has  become  an  expert  and  is 
known  under  the  modern  title  of  real  estate  specialist.  His  personal  experi- 
ences have  been  so  many  and  his  means  of  observation  and  investigation  so 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  467 

perfect,  that  few  are  better  calculated  to  advise  as  to  land  investments.  He 
believes  thoroughly  in  printer's  ink  and  his  name  confronts  the  reader  in  fully 
2,500  different  papers,  magazines  and  journals.  He  is  also  interested  with  his 
able  father  in  the  publication  of  the  Legal  Directory,  its  aim  being  to  provide 
a  medium  by  which  merchants  may  safely  and  quickly  secure  the  co-operation 
of  reliable  attorneys,  who  will  give  prompt  attention  to  their  wants.  The 
Kansas  Collection  Agency,  which  publishes  this  directory,  is  controlled  by 
Anthony  P.  Wilson  and  A.  P.  Tone  Wilson,  Jr.  It  was  organized  for  the 
purpose  of  making  collections  throughout  the  United  States  and  supplying 
high-class  credit  reports.  The  business  of  the  agency  is  conducted  at  No. 
413  Kansas  avenue. 

On  January  8,  1903,  Mr.  Wilson  was  married  at  Panama,  Iowa,  to 
Lula  Smith.  They  belong  to  the  First  Presbyterian  Church.  Their  beautiful 
home  at  No.  1535  Topeka  avenue  is  the  scene  of  many  delightful  social 
functions. 


SAMUEL  G.  STEWART,  A.  M.,  M.  D. 

Samuel  G.  Stewart,  A.  M.,  M.  D.,  who  for  32  years  has  been  in 
active  medical  practice,  has  been  a  resident  of  Topeka  since  1887.  Dr. 
Stewart  was  born  October  i,  1845,  at  Oxford,  Butler  County,  Ohio,  and  is 
a  son  of  Dr.  Robert  and  Mary  Elizabeth  (White)   Stewart. 

Our  subject's  ancestors,  traced  as  far  back  as  the  great-great-grand- 
parents, were  of  North  of  Ireland,  Londonderry,  stock  on  the  paternal  side 
and  of  Scotch-Irish  on  the  maternal.  Dr.  Robert  Stewart,  his  father,  was 
a  graduate  of  a  medical  college  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio  and  practiced  in  that 
State  for  many  years. 

Samuel  G.  Stewart  obtained  his  academical  training  at  Xenia,  Ohio,  and 
graduated  at  the  Miami  University  at  Oxford  with  the  degree  of  B.  S.  He 
then  entered  Starling  Medical  College  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  where  he  was 
graduated  with  his  medical  degree  in  1873.  Two  years  later  he  came  to 
Kansas,  on  horseback,  in  order  to  look  the  country  over  with  the  idea  in  view 
of  later  locating  here.  He  had  an  honorable  war  record,  having  served  from 
1861  until  the  close  of  hostilities  as  a  member  of  Company  D,  74th  Reg.,  Ohio 
Vol.  Inf.,  with  the  14th  Army  Corps,  under  General  Thomas,  and  he  was  a 
fully  equipped  physician  and  surgeon.  But  at  this  time  the  prospects  did  not 
sufiSciently  please  Dr.  Stewart  to  induce  him  to  settle  at  Topeka,  and  for  the 
next  12  years  he  practiced  in  Montgomery  County,  Ohio. 

In  1887  Dr.  Stewart  settled  at  Topeka  and  this  city  has  been  the  central 


468  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

point  of  his  interests  ever  since.  During  his  previous  years  of  practice,  he 
had  added  to  his  professional  knowledge  by  post-graduate  work  in  New  York, 
and  he  subsequently  accepted  a  place  on  the  faculty  of  the  Kansas  Medical 
College  at  Topeka,  as  professor  of  the  principles  and  practice  of  medicine, 
his  duties  including  three  lectures  a  week  to  the  students  and  one  to  the 
nurses  under  training.  He  is  chief  of  the  medical  stafif  of  Christ's  Hospital, 
Topeka. 

Dr.  Stewart  was  first  married,  in  1876,  to  Margaret  Bigger,  of  Ohio, 
who  died  in  February,  1891,  leaving  three  sons,  namely:  Robert,  now  a  senior 
in  the  Kansas  Medical  College,  who  will  graduate  next  year;  James  and 
William.  Dr.  Stewart  married,  second,  Isabel  Gibson,  who  was  born  in  the 
North  of  Ireland,  and  they  have  three  children,  namely :  Samuel  G.,  Jr.,  Isabel 
and  Margaret.  Dr.  Stewart  is  a  member  of  the  First  United  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Topeka. 

Dr.  Stewart  is  a  member  of  the  Shawnee  County  and  Kansas  State 
medical  societies,  American  Medical  Association  and  the  Clinical  Medical 
Society,  of  New  York  City.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association  at  Topeka.  His  long  residence  here, 
his  eminent  professional  services  and  standing,  his  interest  in  public  measures 
and  his  unblemished  personal  character  have  all  served  to  make  him  a  repre- 
sentative citizen  in  all  the  term  implies. 


RT.   REV.  FRANK  ROSEBROOK  MILLSPAUGH,   D.  D. 

Rt.  Rev.  Frank  Rosebrook  Millspaugh,  D.  D.,  Bishop  of  the  Diocese 
of  Kansas  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  and  member  of  the  board  of 
trustees  and  president  of  the  faculty  of  the  Kansas  Theological  School,  is  one 
of  Topeka's  most  distinguished  citizens.  He  was  born  in  New  York  State, 
April  12,  1848,  and  is  one  of  three  children  born  to  Cornelius  M.  and  Elvira 
(Rosebrook)   Millspaugh. 

Frank  Rosebrook  Millspaugh  was  nine  years  of  age  when  he  moved 
with  his  parents  to  Faribault,  Minnesota,  and  there  he  received  his  early 
educational  training.  He  attended  Shattuck  Military  School  from  which  he 
graduated  in  1870,  and  in  1873  he  was  graduated  from  Seabury  Divinity 
School.  The  first  church  work  he  performed  was  when  he  was  in  charge  of  a 
number  of  missions  in  Minnesota,  with  headquarters  at  Brainerd.  He  was 
made  dean  of  Trinity  Cathedral,  Omaha,  Nebraska,  in  1876  and  thereafter  held 
that  charge  for  a  period  of  10  years.  In  cooperation  with  Rev.  Robert  Clark- 
son,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  he  built  a  cathedral  at  a  cost  of  $100,000.     In  1886  he 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  469. 

took  charge  of  St.  Paul's  Church  at  Minneapolis,  Minnesota,  and  was  rector 
there  for  eight  years,  the  church  discharging  a  large  indebtedness  under  his 
management.  In  1894  he  took  charge  of  Grace  Cathedral  at  Topeka,  Kansas, 
and  on  September  9,  1895,  was  consecrated  as  Bishop  of  the  Diocese  of 
Kansas,  succeeding  Bishop  Thomas.  Under  his  care  and  direction  the 
church  has  had  a  good  growth  in  numbers  and  usefulness,  making  its  imprint 
upon  affairs  of  magnitude  and  working  for  the  betterment  of  social  and 
moral  conditions  in  the  State  of  Kansas.  Taking  up  the  work  of  his  pre- 
decessors in  connection  with  the  Kansas  Theological  School,  that  institution 
has  prospered  and  been  of  incalculable  value  in  the  improvement  of  the  services 
rendered  by  the  representatives  of  the  church. 

The  Kansas  Theological  School  was  conceived  in  the  mind  of  Bishop 
Vail  as  early  as  1869,  when  in  his  address  to  the  diocesan  convention  he  said : 
"We  should  provide  for  our  candidates  for  orders  such  a  theological  school  as 
shall  secure  the  appropriate  ministerial  training."  In  furtherance  of  this  pur- 
pose, he  purchased  the  property  occupied  by  the  Diocesan  Seminary  for  Girls, 
paying  to  the  parish  of  Grace  Church  $3,000  for  its  rectoral  rights.  In  1874  the 
trustees  of  the  College  of  the  Sisters  of  Bethany  gave  a  warranty  deed  of  this 
property  to  the  trustees  of  the  Kansas  Theological  School  for  the  considera- 
tion of  $30,000,  an  amount  which  Bishop  Vail  had  raised  and  expended  in  the 
building  of  the  College  of  the  Sisters  of  Bethany.  The  original  plan  of 
Bishop  Vail  was  to  have  the  school  under  the  management  of  one  professor, 
who  was  himself  to  do  missionary  work  as  well  as  theological  studies.  The 
school  was  opened  in  1876  with  two  students,  and  Rev.  Henry  H.  Loring, 
rector  of  Grace  Church,  was  elected  professor.  In  1879,  Rev.  Mr.  Loring 
removed  from  the  diocese,  and  the  candidates  received  private  instruction 
from  Rev.  Dr.  Beatty,  who  came  at  stated  times  to  Topeka  and,  with  other 
clergy  who  were  appointed,  held  examinations  in  the  building,  and  thereby 
kept  it  in  use  until  a  change  was  made  in  the  plan  of  conducting  the  school. 
This  change  was  made  by  Bishop  Thomas  in  1892,  the  charter  being  so 
changed  as  to  give  the  trustees  the  power  to  confer  upon  graduates  the  degree 
of  Bachelor  of  Divinity,  and  a  full  corps  of  professors  and  lecturers  were  se- 
cured. The  working  plan  was  so  changed  that  the  students  for  the  most  part 
were  able  to  support  themselves  while  attending  the  institution.  The  plans 
outlined  by  Bishop  Thomas  were  carried  out  successfully  until  his  death, 
and  then  under  the  fostering  care  of  Bishop  Millspaugh  and  of  Bishop  Brooke 
of  Oklahoma,  the  school  continued  to  prosper.  The  board  of  trustees  of  this 
institution  is  constituted  as  follows:  Rt.  Rev.  Frank  Rosebrook  Millspaugh, 
D.  D.,  Topeka,  president;  Rev.  Nathaniel  Seymour  Thomas,  Philadelphia; 
Rev.  J.  P.  de  Beavers  Kaye,  Topeka;  Charles  Blood  Smith,  Topeka;  John 
W.  Farnsworth,  Topeka;  Hiram  C.  Root,  Topeka;  and  William  Henderson, 


470  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Topeka,  secretary.  The  faculty  includes  the  following:  Rt.  Rev.  Frank 
Rosebrook  Millspaugh,  president;  Rt.  Rev.  Francis  Key  Brooke,  S.  T.  D. ; 
Very  Rev.  J.  P.  de  Beavers  Kaye;  Rev.  DeLou  Burke;  Rev.  Irving  E.  Bax- 
ter; and  Rev.  Charles  B.  Crawford. 

Under  Bishop  Millspaugh's  episcopate  of  lo  years,  a  debt  of  about 
$40,000  on  the  College  of  the  Sisters  of  Bethany  has  been  paid  and  $30,000 
added  to  the  endowment  fund.  To  Christ's  Hospital,  valued  at  $80,000, 
two  large  wings  of  brick  have  been  added  at  a  cost  of  over  $30,000  and  five 
acres  added  to  the  already  large  property.  For  the  Kansas  Theological 
School  he  has  secured  an  endowment  of  $20,000.  In  the  10  years  30  new 
churches  have  been  built  in  the  diocese,  and  less  than  $5,000  will  cover  all  the 
debts  of  the  Diocese  of  Kansas. 

At  Omaha,  Nebraska,  Bishop  Millspaugh  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Mary  McPherson  Clarkson,  a  daughter  of  Rt.  Rev.  Robert  Clarkson,  Bishop 
of  Nebraska.    They  have  a  very  comfortable  home  in  Topeka. 


JOHN  McNULTY  CLUGSTON. 

John  McNulty  Clugston^  deceased,  for  many  years  one  of  the  most 
prominent  business  men  and  citizens  of  Topeka,  was  engaged  in  the  insurance 
business.  He  met  with  remarkable  success  in  this  line  and  at  the  time  of  his 
death  was  prominently  known  over  the  State  of  Kansas. 

Mr.  Clugston  was  born  at  Mansfield,  Ohio,  February  23,  1842,  and 
was  one  of  six  children  born  to  Matthew  and  Margaret  (McNulty)  Clugston. 
He  was  reared  in  his  native  State  and  there  received  a  good  educational  train- 
ing, leaving  school  to  enlist  in  the  service  of  his  country.  In  June,  1861,  when 
a  young  man  of  18  years,  he  enlisted  in  Company  G,  23rd  Reg.,  Ohio  Vol. 
Inf.,  and  served  throughout  the  Civil  War,  being  honorably  discharged  at  its 
close. 

In  1870  Mr.  Clugston  left  Ohio  for  the  West  and,  after  making  a 
thorough  investigation  of  many  counties  and  cities  in  Kansas,  located  perma- 
nently in  Topeka  in  July  of  that  year.  On  July  28,  1870,  there  appeared  in 
the  Times,  a  paper  published  at  his  old  home  in  Ohio,  a  letter  from  him 
descriptive  of  his  trip  and  prophetic  of  the  future  greatness  of  Kansas,  the 
adaptability  of  different  localities  for  different  enterprises  being  shown  with 
remarkable  foresight.  The  following  extract  from  his  letter  reveals  Topeka 
as  it  was  at  that  time :     "Leaving  Lawrence,  well  impressed,  I  took  a  train 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  471 

for  Topeka,  located  27  miles  west  of  Lawrence  on  the  Kansas  River,  and  like 
Lawrence  is  built  up  on  the  north  and  south  sides  of  the  river.  North 
Topeka  claims  800  inhabitants — railroad  depots  being  located  there.  South 
Topeka  lies  back  from  the  river  on  a  rise  of  ground  high  and  dry.  Topeka 
has  7,000  inhabitants.  Kansas  avenue,  running  south  from  the  river,  being 
the  main  business  street  of  the  city,  and  lighted  by  gas,  presents  a  fine  ap- 
pearance in  the  evening — fine  buildings  are  being  put  up  this  season;  the 
Tefft  House  is  undergoing  repairs,  also  an  addition  of  80  feet  is  being  attached 
and  the  main  building  is  being  raised  to  its  fourth  story.  An  Opera  House 
is  being  built  and  many  large  store  rooms,  ranging  from  60  to  125  feet  deep. 
Rents  are  high  and  business  good.  The  east  wing  of  the  State  Capitol  is  com- 
pleted at  a  cost  of  half  a  million  dollars  and  built  of  Junction  City  limestone. 
Business  buildings  here  are  mostly  of  limestone  and  brick  fronts.  Topeka  has 
the  State  Capitol  and  is  the  county-seat  of  Shawnee  County.  The  city  is 
■divided  into  three  wards,  and  they  are  now  erecting  a  ward  school  building  at 
a  cost  of  $50,000 ;  the  city  is  settled  mostly  by  York  State,  Ohio  and  Indiana 
people,  society  good  and  attention  paid  to  strangers.  Topeka  has  two  rail- 
roads as  follows :  Kansas  Pacific  finished  west  to  Kit  Carson,  about  200  miles 
east  of  Denver  City  and  some  500  miles  west  of  Kansas  City.  The  other 
Toad  is  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe,  running  south  of  Topeka  to  Bur- 
lingame  and  graded  to  Emporia,  which  will  be  running  to  that  point  in  July." 

Upon  locating  in  Topeka,  Mr.  Clugston  engaged  in  the  grocery  busi- 
ness, which  he  conducted  with  success  for  a  few  years.  He  then  embarked 
in  the  insurance  business,  establishing  a  very  extensive  business  which  he 
•continued  until  his  death  on  August  10,  1887.  He  was  president  of  the 
Cook  and  Clugston  Coal  Company  during  its  life  in  Kansas.  Having  ac- 
•quired  much  valuable  real  estate,  he  zealously  strove  to  beautify  the  city  in 
whose  future  welfare  he  manifested  always  a  keen  interest.  He  secured  the 
beautiful  tract,  of  six  acres,  known  as  "Brooks'  Pasture"  on  the  west  side  of 
Topeka,  selecting  six  of  Topeka's  representative  citizens  for  neighbors  and 
■designed  what  is  now  the  most  beautiful  residence  block  in  Topeka  and  known 
■as  "Governor's  Square."  Then  with  faith  in  the  beauty  of  the  city  he  selected 
with  patience,  securing  lot  after  lot,  the  corner  of  loth  and  Topeka  avenues, 
•one  block  west  of  Capitol  Square,  and  beautified  it  with  many  well  chosen 
trees,  on  which  is  now  the  residence  called  "The  Virginia,"  the  home  of 
Mrs.  Clugston  and  her  only  son,  John  McNulty  Clugston,  Jr. 

On  December  10,  1879,  John  M.  Clugston  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Alice  Colcher,  a  daughter  of  Mathias  and  Martha  Jane  (Davis)  Colcher. 
Mrs.  Clugston's  father  was  a  native  of  Ohio  and  there  followed  with  great 
success  the  vocation  of  architect.     Being  reared  in  a  Presbyterian  family. 


472  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Mr.  Clugston  was  loyal  to  the  church  of  his  father  and  contributed  liberally 
to  its  support.  A  courteous  gentleman,  a  progressive  business  man  and  a  loyal 
citizen,  he  had  many  friends. 

i 


JAMES  CUTHBERT. 

James  Cuthbert,  one  of  the  leading  business  men  of  Topeka,  senior 
member  of  the  firm  of  Cuthbert  &  Sargent,  general  contractors  and  stone 
cutters,  was  born  in  1849  in  Nairnshire,  Scotland,  and  is  a  son  of  James  and 
Jane   (Bowie)   Cuthbert. 

Mr.  Cuthbert's  people  are  all  Scotch  and  his  maternal  grandmother  was 
a  member  of  the  noted  old  Scitch  clan  of  Mcintosh.  The  father  of  Mr. 
Cuthbert  died  on  the  old  estate  in  Nairnshire,  aged  85  years  and  the  mother 
still  resides  there,  having  reached  the  age  of  86  years.  They  had  seven 
children,  viz:  Isabella  (Mrs.  Duncan  McDonald),  of  Scotland;  Elsie,  a 
maiden  lady  residing. with  her  venerable  mother;  James,  of  Topeka;  William, 
a  sheep  farmer  in  New  Zealand;  Mrs.  Mary  Mustard,  deceased;  Mrs.  Jane 
Marwick,  of  New  Zealand;  and  John,  who  died  aged  seven  years. 

When  Mr.  Cuthbert  came  to  America  in  1872,  he  had  completed  his 
education  and  had  already  acquired  skill  as  a  stone  builder.  He  was  em- 
ployed by  the  government  for  three  years  at  the  St.  Louis  Custom  House, 
and  came  to  Topeka  in  1879.  Here  he  soon  entered  into  a  business  com- 
bination, the  firm  of  Smith,  Sargent  &  Company  being  formed  to  do  business 
as  general  contractors  and  stone  cutters.  This  partnership  continued  for 
four  years  when  Mr.  Smith  retired  and  the  business  has  since  been  conducted 
under  the  firm  style  of  Cuthbert  &  Sargent.  They  own  a  very  valuable  plant 
and  large  yards  at  i8th  street  and  Topeka  avenue,  where  they  are  well 
equipped  for  all  kinds  of  masonry,  cut  stone  and  brick  work.  They  employ 
a  large  force  of  men  and  their  yards  are  a  scene  of  busy  activity.  Many  of 
the  substantial  buildings  of  Topeka  have  been  constructed  by  this  firm  from 
foundation  to  finish. 

In  1877  Mr.  Cuthbert  was  married  to  Samantha  Fitzpatrick,  and  they 
have  had  11  children,  namely:  Mary  Jane,  wife  of  A.  C.  McKitrick,  of 
Denver,  Colorado ;  Jessie  May,  wife  of  N.  G.  Edleblute,  of  Baldwin,  Kansas ; 
Katie  Bell,  William  F.,  James  R.,  Mabel  and  John,  who  live  at  home;  George, 
Charles  and  Elsie,  who  are  attending  Topeka  High  School ;  and  Robert,  who 
died  in  infancy.  Mr.  Cuthbert  is  a  member  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church 
of  Topeka,  of  whose  church  edifice  he  was  the  builder. 

While  not  active  in  politics,  Mr.  Cuthbert  performs  a  citizen's  duty  on 


HON.   WALTER  E.   FAGAN 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  475 

on  every  occasion,  and  is  identified  with  the  RepubHcan  party.  He  is  a  Knight 
Templar  Mason  and  belongs  also  to  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America'. 
Socially  he  is  president  of  the  leading  Scottish  society  in  Topeka.  Mr. 
Cuthbert  is  a  progressive  and  enterprising  business  man  and  is  one  whose 
fair  dealing  and  honest  work  have  brought  him  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  his 
fellow-citizens. 


HON.  WALTER  E.  PAGAN. 

Hon.  Walter  E.  Fagan^  deceased,  formerly  judge  of  probate  and 
superintendent  of  the  State  Reform  School  at  Topeka,  whose  portrait  ac- 
companies this  sketch,  was  born  near  Richmond,  Indiana,  July  14,  1859, 
and  died  at  Topeka  May  10,  1903.  He  was  a  son  of  Thomas  and  Isabel 
(Boyd)  Fagan. 

Mr.  Fagan  was  educated  in  the  Richmond,  Indiana,  schools  and  at  the 
State  Normal  School  at  Terre  Haute.  He  came  to  Topeka  in  1880  and  first 
engaged  in  teaching  in  Shawnee  County  and  later  was  engaged  as  a  teacher 
in  the  State  Reform  School.  He  continued  with  this  institution  in  various 
capacities  and  finally  became  its  superintendent.  His  administration  was 
characterized  by  many  reforms  and  needed  changes  in  methods  of  govern- 
ment. He  was  ably  assisted  by  his  estimable  wife,  who  served  as  matron 
during  his  incumbency. 

In  1 89 1  Mr.  Fagan  took  up  the  study  of  the  law  and  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  in  1893,  and  in  1894  was  appointed  auditor  of  Shawnee  County  by 
Judge  Hazen.  In  1900  he  was  first  elected  judge  of  probate  and  was  sub- 
sequently re-elected,  receiving  a  magnificent  majority.  His  public  services 
were  all  of  such  a  character  as  to  secure  him  the  confidence  and  continued 
esteem  of  his  fellow-citizens. 

On  February  i,  1883,  Judge  Fagan  was  married  to  Lillie  A.  Buck,  of 
Topeka,  who  is  a  daughter  of  John  F.  and  Ada  L.  (Davis)  Buck.  The  fa- 
ther of  Mrs.  Fagan  was  a  teacher  and  also  a  dental  surgeon.  He  had  been 
connected  with  the  Reform  School  at  Lancaster,  Ohio,  and  at  Mount  Union, 
Ohio,  was  superintendent  of  the  Children's  Home.  He  came  to  Topeka  in 
1882,  to  become  the  first  superintendent  of  the  State  Reform  School  which 
had  been  established  in  this  city  six  months  previously.  Dr.  Buck  lives  re- 
tired in  North  Topeka.  Judge  Fagan  is  survived  by  his  widow  and  one 
daughter.  Norma  Belle,  aged  five  years. 

Judge  Fagan  was  very  active  in  Republican  politics  and  for  a  long  time 

23 


476  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

was  a  member  of  the  Republican  State  Central  Committee.  He  was  promi- 
nent in  Masonry  and  was  also  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  Amer- 
ica and  the  Sons  of  Herman. 


WILLIAM   M.  REAM. 

William  M.  Ream,  one  of  the  prominent  and  substantial  citizens  of 
Soldier  township,  Shawnee  County,  who  resides  on  a  fine  farm  of  i6o  acres, 
in  section  31,  township  10,  range  16,  was  born  January  27,  1835,  in  Perry 
County,  Ohio,  and  is  a  son  of  William  and  Eliza  (McClure)  Ream. 

The  father  of  Mr.  Ream  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  the  mother,  of 
Pennsylvania.  The  father  owned  a  large  farm  in  Ohio  and  raised  a  great 
deal  of  stock,  his  son,  our  subject,  gaining  experience  there  which  he  put 
into  practice  later  in  life.  Of  the  eight  children  of  the  family,  he  was  the 
only  one  whose  interests  and  inclinations  led  him  to  establish  his  home  in 
Kansas. 

From  his  farm  in  Ohio,  Mr.  Ream  enlisted  as  a  private,  May  i,  1864,  in 
Company  C,  i6oth  Reg.,  Ohio  Vol.  Inf.,  under  Colonel  Reasoner  and  General 
Sigel,  and  soon  after  was  elected  ist  sergeant.  He  participated  in  many 
skirmishes  and  in  the  battles  of  Antietam  and  Martinburg  and  was  mustered 
out  at  Zanesville,  Ohio,  in  September,  1864.  Returning  to  the  farm,  Mr. 
Ream  remained  there  until  1866  when  he  went  to  Somerset,  Ohio,  where 
he  engaged  in  a  general  mercantile  business  until  1872,  under  the  firm  name 
of  Huston  &  Ream.  During  this  period  of  his  life  he  formed  the  acquaintance 
of  Gen.  Phil.  H.  Sheridan,  the  hero  of  Winchester,  with  whom  he  became 
associated  in  bonds  of  closest  friendship.  When  the  whole  country  mourned 
the  death  of  that  gallant  officer,  Mr.  Ream  was  one  of  the  chief  mourners  and 
was  a  pall-bearer  at  the  funeral  of  General  Sheridan's  father. 

After  selling  his  store,  Mr.  Ream  went  into  a  banking  business,  but  in 
1878  went  to  Texas,  where  he  bought  a  ranch  of  16,000  acres  in  Kerr  County 
and  controlled  16,000  more.  This  great  extent  of  land  he  utilized  in  the 
raising  of  sheep  and  his  first  clip  paid  him  32  cents  a  pound.  The  passage  of 
the  Wilson  tariff  bill  in  the  next  year  reduced  his  clip  to  eight  cents  a  pound, 
the  duty  having  been  taken  off  wool,  and  this  caused  him  to  sell  out.  In 
the  fall  of  1880  he  returned  to  Missouri,  bought  a  farm  and  went  to  raising 
stock.  In  1887  he  came  to  Kansas  and  bought  160  acres  at  Kilmer  Station 
where  he  continued  for  16  years,  engaged  in  farming  and  raising  fine  stock. 
In  1903  he  sold  to  advantage  and  bought  his  present  place.  He  cultivates 
50  acres  here  and  the  rest  of  the  160  is  fine  grass  land.     The  place  is  known 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  477 

as  the  "Tom  Stanley"  farm  at  Ream's  Corners.  Mr.  Ream  has  always  been 
interested  in  business  enterprises  of  importance.  For  eight  years  he  was 
one  of  the  directing  board  of  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad  Company  and 
helped  to  build  44  miles  of  the  road, — from  Newark  to  Shawnee,  Ohio.  He 
still  holds  some  of  the  valuable  stock. 

Mr.  Ream  was  married  November  22,  1859,  to  Mary  C.  Axline,  who 
is  a  daughter  of  Emanuel  and  Susannah  (Shaffer)  Axline,  natives  of  Vir- 
ginia. Mrs.  Ream  was  reared  six  miles  from  Harper's  Ferry.  Two  of  her 
brothers  were  in  the  Civil  War;  David  C,  of  Louisville,  Kentucky,  now  84 
years  of  age,  formerly  a  private  in  an  Indiana  regiment  and  still  so  patriotic 
as  to  offer  his  services  during  the  Spanish- American  War  and  Solomon  N., 
of  the  31st  Ohio,  who  died  while  at  home  on  a  furlough.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Ream  had  five  children,  namely:  Charlie,  who  died  aged  11  years,  December 
23,  1872,  and  was  buried  at  Somerset,  Ohio;  George,  who  died  March  8, 
1877,  and  was  also  buried  at  Somerset;  Carl,  who  died  August  2,  1874,  and 
was  buried  at  Somerset;  Maud,  who  first  married  Louis  Shaffer  and  by  this 
union  had  one  daughter,  Nellie  Ream, — her  second  marriage  was  with  James 
R.  Peck,  of  Jefferson  County,  Kansas,  and  they  have  two  children,  Mary 
Estella  and  Florence  Ethel ;  and  Ralph  K.,  who  assists  his  father  on  the 
farm.  Politically  Mr.  Ream  is  a  Republican.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Grange 
at  Indian  Creek.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ream  have  living  with  them  a  girl  who  came 
to  them  in  January,  1862,  and  hence  has  been  living  with  them  for  over 
43  years. 


LeROY  McLELLAN  penwell. 

LeRoy  McLellan  Penwell^  president  of  the  National  Funeral  Di- 
rectors' Association,  treasurer  of  the  Commercial  Club  of  Topeka,  a  promi- 
nent Democratic  politician  and  one  of  the  best  known  fraternity  men  in  this 
section  of  the  country,  was  born  November  25,  1862,  at  Buchanan,  Michi- 
gan, and  is  a  son  of  Eli  W.  and  Mary  L.  (Rouse)  Penwell. 

On  the  paternal  side  Mr.  Penwell  comes  of  Welsh  ancestry  and  on  the 
maternal  the  line  runs  to  Ireland.  The  paternal  great-grandparents  were 
David  and  Jerusha  (Hyde)  Penwell,  and  John  Nelson  Penwell  was  our  sub- 
ject's grandfather.  In  early  days  in  Michigan,  Mr.  Penwell's  father  was  a 
prosperous  lumberman  but  the  panic  of  1872  caused  him  great  loss  as  it  did 
hundreds  of  other  honest  men.  During  the  last  years  of  his  life  he  followed . 
the  carpenter's  and  cabinet-maker's  trades.  He  died  in  1886  and  his  widow 
survived  only  until  September,  1892.     They  had  six  children,  four  sons  and 


478  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

two  daughters,  the  latter  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  The  sons  still  survive 
but  our  subject  is  the  only  one  who  resides  in  Kansas. 

Mr.  Penwell's  education  in  the  public  schools  closed  at  the  age  of  13 
years  and  since  then  he  has  made  his  own  way  in  the  world,  reaching  posi- 
tions of  honor,  responsibility  and  financial  ease  entirely  through  his  own 
abilities.  He  began  working  as  a  farm  hand  at  $7  a  month  and  kept  it  up 
for  three  years,  during  this  period  getting  up  regularly  at  four  o'clock  in  the 
morning  and  working  until  dark.  Possibly  the  discipline  was  good  for  him 
but  it  did  not  result  in  his  becoming  a  permanent  agriculturist.  Later  he 
adopted  his  father's  trade  and  has  often  found  it  a  valuable  aid  in  his  busi- 
ness ventures. 

In  1875  he  came  to  Topeka  at  the  time  the  Santa  Fe  shops  were  located 
here.  Although  Mr.  Penwell  is  still  a  comparatively  young  man,  he  ex- 
presses it  that  he  feels  like  a  pioneer  when  he  recalls  the  wonderful  changes 
which  have  taken  place  in  the  development  of  the  city  in  his  life  here.  On 
May  I,  1894,  he  became  the  junior  partner  of  E.  O.  De  Moss  and  they 
jointly  opened  an  undertaking  establishment  at  No.  511  Quincy  street,  at 
first  on  a  small  scale.  The  firm  now  utilizes  eight  rooms  and  are  preparing 
larger  accommodations.  The  present  equipments  are  all  modern  and  sanitary 
and  in  every  detail  of  the  business  public  convenience  and  private  respect  is 
shown.  Mr.  Penwell  is  a  practical  embalmer,  having  received  his  diploma  on 
April  13,  1900. 

Mr.  Penwell  has  become  very  prominent  in  political  and  also  in  fraternal 
circles.  He  is  chairman  of  the  Democratic  County  Central  Committee  and 
treasurer  of  the  Democratic  State  Central  Committee  and  during  the  last 
campaign  he  was  a  member  of  the  executive  committee.  He  is  a  member 
of  almost  every  reputable  fraternal  organization  and  is  an  official  in  many. 
He  is  past  grand  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  has  passed 
all  the  degrees  in  the  order,  including  the  encampment  and  at  present  holds  the 
office  of  czar  of  the  Muscovites,  which  society  has  practically  the  same  rela- 
tion to  Odd  Fellowship  as  the  Mystic  Shrine  has  to  Masonry.  He  is  past 
chancellor  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  past  commander  of  the  Select  Knights, 
past  master  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen,  past  consul  of  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  a  Royal  Arch  Mason,  a  member  of  the  Im- 
proved Order  of  Red  Men,  of  the  Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles,  of  the  Knights 
and  Ladies  of  Security  and  on  March  22,  1905,  he  was  elected  exalted  ruler 
of  Topeka  Lodge,  No.  204,  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks.  He  is 
one  of  the  degree  team  taken  from  the  four  Odd  Fellow  lodges  of  Topeka 
that  won  the  first  prize  of  the  Sovereign  Grand  Lodge  of  the  World.  He 
has  also  served  as  lieutenant  colonel  on  General  Mitchell's  staff  in  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America. 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  479 

Mr.  Penwell  is  secretary  of  the  Kansas  Funeral  Directors'  Association, 
organized  at  Emporia,  Kansas,  in  1897,  and  is  one  of  the  board  of  five 
examiners  that  put  through  the  law  to  license  embalming,  which  placed  this 
matter  in  the  hands  of  the  State  Board  of  Health.  He  served  as  ist  vice- 
president  of  the  National  Funeral  Directors'  Association  one  year  and  was 
elected  president  at  the  annual  meeting  held  October  13,  1904,  at  St.  Louis, 
Missouri. 

At  Mount  Hope,  Kansas,  August  18,  1888,  Mr.  Penwell  was  married  to 
Ella  Maston,  and  the  have  one  bright,  attractive  daughter,  Portia  W.  It 
may  not  be  out  of  place  to  remark  that  she  is  the  light  of  the  beautiful 
home,  which  is  situated  at  No.  520  Monroe  street.  The  family  belong  to 
the  First  Christian  Church  of  Topeka. 


HENRY  H.  GLENN. 

Henry  H.  Glenn,  one  of  Topeka's  well-known  business  men  and  very 
highly  esteemed  citizens,  was  born  at  Philipsburg,  Center  County,  Pennsyl- 
vania, February  i,  1833,  and  is  a  son  of  George  and  Sarah  (Hartsock) 
Glenn. 

Mr.  Glenn  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  his  native  locality 
and  removed  as  far  West  as  Illinois  in  1857.  He  was  still  in  that  State 
when  the  Civil  War  broke  out  and  he  enlisted  for  the  three-years  service, 
in  September,  1861,  entering  Company  C,  34th  Reg.,  Illinois  Vol.  Inf.,  under 
Col.  E.  N.  Kirk.  Two  months  later  he  was  appointed  quartermaster  sergeant. 
After  one  year  of  service  he  was  taken  ill  and  was  so  sick  that  his  life  was 
despaired  of.  His  comrades  demanded  his  discharge  from  their  colonel 
without  his  knowledge  and  the  report  was  sent  on  to  the  headquarters  of 
the  department.  Being  delayed  by  red  tape  and  having  been  overlooked  in 
the  various  business  affairs  of  the  official  quarters,  the  discharge  did  not  arrive 
for  three  months  and  by  that  time  he  had  entirely  recovered.  It  was  a  unique 
situation.  The  colonel  was  aware  of  his  mathematical  accuracy  and  desiring 
his  services  appointed  him  civilian  clerk  in  the  brigade  commissary  depart- 
ment. Therefore  he  continued  in  the  army  through  the  whole  of  his  term  of 
service,  doing  as  necessary  and  as  important  work  as  if  he  had  been  out  on  the 
field.  When  Sherman  started  on  his  "March  to  the  Sea,"  Mr.  Glenn,  by 
the  advice  of  his  superior  oiificer,  boarded  the  last  train  for  the  North  and  thus 
arrived  unexpectedly.  He  is  a  member  of  Lincoln  Post,  No.  i,  Grand  Army 
of  the  Republic,  of  Topeka. 

In  1888  he  came  to  Kansas  and  conducted  a  mercantile  business   at 


48o  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Leavenworth  for  three  years  and  then  came  to  Topeka.  Here  he  has  been 
in  partnership  with  his  son  in  conducting  "The  Fair"  and  has  but  lately 
disposed  of  his  interest. 

Mr.  Glenn  was  married  February  8,  1855,  to  Elizabeth  C.  Gorazier, 
who  is  a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Mary  (Beck)  Gorazier,  of  Huntingdon. 
Pennsylvania.  They  had  the  pleasure  of  celebrating  their  "Golden  Wedding" 
on  February  8,  1905.  They  became  the  parents  of  four  children,  two  of 
whom  died  in  infancy,  the  •  survivors  being  Jessie  E.  and  William  C.  The 
former  married  G.  R.  Bothwell,  a  mining  broker  of  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  and 
they  have  had  seven  children :  Ina  G.,  who  is  in  her  second  year  at  Leland 
Stanford,  Jr.,  University,  California;  Zayda,  Charlotte,  Roy  and  Floyd,  all 
attending  school  in  Salt  Lake  City,  and  two  who  died  in  infancy.  William 
C.  Glenn  has  been  and  still  is  engaged  in  business  enterprises  with  his  father. 
He  married  Margaret  Aument  and  they  have  two  children :  Charlotte  M.  and 
Harry  A.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Glenn  are  valued  members  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church. 


ALBERT  NEAMAN. 

Albert  Newman,  who  is  now  serving  his  second  term  as  county  clerk 
of  Shawnee  County,  is  one  of  the  most  efficient  officers  the  county  has  ever 
had  and  is  exceedingly  popular,  not  only  in  his  own  party,  but  among  that 
class  of  independents  who  recognize  and  commend  merit  wherever  they  find 
it.  He  has  been  a  prominent  citizen  of  Topeka  during  the  past  decade,  and 
has  been  especially  prominent  in  political  circles,  being  one  of  the  local  leaders 
of  the  Republican  party. 

Mr.  Newman  was  born  at  Falls  City,  Nebraska,  September  3,  1873, 
and  is  one  of  a  family  of  five  children  born  to  M.  J.  and  Rachel  (Marks) 
Newman.  He  was  reared  and  educated  at  Omaha,  Nebraska,  and  has  been 
a  resident  of  Topeka  since  1894.  He  attained  success  as  manager  of  both 
opera  houses  in  this  city,  a  position  he  held  for  a  number  of  years.  During 
the  years  of  1899  and  1900  he  was  secretary  of  the  Republican  County  Central 
Committee,  and  in  1901  was  elected  county  clerk  on  the  Republican  ticket 
by  a  majority  of  3,780  over  his  opponent,  P.  H.  Miller.  His  increasing 
popularity  was  attested  in  1904  when  he  was  reelected  by  a  majority  of  5,043, 
a  silent  tribute  to  his  efficiency  as  a  public  servant. 

On  April  5,  1898,  Mr.  Newman  was  joined  in  marriage  with  Sadie 
Snadtinger,  by  whom  he  has  a  son,  Victor.  Fraternally  he  is  a  Mason 
of  the  32nd  degree,  a  member  of  the  Scottish  Rite,  and  a  member  of  the 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  481 

Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  He  is  also  treasurer  of  the  First  District 
Congressional  Committee.  Mr.  Newman  resides  with  his  family  in  a  pleasant 
home  at  No.  923  Monroe  street. 


JOHN  DICKEY. 


John  Dickey,  an  honored  survivor  of  the  great  Civil  War  and  a  pioneer 
in  Auburn  township,  Shawnee  County,  where  he  owns  a  fine  farm  of  160 
acres  known  as  "Seven  Oaks  Farm,"  located  in  section  30,  township  13, 
range  14,  was  born  in  Fayette  County,  Ohio,  near  Washington  Court  House, 
September  23,  1842,  and  is  a  son  of  William  and  Eleanor  (Ghormley) 
Dickey. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  born  in  South  Carolina.  He  was  educated 
for  the  Presbyterian  ministry  and  preached  for  55  years.  He  organized  a 
church  at  Bloomingburg,  Ohio,  in  which  he  preached  for  40  years  to  a  day. 
His  death  took  place  there  at  the  age  of  83  years.  For  military  service  in 
the  War  of  18 12,  he  received  a  grant  of  160  acres  of  land.  He  married 
Eleanor  Ghormley,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  and  died  in  Ohio,  aged  60 
years.  They  had  five  children,  those  who  reached  maturity  being:  William 
W.,  of  Johnson  County,  Kansas,  who  served  three  years  during  the  Civil 
War  in  Company  C,  20th  Reg.,  Ohio  Vol.  Inf. ;  Sarah  Jane,  wife  of  Tracy 
Down,  of  Chalk  Mound,  Kansas;  John,  of  this  sketch;  and  Amanda,  wife 
of  H.  H.  Davis,  of  this  county.  By  a  former  marriage  with  Rebecca  Ross, 
he  had  10  children. 

Our  subject  remained  on  his  father's  farm  in  Ohio  until  he  was  16 
years  old,  too  young  by  far  to  don  a  soldier's  uniform,  but  this  he  did  on 
August  6,  1861,  when  he  enlisted  in  Company  A,  First  Reg.,  Ohio  Vol.  Cav., 
under  Capt.  John  H.  Robinson.  Companies  A  and  C  of  this  regiment  were 
sent  to  Virginia  and  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  battles  of  Cheat  Mountain, 
Green  Brier  River,  Winchester,  Port  Republic,  Mine  Run,  Fredericksburg, 
Chantilla,  Slaughter  Mountain,  Second  Bull  Run,  Gettysburg,  Monterey, 
Falling  Water,  Brandy  Station,  Antietam,  and  the  Wilderness.  This  troop 
of  cavalry  was  then  transferred  to  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee,  being  intended 
for  General  Kilpatrick's  body-guard. 

On  Augnst  22,  1862,  Mr.  Dickey  was  taken  prisoner,  with  300  com- 
panions, at  the  time  that  General  Stuart  made  a  raid  on  General  Pope's 
wagon  train.  He  was  confined  in  Castle  Thunder,  Libby  Prison  and  Belle 
Isle,  but  was  paroled  before  long.  During  his  three  years  of  arduous  service, 
he  participated  in  23  regular  battles  and  many  minor  engagements.     At  the 


482  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY  , 

close  of  his  army  life,  he  returned  to  Ohio  and  engaged  in  farming  for  four 
years,  coming  then  to  Kansas  and  settling  on  his  present  farm  in  1868. 

When  Mr.  Dickey  located  here,  he  found  a  great  tract  of  unimproved 
land  in  his  part  of  the  county.  From  the  very  first  he  took  a  deep  interest 
and  genuine  pride  in  his  possessions  and  has  given  the  best  years  of  his  life 
to  developing  his  farm,  now  one  of  the  finest  in  his  locality,  devoted  to  the 
raising  of  grain  and  stock. 

In  1879  Mr.  Dickey  was  married  to  Sadie  Reed,  who  was  born  in 
Westmoreland  County,  Pennsylvania,  July  7,  1856,  and  is  a  daughter  of  H.  H. 
and  Eliza  (Fisher)  Reed.  They  have  two  children:  Guy  Thompson  and 
Earl  Fisher,  both  of  whom  still  remain  under  the  parental  roof. 

In  political  sentiment,  Mr.  Dickey  has  always  been  a  Republican.  He 
has  acceptably  filled  a  number  of  the  township  offices,  being  trustee  for  five 
years  and  clerk  for  seven  years  and  is  justly  looked  upon  as  one  of  the  reliable 
representative  men  of  this  section. 


OTIS  E.    HUNGATE. 

Otis  E.  Hungate,  prosecuting  attorney  of  Shawnee  County,  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  well-known  law  firm  of  Austin  &  Hungate  of  Topeka,  with  offices 
in  the  Stormont  Building.  As  a  public  officer,  as  well  as  in  private  practice, 
he  has  won  distinction  at  the  bar  and  takes  rank  among  the  foremost  lawyers 
of  the  capital  city. 

Mr.  Hungate  was  born  in  Topeka,  December  8,  1871,  and  is  a  son  of 
Andrew  J.  and  Sarah  L.  (Ritchie)  Hungate,  his  mother  being  a  sister  of 
Gen.  John  Ritchie,  who  attained  distinction  in  the  Union  Army  during  the 
Civil  War.  Andrew  J.  Hungate,  whose  death  occurred  October  30,  1904, 
was  one  of  the  pioneer  citizens  of  Shawnee  County  and  was  its  foremost 
live-stock  salesman  up  to  the  time  of  his  death. 

Otis  E.  Hungate  was  reared  and  educated  in  Topeka,  attending  the 
public  and  high  schools  of  this  city.  He  read  law  in  the  office  of  Attorney 
Joseph  Waters  and  attended  the  law  department  of  the  University  of  Michi- 
gan at  Ann  Arbor,  in  1891  and  1892.  He  was  admitted  to  practice  at 
Topeka  December  8,  1892,  on  his  21st  birthday.  He  immediately  entered 
practice  in  his  native  city  and  during  1893,  1894  and  1895  served  as  assistant 
city  attorney.  He  then  resumed  private  practice  and  attained  a  high  degree 
of  success.  He  formed  a  partnership  with  Mr.  Austin,  under  the  firm  name 
of  Austin  &  Hungate,  and  this  is  widely  known  as  one  of  the  strongest  com- 


MR.  AND  MRS.   SAMUEL  MOORE 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  485 

binations  of  legal  talent  in  the  county.  In  January,  1901,  he  was  appointed 
assistant  prosecuting  attorney  for  the  county,  serving  until  August  of  that 
year  when  he  again  returned  to  private  practice.  On  May  21,  1903,  he  was 
appointed  prosecuting  attorney  for  Shawnee  County  to  fill  the  unexpired  term 
of  Galen  Nichols,  and  in  November,  1904,  was  elected  to  succeed  himself  by 
the  overwhelming  majority  of  4,800  votes,  the  largest  ever  received  by  a 
candidate  for  this  office.  The  duties  of  his  office  are  onerous,  requiring  two 
assistants  and  a  stenographer. 

On  December  23,  1896,  Mr.  Hungate  was  married  to  Alice  Kepley,  a 
daughter  of  Eph  Kepley,  of  Bourbon  County,  Kansas,  and  a  sister  of  R.  B. 
Kepley,  who  was  formery  sheriff  of  Shawnee  County.  Her  father  is  one  of 
Bourbon  County's  most  eminent  citizens.  This  union  resulted  in  the  birth  of  a 
daughter,  Augusta.  Religiously,  he  and  his  family  attend  Grace  Cathedral  and 
are  liberal  contributors  to  its  support.  Fraternally,  our  subject  belongs  to  the 
Masons,  Woodmen,  Elks  and  Eagles.  He  is  a  man  of  strong  personality 
and  has  many  warm  friends  throughout  this  section  of  the  State. 


SAMUEL  MOORE. 

Samuel  Moore,  deceased,  was  one  of  the  best  known  and  highly  es- 
teemed residents  of  Auburn  township,  Shawnee  County,  and  was  also  one 
of  the  best  farmers  and  largest  landowners.  He  was  born  in  County  Down, 
Ireland,  March  21,  1845,  arid  died  September  17,  1904,  on  his  home  farm 
in  Auburn  township,  in  section  17,  township  13,  range  15.  He  was  a  son 
of  Andrew  and  Mary  Ann  (Douglass)  Moore,  one  of  six  sons,  three  of 
whom  came  to  America. 

Mr.  Moore  was  a  self-made  man,  coming  to  Topeka,  July  14,  1869, 
with  wife  and  child,  a  poor  farmer,  and  leaving  a  large  and  valuable  estate, 
which  he  had  earned  through  his  own  industry  and  good  management.  For 
fhree  years  after  coming,  he  rented  land  and  then  moved  upon  a  quarter- 
section  of  land  in  Auburn  township — located  in  section  17,  township  13, 
range  15 — which  he  bought  several  years  later  and  which  has  continued  to 
be  the  home  of  his  widow  and  family.  To  this  he  subsequently  added  other 
tracts  of  unimproved  land,  until  he  owned  640  acres  in  addition  to  160 
acres  that  he  gave  to  his  sons.  He  took  a  great^  deal  of  interest  in  his  home 
and  family,  built  a  comfortable  residence  and  erected  substantial  buildings 
of  all  kinds.  His  main  crop  was  corn.  He  was  also  a  large  and  successful 
stock-raiser. 

In  1866  Mr.  Moore  was  united  in  marriage  with  Anna  Baxter,  the  es- 


486  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

timable  lady  who  still  survives  him.  She  was  born  in  County  Down,  Ireland, 
September  23,  1846,  and  is  a  daughter  of  William  and  Anna  (McCully) 
Baxter,  the  youngest  of  their  1 1  children.  Her  two  brothers,  John  and  Isaac, 
and  her  sister,  Mrs.  Susanna  (Allen)  Whitten,  came  to  this  locality  be- 
fore she  did,  all  four  being  pioneers  here.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moore  had  17 
children,  the  10  who  survived  infancy  being:  Mary,  who  died  aged  11 
years;  John,  who  lives  at  home;  Malcolm,  of  Auburn  township;  Maggie, 
who  married  John  Henderson  and  at  her  death  at  the  age  of  25  years  left  two 
children;  and  Mary  Ellen,  Susie,  Maria,  George,  Hugh  and  William^,  who 
live  at  home.  Samuel  Henderson,  Mrs.  Moore's  grandson,  also  lives  with 
her. 

Mr.  Moore  was  a  very  intelligent,  well-informed  man.  He  was  very 
fond  of  reading  and  often  spent  long  evenings  with  his  books  and  papers. 
He  reared  a  large  family  to  respect  his  authority  and  he  provided  them 
with  all  reasonable  comforts  and  gave  them  many  advantages.  They  were 
reared  in  the  faith  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  and  he  was  a  trustee  in  the 
Auburn  church  for  many  years.  Politically  he  was  a  Republican.  In  his 
death  Auburn  township  lost  one  of  its  best  citizens.  Portraits  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Moore  accompany  this  sketch. 


THOMAS  J.   FAXON. 

Thomas  J.  Faxon,  one  of  the  prominent  farmers  and  substantial  and 
representative  citizens  of  Shawnee  County,  residing  in  section  12,  township 
12,  range  16,  in  Tecumseh  township  and  the  owner  of  three  fine  farms 
aggregating  320  acres,  is  also  a  veteran  of  the  great  Civil  War.  Mr.  Faxon 
was  born  August  i,  1839,  in  Raisin  township,  Lenawee  County,  Michigan, 
and  is  a  son  of  Thomas  J.  and  Delia   (Faxon)  Faxon. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Faxon  were  distantly  related.  The  father  was  a 
native  of  Massachusetts  and  the  mother,  of  Whitesboro,  New  York.  The 
family  is  of  Scotch-English  stock  and  was  established  in  New  England 
at  an  early  day,  subsequently  branching  out  into  other  sections.  The  parents 
of  Mr.  Faxon  went  to  Michigan  in  youth,  married  there  and  also  died  there. 
They  had  five  children,  namely:  Theodore  S.,  of  Adrian,  Michigan;  Thomas 
J.,  of  this  sketch;  Mrs.  Minerva  Emma  Worden,  of  Ypsilanti,  Michigan; 
Mrs.  Eliza  D.  Rogers,  deceased,  formerly  of  Adrian,  Michigan ;  and  Margaret, 
who  died  young. 

Thomas  J.  Faxon  remained  on  his  father's  farm  until  1858,  when  he 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  487 

went  to  Davenport,  Iowa,  and  he  was  working  on  a  farm  in  that  vicinity 
when  the  Civil  War  broke  out.  When  the  call  came  for  troops  to  defend 
the  flag  under  which  he  had  been  born  and  which  he  had  grown  to  love 
with  true  loyalty,  he  was  one  of  the  first  to  decide  to  offer  his  services  and 
as  soon  as  he  could  adjust  his  affairs  he  became  a  soldier  in  the  Union  Army. 
In  August,  1861,  he  entered  Company  E,  Second  Reg.,  Iowa  Vol.  Cav.,  under 
Captain  Kendrick  and  Colonel  Elliott.  The  regiment  was  sent  to  St.  Louis, 
to  Cairo  and  then  to  New  Madrid,  then  on  to  Shiloh,  Corinth  and  luka  and 
fought  their  way,  with  constant  skirmishing,  to  Baton  Rouge,  Louisiana. 
Mr.  Faxon  escaped  serious  injury  and  was  with  his  regiment  all  the  time 
with  the  exception  of  two  weeks  when  he  was  held  as  a  prisoner  of  war, 
having  been  captured  at  Holly  Springs,  Mississippi.  After  a  faithful  service 
of  three  years,  he  was  mustered  out  at  Davenport,  Iowa,  in  October,  1864. 
The  war  still  continuing,  Mr.  Faxon  reenlisted  in  April,  1865,  at  Detroit,  in 
company  A,  Eighth  Reg.,  United  States  Vet.  Vol.,  under  Capt.  John  D. 
Parkhurst  and  Colonel  Monk.  The  closing  of  the  war  came  soon  after  and 
Mr.  Faxon  did  not  see  any  more  active  service.  The  Eighth  Regiment  held 
an  honorable  place  in  the  Grand  Review  at  Washington,  D.  C. 

Mr.  Faxon  then  returned  to  Michigan  and  went  into  a  grocery  business 
with  his  father  and  brother  at  Adrian,  where  he  remained  for  about  four 
years  and  then  came,  in  November,  1869,  to  Tecumseh  township,  Shawnee 
County,  where  he  has  resided  ever  since.  He  brought  with  him  his  family 
and  household  goods  and  settled  on  an  unimproved  tract  of  160  acres.  This 
land  he  fenced,  broke  and  put  under  cultivation  himself,  later  added  more 
land  and  made  the  excellent  improvements  now  noted,  having  a  comfortable 
attractive  home  with  pleasant  surroundings.  Formerly  he  devoted  his  land 
to  the  raising  of  both  grain  and  stock  but  now  gives  his  attention  mainly 
to  stock-raising  alone. 

Mr.  Faxon  was  married  October  9,  1867,  to  Maria  C.  Canfield,  who 
was  born  at  Kendall,  Orleans  County,  New  York,  April  27,  1844,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  Thomas  S.  and  Miranda  C.  (Barnes)  Canfield,  natives  of  Con- 
necticut and  Vermont,  respectively.  Mr.  Canfield  died  in  Michigan,  but 
Mrs.  Canfield  died  in  Shawnee  County.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Faxon  were  born 
four  children:  Maggie  M.,  who  died  aged  11  months;  Ralph  H.,  an  educated 
young  man  with  three  years'  experience  at  Washburn  College,  who  is  private 
secretary  to  Senator  Long, — he  married  Louise  Winans,  of  Hutchinson, 
Kansas,  and  one  child,  a  son,  Wallace  W. ;  Mira  D.,  wife  of  Gilbert  Griswold; 
and  Bessie  M.,  who  lives  at  home.  Mr.  Griswold  a-^sists  Mr.  Faxon  in  the 
operation  of  his  farm  and  he  and  wife  have  these  children:  Charles  T., 
Florence  I.  and  Walter  F.  Mrs.  Faxon  and  daughters  belong  to  Bethel 
Presbyterian  Church;  Mr.  Faxon  was  a  liberal  contributor  when  the  church 


488  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

was  built.  He  is  a  member  of  Jesse  Nelson  Post,  No.  62,  G.  A.  R.,  of 
Tecumseh.  Formerly  he  was  affiliated  with  the  Republican  party  but  ifl 
later  years  has  felt  justified  in  voting  independently,  making  a  choice  more 
of  the  man  than  the  party.  Mr.  Faxon  is  a  very  well-known  citizen  and 
he  and  family  are  held  in  the  highest  respect  in  Tecumseh  township. 


THOMAS  ELLIOTT  BOWMAN. 

Thomas  Elliott  Bowman,  whose  death  the  people  of  Topeka  and 
vicinity  were  called  upon  to  mourn  on  the  26th  day  of  May,  1896,  was 
one  of  the  most  prominent  and  useful  members  of  the  community.  He 
had  been  a  leading  spirit  in  the  business  circles  of  the  city  for  some  16  years 
prior  to  his  demise,  and  the  life  lead  by  him,  characterized  at  all  times  by 
honesty  and  fair  dealing  and  an  impulse  to  assist  his  unfortunate  fellow- 
beings,  endeared  him  to  the  people. 

Mr.  Bowman  was  born  in  the  "Green  Mountain"  State,  and  was  one 
of  four  children  born  to  his  parents,  who  came  of  substantial  New  England 
stock.  His  father  was  Thomas  Bowman.  Upon  reaching  maturity,  our  sub- 
ject went  to  Boston,  where  for  many  years  prior  to  coming  to  Kansas  he  was 
interested  in  the  manufacture  of  silk  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Seavey, 
Foster  &  Bowman.  He  was  an  energetic  and  forceful  character  in  busi- 
ness and  soon  became  independent  so  far  as  this  world's  goods  are  con- 
cerned. Success  crowned  his  efforts,  but  it  was  unfortunately  at  the  cost  of 
his  health,  and  he  found  it  necessary  in  middle  life  to  sever  family  and  busi- 
ness ties  and  take  up  life  anew  in  a  more  equable  climate.  A  character  like 
that  of  our  subject,  however,  is  never  daunted  by  trials  of  such  a  nature,  and 
it  was  with  confidence  in  his  ability  to  succeed  in  a  new  line  of  business 
and  in  a  new  country  that  he  took  up  his  residence  in  Topeka,  beginning  a 
loan  business.  Here  he  became  a  great  force  in  business  circles  and  during 
the  entire  period  of  his  residence  was  a  potent  factor  in  the  splendid  develop- 
ment which  came  to  the  capital  city. 

In  his  private  life  Mr.  Bowman  was  a  most  exemplary  character.  He 
was  generous  and  free  with  his  means  and  no  meritorious  case  of  charity 
ever  left  his  door  unanswered.  His  philanthropy  was  dealt  out,  however, 
in  the  true  Scriptural  manner,  so  that  but  few  knew  its  wide  extent  and 
generous  variety.  He  was  ever  ready  to  lend  his  influence  and  means  to 
advance  plans  for  the  educational  uplift  of  the  communities  in  which  he  re- 
sided, but  while  he  was  friendly  to  all  agencies  in  this  line,  he  became 
particularly  interested  in  the  kindergarten  idea,  firmly  believing  with  the  great 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  489 

exponent  of  that  system,  Herr  Froebel,  that  our  educational  system  must  be 
reconstructed,  and  that  from  the  foundation.  He  lived  to  see  the  idea  become 
immensely  popular  and  no  doubt  would  have  succeeded  in  making  it  a  part 
of  the  regular  school  system  in  Topeka  had  he  been  spared.  Concerning 
our  subject,  one  of  the  leading  papers  of  the  city  on  the  day  following  his 
death  contained  this  well-merited  paragraph: 

"In  the  death  of  Mr.  Bowman,  Topeka  loses  a  citizen  of  high  character, 
a  business  man  of  exemplary  habits  and  a  generous  giver  to  all  philanthropic 
Work.  Although  hampered  at  all  times  to  a  considerable  extent  with  a 
delicate  constitution,  he  was  a  leading  spirit  in  several  philanthropic  enter- 
prises. He  was  a  member  of  the  First  Congregational  Church  and  was 
deeply  interested  in  the  work  of  that  organization.  He  found  ways  of  mak- 
ing the  most  of  life  and  his  temperament  has  been  a  most  happy  and 
cheerful  one." 

Mr.  Bowman  was  united  in  marriage  with  Mary  E.  Burleson,  a  daughter 
of  Caleb  N.  Burleson,  of  Vermont.  She  died  in  December,  1863,  leaving  a 
son,  H.  C.  Bowman,  who  is  now  one  of  the  leading  business  men  oi  the 
city,  and  a  daughter,  Marion,  wife  of  Fred  O.  Popenoe,  of  Topeka.  Our 
subject  formed  a  second  union  in  1865  with  Eliza  Wilson,  a  daughter  of 
John  G.  Wilson,  of  Massachusetts.  Mrs.  Bowman  resides  in  the  fine  family 
home  at  No.  221  West  loth  avenue.  In  the  year  1897  she  built  an  annex 
to  the  Central  Congregational  Church  of  solid  stone  at  a  cost  of  $4,500. 
This  was  given  in  memory  of  her  husband  and  bears  the  inscription:  "T.  E. 
Bowman  Memorial." 

It  is  much  to  have  lived — it  is  vastly  of  greater  moment  to  have  lived 
well;  so  well  that  in  death  we  yet  have  life  in  the  fragrant  memories  that 
cluster  about  the  hearts  of  family  and  friends.  In  such  manner  does  the  life 
of  our  deceased  subject  continue  to  wield  an  unctuous  and  blessed  influence 
in  the  community  where  he  passed  his  riper  days,  loved  by  all  who  had  known 
him  intimately  and  respected  by  the  entire  countryside. 


HON.  DAVID  MILLINGTON  HOWARD. 

Hon.  David  Millington  Howard,  one  of  the  well-known  citizens  and 
most  extensive  stock-raisers  and  successful  farmers  of  Rossville  township, 
Shawnee  County,  a  resident  of  section  3,  township  11,  range  13,  and  the 
owner  of  1,600  acres  of  land,  was  born  in  1843,  ^t  Shaftsbury,  Vermont, 
and  is  a  son  of  Jared  and  Mary  (Matteson)  Howard. 

The  Howard  family  is  a  very  old  and  honorable  one  in  Vermont,  where 


490  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

/I 
it  has  flourished  for  generations.  Otis  Howard,  the  grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  born  there  and  lived  on  his  own  large  estate,  agriculture  and  stock- 
raising  having  been  the  family  occupations  up  to  the  present  time.  His 
children  were:  Rachel,  Jared,  Rebecca,  Jacob  M.,  Polly  and  Mercy.  Jacob 
M.  Howard  was  a  very  prominent  man  in  Michigan  and  served  several  terms 
as  a  Representative  and  for  nine  years  as  a  member  of  the  State  Senate. 

Our  subject  came  to  Kansas  in  1872,  accompanied  by  his  parents,  who 
settled  in  section  3,  township  11,  range  13,  in  Rossville  township,  Shawnee 
County,  on  a  tract  of  67  acres.  Until  1876  he  engaged  in  general  farming 
and  then  became  interested  in  stock-raising,  adding  large  tracts  of  land  and 
introducing  a  fine  herd  of  Shorthorn  cattle.  On  his  great  1,600-acre  farm 
he  now  keeps  some  600  head  of  these  valuable  cattle  and  his  stock  farm  is 
noted  all  over  the  State. 

In  1870  Mr.  Howard  was  married,  in  Shaftsbury,  Vermont,  to  Chettie 
A.  Stanley,  who  was  born  in  Vermont  and  is  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Jane 
(Fuller)  Stanley,  and  a  granddaughter  of  Benajah  Stanley,  a  prominent 
man  of  his  day  in  Vermont. 

In  addition  to  his  extensive  business  interests,  Mr.  Howard  has  been 
closely  identified  with  public  affairs  since  he  came  to  Kansas.  In  political 
sympathy  he  is  a  Populist  and  by  that  party  was  elected  to  the  State  Legislature 
in  1890  and  approval  was  shown  of  his  course  there  by  his  reelection  in  1893. 
He  is  a  fearless,  out-spoken  man,  who  having  settled-  convictions  is  not  afraid 
to  live  up  to  them.  Fraternally  he  is  a  Mason  and  an  Odd  Fellow  and  be- 
longs also  to  the  Knights  and  Ladies  of  Security. 


GUILFORD  DUDLEY 

Guilford  Dudley,  formerly  adjutant  general  of  Kansas,  and  for  the 
past  half  century  a  resident  of  Topeka,  died  at  his  home  No.  719  Harrison 
street,  April  14,  1905,  at  the  age  of  70  years.  Mr.  Dudley  was  born  at  Bath, 
Steuben  County,  New  York,  m  1835. 

In  many  ways  the  life  of  the  late  Mr.  Dudley  was  typical  of  Western 
energy  although  his  rearing  had  been  along  the  quiet,  conservative  lines  of 
agricultural  environment.^  From  the  district  schools  he  entered  Oberlin  Col- 
lege, Ohio,  and  soon  after  graduation  from  that  liberal  institution  he  started 
Westward,  seeking  his  fortune.  In  1855  he  settled  for  a  few  months  at 
Lawrence,  Kansas,  but  Topeka  attracted  him  on  account  of  more  favorable 
business  conditions  and  he  located  here  in  a  real  estate  business  and  also 
opened  a  hotel.     In  those  stirring  days  it  was  almost  impossible  for  a  man 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  491 

of  spirit  to  avoid  taking  part  in  the  momentous  events  that  were  here  trans- 
piring and  Mr.  Dudley  found  himself  enrolled  with  James  H.  Lane,  whose 
career  belongs  to  the  history  of  the  State.  Personal  admiration  for  the  cour- 
age of  this  leader  as  well  as  sympathy  with  his  aims,  led  Mr.  Dudley  into 
serving  as  one  of  his  guards. 

Mr.  Dudley  had,  in  the  meantime,  come  into  such  prominence  that  in 
1862  he  was  appointed  adjutant  general  of  Kansas,  an  office  for  which  he 
was  eminently  qualified,  but  which  he  resigned  after  an  incumbency  of  18 
months.  During  his  long  and  active  career,  Mr.  Dudley  accepted  but  two 
other  public  positions,  that  of  clerk  of  the  Territorial  Legislature,  in  1859, 
and  that  of  city  clerk  of  Topeka,  in  1861. 

While  Mr.  Dudley's  commercial  prominence  came  largely  through  his 
extensive  banking  interests,  he  was  concerned  in  many  other  lines,  all  of  which 
were  made  to  contribute  to  his  success.  Prior  to  starting  his  first  banking 
business  at  Topeka,  he  traveled  through  Colorado,  Nebraska,  New  Mexico 
and  Kansas,  as  collecting  agent  for  the  wholesale  grocery  firm  of  Carney 
&  Stephens,  of  Leavenworth.  In  1869  he  started  the  bank  which  for  more 
than  30  years  continued  one  of  the  solid  financial  institutions  of  the  city,  one 
old  and  trusted  like  its  founder. 

Mr.  Dudley  was  also  a  farmer  and  probably  took  more  pleasure  in  his 
agricultural  operations  than  in  all  the  social  life  and  political  concerns  of 
Topeka.  With  him  the  raising  of  fine  stock  was  not  a  fad,  for  he  ,made 
it  one  of  the  serious  questions  of  his  life,  studied  the  subject  from  every 
point  of  view,  read  literature  from  every  authority  and  during  the  time  he  was 
regent  of  the  State  Agricultural  College  gave  lectures  to  the  students  of 
such  a  practical  nature  that  they  were  of  the  greatest  permanent  value.  Pos- 
sessing the  ample  means  which  such  investigations  demand,  Mr.  Dudley  ex- 
perimented on  food  values  relating  to  horses  and  cattle  and  invented  what 
is  now  generally  used  by  stock-raisers  as  a  most  satisfactory  combination, — 
the  "balanced  ration  food."  He  was  also  one  of  the  very  first  to  recognize 
the  value  of  alfalfa.  He  was  a  frequent  contributor  to  agricultural  journals 
and  his  suggestions  were  welcomed  on  account  of  their  practical  nature,  his 
results  having  been  reached  through  scientific  research  instead  of  through 
chance.  Mr.  Dudley  did  not  confine  his  reading  to  works  pertaining  to  this 
subject  in  which  he  was  so  much  interested,  but  covered  a  wide  range,  feeding 
a  naturally  searching  mind. 

Mr.  Dudley  was  a  large  property  owner,  his  possessions  including  much 
real  property  of  value  on  Kansas  avenue,  his  beautiful  home  on  Harrison 
street,  a  number  of  fine  farms  and  the  tract  which  is  partly  used  as  Associa- 
tion Park  by  the  Topeka  Baseball  Company.    He  was  president  of  the  great 


492  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Crosby  Roller  Milling  Company,  in  which  he  owned  a  large  amount  of 
stock. 

Mr.  Dudley  was  married  at  Topeka,  June  5,  1867,  to  Samantha  V. 
Otis,  who  was  born  at  Rutland,  Vermont.  She  still  survives  with  a  son  and 
daughter,  the  former  bearing  his  father's  honored  name,  and  the  latter  being 
the  wife  of  Dr.  William  Walker,  of  Philadelphia. 

Although  Mr.  Dudley  was  a  man  of  quiet  tastes  he  enjoyed  sociability 
and  the  companionship  of  congenial  friends.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Topeka 
Club,  and  was  one  of  the  50  charter  members  of  the  Saint  Ananias  Club,  of 
Topeka,  and  shortly  before  his  fatal  illness  he  had  succeeded  in  organizing 
what  was  to  be  known  as  the  Farmers'  Club,  its  membership  to  be  made  up 
of  old  residents  who  had  been  farmers.  He  was  a  man  who  made  his  in- 
fluence felt  wherever  he  was,  not  through  any  ostentation,  but  quietly  and 
wisely. 


HENRY  H.  KEITH,  M.  D. 

Henry  H.  Keith,  M.  D.,  senior  member  of  the  well-known  firm  of 
Keith  &  Rhodes,  physicians  and  surgeons  of  Topeka,  and  founder  of  the 
Keith  Hospital  and  Sanitarium,  is  now  serving  in  the  capacity  of  coroner  of 
Shawnee  County.  He  stands  among  the  foremost  in  his  profession  and  the 
remarkable  success  attained  by  him  has  come  through  close  application  to  his 
work  and  constant  study  of  new  and  approved  methods,  which  are  constantly 
being  brought  to  the  fore. 

He  was  born  July  i,  1867,  and  is  one  of  four  children  born  to  John 
M.  and  Mary  (Christie)  Keith.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Indiana,  and 
there  followed  the  occupation  of  a  farmer  until  his  death  in  1897. 

Henry  H.  Keith  was  reared  and  educated  in  the  State  of  Illinois,  where 
upon  reaching  man's  estate  he  engaged  in  the  drug  business  for  some  years. 
He  attended  Columbus  Medical  College  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  and  was  grad- 
uated therefrom  in  1892,  and  since  that  time  has  taken  two  post-graduate 
courses  in  New  York,  in  1895  ^"d  again  in  1898.  He  was  also  graduated 
from  Ensworth  Medical  College,  of  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  in  1900.  His  first 
practice  of  medicine  was  as  chief  surgeon  of  the  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas 
Railway  Company's  coal  mines,  and  for  a  time  he  resided  in  Cherokee  County, 
Kansas.  He  came  to  Topeka  in  1898  and  here  he  has  since  engaged  in  prac- 
tice. In  1903  he  established  and  now  conducts  the  modern  and  up-to-date 
hospital,  well  known^  as  the  Keith  Hospital  and  Sanitarium,  an  institution 
with  a  capacity  for  the  accommodation  of  35  patients  at  a  time.  He  was 
elected  county  coroner  on  the  Republican  ticket  in   1904  with  a  majority 


JAMES    C.   SHIMER 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  495 

of  4,800  votes,  and  since  January  i,  1905,  has  discharged  the  duties  of  that 
office  in  an  eminently  satisfactory  manner.  He  resides  with  his  family  in  a 
comfortable  home  at  No.  17 10  loth  avenue,  and  maintains  a  fine  suite  of  offices 
at  No.  531  Kansas  avenue,  thoroughly  equipped  and  furnished. 

Dr.  Keith  married  Helen  Fitch.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  Knights  of  Pythias,  Ancient  Order  of 
United  Workmen,  Knights  and  Ladies  of  Security  and  Fraternal  Order  of 
Eagles.  He  is  a  member  of  the  county  and  State  medical  societies  and  of  the 
American  Medical  Association. 


JAMES  C.  SHIMER. 

James  C.  Shimer,  one  of  Topeka's  prominent  and  reputable  business 
men,  wholesale  and  retail  dealer  in  coal,  feed  and  flour,  was  born  in  Marion 
County,  Indiana,  on  the  site  of  the  present  suburb  of  Irvington.  The  story 
of  his  life  is  one  full  of  interest,  exemplifying  as  it  does  the  power  of  con- 
centrated effort,  honest  endeavor  and  persistent  industry. 

In  all  the  essentials  Mr.  Shimer  is  a  self-made  man.  From  the  age  of 
four  years  he  was  reared  in  the  home  of  a  wealthy  uncle,  under  the  direct 
care  of  his  paternal  grandmother.  He  assisted  on  the  farm  during  his  boy- 
hood and  attended  the  local  schools  until  he  was  16  years  old.  He  was  very 
ambitious  to  obtain  higher  educational  advantages,  but  his  views  and  those 
of  his  uncle  did  not  coincide  and  the  result  was  that  he  left  home  and  hired 
out  to  another  farmer,  for  $16  a  month.  He  remained  there  one  year  and, 
out  of  that  meager  salary,  saved  enough  to  clothe  him  and  to  pay  for  a 
course  through  business  college.  Feeling  that  now  he  was  better  prepared 
for  a  life  of  business  usefulness,  he  returned  to  his  uncle's  farm  and  remained 
there  until  he  was  19  years  old. 

In  1887  Mr.  Shimer  came  to  Kansas  and  settled  at  Topeka  where  he  se- 
cured employment  in  the  bridge  and  building  department  of  the  Atchison, 
Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railway  shops  where  he  remained  for  five  years.  By 
this  time  he  had  accumulated  enough  capital  to  make  starting  into  business 
for  himself,  on  a  small  scale,  a  possibility.  Selecting  staple  articles  as  his 
line,  he  and  his  brother-in-law,  H.  D.  McNeely,  under  the  firm  name  of 
McNeely  &  Shimer,  embarked  in  the  retail  coal,  flour  and  feed  business,  in 
two  small  rooms  12  by  14  in  dimensions,  located  on  the  site  of  his  present 
establishment  at  No.  181 5  Kansas  avenue.  Mr.  McNeely  attended  to  the 
inside  work  and  Mr.  Shimer  did  the  hauling.  The  partnership  continued 
only  through  the  first  winter  and  Mr.  Shimer  has  been  alone  in  the  business 
ever  since.    Although  now  a  capitalist  and  one  of  the  most  extensive  dealers 

24 


496  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

in  his  line  in  Topeka,  his  early  business  days  were  fraught  with  a  great  deal 
of  anxiety  and  hardship.  He  had  to  contend  with  long  credits,  fluctuating 
prices  and  general  commercial  depression  and  but  for  the  public  confidence 
he  had  gained  through  his  honest  and  upright  dealing  from  the  very  first, 
he  could  scarcely  have  managed,  at  times,  to  pull  through  safely. 

During  his  second  year  in  business  his  prospects  brightened  and  he  was 
able  to  see  himself  firmly  established  and  with  business  foresight  he  recog- 
nized the  advisability  of  purchasing  his  present  site,  where  the  business  was 
first  started.  The  price  asked  was  $1,200,  which  he  paid  in  installments. 
In  1889  he  erected  a  fine  brick  building  20  by  50  feet  in  dimensions,  two 
stories  in  height,  borrowing  a  part  of  the  money  necessary  for  this  venture. 
He  now  has  all  his  property  paid  for,  has  neither  debts  nor  mortgages  and 
also  owns  six  lots  on  Kansas  avenue  north  of  his  place  of  business  and 
«ight  and  one-half  lots  on  Van  Buren  street,  including  three  houses  and  his 
beautiful  home  which  is  situated  at  No.  181 2  Van  Buren  street.  This 
handsome  modern  residence  cost  him  $3,200  and  is  a  model  of  artistic  archi- 
tecture, an  ornament  to  the  street  and  a  home  of  comfort  and  elegance  within. 
When  he  built  his  place  of  business  he  lived  first  in  the  rooms  above  his 
store  but  later  moved  into  a  small  house  just  south  of  his  present  fine  resi- 
dence, where  the  family  resided  until  the  new  home  was  completed. 

Mr.  Shimer  has  done  other  building,  erecting  several  substantial  barns, 
one  of  these  being  for  his  stock,  as  he  owns  eight  horses.  The  other  is  for 
his  hay  and  he  has  a  convenient  arrangement  by  which  he  can  handle  it  right 
from  the  cars  without  any  hauling  by  teams. 

When  Oklahoma  Territory  was  first  opened  up,  Mr.  Shimer  with  a  part- 
ner started  a  mill,  the  partner's  business  being  to  look  after  the  same.  He 
was  no  business  man  and  the  mill  was  closed  until  Mr.  Shimer  hired  a 
miller  to  take  charge  of  it.  In  the  meantime  a  local  Topeka  mill,  known 
as  the  Farmers'  Exchange  Mill,  situated  just  west  of  the  Fair  Grounds,  was 
also  in  sad  straits,  having  an  encumbrance  upon  it  of  $1,500.  This  was 
a  business  opportunity  which  appealed  to  Mr.  Shimer  and  he  succeeded  in 
closing  a  deal  by  which  an  exchange  was  made,  by  which  he  became  the 
owner  of  the  Farmers'  Exchange  Mill  and  the  other  parties  of  the  Okla- 
homa mill.  After  paying  up  the  mortgage  and  expending  about  $1,500  more 
in  remodeling  his  newly  acquired  property,  Mr.  Shimer  had  a  very  valuable 
adjunct  to  his  flour  and  feed  business,  but  other  changes  and  plans  made  it 
an  unnecessary  feature  of  his  business  and  he  finally  disposed  of  it.  He 
carries  a  full  line  in  flour,  feed  and  coal.  His  coal  warehouses  are  by  the 
side  of  the  railroad  tracks,  well  above  ground  and  he  has  every  facility  for 
doing  a  large  business. 

Mr.  Shimer  can  justly  be  proud  of  his  success.     It  has  been  wholly  the 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE   CITIZENS.  497 

result  of  his  own  endeavor,  without  the  assistance  of  relatives  or  friends  or 
the  doubtful  speculation  by  which  immense  fortunes  have  been  secured  in 
these  latter  days.  Honest  dealing,  prompt  delivery  and  courteous  treatment 
have  greatly  assisted  Mr.  Shimer  in  his  business  relations  and  have  brought 
him  the  esteem  of  his  associates. 

Mr.  Shimer  was  married  in  December,  1889,  to  Dora  McElvain,  who  was 
born  at  Lincoln,  Illinois.  They  have  seven  children,  namely:  Grace,  Rob- 
ert, Merle,  Ralph,  Ruth,  Emery  and  Kermet,  the  youngest  being  named  for 
the  youngest  son  of  President  Roosevelt.  Mrs.  Shimer  and  the  three  young- 
est children  have  lately  paid  a  visit  to  the  old  home  in  Indiana,  where  the 
husband  and  father  solved  many  of  life's  very  serious  problems  in  his  boy- 
hood and  youth.  They  returned  with  a  much  higher  appreciation,  if  pos- 
sible, of  what  Mr.  Shimer  had  accomplished  in  comparatively  so  short  a 
time. 

Mr.  Shimer  has  always  been  active  in  his  support  of  all  movements 
looking  to  the  business  and  social  development  of  Topeka.  He  has  been  a 
liberal  contributor  to  the  city's  educational  and  charitable  enterprises  and 
can  always  be  counted  upon  to  further  laudable  public  improvements.  He 
has  been  a  life-long  Republican  and,  on  account  of  his  substantial  character, 
has  been  selected  by  his  party  and  fellow-citizens  for  civic  offices.  His  term 
as  alderman  of  the  Fifth  Ward  expired  in  April,  1905,  but  his  services  were 
of  so  valuable  a  nature  to  the  city  and  ward  that  he  was  not  permitted  to  re- 
turn to  private  life,  but  was  re-elected  for  another  term  of  two  years.  His 
fraternal  connection  is  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 

Topeka  has,  more  than  many  cities,  its  quota  of  men  who  have  made 
their  lives  successful  through  their  own  efforts  and  their  life  histories  are 
calculated  to  inspire  others  with  emulation.  Mr.  Shimer  is  a  prominent 
■example  of  this  class  and  his  life  teaches  a  lesson  of  success  and  how  to  at- 
tain the  goal  that  must  appeal  to  every  young  man  who  is  fighting  the  battle 
of  life  under  the  constant  spur  of  necessity  backed  by  ambition.  A  portrait 
of  the  subject  of  this  article  appears  on  a  foregoing  page  in  proximity  to  this. 


THOMAS  C.  BIDDLE,  M.  D. 

Thomas  C.  Biddle,  M.  D.,  a  distinguished  physician  and  surgeon,  is 
superintendent  of  the  State  Hospital  for  the  Insane  at  Topeka,  the  duties 
of  which  office  he  has  discharged  since  April,  1899.  He  was  born  on  his 
father's  farm  in  Putnam  County,  Indiana,  September  14,  1857,  and  is  one 
of  a  family  of  13  children  born  to  his  parents,  Richard  and  Elizabeth  (Jones) 
Biddle.     His  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation. 


498  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Dr.  Biddle  was  reared  in  Putnam  County,  Indiana,  and  there  attended 
the  common  schools.  He  later  attended  DePauw  University,  and  then  took 
up  the  study  of  medicine.  He  attended  Rush  Medical  College,  Chicago,  grad- 
uating in  1881,  then  pursued  a  course  in  the  New  York  Post-Graduate  Medical 
College.  Immediately  thereafter  he  located  at  Reading,  Kansas,  and  practiced 
his  profession  for  a  period  of  six  years.  Seeking  a  larger  field,  he  located 
at  Emporia,  Kansas,  where  he  continued  successfully  until  1895,  when  he 
accepted  the  appointment  of  superintendent  of  the  State  Hospital  for  the 
Insane  at  Osawatomie,  Kansas.  He  filled  that  position  most  satisfactorily  for 
three  years,  then  resigned  to  answer  the  call  to  arms  during  the  Spanish- 
American  War.  He  was  commissioned  assistant  surgeon  in  the  21st  Regi- 
ment, Kansas  Infantry,  U.  S.  Volunteers,  and  served  most  creditably  until 
he  was  honorably  discharged  in  December,  1898.  In  April,  1899,  ^^  was 
appointed  to  his  present  position  as  superintendent  of  the  State  Hospital  for 
the  Insane  at  Topeka.  The  affairs  of  this  institution  have  been  placed  upon  a 
firm  basis  and  the  people  of  Kansas  can  well  take  pride  in  the  manner  in 
which  it  has  been  managed,  free  from  the  stigma  of  complaint  and  scandal 
which  has  characterized  the  institutions  of  so  many  other  States.  This  in- 
stitution was  established  in  the  late  '70's,  the  first  inmate  being  taken  in  on 
June  I,  1879,  and  from  that  time  until  the  close  of  the  19th  century  it  cared 
for  4,545  patients.  According  to  the  report  made  at  the  end  of  that  period, 
1,604  had  been  discharged  as  recovered,  698  discharged  as  improved,  297  as 
unimproved,  7  as  not  insane,  130  transferred  to  the  Osawatomie  asylum, 
44  on  visit  or  eloped,  and  903  had  died.  This  is  surely  a  most  creditable 
report.  Dr.  Biddle  is  ably  assisted  .in  his  work  by  Dr.  W.  C.  Van  Nuys  and 
Dr.  J.  C.  Bennett.  The  capacity  of  the  institution  is  1,050,  and  gives  em- 
ployment to  145  attendants. 

Our  subject  was  united  in  marriage  with  Elva  Egbert,  a  daughter  of 
S.  W.  Egbert.  In  politics,  he  is  an  enthusiastic  Republican,  and  has  been 
an  active  worker  for  party  success.     Fraternally,  he  is  a  Mason. 


T.  B.  SWEET. 


T.  B.  Sweet,  one  of  Topeka's  leading  capitalists,  who  is  closely  identi- 
fied with  almost  all  of  her  most  successful  business  enterprises,  a  large  land- 
owner in  various  sections  of  Kansas  and  in  seven  States  of  the  Union,  was 
bom  April  11,  1841,  in  Maine,  and  is  a  son  of  Lorella  and  Mary  W. 
(Bailey)  Sweet. 

The  Sweet  family,  with  its  various  branches  and  connections,  remains 
to  this  day  a  prominent  one  in  New  England.     Ebenezer  Sweet,  the  great- 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  499 

grandfather,  and  Col.  Ellis  Sweet,  the  grandfather,  were  men  of  afifairs  in 
their  day,  the  latter  also  serving  with  distinction  in  the  War  of  1812.  The 
father  of  our  subject  was  a  trained  mechanic  and  assisted  in  the  building  of 
the  great  Merrimack  mills  at  Lowell,  Massachusetts.  He  married  Mary  W. 
Bailey,  of  Tewksbury,  Massachusetts,  and  they  had  three  children.  In  1859 
the  family  moved  to  Champaign,  Illinois,  where  the  parents  spent  the  rest  of 
their  lives  and  where  one  son  still  resides,  a  leading  attorney. 

T.  B.  Sweet  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  at  Farmington,  Maine, 
and  then  at  Farmington  Academy,  the  latter  being  now  the  great  State  Normal 
School,  which  he  left  at  the  age  of  14  years.  He  began  his  business  career 
in  the  mercantile  line  and  then  went  into  the  drug  business,  following  the 
latter  for  10  years.  Then  he  became  cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank  of 
Champaign.  His  attention  was  first  attracted  to  Kansas  after  the  Civil  War, 
and  he  visited  the  State  in  1869  with  a  view  to  investing  in  land.  His 
observations  convinced  him  that  there  was  a  great  future  for  this  section, 
and  in  October,  1872,  he  located  permanently  at  Topeka.  Shortly  after,  he 
organized  the  Kansas  Loan  &  Trust  Company  and  for  25  years  or  more 
continued  as  its  head.  Since  September  i,  1898,  he  has  given  his  attention 
exclusively  to  his  personal  afifairs,  his  many  enterprises  requiring  his  time 
and  close  consideration.  A  few  of  his  business  connections  are:  Director  in 
the  Bank  of  Topeka;  director  in  the  Edison  Electric  Light  Illuminating  Com- 
pany; trustee  of  Washburn  College;  one  of  the  original  trustees  of  Christ's 
Hospital;  and  director  in  the  Missouri  &  Kansas  Telephone  Company.  He 
is  also  a  trustee  and  on  the  directing  board  of  the  University  of  Topeka,  a 
Methodist  Episcopal  organization;  a  trustee  in  the  Methodist  Old  Peoples' 
Home;  and  was  for  years  an  official  in  the  State  and  local  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  and 
chairman  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  State  Sunday-School  organization.  For 
16  years  he  represented  Kansas  on  the  International  Sunday-School  Com- 
mittee. He  was  the  first  president  of  the  Brotherhood  of  St.  Paul,  connected 
with  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  takes  a  veiy  active  part  in  all 
its  work,  financially  furthering  its  many  benevolent  enterprises. 

Mr.  Sweet  was  married  at  Jacksonville,  Illinois,  to  Annie  Brown,  who 
was  a  daughter  of  Judge  William  and  Susan  (Finley)  Brown,  the  former 
of  whom  was  born  in  18 10,  served  in  the  Illinois  Legislature  when  it  met 
in  Vandalia  and  died  in  1871.  Judge  Brown's  father  was  born  in  the  South 
and  was  a  slave-holder,  but  moved  to  a  free  State  in  order  to  rear  his  chil- 
dren differently.  The  maternal  grandfather  was  president  of  the  college  at 
Athens,  Georgia,  for  many  years.  Four  members  of  Judge  Brown's  family 
s^^mirvive.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sweet  have  had  five  children,  viz :  Susie  Brown, 
an^complished  lady,  who  was  educated  at  the  College  of  the  Sisters  of 
Bethany,  Topeka,  and  at  the  Woman's  College,  Baltimore;  William  Brown, 


500  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

deceased;  Mary  Bailey,  educated  at  the  College  of  the  Sisters  of  Bethany, 
the  State  University  at  Lawrence  and  the  Woman's  College,  Baltimore,  who 
is  a  teacher  in  the  Chicago  Training  School ;  Paul  Bailey,  educated  at  Wash- 
burn College  and  at  Yale  College,  who  took  honors  at  Yale ;  and  Annie  Brown, 
who  is  a  graduate  of  Washburn  College.  The  family  home  at  No.  231 
Topeka  avenue  is  one  of  the  finest  residences  in  the  city.  Aside  from  his 
business  prominence,  Mr.  Sweet  has  been  so  interested  in  religious  and 
philanthropic  work  that  he  is  known  and  esteemed  over  the  whole  State, 
especially  so  in  all  organizations  connected  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church. 


ALMON  L.  TOMSON. 

Almon  L.  Tomson,  whose  fine  farm  of  240  acres  of  valuable  fruit  and 
farming  land  justifies  the  assumption  that  he  is  one  of  the  substantial  men 
of  Soldier  township,  Shawnee  County,  as  he  is  also  one  of  the  township's 
most  esteemed  citizens,  was  born  April  30,  1839,  in  Shalersville  township, 
Portage  County,  Ohio,  and  is  a  son  of  James  and  Eliza  (Marvin)  Tomson. 

The  father  of  Mr.  Tomson  was  born  in  181 2  at  Williamstown,  Vermont, 
while  the  mother  was  born  at  Shalersville,  Ohio,  in  181 6.  The  father  died 
February  15,  1866,  on  the  farm  in  Portage  County,  Ohio,  on  which  he  had 
settled  at  marriage.     They  reared  five  children. 

Our  subject  was  educated  in  the  district  schools  and  the  village  of  Shalers- 
ville, and  grew  up  a  practical  farmer.  He  owned  a  farm  of  166  acres  and 
was  one  of  the  leading  men  of  Shalersville  township  prior  to  coming  to 
Kansas,  for  nine  years  being  a  justice  of  the  peace  and  also  filling  the  offices 
of  trustee  and  assessor.  In  1890  he  exchanged  his  Ohio  farm  for  160  acres 
of  the  property  he  now  owns,  to  which  he  subsequently  added  80  acres.  It 
is  situated  in  section  12,  township  10,  range  15,  and  is  now  one  of  the  most 
valuable  farms  in  Soldier  township,  although  when  he  came  upon  it  he  found 
it  in  poor  condition,  needing  the  experienced  handling  of  a  good  agriculturist. 
He  has  put  out  a  great  deal  of  small  fruit  which  has  proved  a  sticcessful 
venture  and  he  also  raises  a  large  number  of  Poland-China  hogs,  and  a  fine 
strain  of  cattle.  His  son  Arthur  B.  is  associated  with  him  in  the  operation 
of  the  farm. 

Mr.  Tomson  was  married  June  6,  1865,  to  Sarah  M.  Proctor,  who  is  a 
daughter  of  Ephraim  J.  and  Mary  A.  (Middleton)  Proctor.  Mr.  Proctor 
was  born  in  1812  in  Vermont  and  his  wife  in  the  same  year,  in  Ohio, 
moved  to  Iowa  in  1845,  where  Mr.  Proctor  farmed  and  did  blacksmith? 
They  reared  four  children. 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  501 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tomson  have  had  five  children,  namely:  Amy  E.,  v^^hO' 
died  March  29,  1878,  aged  11  years,  and  was  buried  at  Shalersville ;  James. 
C,  who  is  a  successful  farmer  in  Soldier  township,  owning  160  acres  also  ia 
Trego  County,  Kansas,  and  30  head  of  cattle;  Annie  B.,  who  died  March  22,. 
1878,  and  was  buried  at  Shalersville;  Almon  L.,  Jr.,  born  February  6,  1879, 
who  owns  a  wheat  farm  of  80  acres  in  Trego  County,  Kansas ;  and  Arthur  B.,. 
born  November  20,  1881,  who  works  with  his  father  on  shares. 

Politically,  Mr.  Tomson  is  a  Democrat,  but  he  has  taken  no  very  active 
part  in  politics  since  coming  to  Kansas.  He  is  a  member  of  Muddy  Creek 
Grange.  He  is  well  known  in  the  township  where  both  he  and  his  family  are 
held  in  great  respect. 


HON.  SAMUEL  A.  KINGMAN. 

Almost  more  honored  and  beloved  than  any  other  of  the  State's  dis- 
tinguished citizens  was  the  late  Judge  Kingman,  who  for  14  years  served 
on  the  Supreme  Court  bench,  and  for  nine  years  was  chief  justice.  As  the 
acknowledged  leader  in  that  great  historical  gathering,  the  Wyandotte  con- 
vention, in  1859,  the  same  which  formed  the  Free-State  constitution  which 
insured  inalienable  rights  to  the  citizens  of  this  great  commonwealth,  he  won 
the  undying  gratitude  of  his  fellow-citizens.  Had  his  life  closed  then  before 
it  had  been  crowned  with  later  honors,  he  had  done  enough.  As  father  of 
the  homestead  exemption  law,  one  which  in  its  every  provision  is  generous 
and  satisfactory,  he  insured  justice  to  the  weak  and  helpless  and  provided  for 
the  widow  and  the  fatherless.  Kansas  loved  him;  Kansas  honored  him,  and, 
when  he  passed  away,  in  venerable  old  age,  the  State  mourned  him. 

Judge  Kingman  was  born  in  the  earlier  years  of  the  past  century,  on 
June  26,  1 81 8,  a  native  of  Worthitigton,  Massachusetts,  and  was  a  son  of 
Isaiah  and  Lucy  Kingman.  His  education  was  pursued  first  in  the  common 
schools  of  his  native  village  and  he  also  passed  some  time  at  the  local  Mountain 
Academy,  all  of  his  knowledge  gained  here,  however,  being  indifferent  to 
what  he  wrought  out  for  himself.  Ambitious  to  enter  upon  the  study  of  a 
profession,  he  found  it  necessary  to  provide  the  means  for  himself  and  at 
the  age  of  17  began  to  teach  school.  Two  years  later  he  secured  a  school  in 
Kentucky  and  an  opportunity  to  devote  some  time  to  the  study  of  the  law, 
and  subsequently  sought  his  first  clients  at  Carrollton,  in  that  State.  Later 
he  removed  to  Livingston  County  and  entered  into  politics  there,  was  elected 
county  clerk  and  district  attorney  and  also  served  three  years  in  the  State 
Legislature. 

The  wider  fields  opening  in  the  West  encouraged  him  to  remove  in  the 


502  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

spring  of  1856  to  Iowa,  and  in  the  following  year  to  Kansas.  After  six 
months  spent  at  Leavenworth,  he  took  up  a  land  claim  in  Brown  County, 
near  the  present  site  of  the  town  of  Horton,  but  in  the  summer  of  1858  he 
removed  to  Hiawatha  and  resumed  his  law  practice.  His  ability,  his  gifts 
and  high  character  were  almost  immediately  recognized  and  when  the  time 
came  for  the  calling  of  that  notable  assemblage,  the  Wyandotte  constitutional 
convention,  he  was  appointed  the  delegate  from  Brown  County.  His  great 
work  in  this  convention  is  State  history.  When  the  organization  of  the 
State  of  Kansas  was  completed,  he  was  elected  associate  justice  of  the  Supreme 
Court,  serving  as  such  until  1864  when  he  was  nominated  for  associate  justice 
on  the  Union  Republican  ticket,  which  had  Solon  O.  Thatcher  as  its  nominee 
for  Governor.  This  ticket  was  defeated.  In  the  following  year.  Judge  King- 
man removed  to  Atchison  and  entered  into  partnership  with  the  late  dis- 
tinguished John  James  Ingalls,  in  the  practice  of  the  law.  One  year  later,  in 
1866,  he  was  elected  by  the  Republican  party  chief  justice  of  the  Supreme 
Court,  was  reelected  in  1872  and  continued  in  office  until  failing  health  caused 
him  to  resign  these  heavy  responsibilities  in  1877.  For  over  14  years  he  had 
occupied  this  high  office  and  during  nine  of  these  had  been  chief  justice.  Dur- 
ing this  long  period,  no  charge  was  ever  entertained  that  cast  any  doubt 
on  his  personal  integrity;  he  was  able,  dignified  and  absolutely  impartial.  He 
is  represented  in  the  first  17  volumes  of  the  State  Reports  and  the  roll  call 
of  those  lawyers  who  came  before  his  court  reveals  the  names  of  such  eminent 
men  as  John  Martin,  Stinson,  Gamble,  McCahon,  Brewer,  Ingalls,  A.  L. 
Williams,  Waggener,  Shannon,  Crozier,  Foster,  Glick,  Ruggles,  Plumb, 
Stillings,  Fenlon,  Wheat,  Bertram,  Burns,  Usher,  Simpson,  Burris,  Devin- 
ney,  Otis,  McClure,  Humphrey,  Peck,  Thatcher,  Cobb  and  Webb.  Chief 
Justice  Kingman  was  the  writer  of  226  model  opinions,  notable  papers  not 
only  for  their  sound  judgment,  perfect  comprehension  of  legal  principles,  but 
as  well  for  their  brevity  and  conciseness. 

Failing  health  continued  to  prevent  Judge  Kingman  from  entering  con- 
spicuously into  either  political  or  legal  life  after  1877,  although  he  survived, 
in  retirement,  far  beyond  the  allotted  age  of  man  as  given  by  the  Psalmist. 
He  filled  the  office  of  State  librarian  for  a  short  time,  but  found  the  duties 
too  confining.  He  was  interested  in  many  representative  State  and  city  bodies, 
having  resided  at  Topeka  since  1872.  He  was  the  first  president  of  the 
State  Historical  Society,  of  which  he  was  one  of  the  founders  and  of  which 
he  continued  a  director.  At  the  time  of  his  decease  he  was  still  a  valued  mem- 
ber of  the  Saint  Ananias  Club,  of  Topeka,  where  he  was  always  welcome ;  he 
was  its  president  as  long  as  he  lived  and  was  known  as  its  "Perpetual  Presi- 
dent." He  had  served  as  presiding  officer  of  a  number  of  legal  bodies  and 
had  been  president  of  the  Bar  Association  of  the  State  of  Kansas  and  of  the 


C.   T.   McLELLAN 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  505 

State  judges'  Association.  He  was  a  great  reader  and  a  skilled  writer  of 
verse. 

On  October  30,  1844,  Judge  Kingman  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Matilda  Willets  Hartman,  of  Terre  Haute,  Indiana,  a  daughter  of  Samuel 
and  Susan  (Mears)  Hartman,  of  Catawissa,  Pennsylvania.  Samuel  Hart- 
man  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  Judge  Kingman  is  survived  by  his  widow 
and  two  daughters :  Mrs.  Lillian  Butterfield  and  Lucy  D.,  the  latter  of  whom 
is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Topeka  Federation  of  Women's  Clubs.  He  is 
also  survived  by  two  granddaughters, — Mrs.  H.  T.  Cartlidge  and  Mrs. 
George  N.  Clarke, — and  by  one  great-grandson, — Richard  Kingman  Cart- 
lidge.    Mrs.  Kingman  resides  at  No.  635  Monroe  street. 

The  death  of  Judge  Kingman  occurred  on  September  9,  1904.  It  was 
the  occasion  of  innumerable  tributes  to  his  worth  from  those  who  had  known 
him  in  the  sanctity  of  private  life,  in  the  political  arena  and  on  the  judicial 
bench,  all  of  them  breathing  esteem,  honor  and  admiration. 


C.  T.  McLELLAN. 

C.  T.  McLellan,  division  superintendent  of  the  Eastern  Division  of  the 
Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railway,  has  been  in  railroad  work  since  1868, 
beginning  as  a  brakeman  and  advancing,  step  by  step,  to  his  present  office  of 
great  responsibility.  He  is  a  native  of  New  England,  born  at  Brunswick, 
Maine. 

Mr.  McLellan  received  only  a  common-school  education,  and  in  every 
essential  is  a  self-made  man.  The  year  1868  found  him  in  Iowa  and  there 
he  accepted  a  position  as  brakeman  in  the  employ  of  the  Chicago  &  North- 
Western  Railway,  since  which  year  he  has  worked  in  every  branch  of  the 
operating  department  of  railroad  service.  He  became  chief  clerk  in  the  di- 
vision superintendent's  office  at  Las  Vegas,  New  Mexico,  later  was  made 
trainmaster,  and  subsequently  served  as  conductor  and  trainmaster  of  the 
International  &  Great  Northern  and  Texas  &  Pacific  railroads,  in  Texas,  prior 
to  coming  to  the  Santa  Fe  road.  In  September,  1890,  he  was  appointed 
to  his  present  position,  a  very  important  o'ne.  He  is  in  charge  of  the  follow- 
ing territory:  From  Kansas  City  to  Emporia,  by  way  of  Topeka,  and  by 
way  of  Ottawa ;  and  from  St.  Joseph  to  Topeka,  including  the  branch  through 
Leavenworth  and  branches  between  Hawthorne  and  Holliday,  Lawrence  and 
Ottawa  and  Osage  City  and  Quenemo.    All  this  territory  is  under  his  personal 


5o6  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

supervision  as  superintendent;  he  has  one  trainmaster,  two  chief  dispatchers, 
six  trick  dispatchers  and  eight  clerks. 

Mr.  McLellan  was  appointed  receiver  of  the  Leavenworth,  Topeka  & 
South- Western  Railroad  Company  in  April,  1894,  and  later,  when  the  road 
was  sold,  he  was  elected  president,  a  position  he  still  fills. 

Mr.  McClellan  was  married  in  Missouri  to  Mary  A.  Hadley,  who  is  a 
native  of  New  Hampshire.  They  have  one  son  and  four  daughters,,  the 
eldest  of  the  latter  being  a  graduate  of  Washburn  College.  They  live  at  No. 
421  Woodlawn  avenue  in  the  suburb  of  Potwin.  Fraternally  Mr.  McLellan 
is  a  Mason,  being  a  member  of  Siloam  Lodge,  No.  225,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  His 
portrait  accompanies  this  sketch. 


ADAM  NEISWENDER. 

Adam  Neiswender,  deceased,  was  one  of  the  highly  respected  men  and 
representative  agriculturists  of  Silver  Lake  township,  Shawnee  County,  for 
many  years  and  when  his  death  took  place  January  16,  1901,  he  left  behind 
a  devoted  family  and  many  friends  to  mourn  his  loss.  He  was  born  April 
28,  1828,  at  Franklin,  Pennsylvania,  and  was  a  son  of  Michael  and  Barbara 
(Beecher)   Neiswender. 

The  parents  of  Adam  Neiswender  were  born  in  Switzerland  and  came 
to  America  in  order  to  better  their  condition.  They  settled  first  at  Reading, 
Pennsylvania,  and  then  moved  to  the  vicinity  of  Columbus,  Ohio,  where 
the  father  bought  a  farm  of  160  acres  and  cultivated  it  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  December  14,  1858,  when  he  was  67  years  of  age.  The  mother 
died  October  i,  1879,  aged  85  years.  Of  their  12  children,  Michael,  David 
and  Adam  came  to  Kansas  and  all  are  deceased  and  lie  buried  in  Prairie 
Home  Cemetery. 

Our  subject  went  to  school  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  and  then  learned  the 
trade  of  carpenter  and  bridge  builder  with  his  brother.  In  1872  he  came  to 
Kansas  and  in  the  same  year  bought  80  acres  of  his  present  farm  in  section 
14,  township  II,  range  14,  in  Silver  Lake  township,  Shawnee  County,  to 
which  he  subsequently  added  another  80  acres  and  this  land  he  cultivated 
and  improved  until  the  time  of  his  death,  being  able  to  leave  to  his  widow- 
a  fine  home  and  valuable  property. 

Adam  Neiswender  was  married  in  November,  1861,  to  Elizabeth  Quinn, 
who  was  a  daughter  of  David  and  Catherine  Quinn.  She  died  July  15,  1871, 
aged  33  years,  having  had  two  sons, — Frank,  who  died  February  12,  1863, 
aged  three  months ;  and  Harry,  who  resides  at  Sunset,  Colorado.  The  latter's 
first  wife,  Katie  Kennett,  was  a  daughter  of  Bonnie  and  Maria   (Reeser) 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  507 

Kennett;  they  had  one  son,  Grover,  a  capable  young  man  of  17  years  who 
is  now  Mrs.  Neiswender's  right-hand  man  on  the  farm.  By  his  second  mar- 
riage Harry  Neiswender  has  one  son,  Harold  Pierce.  Our  subject  was  mar- 
ried, second,  to  the  estimable  lady  who  survives  him,  Catherine  Naftzger,  who 
was  born  in  Lebanon  County,  Pennsylvania,  one  of  a  family  of  six  children, 
Mrs.  Neiswender's  mother  died  when  she  was  15  months  old.  She  has  two 
brothers,  Benjamin  and  Adam.  The  former  lives  in  Florida.  He  married 
Rebecca  Runkle  who  died  in  Iowa  in  1884.  They  had  four  children :  Annie 
(who  died  in  1885),  Lizzie,  Adam  and  Carrie  (who  died  in  1902).  The 
second  brother  lives  in  Lebanon  County,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  married 
Barbara  Eversole;  they  have  six  children. 

Mr.  Neiswender  was  a  strong  Democrat  all  his  life.  When  he  Hved  in 
Pennsylvania,  he  attended  the  Lutheran  Church,  but  after  locating  in  Silver 
Lake  township  he  found  few  Lutherans  in  the  neighborhood  and  as  he  was  a 
liberal-minded  man  he  helped  to  build  and.  support  the  Presbyterian  Church 
at  Silver  Lake,  and  also  assisted  the  Methodist  and  Baptist  Churches. 


JOHN  SUTHERIN. 

John  Sutherin^  a  prominent  business  man  of  Topeka,  engaged  in  the 
coal  business  at  First  avenue  and  Monroe  street,  was  born  in  1841  at  New- 
castle-on-Tyne,  Northumberland  County,  England,  and  is  a  son  of  Martin 
Sutherin. 

In  1853  Mr.  Sutherin  accompanied  his  father  to  America,  locating  in 
Beaver  County,  Pennsylvania.  In  1857  the  family  removed  to  Preston 
County,  West  Virginia.  The  father  died  at  the  age  of  79  years  and  the  four 
surviving  children  are:  John,  our  subject;  Annie,  who  is  the  wife  of  Robert 
Logan,  living  near  Dover,  Shawnee  County;  Margaret,  who  is  the  wife  of 
Matthew  Hunter,  of  Chicago,  Illinois ;  and  Bessie,  who  is  the  wife  of  Jeffer- 
son Sumner,  of  Topeka  township,  Shawnee  County. 

In  1 861  Mr.  Sutherin  enlisted  from  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  in  Com- 
pany G,  Second  Reg.,  West  Virginia  Vol.  Inf.,  three  Ohio,  four  Pennsyl- 
vania and  three  Virginia  companies  composing  the  regiment.  Later,  in  1863, 
his  company  was  transferred  to  the  First  West  Virginia  Horse  Artillery, 
which  was  mainly  made  use  of  in  raiding  expeditions,  and  here  Mr.  Sutherin 
saw  Very  hard  service.  He  was  mustered  out  June  22,  1864,  with  an  honor- 
able and  faithful  soldier's  record. 

Until  1871  Mr.  Sutherin  resided  in  Beaver  County,  his  old  home,  and 
then  came  to  Kansas  and  engaged  in  mining  and  then  in  farming  on  the  Gage 


5o8  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

tract  west  of  Topeka.  He  has  been  identified  with  coal  interests  almost  since 
his  arrival  in  Shawnee  County  and  is  the  oldest  coal  merchant  in  Topeka 
in  continuous  business.  He  settled  on  the  Gage  farm  34  years  ago  and  now 
has  a  farm  of  80  acres  on  which  he  has  spent  $7,000  in  improvements.  Al- 
though in  business  in  the  city  he  still  holds  his  farm.  He  has  always  taken 
a  lively  interest  in  public  affairs  and  for  27  years  has  been  a  member  of  the 
School  Board  of  Topeka  township. 

On  September  12,  1864,  Mr.  Sutherin  married  Isabel  Douglas,  who  was 
also  a  native  of  Northumberland  County,  England.  She  died  in  1896,  leav- 
ing eight  children,  viz :  Isabel,  wife  of  H.  E.  Shaffer,  of  the  plumbing  firm 
of  George  Sutherin  &  Company,  of  Topeka;  Mary,  wife  of  William  H. 
Hunter  of  Bloomington,  Illinois;  George  W.,  a  master  plumber  in  business 
at  No.  107  East  Fifth  street,  Topeka;  Martin;  Annie,  wife  of  Cal  Zin,  of 
Dover,  Shawnee  County;  Sadie,  wife  of  E.  W.  Pinkerton,  of  Los  Angeles, 
California;  John,  who  conducts  the  home  farm;  and  Maggie. 

Mr.  Sutherin  is  one  of  the  leading  members  and  a  trustee  of  the  Low- 
man  Hill  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Fraternally  he  is  a  Master  Mason, 
a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen  and  for  the  past  31 
years  has  been  an  Odd  Fellow.  He  is  a  man  whose  sterling  character  is  gener- 
ally recognized  and  he  may  justly  be  numbered  with  the  representative  men  of 
Shawnee  County. 


RICHARD  DISNEY. 

Richard  Disney^  who  died  October  20,  1902,  was  one  of  the  leading 
farmers  and  highly  respected  men  of  Monmouth  township,  Shawnee  County, 
for  many  years  and  was  one  of  the  early  settlers,  coming  in  1856.  He  was 
born  June  7,  1824,  in  Maryland,  and  was  a  son  of  Mordecai  and  Axium 
Disney. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Disney  were  farming  people.  They  had  a  large 
family  consisting  of  eight  sons  and  twd  daughters,  the  only  two  to  come  to 
Kansas  being  our  subject  and  his  brother  William;  all  are  now  deceased, 
Richard,  the  eldest,  being  the  last  to  pass  away. 

From  Maryland,  Richard  Disney  went  with  his  parents  to  Ohio  and 
thence  to  Henderson  County,  Illinois,  being  about  15  years  old  at  this  time. 
He  lived  in  Illinois  until  1856,  when  he  came  to  Shawnee  County,  both  he 
and  his  brother  William  preempting  land  here  and  living  together.  He 
started  with  one  quarter-section  but  at  the  time  of  his  death  owned  362  J^ 
acres,  in  one  body  and  also  other  tracts.  He  was  a  large  cattleman  and  was 
accustomed  to  winter  100  head.    During  the  Civil  War  he  was  a  member  of 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  509 

the  State  militia  and  served  15  days  in  the  campaign  against  General  Price. 
Although  he  was  a  stanch  member  of  the  Republican  party,  he  never  wanted 
political  ofifice,  consenting  only  to  serve  on  the  School  Board. 

Mr.  Disney  was  first  married  to  Lavina  Anderson,  who  died  in  Illinois 
and  left  one  son,  Wesley,  who  is  a  resident  of  Chautauqua  County,  Kansas. 
On  July  19,  1857,  he  was  married,  second,  to  Angeline  Gregory,  who  was 
born  in  Muskingum  County,  Ohio,  December  21,  1828,  and  when  three  years 
old  accompanied  her  parents  to  Galena,  Illinois,  and  in  1856  came  with  her 
widowed  father  and  her  four  brothers  to  Kansas.  Her  parents  were  David 
and  Naomi  (Walters)  Gregory,  natives  of  Virginia  and  of  Ohio.  Of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Gregory's  10  children,  Joel,  the  eldest,  died  in  the  Mexican  War. 
Mrs.  Disney  was  next  oldest;  she  has  a  brother  in  Illinois  and  one  in  Cali- 
fornia. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Disney  had  eight  children,  three  of  whom  died  in  in- 
fancy, the  survivors  being :  Mary  Florence,  George  W.,  Charles  and  Clara  E. 
Julia  died  aged  14  years. 

Mr.  Disney  was  in  poor  health  for  some  years,  but  he  bore  his  afflictions 
with  patience.  He  had  always  been  careful  and  industrious  and  left  his 
family  a  large  and  valuable  property.  Mrs.  Disney  has  178  acres  and  -her  son 
Charles  has  the  remainder  of  the  estate.  It  is  well  cultivated  and  improved 
and  would  bring  a  high  price  in  the  market. 


STEPHEN  A.  BEDWELL,  JR. 

Stephen  A.  Bedwell^  Jr.,  owner  and  proprietor  of  the  Bedwell  Private 
Asylum,  which  is  a  beautifully  located  institution  in  the  eastern  limits  of 
Topeka,  is  a  gentleman  well  and  favorably  known  all  over  the  State.  Mr. 
Bedwell  was  born  in  1852,  in  Platte  County,  Missouri,  on  his  father's  farm 
which  extended  many  miles  and  was  bounded  by  the  Buchanan  County  line. 
He  is  a  son  of  the  late  Stephen  and  Christina  (Pennington)  Bedwell. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Bedwell  were  both  of  German  extraction  but  of 
Tennessee  birth.  They  subsequently  moved  to  Platte  County,  Missouri, 
where  the  father  successfully  engaged  in  farming  for  years,  but  spent  his  last 
years  in  honorable  retirement  at  Leavenworth,  Kansas,  where  his  death  took 
place  in  1891.  Of  the  family  of  six  sons  and  three  daughters,  four  sons 
and  two  daughters  still  survive.  Francis  Bedwell,  an  older  brother  of  our 
subject,  opened  a  private  asylum  at  Leavenworth,  which  was  the  first  institu- 
tion of  its  kind  in  the  State.  This  he  has  removed  to  Kansas  City  and  it  is 
the  best  equipped  and  most  modern  asylum  there. 

Our  subject  spent  his  boyhood  in  the  manner  of  farmer  boys,  the  sum- 


510  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

mers  claiming  his  time  on  the  farm  and  his  winters  being  spent  in  school. 
When  eight  years  old  he  went  to  Atchison  County,  Kansas,  and  had  the  ad- 
vantages afforded  by  the  Atchison  City  schools.  When  he  had  reached  his 
majority  he  was  employed  by  his  brother  who  was  interested  in  his  early 
asylum  projects,  and  it  was  through  the  experience  gained  there  that  the 
younger  brother  was  encouraged  to  open  a  like  institution  at  another  point. 
In  1889  he  moved  to  Shawnee  County  and  settled  in  North  Topeka,  opening 
up  a  small  asylum.  He  received  so  many  applications  from  patients  that  in 
1898  he  purchased  an  old  family  residence,  which  he  remodeled,  improved 
and  added  to  until  he  had  spent  fully  $7,000  in  making  it  what  it  is, — a  de- 
lightful spot  for  both  sick  and  well. 

The  Bedwell  Private  Asylum  is  beautifully  located  on  the  eastern  limits 
of  East  loth  avenue,  in  the  edge  of  Topeka  township.  In  1896  Mr.  Bedwell 
purchased  a  tract  of  10  acres,  then  but  partly  improved,  and  subsequently 
added  20  acres,  which  he  uses  for  gardening  purposes,  the  latter  tract  of  land 
being  valued  at  $200  an  acre.  The  asylum  proper  is  modern  throughout,  is 
heated  by  furnaces  and  private  water-works  insure  plenty  of  hot  and  cold 
water.  There  are  25  clean,  airy,  sanitary  rooms  at  all  time  ready  for  patients, 
and  Mr.  Bedwell  has  accommodated  as  many  as  52  and,  on  an  emergency, 
100  can  be  provided  for.  Beautiful  shade  trees  surround  the  institution  and 
every  medical  care  is  provided.  It  has  been  so  often  demonstrated  that  en- 
vironment has  so  much  to  do  with  cure,  that  medical  men  are  each  year 
insisting  more  and  more  on  just  such  conditions  as  can  be  found  at  the  Bed- 
well  Private  Asylum. 

Mr.  Bedwell  was  married  in  November,  1894  to  Ella  M.  Dibbell,  who 
belongs  to  a  very  prominent  family  of  Topeka.  She  was  born  in  New  York. 
They  have  three  children,  viz :  Mrs.  Leslie  Byers,  of  Topeka,  who  has  one 
daughter,  Oma;  and  Effa  and  Selina,  young  ladies  at  home. 

In  his  public  attitude,  Mr.  Bedwell  is  a  "good  roads  man."  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Fraternal  Aid.  For  a  number  of  years  he  has  been  a  member 
of  the  township  School  Board  and  is  generally  recognized  as  one  of  the  most 
public-spirited  as  well  as  substantial  men  of  his  locality. 


J.  W.  MAGILL 


J.  W.  Magill,  engineer  and  manufacturer,  who  is  closely  connected  with 
large  engineering  enterprises  south  of  Galveston,  Texas,  has  maintained  his 
beautiful  home  in  Topeka  since  1887.  He  was  born  in  1838  on  the  Hudson 
River,  at  Poughkeepsie,  New  York,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Sarah  Ann 
(Mulcox)  Magill. 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  511 

On  the  paternal  side  the  ancestry  is  Scotch  and  on  the  maternal  it  is 
English  and  Irish,  while  on  both  sides  the  families  have  been  engaged  in 
manufacturing.  The  Magill  family  controlled  the  manufacture  of  linen  at 
Glasgow,  Scotland,  prior  to  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  the  Mulcox  name  is 
connected  with  the  manufacture  of  the  famous  Cheshire  cheese  of  Chester, 
England. 

Our  subject  received  an  academic  education  in  New  York.  He  in- 
herited a  love  of  mechanics  in  which  he  took  four  years  of  training,  becoming 
a.  skilled  engineer,  and  through  experience  became  possessed  of  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  wool  and  cotton  manufacturing.  For  some  years  he  was 
■connected  with  the  largest  manufacturing  company  of  the  city  of  New  York, 
Garner  &  Company,  which  operated  factories,  in  which  7,000  looms  were  kept 
running.  Mr.  Magill  was  manager  of  a  plant  for  some  time  and  then  pur- 
chased it,  converting  it  into  a  factory  for  the  manufacture  of  merino  and  knit 
underwear.  He  continued  the  operation  of  this  immense  industry  until  1887, 
when  his  wife's  failing  health  caused  him  to  seek  a  home  in  another  climate. 
Topeka  being  the  advised  locality,  he  came  hither,  deciding  to  open  up  a 
large  manufacturing  business  here  which  would  give  employment  to  a  force 
•of  1,000  workmen.  He  drew  up  the  plans  and  specifications  and  subsequently 
erected  the  building,  but  just  at  this  time  the  panic  came  upon  Topeka' s  in- 
dustrial life  and  the  great  factory,  with  its  150  looms,  was  obliged  to  remain 
idle. 

Although  this  entailed  immense  financial  loss,  Mr.  Magill  had  ideas  and 
courage  left  and  turned  his  attention  to  other  enterprises.  He  became  in- 
terested in  Texas  land  and  was  assistant  under  Dr.  Savin  at  San  Antonio 
in  the  Texas  land  department.  Later  he  associated  himself  with  Col.  John 
Willett  in  the  construction  of  a  sea-wall  and  iron-pier  harbor  in  Southwestern 
Texas,  250  miles  south  of  Galveston,  and  since  the  death  of  Colonel  Willett 
has  continued  the  project  with  the  latter's  son.  They  are  much  interested  in 
securing  a  much  needed  harbor  and  have  bright  prospects. 

Mr.  Magill  has  never  sought  political  honors,  although  he  has  been  on 
friendly  terms  with  many  men  in  public  life,  one  of  these  being  the  present 
honored  President  of  the  United  States.  In  1861  he  assisted  in  raising  Com- 
pany B,  57th  Reg.,  New  York  Vol.  Inf.,  and  was  made  its  sergeant  but  did 
not  remain  long  on  the  field  as  he  contracted  rheumatism.  He  has  always 
been  known  as  a  patriotic,  outspoken,  loyal  citizen. 

At  Little  Falls,  New  York,  in  the  diocese  of  Bishop  Potter,  of  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  Mr.  Magill  was  married  by  Dr.  Rogers  to 
Maria  Cottam,  who  was  born  in  England  and  in  childhood  accompanied  her 
father,  Matthew  Cottam,  to  America.  He  was  an  English  manufacturer  and 
later  became  one  of  the  head  managers  of  Garner  &  Company,  of  New  York. 


512  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Six  daughters  and  three  sons  have  been  born  to  this  union.  Mrs.  Magill  has 
obtained  much  benefit  from  the  cHmate  of  Topeka  and  enjoys,  with  her  family, 
the  comforts  of  the  beautiful  home  at  No.  200  Western  avenue.  Mr.  Magill 
is  a  Knight  Templar  Mason.  The  family  belong  to  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church  and  are  members  of  the  congregation  of  Grace  Cathedral,  Topeka. 


PERRY  ELLIS  COOK. 

Perry  Ellis  Cook,  contractor,  is  a  citizen  of  Topeka,  who  has  watched 
his  city  develop  from  almost  a  village  into  a  beautiful  and  well-regulated 
capital  city.  He  was  born  in  Indiana  and  is  a  son  of  Oscar  and  Charity 
(Wiley)    Cook,  residents  of  Brownsburg,   Indiana. 

The  ancestors  of  Mr.  Cook  date  back  to  the  early  settlers  around  Seneca, 
New  York,  from  which  section  his  grandfather  migrated  to  Boone  County, 
Indiana,  when  that  locality  was  one  vast  forest.  He  was  accompanied  by  his 
son  Oscar,  who  was  born  at  Seneca,  in  March,  1823,  and  now  resides  with  a 
daughter  within  six  miles  of  where  his  father  settled  in  his  boyhood.  For 
generations  back  the  family  have  followed  agricultural  pursuits.  Mr.  Cook's 
mother  came  from  an  old  and  distinguished  Kentucky  family,  all  of  whom 
were  land-owners.  Of  the  immediate  family,  four  brothers  and  one  sister 
still  survive.  They  are  scattered,  living  in  Indianapolis,  Central  Iowa, 
Chicago,  Jefferson  County,  Iowa,  and  Brownsburg,  Indiana. 

Perry  Ellis  Cook  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm  and  attended  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  county.  At  the  age  of  17  years  he  left  home  and  went 
to  Iowa,  having  previously  learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  which  he  has  fol- 
lowed more  or  less  ever  since.  After  his  marriage,  which  took  place  in  Iowa, 
he  returned  home  for  a  visit  and  remained  a  year,  but  in  1884  he  decided  to 
locate  permanently  in  the  West,  and  accompanied  by  his  wife,  came  to  Topeka. 
Here  he  found  a  fine  opening  in  his  trade  and  he  continued  to  follow  it  until 
1900,  when  he  entered  contracting  and  now  has  a  well-established  business 
in  that  line.  He  has  not  only  witnessed  the  erection  of  all  of  the  important 
buildings  here,  but  he  has  put  up  many  of  them  himself,  notably  the  Com- 
mercial Hotel  and  the  annex  to  the  Keith-Rhodes  Hospital  and  Sanitarium. 
The  greater  bulk  of  his  work  has  been,  however,  the  erection  of  fine  resi- 
dences, his  own  being  a  good  example, — a  very  attractive  home  situated  in 
East  Hill  Addition. 

Mr.  Cook  married,  when  a  resident  of  Iowa,  a  young  lady  named  Randa 
Conger,  who  was  born  in  Illinois,  but  whose  home  had  been  in  Marshall 


ROBERT    BROWN    GEMMELL 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  515 

County,  Iowa,  since  she  was  a  year  and  a  half  old.  A  family  of  four  children 
have  been  added  to  the  happy  family  circle,  namely:  Wilbur,  aged  19  years; 
Blanche,  aged  16;  Perry  Ellis,  Jr.,  aged   13;  and  Herbert,  aged   11. 

Mr.  Cook  is  a  man  of  social  nature  and  enjoys  membership  in  several 
fraternal  organizations,  among  which  are  the  Odd  Fellows,  the  Eagles  and 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  He  is  a  self-made  man  and  has  met  with 
the  greater  part  of  his  business  success  since  coming  to  Kansas.  He  reached 
Topeka,  which  was  then  unpaved  and  even  wanted  sewerage,  with  a  capital 
of  $25.  This  has  been  turned  over  many  times  and  that  he  is  now  in  the 
enjoyment  of  ample  means  is  but  the  natural  result  of  his  industry  and  enter- 
prise. 


ROBERT  BROWN  GEMMELL 

Robert  Brown  Gemmell,  deceased,  whose  portrait  is  herewith  shown, 
served  for  many  years  as  superintendent  of  telegraph  for  the  Atchison,  To- 
peka &  Santa  Fe  Railway  Company  and  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  and 
public-spirited  men  of  Topeka. 

Mr.  Gemmell  was  born  in  Greensburg,  Pennsylvania,  April  27,  1839, 
and  was  a  son  of  James  and  Nancy  (Brown)  Gemmell.  His  father  was  a 
native  of  Scotland  and  there  learned  the  trade  of  a  marble  cutter,  becoming 
an  expert  in  that  line.  To  James  and  Nancy  (Brown)  Gemmell  were  bom 
seven  children,  of  whom  four  grew  to  maturity,  namely :  Robert  Brown, 
our  subject;  Mrs.  John  D.  Gill,  of  Greensburg,  Pennsylvania;  Mrs.  Mary 
Aiken,  of  New  Castle,  Pennsylvania ;  and  Anna,  of  Greensburg,  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

Robert  B.  Gemmell  was  reared  and  educated  in  his  native  town,  and  at 
the  age  of  15  years  began  his  railroad  career  as  an  operator  on  the  Penn- 
sylvania Railroad.  For  five  years  he  worked  in  this  service,  then  in  1859 
was  appointed  division  operator  of  the  road,  in  which  capacity  he  served  two 
years.  He  was  next  appointed  chief  clerk  to  the  superintendent  of  the  mid- 
dle division  of  the  Pennsylvania  road.  An  example  of  the  confidence  im- 
posed in  him  by  his  employers  was  shown  when  he  held  this  position.  He 
was  given  entire  charge  of  the  wire  of  the  special  train  which  conveyed  Presi- 
dent Abraham  Lincoln  from  Harrisburg  to  Philadelphia  on  the  night  of 
February  22,  1861,  while  on  his  journey  to  Washington  to  take  his  seat  as 
President.  In  1863  he  was  appointed  trainmaster  of  the  middle  division  of 
the  road  with  headquarters  at  Altoona,  Pennsylvania.  He  resigned  this 
position  in  October,  1866,  to  come  to  Kansas,  where  he  accepted  the  position 

25 


5i6  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

of  chief  clerk  and  general  superintendent  of  telegraph  of  the  Kansas  Pa- 
cific road,  now  the  Union  Pacific.  He  afterwards  became  general  freight 
and  ticket  agent  of  the  road.  For  one  year  he  was  superintendent  of  the 
Lawrence  &  Southwestern  road.  In  1875  he  became  connected  with  the 
general  freight  department  of  the  Santa  Fe  road  as  chief  clerk,  a  position 
he  filled  for  three  years.  On  July  i,  1878,  he  was  appointed  superintendent 
of  telegraph,  serving  as  such,  thereafter,  until  his  death.  While  acting  in 
this  capacity  his  jurisdiction  extended  over  6,230  miles,  including  the  tele- 
graph lines  along  the  Santa  Fe;  Gulf,  Colorado  &  Santa  Fe;  Wichita  & 
Western;  New  Mexico  &  Arizona;  L.  T.  &  S.  W.,  and  M.  A.  &  B.  roads. 
He  was  also  joint  superintendent  of  the  railroad  and  Western  Union  tele- 
graph lines,  which  were  owned  jointly  by  the  two  companies.  He  had  charge 
of  the  commercial  telegraph  business  and  all  agents  on  the  railway  lines  re- 
ported to  his  office,  from  which'  the  proportion  of  the  Western  Union  business 
was  forwarded  to  the  proper  officers  and  managers. 

Aside  from  his  laborious  railroad  duties,  Mr.  Gemmell  took  a  great 
interest  in  local  matters,  his  work  being  principally  in  the  affairs  of  the 
church.  He  was  one  of  the  oldest  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
in  which  he  held  numerous  offices,  being  an  elder  at  the  time  of  death. 
From  1881  to  1891,  he  was  president  of  the  Topeka  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  having 
been  one  of  the  most  active  in  its  organization.  From  1882  to  1887,  he  was 
chairman  of  the  State  committee  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  and  in  January,  1896, 
was  elected  chairman  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  Railroad  Y.  M.  C.  A. 

Robert  Brown  Gemmell  died  September  14,  1896,  after  an  illness  of 
three  weeks.  He  first  fell  a  victim  to  the  ills  of  malarial  fever,  which  de- 
veloped into  typhoid,  then  into  hypostatic  pneumonia,  dying  from  a  compli- 
cation of  these  diseases.  The  following  quotation  from  the  Topeka  Daily 
Capital  is  an  estimate  of  his  worth  in  the  community  and  the  high  regard  in 
which  he  was  held : 

"Only  those  who  knew  Mr.  Gemmell  well  can  fully  appreciate  the  full 
beauty  of  his  character  and  the  worth  of  his  life.  Few  there  are  who  c^re 
to  work  as  he  did;  few  there  are  who  are  fitted  for  such  work.  Unselfish- 
ness is  always  the  keystone  of  such  a  character  and  it  is  upon  these  charac- 
ters that  Christianity  has  always  relied  for  support.  It  seems  unfortunate 
that  such  a  man  as  Mr.  Gemmell  should  not  be  permitted  to  live  out  the  full 
measure  of  years.  The  many  he  has  befriended  will  now  miss  him;  those 
have  made  a  practice  of  seeking  him  for  religious  comfort  will  mourn  their 
loss ;  and  his  own  loved  family  and  dear  friends  in  their  grief  c.n  only 
be  consoled  bv  the  insnirin?-  memory  of  the  man  snd  his  work,  memories  that 
must  live.  During  Mr.  Gemmell's  residence  in  Topeka  he  exerted  a  won- 
derful influence  in  the  work  of  Christianity.     In  him  the  church  Ijad  a  vigor- 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS  -51; 

•ous  and  conscientious  worker,  a  man  who  never  tired  in  the  tasl<  of  bring- 
ing sunshine  into  the  hves  of  those  who  are  walking  in  the  shadow.  And 
the  young  men  of  Topeka,  among  whom  he  ahvays  dehghted  to  work,  owe 
him  a  debt  of  gratitude  they  can  only  pay  by  emulating  his  beautiful  ex- 
ample.    This  was  the  only  compensation  he  ever  asked  while  living." 

Robert  B.  Gemmell  left  a  wife  and  three  children,  the  latter  being  as 
follows:  ^lary,  wife  of  Arthur  Adams,  of  Alameda,  Califprnia;  Robert, 
of  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah;  and  Lillian,  wife  of  Herbert  S.  Boal,  of  Citronelle, 
Alabama.  Mr.  Gemmell  was  the  owner  of  considerable  real  estate  in  Topeka. 
In  addition  to  the  home  on  East  Eighth  avenue,  he  possessed  lots  on  Topeka 
avenue  and  in  other  sections  in  the  city.  His  was  a  well-rounded  life.  He 
was  a  successful  business  man,  a  public-spirited  citizen  and  a  most  devoted 
.and  loving  husband  and  father. 


BENJAMIN   FRANKLIN   DAWSON. 

Benjamin  Franklin  Dawson^  one  of  the  most  highly  considered  resi- 
■dents  of  Shawnee  County,  came  to  Topeka  township  when  the  surrounding 
prairies  were  almost  trackless  wastes  of  waving  grass  and  the  woods  were 
thickets  of  untouched  growths  of  tree  and  bramble.  Mr.  Dawson  was  born 
.at  Terre  Haute,  Indiana,  December  2,  1828,  and  was  taken  to  Edgar  County, 
Illinois,  when  two  years  old.  He  is  a  son  of  Thomas  W.  and  Nancy 
(Milligan)  Dawson. 

Isaac  Dawson,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Virginia  and 
was  a  pioneer  in  Kentucky.  Thom.as  W.  Dawson,  the  father,  was  born  in 
Kentucky,  married  in  Ohio,  moved  as  a  very  early  settler  to  Edgar  County, 
Illinois,  and  took  part  in  the  Black  Hawk  War.  Both  he  and  his  wife  died 
in  Topeka.  The  family  consisted  of  eight  members,  our  subject  being  the 
■oldest.  The  others  were :  James  M.,  deceased ;  Mrs.  Eliza  J.  Browning,  of 
■Oklahoma ;  Mary,  who  died  in  Edgar  County,  Illinois ;  Emma,  who  died  in 
Topeka ;  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Lesley,  a  resident  of  Kansas ;  and  Newton  and  Milli- 
gan, both  deceased. 

Benjamin  F.  Dawson  remained  on  the  home  farm  in  Illinois  until  1855, 
when  he  joined  his  brother,  James  M.,  on  an  expedition  to  Kansas.  At  that 
time  no  great  lines  of  transportation  made  the  trip  easy  and  expeditious.  The 
brothers,  well  provisioned,  started  from  the  old  homestead  with  a  wagon  and 
good  team,  and  covered  the  distance  to  Shawnee  County  in  three  weeks.  As 
they  had  been  led  to  expect,  the  brothers  found  much  of  the  country  un- 


5i8  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

cleared,  Topeka  but  a  hamlet,  Leavenworth  the  nearest  market  and  Tecumseli 
the  closest  trading  place.  Our  subject  soon  preempted  his  present  farm,  the 
southwest  quarter  of  section  27,  township  11,  range  16,  two-thirds  of  which 
was  brush  and  timber.  A  former  settler,  Isaac  Edwards,  had  erected  a  cabin 
16  by  18  feet  in  dimensions,  and  the  brothers  lived  in  this  during  their  first 
Kansas  winter.  Although  public  questions  were  beginning  to  be  agitated  in 
the  State,  the  clearing,  improving  and  cultivation  of  the  farm  kept  the  subject 
of  this  sketch  ^•ery  much  occupied  and  until  the  actual  outbreak  of  hostilities 
at  the  opening  of  the  Civil  War,  he  industriously  raised  his  grain  and  dis- 
posed of  it  at  Leavenworth.  He  well  recalls  the  troubles  incident  to  the 
admission  of  Kansas  as  a  Free  State  and  was  an  eye  witness  of  some  of  the 
political  encounters  at  Lawrence.  When  General  Price  invaded  Kansas,  he 
enHsted  in  the  State  militia  under  Captain  Huntoon  and  Colonel  Veale  and 
was  with  the  troops  sent  out  to  check  Price's  advance  to  Kansas  City.  At 
the  famous  battle  of  the  Blue  he  was  made  a  prisoner,  but  was  soon  paroled. 
During  the  whole  of  the  war  he  was  in  close  sympathy  with  the  Union  forces. 

With  the  exception  of  three  years  during  which  he  conducted  a  meat 
market,  in  partnership  with  Jacob  Awark,  at  Topeka,  Mr.  Dawson  has  always 
resided  on  his  farm,  which  he  has  brought  to  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 
Formerly  he  raised  each  year  a  large  number  of  cattle,  hogs  and  horses  al- 
though he  has  always  considered  his  land  best  adapted  to  the  growing  of 
grain.  The  Dawson  farm  is  one  which  is  justly  noted  for  its  production 
of  fine  fruit.  Mr.  Dawson  early  made  a  specialty  of  setting  out  orchards, 
making  careful  selections  as  to  climate  and  culture,  and  has  produced  probably 
as  fine  apples,  peaches  and  cherries  as  can  be  found  in  the  State.  Some  24 
years  ago  he  erected  his  present  beautiful  brick  residence,  just  outside  the  city- 
limits.  It  is  located  in  the  midst  of  a  well-kept  lawn  and  presents  a  very 
attractive  appearance. 

Mr.  Dawson  was  married  at  Topeka  to  Susan  M.  Wade,  who  was  born 
in  1843,  i"  Illinois,  and  came  to  Shawnee  County  with  her  parents  in  1856. 
They  have  six  children,  namely :  Carrie  and  Mary,  both  at  home ;  Mrs.  Emma 
Lanham,  of  Chicago ;  Mrs.  Julia  Gallagher,  of  Topeka ;  William,  a  farmer  of 
Topeka  township ;  and  Franklin,  of  Oakland,  Topeka.  Mr.  Dawson  and 
family  belong  to  the  Third  Presbyterian  Church  of  Topeka. 

Mr.  Dawson,  coming  of  Southern  ancestry,  was  reared  a  Democrat,  but 
for  many  years  has  been  identified  with  the  Republican  party.  He  has  always' 
taken  more  or  less  interest  in  public  matters  and  performs  every  duty  of  a 
representative  citizen.  Owing  to  the  fact  that  his  health  has  been  delicate 
during  recent  years,  he  has  spent  several  seasons  at  Los  Angeles,  California. 
He  has  read  freely,  traveled  considerably,  has  a  wide  range  of  information 
and  is  especially  well  posted  on  the  interesting  early  days  in  Kansas.     Time 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITiZExXo.  519 

has  dealt  very  gently  with  him  and  he  bears  his  'jj  years  with  the  appearance 
of  a  much  younger  man.  Scarcely  any  resident  is  better  known  in  this  locality 
than  Mr.  Dawson  and  very  few  are  held  in  higher  esteem. 


JOSEPH   H.   SKINNER. 

Joseph  H.  Skinner,  who  operates  an  extensive  nursery  in  Soldier  town- 
ship, Shawnee  County,  is  afi  experienced  man  in  this  business,  having  devoted 
himself  to  this  line  of  work  all  his  life.  He  was  born  September  12,  185 1,  at 
Troy,  Ohio,  and  is  a  son  of  Elias  and  Martha  J.  (Orbison)  Skinner. 

He  came  to  Topeka  from  Troy,  Ohio,  in  1890,  and  engaged  in  a  nursery 
business  with  two  partners  under  the  firm  name  of  Taylor,  Peters  &  Skinner. 
The  partnership  continued  for  three  years.  Mr.  Taylor  then  retired  from  the 
firm  to  operate  a  nursery  of  his  own,  and  the  firm  style  then  became  Peters 
&  Skinner. 

Mr.  Skinner  was  married  December  2,  1875,  to  Lizzie  O.  Leaf,  and  they 
have  five  children :  Sue,  wife  of  E.  E.  Olinger ;  Ralph  E.  and  George  M., 
who  are  employed  on  the  home  farm;  and  Nellie  S.  and  Alice  E.,  who  are 
■students  attending  the  Topeka  High  School.  Mr.  Skinner  and  family  belong 
-to  the  Presbyterian  Church.    Politically  he  is  a  stanch  Republican. 


HON.   MATTHEW  THOMPSON  CAMPBELL. 

Hon.  Matthew  Thompson  Campbell,  an  attorney  of  Topeka,  has 
resided  in  this  city  continuously  since  1872.  He  was  born  at  Bloomington, 
Indiana,  May  2,  1846,  and  is  a  son  of  Matthew  M.  and  Martha  (McPherters) 
Campbell.  His  grandfather,  Arthur  Lee  Campbell,  was  the  owner  of  a  great 
tract  of  land  in  Kentucky,  where  the  city  of  Louisville  now  stands,  and  was 
a  warm  friend  of  President  Andrew  Jackson,  with  whom  he  used  to  correspond 
relative  to  Lidian  affairs. 

Matthew  M.  Campbell,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Tennessee  and 
upon  reaching  manhood's  estate  went  to  Indiana.  There  he  attended  and 
graduated  at  the  State  University  at  Bloomington,  and  afterward  taught  the 
languages  in  that  institution  for  a  period  of  15  years.  He  with  his  family 
came  West  to  Kansas  in  i860  as  agent  for  the  American  Bible  Society, 
visiting  every  house  in  the  State.  He  returned  to  Indiana  in  1862  and  served 
as  county  superintendent  of  public  instruction  for  a  number  of  years.     He 


S20  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

was  also  chaplain  in  the  army  in  the  Civil  War.  He  again  came  to  Kansas- 
in  the  later  days  of  1880  and  located  with  the  subject  of  our  sketch  at  Topeka, 
where  his  wife  died  in  1881.  He  attained  wide  prominence  as  an  educator, 
corresponding  with  educators  all  over  the  world,  and  contributed  many 
articles  for  educational  journals.  His  death  occurred  in  December,  1897, 
and  he  lies  buried  by  the  side  of  his  wife  in  the  Topeka  Cemetery.  In  politics 
he  was  a  Republican  and  a  strong  temperance  advocate. 

Matthew  Thompson  Campbell  first  came  to  Topeka  in  i860  with  the  rest 
of  the  family,  but  in  a  few  years  returned  East  to  take  a  course  in  Eastman's. 
Business  College  at  Poughkeepsie,  New  York.  He  experienced  a  change  of 
mind  as  to  his  career  in  business  and  decided  to  enter  the  legal  profession. 
He  entered  the  University  of  Indiana,  and  after  graduation  in  1869  came 
West  to  Atchison  County,  Kansas,  reading  law  in  the  office  of  Hubbard  & 
Glenn  for  two  years.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  Atchison  under  Judge 
Nathan  Price,  and  immediately  thereafter  began  the  practice  of  the  law  at 
Waterville,  Marshall  County,  Kansas.  In  December,  1872,  he  came  to  Topeka 
where  he  has  since  practiced  his  profession.  He  has  the  confidence  and  esteem, 
of  a  large  clientage,  as  well  as  of  the  general  public.  He  is  a  Republican  in 
politics,  and  in  1876-77  represented  the  district  north  of  the  Kansas  River  in 
the  State  Legislature.  He  has  also  served  as  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
Education  of  Topeka.    He  maintains  his  office  at  No.  531  Kansas  avenue. 

On  September  3,  1871,  Mr.  Campbell  was  united  in  marriage  with  Louise 
Adams  at  Waterville,  Kansas.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Henry  J.  Adams,  who 
was  the  first  Free-State  mayor  of  Leavenworth  and  was  one  of  the  leaders  of 
his  party.  His  brother,  Franklin  G.  Adams,  a  very  prominent  man,  was 
graduated  from  Cincinnati  College  in  1852,  and  in  1858  was  made  probate 
judge  of  Atchison  County,  Kansas.  In  1861  he  was  appointed  register  of  the 
United  States  Land  Office  by  President  Lincoln,  and  in  1865  was  appointed 
United  States  Indian  agent.  In  1864,  he  established  the  Atchison  Daily  and 
Weekly  Free  Press,  and  was  later  proprietor  of  the  Waterville  Telegraph. 
In  1876  he  became  first  secretary  of  the  State  Historical  Society,  and  held  that 
office  many  years  and  until  his  death.  On  September  29,  1855,  he  married 
Harriet  E.  Clark.  Henry  J.  Adams  married  Abbie  R.  Gibson,  whose  sister 
married  the  noted  sculptor,  Hiram  Powers. 

Our  subject  and  his  wife  became  the  parents  of  six  children,  as  follows  v 
Annie,  who  married  J.  E.  Griest,  of  Ellis,  Kansas,  now  chief  clerk  of  the 
Western  Division  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad,  and  has  three  children : 
Theodore  Reed  Griest,  aged  six  years,  Louise,  aged  four  years,  and  John 
Mendleson,  aged  two  years ;  Arthur  Lee,  the  second,  child  born  to  our  sub- 
ject and  his  wife,  who  was  named  after  his  paternal  grandfather;  Florence- 
Powers    (named  after  the  daughter  of  Hiram   Powers,   above  mentioned"). 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  521 

who  is  now  acting  as  her  father's  stenographer;  George  M.  (who  is  a  soph- 
more  at  Washburn  College  and  is  greatly  interested  in  scientific  works).; 
Eugene  Dunlap,  a  freshman  at  Washburn  College,  who  was  named  after 
Rev.  Eugene  Dunlap,  a  great  and  personal  friend  of  Mr.  Campbell,  being  at 
Eugene's  birth  pastor  of  the  North  Congregational  Church  at  Topeka  but 
now  a  resident  of  Chicago;  and  Donald  Adams  (who  takes  his  mother's  family 
name),  who  is  attending  Topeka  High  School.  The  family  are  members  of 
the  Congregational  Church  of  Topeka.  Their  residence  is  in  the  First  Ward 
of  the  city. 


C.   F.   MENNINGER,  M.  D. 

C.  F.  Menninger,  M.  D.,  one  of  the  leading  professional  men  of 
Topeka,  president  of  the  Board  of  Health  and  officially  connected  with  num- 
erous medical  and  charitable  institutions  in  this  city,  was  born  July  11,  1862, 
in  Indiana. 

After  completing  the  public  school  course  in  his  native  place,  he  came 
under  the  personal  instruction  of  Rev.   Richard  Totten   for  three  years,  a 
period  that  the  Doctor  considers  a  very  valuable  portion  of  his  life.     He  then 
entered  Central  Normal  School,  Danville,  Indiana,  where  he  was  graduated 
with  the  degree  of  B.  S.    Then  entering  Campbell  University  at  Holton,  Kan- 
sas, he  secured  his  degree  of  Master  of  Arts  and  in  1889,  at  Hahnemann 
Medical  College  and  Hospital,  Chicago,  he  was  graduated  in  medicine.     His 
locating  at  Topeka  was  the  result  of  his  having  spent  the  summer  vacation 
of  1887  and  1888  here.    In  1889  he  decided  to  make  this  city  the  scene  of  his 
professional  work.    In  1891  he  opened  an  office  in  the  front  part  of  the  build- 
ing at  No.  727  Kansas  avenue,  but  he  subsequently  changed  to  the  rear  rooms 
on  the  same  floor,  where  he  could  have  an  abundance  of  light.     He  is  cen- 
trally located  and  has  a  comfortable,   convenient  and  well-equipped  set  of 
apartments.     He  is  a  general  practitioner  and  is  also  a  member  of  the  staff 
of  Christ's   Hospital,   having  charge  of  the  obstetrical   work.      He  is  also 
president  of  the  Board  of  Health,  cx-ofRcio  president  of  the  Board  of  Plumb- 
ing Examiners,  and  a  member  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  Topeka 
Orphans'  Home.     He  is  also  physician  for  the  Lutheran  Orphans  Asylum. 
In  1885  Dr.  Menninger  was  married  to  Flo  V.  Knisely,  and  they  have 
three  sons,  viz :  Carl  A.,  Edwin  A.  and  William  Clair.    Their  beautiful  home 
is  situated  at  No.  125 1  Topeka  avenue.     Mrs.  Menninger  is  well  known  in 
Topeka  as  a  lady  of  culture  and  one  whose  study  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  has 
made  a  great  demand  upon  her  as  a  teacher.     She  now  devotes  a  large  part 


522  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

of  her  time  to  teaching  the  Bible,  two  days  of  the  week  being  entirely  given 
up  to  her  large  classes,  among  which  are  numbered  200  of  the  ladies  of  Topeka. 
Mrs.  Menninger  is  gifted  with  a  clear  understanding  and  the  faculty  of  im- 
parting know'ledge. 

Dr.  Menninger  belongs  to  numerous  medical  organizations,  including 
the  Kansas  State  and  the  Missouri  Valley  homeopathic  medical  associations, 
and  the  American  Institute  of  Homeopathy, — the  national  body  of  that 
school.  He  is  a  member  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the  Free  Public  Library 
and  of  the  Academy  of  Science.  His  fraternal  connection  is  with  the  Ancient 
Order  of  United  Workmen.  He  is  a  member  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church 
and  the  chorister  of  the  Sunday-school.  This  brings  us  to  note  the  Doctor's 
love  for  and  proficiency  in  music.  If  he  has  any  other  hobby,  it  is  the  culture 
of  lilies.  When  relieved  from  professional  cares,  he  is  very  apt  to  be  found 
absorbed  in  finding  new  beauties  in  his  valuable  collection  of  choice  flowers, 
or  in  the  enjoyment  of  musical  compositions,  either  in  his  own  refined  home 
or  elsewhere.  The  pursuit  of  these  tastes  serve  to  relieve  the  mental  strain 
and  physical  weariness  which  attend,  more  or  less,  the  life  of  every  faithful 
physician. 


WILLIAM   R.   FISH. 

William  R.  Fish,  deceased,  was  formerly  one  of  the  prominent  business 
men  and  substantial  citizens  of  Topeka.  Mr.  Fish  was  born  March  6,  1843, 
at  Dupont,  Jefferson  County,  Indiana,  and  was  a  son  of  Marshall  and  Sarah 
C.  (Abbott)  Fish.  On  the  paternal  side  the  family  ancestry  reached  to  the 
pioneers  of  Kentucky.    On  the  maternal  side  the  ancestry  was  Irish. 

The  Fish  family  removed  to  Illinois  during  our  subject's  boyhood  and  he 
attended  the  public  schools  of  Marion  County.  When  18  years  of  age,  he 
went  to  Chicago  where  he  enlisted  for  service  in  the  Civil  War,  entering 
Company  G,  88th  Reg.,  Illinois  Vol.  Inf.  He  served  through  the  war,  par- 
ticipating in  18  serious  engagements  and  many  skirmishes,  but  surviving 
all  dangers  and  returning  safely  home,  with  a  soldier's  honors,  in  1865. 
In  1881  he  established  himself  in  the  cofifee  and  tea  business  at  Topeka,  where 
he  prospered  and  gained  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  his  fellow  citizens. 
His  death  took  place  in  June,  1891,  as  the  result  of  a  lamentable  railway 
accident. 

Mr.  Fish  was  married  in  1870,  at  Kinmundy,  Illinois,  to  Sarah  E.  Nevill, 
who  is  a  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Elizabeth  (Fuell)  Nevill,  natives  of  Ken- 
tucky. They  had  two  children,  viz :    William  R. ;  and  Kitty  M.,  who  died 


PHILIP  KECK 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  525 

aged  three  years.  Mrs.  Fish  and  son  reside  in  their  handsome  home  at  No. 
411  Greenwood  avenue,  Potwin  Place.  Mr.  Fish  was  fraternally  associated 
with  the  Knights  of  Honor  and  the  National  Union. 


PHILIP   KECK. 

Philip  Keck,  a  prosperous  farmer  of  Auburn  township,  owns  a  fine 
farm  of  160  acres  in  section  20,  township  13,  range  14,  on  which  he  re- 
sides, and  a  nearby  tract  of  160  acres  which  he  uses  in  grain  farming  and 
■stock-raising.  Mr.  Keck  was  born  May  i,  1840,  in  Wittenberg,  Germany, 
and  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Mary  (Hoover)  Keck. 

The  father  of  our  subject  died  on  his  farm  in  Germany,  and  the  mother 
and  her  children  came  to  America  and  settled  in  Ohio.  She  died  in  Kan- 
sas, aged  66  years.  The  family  consisted  of  four  children :  John,  who  died 
in  Darke  County,  Ohio;  Jacob,  of  Oakland,  California;  Mrs.  Kate  Franklin, 
who  died  at  Topeka;  and  Philip,  of  this  sketch. 

Our  subject  was  five  years  old  when  his  mother  took  passage  for  her- 
self and  family  on  the  sailing  vessel  "George  Washington,"  landing  at  the 
port  of  New  York  31  days  later.  The  destination  of  the  family  was  Darke 
County,  Ohio,  and  almost  the  whole  of  the  journey  was  made  by  boat,  three 
months  elapsing  from  the  time  the  little  party  left  Germany  until  the  new 
home  was  reached.  Here,  surrounded  by  many  hardships,  Mr.  Keck  grew  to 
sturdy  young  manhood.  When  the  Civil  War  broke  out,  he  felt  it  his  duty  to 
assist  in  supporting  the  government  of  the  country  which  had  extended  so 
cordial  a  welcome  and  provided  so  desirable  a  home,  and  on  September  10, 
1861,  he  enlisted  for  three  years  in  Company  K,  34th  Reg.,  Ohio  Vol.  Inf., 
under  Captain  Smiley  and  Col.  Don  Piatt.  The  history  of  this  famous 
regiment  is  incorporated  in  the  records  of  State  and  Union,  and  during  its 
years  of  notable  service,  no  more  faithful  soldier  was  found  than  Philip 
Keck.  Much  of  the  service  of  this  regiment  was  in  the  mountains  of  West 
Virginia  and  the  34th  Ohio  won  as  honorable  a  position  as  any  other  regi- 
ment and  was  one  of  the  victorious  ones  at  the  battle  of  Winchester  under 
General  Sheridan.  Mr.  Keek's  term  of  service  expired  just  after  the  battles  of 
Winchester  and  Cedar  Creek  and  he  was  honorably  discharged  in  1864. 

After  the  close  of  his  army  service,  Mr.  Keck  returned  to  Ohio  and 
•continued,  to  farm  there  until  1868,  when  he  came  to  Kansas,  accompanied 
by  his  wife  and  two  children.  He  located  in  Auburn  township,  Shawnee 
County,  where  he  bought  160  acres  in  section  19,  township  13,  range  14, 
30  acres  of  which  had  been  broken.     On  the  property  stood  a  log  cabin. 


526  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

which  sufficed  for  a  shelter  until  he  could  build  a  comfortable  house.  la 
1897  he  purchased  the  farm  on  which  he  now  resides.  The  land  is  all  in  one 
body  and  makes  one  of  the  finest  farms  in  his  section  of  the  county. 

Mr.  Keck  was  married  Augiist  20,  1865,  to  Charity  M.  Reed,  who  was 
born  in  Darke  County,  Ohio,  March  26,  1844,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Allen 
and  Mary  (Wood)  Reed,  natives  of  Ohio.  They  have  had  10  children,  of 
whom  Benjamin  died  at  the  age  of  three  years,  and  Martha,  at  the  age  of 
three  months.  The  survivors  are :  William  J.,  who  owns  a  fine  farm  near 
his  father;  Maria  Belle,  who  is  the  wife  of  Michael  Boley,  of  Topeka  town- 
ship ;  Ida,  who  is  the  wife  of  William  Snyder,  of  Auburn  township ;  Allen,  a 
farmer  of  Auburn  township;  J.  Noah,  Frank  and  Minnie,  who  live  at  home;, 
and  John,  who  married  Meryl  Cofifman.  Mr.  Keck  is  proud  of  his  19  grand- 
children, all  of  whom  do  him  credit. 

Mr.  Keck  cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for  Lincoln  and  has  always- 
been  a  Republican.  He  is  a  justice  of  the  peace  in  Auburn  township,  and 
for  15  years  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  School  Board,  during  which  period 
the  present  fine  school  building  has  been  erected.  He  has  been  a  member 
of  Lincoln  Post,  No.  i,  G.  A.  R.,  at  Topeka,  for  many  years  and  is  honored 
there  as  a  worthy  comrade.  For  the  past  27  years  he  has  been  a  deacon  in 
the  Wakarusa  Valley  Congregational  Church.  Mr.  Keck  is  widely  known 
and  commands  the  respect,  as  he  enjoys  the  esteem,  of  his  fellow-citizens,, 
his  neighbors  and  his  family.  A  portrait  of  Mr.  Keck  accompanies  this- 
sketch,  being  presented  on  a  foregoing  page  in  proximity  tO'  this. 


CHARLES  J.  AYE. 

Charles  J.  Aye,  one  of  the  well-known,  responsible  men  and  good 
farmers  of  Tecumseh  township,  Shawnee  County,  who  resides  in  section  19, 
township  12,  range  17,  where  he  owns  85  acres  of  excellent  land,  is  also  one 
of  the  old  soldiers  who  survived  the  dangers  and  hardships  of  the  Civil  War 
in  which  he  took  an  honorable  part.  ^^Tr.  Aye  was  born  February  6,  1842,  in 
Vermilion  County,  Indiana,  and  is  a  son  of  George  D.  and  Anna  Elizabeth 
^Jordan)   Aye. 

Jacob  Aye,  the  grandfather  of  Charles  J.,  was  born  in  Germany  and 
came  to  the  United  States  and  settled  in  Maryland,  but  later  went  to  Vir- 
ginia, where  George  D.  Aye  was  born.  On  the  maternal  side,  the  family 
was  an  early  one  to  settle  in  this  portion  of  Kansas.  The  maternal  grand- 
father. Rev.  Charles  Jordan,  removed  to  Shawnee  County  in  1854  and  settled 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  527 

at  Tecumseh,  being  the  first  Methodist  minister  in  the  county.  Mrs.  Aye  was 
born  in  Kentucky,  but  both  she  and  her  husband  died  in  Kansas.  Their  chil- 
dren were :  Mrs.  Nancy  Kiser ;  John,  of  Vermihon  County,  Indiana,  who 
served  through  the  whole  Civil  War;  Mrs.  Edna  J.  Smith,  of  Terre  Haute, 
Indiana;  Mrs.  Lucy  Parks,  of  Springfield,  Missouri;  Charles  J.,  of  this 
sketch;  William,  of  Rossville,  Kansas;  Thomas,  deceased;  Mrs.  Mary  Ma- 
tilda Rogers,  of  Denver,  Colorado;  and  Morrison  H.,  of  Topeka. 

Our  subject  was  a  child  of  seven  years  when  the  family  removed  to 
Edgar  County,  Illinois,  where  they  lived  until  1855,  when  they  came  to  Kan- 
sas, with  their  household  possessions,  arriving  in  Coffey  County  on  Decem- 
ber 15th.  The  father  preempted  a  quarter-section  of  land  on  the  Neosho 
River.  After  the  death  of  his  wife  in  the  following  year,  the  father  returned 
to  Illinois,  but  in  the  spring  of  1857  our  subject  came  to  Shawnee  County 
and  went  to  work  for  his  relatives,  the  Jordans.  In  1861  he  crossed  the 
plains  with  the  Southers  and  Clark  train  to  Denver  and  on  the  second  trip 
that  year  went  up  over  the  range  to  Georgia  Gulch.  He  returned  in  December 
and  spent  the  next  season  in  farming,  but  on  August  14,  1862,  he  became  an 
enlisted  soldier,  entering  Company  H,  nth  Reg.,  Kansas  Vol.  Inf.,  under  Col- 
onel Ewing  and  Capt.  Joel  Huntoon.  This  regiment  took  part  in  the  battles 
of  Prairie  Grove,  Cane  Hill,  Fort  Wayne  and  all  the  engagements  of  Price's 
campaign.  In  the  spring  of  1865  it  was  sent  to  Idaho  to  subdue  the  Indians. 
It  then  returned  to  Fort  Leavenworth,  where  it  was  mustered  out  November  ■ 
j8,  1865.  While  recalling  battles,  mention  may  be  made  of  the  fight  at 
Bull  Creek,  in  the  "Border  Ruffian  War,"  when  our  subject  was  engaged 
with  the  noted'  "Jim"  Lane.  The  fight  and  return  to  Lawrence  took  some 
five  days  and  Mr.  Aye  says  that  the  biggest  battle  of  all  for  him  was  with 
his  father,  who  had  some  opinions  concerning  his  son's  running  away  and ' 
was  disposed  to  administer  necessary  discipline. 

Mr.  Aye  has  resided  in  Tecumseh  township  since  1866  with  the  exception 
of  two  years  spent  in  Jefferson  County.     He  carries  on  general  farming  and ' 
stock-raising,  having  many  head  of  cattle,  hogs,  horses  and  mules. 

In  February,  1866,  Mr.  Aye  was  married  to  Romanzy  C.  Stroup,  wdio  ■ 
was  born  in  Rush  County,  Indiana,  March  27,  1846,  and  in  1862  came  to 
Kansas  with  her  parents,  who  were  Nathan  and  Mary  Stroup,  natives  of 
Pennsylvania  and  Ohio,  respectively.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Aye  have  four  children : 
Silas  S.,  of  Monmouth  township;  Charlotte,  who  married  Frank  Amo,  of' 
Tecumseh  township  and  has  eight  children;  Nathan,  living  at  home;  and 
Mrs.  Hattie  Jackson,  of  Williamsport  township,  who  has  two  children. 

Mr.  Aye  cast  his  first  vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln  in  1864  and  has  been 
a  stqnrh  Rppublicqn  ever  since.  He  has  held  a  number  of  the  township  offices 
and  has  always  been  active  in  his  support  of  education  and  religion.     He  ■ 


_528  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

donates  to  all  religious  bodies  but  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.     He  assisted  in  the  building  of  the  new  church  edifice  of-  the  Bethel 
-  and  the  Brethren  bodies  at  Tecumseh.    He  belongs  to  the  Jesse  Nelson  Post, 
No.  62,  G.  A.  R.,  of  Tecumseh.    Fraternally,  he  is  a  Mason. 


HON.  EDWARD    WALLIS   HOCH. 

Hon.  Edward  Wallis  Hoch,  Governor  of  the  State  of  Kansas,  elected 
to  the  Office  in  November,  1904,  stands  to-day  as  one  of  the  leading  public 
men  of  the  United  States.  Through  the  years  of  greatest  storm  and  stress, 
Kansas  became  acquainted  with  this  fearless  and  uncompromising  defender 
of  the  people's  rights,  and  when  the  time  was  ripe  conferred  on  him  the  high- 
est honor  in  the  commonwealth  he  had  served  so  well. 

Born  in  Kentucky  on  March  17,  1849,  and  educated  in  the  schools  of  his 
native  place,  Danville,  and  at  Center  College,  Kentucky,  Edward  Wallis  Hoch 
■came  to  Kansas  at  the  age  of  23,  little  dreaming  of  the  future  awaiting  him. 
Completing  his  apprenticeship  to  the  printer's  trade,  he  turned  his  attention 
for  a  time  to  farming  in  Marion  County,  but  in  a  shore  time  he  purchased  a 
newspaper,  the  Marion  Record,  and  entered  upon  a  career  in  the  field  of 
journalism.  Overcoming  the  obstacles  and  discouragements  which  swept 
many  a  brave  man  off  his  feet  in  those  days,  Mr.  Hoch  by  1876  had  firmly 
established  himself,  and  since  that  time  the  Marion  Record  has  been  not  only 
a  financial  success,  but  has  been  the  exponent  of  what  is  the  greatest  and  best 
as  regards  public  interests  in  this  State. 

In  1888  he  became  prominent  in  public  life  as  the  member  from  Marion 
County  to  the  State  House  of  Representatives,  where  his  voice  was  raised 
m  support  of  those  reforms  for  which  he  had  so  long  battled  with  his  pen. 
His  eloquence  and  convincing  arguments  always  claimed  attention.  In  1892 
he  was  reelected  and  was  made  Speaker  pro  tern  and  in  this  position,  a  difficult 
one  at  the  time,  his  discretion  and  judgment  brought  about  the  success  of  the 
Republican  contingent  and  peaceful  adjustment  of  all  difficulties.  On  two 
occasions  he  has  been  urged  for  Congress  by  his  party,  and  the  trend  of 
public  opinion  was  shown  as  early  as  1894,  when  he  was  actively  supported 
by  the  Republican  State  Convention  for  Governor. 

At  the  Republican  State  Convention,  at  Wichita,  Kansas,  Mr.  Hoch  was 
nominated  for  the  office  of  Governor  by  acclamation  on  March  8,  1904.  His 
Democratic  opponent  at  the  polls  in  November,  1904,  was  David  M.  Dale,  of 
Wichita,  Kansas.  Mr.  Hoch  was  elected  by  the  large  plurality  of  69,740. 
His  election  to  this  high  office  justifies  the  judgment  and  prediction  of  his 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  529. 

friends  for  many  years.  Not  for  one  moment  do  the  people  doubt  what  his- 
administration  will  be.  With  a  determined  devotion  to  principle,  with  high 
ideals  of  public  duty,  he  will  pursue  his  fearless  way,  with  disinterested 
patriotism,  doing  his  full  obligation  in  every  way,  independent  of  favor  or 
criticism.  At  the  very  outset  of  his  term  of  office,  he  has  been  identified  with 
the  movement  to  oust  the  Standard  Oil  Company  and  its  branches  from  the 
State  of  Kansas.  The  war  on  this  hydra-headed  monopoly  is  being  viewed, 
with  intense  interest  by  other  commonwealths  of  this  country,  many  of  which 
hope  to  follow  the  leadership  of  Kansas  in  this  struggle,  if  the  fight  proves 
successful. 

In  May,  1876,  Governor  Hoch  was  married  to  Sarah  Lou  Dickerson, . 
of  Marion,  Kansas,  and  they  have  four  children,  namely :    Edna,  Homer  W., 
Anna  and  Wallis,  who  is  named  after  his  father.     In  Matters  of  religion  Mr. 
Hoch  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  has  long  been  an 
active  worker  in  the  church  and  Sunday-school. 


JOHN   MADDEN. 


John  Madden,  one  of  the  progressive  and  enterprising  retail  grocers  of 
Topeka,  whose  completely  equipped  grocery  and  market  is  situated  on  the 
corner  of  12th  street  and  Kansas  avenue,  is  a  citizen  whose  business  success, 
has  been  attained  through  upright  methods  and  persistent  efforts.  Mr. 
Madden  was  born  July  20,  1867,  in  Coshocton  County,  Ohio,  and  is  a  son  of 
Simeon  and  Lucy  (Corder)  Madden. 

The  Madden  family  has  been  established  in  Virginia  for  generations. 
On  the  maternal  side  it  is  more  recently  English.  The  father  of  Mr.  Madden 
was  born  January  7,  1841,  and  the  mother,  December  5,  1845.  The  latter 
died  in  August,  1899.  They  had  three  children,  viz:  John,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch;  Milton,  a  missionary  to  Japan;  and  Mrs.  Miriam  Timmons,  of 
Topeka. 

Mr.  Madden  was  reared  on  a  farm  although  his  birth  took  place  in  town, 
and  thus  his  education  was  secured  in  the  country  schools.  Later  he  took 
a  business  course  at  Sedalia,  Missouri,  and  was  only  17  years  old  when  he 
was  operating  a  farm  on  his  own  account.  In  1887  he  came  to  Kansas  and 
bought  a  farm  in  Wabaunsee  County,  a  partially  improved  tract  of  160  acres. 
He  remained  on  this  property,  erecting  buildings  and  otherwise  improving  it 
until  1902,  when  he  removed  to  Topeka.  He  purchased  his  present  business 
of  his  father  and  has  successfully  conducted  it  ever  since,  the  father  having- 


.530  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

retired  after  an  honorable  business  career  in  this  city  of  more  than  15  years. 
Our  subject  retains  the  farm,  having  it  under  rental,  but  gives  his  attention 
to  his  large  commercial  interests.  When  he  first  came  to  Topeka  he  was 
'  offered  a  position  in  the  Santa  Fe  general  offices,  of  the  Atchison,  Topeka  & 
Santa  Fe  Railway  Company,  but  he  preferred  an  independent  business  of  his 
own.  His  establishment  ranks  with  the  leading  houses  of  its  kind  and  he 
gives  his  personal  attention  to  the  selection  of  choice,  varied  and  seasonable 
.  goods.     I 

Mr.  Madden  was  married  at  Paxico,  Kansas,  to  Christina  Finny,  a  lady 
whose  American  ancestors  were  established  in  this  country  before  the  Revo- 
lutionary War.  They  have  four  sons,  whose  ages  range  from  14  to  seven 
years,  viz:  Milton,  Edgar,  Paul  and  Charles.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Madden  are 
members  of  the  Euclid  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

Rev.  Milton  Madden,  our  subject's  brother,  who  is  a  missionary  to 
Japan,  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  and  later  was  graduated  from  the 
Topeka  Business  College.  From  there  he  entered  Bethany  College,  West 
Virginia,  and  after  four  years  of  preparation  was  selected  by  the  First  Chris- 
tian Church  of  Topeka,  as  missionary,  and  with  his  family  is  located  at 
.Sendai,  Japan.  He  married  Maud  Whitmore  and  they  have  three  children : 
Harvey,  Elma  and  Garfield. 


ELZA   V.   COLDREN,   M.  D. 

Elza  V.  CoLDREN,  M.  D.,  who  has  been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medi- 
•cine  in  Topeka  since  1882,  is  one  of  the  best  known  members  of  the  profes- 
sion in  the  city.  He  was  born  at  Marion,  Ohio,  September  22,  1841,  and  is  a 
son  of  Reuben  and  Mary  Ann  (Newhouse)   Coldren. 

Reuben  Coldren,  father  of  our  subject,  was  prominently  engaged  in  the 
lumber  business  for  many  years,  but  at  the  time  of  his  death  in  April,  1890, 
was  living  a  retired  life.  His  union  with  Mary  Ann  Newhouse  resulted  in 
the  following  offspring:  Lemuel  T.,  of  Spokane,  Washington;  Alwilda, 
widow  of  George  Bowman,  who  was  a  banker  at  San  Jose,  California;  Aure- 
lia  J.,  wife  of  George  Swartz,  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  who  is  extensively 
engaged  in  lumbering  in  Louisiana,'  the  town  of  Swartz  being  named  after 
him;  Isaac  J.,  of  Coffeyville,  Kansas;  and  Edward,  who  died  at  Boone,  Iowa, 
in  February,  1870,  and  is  buried  there. 

Elza  V.  Coldren  received  his  early  education  in  a  seminary  at  LaGrange, 
Indiana,  and  the  Des  Moines  (Iowa)  High  School.  He  then  read  medicine 
in  the  office  of  Dr.  A.  J.  Willie  at  Nevada,  Iowa,  and  attended  the  College  of 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  531 

Physicians  and  Surgeons  at  Keokuk,  Iowa,  graduating  therefrom  in  February, 
1864.  In  1861  he  had  enhsted  in  the  "Silver  Band"  as  a  musician,  enhsting 
as  a  member  of  the  loth  Regiment,  Iowa  Vol.  Inf.,  Colonel  Purcel  command- 
ing. While  in  the  service,  he  continued  his  study  of  medicine  and  was  ap- 
pointed assistant  surgeon  at  Estie  Hospital  at  Keokuk,  continuing  as  such 
until  he  was  mustered  out  in  1864.  He  was  in  the  engagement  in  which  his 
regiment  was  ambushed  by  the  guerilla  forces  of  Gen.  M.  Jefif.  Thompson 
and  18  members  of  his  company  killed. 

Doctor  Cqldren  first  started  in  practice  at  Nevada,  Iowa,  and  after  three 
years  moved  to  Hazelgreen,  Wisconsin,  where  he  practiced  continuously  for 
17  years.  He  came  to  Topeka,  Kansas,  in  1882  and  has  met  with  remarkable 
success  as  a  general  practitioner.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Kansas  State  Medi- 
■cal  Society,  American  Medical  Association;  Academy  of  Medicine  and  Shaw- 
nee County  Medical  Soicety,  and  is  a  member  of  the  medical  stafif  of  The 
Jane  C.  Stormont  Hospital.  Politically  he  is  a  supporter  of  Republican 
principles. 

In  1865,  Dr.  Coldren  was  joined  in  marriage  with  Jane  Ellen  Simpson, 
a  daughter  of  Anthony  and  Elizabeth  (Bronson)  Simpson,  her  parents  being 
natives  of  Yorkshire,  England.  They  came  to  America  and  were  prominent 
•citizens  of  Dubuque,  Iowa,  Mr.  Simpson  being  largely  engaged  in  lead  mining. 
Our  subject  and  his  wife  are  parents  of  the  following  children :  Clarence  E., 
.a  member  of  the  DeWolfe  Hopper  opera  company,  who  was  married  in  1892; 
Aline,  who  married  George  Brenning,  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  and  has  two  chil- 
dren,— George  and  Lorine;  and  Lorine,  who  married  A.  M.  Officer,  of 
Topeka,  and  has  two  children,  Aline  and  Margaret.  The  Doctor  and  his 
family  reside  in  a  pleasant  home  at  No.  1018  Polk  street. 


REV.   MARTIN   GUY   DEAN. 

Rev.  Martin  Guy  Dean,  an  esteemed  citizen  of  Topeka,  and  a  mem- 
"ber  of  the  Central  Congregational  Church,  of  which  Rev.  C.  M.  Sheldon  is 
pastor,  and  of  the  Central  Association  of  Congregational  Churches  of  Kan- 
sas, was  born  at  Woodstock,  Ontario,  Canada,  October  14,  1829,  and  is  a  son 
of  Samuel  and  Hannah  (Aldrich)  Dean. 

On  the  paternal  side,  the  ancestry  is  from  Dublin,  Ireland,  and  on  the 
maternal  from  New  England,  our  subject's  mother  having  been  a  native_  of 
New  Hampshire.  The  early  years  of  Martin  G.  Dean  were  filled  with  hard- 
ships incident  to  residence  in  the  Michigan  forests,  far  from  the  benefits  and 
advantages  of  civilization.     When  he  was   12  years  of  age,   circumstances 


532  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

threw  him  upon  his  own  resources,  on  account  of  the  death  of  his  uncle,  wha 
had  adopted  him  when  five  years  of  age,  when  he  was  orijhaned  by  the  death 
of  his  mother.  He  was  ambitious  and  early  determined  to  secure  a  college 
education  and  in  bringing  about  the  possibility  followed  various  lines  of 
work  as  a  boy,  earning  $12  a  month  when  14  years  of  age.  Prior  to  his  ordi- 
nation to  the  ministry,  he  worked  in  the  insurance  field,  on  newspapers  and 
also  earned  many  an  honest  dollar  by  selling  books  and  by  working  in  the  pine 
woods  of  Michigan.  In  1845  he  entered  Albion  Seminary  at  Albion,  Michi- 
gan, and  pursued  his  studies  there  for  three  years.  In  1848  he  entered  the 
Western  Theological  Seminary  at  Meadville,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  was 
graduated  in  185 1,  having  relinquished  the  idea  of  going  to  the  University 
of  Michigan  on  account  of  defective  (weak)  eyes.  After  preaching  about 
18  months,  he  was  ordained  to  the  ministry  in  October,  1852.  From  1854 
to  i860  he  had  the  advantage  of  coming  directly  under  the  instruction  of  that 
famous  educator,  Horace  Mann,  at  Antioch  College,  Yellow  Springs,  Ohio, 
where  he  graduated  in  i860.  Upon  taking  up  his  ministerial  labors  in  the 
Christian  Church,  he  accepted  his  first  pastorate  at  Monroe,  New  Jersey,  and 
later  was  located  at  Honeoye  Falls,  New  York,  a  village  situated  14  miles 
from  Rochester.  For  the  next  14  years  he  was  a  resident  of  St.  Paul,  Min- 
nesota, where  he  had  gone  to  regain  his  health.  During  this  period  he  trav- 
eled and  preached  in  three  or  four  states.  During  his  long  life  in  the  ministry, 
he  has  filled  charges  in  10  different  states,  including  Ohio,  Illinois,  Indiana 
and  Kansas,  and  as  many  Eastern  states.  Since  November,  1879,  he  has  been 
a  resident  of  Kansas,  and  of  Topeka  for  three  years,  where  he  owns  a  hand- 
some residence  at  No.  1734  West  street,  in  the  pleasant  neighborhood  of 
Washburn  College.  During  the  Civil  War  he  saw  a  year  of  service,  as  chap- 
lain of  the  145th  Regiment,  New  York  Vol.  Inf. 

Rev.  Mr.  Dean  has  been  married  four  times.  In  1903  he  was  united  to 
Mrs.  Maud  (Moore)  Street,  a  most  charming  lady,  and  an  admirable  house- 
keeper. Mrs.  Street,  by  her  former  marriage,  had  one  little  daughter,  Reba, 
who  is  the  light  of  the  household.  Dr.  Dean  has  one  daughter,  Grace,  whose 
mother,  Kate  (Slawson)  Dean,  died  in  Kansas  in  the  year  1882. 

Although  in  his  76th  year,  our  subject  presents  no  venerable  appear- 
ance ;  on  the  other  hand,  he  appears'  more  as  a  man  of  30  years.  He  is  one  of 
those  fortunate  individuals  who  can  boast  that  he  has  never  been  afflicted 
with  even  a  headache,  backache  or  rheumatism.  His  family  is  one  rather 
noted  for  longevity  and  vigor,  two  of  his  sisters,  older  than  himself,  still 
enjoying  health  of  mind  and  body,  one  of  whom,  85  years  old,  travels  exten- 
sively alone.  He  attributes  his  present  very  remarkable  vitality  to  abundant 
outdoor  exercise  and  to  sensible  dieting,  believing  that  to  cure  one's  self  the 
chief  thing  is  to  leave  doctors,  pill  bags  and  drug-stores  alone.     During  the 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  535 

bicycle  craze,  after  he  had  reached  his  70th  year,  he  was  fond  of  bicycle  riding 
and  his  faithful  wheel  registered  75,000  miles  in  three  years.  As  an  edu- 
cated Christian  clergyman,  he  has  a  wide  circle  of  attached  and  admiring 
friends,  and  he  possesses  all  the  attributes  which  make  him  a  charming  com- 
panion, a  faithful  friend  and  a  valuable  citizen. 


WASHBURN   COLLEGE. 

Period  of  Construction — 1865-1896.  For  the  origin  of  Washburn  Col- 
lege we  must  go  back  to  New  England.  We  find  it  in  that  spirit  which  the 
first  New  England  settlers  brought  over  with  them  in  the  early  part  of  the 
seventeenth  century,  those  who  in  their  poverty  founded  Harvard  College  in 
1636.  It  was  traditional  in  the  church  of  the  Massachusetts  and  Connecticut 
Puritans  to  make  sacrifices  for  the  higher  education.  Wherever  the  Congre- 
gational Church  has  gone,  it  has  taken  that  tradition  with  it.  The  Congrega- 
tionalists  who  came  to  Kansas,  whether  they  came  from  New  England  directly 
or  not,  brought  with  them  this  tradition.  When  the  Association  of  Congre- 
gational Churches  was  organized,  to  found  a  college  was  one  of  the  first  things 
thought  of.  At  their  first  meeting  in  1857  they  adopted  this  resolution: 
"That  a  committee  of  five  be  raised  to  obtain  information  in  regard  to  the 
location  of  a  college  under  the  patronage  of  this  body,  and  if  they  deem  it  ex- 
pedient, to  secure  such  a  location."  Among  those  appointed  upon  the  commit- 
tee of  five  were  John  Ritchie  and  Lewis  Bodwell.  Lewis  Bodwell  was  pastor 
of  the  Congregational  Church  of  Topeka  and  John  Ritchie,  one  of  the  leading 
members.  These  two  men,  together  with  Harvey  D.  Rice  and  Harrison  Han- 
nahs, were  those  most  deeply  interested  in  the  new  enterprise.  The  Associa- 
tion of  Congregational  Churches  assumed  direction  and  oversight  and  the 
preliminary  work  for  the  college  was  guided  by  that  body.  There  seems  to 
have  been  no  question  as  to  whether  a  college  should  be  founded.  There  was 
no  doubt  about  that.  There  was  some  debate  as  to  where  the  location  should 
be.  Some  friends  of  the  embryo  college  wished  it  at  Topeka,  others  wished 
it  at  Lawrence,  others  at  Leavenworth  or  elsewhere. 

In  1858  the  association  voted  to  accept  the  offers  of  Topeka  subscribers; 
in  1859  the  Topeka  subscribers  not  having  redemed  their  pledges,  it  was 
voted  to  place  the  college  at  Lawrence  and  to  call  it  Monumental  College.  The 
Lawrence  people  were  anxious  to  have  the  college.  Nearly  all  of  the  inhabi- 
tants must  have  signed  the  subscription  list,  for  we  are  told  that  when  un- 
rolled at  the  association  meeting  it  reached  from  the  door  to  the  moderator's 

26 


536  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

desk  and  half  way  back  again.  Mount  Oread  was  offered  as  a  site  for  the 
college,  hundreds  of  acres  of  land  and  $10,000  for  endowment,  and  a  $25,000 
building.  The  Topeka  delegation  consisting  of  Harrison  Hannahs  resisted 
the  action  of  the  association,  as  they  deemed  Topeka  a  better  place  for  a  college 
and  claimed  that  Topeka  was  at  the  time  making  efforts  in  good  faith  to  fulfill 
the  pledges  made  the  year  before.  In  fact,  Mr.  Rice  was  in  the  East  at  the  time 
to  raise  money  for  Colonel  Ritchie,  to  be  used  for  the  college.  If  i860  had 
not  been  the  famine  year,  Lawrence  might  have  redeemed  her  pledges,  Monu- 
mental College  might  have  occupied  Mount  Oread  and  the  State  University 
been  forced  to  occupy  another  home.  As  it  was,  in  i860  the  Topeka  people 
were  ready  to  make  again  the  proposal  they  had  made  in  1858,  and  were  pre- 
pared— at  least  in  part — to  make  their  pledges  good.  One  part  of  the  pro- 
posal made  by  the  Topeka  friends  of  the  college  was  that  160  acres  of  land 
should  be  given  within  a  mile  and  a  half  of  the  town-site.  How  this  was  pro- 
cured is  told  by  Mr.  Rice  in  his  "Reminiscences"  and  has  a  place  in  this  sketch, 
for  it  is  the  history  of  the  procuring  of  the  site  upon  which  these  buildings 
stand  which  we  now  are  using. 

In  1858  gold  was  discovered  near  Pike's  Peak  and  George  Davis,  who 
owned  this  quarter  section  was  anxious  to  go  in  the  spring  of  1859.  Previ- 
ously he  had  refused  to  sell.  Colonel  Ritchie  and  Mr.  Rice  accordingly  got 
their  heads  together  and  agreed  that  Colonel  Ritchie  should  mortgage  the 
quarter  section  upon  which  he  lived  and  Mr.  Rice  should  give  his  time  to  go 
back  to  New  England  and  raise  the  money  on  the  security  of  Colonel  Ritchie's 
Llnd.  Mr.  Rice  went  first  to  Brooklyn  to  see  Henry  Ward  Beecher,  for  he  had 
come  to  Kansas  in  the  first  place  as  a  member  of  the  Beecher  Bible  Rifle  Com- 
pany. But  Mr.  Beecher  was  away  and  so  Mr.  Rice  went  on  to  Hartford, 
where  he  had  lived.  There,  after  two  weeks  of  rather  discouraging  effort, 
he  called  upon  Mrs.  Hooker,  Henry  Ward  Beecher's  sister.  She  and  her 
sisters,  Mrs.  Stowe  and  Miss  Catherine  E.  Beecher,  became  much  interested, 
and  soon  after  Mr.  Hooker  and  his  partner,  Hon.  Francis  Gillett,  United 
States  Senator  from  Connecticut,  furnished  Mr.  Rice  with  a  thousand  dollars. 
This,  with  another  thousand  dollars  already  obtained,  he  took  back  to  Topeka 
in  the  form  of  a  $2,000  draft.  The  draft  was  cashed  in  Leavenworth,  the 
Topeka  banks  not  having  $2,000,  and  $1,600  of  it  were  taken  to  pay  Mr. 
Davis  for  this  land.  It  was  held  by  Colonel  Ritchie  who  was  ready  to  turn 
it  over  to  the  college  when  the  time  should  come. 

The  time  came  in  1865.  February  6,  1865,  a  charter  was  granted  to  the 
trustees  of  Lincoln  College,  and  soon  efforts  were  made  to  realize  the  long- 
projected  plan.  Over  $7,000  was  subscribed.  Colonel  Ritchie  subscribed 
$3,000  and  Mr.  Rice  $1,000.  The  160  acres  now  the  college  site,  were  deeded 
to  the  college  by  John  Ritchie  and  his  wife  at  $2,400.     Lots  at  loth  avenue 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  537 

and  Jackson  they  deeded  at  $200  and  Mr.  Ritchie  gave  $400  in  cash.  The 
trustees  were  now  ready  to  build,  but  an  unexpected  obstacle  presented  itself. 
None  of  the  Topeka  contractors  had  faith  in  the  new  undertaking.  They  re- 
fused to  bid  for  the  work.  But  Mr.  Rice,  not  much  liking  to  be  stopped  that 
way,  as  he  says,  proposed  to  the  trustees  that  he  be  given  the  contract  at  $7,000. 
The  proposal  was  accepted.  United  States  soldiers  from  Maine  and  Massa- 
•chusetts  then  stationed  in  Topeka  dug  the  trenches.  The  stone  for  the  build- 
ing was  drawn  by  Mr.  Rice's  ox-team.  Stone  sills  wei-e  obtained  that  had 
been  destined  for  Bethany  College,  which  had  been  started  then  but  could  not 
be  completed  until  later.  The  pine  timber  was  hauled  mostly  from  Atchison 
and  Leavenworth  by  Mr.  Rice.  Native  lumber  was  sawed  on  the  Wakarusa 
twelve  miles  south.  The  building  thus  constructed  is  the  one  now  standing 
on  loth  avenue  and  Jackson  street. 

Colonel  Ritchie  and  Mr.  Rice,  two  of  those  most  active  in  giving  Lincoln 
College  its  habitation,  got  their  impulse  largely,  the  one  from  Knox  College, 
:the  other  from  Williams.  Mr.  Rice  lived  in  Northern  Massachusetts  in  his 
boyhood  and  used  very  frequently  to  pass  through  Williamstown  on  his  way 
to  Troy.  He  wished  much  to  go  to  Williams,  but,  being  unable  to,  resolved 
that  he  would  do  what  he  could  to  make  it  possible  for  others  to  go  to  college. 
Colonel  Ritchie  before  coming  to  Kansas  had  visited  President  Blanchard  of 
Knox  College  and  was  impressed  with  the  work  for  good  done  there.  Presi- 
-dent  Blanchard  gave  him  $200  for  the  college,  of  which  Colonel  Ritchie  may 
already  have  been  thinking.  The  early  history  of  Washburn  touches  Knox 
College  in  another  way.  Major  Hannahs  had  also  visited  that  institution,  had 
observed  how  well  co-education  worked  there,  and,  when  he  later  became  in- 
terested in  the  Kansas  college,  resolved  to  use  his  influence  to  open  its  doors 
to  young  women  as  well  as  young  men. 

School  opened  in  the  new  building  January  3,  1866.  There  were  three 
teachers.  Rev.  Samuel  D.  Bowker,  George  H.  Collier  and  Rev.  H.  O.  Butter- 
field.  Mr.  Bowker  had  already  been  working  in  the  interests  of  the  college 
and  had  secured  several  thousand  dollars  and  several  hundred  "valuable  vol- 
umes" as  a  nucleus  for  a  library.  Each  of  the  teachers  was  encouraged  to 
make  efforts  to  help  raise  an  endowment  fund.  A  special  effort  was  being 
made  in  Kansas  in  1866  to  raise  $10,000  for  endowment.  The  movement 
met  with  some  success  as  $3,300  was  pledged  on  it  by  January,  1866. 

The  first  term  seems  to  have  been  a  successful  one.  We  learn  that  "the 
'examination  at  the  close  of  the  winter  term  was  quite  thorough  and  creditable 
to  the  institution.  The  classes  in  the  languages  and  mathematics  evinced  by 
their  clear  conception  and  ready  answers  the  work  of  the  teacher  and  pupil 
during  the  term.  Between  thirty  and  forty  students  were  in  attendance." 
Thirty-eight  names  were  given  in  the  catalogue.     These  were  all  in  the  pre- 


538  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

paratory  department.  The  next  year  opened  with  two  college  students  and  65, 
others.  In  1868  Addison  P.  Davis  was  given  his  diploma,  the  first  student 
to  be  graduated. 

The  last  part  of  this  year,  1868,  Lincoln  College  became  Washburn  Col- 
lege. November  19th,  a  meeting  of  the  trustees  was  held  at  which  a  letter 
from  Rev.  Mr.  Butterfield  was  read  announcing  a  gift  of  $25,000  from 
Deacon  Ichabod  Washburn  of  Worcester,  Massachusetts,  and  suggesting  the 
propriety  of  changing  the  name  of  the  college  in  honor  of  the  donor.  Some 
felt,  among  them  John  Ritchie,  that  Lincoln  College  was  a  name  peculiarly 
fitting  and  were  reluctant  to  give  it  up,  especially  as  Lincoln  himself  had  ex- 
pressed an  interest  in  the  college,  and  shortly  before  his  death  had  promised 
it  a  contribution ;  but  there  were  several  other  literary  institutions  in  the  United 
States  bearing  the  name  of  Lincoln  and  it  was  regarded  as  most  fitting  that 
the  college  should  bear  the  name  of  the  one  who,  up  to  this  time,  had  been 
its  greatest  benefactor,  and  who  had  secured  its  permanence. 

The  next  year  Rev.  Mr.  Butterfield  was  elected  President.  He  remained 
president  a  little  over  a  year  and  was  succeeded  in  1871  by  Rev.  Peter  Mac- 
Vicar.  The  first  important  task  of  Dr.  MacVicar  was  to  push  through  the 
erection  of  a  building  upon  the  permanent  site.  The  building  at  loth  avenue 
and  Jackson  street  had  from  the  first  been  regarded  as  a  merely  temporary 
abode  of  the  College.  The  trustees  had  since  the  formation  of  the  corpora- 
tion held  the  160  acres  deeded  to  them  by  John  Ritchie,  and  although  there, 
had  been  some  hesitation  about  going  out  into  the  prairie  so  far,  and  some 
attempts  had  been  made  to  secure  a  location  nearer  the  center  of  the  city,  it 
was  decided  to  put  up  a  building,  if  possible,  on  the  site  now  occupied.  Ac- 
cordingly a  subscription  book  was  passed  around  upon  which  the  citizens  of 
Topeka  generously  pledged  themselves  in  1872  for  $31,500.  $25,000  was. 
subscribed  in  25  days.  The  academy  building  and  site  were  sold  to  the  city 
for  $15,000  and  by  December,  1872,  the  new  building  was  enclosed. 

The  northeastern  corner  of  the  quarter  section  was  chosen  for  a  campus. 
The  trustees  hoped  to  lease  the  rest  to  those  who  liked  to  breathe  the  learned 
atmosphere  of  a  classical  institution,  and  thus  establish  a  college  community. 
The  campus  was  plowed  up  and  around  it  was  planted  an  osage  hedge  and 
outside  of  that  a  high  board  fence.  The  osage  hedge  has  grown  and  the 
board  fence  is  no  longer  necessary.  Two  hundred  and  fifty  white  elms  and 
200  cottonwoods  were  set  out.  It  was  hard  to  make  the  trees  live,  the  wind 
blew  so  continually  and  the  ground  was  so  dry.  It  was  largely  to  protect  the 
trees  that  the  fence  was  built  and  the  ground  kept  plowed.  Corn  was  usually- 
raised  in  the  summer.  At  one  time  Dr.  MacVicar  was  paid  in  part  by  314 
bushels  of  corn  at  i8c  a  bushel. 

It  did  not  prove  practicable  to  make  the  building  ready  for  occupancy 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  539 

until   1874.     Then  two  rooms  and  a  kitchen  were  finished  off,  and  in  the 
autumn  the  college  was  moved  to  the  building  we  now  called  Rice  Hall. 

Meantime  they  had  to  vacate  the  building  sold  to  the  city  and  hold  their 
sessions  at  such  places  as  they  could  find.  In  1872-73  the  school  was  held 
in  a  grocery  store  on  the  west  side  of  loth  avenue  between  Kansas  avenue 
and  Jackson  street.  In  1873-74  it  was  held  in  the  building  at  the  south- 
west corner  of  Eighth  and  Kansas  avenues,  while  the  library  remained  stored 
in  boxes  in  the  basement  of  E.  H.  Blake's  residence,  corner  of  Sixth  avenue 
and  Tyler  street. 

At  the  time  the  college  was  moved  to  College  Hill,  the  most  of  the  teach- 
ing was  done  by  Professor  Dunbar  and  Prof.  George  C.  Merrill.  Professor 
Merrill  remained  until  1875,  when  he  was  called  to  Phillips,  Andover.  Pro- 
fessor Dunbar  remained  until  1878.  Professor  Merrill  excelled  in  mathe- 
matics, and  surveyed  the  ground  for  the  original  campus.  Professor  Dunbar 
was  an  unusually  proficient  student  of  languages.  Washburn  students  of  those 
days  thought  he  had  too  little  patience  with  their  shortcomings.  The  number 
'Of  students  from  1874  to  1878  was  not  large.  When  C.  K.  Holliday  entered, 
in  1876  or  1877,  there  were  only  13,  in  1878  there  were  20.  The  few 
ladies  who  boarded  at  the  school  had  rooms  in  the  basement.  The  boys  had 
rooms  in  the  second  story.  Dr.  MacVicar  and  other  members  of  the  faculty 
occupied  the  floor  between.  On  the  first  floor  also  were  recitation  rooms, 
the  library,  and  at  the  west  end,  the  chapel. 

These  were  discouraging  years  for  the  president  and  trustees.  It  was 
hard  times  financially,  the  prospect  for  students  was  unpromising.  In  1874, 
however,  $10,000  was  procured  in  the  East  to  add  to  the  endowment  fund. 
The  vested  funds  of  the  college  in  June,  1877,  were  reported  to  be  a  little 
over  $45,000.  After  a  trip  East  in  the  spring  of  1878  the  president  thinks 
the  situation  encouraging.  In  fact,  from  this  time  on  for  a  decade  substantial 
growth  is  the  order  of  the  day.  New  buildings  are  erected,  students  increase 
in  number,  new  departments  are  added. 

In  1879  Hartford  was  built.  Professor  Stearns  in  the  summer  went  East 
and  in  the  city  of  Hartford  succeeded  in  a  very  short  time  in  raising  $3,000. 
With  the  proceeds  work  was  at  once  begun  upon  a  new  cottage  for  young 
ladies.  It  is  to  be  remarked  that  this  building  was  not  placed  upon  the 
campus  enclosed  by  the  hedge  and  the  board  fence.  For  one  thing  boys  are 
human  and  might  be  distracted  if  the  cottage  were  too  near  the  dormitories 
in  the  main  building;  for  another,  President  MacVicar  wished  no  buildings 
but  large  substantial  ones  of  stone  on  the  campus.  Hartford  was  ready  in 
the  autumn  of  1879,  a  little  late  for  the  beginning  of  the  term.  Until  it  was 
done  the  young  ladies  boarded  in  the  city,  making  the  trip  to  and  from  Col- 
lege Hill  in  a  hack.     "So  impatient  were  we,"   one  of  them  has   written. 


540  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

"to  move  into  the  cottage,  that  while  the  sitting-room  floor  was  covered 
with  shavings  and  the  house  was  all  unfinished  we  took  possession."  The 
first  meal  under  the  new  roof  was  an  event.  A  plentiful  supply  of  crackers, 
milk  and  syrup  was  spread  upon  the  kitchen  table,  guiltless  of  a  tablecloth,  and 
otherwise  primitive  in  its  appointments,  and  eight  girls  sitting  on  inverted 
crocks  made  a  hearty  meal.  They  made  a  bed  all  across  one  room  and  slept 
sweetly  under  the  protecting  care  of  "our  dear  matron,  Mrs.  Webster."  It 
was  the  purpose  of  the  board  of  trustees  to  add  such  buildings  as  Hartford 
as  there  should  be  a  demand  for  them.  The  catalogue  published  in  1880- 
contains  the  following  statement :  "In  the  founding  of  Washburn  College  as  a 
Christian  institution  of  learning,  it  was  the  intention  to  provide  facilities  of 
Christian  culture  for  young  women  as  well  as  young  men.  In  pursuance  of 
this  intention,  the  Trustees  have  set  apart  an  eligible  tract  adjoining  the' 
college  campus  as  a  site  for  the  ladies  department.  Instead  of  attempting, 
however,  to  erect  extensive  buildings  at  great  cost,  the  Trustees  have  adopted 
what  may  be  called  the  'Cottage  Plan' — that  is,  the  erection  of  buildings  in- 
the  form  of  dwellings,  at  a  cost  of  about  $3,000  each,  capable  of  accommodat- 
ing twenty  or  twenty-five  pupils,  under  the  care  of  a  preceptress.  The  first 
of  this  style  of  buildings  has  been  erected  and  is  now  wholly  occupied.  An- 
other cottage  is  partially  completed  and  occupied. 

"This  plan  prevents  the  congregating  of  large  numbers  in  one  building, 
obviates  the  objection  to  extended  stairways,  is  safer  in  the  event  of  fire, 
and  renders  the  whole  arrangement  more  attractive  and  homelike.  The 
domestic  economy  is  on  the  Mount  Holyoke  principle.  Each  pupil  is  re- 
quired to  aid  to  the  extent  of  an  hour  a  day  in  household  work,  under  the 
personal  supervision  of  the  matron." 

The  cottage  referred  to  as  partially  completed  and  occupied  was  Cottage- 
No.  2,  later  South  Cottage.  This  was  burned  to  the  ground  in  December, 
1890.  In  the  catalogue  of  1882-83  a  third  cottage  to  be  called  the  "Kansas. 
Cottage"  is  prophesied.  But  this  was  never  erected.  Some  money  was  sub- 
scribed for  it,  but  not  enough,  and  when  Holbrook  was  built  there  was  not 
the  need  of  it. 

In  January,  1883,  Whitin  Hall  was  ready  to  be  used  as  a  cottage  for 
boys.  The  catalogue,  announced  that  about  75  young  men  could  be  accommo- 
dated in  the  two  buildings.  College  Hall  and  Whitin.  Board  could  be  furnished 
at  from  $2.00  to  $2.50  per  week.  "At  this  low  rate,  very  little  would  be 
gained  by  self-boarding.  Generally  also  the  deleterious  efifect  of  boarding  one's 
self  is  such  as  to  render  it  quite  objectionable.  On  the  plan  efifected  the  food' 
is  prepared  in  a  neat  and  wholesome  manner,  as  in  a  well  regulated  family. 
By  the  formation  of  boarding  clubs  the  expenses  of  board  may  be  still  further 
reduced." 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  541 

In  1886  Holbrook  was  occupied.  For  several  years  before  this  it  had  been 
impossible  to  receive  all  the  young  ladies  who  wished  to  enter  the  college. 
By  this  addition  about  100  girls  could  be  taken. 

During  this  same  year  Boswell  Memorial  was  completed.  That  has 
served  us  for  a  library  now  for  19  years.  Previously  the  books  had  been 
shelved  in  a  room  on  the  first  floor  of  the  main  building — now  Rice  Hall. 
The  room  was  dark,  dingy  and  unpleasant.  The  books  were  not  arranged  in 
order  and  there  was  no  catalogue.  No  periodicals  were  subscribed  for.  Satur- 
day mornings  it  was  opened  for  a  little  while  so  that  students  might  take  out 
books.  When  the  new  building  was  ready  and  the  books  moved  there,  they 
were  classified  and  catalogued  by  Professor  Whittemore.  Presiously  there 
had  been  a  list  of  books  made  by  Professor  Lovewell. 

Professor  Whittemore  spent  his  time  in  the  summer  of  1886  moving  the 
books  from  the  main  building  to  Boswell  Memorial.  He  served  as  librarian 
for  12  years  after  this,  and  all  the  old  books,  together  with  those  added  during 
that  time,  were  entered    by  him  in  the  accession  book. 

When  the  new  library  was  opened,  periodicals  were  subscribed  for,  and 
the  rooms  were  open  in  the  afternoons.  A  little  later  they  were  opened  for 
two  hours  in  the  morning  besides. 

July  3,  1889,  the  contract  for  the  Chapel  was  let,  and  in  1890  it  was 
occupied.  Dedicatory  services  were  held  in  the  afternoon  of  baccalaureate 
Sunday  15  years  ago. 

During  this  period,  1878-1890,  the  campus  was  also  improved  by  the 
planting  of  hundreds  of  trees.  Two  hundred  evergreens  were  planted  in  the 
spring  of  1882.  The  next  spring  1,000  forest  trees  were  set  out  west  of 
the  cottages,  to  be  transplanted  later.  A  year  or  two  after  this,  several 
hundred  evergreens  were  planted.  Some  were  placed  south  of  the  cottages, 
others  put  in  groups  of  five  about  the  campus.  A  number  were  set  out  in 
"Potato  Park."  Potato  Park  has  disappeared  now.  It  used  to  be  situated 
between  +]ie  cottages  and  Whitin.  A  square  with  a  road  around  it  was 
fenced  in  and  inside  potatoes  raised.  Through  this  ran  the  board  walk  con- 
necting Hartford  with  the  main  building. 

Outside  the  campus  there  had  also  been  striking  changes.  In  1880  the 
trustees  had  purchased  a  tract  of  135  acres  north  of  the  college  site.  It  was 
to  be  divided  up  into  building  lots  and  sold  to  persons  in  smypathy  with  the 
college.  The  investment  proved  to  be  a  good  one,  as  the  land  increased  in 
value.  Many  lots  were  sold  and  houses  put  up.  Three  in  the  row  west  of 
College  avenue  were  built  by  Washburn  professors.  We  are  told  under  date 
of  September,  1888,  that  in  less  than  two  years  over  200  dwellings  in  easy 
access  of  the  college  had  been  erected,  that  it  was  much  easier  to  rent  houses 


542  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

near  the  campus  than  formerly.  At  that  time  on  College  Hill  there  were 
being  erected  four  residences  at  an  average  cost  of  $5,000  each. 

In  June,  1884,  the  college  was  brought  nearer  the  city  by  the  extension 
of  the  street  railway  to  the  campus.  Before  horse-cars  ran  out  here,  the  young 
ladies  of  the  cottages  had  had  to  depend  upon  a  hack  to  convey  them  to  the 
city.  It  made  a  trip  regularly  every  Sunday  to  take  them  to  church;  some- 
times it  took  them  on  a  shopping  expedition  on  a  Saturday,  and,  once  in  a 
great  while  was  enlisted  for  a  party.  Now,  with  the  horse-car  running  nine 
times  a  day,  trips  to  town  could  be  made  more  frequently.  The  trip  to  the 
Santa  Fe  Station  and  back  was  made  in  one  hour  and  40  minutes.  A  few 
years  later  the  electric  line  was  put  in,  and  the  two  lines  ran  in  competition 
for  a  while.  Miss  Lyman  used  to  be  sorry  for  the  neglected  horse-car  driver 
and  ride  down  with  him,  while  the  girls  rode  down  by  the  more  rapid  electrics. 
The  trustees  had  labored  strenuously  to  get  the  company  to  extend  the  car 
tracks  to  the  college.  They  had  paid  $5,000  to  the  company  to  accomplish 
that  result  and  it  was  a  manifest  material  advantage  that  the  city  should  be 
accessible.  Yet  the  faculty  were  a  little  anxious  as  to  the  moral  effects  of 
contact  with  the  city.  Young  persons  who  made  frequent  trips  were  dis- 
cussed in  faculty  meetings.  A  group  of  boys  setting  out  one  afternoon  was 
intercepted  by  Professor  Craigin  and  made  to  return. 

The  remarkable  increase  in  material  advantages  had  been  attended  by  a 
corresponding  enlargement  of  opportunities.  But  this  was  made  possible  only 
by  increased  resources.  These  came  through  additions  to  the  endowment, 
by  special  contributions,  and  through  increased  attendance.  The  endowment 
fund  was  increased  to  over  $100,000.  One  of  the  most  generous  contributors 
was  Mrs.  Williston  who  used  to  send  a  draft  for  $1,000  or  more  every  year 
until  her  death.    Upon  her  decease  the  estate  went  to  Williston  Seminary. 

In  1878  Professor  Lovewell  came  to  Washburn.  He,  C.  D.  Merrill, 
and  Professor  Stearns  with  Dr.  MacVicar  were  the  working  force.  In  1879 
Miss  White  became  preceptress.  Professor  Merrill,  however,  was  not  retained. 
From  this  time  on  the  teaching  force  was  added  to  rapidly.  We  opened  the 
year  1882  with  five  teachers  besides  Dr.  MacVicar,  instead  of  three.  1886 
and  1887  were  years  of  expansion  and  by  1890  there  were  nine  who  gave 
their  full  time  to  the  college,  besides  Miss  Ingalls  and  Miss  Case  in  the  music 
department,  and  Mr.  Harshbarger  who  taught  three  hours  as  assistant  in  math- 
ematics. One  of  those  who  made  a  deep  impress  upon  the  college  in  the  early 
'8o's  was  Professor  Bliss.  He  was  offered  the  presidency  of  Washburn  upon 
Dr.  MacVicar's  resignation,  and  is  now  president  of  Roberts  College,  Con- 
stantinople. 

With  the  increase  in  the  staff  the  work  of  the  teachers  was  systematized. 
Each  one  was  enabled  to  confine  himself  to  that  branch  in  which  he  was  most 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  543 

proficient.  Professor  Whittemore  taught  the  Latin;  Professor  Phelps,  the 
Greek;  Professor  Lovewell,  physics  and  chemistry;  Miss  Storrs  or  Miss 
Aldrich,  the  French  and  German ;  Miss  White  or  Miss  Merriam,  preceptress, 
EngHsh  literature  and  a  little  history;  Professor  Curtis  or  Mr.  Adams,  the 
mathematics,  while  Professor  Puffer  drilled  the  students  in  declamation  and 
oratory.  The  music  department  received  more  systematic  attention  from  1883. 
Miss  Carrie  Barnes,  now  Mrs.  Lovewell,  was  given  charge  of  that  depart- 
ment that  fall.  Miss  Lard  succeeded  Miss  Barnes  for  several  years  and  then 
•came  Miss  Ingalls  and  at  the  same  time  a  division  of  the  department  into  vocal 
and  instrumental.  A  good  deal  was  said  then  about  increased  facilities  in 
the  science  departments.  Professor  Craigin,  now  residing  in  Colorado,  was 
•especially  active  in  procuring  fossils  and  other  specimens  in  natural  history. 
For  a  time  he  issued  a  scientific  publication.  In  1887  Professor  Lovewell  was 
allowed  $1,300  for  scientific  apparatus.  Among  other  things  there  were  pro- 
cured a  Holtz  machine,  a  saccharometer,  a  polariscope,  a  cathetometer,  a 
•sperometer,  a  Sprengel's  mercury  air-pump,  Watt's  "Dictionary  of  Chemistry," 
the  works  of  Faraday,  Maxwell,  Prescott,  and  other  volumes. 

There  had  during  these  years  been  a  marked  increase  in  the  number  of 
students.  In  1878  there  were  about  20  in  the  fall  term;  in  1879,  about 
50;  in  1882,  130;  in  1885,  over  200;  and  so  on.  In  1890  a  class  of  12 
graduated.  Up  to  that  time  the  graduating  class  usually  numbered  three  or 
four.    The  college  was  growing  at  the  top  and  that  was  encouraging. 

They  were  conscious  of  the  growth  at  the  time.  The  Telephone  for 
February,  1889,  the  publication  of  the  Congregational  churches,  sums  up  this 
growth  thus: 

Within  the  last  four  years  the  number  of  students  in  the  four  college  classes 
has  doubled,  and  in  the  highest  class  of  the  preparatory  department  there  has  been 
a  similar  increase  *  *  *  All  of  the  members  of  the  present  Junior  class  have 
been  connected  -with  the  college  for  more  than  four  years.  The  courses  of  study 
have  been  undergoing  a  gradual  development  as  the  means  of  the  college  and  as 
necessity  has  required     *     *     * 

And  Dr.  MacVicar's  text  for  his  baccalaureate  sermon  the  next  Com- 
mencement was:     "Thou  shalfsee  greater  things  than  these." 

The  body  of  students  as  it  had  grown  in  numbers,  and  still  more  in 
importance — since  the  growth  was  at  the  top — had  developed  a  self-con- 
•sciousness  and  a  corps  d'esprit  heretofore  unknown.  Student  organizations 
and  enterprises  had  come  into  being;  literary  societies  had  been  started;  a 
Christian  Association  had  been  begun;  a  magazine  conducted  entirely  by  the 
students  was  issued;  football  and  baseball  teams  were  organized.  Some  of 
the  time  they  had  a  glee  club. 

During  the  latter  part  of  the  '8o's  and  early  '90's  there  developed  unusual 


544  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

interest  and  success  in  oratory.  This  is  attributed  partly  to  the  instruction, 
and  inspiration  of  Professor  Puffer,  whose  constant  drill  for  the  monthly 
public  rhetoricals  must  have  had  its  effect.  Perhaps  it  was  due  partly  to  the 
happy  chance  which  sent  to  Washburn  at  about  the  same  time  those  who  had 
special  talent  in  oratory.  Whatever  the  cause,  Washburn  won  first  place  in 
the  State  Oratorical  Contest  three  times  in  four  years  from  1889  to  1892, — 
Brewster  winning  in  1889,  Naylor  in  1890  and  Poston  in  1892.  In  1890' 
Naylor  won  first  place  in  the  Inter-State  Contest,  as  everybody  knows. 

After  the  Washburn  victory  at  Emporia  in  1889  the  State  University 
Times  came  out  with  the  following  editorial.     I  quote  in  part : 

Look  at  Washburn.  Every  month  her  students  have  some  kind  of  contest; 
a  prize  debate,  a  contest  in  declamation  or  oratory,  or  a  splendid  musical  entertain- 
ment given  by  the  students.  What  is  the  result?  Their  college  life  is  not  a. 
monotonous  drudgery  *  *  *.  It  is  these  contests  that  have  given  Washburn  her 
Brewster,  and  threaten  to  send  his  peer  to  Lawrence  next  February  to  again  take 
off  the  prize.  It  is  this  college  life  and  activity  that  made  such  a  grand  showing  for 
her  at  Emporia  last  month.  There  was  her  orator,  her  glee  club,  her  cherubs,  her 
banners  and  colors,  and  almost  every  one  of  her  enthusiastic  sons  and  daughters 
was  there  to  sound  her  praises.  Going  out  of  the  hall  that  night,  we  heard  the- 
remark,  "This  just  as  an  advertisement  has  been  worth  a  thousand  dollars  to  Wash- 
burn College," — and  so  it  was — We  can  learn  a  great  deal  from  the  lesson  she  has 
taught  us  at  Emporia,  and  from  her  college  spirit  at  all  times. 

That  dignified  body,  the  Washburn  faculty,  had  not  looked  with  so  much 
favor  upon  the  manifestations  of  college  spirit  at  Emporia.  What  the  offense 
was  I  am  not  informed,  but  certain  it  is  there  was  one,  for  it  was  ruled 
by  the  faculty  that  the  next  year  the  young  ladies  of  the  academy  should  not 
be  allowed  to  go  to  Lawrence  to  the  State  Oratorical  Contest.  Whether  the 
facult}'  had  just  cause  for  condemnation,  those  same- young  ladies  could  truly 
say  now  after  the  lapse  of  15  sobering  years.  Then  they  thought  the  faculty 
to  be  unjust,  and  the  other  students  did,  too.  There  resulted  a  sympathetic 
strike.  The  students  all  refused  to  attend  classes  for  several  days.  They  were 
induced  to  come  to  terms,  however,  by  the  President,  and  the  girls  did  not 
go  to  Lawrence. 

It  remains  for  me  to  say  a  few  words  about  the  remainder  of  Dr.  Mac- 
Vicar's  administration  from  1850  to  1895.  It  was  a  trying  period  for  the 
president  and  trustees.  The  very  success  and  expansion  of  the  preceding- 
years  had  brought  serious  problems.  More  buildings,  more  students,  ampli- 
fied opportunities  for  them,  had  brought  largely  increased  expenses.  It  was 
not  a  time  to  increase  the  endowment,  for  the  country  was  suffering  from 
one  of  the  worst  financial  depressions  in  its  history.  The  trustees  felt  that 
"to  cut  down  the  work  would  be  to  miss  an  opportunity  in  the  State,"  yet: 
feared  that  it  might  have  to  be  done. 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  545 

At  the  trustees'  meeting  of  June,  1892,  after  reports  from  different 
members  of  the  faculty,  a  report  from  which  the  following  was  taken  was 
made  by  a  committee  appointed  to  consider  the  needs  of  the  college.  After 
a  suitable  introduction  they  go  on  to  say: 

"The  department  of  Elocution  needs  relief;  that  of  Modem  Languages, 
enlargement ;  the  departments  of  Greek  and  Latin  need  illustrative  materials ; . 
that  of  Mathematics  and  of  Astronomy  need  instruments ;  while  History  and 
English  Literature  need  an  enlarged  library. 

"But  there  are  other  needs  which  press  equally  upon  the  slender  re- 
sources of  the  college  and  cause  one  need  to  be  felt  above  all  others,  the  need 
of  money  to  supply  all  needs. 

"With  a  view  of  making  more  obvious,  both  the  sympathy  of  the  Trustees 
with  the  enlightened  views  of  the  devoted  instructors  in  the  college  and  their 
own  estimate  of  the  needs  of  the  college,  the  Trustees  hereby  declare  that 
the  college  needs  immediately: 

"First,  the  endowment  of  a  chair  of  Mental  and  Moral  Science  to  be  ■ 
filled  by  the  President. 

"Second,  the  endowment  of  a  chair  of  History  and  Social  Science,  in- 
cluding Political  Economy. 

"Third,  a  chair  of  Belles  Lettres  and  Logic. 

"Fourth,  a  chair  of  Mathematics  and  Astronomy,  later  to  be  separated. 

"Fifth,  a  professorship  of  Greek  and  Latin,  later  to  be  separated. 

"Sixth,  a  professorship  of  Natural  Science  and  Chemistry,  later  to  be 
subdivided  into  several  professorships. 

"Seventh,   a  professorship  of  Modern  Languages. 

"Eighth,  a  professorship   of   Elocution. 

"These  are  immediate  needs,  and  each  one  obviously  involves  expenditures 
other  than  those  required  for  the  salary  of  the  head  of  the  department.  The 
Library  must  be  greatly  enriched  to  make  it  serve  the  uses  of  any  one  of  these 
departments.  Apparatus  and  illustrative  material  can  be  most  useful  only 
where  each  department  has  exclusive  lecture  or  class  rooms.  *  *  *  *  jf 
an  effort  were  made  to  raise  twenty  thousand  dollars  from  the  Alumni  and 
their  friends  toward  the  endowment  of  the  Peter  MacVicar  Chair  of  Mental 
and  Moral  Science,  its  success  would  be  assured  by  the  aid  of  the  former- 
teachers  of  these  graduates.  If  at  the  same  time  twenty  or  thirty  thousand 
more  were  raised  through  other  efforts,  some  of  the  income  of  our  present 
funds  might  be  used  for  the  present  urgent  needs  of  all  departments. 

"Something  must  be  done.    We  must  advance  or  die.     Trusting  in  Him 
who  has  so  wonderfully  guided  and  blessed  Washburn  in  all  its  history,  we  ■ 
face  the  future,  and  for  the  better  college  that  is  needed  we  will  at  once  plan 
to  raise  first : — fifty  thousand  dollars,  then  a  second  fifty  thousand,  then  a  third"' 


,546  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

fifty  thousand,  not  resting  until  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  is  added  to 
our  present  endowment  fund,  and  permanent  professors  with  special  depart- 
ments take  the  place  of  teachers  having  various  topics  of  instruction,  and  little 
time  for  the  preparation  of  any  topic.      *      *    *" 

It  seemed  impossible  to  raise  the  $150,000  or  even  one  third  of  that 
amount.  For  a  time  the  only  possible  alternative  seemed  to  be  a  policy  of  re- 
trenchment. That  policy,  however,  proved  to  be  the  impossible  one.  The 
college  had  been  growing  so  large  and  progressing  so  fast  that  it  was  im- 
possible to  check  it.  The  momentum  was  too  great.  When  in  1895  it  was 
decided  that  some  courses  must  be  cut  out,  that  conditions  would  not  warrant 
so  large  expenditures,  the  college  resisted.  To  go  ahead  seemed  to  invite 
financial  ruin,  but  suddenly  to  check  our  strong  and  lusty  college  was  a 
worse  ruin.  Dr.  MacVicar  who  had  given  the  best  years  of  his  noble  life  to 
Washburn  was  not  able  to  carry  the  increased  burden. 

The  Washburn  of  1895  was  a  more  weighty  burden  to  carry  than  the 

Lincoln  College  of  30  years  before.     That  it  was  so  was  due  in  large  part 

to  Dr!  MacVicar.     To  build  the  college  had  been  his  life  work.     He  is  the 

dominating  person  of  this  period  I  am  writing  of.     He  had  planned  for  the 

college.     He  was  in  fact  as  well  as  in  name  the  head  of  it.     He  more  than 

any  other  one  man  had  made  a  foundation  worth  while  for  others  to  build 

upon  still  further.    His  competent  business  managerrient,  his  splendid  courage 

and  faith,  his  uplifting  words  and  thoughts  many  who  are  present  remember 

and  those  of  another  generation  can  be  told.     It  is  more  difficult  to  tell  of 

the  quiet  power  which  was  of  the  very  essence  of  his  nature.     In  1895  Dr. 

MacVicar  was  compelled  to  give  up  his  active  work.     How  the  burden  has 

been  courageously  borne  and  how  the  promises  of  earlier  years  have  not  been 

disappointed,  it  is  the  task  of  my  colleague  to  set  forth. 

—A.   M.    Hyde. 

Period  of  Expansion — 1896-1905.  The  period  in  the  history  of  Wash- 
burn College  called  the  period  of  expansion  is  too  recent  to  vifew  with  any 
historical  perspective,  especially  by  one  whose  connection  with  the  college 
is  practically  contemporaneous  with  it.  Any  history  of  this  period  would, 
"however,  be  incomplete  and  misleading,  that  failed  to  give  the  fullest  recogni- 
tion to  the  splendid  work  that  has  preceded  it.  One  cannot  read  the  simple 
record  of  the  board  of  trustees  month  by  month  and  year  by  year  through 
the  formative  period  of  its  history  without  being  impressed  with  the  wisdom 
and  devotion  of  the  men  who  founded  the  college,  and  with  no  resources  but 
its  endowment  of  splendid  opportunities  carried  it  on  through  the  unstable 
and  trying  years  of  our  State's  history  and  gave  to  these  comparative  pros- 
perous times  an  institution  already  rich  in  tradition  and  character  and  ideals. 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CTiTZEMb.  547- 

Whether  the  nine  years  that  have  passed  since  Peter  Mac  Vicar  laid  down 
the  load  that  had  bent  his  broad  shoulders  and  exhausted  his  powerful  mind, . 
the  period  of  which  I  am  to  speak  to-day,  be  a  realization  or  a  promise  I 
do  not  know.  I  believe  it  to  be  both.  A  realization  in  that  it  is  a  partial 
fulfillment  of  the  hopes  and  ambitions  of  the  early  heroes  of  the  college,  the 
legitimate  fruitage  of  their  many  years  of  careful  planting  and  patient  nurtur- 
ing. A  promise  that  the  period  of  slow  and  painful  development  is  past 
and  from  this  time  forth  the  workers  may  sooner  see  the  fruit  of  their  labors. 
What  has  been  accomplished  in  this  period  is  best  shown  by  a  simple  state- 
ment of  facts.  In  1896  the  work  of  the  college  was  organized  in  three  de- 
partments— the  college,  the  college  preparatory  and  a  department  of  music, 
enrolling  altogether  214  students  and  employing  14  instructors.  In  the  col- 
lege proper  96  students  were  enrolled,  having  the  choice  of  75  courses  of 
study  of  one-half  year  each.  In  1897  the  attendance  in  this  department  had 
increased  to  119;  in  1900  to  151;  in  1903  to  172;  and  in  1905  to  247.  In 
the  year  1895-96  10  instructors  were  employed  in  college  work.  In  the  fall 
of  1896  a  chair  of  history  was  added.  In  1899- 1900  instruction  was  pro- 
vided in  elementary  law,  courses  in  sociology  were  first  added  and  an  addi- 
tional instructor  was  secured  to  take  charge  of  the  work  in  German.  In  1902 
the  department  of  physics  and  astronomy  was  organized ,  under  a  separate 
instructor,  and  new  electives  were  opened  to  students  in  law  and  the  fine 
arts.  During  the  present  year  19  instructors  have  been  giving  courses  in 
the  college  department,  offering  to  their  students  134  half-year  courses.  To 
sum  up,  there  has  been  an  increase  of  nearly  100  per  cent,  in  the  teaching 
force  and  in  the  amount  of  work  offered  in  the  college  department,  and  a 
gain  of  150  per  cent,  in  the  attendance.  During  the  same  period  the  teach- 
ing force  of  the  academy  has  been  doubled  and  the  attendance  increased  50  ■ 
per  cent.  These  figures  show  that  the  period  under  consideration  has  been 
a  period  of  rapid  development  in  the  departments  with  which  the  college 
started. 

Since  1896  there  has  been  added  to  the  work  of  the  college  a  department, 
of  art,  a  school  of  law  and  a  school  of  medicine.  During  the  year  1902-03 
the  departments  of  music  and  art  were  combined,  a  school  of  fine  arts  was 
organized,  including  work  in  painting  and  illustration  and  in  oratory.  This 
school  has  employed  the  time,  wholly  or  in  part,  of  nine  instructors  and  has 
enrolled  during  the  year  just  closing  218  students.  It  offers  four  year  courses 
leading  to  the  Bachelor's  degree  in  piano,  organ,  voice,  violin,  painting  and 
oratory.  Its  development  has  been  materially  assisted  by  the  enterprise  of 
the  city  of  Topeka  in  planning  the  massive  pipe  organ  in  its  auditorium. 

The  school  of  medicine  was  formed  by  merging  the  Kansas  Medical 
College  of  Topeka.    This  institution  was  organized  in  1889.     It  grew  out  of" 


.548  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

the  conviction  of  many  of  the  physicians  of  the  city  that  there  was  an  oppor- 
tunity here  to  estabhsh  a  medical  school  that  would  bring  to  Topeka  many 
young  men  anxious  to  enter  the  profession  of  medicine  and  put  them  in  touch 
with  the  splendid  opportunities  that  the  city  afifords.  Small  in  its  beginnings, 
the  school  steadily  grew  in  numbers  and  efficiency  and  at  the  time  of  its  merg- 
ing into  Washburn  College,  during  the  spring  of  1903,  it  had  a  faculty  of  34 
members,  100  students  and  a  substantial  building  at  the  corner  of  12th  and 
Tyler  streets.  The  courses  of  lectures,  originally  three  in  number,  had  been 
increased  to  four  and  following  the  merger  the  length  of  each  course  was 
increased  from  six  to  seven  months.  The  greater  part  of  the  medical  work  is 
still  carried  on  at  the  medical  building,  but  a  portion  of  the  laboratory  work 
is  given  on  the  college  campus. 

In  the  spring  of  1903  the  board  of  trustees  announced  the  organization 

■of  a  school  of  law.     It  was  believed  that  the  city  of  Topeka,  containing  as 

it  does  courts  of  so  many  different  kinds,  ranging  from  the  Police  to  the 

United  States  District  Court,  offered  superior  opportunities  for  instruction 

in  law. 

A  thorough  curriculum  covering  three  years  of  nine  months  each  was 
adopted  and  in  the  fall  of  1903  work  was  begun  in  suitable  rooms  in  the 
'  city  near  the  State  and  City  libraries.  The  school  has  shown  great  vigor  and 
promise  of  success.  It  already  has  a  good  working  library,  the  gift  of  T.  W. 
Harrison  of  this  city.  The  enrollment  of  students  for  each  of  the  two  years 
of  its  history  has  been  about  40. 

In  1896  the  college  had  six  buildings — Rice  Hall,  Boswell  Memorial,  the 
Chapel,  Whitin,  Holbrook  and  Hartford.  These  buildings  were  erected  at  a 
•cost  of  $145,000.  The  endowment  at  this  time  was  $70,000  and  the  equip- 
ment was  valued  at  $24,000.  Estimating  the  campus  and  other  -lands  at 
$100,000,  the  total  value  of  the  material  equipment  was  $339,000.  In  June, 
1902,  in  addition  to  the  above  the  college  had  an  observatory  building  cost- 
ing $30,000,  containing  $19,250  worth  of  equipment,  and  a  central  heating 
plant  and  mains  valued  at  $7,500.  In  June,  1903,  the  Jewell  Fund  had  been 
completed,  adding  $20,000  to  the  endowment.  The  medical  building  with  its 
equipment  had  been  secured,  valued  together  at  $15,250.  The  law  library 
valued  at  $5,000  and  land  worth  $2,000  had  come  into  the  possession  of  the 
college.  Since  1903  the  college  has  come  into  possession  of  the  Cooper  col- 
lection of  minerals  worth  $15,000  and  other  equipment  estimated  at  $5,000. 
The  president's  residence  has  been  erected  at  a  cost  of  $7,500  and  the 
Carnegie  library  at  a  cost  of  $40,000. 

To  summarize,  during  the  years  1896  to  1905  the  attendance  of  all 
departments  of  the  college  has  increased  from  214  to  663.  The  equipment, 
including  land,  buildings,  books  and  apparatus  has  advanced  in  value  from 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.        .  549 

•$339'000  to  $506,000.  The  number  of  courses  of  instruction  offered  in  the 
departments  that  existed  at  the  beginning  of  this  period  has  almost  doubled 
and  there  have  been  added  the  schools  of  law  and  medicine  and  a  large 
amount  of  work  in  the  school  of  fine  arts. 

I  have  said  that  this  gratifying  growth  of  the  college  is  a  promise 
that  the  day  of  slow  development  is  past.  The  resources  of  our  State  are 
rapidly  increasing,  our  young  people  are  intelligent  and  earnestly  desirous  of 
the  opportunities  for  an  education.  Is  it  not  a  reasonable  hope  that  Wash- 
burn, situated  at  the  very  heart  of  the  State,  may  keep  pace  with  the  common- 
wealth in  its  rapid  development?  Indeed,  may  we  not  expect  it  to  maintain 
a  place  of  leadership  in  the  great  work  of  educating  the  mind  and  the  heart 
•of  those  who  are  so  soon  to  be  the  history  makers  of  our  great  State? 

D.    L.    McEachron. 


REV.  PETER  MacVICAR. 

Rev.  Peter  MacVicar,  deceased,  who  became  president  of  Washburn 
College,  Topeka,  in  1871,  and  held  that  office  for  many  years,  was  one  of  the 
leaders  in  educational  work  in  Kansas.  He  was  born  June  15,  1829,  at  St. 
George,  New  Brunswick,  Canada,  and  was  a  son  of  George  and  Christiana 
-MacVicar. 

Rev.  Mr.  MacVicar  came  of  Scotch  ancestry  and  possessed  many  of  the 
leading  traits  of  character  which  placed  his  ancestors,  in  years  gone  by,  in 
the  front  rank  of  professional  eminence.  His  father  was  a  farmer  and  he 
.grew  up  in  healthful  country  surroundings  but  his  tastes  did  not  lead  in  the 
direction  of  agriculture.  In  his  boyhood  the  family  removed  to  the  Territory 
•of  Wisconsin,  settling  near  Waukesha,  where  the  youth  was  able  to  attend 
■school  and  in  1852  became  a  student  at,  Beloit  College.  When  he  graduated 
four  years  later,  as  valedictorian  of  his  class,  his  friends  predicted  for  him 
a  bright  and  successful  future.  They  never  had  occasion  to  change  their 
opinions,  for  his  whole  subsequent  life  demonstrated  on  what  a  firm  founda- 
tion his  early  success  was  founded. 

After  one  year  as  a  member  of  the  faculty  of  Beloit  College,  he  entered 
Union  Theological  Seminary  and  completed  his  theological  course  at  An- 
dover,  in  i860. 

In  the  fall  of  i860.  Rev.  Mr.  MacVicar  came  to  Topeka  and  accepted 
a  call  to  the  pastorate  of  the  First  Congregational  Church.  In  the  changes 
brought  about  by  the  Civil  War,  his  energies  were  diffused  in  many  direc- 
tions, and  he  was  a  member  of  the  State  militia  during  the  period  when  troops 
■were  called  out  to  repel  the  advances  of  the  Confederate  forces. 


550  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

In  1866  our  subject  accepted  the  superintendency  of  the  Department  of. 
PubHc  Instruction  for  the  State  of  Kansas,  although,  at  that  time,  no  suit- 
able provision  had  been  made  for  the  carrying  on  of  the  work.  It  was  at 
this  time  that  his  influence  was  shown,  by  which  the  school  land  in  the  Osage 
Indian  Reservation  was  secured  as  a  part  of  the  school  fund.  He  was  one 
of  the  leaders  in  securing  this  great  public  service  to  the  State,  and  during 
his  whole  incumbency,  lasting  until  1870,  his  efforts  were  never  relaxed. 

One  of  the  great  results  of  the  united  efforts  of  a  body  of  educators,  wha 
were  also  practical  business  men,  was  the  establishing  at  Topeka  at  the  close 
of  the  Civil  War  of  an  educational  institution  which,  in  its  scope,  was  far 
beyond  any  other  school  in  the  State.  Thus  Washburn  College  came  into 
existence  in  1865.  Rev.  Mr.  MacVicar  had  much  to  do  with  the  drawing 
up  of  its  charter,  and  remained  closely  identified  with  its  interests  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  January  5,  1903.  To-day  the  institution  stands  as  an 
an  enduring  monument  to  his  disinterested  public  spirit,  to  his  great  executive 
ability  as  well  as  to  his  persistence,  courage  and  culture. 

From  nothing  tangible  has  arisen  a  magnificent  group  of  buildings' 
which  have  been  erected  at,  a  cost  of  $150,000,  surrounded  by  a  campus  of 
160  acres.  Every  opportunity  for  educational  development  is  given  here 
where  great  libraries  offer  their  store  of  the  wisdom  of  the  past  and  present, 
and  equipped  laboratories  invite  scientific  research.  Its  faculty  has  been 
called  from  other  great  institutions,  and  its  finances  are  in  such  shape  that 
its  future  progress  is  well  assured. 

In  September,  1863,  President  MacVicar  was  married  to  Martha  Porter 
Dana,  of  Waukesha,  Wisconsin,  who  is  a  lineal  descendant  of  Gen.  Israel 
Putnam.  Our  subject  was  survived  by  his  widow  and  two  children:  Dana 
C,  an  attorney,  of  Topeka;  and  Mary   (Mrs.  W.  H.  Morris),  of  Topeka. 


JAMES  F.   BLAKEMORE. 

Although  leading  a  quiet  life  and  rarely  assuming  a  conspicuous  place 
in  the  civic  life  of  Topeka,  the  late  James  F.  Blakemore  was  a  useful  and  rep- 
resentative citizen.  He  was  born  March  17,  1830,  at  Philadelphia,  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  was  a  son  of  Thomas  Blakemore. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Blakemore  were  natives  of  England.  The  father 
was  a  manufacturer  of  pearl  buttons,  which  industry  he  carried  on  first  in 
Philadelphia,  and  later  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  whither  the  family  removed  when 
James  F.,  the  youngest  of  the  family  of  10  children,  was  a  child. 

Our  subject  was  thus  reared  and  educated  at  Cincinnati,  graduating  at 


HON.   GEORGE  W.   MARTIN 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  553 

St.  Avery's  Academy.  He  remained  in  that  city  until  1872  and  then  came 
West  and  located  at  Topeka,  engaging  with  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa 
Fe  Railway  Company,  with  which  he  continued  to  be  connected  until  the 
close  of  his  life.  From  one  position  to  another  he  was  promoted  until  at  one 
time  he  was  foreman  of  the  machine  shops  at  Dodge  City.  He  died  September 
19,  1904.  He  was  a  good  citizen,  a  reliable  workman  and  a  devoted  husband 
and  father.    For  47  years  he  was  a  Mason. 

On  March  18,  1873,  Mr.  Blakemore  was  married  to  Mrs.  Nancy 
(Coon)  LaRue,  widow  of  J.  LaRue,  whose  death  occurred  in  1864.  Mrs. 
Blakemore  still  survives,  with  one  son,  Thomas  H.,  who  is  a  resident  of  St. 
Louis.  She  lives  in  a  very  pleasant  and  comfortable  home  at  No.  813  Jeffer- 
son street,  Topeka. 

Mr.  Blakemore  is  very  kindly  remembered  by  his  associates  and  by  the 
company  which  he  served  with  such  unswerving  fidelity  and  mechanical  skill 
for  so  many  years.  He  is  remembered  also  as  one  of  the  pioneer  railroad  men 
of  the  city,  as  he  came  here  in  the  infancy  of  railroad  transportation  in  Kansas. 


HON.  GEORGE  W.  MARTIN. 

Hon.  George  W.  Martin^  of  Topeka,  whose  portrait  accompanies 
this  sketch,  is  secretary  of  the  State  Historical  Society  and  was  formerly  reg- 
ister of  the  United  States  Land  Office  in  Kansas  and  also  State  printer ;  he  was 
born  in  the  mountains  of  Pennsylvania,  at  the  town  of  Hollidaysburg,  June 
30,  1841,  and  is  a  son  of  David  and  Mary  (Howell)  Martin. 

Mr.  Martin  comes  of  Irish  ancestry  on  the  paternal  side  and  of  Welsh 
on  the  maternal.  For  more  than  20  years  the  father,  David  Martin,  was  in 
the  employ  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania.  In  1857  he  removed  with  his 
family  to  Lecompton,  Kansas,  and  there  both  he  and  his  wife  died  in  July, 
1892,  within  21  hours  of  each  other.    They  were  honored  citizens. 

George  W.  Martin  attended  the  public  schools  at  Hollidaysburg  and 
then  learned  the  printing  trade,  in  the  office  of  the  Register,  the  leading 
journal  of  his  native  town.  After  reaching  Lecompton,  he  became  an  em- 
ployee of  the  Union,  which  later  was  succeeded  by  the  Kansas  National  Dem- 
ocrat. In  order  to  complete  his  knowledge  of  everything  pertaining  to  news- 
paper work,  Mr.  Martin  spent  one  year  in  the  book  offices  of  William  S.  and 
Alfred  Martien,  book-binders,  in  Philadelphia. 

Upon  his  return  to  Kansas,  Mr.  Martin  was  employed  for  a  short  period 
on  the  Lawrence  Republican,  and  then    went  to  Junction  City,  where  in  1861 

27 


554  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

he  became  editor  of  the  Junction  City  Union^  his  control  of  this  paper  con- 
tinuing until  1888,  when  he  purchased  an  interest  in  the  Daily  Gazette,  at 
Kansas  City,  Kansas,  of  which  he  was  editor  until  1899.  During  the  four 
years  in  which  the  Union  was  the  pioneer  of  Western  Kansas  journals,  Mr. 
Martin  directed  every  effort  to  build  up  every  industry  in  the  State  and 
through  his  journalistic  work  he  had  much  to  do  with  bringing  about  immi- 
gration from  many  portions  of  the  East  and  of  interesting  capital  in  the  agri- 
cultural resources  of  the  western  part  of  the  State. 

Politically,  Mr.  Martin  has  always  been  a  Republican,  one  of  the  kind  whose 
undying  loyalty  and  stern  fidelity  can  never  be  questioned.  He  has  suffered 
for  his  faith,  but  has  never  given  up  his  fealty.  At  the  same  time  he  has 
his  personal  convictions  just  as  strong  and  there  have  been  occasions  when 
some  of  the  measures  of  the  party  in  the  State  have  not  met  with  his  approval. 
In  1882  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Legislature  from  Geary  County,  and  in 
the  spring  of  1883  he  was  elected  mayor  of  Junction  City.  His  public  life 
has  been  on  a  par  with  his  private  career,  a  persistent  following  of  the  clear 
line  of  duty.  He  has  had  great  influence  in  shaping  political  affairs  in  his 
portion  of  the  State. 

Mr.  Martin's  ability  as  a  clear  and  convincing  writer  has  made  the 
newspapers,  over  which  he  has  had  charge,  powers  in  the  State  and  those 
measures  and  principles  which  he  has  advocated  have  always,  sooner  or 
later,  become  burning  questions  of  the  day.  Probably  one  of  the  most  talked- 
of  articles,  at  the  time,  was  a  disquisition  of  Mr.  Martin's,  entitled  "The  Owl 
Club  Letter,"'  on  the  subject  of  social  drinking. 

On  January  i,  1865,  Mr.  Martin  was  appointed  postmaster  at  Junction 
City,  and  in  the  following  April  he  was  made  register  of  the  United  States 
Land  Office.  He  was  removed  from  this  office  by  President  Johnson  and 
his  reinstatement  was  the  first  appointment  made  in  the  State  by  President 
Grant.  This  office  he  held  until  1871,  when  the  district  was  divided  and 
he  established  the  offices  at  Concordia  and  Salina.  In  January,  1873,  he 
was  elected  State  printer  and  held  the  office  for  eight  years.  It  is  generally 
accepted  as  a  fact  that  he  was  a  model  State  printer  and  that  the  excellence 
of  the  work  had  never  before  been  reached  nor  has  it  ever  since  been  ex- 
celled. He  received  a  diploma  and  medal  at  the  Centennial  Exposition  for 
blank  book  and  other  work. 

On  December  20,  1862,  Mr.  Martin  was  married  to  Lydia  Coulson,  who 
was  born  at  3.1inerva,  Columbia  County,  Ohio,  and  died  June  7,  1900.  She 
was  a  daughter  of  Allen  and  Catherine  Coulson,  the  former  of  whom  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania,  and  the  latter  in  Virginia.  They  came  to  Kansas 
in  1857.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Martin  had  five  children,  two  of  whom  died  in  in- 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  555 

fancy.     On  October  10,  1901,  Mr.  Martin  married  Mrs.  Josephine  Blakely, 
the  widow  of  a  friend  and  business  partner  of  early  days. 

Mr.  Martin  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  He  organized 
the  first  church  of  this  faith  at  Junction  City  and  was  one  of  its  ruHng  elders 
until  he  removed  to  Kansas  City.  He  has  long  been  prominently  identified 
with  the  Odd  Fellows  and  has  served  as  grand  master  for  Kansas  and  has 
been  a  delegate  to  two  sovereign  grand  lodges.  Since  1899  Mr.  Martin  has 
filled  an  office  for  which  he  is  well  equipped,  that  of  secretary  of  the  State 
Historical   Society. 


JAMES  L.  KING. 


James  L.  King,  present  State  librarian  of  Kansas,  and  author  of  this 
volume  of  the  "History  of  Shawnee  County,"  was  born  at  La  Harpe,  Han- 
cock County,  Illinois,  August  2,  1850,  his  boyhood  days  being  passed  in  his 
native  town  and  county,  with  the  exception  of  two  years  during  the  Civil 
War,  which  were  spent  in  the  South  with  his  father.  Col.  Selah  W.  King, 
an  officer  of  the  50th  Regiment,  Illinois  Vol.  Inf.  He  was  only  10  years  old 
when  the  war  begun,  but  followed  the  soldiers  of  Company  G  of  the  5otli 
Regiment,  which  his  father  organized,  from  Camp  Wood  (Quincy,  Illinois,) 
to  Chillicothe,  Missouri,  thence  to  St.  Joseph,  and  later  to  Cairo,  Illinois,  and 
Paducah  and  Smithland,  Kentucky,  immediately  preceding  the  campaigns  of 
General  Grant  and  Commodore  Foote  against  Fort  Henry  and  Fort  Donel- 
•son.  Afterwards  he  spent  a  year  with  the  troops  at  Corinth,  Mississippi, 
after  the  battles  at  Shiloh  and  Corinth.  Although  too  young  to  enlist,  he 
lived  with  the  soldiers  in  camp,  drilled  and  marched  with  them,  and  undoubt- 
■edly  saw  as  much  of  the  war  as  any  man  of  his  years  in  the  whole  country. 

At  the  close  of  the  war,  he  resumed  his  studies  in  the  La  Harpe  Academy, 
where  most  of  his  school  education  was  obtained.  He  also  performed  clerical 
work  in  the  law  office  of  his  father,  who  was  a  practitioner  at  the  bar  of 
Hancock  County  for  nearly  half  a  century,  and  was  a  man  of  considerable 
prominence,  being  the  friend  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  Owen  Love  joy,  Richard 
Yates,  Richard  J.  Oglesby,  John  A.  Logan  and  other  political  leaders  of  that 
period.  The  family  moved  from  Ohio  to  Illinois  in  1842,  and  was  of  Eng- 
lish and  Scotch  ancestry,  Mrs.  King's  maiden  name  being  Eliza  Aleshire. 

In  1867  James  L.  King,  became  an  apprentice  in  the  office  of  the  Car- 
thage (Illinois)  Gazette,  where  he  acquired  the  printer's  trade,  for  which 
he  had  long  betrayed  a  fondness.     At  the  age  of  19  years  he  was  the  owner 

1 


556  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

and  editor  of  the  Home  Neivs,  a  weekly  paper  published  in  La  Harpe,  with 
which  he  combined  the  book  and  stationery  business.  In  1870  he  commenced 
the  publication  of  the  Headlight,  the  first  paper  to  be  established  in  the  new 
town  of  Creston,  Iowa.  He  also  worked  in  an  editorial  capacity  on  the 
Dubuque  Times  and  the  Davenport  Gazette.  His  citizenship  in  Kansas  dates, 
from  the  year  1871,  when  he  located  in  Topeka.  His  first  employment  was. 
in  the  business  department  of  the  Kansas  Magadne.  He  was  deputy  county 
treasurer  in  1872,  and  in  1873  became  city  editor  of  the  Commonwealths 
His  first  newspaper  work  in  Topeka  was  on  the  Tanner  and  Cobbler,  a  cam- 
paign paper  which  he  started  in  1872  in  conjunction  with  Milton  R.  Moore. 
He  was  one  of  the  editors  of  the  Topeka  Daily  Times  in  1875.  In  1876 
he  was  the  editor  and  publisher  of  the  Capital,  a  weekly  literary  and  social 
journal,  which  was  launched  three  years  before  the  present  Topeka  news- 
paper of  that  name.  In  1887  he  edited  the  Lantern,  a  semi-literary  weekly^ 
and  in  1889  the  National  Passenger,  a  Rock  Island  railroad  enterprise.  At 
different  times  he  has  worked  on  all  of  the  principal  newspapers  of  Topeka, 
and  was  for  many  years  the  Kansas  correspondent  of  the  St.  Louis  Globe- 
Democrat  and  Kansas  City  Journal.  His  brother,  Henry  King,  is  the  present 
editor  of  the  Globe-Democrat. 

James  L.  King  began  service  as  a  clerk  in  the  Topeka  Post  Office  in 
1876.  Here  he  remained  for  17  years,  filling  through  promotion  every  posi- 
tion in  the  office.  He  was  assistant  postmaster  under  the  administrations  of 
Postmasters  Thomas  J.  Anderson  and  John  Mileham,  in  1880  and  1885,  and 
in  1889  received  the  appointment  of  postmaster  from  President  Benjamin 
Harrison.  During  his  official  service  he  found  time  to  continue  his  news- 
paper work  to  some  extent,  and  he  has  been  a  frequent  contributor  to  ency- 
clopedias, magazines  and  local  periodicals.  In  1901  he  made  a  tour  of  the 
neighboring  republic  of  Mexico  and  wrote  a  descriptive  pamphlet  on  the  sub- 
ject, under  the  title  of  "Mexico  in  Glimpses."  He  is  also  the  author  of 
"Manitou  and  the  Mountains,"  "Cloudcroft"  and  a  number  of  unpretentious, 
monographs  and  short  stories  on  local  topics. 

He  was  appointed  to  be  State  librarian  in  December,  1894,  serving  until 
1898.  From  1898  to  1902  he  had  charge  of  the  traveling  library  system  of 
Kansas.  He  is  chairman  of  the  Kansas  Traveling  Libraries  Commission,, 
and  was  one  of  the  first  and  most  enthusiastic  promoters  of  that  m  ovement. 
He  was  the  first  president  of  the  Kansas  State  Library  Association,  and  is 
a  member  of  the  National  Library  Association.  In  1902  he  was  reappointed 
to  the  office  of  State  librarian,  of  which  he  is  the  present  incumbent. 

Mr.  King  was  married  October  10,  1877,  to  Elizabeth  Coolbaugh,  daugh- 
ter of  Edwin  B.  and  Celestia  J.  Coolbaugh,  of  Towanda,  Pennsylvania.  Mr. 
and  Mr=.  King  have  resided  continuously  in  Topeka  since  that  date.     Their 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  557 

only  child,  Emilie  Packer  King,  was  married  November  23,  1904,  to  Wil- 
liam Williams  Wikidal,  of  Topeka.  A  portrait  of  Mr.  King  is  shown  early  in 
this  work.  C. 


COL.  THOMAS   N.  STINSON. 

CoL.  Thomas  N.  Stinson,  deceased,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Shawnee 
County,  was  at  one  time  owner  of  800  acres  of  valuable  land  in  this  county, 

■of  which  the  farm  now  owned  by  Mrs.  Stinson  in  section  i,  township  , 

range  5  in  Tecumseh  township,  formed  a  part.  He  was  born  at  Dayton, 
Ohio,  April  14,  18 18,  his  father  being  a  school  teacher  by  occupation. 

Of  the  childr^  born  to  the  parents  of  our  subject,  Jane  married  Major 
Davis,  who  was  Indian  agent  to  the  Pottawatomie  tribe;  and  James  became 
prominent  as  a  surveyor  in  Illinois,  laying  off  the  Illinois  and  Michigan 
■Canal  in  that  State. 

At  the  age  of  21  years,  his  parents  having  died,  Thomas  N.  Stinson  left 
liis  brother  in  Ohio  and  came  West  to  Westport,  as  Kansas  City,  Missouri, 
was  originally  known.  He  worked  in  the  clerk's  office  at  Independence,  Mis- 
souri, for  a  time,  then  for  the  clerk  of  the  court.  He  worked  for  the  firm 
of  Simpson  &  Hunter,  large  merchants  of  Westport  for  a  time  without  pay 
in  order  to  learn  the  business,  and  later  was  employed  by  them  to  go  into  Kan- 
•sas  to  trade  with  the  Delaware  and  Kaw  Indians.  He  later  established  a  store 
among  the  Pottawatomies  and  conducted  it  until  about  one  year  after  his  mar- 
riage. Then  upon  the  throwing  open  for  settlement  of  a  large  tract  of  land 
in  Kansas,  through  the  treaty  between  the  Shawnees  and  the  United  States, 
he  came  to  what  is  now  Shawnee  County  and  acquired  800  acres  of  land. 
He  erected  a  small  log  house  in  which  he  lived  with  his  family  until  1856, 
when  he  erected  the  stone  house  which  has  since  served  as  the  residence  of  his 
family.  He  conducted  a  store  at  Tecumseh  for  a  short  time,  but  in  the  mean- 
time oversaw  the  work  on  his  farm,  on  which  he  continued  to  live  until  his 
death  in  1882.  When  the  first  election  in  Kansas  Territory  was  held,  the 
TOtes  of  his  district  were  cast  at  his  house.  Governor  Reeder  was  then  in 
office,  and  as  slavery  was  the  paramount  issue  before  the  people  who  were 
■seeking  admission  to  the  Union  as  a  new  State,  his  life  was  a  very  strenuous 
one.  Upon  one  occasion,  the  Governor  and  Colonel  Stinson  were  engaged 
m  a  game  of  chess,  when  an  attempt  was  made  to  mob  the  former,  who  coolly 
requested  our  subject  not  to  disturb  the  game  and  they  would  complete  the 
game  later.  This  game  was  completed  four  years  later  and  required  two 
■days  to  determine  supremacy,  Colonel  Stinson  finally  winning  with  a  case 
of  champagne  as  a  reward.     He  was  the  first  school  treasurer  in  this  district. 


558  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

and  served  as  a  colonel  in  the  Kansas  militia.    He  was  a  Presbyterian  in  relig- 
ious belief,  as  were  his  parents. 

In  1850  Colonel  Stinson  was  united  in  marriage  with  Julia  A.  Beauch- 
mie,  who  was  born  in  Kansas  City,  Kansas,  March  26,  1834,  and  is  a  daughter 
of  Mackinac  Beauchmie,  who  was  named  after  the  Straits  of  Mackinac.  He 
was  of  French  descent,  and  was  a  trapper  with  the  Choteaus  for  the  American. 
Fur  Company.  He  was  married  in  Missouri  to  an  Indian  squaw,  Betsy 
Rogers,  mother  of  Mrs.  Stinson,  who  was  a  daughter  of  Louis  Rogers.  Her 
father  was  a  white  of  pure  blood,  who  in  childhood  had  been  captured  by  the 
Shawnees  in  reparation  for  the  loss  in  battle  of  the  only  son  of  Chief  Black 
Fist.  Louis  Rogers  was  given  a  home  and  was  loved  by  the  tribe  and  its 
chief,  the  latter  making  him  his  heir.  He  married  a  cousin  of  old  Tecumseh, 
after  whom  the  town  and  township  of  Tecumseh  are  named.  Because  of 
her  descent  from  a  chief,  Mrs.  Stinson  received  a  large  allotment  of  land  from 
the  government  and  remained  in  Kansas,  preferring  to  remain  ^^•here  her 
children  would  have  the  proper  educational  advantages  than  to  go  to  the 
Indian  Territory.  She  and  her  husband  had  the  following  children :  Thomas, 
who  went  to  the  Philippines  in  the  American  Army;  Julia,  who  married  C. 
B.  Hamilton  and  died  in  the  city  of  Mexico;  Mary,  wife  of  Charles  Smith, 
who  has  extensive  coal  interests  in  Pittsburg  and  lives  in  Kansas  City ;  Hattie, 
deceased  wife  of  Walter  Logan,  of  Arizona;  and  Thornton,  a  farmer  of 
Tecumseh  township.  Mrs.  Stinson  is  a  woman  of  refinement  and  character, 
and  is  a  pleasant  and  interesting  conversationalist. 


CHARLES  L.  WOOD. 

Charles  L.  Wood,  senior  member  of  the  firm  of  Wood  &  Williamson,, 
proprietors  of  the  National  Hotel,  at  Topeka,  was  born  in  Montgomery 
County,  Illinois,  not  far  from  the  capital  city  of  Springfield,  January  4,  1862,. 
and  is  a  son  of  John  C.  and  Malinda  A.  (Judd)  Wood. 

In  tracing  the  Wood  family  back  a  number  of  generations,  the  fore- 
bears are  found  to  have  been  of  Scotch  and  English  extraction  and  some  mem- 
bers of  this  family  were  with  the  Plymouth  colony  in  New  England.  The- 
immediate  ancestors  of  our  subject  came,  however,  from  sturdy  Pennsylvania 
stock.  The  father  was  a  farmer  and  also  a  Methodist  preacher.  He  died 
in  1883  at  Greenfield,  Illinois,  but  his  widow  still  survives.  Of  their  nine 
children,  five  are  still  living,  all  residents  of  Kansas. 

Charles  L.  Wood  remained  on  a  farm  until  21  years  of  age,  his  educatioiT 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  559 

including  the  instruction  afforded  by  the  public  schools  and  by  a  business 
college.  In  1884  he  went  to  North  Dakota,  where  he  became  assistant  man- 
ager of  a  wheat  farm  for  his  cousin,  J.  C.  Gill,  in  the  meantime  making  many 
friends  and  being  appointed  deputy  assessor  of  Cass  County.  During  two 
winters  he  also  taught  school.  His  first  experience  in  the  hotel  business  was 
at  Castleton,  North  Dakota,  where  he  was  in  partnership  with  Douglas 
Smith.  They  conducted  what  was  known  as  the  "City  Restaurant,"  under 
the  firm  name  of  Smith  &  Wood,  and  they  continued  the  business  from  the 
fall  of  1886  to  the  spring  of  1888. 

At  this  period  Mr.  Wood  came  to  Kansas  and  in  association  with  his 
brother,  J.  C.  Wood,  conducted  the  Windsor  Hotel  at  Hays  under  the  name 
of  Wood  Brothers,  but  shortly  after  he  became  cashier  for  the  Union  Pacific 
Railroad  eating  house  at  Ellis,  Kansas,  under  Frank  Washburn,  a  position  he 
filled  one  year  and  then  came  to  Topeka.  He  served  first  as  chief  clerk  of 
the  National  Hotel,  and  then  went  to  Colorado  as  manager  of  the  Union 
Pacific  Railroad  eating  house  at  Cheyenne  Wells,  and  subsec]uently  spent 
one  season  as  chief  clerk  of  the  Hotel  Florence,  at  San  Diego,  California. 
Mr.  Wood  then  came  back  to  the  National  Hotel  at  Topeka  and  served  as 
chief  clerk  until  1897.  He  then  became  interested  in  real  estate  and  the 
hotel  brokerage  business,  doing  well  in  the  latter  line.  In  1898  he  took  the 
management  of  the  Chesterfield  Hotel,  but  in  the  fall  sold  out  his  interest 
and  became  chief  clerk  of  the  Copeland  Hotel.  In  the  spring  of  1 899  he  took 
the  management  of  the  National  Hotel.  On  the  first  of  the  following  No- 
vember, Mr.  Wood  purchased  the  hotel  and  fixtures  and  is  the  senior  member 
of  the  firm  which  operates  it. 

On  November  i,  1903,  Mr.  Wood  formed  a  partnership  with  C.  R. 
Williamson,  who  was  an  old  commercial  traveler.  This  popular  hotel,  a 
view  of  which  is  shown  on  another  page  of  this  work,  is  in  the  heart  of  the 
business  district,  located  at  Nos.  633-635  Kansas  avenue,  contains  100  rooms 
and  can  accommodate  200  guests.  It  is  a  five-story  and  basement  building 
and  every  equipment  is  first-class  and  modern.  One  particular  feature  is  the 
excellence  of  the  cuisine  and  this  alone  has  brought  the  house  the  favor  of 
the  traveling  public.  It  is  conducted  on  the  American  plan  and  caters  to  an 
exclusive  transient  business.  Charges  are  moderate,  ranging  from  $2  to  $3 
per  day  according  to  location  of  room  and  with  or  without  bath.  Electric 
lights  and  elevator  service  are  two  very  important  features  of  this  hotel. 
A  force  of  35  employes  is  kept.  A  modern  local  and  long  distance  telephone 
is  provided  in  each  room. 

Mr.  Wood  is  secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Kansas  &  Missouri  Hotel 
Men's  Association,  an  organization  which  was  first  formed  with  12  members, 


56o  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

in  1895,  at  the  National  Hotel,  Topeka,  as  the  Kansas  Hotel  Keepers'  Asso- 
ciation, and  was  reorganized  at  Kansas  City,  January  2,  1901,  when  its 
name  was  changed  to  the  former  title.  Its  object  is  to  prevent  the  perpetra- 
tion of  fraud,  to  minimize  the  number  of  bad  accounts  and  to  work  for  the 
interests  of  hotel  men  in  general.  The  membership  now  reaches  200  in  the 
two  States  and  an  annual  meeting  is  held,  an  executive  board  being  in  session 
all  the  time.  All  the  leading  hotels  in  the  two  States  are  represented,^  witli 
the  exception  of  two  in  St.  Louis.  The  president  of  the  association  is  H.  C. 
Whitley,  proprietor  of  the  Whitley  House,  at  Emporia,  Kansas;  and  Mr. 
Wood  is  secretary  and  treasurer.  On  the  occasion  of  the  last  annual  meeting, 
March  16,  1905,  it  was  decided  to  admit  members  to  the  association  from  the 
Southwestern  States.  The  Commercial  Hotel  Register  is  published  monthly 
at  Topeka  by  the  association  and  is  devoted  to  hotel  interests. 

Mr.  Wood  has  been  interested  in  many  circles  in  Topeka  and  is  as  widely 
known  as  any  other  citizen.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Commercial  Club  and  has 
been  vice-president  and  is  chairman  of  the  advertising  committee  at  the  pres- 
ent time.  For  some  time  he  has  been  associated  with  the  Modoc  Glee  Club; 
he  possesses  a  fine  tenor  voice.  He  is  the  general  manager  of  the  club  and 
attends  to  the  finances  when  it  makes  annual  entertainment  excursions.  He 
belongs  also  to  the  Elks. 

Mr.  Wood  was  married  at  Greensburg,  Indiana,  October  17,  1899,  to 
Ina  Graham,  who  was  born  in  Kentucky.  Mr.  Wood  belongs  to  the  Methodist 
Church,  while  Mrs.  Wood  affiliates  with  the  Episcopal. 

Although  a  thoroughly  self-made  man,  Mr.  Wood  claims  no  great 
degree  of  credit  for  himself,  arguing  that  honorable  business  principles,  close 
application,  methodical  habits  and  courteous  manners  make  success  possible 
for  any  one.  He  is  a  very  popular  citizen  of  Topeka.  He  made  many  friends 
in  St.  Louis  during  the  Louisiana  Exposition,  as  the  manager  of  the  Epworth 
Hotel,  a  huge  caravansary  with  530  rooms  where  guests  from  all  over  the 
world  were  made  comfortable. 


CHARLES   R.  WILLIAMSON. 

Charles  R.  Williamson,  of  the  firm  of  Wood  &  Williamson,  proprie- 
tors of  the  National  Hotel,  was  a  traveling  man  on  the  road  for  40 
years.  He  first  took  up  the  hotel  business  when  he  allied  himself  with  Mr. 
Wood  in  conducting  the  National  Hotel.  Both  are  genial  and  very  popular 
gentlemen. 


THOMAS  K.   TOMSON 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  563 


THOMAS  K.  TOMSON. 

Thomas  K.  Tomson^  whose  portrait  is  herewith  shown,  is  extensively 
■engaged  in  raising  cattle  and  in  general  farming  operations  in  Dover  town- 
ship, Shawnee  County.  He  has  been  a  resident  of  this  county  for  many 
years  and  is  prominently  known  among  its  citizens.  He  was  born  at  Youngs- 
town,  Ohio,  in  1826,  and  is  a  son  of  Cornelius  and  Anna  (Kyle)  Tomson, 
and  grandson  of  Leffard  Tomson,  who  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  Our 
-subject's  mother  was  a  daughter  of  Joshua  and  Mary  (Stewart)  Kyle,  her 
father  a  native  of  Ireland  and  her  mother,  born  on  a  ship  in  mid-ocean. 

Thomas  K.  Tomson  received  his  educational  training  in  the  public 
■schools  of  Youngstown,  Ohio,  and  in  the  spring  of  1856  made  a  trip  through 
the  Western  country.  Upon  his  return  to  Ohio  he  was  married,  in  1857, 
and  shortly  after  went  with  his  wife  to  Lee  County,  Iowa,  where  he  lived 
-on  a  farm  near  Fort  Madison  for  two  years.  He  then  purchased  land  near 
Carthage,  in  Jasper  County,  Missouri,  but  never  settled  upon  it.  In  1861 
he  came  to  Topeka,  Kansas,  and  the  following  year  took  up  a  quarter-section 
of  land  in  Wabaunsee  County,  on  which  he  lived  four  years.  He  then  sold 
-out  and  bought  and  improved  a  farm  four  and  a  half  miles  east  of  this  farm, 
living  upon  it  four  years.  He  purchased  a  farm  in  Mission  township,  four 
and  a  half  rriiles  west  of  Topeka,  and  after  one  year  moved  to  the  city,  where 
Tie  purchased  a  livery  and  other  properties,  a  portion  of  which  he  still  owns. 
In  the  meantime  he  engaged  extensively  in  dealing  in  cattle  in  partnership 
with  his  two  sons,  John  R.  and  James  G.,  leaving  his  livery  in  charge  of  his 
partner,  who  first  was  a  Mr.  Dilley  and  later  J.  B.  Love,  who  now  conducts 
"the  establishment.  In  1881  Mr.  Tomson  purchased  his  present  farm  of  212 
acres,  situated  in  section  35,  township  12,  range  13,  and  section  2,  township 
13'  range  13,  in  Dover  township,  and  all  told  has  some  575  acres.  He  is 
a  progressive  business  man  of  unusual  ability,  and  has  attained  a  high  degree 
-of  success. 

Mr.  Tomson  was  married  in  1857  to  Elizabeth  C.  Davis,  a  native  of 
Ohio,  who  died  in   1878,  leaving  five  children:  Anna  Bell,  now  deceased; 
"Ella,  who  married  N.  J.  Riley,  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser  living  near  Cotton- 
wood Falls,  Kansas,  and  has  three  children,— Fred,  Bell  and  William ;  John 
R.,  who  married  Carrie  Loomis,  a  daughter  of  Harry  J.  Loomis,  who  lo- 
cated in  Wabaunsee  County  in  1856  and  still  lives  there, — they  have  one 
•child,  Marjorie  Bell ;  Frank  D.,  who  has  a  position,  at  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa, 
paying  a  salary  of  $4,000  a  year,— he  married  Tina  Coburn,  a  daughter  of 
Tester  D.  Coburn,  of  Topeka,  secretary  of  the  State  Board  of  Agriculture, 
-and  has  two  children,  Gertrude  and  Helen;  and  James  G.,  engaged  in  the 


564  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

stock-raising  business  with  his  father  and  brother,  who  married  Jean  Edna. 
Beach  and  Hves  with  his  father.  Mr.  Tomson  and  his  sons  make  a  specialty 
of  Shorthorns,  and  usually  have  on  hand  about  130  head. 

Thomas  K.  Tomson  formed  a  second  marital  union  with  Mrs.  McArthur, 
a  daughter  of  Joseph  Miller,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Topeka.  She  was  seven 
years  old  when  she  accompanied  her  parents  to  this  city  and  here  she  resided 
until  her  death  in  1899.  This  union  resulted  in  the  birth  of  a  son,  Joseph  M.,, 
who  is  attending  Topeka  Business  College.  Fraternally,  Mr.  Tomson  and 
his  son,  James  G.,  are  Odd  Fellows,  and  his  sons,  John  R.,  and  Frank  D., 
are  Masons.  Politically,  all  are  stanch  Republicans.  In  religious  attach- 
ments they  belong  to  the  Congregational  Church. 


REV.  DeLOU    burke. 

Rev.  DeLou  Burke,  canon  of  Grace  Cathedral,  at  Topeka,  is  one  of 
the  most  scholarly  clergymen  of  this  city,  and  is  also  one  whose  influence  is 
felt  in  many  directions.  His  voice  is  always  heard  in  support  of  higher  and 
better  things,  for  what  is  noble,  holy  and  helpful,  and  probably  no  man  of  his- 
calling  is  more  universally  esteemed.  He  was  born  at  Crawfordsville,  In- 
diana, March  24,  1858. 

Canon  Burke  was  educated  at  the  Central  Normal  College,  at  Danville,. 
Indiana,  where  he  was  graduated  in  1877.  He  was  one  of  the  first  students 
at  this  college,  which  was  then  in  its  infancy  but  has  since  had  lusty  growth. 
From  his  graduation  until  1888,  he  engaged  in  teaching,  and  then  entered  the- 
Nashotah  Theological  Seminary,  at  Nashotah,  Wisconsin,  where  he  was- 
graduated  in  1892.  On  Trinity  Sunday  of  that  year,  he  was  ordained  priest 
by  Bishop  Nicholson,  in  All  Saints'  Cathedral,  Milwaukee. 

He  then  passed  two  years  as  rector  of  St.  Mark's  Church,  Beaver  Dam, 
Wisconsin,  and  then  accepted  a  call  to  St.  James  Church,  South  Bend,  In- 
diana. There  his  ministerial  labors  continued  through  a  period  of  six  years, 
during  which  he  secured  the  erection  of  a  beautiful  new  church  edifice.  In 
the  fall  of  1898  he  accepted  a  call  to  St.  James'  Church  at  Vincennes,  In- 
diana, and  held  his  first  service  on  Advent  Sunday.  In  September,  1901,  he 
was  elected  to  the  chair  of  philosophy  and  pedagogy,  in  the  Vincennes  Uni- 
versity. This  educational  position  he  filled  until  the  call  came  to  him  from- 
Grace  Cathedral,  at  Topeka. 

Rev.  Mr.  Burke  was  warmly  welcomed  to  Topeka  and  a  few  months 
later  was  made  canon  of  the  cathedral.  As  such,  with  multitudinous  other 
duties,  he  has  charge  of  two  flourishing  missions,  the  Church  of  the  Good 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  565. 

Shepherd,  in  North  Topeka,  and  the  Church  of  St.  Simon,  a  colored  mission. 
He  is  secretary  of  the  faculty  of  the  Kansas  Theological  School,  in  which 
he  is  professor  of  Christian  ethics  and  Christian  evidences ;  is  assistant  chap- 
lain of  Christ's  Hospital;  and  acting  chaplain  and  teacher  of  Church  history 
at  the  College  of  the  Sisters  of  Bethany.  In  addition  to  these  numerous 
duties,  Canon  Burke  finds  time  to  do  some  teaching  at  home,  those  fortunate 
enough  to  come  under  his  personal  and  private  instruction  having  access  tO' 
his  fine  library,  which  is  one  of  the  best  in  the  city.  As  a  writer  on  moral 
questions,  he  is  also  well  known. 

.  Canon  Burke  has  no  domestic  ties,  but  he  enjoys  the  companionship  of 
congenial  spirits  to  be  found  in  fraternal  associations.  He  has  taken  all 
the  degrees  of  Odd  Fellowship,  including  the  Canton;  is  a  Knight  Templar 
Mason,  and  has  taken  all  the  degrees  in  the  Knights  of  Pythias  except  the- 
Uniform  Rank. 


W.  M.    FORBES. 


W.  M.  Forbes,  who  has  been  engaged  in  an  insurance,  real  estate  and  loan- 
business  at  Topeka  since  February,  1886,  is  one  of  the  leading  insurance  men- 
of  Shawnee  County,  and  is  also  one  of  Topeka's  well-known  and  representative- 
citizens.  Mr.  Forbes  was  born  in  Decatur  County,  Indiana,  February  28,  1847, 
and  is  a  son  of  John  G.  and  Elizabeth  (Mathews)  Forbes. 

The  Forbes  family  came  originally  from  Scotland.     The  parents  of  our 
subject  removed  to  Black  Hawk  County,  Iowa,  when  he  was  small.    The  father - 
was  a  farmer  and  there  the  family  was  reared  and  the  parents  passed  away. 

W.  M.  Forbes  was  educated  in  the  district  schools,  the  Upper  Iowa  Univer- 
sity at  Fayette  and  the  State  University  at  Iowa  City,  where  he  was  graduated" 
with  the  degree  of  A.  B.,  in  1873,  and  in  law,  in  1874.  He  then  engaged  in  teach- 
ing school  for  a  time,  and  for  two  years  was  principal  of  the  Burlington  city 
schools.  He  then  settled  at  Beatrice,  Nebraska,  where  he  practiced  law  for  seven 
years  and  also  was  engaged  in  a  banking  business  at  Table  Rock.   In  the  early 
sprmg  of  1886  he  came  to  Topeka  and  has  been  engaged  in  his  present  line  ever" 
since,  and  is  now  located  at  No.  107  West  Seventh  street.    He  gives  his  main 
attention  to  fire  and  tornado  insurance  risks  and  represents  these  leading  com- 
panies: Royal,  of  Liverpool,  England;  Insurance  Company  of  North  America, 
Philadelphia ;  St.  Paul  Fire  &  Marine,  Minneapolis ;  Pennsylvania  Fire,  Phila- 
delphia;  National  Fire,  Hartford,  Connecticut;  Phoenix,  Hartford;  and  Spring- 
field Fire  &  Marine,  of  Massachusetts. 

Mr.  Forbes  was  married  in  Iowa  to  Lucretia  Parsons,  a  native  of  Illinois, 
and  they  have  four  sons,  viz :  Robert  L.,  a  farmer;  Frank,  associated  with  his- 


.566  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

father;  Carroll,  mining  engineer  with  the  Victoria  Mining  Company,  a  grad- 
uate of  the  Michigan  State  School  of  Mines ;  and  Roy,  who  is  a  student  in  the 
junior  year  at  the  Topeka  High  School. 

Mr.  Forbes'  pleasant  home  is  situated  at  No.  328  Woodlawn  avenue,  Pot- 
win  Place,  and  he  served  two  years  as  mayor  of  this  suburb  and  for  10  years  was 
a  member  of  the  School  Board.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  Master  Mason,  and  for  the 
past  ID  years  has  been  national  treasurer  of  the  Knights  and  Ladies  of  Security. 
He  belongs  to  the  official  board  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  He  is  a 
man  who  stands  very  high  in  the  estimation  of  his  fellow-citizens,  both  in  his 
personal  relations  and  as  an  honorable  business  factor. 


ROYAL    C.  BRADSHAW. 

Royal  C.  Bradshaw,  trustee  of  Mission  township,  Shawnee  County,  is 
a  veteran  of  the  Civil  War  and  makes  his  home  in  section  33,  township  11, 
range  15,  in  the  above  named  township.  He  is  the  owner  of  considerable  real 
estate  in  Topeka,  and  is  possessed  of  exceptional  business  ability.  He  was 
born  in  Chautauqua  County,  New  York,  August  4,  1842,  and  is  a  son  of  Solo- 
mon and  Mary  (Scott)  Bradshaw. 

Solomon  Bradshaw  was  born  in  Connecticut  in  1801,  and  died  at  the  age 
of  84  years.  He  married  Mary  Scott,  who  was  born  in  New  York  State  in 
1810,  and  died  in  1894,  just  10  years  after  the  demise  of  her  husband.  They 
became  the  parents  of  seven  children,  as  follows :  Henry,  deceased ;  Tirzah, 
wife  of  Levi  Holmes,  of  Jamestown,  New  York ;  William,  of  Jamestown,  New 
York;  Nancy,  now  a  resident  of  Fredonia,  New  York,  who  married  Henry 
Boujean,  and  after  his  demise  married  William  Bloomer,  who  is  also  deceased ; 
Archibald,  who  lives  on  the  home  farm  near  Mayville,  New  York ;  Royal  C. ; 
and  Margaret,  who  has  attained  distinction  as  an  author  and  poet,  among  her 
best  appreciated  efforts  being  the  novel,  "My  Heart  Remembers  How." 

Royal  C.  Bradshaw  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  town, 
and  was  reared  on  the  old  homestead  in  Chautauqua  County.  After  the  breaking 
out  of  the  Civil  War,  he  enlisted  from  Cattaraugus  County,  New  York,  June  i, 
1 86 1,  as  a  private  in  Company  H,  71st  Reg.,  New  York  Vol.  Inf.,  under  Capt. 
Thomas  Rafferty  and  Col.  George  B.  Hall.  He  was  mustered  into  service  at 
Camp  Scott,  Staten  Island,  June  20,  1861,  and  served  with  distinction  through- 
out a  greater  part  of  the  war.  He  was  promoted  first  to  corporal,  then  to  ser- 
geant major,  and  on  May  12,  1864,  for  bravery  and  meritorious  conduct  in  the 
battle  of  Spottsylvania  was  made  2nd  lieutenant.  He  was  honorably  dis- 
charged on  June  21,  1864,  and  was  immediately  mustered  in  as  2nd  lieutenant 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  567- 

of  Company  E,  of  his  old  regiment,  under  Capt.  Tom  Murphy  and  Col.  Henry 
L.  Potter.  This  regiment  was  assigned  to  the  Second  Brigade,  Second  Divis- 
ion Third  Army  Corps,  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  saw  the  hardest 
fought  battles  of  the  war,  participating  at  Stafford  Court  House ;  siege  of  York- 
town  ;  Fair  Oaks  or  Seven  Pines ;  the  Seven  Days  Battle,  including  Oak  Grove, 
White  Oak  Swamp,  Glendale,  Malvern  Hill  and  Carter's  Hill ;  Bristow  Station ; 
Groveton;  Fredericksburg;  Chancellorsville ;  Gettysburg;  Wapping  Heights; 
Kelley's  Ford;  Locust  Grove;  the  Wilderness;  Spottsylvania ;  North  Anna, 
Tolopotomy;  Cold  Harbor;  Petersburg,  and  minor  engagements.  While  in 
front  of  Petersburg,  his  term  of  service  expired  and  he  went  to  New  York  City, 
where  he  was  honorably  discharged  July  30,  1864.  He  returned  to  his  home  in 
New  York  State,  and  there  farmed  until  1871,  in  which  year  he  came  West 
to  Topeka.  He  located  in  Waubaunsee  County,  where  he  farmed  in  Maple 
Hill  township  for  some  years,  also  serving  as  trustee  of  that  township  during  the 
years  1874,  1875,  1883  and  1884.  He  later  removed  to  Topeka,  where  he  owns 
considerable  valuable  town  property,  and  there  lived  until  a  few  years  ago, 
when  he  purchased  three  acres  in  section  33,  township  11,  range  15,  in  Mission 
township  and  erected  the  handsome  home  in  which  he  now  lives.  He  is  a  man 
of  strong  personality  and  pleasing  manner,  and  has  a  host  of  firm  friends  wher-  - 
ever  he  is  known. 

June  6,  1867,  Mr.  Bradshaw  married  Eva  M.  Fay,  who  was  a  daughter 
of  Joseph  B.  and  Martha  (Haywood)  Fay,  of  Chautauqua  County,  New  York. 
Her  father  died  at  Chicago  in  1886,  aged  68  years,  and  her  mother  died  in 
Topeka  in  1896,  aged  78  years.  Mrs.  Bradshaw,  who  died  January  3,  1903, 
aged  58  years,  was  the  mother  of  two  children :  Joseph  F.,  who  died  December 
22,  1890,  at  the  age  of  21  years ;  and  Martha  H.,  wife  of  Walter  M.  Gust,  who 
is  identified  with  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railway.  Our  subject  is  a 
Republican  in  politics,  and  belongs  to  the  Masonic  Order. 


L.  M.  POWELL,  A.  B.,  M.  D. 

L.  M.  Powell,  A.  B.,  M.  D.,  is  one  of  the  most  distinguished  physicians 
and  surgeons  of  Topeka,  where  he  has  been  engaged  in  practice  for  many  years.- 
He  was  born  at  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa,  in  1858,  and  is  one  of  two  children  born 
to  Charles  Morgan  and  Margaret  Ann  (Lewis)  Powell.  His  father,  now  de- 
ceased, was  a  successful  contractor  in  Iowa  until  his  death  in  i860.  His 
mother  was  again  married  to  Rev.  J.  W.  Clock,  in  1863. 

Dr.  L.  M.  Powell  accompanied  his  parents  to  Baldwin  City,  Kansas,  in 
1871,  and  there  attended  school.    He  attended  Baker  University,  then  known 


.568  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

as  the  "Old  Chapel,"  and  in  1878  was  graduated  from  the  High  School  at 
Ottawa,  Kansas.  He  took  a  one  year  course  in  the  Baptist  College,  of  Ottawa, 
and  then  entered  the  University  of  Kansas  at  Lawrence,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  in  1885  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts.  He  also  took  the  pre- 
paratory medical  course  offered  by  the  University.  He  was  for  two  years 
assistant  to  the  professor  of.  chemistry.  He  then  engaged  in  teaching  school 
for  a  number  of  years,  serving  as  principal  of  the  High  School  at  Newton, 
Kansas,  one  year,  principal  of  the  Quincy  School  at  North  Topeka  one  year, 
and  of  Lincoln  School  at  Topeka  one  year.  In  1888  he  entered  the  medical 
department  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  and  was  graduated  with  the 
-class  of  1891.  Upon  leaving  that  institution  he  came  West  to  Topeka,  Kansas, 
where  he  has  since  practiced  his  chosen  profession  with  a  high  degree  of  suc- 
cess. He  fills  the  chair  of  clinical  obstetrics  in  the  Kansas  Medical  College,  at 
Topeka.  He  is  a  Phi  Beta  Kappa.  For  five  years  he  was  chemist  and  microsco- 
pist  for  the  State  Board  of  Health.  He  was  president  of  the  Board  of  Health 
of  Topeka  one  year,  and  is  secretary  of  the  medical  staff  of  the  Jane  C.  Stor- 
mont  Hospital.  He  belongs  to  the  American  Medical  Association,  the  Kansas 
State  Medical  Society  and  the  Shawnee  County  Medical  Society.  He  repre- 
sented the  Fourth  Ward  on  the  School  Board  one  term  while  residing  in  that 
ward.  He  has  a  fine  suite  of  offices  in  the  Central  National  Bank  Building,  and 
•commands  the  most  desirable  practice  in  the  city. 

In  1888,  at  the  close  of  his  school  teaching,  Dr.  Powell  was  joined  in  mar- 
riage with  Clara  Bunker,,  of  Marion,  Ohio,  and  they  have  four  children : 
Grace  D.,  Loretta  M.,  Elizabeth  C.  and  Wendell  B.  Religiously,  they  are 
members  of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of  Topeka. 


ARCHIBALD  McKEEVER. 

Archibald  McKeever,  who  now  lives  in  honorable  retirement  at  his 
comfortable  home  at  No.  1107  W^estern  avenue,  Topeka,  is  one  of  the'pioneers 
of  Kansas,  one  w'hose  life  has  been  identified  with  the  most  eventful  years  of 
the  State's  existence.  Mr.  McKeever  was  born  April  6,  1830,  in  Chester 
County,  Pennsylvania,  and  is  a  son  of  Clark  and  Jane  (Wallace)  McKeever. 

The  McKeever  family  is  of  Scotch-Irish  extraction  and  both  of  the  par- 
ents of  our  subject  were  born  in  Ireland.  The  mother  died  in  1858  but  the 
father,  who  was  born  in  1798,  survived  until  within  nine  years  of  completing 
a  century,  his  death  taking  place  in  this  State  in  1889.  Of  their  eight  children, 
Archibald  was  the  fourth,  five  reached  maturity  and  two  survive, — our  sub- 
ject and  a  sister,  who  lives  in  Jackson  County,  Kansas. 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  569 

Until  he  was  10  years  old,  Mr.  McKeever  attended  the  district  schools 
about  three  months  in  the  year,  his  companion  farmer  boys  enjoying  about 
the  same  privileges,  but  an  active  mind  and  close  association  with  men  of  in- 
telligence and  participation  in  stirring  events  have  made  him  not  only  a  man  of 
great  information  but  one  of  discriminating  judgment  as  well.  From  Penn- 
sylvania he  went  to  Central  Ohio  and  in  1857  he  came  to  Jackson,  Kansas, 
settling  on  what  was  known  as  the  Delaware  Trust  Land,  where  he  secured 
.480  acres  for  which  he  paid  $3.50  per  acre.  In  those  early  days  in  the  Terri- 
tory primitive  conditions  still  existed  and  the  pioneer  settlers  accommodated 
themselves  to  them.  After  he  had  secured  his  claim,  he  built  his  own  pictur- 
esque log  hut,  paying  $1  each  for  the  logs,  and  this  humble  dwelling  served 
as  his  home  for  some  years.  He  remained  here  only  until  1876,  led  to  move 
to  Jefferson  County  in  order  that  his  stock  could  be  sure  of  having  water, 
that  great  and  crying  necessity  wanting  in  some  of  the  fairest  sections  of 
this  State.  He  did  not  attempt  extensive  farming  but  found  the  raising  of 
stock  and  cattle  extremely  profitable  even  in  those  days. 

Mr.  McKeever  was  one  of  the  very  first  settlers  in  Jackson  County  and 
his  reminiscences  of  pioneer  life  teem  with  interest.  At  that  time  the  prin- 
cipal trading  place  where  supplies  could  be  obtained  was  Leavenworth,  about 
40  miles  away,  to  which  he  and  his  pioneer  neighbors  went  two  or  three  times 
a  year,  laying  in  supplies  which  had  to  last  until  the  trip  could  be  made  again. 
Mr.  McKeever  was  popular  with  his  neighbors  and  was  twice  elected  assessor 
of  Jackson  County  and  served  two  terms  as  county  commissioner.  In  the 
year  following  the  great  drought  in  Kansas,  a  notable  period  in  the  history 
•of  the  "Sunflower"  State,  he  accomplished  the  assessing  of  Jackson  County  in 
27  days,  assessing  clear  to  the  Kaw  River.  As  there  was  an  excellent  mill 
at  Valley  Falls,  Mr.  McKeever  relates  that  he  frequently  went  there  to  trade. 
For  1 5  years  he  rode  the  saddle,  looking  up  and  buying  steers,  and  some  of  his 
stories  of  the  adventures  of  those  days  stir  the  blood  of  a  younger  generation. 
His  old  homestead  in  Jackson  County  is  now  occupied  by  Ex-Sheriff  Cook. 

Formerly  Mr.  McKeever  was  a  Republican  and  he  was  elected  county 
commissioner  on  that  ticket  and  he  lacked  but  one  vote  of  being  selected  as  a 
nominee  for  county  treasurer.  His  political  affiliations  at  present  are  with  the 
Populist  party.  From  Jackson  County  he  removed  to  Jefferson  County, 
where  he  owns  1,000  acres  of  fine  land  all  in  one  body,  which  is  operated  as 
a  stock  farm  by  his  son  George.  It  is  accounted  one  of  the  best  farms  in  this 
part  of  the  State.  It  produces  from  60  to  80  bushels  of  corn  to  the  acre  and 
•other  produce  accordingly. 

In  1903  Mr.  McKeever  left  the  farm  and  moved  into  Topeka,  where  he 
has  since  invested  in  considerable  property,  including  a  handsome  home  in 


570  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

a  choice  locality  and  his  time  is  pleasantly  occupied  in  looking  after  these 
investments. 

At  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  Mr.  McKeever  was  married,  in  1861,  to  Elvira 
Means,  who  is  a  daughter  of  James  Means,  who  was  a  pioneer  in  Buchanan 
County,  Missouri.  Her  great-grandfather,  Robert  Means,  purchased  about 
1,600  acres  of  Missouri  land  and  Mr.  McKeever  has  the  deeds  of  two  of 
these  quarter-sections  which  lie  in  Southwestern  Missouri,  near  Springfield. 
This  land  is  as  yet  unimproved  and  probably  will  be  of  great  value  as  it  is. 
largely  mineral.  A  family  of  eight  sons  and  one  daughter  were  born  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  McKeever,  the  daughter  and  the  oldest  and  youngest  sons  now 
being  deceased.  Those  who  survive  are:  James,  who  is  in  the  furniture 
business  at  Topeka;  Edwin  D.,  who  is  one  of  the  city's  prominent  attorneys;. 
William,  who  is  a  professor  in  the  State  Agricultviral  College  at  Manhattan, 
Kansas ;  George  who,  as  noted,  operates  the  farm  in  Jefferson  County ;  Horace 
Greeley,  junior  member  of  the  law  firm  of  Cromwell  &  McKeever,  of  Enid, 
Oklahoma ;  and  Harry  Sunshine,  who  is  in  the  real  estate  business  at  Topeka. 
It  has  been  one  of  Mr.  McKeever's  aims  to  so  educate  his  children  that  they 
could  take  advantage  of  all  the  opportunities  that  modern  life  presented  to- 
them  and  he  has  great  reason  to  feel  gratified  over  the  result.  They  have  all 
developed  into  representative  men,  worthy  successors  of  the  pioneering  stock 
from  which  they  originated  and  possessing  many  of  the  sterling  traits  of  their 
father  and  grandfather. 

Hon.  Edwin  D.  McKeever,  the  second  surviving  son  of  Archibald  and 
Elvira  (Means)  McKeever,  and  assistant  United  States  district  attorney  at 
Topeka,  was  born  in  Jackson  County,  Kansas,  May  6,  1866.  His  education 
was  a  liberal  one,  including  four  years  at  Washburn  College,  Topeka,  and 
then  he  entered  upon  the  study  of  the  law  in  the  office  of  Johnson,  Martin  & 
Keeler,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  July,  1889.  He  has  been  in  active  prac- 
tice ever  since,  taking  part  in  much  of  the  important  litigation  of  the  various 
courts,  including  the  Supreme  Court.  On  January  i,  1902,  he  was  made 
assistant  United  States  district  attorney,  in  which  position  he  has  added  to 
his  professional  laurels. 

Mr.  McKeever  has  been  a  very  active  and  influential  member  of  the 
Republican  party  for  many  years,  entering  upon  the  field  of  politics  coincident 
with  that  of  the  law.  He  was  first  elected  to  the  Legislature  in  1896  and 
served  in  this  body  for  three  terms,  and  during  1899  he  served  as  chairman 
of  the  judiciary  committee.  In  1901  he  was  speaker  pro  tern  of  the  House, 
and  his  whole  career  as  a  statesman  but  served  to  advance  him  in  the  confi- 
dence of  his  party  and  in  the  esteem  of  his  fellow-citizens.  His  continuation 
in  office  is  but  proof  of  this  and  his  fitness  is  a  fact  beyond  question. 

In  1893  Edwin  D.  McKeever  was  united  in  marriage  with  Luetta  Mohler, 


ALBERTUS  T.   LUCAS 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  573 

an  accomplished  young  lady  who  was  born  in  Indiana.  They  have  one  son, 
Archibald,  his  grandfather's  namesake,  who  was  born  in  1896.  Mr.  Mc- 
Keever  has  been  a  resident  of  Topeka  since  1884,  coming  here  some  years 
prior  to  his  father's  arrival.  He  owns  one  of  the  fine  homes  for  which  this  city 
has  gained  reputation,  a  beautiful  modern  residence  situated  at  No.  1214  West 
loth  avenue. 


ALBERTUS  T.  LUCAS. 

Albertus  T.  LucaSj  sheriff  of  Shawnee  County,  whose  portrait  accom- 
panies this  sketch,  is  serving  his  second  term  in  that  capacity  and  is  widely 
known  throughout  this  section  of  the  State.  He  has  been  a  resident  of  To- 
peka since  early  youth,  and  has  been  identified  with  numerous  enterprises  in 
this  city.  He  was  born  at  Brimfield,  Illinois,  July  26,  1867,  and  is  one  of 
four  children  born  to  John  E.  and  Gruetta  (Wilson)  Lucas. 

John  E.  Lucas  was  born  at  Warsaw,  Indiana,  where  he  was  reared, 
later  moving  to  Peoria,  Illinois,  and  finally  in  1868  coming  to  Shawnee 
County,  Kansas.  For  12  years  he  followed  farming  in  Mission  and  Auburn 
townships  and  became  a  resident  of  Topeka  in  1880.  He  has  long  been 
identified  with  city  affairs  in  various  departments  and  lately  served  as  city 
detective.  On  April  17,  1905,  he  received  the  appointment  of  under  sheriff 
of  Shawnee  County.  He  is  a  citizen  of  manly  attributes,  strictly  honest  and 
of  unquestioned  integrity,  and  possesses  the  good  will  and  esteem  of  his  fel- 
low-men. 

Albertus  T.  Lucas  was  less  than  a  year  old  when  he  came  to  Shawnee 
County  with  his  parents,  who  settled  on  a  farm  in  Mission  township.  Later 
they  moved  to  another  farm,  in  Auburn  township,  and  in  1880  established 
the  family  home  in  Topeka.  Our  subject  grew  to  manhood  in  Shawnee 
County  and  received  a  good  education  in  the  country  schools  and  in  the  schools 
of  the  city.  Upon  arriving  at  man's  estate,  he  engaged  in  the  livery  busi- 
ness and  after  a  time  had  charge  of  the  money  wagon  of  the  Wells,  Fargo 
&  Company  Express.  He  next  served  as  steward  of  the  Elk  Club  and  then 
two  years  as  deputy  sheriff.  Upon  giving  up  the  latter  business,  he  conducted 
a  laundry  for  one  year,  after  which  he  sold  out  and  engaged  as  traveling 
salesman  for  a  large  packing  company.  Three  years  later,  in  the  spring  of 
1901,  he  was  elected  sheriff  of  Shawnee  County  on  the  Republican  ticket, 
receiving  a  majority  of  1,315  votes  over  Frank  M.  Stahl  and  Dan.  Markem, 
Independent  and  Democratic  nominees.  He  was  re-elected  November  8, 
1904,  with  little  opposition,  leading  the  ticket  with  a  majority  of  5,097  over 
Dan  Markem,  whom  he  has  twice  defeated.     He  is  unswerving  in  his  sup- 

28 


574  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

port  of  the  Republican  party.  Through  his  faithful  and  honest  administra- 
tion of  the  affairs  of  the  office  of  sheriff,  he  stands  well  in  the  esteem  of  the 
general  public. 

On  January  22,  1896,  Mr.  Lucas  was  united  in  marriage  with  Mary 
Miller,  a  daughter  of  ^Bradford  Miller,  who  has  been  mayor  of  Topeka, 
county  treasurer  and  county  commissioner.  They  have  one  child,  Helen. 
Religiously,  they  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Our  subject  is 
a  member  of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  Modern  Wood- 
men of  America,  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen  and  United  Commer- 
cial Travelers. 


HON.  THOMAS  A.  OSBORN. 

Prominent  in  the  long  line  of  statesmen  who  have  contributed  to  the 
glory  of  Kansas,  was  the  late  Thomas  A.  Osborn,  the  sixth  Governor  of  the 
"Sunflower"  State.  Thomas  A.  Osborn  was  born  on  October  26,  1836,  at 
Meadville,  Pennsylvania,  where  his  life  closed  on  February  4,  1898. 

The  early  life  of  Mr.  Osborn,  up  to  the  age  of  15  years,  was  spent  in 
laying  the  foundations  of  an  education  in  the  common  schools,  the  limited 
resources  of  his  parents  affording  him  no  better  opportunities.  At  this  age 
he  became  a  wage  earner,  learned  the  printing  business  and  thus  secured  the 
means  himself  to  pay  his  way  through  Allegheny  College.  Then  followed  the 
study  of  the  law.  He  was  21  years  of  age  when  he  went  to  Michigan  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar.  In  1857  he  came  to  Kansas,  as  a  printer,  securing  em- 
ployment in  the  office  of  the  Herald  of  Freedom,  at  Lawrence,  and  subse- 
quently filling  every  position  in  the  business.  In  1858  he  went  to  Elwood, 
a  small  town  in  Doniphan  County  and  formed  a  law  partnership  with  the 
later  distinguished  James  H.  Lane,  who  was  subsequently  elected  to  the 
United  States  Senate,  when  the  partnership  was  dissolved. 

At  this  time  the  young  lawyer  was  beginning  to  be  recognized  as  an  able 
member  of  his  profession,  was  invited  to  take  part  in  the  political  struggle 
then  going  on,  and  in  1859,  but  two  years  after  he.  had  come  to  Kansas,  was 
elected  on  the  Republican  ticket  as  a  member  of  the  first  State  Legislature. 
This  was  followed  in  1862  by  his  election  as  Lieutenant-Governor  and  it  was 
during  this  incumbency  that  he  presided  at  the  impeachment  trial  of  Governor 
Charles  Robinson,  all  of  which  is  absorbing  State  history. 

In  1864,  when  but  28  years  of  age,  he  was  chosen  by  President  Lincoln 
as  United  States  marshal  for  Kansas,  a  responsible  and  difficult  position, 
which  he  held  until  removed  by  President  Johnson,  in  1867.     That  he  contin- 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  575 

ued  in  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  majority  of  the  citizens  of  Kansas  was 
■shown  by  his  election  as  Governor,  in  1872,  and  emphasized  by  his  reelection. 
What  years  of  growth,  development  and  increase  of  wealth,  prosperity  and 
peace,  were  these  years  of  the  administration  of  Governor  Osborn !  He  was 
a  man  of  such  strength  of  character,  such  uncorruptible  integrity,  such  pro- 
gressive ideas  and  political  foresight  that  under  his  guidance  industries  were 
encouraged,  the  tide  of  immigration  flowed  in,  education  and  religion  flour- 
ished and  Kansas  took  her  proper  place  in  the  sisterhood  of  States.  Yet  he 
had  much  with  which  to  contend,  including  the  Indian  depredations  on  the 
frontier,  and  the  grasshopper  pest  which  destroyed  crops  over  a  great  section. 
It  was  almost  entirely  through  the  wisdom  of  Governor  Osborn  that  the  dire 
effects  of  these  calamities  were  lessened,  his  prompt  call  for  a  special  session 
of  the  Legislature  resulting  in  the  immediate  appointment  of  a  State  relief 
committee,  which  raised  and  disbursed  large  sums  to  the  sufferers.  He  closed 
his  career  as  chief  executive  of  the  Commonwealth  with  the  honors  his  faith- 
ful service  merited  and  was  urged  by  his  party  for  a  seat  in  the  United  States 
Senate. 

In  1877  he  was  selected  by  President  Hayes  as  United  States  Minister  to 
Chili,  and  he  was  commended  by  the  government  upon  his  diplomatic  attitude 
during  the  troubles  at  the  time  of  the  Chili-Bolivia  War.  In  1881  he  was 
honored  anew  by  being  appointed  by  President  Garfield  to  the  Brazilian  mis- 
sion and  during  this  period  he  cast  credit  upon  his  country  by  his  tact  and 
wisdom  in  assisting  in  securing  peace  between  Chih,  Peru  and  Bolivia,  also 
receiving  the  public  acknowledgments  of  the  government  of  Chili  in  this 
connection.  This  important  post  our  subject  resigned  in  1885  and  again 
took  up  his  residence  at  Topeka.  Later  he  represented  his  district  several 
times  in  the  State  Senate,  but  mainly  devoted  his  time  to  looking  after  his 
large  property  interests,  being  connected  with  a  number  of  successful  enter- 
prises in  other  parts  of  the  State. 

In  1870,  while  a  resident  of  Leavenworth,  Governor  Osborn  was  mar- 
ried to  Julia  Delahay,  who  was  a  daughter  of  Hon.  M.  W.  Delahay,  one  of 
the  early  judges  of  the  Federal  Court.  Their  only  child  and  son,  Edward  D. 
Osborn,  was  born  in  1871  and,  after  a  thorough  preparation  for  the  legal 
profession,  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1895.  He  is  one  of  the  prominent  mem- 
bers of  the  Kansas  bar,  in  practice  at  Topeka,  being  a  member  of  the  well- 
known  law  firm  of  Harvey  &  Osborn.  For  a  number  of  years  the  delicate 
state  of  Mrs.  Osborn's  health  demanded  a  change  of  climate,  and  to  prolong 
a  tender  and  beautiful  companionship  travels  were  made  in  many  lands.  The 
frail  life  ended  in  1892. 

The  death  of  Governor  Osborn  came,  perhaps,  just  as  he  would  have 
-chosen,  among  the  associations  of  his  youth,  where  silently  he  had  builded 


576  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

future  hopes  which  it  is  possible  scarcely  reached  to  the  heights  of  the  reality. 
His  personal  friends  were  numbered  by  the  score,  his  genial  nature  and  abso- 
lute sincerity  endearing  many  to  him  through  his  whole  career.  He  rests  in 
an  honored  tomb  in  the  capital  city  of  Kansas. 


REV.  NORMAN   PLASS,  D.  D. 

Rev.  Norman  Plass,  D.  D.,  president  of  Washburn  College,  Topeka^ 
was  born  at  Claverach,  New  York,  May  4,  i860.  His  father,  who  died  in 
1889,  was  Gilbert  Plass,  an  extensive  land-owner  in  Columbia  County,  New 
York.  His  mother,  who  is  still  living  at  Hudson,  New  York,  was  Mary 
(Benedict)  Plass,  of  New  England  descent.  The  name  was  originally  Van 
der  Plasse,  and  the  family  belonged  to  the  nobility  of  Holland.  Among  the 
ancestors  are  Martin  Van  der  Plasse,  the  Dutch  artist,  and  Dinghen  Van  der 
Plasse,  who  fled  to  England  among  the  Protestant  refugees,  and  introduced 
starching  into  that  country  at  a  time  when  the  English  greatly  admired  the 
white  and  stiff  garments  of  the  Dutch,  but  did  not  know  how  to  produce  them. 
The  first  settlers  of  the  name  came  to  New  Amsterdam,  now  New  York  City,, 
in  1673. 

Dr.  Plass  was  married  June  18,  1884,  to  Jessie  Charlotte  Wheeler,  of 
Williamstown,  Massachusetts,  who  is  a  lineal  descendant  of  Rev.  Peter  Bulke- 
ley,  founder  of  Concord,  Massachusetts,  and  from  Rev.  Charles  Chauncey,, 
D.  D.,  second  president  of  Harvard  College.  They  have  had  four  children : 
Harold,  born  July  16,  1889,  who  died  in  1896;  Helen  Mary,  born  December 
18,  1892;  Raymond  Benedict,  born  February  i,  1898;  and  Katharine,  born 
May  21,  1904. 

Dr.  Plass  was  prepared  for  college  at  the  Hudson  Academy,  Hudson,. 
New  York,  from  which  he  entered  Williams  College  in  the  autumn  of  1878,, 
and  graduated  in  the  spring  of  1882,  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts. 
Among  his  instructors  at  Williams  were  Mark  Hopkins,  the  famous  educator, 
and  G.  Stanley  Hall,  now  president  of  Clark  University.  In  the  autumn  of 
1882  he  entered  Yale  University,  where  he  pursued  courses  in  the  Divinity 
School  and  in  other  departments.  In  1886,  he  was  graduated  with  the  degree 
of  Bachelor  of  Divinity.  In  1885,  in  recognition  of  scholarly  work  accom- 
plished since  graduation,  he  received  at  Williams  College  the  degree  of  Mas- 
ter of  Arts.  He  was  further  honored  by  Williams,  at  the  commencement  of 
1904,  by  having  conferred  upon  him  the  honorary  degree  of  Doctor  of 
Divinity. 

Dr.  Plass  was  ordained  to  the  Christian  ministry  in  1886.  He  has  held 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  577 

pastorates,  in  the  Reformed  (Dutch)  Church,  at  Schodach,  New  York;  and  in 
the  Congregational  Church  at  Detroit,  Michigan ;  Lincoln,  Nebraska ;  Medina 
and  Cincinnati,  Ohio ;  and  Barrington,  Rhode  Island.  He  has  also  been  State 
superintendent  of  the  Rhode  Island  Anti-Saloon  League,  and  was  superin- 
tendent of  the  Anti-Saloon  League  of  Greater  New  York,  and  assistant  State 
superintendent  from  1897  to  1899.  In  the  year  1900,  he  was  in  the  field  for 
the  national  Congregational  Home  Missionary  Society. 

In  the  autumn  of  1901  he  was  elected  professor  of  Theism  and  Christian 
Evidences,  and  Financial  Agent,  of  Washburn  College,  Topeka.  The  fol- 
lowing commencement  he  was  elected  to  the  Presidency  of  the  college,  in 
which  position  he  has  since  continued  to  serve.  Under  his  administration  the 
-college  has  greatly  prospered.     (See  article  on  Washburn  College). 

Dr.  Plass  is  a  member  of  the  Zeta  Psi  fraternity;  The  American  Eco- 
nomic Association;  the  American  Academy  of  Political  and  Social  Science; 
the  National  Economic  League;  the  Constitutional  League  of  the  United 
States ;  the  National  Geographical  Society ;  is  a  counsellor  of  the  Evangelical 
Alliance  of  the  United  States,  and  a  member  of  the  Kansas  Academy  of  Sci- 
ence, and  the  Commercial  and  Fortnightly  clubs  of  Topeka. 

He  is  the  author  of  two  volumes,  published  by  Revell — "Buds  that 
Bloom  on  Bonnier  Banks,"  in  1900;  and  "How  Christmas  was  Kept  in 
Heaven,"  in  1902. 


4»  » 


A.  W.   SHERER. 

A.  W.  Sherer,  who  has  been  connected  for  some  years  with  the 
auditing  office  of  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railway  Company  at 
Topeka,  has  been  a  resident  of  the  State  since  the  age  of  seven  years.  He  was 
"born  in  Strafford  County,  New  Hampshire,  September  20,  1878,  and  is  a  son 
of  Charles  G.  and  Flora  A.  (Craig)  Sherer. 

Mr.  Sherer  comes  of  Revolutionary  stock  on  the  maternal  side,  and  his 
grandmother  Craig,  who  resides  with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Charles  G.  Sherer, 
IS  a  cousin  to  one  of  the  noted  military  men  of  that  day.  Charles  G.  Sherer 
was  born  April  30,  1845,  in  Deering,  New  Hampshire,  and  was  educated  in 
the  schools  of  that  locality.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War,  he  determined, 
although  opposed  by  his  parents,  to  become  a  soldier,  and  finally  became  a 
member  of  Company  D,  Seventh  Reg.,  New  Hampshire  Vol.  Cav.,  in  which 
he  served  from  1861  to  1863,  taking  part  as  a  member  of  this  regiment 
m  the  famous  Wilson  raid.  In  the  spring  of  1864  he  reenlisted  in  Company 
C,  First  Reg.,  New  Hampshire  Vol.  Cav.,  and  served  until  the  close  of  the 


578  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

war,  being  honorably  discharged  July  12,  1865.     His  father,  who  was  alsO' 
in  the  service,  died  of  ship  fever  and  was  buried  at  sea. 

After  the  close  of  the  war,  Charles  G.  Sherer  returned  to  New  Hamp- 
shire and  learned  the  carpenter's  trade  and  then  spent  one  season  in  New 
Mexico  in  the  employ  of  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railway  Company. 
In  1886  he  came  to  Topeka  and  joined  his  family,  who  were  established  at 
Oakland,  and  continued  to  work  at  his  trade.  He  has  served  in  ofifice  in 
Topeka,  having  been  street  commissioner  and  road  overseer  under  Mayor  Bing- 
ham. He  is  a  member  of  Topeka  Post,  No.  71,  G.  A.  R.  of  which  he  is 
past  commander,  and  is  also  a  member  of  the  Sons  of  Veterans  and  of  the 
Knights  and  Ladies  of  Security.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church. 

On  June  11,  1873,  in  Lowell,  Massachusetts,  Charles  G.  Sherer  was. 
married  to  Flora  A.  Craig,  and  they  have  had  four  sons,  three  of  whom  still 
survive :  A.  W.,  Frank  G.  and  Albert.  Frank  G.  is  a  veteran  of  the  Spanish- 
American  War.  He  served  in  Troop  B,  15th  United  States  Cavalry,  in  the 
Philippine  Islands  for  two  years,  being  then  discharged  on  account  of  dis- 
ability. 

In  1886  A.  W.  Sherer  came  to  Kansas  with  his  mother  and  maternal 
grandmother.  After  completing  a  good  common-school  education,  he  re- 
ceived a  certificate  from  the  Oakland  School,  being  then  about  14  years  old. 
For  a  time  he  worked  in  a  nursery  and  then  in  a  grocery  adjacent  to  the 
woolen  mill  in  Oakland.  On  May  15,  1898,  he  entered  the  employ  of  the 
Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railway  Company,  in  the  passenger  depart- 
ment; beginning  as  ticket  boy  in  the  auditor's  office,  he  has  climbed  to  hi& 
present  position  through  his  own  efforts.  He  has  always  been  interested  in 
military  matters  and  has  served  seven  years  in  the  Kansas  National  Guard, 
entering  as  a  private  and  now  ranking  as  chief  musician  and  quartermaster 
sergeant  in  the  local  company.  He  has  the  honor  of  being  division  com- 
mander of  the  Sons  of  Veterans  of  the  Division  of  Kansas.  He  is  eligible 
to  membership  in  the  Sons  of  the  American  Revolution.  His  fraternal  con- 
nections include  membership  in  Orient  Lodge,  No.  51,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. ;  the 
Knights  and  Ladies  of  Security;  Calla  Division,  No.  8,  Uniform  Rank, 
Knights  of  Pythias;  and  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  in  which  he  has 
served  as  assistant  chief  forester  under  Chief  Forester  L.  N.  Penwell,  of 
Topeka.  He  has  served  as  assistant  marshal  of  Oakland  under  Deputy  Sheriff 
Wilson  and  Sherifif  Lucas. 

Mr.  Sherer  was  married  December  25,  1901,  to  Marie  Belle  Duree,  of 
Shawnee  County,  and  they  have  a  bright  little  daughter  of  eight  months 
bearing  the  name  of  Frances  Arvilla,  named  for  her  paternal  great-grand- 
mother and  grandmother  and  her  maternal  grandmother.     Mr.  Sherer  is  pre- 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  579 

paring  a  very  cosy  home  at  Oakland  where  he  has  lately  invested  in  some  very 
desirable  property  and  now  owns  some  six  lots  in  the  town,  including  a  fine 
orchard. 

Mr.  Sherer  is  one  of  the  active  Republicans  of  Topeka  and  does  his  full 
share  in  furthering  the  interests  of  the  party  in  Oakland.  Both  he  and  his 
wife  belong  to  the  Presbyterian  Church. 


VERY  REV.   FRANCIS   M.   HAYDEN. 

Very  Rev.  Francis  M.  Hayden,  rector  of  the  Church  of  the  Assump- 
tion, of  Topeka,  is  one  of  the  city's  representative  men  and  one  of  the  most 
able,  intellectual  and  courtly  members  of  the  Roman  Catholic  clergy  in  the 
State  of  Kansas.  Father  Hayden  was  born  at  Roscommon,  County  Roscom- 
mon, Ireland,  November  3,   1852. 

His  early  education  was  pursued  with  the  idea  of  his  dedication  to  the 
church,  and  after  coming  to  America,  in  1869,  his  studies  were  continued 
with  this  end  in  view.  After  his  graduation,  with  high  honors,  at  the  Semi- 
nary of  St.  Vincent,  at  Latrobe,  Pennsylvania,  he  was  ordained  priest  at  St. 
Michael's  Seminary,  at  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  by  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Domenec 
on  May  17,  1875. 

Father  Hayden's  work  has  been  almost  entirely  confined  to  Kansas.  The 
annals  of  the  development  of  this  great  State  would  be  incomplete  indeed, 
without  extended  mention  being  made  of  the  great  work  done  by  the  faithful, 
persevering  Catholic  clergy,  and  among  these  the  esteemed  subject  of  this 
review  must  take  a  prominent  place.  His  first  charge  was  at  Leavenworth, 
and  then  the  young  priest  came  on  his  first  mission  to  Topeka.  Young,  zeal- 
ous and  self-sacrificing,  he  next  accepted  the  little  Catholic  mission  at  Solo- 
mon City,  in  Dickinson  County,  a  center  at  that  time  for  a  large  territory  of 
scattered  Catholic  families.  When  he  parted  from  this  congregation,  it  was 
no  longer  counted  a  mission,  for  his  vigorous  labors  had  resulted  in  the  build- 
ing of  a  fine  church  edifice  and  the  cementing  of  bonds  which  make  it  a  happy 
and  prosperous  parish.  His  four  years  of  arduous  but  successful  w^ork  at 
Kansas  City,  where  he  established  St.  Bridget's  parish,  opened  the  way  for  his 
transference  to  the  deanery  of  Topeka,  in  1887. 

Here  Father  Haden  entered  upon  congenial  work.  He  faced  debt  and 
parish  difiiculties  of  various  kinds  but  these  only  aroused  his  latent  energies 
and  his  strong  guiding  hand  was  soon  evident  in  the  progress  made  here,  both 
materially  and  spiritually.  His  school,  under  the  charge  of  the  Sisters  of 
Charity,  has  been  considered  so  highly  educational  that  many  careful  parents. 


58o  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

outside  the  Catholic  Church,  have  selected  it  in  preference  to  others  as  a 
splendid  institution  in  which  to  have  their  children  fitted  for  High  School. 

On  May  17,  1900,  a  notable  event  took  place  in  the  cluuxh  of  which 
Father  Hayden  is  pastor,  this  being  the  celebration  of  his  sacerdotal  "Silver 
Jubilee."  It  was  an  event  which  will  never  pass  from  the  minds  of  those  who 
were  permitted  to  take  part  in  it.  While  high  dignitaries  of  the  church  as- 
sisted in  the  exercises  and  rich  gifts  were  presented,  Father  Hayden's  heart 
was  most  touched  by  the  love  and  esteem  shown  him  not  only  by  those  to 
whom  he  had  so  faithfully  ministered,  but  by  those  who  were  not  of  his  relig- 
ious faith  but  who  honored  him  as  a  noble  man. 

Father  Hayden's  worth  and  work  will  stand  for  years  as  his  monument. 
His  life,  that  of  a  true,  cultured  Christian  gentleman,  has  not  been  lived  in 
vain.  The  material  progress  he  has  inaugurated  has  been  remarkable,  but 
none  can  adequately  tell  of  the  influence  exerted  by  the  high  standards  he  has 
held  and  the  Christian  example  he  has  set.  A  father  to  his  people,  a  priest 
and  all  that  is  priestly,  he  is  broad-minded  enough  and  tender-hearted  enough 
to  extend  his  loving  care  and  interest  to  all  who  need  it. 


4 »» 


ALBERT  NEESE. 

Albert  Neese,  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Richland,  merchant  and 
banker  and  the  owner  of  much  valuable  city  property,  was  born  in  Cham- 
paign County,  Ohio,  February  21,  i860,  and  is  a  son  of  David  and  Mary  E. 
(HuUinger)   Neese. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Neese,  who  now  reside  at  Richland,  were  also  natives 
of  Ohio.  They  had  these  children :  Albert,  of  this  review ;  Frank,  who  died 
in  Colorado,  in  1896,  aged  37  years;  Laura,  who  is  the  wife  of  P.  D.  C. 
Vannice,  of  Richland ;  and  a  child  who  died  at  the  age  of  six  years. 

Mr.  Neese  came  to  Monmouth  township,  Shawnee  County,  with  his 
parents  when  12  years  of  age  and  worked  on  the  farm  until  he  was  18  and 
then  kept  books  for  the  Lawrence  Plow  Company,  of  Lawrence,  for  three 
years,  during  which  period  he  was  a  stockholder  in  the  company.  After  with- 
drawing, he  came  to  Richland,  in  1882,  and  started  into  the  mercantile  busi- 
ness with  his  brother  Frank.  The  latter's  health  gave  way  and  he  went  to 
Colorado,  since  which  time  our  subject  has  continued  alone,  operating  the 
largest  store  in  the  county  outside  Topeka.  He  also  conducts  one  of  the  20 
private  banks  in  the  State,  having  operated  it  for  20  years,  starting  before 
the  present  banking  laws  were  passed.  On  March  i,  1905,  the  capital  of  his 
bank  was  increased  to  $10,000.    He  owns  a  great  deal  of  city  real  estate,  in- 


r  '  '•  -  - 


ROSWELL  L.  COFRAN 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  583 

•eluding  a  hotel  and  business  blocks  and  is  one  of  the  dominating  factors  of 
the  town,  enterprising,  progressive  and  prosperous. 

Mr.  Nesse  was  married  in  September,  1894,  to  Ella  Sullivan,  who  was 
•born  in  Douglas  County,  Kansas,  and  is  a  daughter  of  John  and  Ann  Sullivan. 
Tliey  have  two  children :  Helen  and  Georgia. 

Mr.  Neese  takes  only  a  local  interest  in  politics,  voting  the  Democratic 
ticket.  He  is  a  Mason,  belonging  to  the  Blue  Lodge  at  Overbrook,  the  Com- 
mandery  at  Topeka  and  the  Shrine  at  Leavenworth. 


ROSWELL  L.  COFRAN. 

RoswELL  L.  CoFRAN,  thricc  honored  by  election  to  the  highest  municipal 
•office  in  Topeka,  is  one  of  the  city's  leading  business  men  and  for  years  has 
been  closely  identified  with  the  city's  advancement  and  commercial  pros- 
perity. Mr.  Cofran  was  born  in  1845,  ^t  Wheelock,  Vermont,  and  is  a  son  of 
John  and  Nancy  (Hoyt)  Cofran. 

Mr.  Cofran's  life  until  the  opening  of  the  Civil  War,  in  1861,  was  spent 
■mainly  in  securing  an  education,  his  studies  including  aca'demic  and  univer- 
sity courses.  Although  but  a  youth,  he  entertained  such  loyal  sentiments 
that  when  the  Sixth  Vermont  Regiment  was  formed,  he  enlisted  as  a  mem- 
ber of  one  of  its  companies,  in  which  he  was  promoted  to  be  a  corporal,  and 
■gave  his  services  all  through  the  struggle  until  1863. 

In  1870  Mr.  Cofran  first  became  a  resident  of  Topeka.  His  natural 
inclinations  led  him  to  learn  the  trade  of  machinist  and  he  was  employed  for 
six  years  in  this  city  in  the  Topeka  Foundry  (now  known  as  the  Western 
Foundry).  Mr.  Cofran  showed  a  natural  aptitude  for  such  work  and  his 
■close  application  to  his  duties  and  ready  comprehension  of  the  details  of  this 
line  of  industry  soon  gave  him  a  just  reputation  as  a  careful  and  reliable 
workman.  In  1876  he  became  the  proprietor  of  the  Western  Foundry,  since 
which  time  the  success  of  this  plant  has  been  assured.  In  connection  with 
the  foundry,  he  owns  a  large  machine  shop  which  is  thoroughly  equipped  with 
modern  machinery,  and  a  blacksmith  shop  and  a  brass  foundry.  The  trade 
•of  this  large  concern  extends  all  over  the  West  and  Southwest  and  even  into 
Mexico. 

In  addition  to  managing  this  important  and  constantly  expanding  busi- 
ness, Mr.  Cofran  has  been  very  prominently  identified  with  political  affairs 
here  and  is  an  acknowledged  Democratic  leader.  In  1885  he  was  elected  mayor 
"of  Topeka  for  a  term  of  two  years,  in  1889  he  was  reelected  mayor  and  again 


S84  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

in    1 89 1.    Each  time  his  opponent  was  Hon.  D.  C.  Metsker,  who  was  elected 
to  the  office  in  1887  but  was  defeated  two  years  later  by  Mr.  Cofran. 

In  1 88 1  Mr.  Cofran  was  married  to  Caroline  Fritchie,  of  Topeka,  and. 
they  have  two  daughters  and  one  son,  namely :  Grace,  Maud  and  Roswell 
L.,  Jr.,  all  living  at  home.  Mr.  Cofran  belongs  to  the  Masons  and  has  taken 
all  the  degrees  up  to  and  including  the  32nd.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the- 
I.  O.  O.  F.,  B.  P.  O.  E.  and  K.  P.    His  portrait  accompanies  this  sketch. 


HON.  DEWITT  C.  NELLIS. 

Hon.  Dewitt  C.  Nellis,  for  many  years  a  very  prominent  member 
of  the  bar  in  Kansas  and  at  one  time  judge  of  the  17th  Judicial  District,  is- 
now  retired  from  professional  work. 

Mr.  Nellis  was  born  January  2,  1849,  ^t  the  family  home  in  Mont- 
gomery County,  New  York,  and  comes  of  a  family  of  seven  known  genera- 
tions as  follows:  William  Nellis,  born  in  1688;  Andrew  Nellis,  born  in  1715;- 
Philip  Nellis,  born  in  1746;  Peter  Philip,  born  in  1783;  James,  born  in  181 6;. 
Dewitt  C.  Nellis,  born  in  1849;  and  Luther  McAfee  Nellis,  son  of  our  sub- 
ject, born  in  1875.  Among  the  Palatines  who  first  emigrated  from  their 
German  homes  to  New  York  were  Christian,  William  and  Johannis  Nellis,^ 
all  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  from  them  are  descended  all  of  the 
Nellis  family  in  America  at  the  present  time. 

Philip  Nellis,  great-grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  born  December  i, 
1746,  in  New  York  State.  He  married  Elizabeth  Dietz,  who  was  born  in  the 
province  of  Cherry  Valley,  New  York,  June  10,  1752,  and  was  of  Palatine- 
parentage.  After  marriage  they  located  in  the  township  of  Manheim,  within 
the  present  limits  of  Herkimer  County,  New  York.  During  the  Revolution- 
ary War,  Philip  Nellis  served  in  the  Continental  Army  as  a  minute  man  in 
what  was  called  the  Palatine  Regiment,  which  in  the  battle  of  Oriskany, 
August  6,  1777,  sustained  the  loss  of  many  brave  men  and  officers,  and  in- 
which  General  Herkimer  was  mortally  wounded.  Mr.  Nellis  received  a  bullet 
wound  in  his  left  shoulder  which  made  him  a  partial  cripple  the  remainder 
of  his  life.  He  was  in  the  battle  of  Saratoga,  September  19,  1777,  and  in 
other  important  engagements  during  the  remainder  of  the  war.  He  alsO' 
was  with  a  company  organized  for  repelling  Indian  incursions  of  the  Mohawk 
Valley,  and  was  detailed  for  a  short  time  on  duty  on  the  Hudson  River. 
He  was  one  of  the  boatmen  to  convey  General  Washington  across  the  Hudson 
at  a  time  when  the  army  was  suffering  greatly  by  reason  of  the  scarcity  of 
food  supplies.     It  was  in  the  night  time  and  the  light  from  the  torch  used  in^ 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  585. 

the  boat  attracted  a  large  sturgeon,  weiging  about  20  pounds,  which  flopped 
into  the  boat  by  accident  as  it  threw  itself  about  in  the  water.    The  General 
looked  at  it  calmly  and  smiled,  seeming  to  regard  it  as  a  good  omen  for  the- 
supplying  of  food  to  his  soldiers.    After  landing,  the  fish  was  quickly  prepared 
and  cooked  and  was  as  quickly  eaten  by  the  hungry  soldiers.     Philip  Nellis 
and  his  wife,  with  the  five  children  who  were  then  born,  were  driven  from 
their  home  at  the  burning  of  Palatine  Church  Settlement  by  the  Indians,  who 
plundered  the  valley  and  destroyed  everything  except  the  Palatine  Church, 
every  vestage  of  the  personal  property  of  the  pioneers  being  burned  or  carried 
away.     This  old  stone  church  in  Palatine  township,  built  in  1770,  was  one: 
of  very  few  buildings  that  escaped  burning  by  the  Indians  of  John  Johnson's 
army  during  this  raid  of  October  19,  1780.     It  stands  on  the  border  of  the- 
road  over  which  the  invading  army  moved.     For  generations  it  was  an  un- 
solved question  why  it  escaped  burning.     Some  20  years  ago  visitors  from 
Canada,    bearing    the    name    of    Nellis,    visited    relatives    near    St.    Johns- 
ville,     Montgomery     County,     New     York,     and     from     them     it     was- 
learned  that  the  church  was  protected  by  a  British  officer,  who  had  prom- 
ised his  friend,  Henry  Nellis,  that  no  harm  should  come  to  it.    Henry  Nellis  ■ 
who  was  the  wealthiest  of  the  Mohawk  Valley  Palatines,  had  contributed 
toward  the  erection  of  the  church.    At  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolution,  he  went 
to  the  place  now  known  as  Brantford,  in  Ontario,  Canada,  while  five  of  his- 
brothers  served  in  the  patriot  army.     The  Palatine  Church  is  still  standing 
and  used  for  worship.    Philip  Nellis  and  his  family  later  returned  and  erected 
a  new  home  at  Stone  Arabia  in  the  township  of  Palatine,  and  there  lived  the 
remainder  of  their  lives,  Mr.  Nellis  dying  in  November,  1818,  at  the  home- 
of  his  son,  Peter  Philip,  and  Mrs.  Nellis  on  January  12,  1825,  at  the  age  of 
72  years  and  seven  months.    They  were  parents  of  1 1  children. 

Peter  Philip  Nellis,   the  grandfather  of  our  subject,   was  the  seventh 
child  of  his  parents  and  was  born  September   17,    1783,   in  the  new  home- 
erected  after  the  Indian  invasion.     At  the  age  of  five  years  he  began  attend- 
ing a  German  school  in  Palatine  township,  Montgomery  County,  New  York, 
and  for  four  years  studied  in  the  German  language,  which  his  parents  used 
exclusively  during  their  lives.    At  the  age  of  nine  he  entered  an  English  school ' 
and  by  the  time  he  was  1 5  had  well  mastered  both  languages.     At  that  age  • 
he  was  confirmed  a  member  of  the  Palatine  Lutheran  Church.     On  January 
25,  1806,  he  married  Margaret  Spraker,  one  of  a  family  of  10  girls  and  one- 
boy  born  to  her  parents.     She  was  a  daughter  of  John  Spraker,  and  a  grand- 
daughter of  George  Spraker.    In  1808,  accompanied  by  his  parents  and  his  own 
family,  Peter  Philip  Nellis  moved  to  Herkimer  County,  New  York,  locating 
in  Fairfield  township.     In  1835  he  again  moved  back  to  Montgomery  County 
(25  miles)   and  bought  his  father-in-law's  farm  "Oswegatchie,"  where  the- 


.586  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Nellis  family  still  claims  its  headquarters.  He  died  November  ii,  1872,  aged 
89  years,  one  month  and  25  days,  and  his  wife  died  January  25,  1864,  at  the 
age  of  80  years.     They  had  lived  together  as  man  and  wife  for  more  than 

-60  years. 

James  Nellis,  father  of  our  subject  was  born  in  Fairfield  township,  Herki- 
mer County,  New  York,  April  2,  1816,  in  the  house  built  by  his  father  in 
1808.  He  received  a  good  education  and  was  a  man  of  accomplishments,  be- 
ing an  especially  fine  singer.  He  was  married  January  25,  1842,  to  Mary 
Magdalene  Van  Wirt,  who  was  one  of  the  finest  soprano  singers  of  her  time 
in  that  section  of  the  State.  She  was  born  in  1821,  and  was  a  daughter 
•of  Daniel  Van  Wirt,  son  of  Christian  Van  Wirt,  who  was  born  in  1770.  The 
latter  was  married  December  4,  1790,  to  Magdalene  Van  Gochnat,  a  daughter 

'  of  John  Eberhardt  Van  Gochnat,  who  resided  three  miles  west  of  Johnstown, 
New  York.  Christian  Van  Wirt  was  one  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the 
Lutheran  Church  at  Johnstown,  when  it  was  incorporated  December  16,  1810. 
He  died  March  26,  1847,  ^^'^  his  wife  died  on  June  7th  of  the  same  year. 
James  Nellis  and  his  wife  became  parents  of  nine  children.  Mrs.  Nellis  died 
March  20,  1886,  aged  64  years,  eight  months  and  11  days,  and  was  survived 
about  two  years  by  her  husband,  who  died  February  24,  1888,  aged  71  years, 
ID  months  and  22  days.  Both  were  devout  Christians  and  active  members  of 
the  Lutheran  Church  at  Palatine,  New  York. 

Dewitt  C.  Nellis  was  reared  in  his  native  county,  and  attended  the 
Oswegatchie  school  until  he  arrived  at  the  age  of  15  years,  then  passed  the 
regents'  examination  and  began  an  academic  course  at  Canajoharie  Academy. 
He  spent  seven  years  at  that  institution  and  at  Fairfield  Collegiate  Institute. 
At  the  age  of  19  years,  he  began  teaching  school  at  Ford's  Bush,  New  York, 
and  taught  there  for  three  years  in  the  school  at  Stone  Arabia.  He  read  law 
for  six  months  with  Colonel  Spraker  at  Canajoharie,  and  on  July  31,  1871, 
started  for  Kansas.  He  taught  school  here  and  pursued  the  study  of  the 
law  at  Topeka  two  years,  being  admitted  to  the  bar  on  February  21,  1873. 
He  had  read  law  in  the  office  of  Martin,  Burns  &  Case,  prominent  members 
of  the  bar,  and  was  well  equipped  to  enter  upon  his  professional  career.  Prior 
to  his  admission  to  the  bar,  during  the  winter  of  1872-73,  he  taught  school  at 
Tecumseh  for  a  term  of  four  months.  On  April  26,  1873,  he  was  appointed 
county  attorney  of  Ellis  County,  Kansas,  having  moved  to  Hays,  on  March 
6th  of  that  year.  He  was  elected  to  that  office  four  successive  terms,  serving 
in  all  for  a  period  of  eight  years.  He  became  a  member  of  the  English 
Lutheran  Church  at  Topeka,  April  7,  1872,  and  for  two  years  was  a  scholar 
and  teacher  in  its  Sabbath-school.  At  Hays  he  assisted  in  the  organization  of 
the  Congregational  Church  in  1873,  and  two  years  later,  when  the  field  was 
practically  abandoned  to  the  Presbyterians  by  this  church,  Mr.  Nellis  became 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  587- 

an  officer  in  the  Presbyterian  society,  assisting  in  the  work  of  raising  funds  for 
building  a  church  and  parsonage.  In  1878,  with  other's,  he  organized  the 
Trinity  Lutheran  Church  Society,  and  Rev.  A.  J.  Hartsook  of  SaHna  officiated 
as  pastor  at  the  dedication  of  the  new  church.  Together  with  I.  M.  Yost  and 
H.  D.  Shaffer,  he  had  coUected  money  and  directed  the  financial  part  in  the 
erection  of  the  church,  and  it  was  built,  paid  for  and  dedicated  before  the 
society  had  a  pastor.  Mr.  Nellis  was  superintendent  of  the  Sabbath-schools  of 
the  various  churches  with  which  he  was  there  identified.  On  March  15,  1881, . 
he  was  appointed  judge  of  the  17th  Judicial  District  of  Kansas  by  Governor 
John  P.  St.  John,  his  district  consisting  of  the  1 5  counties  in  the  northwestern 
part  of  the  State.  He  was  defeated  at  the  judicial  convention  of  the  Republi- 
can party  at  Millbrook  for  the  nomination  to  that  office.  He  was  a  candidate 
for  Attorney  General  before  the  Republican  convention  at  Topeka  in  1884,  and 
was  defeated  on  the  fifth  ballot  by  Hon.  S.  B.  Bradford,  by  a  vote  of  168  to 
167.  This  was  his  last  effort  in  the  political  arena  because  his  hearing  had. 
become  imperfect.  In  June,  1885,  he  removed  to  Topeka  and  here  continued 
the  practice  of  the  law  until  1887,  when  his  hearing  became  so  poor  he  retired 
from  active  practice.  He  has  since  been  identified  with  the  Kansas  Farmer 
Company,  and  is  one  of  the  city's  most  substantial  business  men. 

On  March  4,  1874,  Mr.  Nellis  was  married  to  Emma  Virginia  McAfee,-. 
her  father,  assisted  by  Rev.  L.  Blakesley  of  the  Congregational  Church,  per- 
forming the  ceremony.     It  was  a  double  wedding,  the  only  sister  of  Mrs. 
Nellis  being  married  to  D.  H.  Forbes  at  the  same  time.    Miss  McAfee  was  the 
first  young  lady  Mr.  Nellis  met  after  his  arrival  in  Topeka  and  was  introduced 
to  her  at  the  Lutheran  Church  on  August  12,  i'87i.     She  was  born  in  Leaven- 
worth, Ksmsas,  June  28,  1855,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Rev.  Josiah  B.  and  Anna 
R.  (Yowler)  McAfee,  her  father  being  a  retired  minister  of  Topeka,  whose- 
life  work  is  recorded  elsewhere  in  this  work.     Emma  Virginia  McAfee  was 
born  just  two  days  after  Cora  Kyle,  the  first  white  child  born  in  Leavenworth, 
and  in  recognition  of  this  honor  the  City  Council,  then  just  formed,  and  the- 
town  company  presented  each  of  them  with  a  deeded  city  lot.    The  lot  given 
to  Mrs.  Nellis  was  sold  for  taxes  a  few  years  later  and  is  now  occupied  by 
the  City  Market  and  Fire  Department.     When  she  was  nearly  two  years  old, 
her  parents  moved  to  Grasshopper  Falls,  Kansas,  where  she  lived  seven  years, 
attending  the  public  schools  four  years  of  that  period.     In  1865  she  accom-- 
panied  her  father  to  Topeka,  where  she  attended  Washburn  College,  after 
leaving  the  public  schools,  and  then  the  College  of  the  Sisters  of  Bethany. 
During  the  latter  part  of  her  school  life  she  took  a  course  at  Pond's  Business 
College,  in  which  her  father  had  purchased  a  life  scholarship.     During  the- 
summer  of  1873,  she  taught  a  school  northwest  of  North  Topeka,  near  where 
the  Rock  Island  roundhouse  now  is.     On  April  10,  1874,  she  joined  her  hus-- 


.588  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

band  at  Hays,  Kansas,  and  there  resided  until  their  return  to  Topeka  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1885.  She  became  a  member  of  the  Enghsh  Lutheran  Church  at 
Topeka  on  her  13th  birthday  anniversary,  being  the  first  member  to  be  re- 
ceived by  confirmation.  She  was  organist  several  years  prior  to  leaving  for 
Hays  City,  then  filled  a  like  position  in  the  church  of  that  place  until  her  re- 
turn to  Topeka.  She  then  resumed  the  duties  of  organist  in  the  Topeka 
church  and  continued  for  six  years,  when  she  resigned  to  accompany  her 
daughter,  Celeste,  to  Chicago  in  1892.  For  a  period  of  22  years,  she  served 
gratuitously  as  organist  and  also  was  a  teacher  in  the  Sabbath-schools  of  the 
various  churches,  rarely  missing  in  attendance  unless  prevented  by  sickness. 
Three  children  were  born  to  bless  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nellis,  namely : 
Luther  McAfee,  a  record  of  whose  life  follows;  Celeste  Birdella,  born  March 
7,  1877;  and  Annie  Mary,  who  was  born  February  9,  1879. 

Luther  McAfee  Nellis  was  born  in  the  city  of  Topeka,  March  i,  1875, 
in  the  house  then  known  as  the  Dawson  house  at  No.  226  Van  Buren  street, 
now  numbered  710  Van  Buren  street.  The  house  was  then  occupied  by  his 
grandfather.  Rev.  Josiah  B.  McAfee.  In  August,  1875,  he  was  baptised  at 
the  home  of  his  uncle,  D.  H.  Forbes,  by  his  grandfather,  and  shortly  after 
was  taken  to  Hays,  where  he  lived  until  10  years  old.  Owing  to  an  injury 
■to  his  spine,  he  did  not  attend  school  until  he  was  seven  years  old,  and  upon 
returning  to  Topeka  he  continued  in  the  schools  until  the  second  year  in 
High  School,  when  he  received  an  appointment  as  ticket  taker  at  the  World's 
Fair  at  Chicago.  During  1903  and  1904  he  served  in  the  city  Council  of 
Topeka,  representing  the  Fourth  Ward.  He  was  admitted  to  membership 
in  the  English  Lutheran  Church,  August  10,  1887,  and  is  a  faithful  member. 
He  was  admitted  as  an  attorney  at  Topeka,  February  21,  1898,  and  is  now 
a  member  of  the  Kansas  Farmer  Company.  He  is  an  active  Mason,  and 
has  taken  all  the  degrees  in  the  York  rite  and  nearly  all  in  the  Scottish  rite. 


J.  ALBERT  BERRY,  M.  D. 

J.  Albert  Berry,  M.  D.,  one  of  the  best  known  members  of  the  medi- 
cal profession  in  Topeka,  is  distinguished  as  a  specialist  on  diseases  of  the 
■stomach,  having  spent  years  of  study  in  this  branch  under  the  forgmost  special- 
ists of  the  United  States  and  Canada.  He  was  born  in  Canada,  March  22, 
1 86 1,  and  is  a  son  of  George  and  Ann  Jane  (McKinley)  Berry. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  a  native  of  the  North  of 
Ireland,  and  in  early  life  emigrated  to  Canada,  where  the  town  of  Berryton 
was  named  in  his  honor.     George  Berry,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  589 

in  Canada,  where  he  became  an  extensive  farmer  and  land-owner.  He  was 
.united  in  marriage  with  Ann  Jane  McKinley,  who  was  distantly  related  to 
William  McKinley,  late  President  of  the  United  States.  The  genealogy  of 
ihis  family  can  be  traced  back  for  a  period  of  900  years,  and  is  closely  inter- 
woven with  the  history  of  Northern  and  Central  Scotland  during  that  period. 
The  name  was  originally  spelled  MacKinley,  but  the  "a"  was  dropped  from 
ihe  name  by  the  noted  soldier,  James  McKinley,  when  he  migrated  to  Ire- 
land. George  Berry  and  his  wife  became  parents  of  the  following  children : 
Rebecca,  wife  of  George  Collinson  of  Canada;  J.  Albert;  and  George  H.,  and 
W.  J.,  who  are  engaged  in  farming  in  Canada.  Mr.  Berry  died  about  1890, 
and  is  survived  by  his  widow  who  is  past  the  age  of  84  years. 

J.  Albert  Berry  was  reared  on  a  farm,  working  upon  the  home  place 
■during  the  summer  months  and  attending  school  in  the  winter  months,  until 
he  was  17  years  old.  His  father  had  purchased  another  fine  farm  and  was 
desirous  of  our  subject  taking  charge  of  it,  but  the  latter  had  become  too 
strongly  imbued  with  an  ambition  to  practice  medicine  to  give  it  up.  He 
left  the  district  schools  for  the  public  schools  in  town,  graduating  in  1881, 
and  in  1883  completed  a  collegiate  course.  In  October  of  the  latter  year,  he 
-entered  the  famous  McGill  University  at  Montreal,  and  was  graduated  from 
Ihe  medical  department  March  22,  1887,  the  26th  anniversary  of  his  birth.- 
Upon  receiving  his  sheepskin,  he  came  West  to  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  and 
^oon  after  located  at  Mill  Grove,  Missouri.  His  next  location  was  DeWitt, 
Nebraska,  arriving  there  empty-handed  but  full  of  ambition,  and  when  he 
departed  from  that  town  he  was  worth  $10,000.  He  next  went  to  Kalispell, 
Montana,  where  he  formed  a  partnership  with  an  old  classmate  of  McGill,  a 
Doctor  McDonald,  and  together  they  acted  as  surgeons  for  the  Montana  Divi- 
sion of  the  Great  Northern  Railroad,  their  territory  extending  as  far  West 
as  Spokane,  Washington.  They  filled  this  position  from  1893  to  1895.  In 
1897  Dr.  Berry  took  a  special  course  in  surgery  at  the  Post-Graduate  Medical 
5chool  and  Hospital,  No.  2400  Dearborn  street,  Chicago,  paying  $1,000  for 
an  assistantship.  After  one  month  he  concluded  to  take  up  conservative  medi- 
■cine  and  devoted  his  attention  thereafter  to  the  digestive  tract, — the  mouth, 
throat,  stomach  and  intestines.  In  this  hospital  he  was  demonstrator  in 
'Stomach  clinics  under  Dr.  Fenton  B.  Turk.  After  completing  his  course  in 
1898,  he  went  to  Spokane,  Washington,  but  on  account  of  sickness  in  his 
family  returned  home  for  a  time.  He  then  returned  to  Chicago  and  pursued 
a  six-months'  course  in  diseases  of  the  stomach,  and  took  a  special  course  on 
"the  eye,  ear,  nose  and  throat  under  Dr.  Casey  Wood  and  Dr.  Thomas  A.  Wood- 
rufif,  both  Canadians  of  distinction.  On  December  20,  1899,  Dr.  Berry  located 
in  Topeka,  where  he  has  since  built  up  a  large  office  practice,  working  as  a 
•specialist  along  his  own  chosen  lines.     He  is  associated  with  Dr.  Arthur  S. 


590  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Andrews  in  the  Topeka  Electrical  and  X-Ray  Sanitarium,  his  specialty  being 
catarrh  of  the  nose,  throat  and  stomach  and  diseases  of  the  rectum,  kidneys, 
and  bladder.  He  is  physician  for  the  Copeland  Hotel,  and  is  on  the  medical 
staff  of  the  Jane  C.  Stormont  Hospital.  During  the  year  1900  he  took  a 
post  graduate  course  in  the  New  York  Hospital.  He  is  local  medical  ex- 
aminer for  the  Illinois  Life  Insurance  Company ;  the  Franklin  Life  Insurance 
Company,  of  Springfield,  Illinois ;  the  Security  Mutual  Insurance  Company,  of 
Binghampton,  New  York;  the  National  Life;  the  Merchants'  Life  Insurance 
Company  of  Burlington,  Iowa,  and  is  council  surgeon  of  the  United  Com- 
mercial Travelers  of  America.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Shawnee  County 
and  Kansas  State  medical  societies,  and  the  American  Medical  Association. 
Dr.  Berry  was  united  in  marriage  with  S.  Jennie  Dagg,  a  daughter  of 
Richard  and  Ellen  (Ardell)  Dagg,  both  natives  of  County  Tipperary,  Ire- 
land. Her  father  was  postmaster  of  the  city  of  London,  Ontario,  Canada 
for  a  period  of  20  years.  Fraternally,  our  subject  is  a  Royal  Arch  Mason 
and  a  member  of  the  Elks. 


LOUIS   PHILIP  WIKIDAL. 

Louis  Philip  Wikidal,  deceased,  who  had  been  interested  in  extensive 
farming  interests  in  the  State  for  a  number  of  years,  died  at  Topeka,  March 
17,  1883.  He  was  born  at  Canton,  Ohio,  August  27,  1835,  and  was  a  son 
of  Martin  and  Fredericka  (Schaefer)   Wikidal. 

Mr.  Wikidal  was  reared  in  Canton  and  was  educated  in  the  Moravian 
College  at  Lititz,  Pennsylvania.  At  manhood  he  embarked  in  a  hardware 
business  at  Canton,  Ohio,  and  later  became  interested  in  a  manufacturing 
business  in  which  he  continued  until  he  located  in  Topeka,  in  1876.  For 
many  years  he  was  one  of  the  leading  and  useful  citizens,  active  in  the  de- 
veloping of  the  resources  of  the  State  and  in  increasing  her  agricultural  and 
commercial   importance. 

In  1862  Mr.  Wikidal  was  married  to  Elizabeth  Williams,  a  daughter  of 
George  Williams.  Five  children  were  born  to  them:  Mary  F.,  who  is  the 
wife  of  C.  S.  Eagle,  the  well-known  cigar  merchant  of  Topeka;  Julia,  who  is 
the  widow  of  John  M.  Wells,  of  Canton,  Ohio ;  Martin  and  William  Williams, 
both  of  Topeka,  and  Louis  P.,  of  Chanute,  Kansas.  The  latter  is  connected 
with  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railway  at  Chanute,  Kansas.  William 
Williams  Wikidal,  the  second  son  of  the  family,  married  Emilie  Packer  King, 
the  only  daughter  of  James  L.  King,  who  is  the  editor  of  this  work  and  State 
librarian  of  Kansas. 

The  late  Mr.  Wikidal  was  identified  with  the  Republican  party  but  never 


JAMES  SWAN 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  593 

sought  political  honors.  He  was  prominent  also  in  the  Masonic  fraternity. 
His  widow  still  resides  in  Topeka,  enjoying  the  comforts  of  a  beautiful  home 
at  No.  435  Harrison  street. 


■4»» 


JAMES   SWAN. 

James  Swan^  one  of  the  prosperous  farmers  and  well-known  men  of 
Mission  township,  Shawnee  County,  whose  portrait  accompanies  this  sketch, 
owns  240  acres  of  land  in  section  27,  township  12,  range  15.  He  was  born 
in  1828  in  Fifeshire,  Scotland,  and  is  a  son  of  George  and  Anna  (Oliphant) 
Swan. 

George  Swan,  the  paternal  grandfather,  died  in  Scotland  in  1846,  aged 
83  years.  Our  subject's  father  followed  the  trade  of  baker  in  his  native  land. 
The  mother  died  in  Scotland,  and  in  the  fall  of  1853  the  father  and  his 
oldest  daughter  came  to  America  and  settled  in  Guernsey  County,  Ohio, 
where  he  died  in  1863,  aged  81  years. 

James  Swan,  our  immediate  subject,  came  to  the  United  States  in  No- 
vember, 1850,  and  settled  in  Guernsey  County,  Ohio,  with  Rev.  Mr.  Bloom 
and  wife,  the  former  of  whom  was  a  farmer  and  a  local  preacher.  About  1853 
he  went  to  Indiana,  prior  to  the  coming  of  his  father  and  sister  to  Ohio, 
and  the  former  he  never  saw  in  this  country.  Mr.  Swan  remained  in  Indi- 
ana until  the  spring  of  1857  and  then  came  to  Kansas  on  a  prospecting  trip, 
after  which  he  returned  to  Indiana  and  settled  up  his  affairs.  In  1858  he 
filed  a  claim  for  80  acres  of  his  present  farm  and  by  i860  his  family  was 
established  here,  for  a  time  on  a  rented  farm. 

In  1862  Mr.  Swan  enlisted  in  the  government  service,  entering  the 
Sixth  Regiment,  Kansas  Vol.  Cav.,  and  faithfully  performed  a  soldier's 
duties  until  he  was  mustered  out  in  June,  1865,  at  Duvall's  Bluff,  Arkansas. 
During  this  time  he  participated  in  these  battles :  Prairie  Grove  and  Cane 
Hill,  Missouri,  and  Honey  Springs,  Indian  Territory.  This  did  not  include 
all  the  activity  of  the  regiment  for,  being  stationed  on  the  frontier,  it  bore  the 
brunt  of  the  constant  skirmishing  going  on  and  served  as  a  protection  to 
outlying  farms  and  isolated  homes.  When  the  regiment  took  part  in  the 
battle  of  Saline  River,  Mr.  Swan  was  engaged  in  a  much  more  dangerous 
task,  having  been  detailed  in  February,  1864,  as  officer  in  charge  of  the  mail 
service.  The  hardship  and  danger  attendant  upon  this  work  brought  on 
illness  and  he  was  relieved  from  this  duty  on  May  15,  1864.  He  has  never 
fully  recovered  from  the  nervous  strain  of  those  months  during  which  he 
so  faithfully  performed  his  duty  that  in  November,  1864,  he  was  promoted 

29 


594  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

to  the  rank  of  ist  sergeant  and  was  finally  discharged  as  such.  During  his 
mail  service  he  had  lo  men  under  his  charge  and  the  duties  of  the  position 
required  that  the  mail  should  be  carried  through  a  great  stretch  of  hostile 
country.  Two  of  his  men  were  killed  and  two  others  were  wounded  but  the 
mails  reached  their  destination  in  safety. 

After  the  close  of  his  army  service,  Mr.  Swan  returned  to  his  farm  in 
Mission  township,  Shawnee  County,  and  entered  upon  its  development  and 
improvement.  He  added  to  the  original  tract  until  now  he  owns  a  large 
and  valuable  body  of  land.  The  home  property  has  many  desirable  features 
that  add  to  its  value  and  attractiveness,  not  the  least  of  which  is  a  living 
spring  that  furnishes  an  excellent  supply  of  water.  A  bearing  orchard  of 
five  acres,  where  all  kinds  of  fruit  suited  to  this  section  are  grown,  fur- 
nishes its  owner  with  an  abundance  of  fruit  for  home  use  and  for  sale.  The 
landscape  as  viewed  from  the  house  presents  quite  a  pleading  sight,  as  the 
vista  includes  the  fruit  trees  of  the  orchard  and  many  forest  trees  and  ever- 
greens. 

In  1854,  in  Steuben  County,  Indiana,  Mr.  Swan  married  Wilhemina 
Pothoff,  who  is  a  daughter  of  Albert  and  Elizabeth  (Homer)  Pothofif,  both 
now  deceased.  Mr.  Pothoff  was  a  farmer  in  Indiana,  in  which  State  he  died, 
aged  66  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Swan  have  reared  five  children,  namely :  John 
F.,  who  married  Millie  Eaton  and  has  six  children, — Robert  B.,  Mary,  Will- 
iam, Ida  Belle,  Jessie  and  Clarissa;  Lillian,  who  married  C.  F.  Slaton  and 
has  three  children, — Maude,  Grace  and  Roy;  James  W.,  of  Colorado;  Jessie 
E.,  wife  of  A.  J.  Sinel;  and  A.  R.,  who  married  Ida  Belle  Kallmeyer  and 
has  one  child, — Albert  Frederick. 

Politically  Mr.  Swan  has  been  a  life-long  Republican.  For  13  years  he 
has  been  a  member  of  the  School  Board  and  from  1879  ""*'!  1884  he  served 
as  township  trustee.  He  has  been  a  justice  of  the  peace  for  13  years  and 
in  1880  he  was  the  township  census  taker.  His  official  duties  have  been  per- 
formed with  uniform  accuracy  and  with  the  same  consideration  for  the  pub- 
lic's interest  that  made  him  such  a  faithful  soldier  during  the  direful  days  of 
the  Civil  War.     Mr.  Swan  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity. 


HON.  FLOYD  P.  BAKER. 

In  the  capital  city  of  Kansas  there  are  men  now  living  retired  from  active 
participation  in  the  shaping  of  passing  events,  who  are  able  to  regard  with 
justifiable  satisfnction  the  results  of  their  long  years  of  leadership  and  honorable 
devotion  to  the  public's  welfare.     In  Floyd  P.  Baker  is  found  such  a  citizen, 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  595 

whose  life  has  been  closely  identified  with  the  interests  of  Kansas  since  i860. 

Floyd  P.  Baker  was  born  November  16,  1820,  in  Washington  County, 
New  York,  and  is  a  son  of  Reuben  and  Lois  (Baxter)  Baker.  They  married 
in  181 1  and  reared  11  children.  The  father  was  a  self-educated  man,  preparing 
himself  for  the  profession  of  teaching  by  study  by  the  light  of  a  pine-knot 
iire.  He  lived  to  the  age  of  82  years  and  his  widow  survived  until  i860.  The 
Bakers  are  of  Massachusetts  extraction  and  the  Baxters  belong  to  the  old 
families  of  New  York. 

The  educational  advantages  enjoyed  by  Mr.  Baker  in  his  youth  were 
meager,  three  months  in  the  year  being  all  the  time  he  could  claim  for  school- 
ing and  during  these  months  he  daily  waded  through  the  winter  snows  of  that 
region,  but,  nevertheless,  he  prepared  himself  for  teaching  and  started  out  on 
his  own  account  when  18  years  of  age.  After  six  months  experience  as  a 
schoolmaster  in  £rie  County,  New  York,  he  went  to  Michigan  where  he  spent 
the  next  two  years  farming,  blacksmithing  and  teaching  a  private  school  in 
which  he  was  expected  to  instruct  in  astronomy  and  botany,  advanced  branches 
which  he  was  obliged  to  privately  study  to  keep  ahead  of  his  class,  his  own 
instruction  not  having  included  these. 

In  1840  a  new  line  opened  up  for  him  and  he  engaged  as  agent  for  the 
lines  of  packet  boats  and  stages  which  ran  from  New  York  City  to  Montreal, 
Canada,  in  which  he  continued  until  1848,  when  he  went  to  Racine,  Wisconsin. 
Here  he  completed  his  law  studies  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  here  fol- 
lowed farming  and  also  engaged  in  an  insurance  business  until  185 1,  when  he 
went  to  San  Francisco  where  he  practiced  his  profession  for  12  months.  Cir- 
cumstances then  arose  which  took  him  to  the  Sandwich  Islands,  where  he 
became  the  crown  attorney  and  clerk  of  the  District  Court  at  Hilo,  Hawaii, 
where  he  remained  three  years.  Upon  his  return  to  the  United  States,  he 
located  in  Andrew  County,  Missouri,  where  he  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits until  i860  when  he  came  first  to  Kansas,  locating  in  Nemaha  County, 
where  he  was  shortly  after  made  superintendent  of  schools. 

It  was  in  the  fall  of  this  year  that  he  became  well  known  to  the  people 
'Of  this  State,  in  a  public  capacity,  being  appointed  one  of  a  committee  of  five 
of  an  organization  which  had  been  formed  at  Lawrence,  with  S.  E.  Pomeroy 
as  chairman,  to  take  means  to  help  the  people  of  Kansas  then  in  dire  need  on 
account  of  the  failure  of  the  crops.  At  that  time  Mr.  Baker  had  his  head- 
quarters at  Atchison,  although  his  home  was  at  old  Centralia.  His  duties  were 
manifold  and  during  this  time  every  energy  was  exerted  by  him  to  better  the 
condition  and  relieve  the  necessities  of  the  hundreds  who  were  living  with 
famine  staring  them  in  the  face  with  the  rigors  of  an  unusually  severe  winter 
to  add  to  their  sufiferings.  It  was  during  this  period  that  he  underwent  an 
experience  which  came  near  terminating  not  only  his  career  of  disinterested 


596  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

usefulness  but  his  life  as  well.  On  January  i8,  1861,  when  he  left  his  head- 
quarters at  Atchison  for  a  visit  to  his  home,  he  found  that  all  the  teams  were 
loaded  heavily  as  they  could  stand  with  provisions  that  had  been  sent  from  the 
East  in  answer  to  the  efforts  of  his  committee,  and  he  decided-^o  walk  the  dis- 
tance. This  was  considerable  of  an  undertaking  but  would  probably  have 
been  safely  accomplished  had  not  a  blinding  snow-storm  arisen  which  caused 
him  to  lose  his  way  over  the  old  Indian  trail  he  was  following.  He  was  almost 
exhausted  with  cold  and  \\eariness  when  the  light  of  a  log  cabin  came  into 
view  and  he  was  welcomed  by  its  owner  with  the  true  and  hearty  hospitality 
which  always  marked  the  Kansas  pioneer.  Here  he  learned  that  he  had  prob- 
ably been  wandering  for  hours  in  a  circle  and  that  he  was  within  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  of  the  place  whence  he  started,  and  here  he  received  the  best  entertain- 
ment that  the  owner  of  the  humble  cabin  could  command. 

In  1863  Mr.  Baker  came  to  Topeka,  having  served  in  the  State  Legislature 
during  the  previous  year,  and  here  entered  upon  his  long  and  pregnant  career 
as  a  journalist.  In  association  with  S.  D.  McDonald  he  purchased  the  State 
Record,  which  he  continued  to  issue  until  1871,  when  he  sold  his  interest  ta 
the  Commonwealth  and  went  to  Texas,  locating  at  Dennison  just  at  the  time 
when  business  enterprises  were  being  pushed  forward  there.  During  his  three 
years  residence  in  the  South,  he  became  one  of  the  leading  men  of  that  section,, 
and  edited  and  published  the  Advocate  at  Dennison,  and  also  during  that  time 
organized  the  State  Historical  Society  of  Kansas,  of  which  he  was  first  secre- 
tary and  later  president. 

In  1875  Mr.  Baker  returned  to  Topeka  where  his  family  were  still  residing. 
In  this  year  Mr.  Baker  bought  the  Topeka  Commonivcalth,  a  paper  which, under 
his  able  management  and  experienced  direction,  took  a  very  prominent  position 
in  State  literature  and  politics,  and  he  continued  its  issue  until  1888  when  it 
was  consolidated  with  the  Topeka  Capital.  In  the  meantime,  Mr.  Baker  oper- 
ated a  wholesale  paper  and  type  house.  During  the  year  1878  he  received  the 
appointment  of  assistant  commissioner  to  the  World's  Fair  at  Paris,  the  duties- 
of  which  he  filled  with  becoming  dignity,  serving  in  the  forestry  department. 

Mr.  Baker  was  married,  first,  to  Eliza  F.  Wilson,  of  Montgomery  County, 
New  York,  who  died  at  Racine,  Wisconsin.  Their  one  son,  Floyd,  died  at  New 
Orleans,  aged  five  years.  Mr.  Baker  was  married,  second,  to  Orinda  Searle, 
in  1850,  who  was  a  member  of  one  of  the  prominent  families  of  Racine.  They 
had  five  children,  namely:  Albert,  who  died  aged  15  months;  Nestor,  who- 
was  born  in  the  Sandwich  Islands,  formerly  a  prominent  citizen  of  Topeka, 
now  of  San  Francisco;  Clifford  C,  who  has  been  interested  with  his  father 
for  25  years  in  the  newspaper  business  and  for  four  years  secretary  of  the 
Senate  and  subsequently  State  printer;  Isaac,  connected  with  the  Standard 
Oil  Company,  who  is  a  resident  of  Bay  City,  IMichigan;  and  Minnie,  who  is: 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  597 

the  wife  of  H.  W.  Sharp,  division  superintendent  of  die  Atchison,  Topeka  & 
Santa  Fe  Railway  at  Kansas  City,  Missouri. 

Mr.  Baker  organized  the  State  Historical  Society  of  Kansas,  of  which  he 
was  first  secretary  and  later  president.  Since  1844  he  has  been  an  Odd  Fellow 
and  has  attained  high  place  in  this  organization.  He  served  as  grand  patriarch 
of  the  Encampment,  grand  master  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  State  of  Kansas 
and  was  a  representative  to  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  United  States.  In  1846 
he  was  made  a  Mason. 


JAMES  A.   HICKEY. 

James  A.  Hickey,  one  of  the  original  settlers  of  Topeka,  in  1854,  and 
the  only  one  now  living  here,  has  been  one  of  its  well-known  and  valued  citi- 
-zens  for  its  half  century  of  existence.  Mr.  Hickey  was  born  in  Ireland,  October 
28,  1833,  and  is  a  son  of  Owen  Hickey,  who  died  on  the  way  to  America,  his 
son  being  then  about  12  years  of  age.  Our  subject's  venerable  mother,  now 
aged  98  years,  still  lives,  making  her  home  with  a  cousin  in  Allegany  County, 
J^ew  York. 

Mr.  Hickey,  after  coming  to  this  country,  lived  in  Clinton  County,  New 
York,  for  a  time  and  then  came  to  Topeka  in  1854.  By  a  mere  chance  he  was 
absent  at  Lawrence  when  the  city  was  organized,  but  he  was  given  a  share  in 
the  Topeka  Town  Association,  100  shares  being  issued.  The  original  settlers 
were :  Milton  C.  Dickey,  Enoch  Chase,  George  Davis,  Jacob  B.  Chase,  Cyrus 
K.  Holliday,  Daniel  H.  Home,  Fry  W.  Giles  and  Dr.  J.  F.  Merriam,  and  to  this 
list  must  be  added  the  name  of  James  A.  Hickey.  They  were  the  first  settlers 
to  become  squatters  here  and  the  four  first  named  built  the  first  house  here, 
the  others  following.  This  house  was  made  of  logs  and  was  covered  with 
prairie  grass  and  sod. 

Probably  no  man  in  this  section  knows  better  the  ups  and  downs  of  To- 
peka's  early  days  than  Mr.  Hickey.  Quail  and  prairie  chickens  were  very 
plentiful  and  a  few  deer  were  still  here  as  were  also  prairie  wolves,  but  the 
nearest  trading  point  was  Kansas  City,  and  desperate  characters  infested  the 
whole  border.  Mr.  Hickey's  land  was  the  quarter  section  which  is  now  the 
Ritchie  Addition  to  Topeka.  Business  houses  started  up  one  after  the  other, 
the  first  merchant  being  a  man  named  Jones,  who  was  soon  followed  by  Allen 
&  Gordon,  of  Lawrence.  Rev.  S.  Y.  Lum,  of  Lawrence,  came  to  minister  to 
the  settlers  and  frequently  had  to  sleep  in  hay  stacks.  The  first  subscription 
school  was  conducted  by  Miss  Harlan  in  a  frame  shanty  on  Madison  street, 
"but  later  the  New  England  Emigrant  Aid  Company  built  a  school  house  on 
Harrison  street,  where  Jacob  Smith  now  resides. 


598  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Mr.  Hickey  dealt  in  real  estate  and  for  19  years  lived  in  his  old  home  on 
Van  Buren  street.  He  also  clerked  in  dry  goods  and  implement  houses  for 
some  years.  During  the  Civil  War  he  was  an  official  and  has  served  as  under 
sheriff  under  A.  H.  Hale,  Sherman  Bodwell,  H.  E.  Bush,  A.  M.  Fuller,  Chester 
Thomas  and  John  M.  Wilkinson.  He  can  recall  many  of  the  most  interesting 
events  of  those  early  days,  saw  the  first  railroad  enter  the  town — the  Union 
Pacific — on  January  i,  1866,  and  can  remember  when  the  mails  were  brought 
from  Lawrence  by  any  one  who  happened  to  pass  along  and  was  willing  to 
take  the  trouble.  For  the  past  eight  years  he  has  lived  in  the  southeast  of  the 
city  where  he  has  a  productive  fruit  farm. 

In  1870  Mr.  Hickey  was  married  in  Kentucky  to  Mrs.  Ophelia  (Allan) 
Deming,  widow  of  Dr.  Augustus  Deming,  who  left  two  children, — Mrs.  A. 
D.  Gray,  and  Caroline,  who  lives  at  home.  The  late  Dr.  Deming  came  to 
Topeka  in  1859,  practiced  here  and  during  the  Civil  War  served  as  surgeon 
with  the  rank  of  major.  He  died  at  Leavenworth,  January  8,  1864.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hickey  have  four  grandchildren,  sons  and  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Gray :  Arthur,  David  Deming,  Philip,  Augustus  and  Gertrude  Caroline. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hickey  are  among  the  oldest  members  of  the  First  Presby- 
terian Church,  Mrs.  Hickey's  name  appearing  as  one  of  the  20  charter  mem- 
bers.    Rev.  Mr.  Steele  was  the  first  regular  pastor. 

Mr.  Hickey  is  a  member  of  the  Old  Settlers'  Association  and  was  its  presi- 
dent one  year.  With  his  wonderful  memory  and  vivid  descriptive  powers, 
Mr.  Hickey  can  easily  bring  to  life  the  intensely  interesting  occurrences  which 
marked  the  founding  of  this  great  capital  city  of  Kansas.  In  all  that  she  has 
grown  to  be  he  bore  his  part  in  the  early  days,  helping  to  lay  business  founda- 
tions and  to  preserve  peace  and  order. 


HUBERT  A.   HEATH. 

Hubert  A.  Heath,  manager  of  the  Kansas  Farmer,  one  of  the  old  estab- 
lished journals  of  Topeka,  was  born  April  28,  1857,  at  Cerro  Gordo,  Piatt 
County,  Illinois,  and  is  a  son  of  John  Heath,  one  of  the  old  residents  there. 

Mr.  Heath's  boyhood  and  school  days  were  passed  at  Cerro  Gordo  and 
he  was  graduated  at  the  Wesleyan  University  in  Illinois.  In  1881  he  came 
to  Topeka  and  has  been  connected  with  the  Kansas  Farmer  ever  since.  He  has 
long  been  identified  with  stock  interests  in  this  State  and  for  the  past  10  years 
has  been  secretary  of  the  Stock  Breeders'  Association,  and  was  a  special  agent 
of  the  Bureau  of  Animal  Industry  under  Hon.  J.  M.  Rusk,  U.  S.  Secretary 
of  Agriculture,  for  three  years,  when  he  resigned  the  post.    The  position  was 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  599 

one  which  had  come  to  him  entirely  unsoHcited.  Since  then  all  his  energies 
have  been  directed  to  the  extension  of  the  circulation  and  influence  of  the 
paper  with  which  he  has  been  connected  for  the  past  25  years,  a  paper  which 
finds  a  welcome  at  almost  every  intelligent  farmer's  home  in  the  State  and 
which  has  been  a  helpful  friend  and  adviser  to  many  perplexed  agriculturists. 
Mr.  Heath  was  married  to  Estelle  Read,  of  Bloomington,  Illinois,  and 
they  have  two  daughters  and  one  son.  The  family  belong  to  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church.  In  politics  Mr.  Heath  takes  an  independent  attitude,  his 
paper  being  an  agricultural  instead  of  a  political  journal. 


ELIAS   SHULL. 


Elias  Shull,  one  of  the  prominent  citizens  of  Topeka,  who  has  been 
identified  with  the  growth  and  development  of  the  city  since  June,  1869,  and 
one  of  the  leading  pension  attorneys  of  this  part  of  the  State,  was  born  April 
4,  1839,  at  Massillon,  Stark  County,  Ohio,  and  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and  Sarah 
(Diehl)  Shull. 

Jacob  Shull  was  born  March  24,  1803,  at  Chambersburg,  Pennsylvania. 
He  was  a  cabinet-maker  by  trade.  In  early  manhood  he  migrated  to  Ohio. 
In  the  spring  of  1840  he  removed  to  Huntington  County,  Indiana,  where  he 
died  September  26,  1845.  On  December  i,  1835,  he  married  Sarah  Diehl, 
who  was  born  September  18,  1810,  near  Greencastle,  Pennsylvania.  She  sur- 
vived her  husband  for  almost  50  years,  her  death  resulting  from  an  injury  re- 
ceived by  a  fall  on  the  ice  in  January,  1893. 

Elias  Shull  enjoyed  liberal  educational  advantages.  He  passed  from 
Chambersburg  Academy  to  Wittenberg  College,  at  Springfield,  Ohio,  and 
belonged  to  the  graduating  class  of  1862,  but  on  Commencement  Day  he  was 
wearing  the  blue  uniform  of  the  United  States  Army  on  the  Virginia  hills. 
After  his  term  of  service  expired  and  he  had  been  honorably  discharged,  he 
taught  one  term  in  the  Davenport  (Iowa)  High  School.  At  a  later  period  he 
reentered  military  service  as  a  clerk  and  quartermaster's  agent  at  Vicksburg 
and  in  the  region  round  about,  and  remained  in  attendance  upon  the  duties 
of  these  positions,  frequently  in  great  peril,  until  the  close  of  hostilities.  His 
next  work  was  the  superintendence  of  the  collecting  of  the  Union  dead  from 
their  scattered  burial  places  on  both  shores  of  the  Mississippi  near  Vicksburg 
and  from  inland  battle-fields  adjacent,  and  the  transference  of  these  precious 
remains  to  the  National  Cemetery  near  the  city  of  Vicksburg. 

After  this  patriotic  and  pious  work  was  accomplished,  Mr.  Shull  went  to 
Washington,  D.  C,  July  15,  1867,  where,  thenceforth,  until  April,  1869,  he 


6oo  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

was  a  clerk  in  the  United  States  service.  Early  in  June,  1869,  he  came  to 
Topeka,  where  his  interests  have  centered  ever  since.  Here  he  became  clerk 
in  the  office  of  the  assistant  general  solicitor  of  the  Kansas  Pacific  Railroad 
Company ;  was  eight  years  clerk  in  the  Topeka  pension  agency ;  \\'as  connected 
with  mortgage  loaning  companies  for  seven  years  and  for  some  years  was 
president  of  the  Kansas  Investment  Company.  In  February,  1887,  Mr.  ShuU 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  Shawnee  County  and  he  has  been  in  active  practice 
ever  since,  confining  his  energies  mainly  to  the  prosecution  of  pension 
claims,  etc. 

In  recalling  his  public  offices,  including  his  military  connections,  the  biog- 
rapher finds  that  Mr.  Shull  was  a  corporal  in  Company  B,  86th  Reg.,  Ohio 
Vol.  Inf.,  from  which  he  was  honorably  discharged;  quartermaster's  agent  in 
full  control  of  a  woodyard  on  Island  No.  98  in  the  Mississippi  River,  established 
under  the  provisions  of  General  Order  No.  124  of  the  War  Department  (series 
of  1864),  to  work  timber  into  cordwood  wherewith  to  supply  steamboats  in 
the  military  service  on  that  river;  and  quartermaster's  clerk  at  Vicksburg, 
Mississippi.  The  only  elective  office  of  a  public  nature  ever  held  by  him  was 
that  of  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Education  of  Topeka,  in  which  he  continued 
about  five  years.  Until  his  service  in  said  office,  the  High  School  of  Topeka 
was  not  free  to  anybody ;  on  his  motion  it  was  then  made  entirely  free  to  every 
scholar  residing  in  Topeka  having  the  prescribed  proficiency.  In  1887  he 
united  with  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  and  continues  to  be  the  first 
post  historian  of  Lincoln  Post,  No.  i,  at  Topeka,  and  is  also  quartermaster  of 
that  post,  now  in  the  eighth  year  of  consecutive  service,  which  is  a  period  ex- 
ceeding in  duration  that  of  any  predecessor.  In  1879  ^^-  ShuU  joined  the 
Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen  and  for  several  years  was  the  financier  of 
his  lodge  and  still  is  actively  interested  in  its  work.  In  religious  connection, 
he  adheres  to  the  church  of  the  English  Lutherans  of  the  General  Synod  in  the 
United  States  and  was  treasurer  of  the  council  of  the  church  at  Topeka  for 
more  than  23  consecutive  years. 

Mr.  Shull  was  married  February  28,  1871,  at  Topeka,  Kansas,  to  Mary 
C.  Alsip,  who  was  born  in  Washington  County,  Maryland,  and  who  was  about 
eight  years  younger  than  he.  Their  children  were :  Homer  A.,  born  February 
17,  1872;  Lucy  May,  born  May  25,  1873;  Harvey,  born  August  25,  1874, 
deceased  January  30,  1902;  Jacob,  born  June  18,  1876;  Oscar  born  June  16, 
1878,  deceased  in  November,  1881 ;  Sarah,  born  January  8,  1880;  Cora,  born 
in  September,  1884;  and  John  D.,  born  April  4,  1886.  Harvey  Shull's  temper- 
ament, and  achievements  to  the  time  of  his  early  death,  inspired  high  hopes 
of  things  yet  to  be  accomplished,  but  his  work  was  ended  ere  he  seemed  to 
have  reached  the  prime  of  his  strength. 

In  politics  Mr.  Shull  has  been  an  ardent  Republican,  but  not  too  ardent 


JOHN  MILLS 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  603 

to  sometimes,  on  local  elections,  vote  for  a  nominee  of  the  opposing  party, 
when  he  inclined  to  the  opinion  that  it  was  promotive  of  the  highest  welfare 
so  to  do.  He  voted  for  Abraham  Lincoln  in  i860,  and  never  afterwards  for  a 
presidential  nominee  other  than  Republican  in  party  connection. 


JOHN   MILLS. 


John  Mills^  deceased,  who  in  life  was  a  very  highly  esteemed  citizen 
and  good  farmer  of  Silver  Lake  township,  Shawnee  County,  was  born  Feb- 
ruary 26,  1820,  in  Carroll  County,  Ohio,  and  was  a  son  of  William  Mills, 
who  served  through  the  War  of  181 2  and  moved  to  Carroll  County,  Ohio, 
from  Berks  County,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  was  born. 

John  Mills,  whose  portrait  accompanies  this  sketch  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated in  Carroll  County,  Ohio,  where  he  became  a  substantial  farmer  and 
Jived  until  1882,  when  he  came  to  Shawnee  County  and  purchased  a  farm 
in  Silver  Lake  township,  on  which  he  resided  until  his  death  on  January  22, 
1892.     His  burial  took  place  here. 

Mr.  Mills  was  married  June  7,  1866,  in  Carroll  County,  Ohio,  to  Mary 
E.  Fouts,  who  was  born  March  8,  1841,  and  is  a  daughter  of  George  and 
Eleanor  (Hemming)  Fouts.  Her  father  was  a  carpenter  by  trade,  a  worthy, 
industrious  man.  He  died  March  23,  1875,  but  his  widow  survived  until 
December  22,  1900.  Both  rest  in  the  burying  ground  near  their  old  home 
in  Ohio.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mills  had  four  children,  namely:  Martha,  who 
married  C.  W.  Maupin,  a  farmer  of  Silver  Lake  township  and  has  two  chil- 
dren, Chapman  W.  and  John  Dewey;  George,  deceased;  James  H.,  a  hard- 
ware merchant  at  Rossville,  who  married  Laura  D.  Johnson,  and  has  one 
child,  a  daughter, — Evelyn  Eudora;  and  Harry  E.,  a  farmer  living  west  of 
Rossville,  who  married  Flora  A.  McCullough,  and  has  one  httle  six-year 
old  daughter,  Wilma  O.  The  eldest  son,  George  Mills,  died  at  San  Fran- 
cisco while  in  a  hospital,  on  October  13,  1899,  from  hardships  and  exposure 
during  his  service  as  a  soldier  in  the  Spanish-American  War.  He  en- 
listed in  Company  I,  20th  Kansas  Infantry,  U.  S.  Volunteers,  under  Gen- 
eral Funston  and  went  to  the  Philippines  May  12,  1898,  and  while  there 
-performed  a  soldier's  full  duty  at  Caloocan,  Tulijan,  Malinta,  Poli,  Marilao, 
Bigoa  Guiginto,  Malolas,  Bagbag  River,  Calumpit,  Grand  River,  Santo 
Tomas,  San  Fernando,  Bacolor  and  Santa  Rita.  Many  hearts  were  grieved 
at  his  early  death. 

On  March  17,  1897,  Mrs.  Mills  was  married  to  Rezin  Fowler,  who  was 
born  July  i,  1825,  in  Floyd  County,  Indiana,  and  is  a  son  of  Richard  and 


6o4  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Docie  (Miller)  Fowler.  The  parents  of  Mr.  Fowler  were  natives  of  Ken- 
tucky, farming  people  there.  Later  they  moved  to  Indiana,  where  the  father 
died  in  August,  1861,  and  the  mother  in  1863.  Of  their  10  children,  Rezia 
was  the  only  one  who  came  to  Kansas. 

Mr.  Fowler  was  reared  a  farmer  and  carried  on  agricultural  pursuits. 
in  Washington  County,  Indiana,  for  a  period  of  48  years.  In  1873  he  came 
to  Silver  Lake  township,  Shawnee  County,  Kansas,  buying  a  farm  of  16O' 
acres.  This  he  operated  for  the  next  23  years  and  then  retired  from  active 
life,  taking  up  his  residence  in  a  pleasant  home  on  the  corner  of  Walnut. 
street  and  Railroad  avenue,  in  the  village  of  Silver  Lake.  He  retains  a  very 
valuable  tract  of  30  acres  within  a  half  mile  of  the  town,  which  he  has  under 
rental. 

Mr.  Fowler  has  been  twice  married,  first  to  Sarah  Loughmiller,  on 
December  15,  1849,  who  died  March  5,  1895,  and  was  buried  in  Prairie 
Home  Cemetery.  They  had  four  children,  namely:  Erastus,  who  died  in 
Indiana,  aged  three  and  a  half  years;  Edwin  F,,  a  carpenter  by  trade,  who 
married  Maud  Barnes  and  moved  to  Oregon,  where  he  died  in  1888;  John 
L.,  a  carpenter  by  trade,  in  business  at  Ottawa,  Kansas,  who  married  Fannie 
Bridgeford,  and  has  two  children, — Carl  and  Morrell;  and  Harry  A.,  a  farmer 
and  carpenter,  living  in  Shawnee  County,  who  married  Eva  Stockwell  and  has. 
one  son, — Loren. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fowler  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
In  this  body  he  has  been  a  trustee  for  a  number  of  years.  Mr.  Fowler  has 
taken  no  very  active  interest  in  politics  since  he  came  to  Shawnee  County, 
but  in  recognition  of  his  standing  and  reliability  he  was  twice  elected  treas- 
urer of  Silver  Lake  township  and  served  with  the  greatest  acceptability.  The 
whole  family  is  well  known  and  much  esteemed. 


JULIUS  TAYLOR  CLARK. 

The  birth  of  the  venerated  and  esteemed  subject  of  this  sketch  took  place- 
at  a  history-making  period,  not  only  on  American  but  also  on  foreign  soil,  and" 
his  whole  long  and  useful  life,  with  its  varied  interests  and  honorable  successes, 
has  been  one  more  or  less  connected  with  important  events.  Mr.  Clark  was- 
born  August  3,  1814,  and  is  a  son  of  Jesse  Ashley  and  Rhoda  (Hill)  Clark. 

The  Clark  family,  from  which  Julius  Taylor  Clark  descended,  was- 
founded  in  New  England  by  three  English  emigrants  of  the  name,  who  prob- 
ably settled  in  Connecticut  in  colonial  days.  The  great-grandfather  was  a  resi- 
dent there  and  was  educated  as  an  Episcopal  (Church  of  England)  clergyman,. 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  605. 

but  as  in  those  early  days  all  Episcopal  clergymen  in  America  were  obliged 
to  go  to  England  for  ordination,  a  dislike  of  crossing  the  ocean  for  this  pur- 
pose caused  him  to  leave  that  ecclesiastical  connection  and  to  unite  with  the 
Independents  or  Congregationalists,  as  they  now  are  called.  He  served  as  a 
Congregational  minister  until  his  death.  He  left  three  sons :  Jesse,  Ashley  and 
John. 

Jesse  Clark,  the  grandfather,  married  Tamma  Wheeler,  who  died  in  the 
first  year  of  marriage,  leaving  one  son,  Jesse  Ashley,  who  was  born  May  25,, 
1789,  at  Spencertown,  New  York.     Jesse  Ashley  Clark  spent  his  early  days- 
with  his  grandfather  Clark,  but  when  yet  a  young  man  went  to  Northwestern 
Vermont,  where  he  was  employed  in  teaching  and  clerical  work.     He  married 
Rhoda  Hill,  a  daughter  of  Caleb  and  Cynthia  (Strong)  Hill.     She  was  the 
oldest  of  12  children  who  reached  maturity.     They  owned  and  occupied  the 
major  portion  of  Isle-La-Motte,  a  beautiful  island  at  the  northern  extremity 
of  Lake  Champlain.     After  marriage,  Mr.  Clark  resided  on  this  island  and 
engaged  in  farming  and  teaching  until  1820,  when  he  removed  to  Malone, . 
New  York.    During  his  period  of  residence  on  the  island,  these  children  were  ■ 
born,  viz:  Justus  McKinstry,  December  27,   1812;  Julius  Taylor,  August  3, 
1814;  Tamma  Wheeler,  August  25,  1816;  and  Abigail  Ashley,  February  17, 
1 81 9.    Jack  Wheeler  Clark  was  born  at  Malone,  March  9,  1821.    The  father - 
was  a  resident  of  Ottawa,  Illinois,  when  the  mother  of  our  subject  died,  in 
1836.    The  father  married  again  and  at  the  time  of  death  was  survived  by  his 
widow  and  a  son,  Jesse  Ashley,  and  a  daughter,  Harriet.     They  subsequently 
removed  to  San  Francisco. 

In  the  War  of  1812,  when  the  British  troops  crossed  the  Canada  line  in 
1814,  at  Champlain,  near  the  north  end  of  the  lake  of  that  name,  a  detachment 
landed  on  Isle-La-Motte,  taking  all  the  men  prisoners  but  releasing  them  on 
parole.  Among  these  were  the  father  and  the  maternal  grandfather  of  Mr. 
Clark.  Grandfather  Hill  was  shot  and  killed  by  some  one,  while  standing  in 
his  own  door,  either  through  accident  or  by  design,  but  the  prepetrator  of  the 
act  was  never  discovered.  Grandmother  Clark  was  wont  to  tell  that  when  the 
family  saw  the  British  soldiers  coming,  she  caught  our  subject,  then  an  infant, 
in  her  arms,  while  the  mother  carried  the  three-year-old  brother  into  the  bushes 
and  there  they  remained  hidden  until  the  soldiers  disappeared. 

The  paternal  great-grandmother  was  a  Scott  and  on  her  mother's  side 
she  was  an  Ashley,  a  descendant  of  the  celebrated  Anthony  Ashley  Cooper, 
Earl  of  Shaftsbury,  who  was  made  a  peer,  as  Baron  Ashley,  in  1661.     Seth- 
Strong,  the  father  of  our  subject's  maternal  grandmother,  spent  his  last  days 
with  Grandmother  Hill  and  died  in  her  house  on  Isle-La-Motte. 

In  1824  the  father  of  our  subject,  removed  from  Malone,  New  York,  to  • 
Fort  Covington,  Franklin  County,  and  soon  after  to  the  village  of  Bombay,. 


6o6  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

some  five  miles  distant,  where  he  engaged  in  a  mercantile  business  until  1833, 
when  he  removed  to  Ottawa,  Illinois.  He  was  one  of  the  original  founders 
.  and  proprietors  of  that  city,  preempting  and  purchasing  the  land  from  the  gov- 
ernment. He  occupied  a  farm  adjoining  Ottawa,  on  the  south  side  of  the 
Illinois  River,  until  1840,  when  the  whole  family  removed  to  Madison,  Wiscon- 
sin. A  few  years  later  the  father  removed  to  the  village  of  Cambridge,  a  few 
miles  east  of  Madison,  where  he  died  in  1852,  his  remains  being  interred  in  a 
burial  lot  owned  by  our  subject  at  Madison. 

Julius  Taylor  Clark  began  his  education  at  his  mother's  knee  and  he  has 
been  assured  that  when  but  three  years  of  age  he  was  able  to  read  and  spell 
words  of  three  syllables.  His  studies  in  preparation  for  a  collegiate  course, 
were  pursued  at  Fort  Covington,  partly  in  a  private  school  under  Rev.  J.  A. 
Savage,  D.  D.,  and  partly  at  the  village  academy.  In  1833  he  entered  Union 
College,  at  Schenectady,  where  for  three  years  he  had  the  honor  of  standing 
with  a  few  others,  at  the  maximum  head  of  the  roll,  for  both  scholarship  and 
deportment,  and  from  this  institution  he  subsequently  received  the  degree  of 
M.  A.  During  his  last  year  in  college  he  entered  his  name  as  a  law  student 
in  the  office  of  Potter  &  Page,  in  Schenectady,  this  firm  being  attorneys  for  tjie 
Albany  &  Utica  Railroad,  the  longest  road  at  that  time  in  America.  At  the 
celebration  on  the  completion  of  this  road,  Mr.  Clark  was  one  of  the  guests 
in  the  making  of  the  initial  trip.  In  the  summer  of  1836  he  returned  to  his 
father's  home,  then  at  Ottawa,  removal  having  been  made  during  his  absence 
at  college. 

Mr.  Clark  completed  his  law  studies  under  the  instruction  of  Hon.  Cyrus 
Walker,  of  Macomb,  Illinois,  and  began  practice  at  Ottawa.  When  his  father 
removed  to  Madison,  Wisconsin,  he  accompanied  the  family  and  there  began 
the  practice  of  the  law  with  William  M.  Seymour,  who  was  already  well  estab- 
lished there.  After  a  limited  period  this  partnership  was  dissolved  and  Mr. 
Clark  succeeded  to  the  entire  practice,  not  a  large  one,  as  the  town  was  not 
yet  of  great  importance  and  the  country  was  but  thinly  populated.  In  this 
way  he  found  time  to  assist  in  the  editing  of  the  only  newspaper  published 
there,  and  also  for  reporting  in  the  Upper  House  of  the  Legislature.  He 
served  also  for  some  time  as  auditor  of  the  Territory,  under  Governor  James 
Duane  Doty  and  Secretary  Field.  Subsequently  he  accepted  the  appointment 
of  agent  of  the  general  government  among  the  Chippewa  Indians,  to  instruct 
them,  as  far  as  possible,  in  the  ways  and  habits  of  civilized  life.  He  remained 
several  years  in  this  capacity  and  then  resumed  his  law  practice  at  Madison, 
entering  into  partnership  with  Messrs.  Catlin  and  Abbott.  Mr.  Catlin  soon 
retired  but  the  firm  of  Abbott  &  Clark  continued  for  a  number  of  years  and 
after  its  dissolution  Mr.  Clark  continued  in  practice  alone  until  1864.  His 
health  at  this  time  was  somewhat  impaired  through  the  strain  and  confinement 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  607 

of  his  profession  and  this  induced  him  to  remove  to  his  large  and  well  ap- 
pointed farm  just  outside  the  city  limits,  where  the  active  out-door  life  restored 
his  health  and  where  he  enjoyed  some  four  years  of  solid  comfort. 

In  the  summer  of  1868  he  disposed  of  his  farm  and  removed  with  his 
family  to  Kansas,  where  he  purchased  1,300  acres  of  land,  adjoining  the  pres- 
ent town  of  Osage  City  in  Osage  County,  and  entered  upon  its  stocking  and 
improvement.  However,  he  sold  this  land  in  the  following  year  and  removed 
to  Topeka,  accepting  the  position  of  secretary  and  superintendent,  as  he  was 
already  one  of  the  proprietors,  of  the  Topeka  Gas  Company.  Mr.  Clark  con- 
tinued in  this  capacity  until  the  sale  of  the  plant  in  1895. 

Mr.  Clark  was  married,  first,  on  May  3,  1846,  at  Madison,  Wisconsin,  to 
Palmyra  S.  Cornell,  who  died  of  tuberculosis  on  December  25,  1853,  and 
was  interred  in  her  husband's  burial  lot  atMadison.  She  was  survived  by  two 
sons,  Julius  Scott  and  Edgar  Sterling.  The  former  is  a  resident  of  Topeka 
and  has  a  family  of  two  sons  and  four  daughters.  The  latter  was  named  in 
honor  of  the  first  professor  of  the  Wisconsin  University,  of  which  Mr.  Clark 
was  at  that  time  one  of  the  regents  and  secretary  of  the  board.  He  was 
severely  hurt  by  being  thrown  from  a  horse,  from  the  effects  of  which  he  died 
at  Burlingame,  Kansas,  September  10,  1869.  His  remains  and  those  of  a 
daughter,  Jessie,  who  died  in  the  same  year,  lie  in  the  family  lot  at  Topeka. 

Mr.  Clark  was  married  second  on  December  28,  1854,  to  Juliet  Millard, 
at  Dubuque,  Iowa,  where  she  was  principal  of  a  ladies'  seminary  under  the 
auspices  of  Miss  Mann,  sister  of  the  great  philanthropist,  Horace  Mann,  and 
an  equally  celebrated  instructor.  After  a  beautiful,  devoted  and  happy  wedded 
life  of  45  years,  Mrs.  Clark  died  at  Topeka,  on  April  30,  1899.  She  was 
tenderly  laid  to  rest  in  the  beautiful  family  enclosure  in  the  Topeka  Cemetery. 
Of  the  children  of  this  second  union,  two  died  in  infancy,  the  survivors  being : 
Justus  Millard,  Winnifred  and  Mary  Adaline.  Justus  Millard  married  Bertie 
Hammond  and  they  have  two  children,  Julius  and  Roy.  By  profession  he  is 
a  civil  engineer  and  at  present  is  chief  engineer  in  the  construction  of  the 
Boise,  Nampa  &  Owyhee  Railroad.  Winnifred  was  married  on  October  6, 
1888,  to  L.  H.  Wolfe,  of  Indianapolis,  Indiana,  and  they  have  two  children, — 
Jessie  and  Herman.  Mary  Adaline  was  married  on  October  6,  1895,  to  J. 
W.  F.  Hughes,  of  Topeka,  and  they  have  three  children, — James  Clark,  Alice 
Winnifred  and  Mary  Juliet. 

As  noted,  during  his  residence  at  Madison,  Mr.  Clark  was  one  of  the 
representative  citizens.  He  was  a  member  and  was  secretary  of  the  first  board 
of  regents  who  laid  the  foundations  of  the  celebrated  University  of  Wisconsin, 
and  upon  him  devolved  the  principal  labor  and  responsibility  of  the  undertaking. 
Mainly  from  the  profits  of  the  purchase  and  sale  of  a  160-acre  tract  of  land 
adjoining  the  city,  after  reserving  40  acres  for  the  use  of  the  University,  means 


•6o8  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY  , 

were  realized  to  erect  the  first  of  the  university  buildings.  Congress  also 
granted  land  and  its  sale  assisted  in  furthering  the  work,  but  for  a  long  time  it 
was  the  brains  of  Mr.  Clark  which  brought  about  the  consummation  of  the 
great  plans  involved  and  assured  the  success  of  the  undertaking.  He  was  also 
a  member  of  the  board  of  regents  of  the  State  Normal  schools  from  the  time 
of  their  formation  until  his  resignation  on  his  removal  from  the  State  in  1868. 
On  the  organization  of  the  Kansas  Children's  Home  Society,  in  1894, 
Mr.  Clark  was  honored  by  being  chosen  president,  an  office  he  still  holds.  In 
1900  he  was  elected  one  of  the  vice-presidents  of  the  American  Sunday  School 
Union  and  in  these  organizations  he  has  the  veneration  and  love  of  thousands. 
He  has  always  been  interested  in  the  Kansas  State  Historical  Society  and  at 
various  times  he  has  added  valuable  documents  and  data.  Mr.  Clark  is  the 
author  of  the  well-known  book  "Ojibwa  Conquest,"  which  he  wrote  during 
his  residence  among  the  Chippewa  Indians,  but  which  he  did  not  place  before 
the  public  until  his  retirement  from  active  business.  He  is  connected  with 
various  social  bodies. 


COL.  WILDER   STEVENS   METCALF. 

Col.  Wilder  Stevens  Metcalf,  United  States  pension  agent  at  Topeka, 
has  been  prominent  in  both  military  and  professional  life  for  a  number  of 
years.  He  was  born  at  Mile,  Maine,  September  10,  1855,  and  is  a  son  of  Isaac 
^Stevens  and  Antoinette  B.  (Putnam)  Metcalf. 

The  family  is  of  New  England  ancestry,  the  father  a  native  of  Massachu- 
setts and  the  mother  of  New  Hampshire,  and  their  forebears  were  colonial  set- 
tlers prior  to  the  Revolutionary  War,  in  which  they  bore  prominent  parts.  The 
father  of  Colonel  Metcalf  graduated  as  a  civil  engineer  from  Bowdoin  College 
in  1848,  and  became  identified  with  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  as  chief  of 
■division.     In  1855  he  removed  to  Elyria,  Ohio. 

Wilder  Stevens  Metcalf  completed  the  public  school  course  at  Elyria  in 
1872,  and  then  entered  Oberlin  College,  where  he  was  graduated  an  A.  B.  in 
1878.  In  1887  he  came  to  Kansas,  locating  at  Lawrence,  where  he  entered  into 
partnership  with  Edward  Russell,  in  the  farm  mortgage  business.  Since  the 
death  of  Mr.  Russell,  in  1898,  our  subject  has  continued  alone,  still  retaining 
his  residence  in  Douglas  County.  After  coming  to  Kansas  he  completed  his 
law  studies  and  was  graduated  in  1897  at  the  Kansas  University  and  in  the 
same  year  was  admitted  to  the  Kansas  bar. 

Prior  to  coming  to  this  State,  Colonel  Metcalf  had  been  identified  for 
years  with  the  Ohio  National  Guard,  military  life  always  having  attractions  for 
him.     When  the  Spanish-American  War  came  on,  he  enlisted  in  the  20th 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  609 

Hegiment,  Kansas  Infantry,  U.  S.  Volunteers  under  Colonel  (now  General) 
Funston  and  succeeded  the  latter  in  command.  During  the  two  years  this 
regiment  served  in  the  Philippines,  its  members  and  commanders  brought  it 
into  prominence  through  fine  training  as  well  as  gallant  action.  Colonel  Met- 
-calf  was  breveted  brigadier  general  by  President  McKinley  for  gallant  and 
meritorious  action  in  the  Philippines.  For  the  past  18  years  Colonel  Metcalf 
has  been  a  member  of  the  Kansas  National  Guard  and  a  large  part  of  his  fine 
library  is  filled  with  text-books  on  military  matters. 

Colonel  Metcalf  has  always  been  an  ardent  Republican  and  in  1899  he 
was  sent  as  a  delegate-at-large  to  the  Republican  National  Convention  held  at 
Philadelphia.  On  March  i,  1902,  he  was  appointed  United  State  pension 
agent  at  Topeka,  his  offices  being  in  the  Federal  Building  in  this  city.  He  has 
held  civic  positions  at  Lawrence  and  is  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Education  of 
Douglas  County. 

Colonel  Metcalf  was  married  at  Wellington,  Ohio,  July  30,  1878,  to  Mary 
E.  Crosier,  who  was  born  in  Ohio.  They  attend  the  Congregational  Church. 
His  fraternal  associations  include  the  higher  branches  of  Masonry,  the  Society 
of  the  Army  of  the  Philippines  and  the  Military  Order  of  Foreign  Wars,  and 
he  is  eligible  to  membership  in  the  Sons  of  the  American  Revolution. 


EDWARD  B.  GUILD. 

Edward  B.  Guild^  proprietor  of  the  oldest  music  house  at  Topeka  and 
in  the  State  of  Kansas,  is  one  of  the  city's  old  and  esteemed  business  men.  Mr. 
Guild  was  born  at  Seneca  Falls,  New  York,  and  is  a  son  of  Loring  and  Pamelia 
(Butts)   Guild. 

The  Guild  family  is  a  New  England  one  and  is  well  represented  in  Boston, 
Massachusetts.  The  father  of  our  subject  removed  to  Wisconsin  when  Ed- 
ward B.  was  small  and  for  some  years  published  a  newspaper  at  Kenosha.  Later 
he  removed  to  Madison,  whence  he  came  to  Lawrence,  Kansas,  in  i860,  re- 
moving then  to  Boonesboro,  Iowa,  in  1864,  engaging  in  mercantile  pursuits 
and  milling  during  these  years.  In  1875  ^e  came  to  Kansas  again  and  settled 
at  Topeka,  where  his  death  took  place  in  the  same  year.  He  married  in  New 
York  and  Mrs.  Guild  died  in  1892,  at  the  home  of  our  subject. 

Edward  B.  Guild  was  prepared  by  Rev.  Mr.  Montague,  at  Fort  Atkinson, 
Wisconsin,  for  entrance  to  the  State  University,  in  1853,  where  he  was  grad- 
uated in  1859,  sharing  honors  with  Alexander  Botkin,  who  later  became  a 
famous  lawyer  and  was  selected  to  assist  in  revising  the  criminal  laws  of  the 
United  States.    Another  classmate  belonging  to  that  notable  body  of  graduates 


6io  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

of  1859  was  Bishop  Samuel  Fallows,  of  Chicago,  and  still  another  was  Leon- 
ard S.  Clark,  now  a  prominent  attorney  at  San  Francisco.  In  1862  the  degree 
of  M.  A.  was  conferred  by  his  college  on  Mr.  Guild. 

From  1875  Mr.  Guild's  business  interests  have  been  at  Topeka.  Until 
1875  he  was  engaged  in  a  general  mercantile  line  in  Iowa  and  then  opened  up 
in  Topeka  in  the  musical  line,  succeeding  S.  W.  Stone.  Mr.  Guild  occupies 
a  commodious  building  at  No.  722  Kansas. avenue,  25  by  150  feet  in  dimen- 
sions, where  he  carries  a  large  and  complete  stock  of  everything  in  his  line. 

Mr.  Guild  was  married  at  Topeka  in  1878,  to  Ovella  H.  Dunn,  who  is  a 
daughter  of  Charles  and  Elizabeth  Ann  (Morgan)  Dunn,  the  father  being  one 
of  the  early  merchants  of  this  city.  They  have  three  children :  Leslie  E.,  How- 
ard C.  and  Florence  Gladys.  Their  beautiful  home  is  situated  at  No.  515 
Topeka  avenue. 

Mr.  Guild  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  and  Ladies  of  Security,  is  vice- 
president  of  the  local  council  of  National  Union  and  is  a  member  of  the  Com- 
mercial Club  of  Topeka.  His  long  and  honorable  business  career  here  has 
made  him  known  to  a  large  majority  of  the  citizens. 


EDWIN   KNOWLES. 

Edwin  Knowles,  cashier  of  The  Central  National  Bank,  of  Topeka,  and 
one  of  the  leading  financiers  of  this  section,  was  born  August  20,  1835,  in  the 
State  of  Maine,  and  is  a  son  of  Alfred  Knowles. 

Mr.  Knowles  came  to  Kansas  in  1856  and  preempted  a  claim  of  a  quarter- 
section  of  land  in  Miami  County.  In  1871  he  settled  in  Nemaha  County  where 
he  engaged  in  banking  and  ixiilling,  residing  for  six  years  at  Seneca,  remov- 
ing then  to  Sabetha  and  in  1883  to  Topeka. 

After  becoming  a  resident  of  the  capital  city,  Mr.  Knowles  became  cashier 
of  the  Central' Bank  of  Kansas,  and  in  January,  1894,  assisted  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  The  Central  National  Bank,  of  Topeka.  The  first  officers  were :  P. 
I.  Bonebrake,  president;  C.  C.  Wheeler,  vice-president;  Edwin  Knowles,  cash- 
ier ;  and  Willis  Norton,  assistant  cashier.  The  directors  during  the  first  year 
were :  P.  I.  Bonebrake,  Edwin  Knowles,  George  R.  Peck,  the  late  Dr.  D.  W. 
Stormont,  W.  B.  Strong,  A.  S.  Johnson,  H.  P.  Dillon,  the  late  Willard  Davis 
and  E.  B.  Purcell. 

The  present  officers  are:  P.  I.  Bonebrake,  president;  C.  S.  Downing, 
vice-president ;  Edwin  Knowles,  cashier  and  S.  E.  Thompson,  assistant  cashier. 

In  1867  Mr.  Knowles  was  married  to  Elizabeth  Bergen  and  they  have 
one  daughter  and  one  son.    Mr.  Knowles  is  a  progressive  and  public-spirited 


J.  p.  LEWIS,   M.   D. 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  613 

citizen,  a  man  of  prominence  and  character.  He  served  six  years  as  a  member 
of  the  State  Board  of  Charities  and  has  been  associated  with  a  number  of  civic 
bodies; 


J.  P.   LEWIS,  M.  D. 

J.  P.  Lewis,  M.  D.,  whose  portrait  accompanies  this  sketch,  is  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  foremost  physicians  and  surgeons  of  Eastern  Kansas. 
He  is  a  resident  of  Topeka,  where  he  has  practiced  continuously  since  1883. 
He  is  a  broad-minded,  well-educated  man  and  has  taken  a  deep  concern  in  the 
welfare  of  his  home  city. 

Dr.  Lewis  was  born  at  Sulphur  Springs,  Ohio,  December  20,  1848,  and 
is  a  son  of  William  and  Caroline  (Porter)  Lewis.  His  paternal  grandfather, 
Jacob  Lewis,  was  a  noted  gunsmith,  manufacturing  all  his  guns  by  hand.  Dr. 
William  Lewis,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Ohio  and  there  studied 
medicine  under  the  direction  of  the  ablest  physician  and  surgeon  in  the  com- 
munity, there  being  few  medical  colleges  and  societies  at  that  date.  With 
several  others  he  formed  a  class  under  this  preceptor,  using  a  sub-cellar  as  a 
dissecting  room.  He  engaged  in  practice  at  Sulphur  Springs  until  1861, 
when  he  enlisted  in  the  Union  Army  as  a  private  in  the  31st  Regiment,  Ohio 
Vol.  Inf.,  under  Capt.  John  Free.  He  later  became  surgeon  in  his  regiment, 
and  served  as  such  until  he  was  discharged  because  of  disability.  This  sick- 
ness resulted  in  his  death  on  April  18,  1863,  at  Sulphur  Springs,  Ohio, 
where  he  was  buried.  He  was  united  in  marriage  with  Caroline  Porter,  who 
was  born  in  Baltimore,  Maryland,  a  daughter  of  John  Porter,  who  was  a 
prominent  man  and  a  political  power  in  that  city.  Mr.  Porter  fought  in  the 
War  of  the  Revolution  under  General  Washington.  In  late  life  he  moved 
to  Ohio  and  there  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits.  Five  children  were  born 
of  this  union,  namely :  Sarah  E.,  wife  of  Dr.  William  Stallsmith,  of  Logan, 
Ohio;  Amanda,  deceased  wife  of  Dr.  Raney,  of  Logan,  Ohio;  J.  P.,  whose 
name  heads  this  sketch;  and  two  who  died  in  early  life. 

J.  P.  Lewis  attended  the  public  and  high  schools  of  McConnellsvile, 
Ohio,  graduating  from  the  high  school  in  1869,  and  then  entered  the  Med- 
ical College  of  Ohio,  at  Cincinnati.  Upon  graduating  from  this  institution, 
in  1873,  he  took  the  prize  for  surgical  work  in  a  class  of  320  students  and 
was  heartily  congratulated  by  the  newspapers  and  his  many  friends.  He 
located  for  practice  at  New  Lexington,  Ohio,  and  later  at  Pleasantville,  Ohio, 
where  he  remained  until  1883,  in  which  year  he  came  to  Topeka,  Kansas.  He 
has  been  a  constant  student  of  his  profession,  and  has  taken  a  number  of 
post-graduate  courses  in  the  institutions  of  this  country  and  abroad.     He 

30 


6i4  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

attended  the  New  York  Polyclinic  Hospital,  and  took  a  course  in  the  General 
Hospital  at  Berlin,  Germany.  He  went  from  there  to  Vienna  and  took  up 
special  work  in  gynecology.  In  returning  home,  he  stopped  in  London  long 
enough  to  complete  a  course  in  hospital  and  clinic  work,  and  in  Liverpool 
took  a  course  in  orthopedic  surgery  under  the  celebrated  Dr.  Hugh  O. 
Thomas.  He  has  met  with  remarkable  success  in  his  practice  in  Topeka,  and 
has  frequently  been  called  upon  to  fill  official  positions.  He  was  the  first 
county  health  officer  of  Shawnee  County,  and  at  the  same  time  was  city 
physician,  keeping  the  first  record  of  the  births  and  deaths  the  city  ever  had. 
He  is  on  the  medical  staff  of  Christ's  Hospital  and  is  an  ex-professor  of 
anatomy  and  gynecology  at  the  Kansas  Medical  College,  a  department  of 
Washburn  University.     Politically,  he  is  a  Republican. 

In  the  fall  of  1872,  Dr.  Lewis  was  joined  in  marriage  with  Sarah  A. 
Brown,  a  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Mary  Brown,  her  father  being  a  farmer  and 
stock-raiser  of  Sulphur  Springs,  Ohio.  She  died  April  18,  1880,  at  New 
Lexington,  Ohio,  leaving  two  children :  Florence,  who  is  her  father's  house- 
keeper and  companion ;  and  Olive,  wife  of  Dr.  Lawrence  Chamberlin.  Our 
subject  formed  a  second  union,  in  October,  1882,  with  Mattie  A.  Shoemaker, 
who  died  December  16,  1901,  aged  41  years.  One  son  was  born  to  this  union, — 
Charles  W.,  who  was  formerly  agent  for  the  Provident  Savings  Life  As- 
surance Company  of  New  York,  but  is  now  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
the  "Perfection"  seed  and  grain  cleaner,  under  the  name  of  the  Lewis-Tuttle 
Manufacturing  Company,  with  headquarters  at  Topeka.  He  is  one  of  the 
most  active  and  energetic  young  business  men  of  the  city.  Dr.  Lewis  is  a 
member  of  Topeka  Lodge,  No.  204,  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks,  and  served  as  its  first  treasurer. 


H.   L.   ALKIRE,   M.  D. 

H.  L.  Alkire,  M.  D.,  dean  of  the  Kansas  Medical  College,  at  Topeka, 
one  of  the  leading  specialists  on  diseases  of  the  eye,  ear,  nose  and  throat,,  has 
been  associated  with  this  well-known  medical  institution  since  the  year  of  its 
organization.  He  is  a  native  of  Illinois,  born  near  Springfield,  November  17, 
1862,  and  is  a  son  of  W.  W.  and  Judith  (Lightfoot)  Alkire. 

Although  our  subject  was  born  in  Illinois,  he  was  developed  in  Kansas, 
where  he  received  district  school  and  university  training.  After  three  years 
of  the  latter,  he  read  medicine  under  Dr.  D.  J.  Holland,  of  Atchison,  for  18 
months  and  then  entered  Jefferson  Medical  College,  at  Philadelphia,  where 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  615 

he  was  graduated  with  his  degree,  in  1887.  He  practiced  in  Western  Kansas 
until  1889  and  then  settled  at  Topeka,  where  he  continued  in  general  practice 
until  1895.  Finding  his  greatest  professional  interest  to  be  in  diseases  of  the 
-eye,  ear,  nose  and  throat,  he  took  a  course  m  the  New  York  Polyclinic  School, 
returning  to  Topeka  in  1896.  Since  then  he  has  made  a  specialty  of  the  above 
diseases  and  has  met  with  great  success  in  this  line.  Since  1904  he  has  been 
■dean  of  the  Kansas  Medical  College,  having  been  connected  with  this  institu- 
tion since  its  organization,  first  as  professor  of  chemistry,  then  in  the  chair 
■of  anatomy,  and  at  present  fills  the  chair  of  anatomy  and  otology. 

Dr.  Alkire  is  a  member  of  all  the  leading  medical  organizations  including 
the  American  Medical  Association,  the  Kansas  State  Medical  Society,  the 
Shawnee  County  Medical  Society,  the  Northeast  District  Society,  the  Golden 
Belt  Society,  and  the  Society  of  Ophthalmology  and  Oto-Laryngology.  He 
is  also  a  Mason  of  high  degree,  having  passed  through  the  order's  higher 
branches,  and  belongs  to  other  fraternal  orders.  Dr.  Alkire  was  married  at 
Omaha,  Nebraska,  to  Emma  V.  Somerlott,  who  was  born  in  Maryland. 
) 


JOHN  S.  DEAN. 


John  S.  Dean,  United  States  district  attorney,  is  considered  one  of  the 
leading  members  of  his  profession  in  Kansas,  and  is  a  member  of  the  well- 
known  law  firm  of  Kellar  &  Dean,  of  Topeka.  Mr.  Dean  was  born  in  Seneca 
County,  Ohio,  in  November,  1861,  and  is  a  son  of  William  O.  and  Hattie  J. 
(Curtis)  Dean. 

The  ancestral  line  of  Mr.  Dean  reaches  far  back  to  the  early  settlement 
of  New  England,  even  to  the  days  of  the  Plymouth  colony,  a  member  of  which 
was  William  Spooner,  who  was  an  ancestor  of  Polly  Spooner,  our  subject's 
grandmother.  On  the  paternal  side,  his  great-grandfather,  Aaron  Dean,  was 
a  soldier  in  both  the  Revolutionary  War  and  that  of  1812.  His  father,  Wil- 
liam O.  Dean,  served  in  the  Civil  War  and  now  resides  on  his  farm  in  Ohio, 
where  the  beloved  mother  died  in  1898.  The  six  children  of  the  family  all 
■survive. 

John  S.  Dean  completed  his  high  school  course  at  Oberlin,  Ohio,  in  1879 
and  then  spent  two  years  in  Oberlin  College,  and  then  took  up  the  study  of  the 
law  in  the  office  of  the  late  Judge  James  Pillar,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
of  the  Supreme  Court  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  in  1883.  He  then  came  to  Peabody, 
Kansas,  and  engaged  in  the  practice  of  the  law,  subsequently  being  elected 
county  attorney  of  Marion  County.     Later  he  formed  a  law  partnership  with 


6i6  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

L.  F.  Kellar,  who  is  a  brother-in-law  of  Governor  Edward  W.  Hoch,  and  in 
1 90 1  was  appointed  United  States  district  attorney. 

In  1883  Mr.  Dean  was  married  to  Jennie  Laird,  wha  was  born  in  Ohio, 
and  is  a  daughter  of  D.  B.  Laird,  formerly  of  Pennsylvania.  They  have  a 
family  of  three  sons  and  three  daughters. 

Politically,  Mr.  Dean  has  always  been  active  in  the  Republican  party  and 
his  efficiency  has  been  frequently  recognized.  He  had  the  pleasure  of  being 
a  delegate  to  the  St.  Louis  convention  in  1896,  which  nominated  the  late  Presi- 
dent McKinley.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Bar  Association  of  the  State  of  Kan- 
sas, and  there  are  few  phases  of  the  science  of  the  law  with  which  he  is  not 
thoroughly  acquainted  and  competent  to  pass  upon.  His  home  continues  to 
be  at  Marion,  although  the  duties  of  his  present  office  require  his  presence  at 
Topeka.  He  is  a  member  of  various  fraternal  organizations  at  Marion  and 
of  the  Elks  at  Topeka. 


CHARLES  W.  JEWELL. 

Charles  W  Jewell,  deceased,  was  one  of  the  founders  of  many  of  To- 
peka's  business  and  educational  organizations.  He  was  born  in  Massachusetts, 
had  but  a  district  school  education  but  was  a  man  of  so  much  native  intelligence 
and  progressive  spirit  that  he  became  prominent  wherever  he  lived.  His  busi- 
ness career  began  as  a  merchant  at  Harmar,  Ohio.  Later  he  was  mate  and  part 
owner  of  a  steamboat  which  bore  the  name  of  "Martha  Putnam.''  In  i860 
he  came  to  Kansas  and  engaged  for  a  year  in  farming  and  stock-raising  in 
Crawford  County,  and  resided  near  what  is  now  the  town  of  Arcadia  until 
1862,  when  he  was  appointed  quartermaster  and  ist  lieutenant  in  the  Sixth 
Kansas  Cavalry,  from  which  he  received  an  honorable  discharge.  In  Novem- 
ber, 1864,  he  came  to  Topeka. 

Mr.  Jewell  entered  into  a  banking  business  on  March  10,  1866,  with  the 
late  Fry  W.  Giles,  under  the  firm  name  of  F.  W.  Giles  &  Company.  It  was. 
a  private  bank,  which  later  became  the  Topeka  National  Bank,  which  failed 
in  1878.  Mr.  Jewell  was  authorized  to  settle  the  affairs  of  the  bank  which  he 
did,  paying  the  depositors  in  full.  Mr.  Jewell  then  organized  the  Topeka  State 
Bank,  of  which  he  was  president  until  1887,  when  it  was  sold  to  the  First 
National  Bank  at  which  time  he  retired  from  business.  His  death  took  place 
February  27,  1901,  and  he  was  buried  in  the  Topeka  Cemetery.  He  was 
identified  with  the  developing  of  the  entire  city  in  the  early  days,  was  one  of 
the  founders  of  the  Topeka  Free  Public  Library,  which  was  first  located  oppo- 
site the  Central  National  Bank  Building.  He  was  also  one  of  the  founders  of 
Washburn  College,  one  of  its  trustees  and  treasurer  and  was  connected  with  it 


AND   REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  617 

when  it  was  Lincoln  College.  He  was  one  of  the  original  committee  of  three 
who  had  charge  of  the  State  grounds,  known  as  the  State  House  committee.  At 
his  decease  he  left  the  sum  of  $10,000  for  Washburn  College  on  condition  that 
the  college  would  raise  a  like  sum  for  their  permanent  endowment  fund.  Mr. 
Jewell  was  for  many  years  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Education  of  the  city 
of  Topeka. 

In  1853  he  was  married  in  Ohio  to  Susan  A.  Hendrie,  who  was  born  near 
Stamford,  Connecticut,,  but  later  removed  to  Watertown,  Ohio.  She  now 
resides  in  California.  They  had  seven  children,  three  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters still  surviving. 


CHARLES   E.  JEWELL. 

Charles  E.  Jewell,  one  of  Topeka's  successful  business  men  and  a  mem- 
ber of  one  of  the  pioneer  families  in  Kansas,  was  born  in  1854  in  Ohio,  and  is 
.a  son  of  the  late  Charles  W.  and  Susan  A.  (Hendrie)  Jewell. 

Charles  E.  Jewell  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  at  Topeka  and  at 
Washburn  College.  For  seven  years  he  was  connected  with  the  banking  busi- 
ness, but  when  the  Topeka  State  Bank  sold  out  in  1887,  he  entered  into  the 
loan  brokerage  business.  He  has  always  been  active  in  the  Republican  party, 
.and  is  treasurer  of  the  Shawnee  County  Republican  Central  Committee. 

Mr.  Jewell  married  a  lady  by  the  name  of  L.  M.  Meek,  who  is  a  native  of 
Indiana.     He  enjoys  fraternal  relationship  with  the  Order  of  Elks. 


WILLIAM   S.  HIBBARD. 

William  S.  Hibbard,  one  of  the  representative  men  of  Williamsport 
township,  Shawnee  County,  and  the  operator  of  a  fine  farm  of  178  acres,  was 
born  at  Lisbon,  Grafton  County,  New  Hampshire,  November  20,  1828,  and 
is  a  son  of  Moses  and  Eliza  (Sutherland)  Hibbard. 

The  father  of  Mr.  Hibbard  was  a  physician  in  active  practice  in  Lisbon 
■during  his  whole  life,  except  the  last  six  years  spent  in  Townsend,  Vermont, 
where  he  died  aged  63  years.  He  was  a  surgeon  in  the  State  militia.  The 
mother  of  Mr.  Hibbard  died  in  Vermont  in  1881,  at  the  age  of  76  years.  The 
paternal  grandfather,  Aaron  Hibbard,  was  born  in  Connecticut  and  was  a 
Revolutionary  soldier.  The  Hibbard  family  is  well  known  in  the  annals  of 
New  England,  its  founder,  Robert  Hibbard,  having  come  from  England  with 
his  wife  and  settled  at  Salem,  Massachusetts,  about  1635.    Our  subject  was 


6i8  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

born  the  eldest  of  a  family  of  six  sons  and  six  daughters,  those  surviving  being  i 
David  S.,  a  clergman  of  the  Congregational  Church  at  Gorham,  Maine; 
Mrs.  Sarah  Thomson,  a  widow,  residing  with  our  subject;  Ellen,  a  resident, 
of  Gorham,  Maine ;  Mrs.  Luella  Neil,  of  Galliopolis,  Ohio ;  and  Albert,  of  Reno, 
Nevada. 

William  S.  Hibbard  was  reared  at  Lisbon  and  remained  there  through 
his  school  days.  Prior  to  locating  on  his  present  farm  in  Kansas,  he  saw  a 
number  of  other  sections  of  the  country  and  had  numerous  experiences.  Prior 
to  leaving  his  native  place  when  21  years  old,  he  did  some  clerking  in  a  store 
and  then  accepted  a  clerkship  and  an  offer  to  teach  in  Lawrence  County,  Ohio. 
Later  he  took  a  trip  to  New  Orleans  and  up  the  Red  River,  stopping  to  teach 
one  term  of  school  at  Shreveport,  and  then  going  on  as  far  as  San  Antonio,. 
Texas. 

Upon  returning  North  he  found  the  river  at  Shreveport  too  low  for  steam- 
boating  and  no  vessels  ready  or  able  to  depart.  He  was  not  to  be  deterred, 
however,  and  with  another  young  man  who  was  equally  anxious  to  get  home, 
hired  a  skiff  and  in  this  frail  boat  sailed  500  miles.  Finally  he  reached  his- 
home  in  New  Hampshire.  Some  time  later  he  embarked  in  a  general  mercan- 
tile business  at  fronton,  Ohio,  which  he  continued  for  some  three  years  and 
then  engaged  in  clerking  at  the  iron  furnaces  there  for  several  years.  In  1877 
he  came  to  Shawnee  County  and  took  up  a  quarter  section  of  land  in  Auburn 
township  where  he  lived  many  years  and  made  excellent  improvements.  Dur- 
ing the  Civil  War  he  was  out  with  the  State  militia  under  Col.  George  W. 
Veale  and  Captain  Burke  and  was  captured  near  Kansas  City,  but  escaped  with 
20  companions  at  Fort  Scott. 

Mr.  Hibbard  then  went  back  to  Ohio  and  resumed  clerking  at  the  iron 
furnaces  for  the  next  three  years,  after  which  he  returned  to  farming,  an  occu- 
pation in  which  he  has  continued  to  be  interested  ever  since.  In  1876  he  came 
to  the  present  farm,  which  originally  consisted  of  218  acres.  A  part  of  the 
farm  had  been  broken  but  it  was  practically  unimproved.  He  now  has  one 
of  the  valuable  farms  of  this  section,  well  improved  and  carefully  cultivated.. 
His  main  crops  are  wheat  and  corn,  and  he  raises  much  stock. 

Mr.  Hibbard  was  married  in  1859  to  Eliza  Gault,  who  was  born  in  Phila- 
delphia, Pennsylvania,  in  1831,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Charles  and  Elizabeth 
(Simmerwell)  Gault,  natives  of  Ireland.  They  have  had  four  children,  viz: 
Anna  S.,  wife  of  T.  B.  Nelson,  of  Williamsport  township;  Harry  L.,  who  died 
at  Kansas  City  aged  37  years;  D.  S.,  a  Presbyterian  missionary  stationed  at 
Dumagueta,  Philippine  Islands;  and  James  S.,  of  Oklahoma.  All  the  sons  are 
graduates  of  Emporia  College.  The  death  of  Harry  L.  Hibbard,  the  eldest 
son  of  our  subject,  was  a  blow  not  only  to  his  family,  but  to  the  community 
which  took  pride  in  what  seemed  a  very  bright  future  for  this  brilliant  young 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  619 

man.  As  an  engineer  he  went  to  Nicaragua  and  then  partly  completed  a  medi- 
cal education  in  New  York,  but  again  accepted  a  flattering  offer  as  an  engineer 
and  went  to  South  America  in  this  capacity.  Thus  he  was  enabled  to  put 
himself  through  medical  college  and,  after  a  year  and  a  half  at  Bellevue  Hos- 
pital, New  York,  he  settled  in  practice  of  medicine  and  surgery  at  Kansas  City. 
His  widow  still  survives  and  is  employed  by  James  L.  King,  State  librarian. 

Mr.  Hibbard  has  always  been  a  Republican.  He  has  served  a  number  of 
terms  as  township  clerk.  He  is  a  member  of  and  an  elder  in  the  Presbyterian 
Church  and,  what  is  remarkable,  is  a  charter  member  of  four  church  organiza- 
tions, viz :  the  church  at  Ironton,  Ohio,  at  Hamden,  Ohio,  at  Auburn,  Kansas, 
and  at  Wakarusa,  Kansas. 


ALBERT  TURNER   REID. 

Albert  Turner  Reid,*  proprietor  of  the  Reid-Stone  School  of  Art,  at 
Topeka,  and  part  owner  and  proprietor  of  the  Leavenworth  Post,  is  one  of 
the  best  known  newspaper  illustrators  of  the  day,  in  addition  to  being  a  com- 
poser of  popular  music.  Mr.  Reid  was  born  August  12,  1873,  at  Concordia, 
Kansas,  and  is  a  son  of  the  late  William  E.  and  Jean  (Turner)  Reid. 

The  late  William  E.  Reid  was  a  man  of  versatile  talent.  He  excelled  in 
almost  everything  he  attempted,  business,  law,  music  and  painting.  In  early 
life  his  artistic  penmanship  led  to  his  employment  as  a  teacher  of  the  same, 
at  Milwaukee,  and  the  city  adopted  his  beautiful  Spencerian  system.  He  was 
a  graduate  of  the  law  department  of  the  University  of  Michigan  at  Ann  Arbor, 
and  was  successful  in  his  profession.  Later  he  became  known  as  a  capitalist 
and  financier,  owning  and  operating  two  banks  in  Kansas,  one  at  Mankato, 
Jewell  County,  and  the  other,  now  the  First  National  Bank,  at  Smith  Center, 
Smith  County.  Each  was  known  as  Reid  Brothers'  Bank.  His  death  oc- 
curred April  8,  1887,  at  the  early  age  of  45  years,  and  his  interment  was  at 
Clyde,  Kansas.  Had  he  lived,  it  is  more  than  probable  that  Kansas  would 
have  had  one  more  name  to  add  to  her  long, list  of  talented  musicians  and 
artists. 

William  E.  Reid  was  survived  by  four  sons  and  one  daughter,  all  of 
whom  have  inherited  more  or  less  of  his  artistic  nature.  These  are:  Albert 
T.,  George  S.,  Frank  A.,  Lew  A.,  and  Jean  L.  George  S.  is  in  business  at  Mi- 
ami, Florida,  as  an  importer.  Frank  A.,  of  Leavenworth,  is  associated  with  our 
subject  in  the  ownership  of  the  Leavenworth  Post,  a  new  venture  which  has 
a  promising  outlook.  Lew  A.,  student,  musician  and  artist,  is  a  resident  of 
Topeka,  well  and  favorably  known  in  artistic  circles.  The  one  sister  is  still 
pursuing  her  studies  in  the  Topeka  High  School. 


620  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

Albert  Turner  Reid  was  liberally  educated,  enjoying  the  advantages  of 
the  Clyde  and  Concordia  high  schools,  the  Kansas  State  University  and  a 
business  college  at  Milwaukee.  His  business  training  was  obtained  in  one  of 
his  father's  banks.  As  indicated  above,  our  subject,  like  his  father,  has  been 
very  successful  along  musical  and  artistic  lines,  and  is  well  known  as  an  illus- 
trator all  over  the  country.  Prior  to  settling  at  Topeka,  he  was  on  the  staff 
of  the  Kansas  City  Star  for  three  years  and  then  was  on  the  staff  of  the 
old  Chicago  Record^  where  he  had  many  admirers.  Later  he  went  to  the  New 
York  Herald,  and  he  continues  to  be  a  regular  contributor  to  Judge,  the  Kan- 
sas City  Journal,  the  Bit  and  Spur,  McClures  and  the  Topeka  Mail  and  Breeze. 

When  demands  became  insistent  that  he  teach  his  method  of  drawing, 
Mr.  Reid  arranged  his  affairs  so  that  he  could  give  his  personal  attention  to 
pupils  and  opened  the  Reid-Stone  School  of  Art,  at  Topeka.  This  institution 
accommodates  more  than  50  students  and  its  graduates  have  no  difficulty  in 
finding  first-class  positions.  Two  of  these  now  hold  remunerative  positions 
on  Topeka  papers. 

Two  of  Mr.  Reid's  musical  compositions  may  be  said  to  be  famous :  one 
of  these — "Guardians  of  Liberty" — being  a  standard  piece  of  band  music  all 
over  the  country.  The  other — "Dat  Meddlin'  Coon" — was  sung  through 
every  amusement  center  for  two  years  by  that  prince  of  entertainers.  Lew 
Dockstader. 

On  October  22,  1902,  Mr.  Reid  was  married  to  Vera  Low,  who  is  a 
daughter  of  M.  A.  and  Diantha  (Hovey)  Low,  of  Topeka.  Mr.  Low  is  general 
attorney  for  the  Chicago,  Rock  Island  &  Pacific  Railway  Company.  To  this 
union  one  daughter  was  born,  named  Marian. 

Politically,  Mr.  Reid  is  a  stanch  Republican.  During  the  Republican 
National  Convention  at  Chicago  in  1904,  he  attended  in  the  capacity  of  illus- 
trator for  a  number  of  the  leading  journals  of  the  country.  Mr.  Reid  is  a 
member  of  the  Elks,  belonging  to  Concordia  Lodge,  No.  286. 


E.  A.  POPENOE,  A.M. 

E.  A.  PoPENOE,  A.  M.,*  professor  of  zoology  and  entomology  at  the 
State  Agricultural  College,  at  Manhattan,  Kansas,  occupies  a  very  prominent 
position  in  the  State  as  a  scientist.  Professor  Popenoe  was  born  at  Centerville, 
Montgomery  County,  Ohio,  in  1853,  ^"^^  is  a  son  of  Willis  P.  and  Marinda 
(Holcomb)    Popenoe. 

The  parents  of  Professor  Popenoe  were  born  in  Ohio  and  resided  there 
until  1 86 1,  when  they  removed  to  a  farm  near  Bloomington,  Illinois.    Four  of 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  621 

their  family  of  six  children  grew  to  maturity,  viz  :  E.  A.,  of  this  sketch;  Lucy, 
who  resides  with  her  parents;  Fred  O.,  a  business  citizen  of  Topeka;  and 
Willis  P.,  Jr.,  who  died  of  yellow  fever  in  Mexico  in  1894.  The  last  named, 
who  was  a  well-known  resident  of  Topeka,  was  superintendent  of  the  State 
Agricultural  Fair  one  year  and  was  secretary  of  the  Kansas  Horse  Breeders' 
Association. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  grew  up  on  his  father's  farm  and  possibly 
this  very  fact  explains  the  deep  interest  he  has  always  evinced  in  everything 
pertaining  to  agriculture  and  the  success  he  has  attained  in  his  scientific  inves- 
tigations. In  1869  he  came  to  Topeka  and  in  1870  he  entered  Washburn  Col- 
lege, where  he  pursued  his  studies  until  he  was  graduated  in  1876,  and  then 
entered  the  educational  field  as  a  teacher  and  continued  as  such  in  Topeka, 
being  principal  of  the  Quincy  and  later  of  the  Harrison  School,  until  Septem- 
ber, 1879,  when  he  was  elected  to  the  chair  of  botany  and  horticulture  in  the 
State  Agricultural  College  at  Manhattan.  Owing  to  the  unprecedented 
•growth  of  the  school,  he  later  divided  his  labors  and  had  in  charge  horticulture 
and  entomology.  In  1894  he  took  his  present  position.  His  work  has  been 
•of  the  greatest  importance  to  the  State  and  he,  possibly  more  than  any  other 
man  in  Kansas,  has  demonstrated  that  to  be  a  true  agriculturist  one  must 
also  be  considerable  of  a  scientist.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  State  Board 
of  Agriculture  ever  since  1876,  with  the  exception  of  two  years  when  he  was 
not  in  political  sympathy  with  the  State  administration.  Since  1888  he  has 
been  manager  of  the  State  Experimental  Station  of  entomology.  For  10 
years  he  has  filled  the  office  of  secretary  of  the  Kansas  Academy  of  Science, 
•of  which  he  was  president  one  year.  He  is  a  life  member  of  the  State  Horti- 
■cultural  Association,  a  member  of  the  American  Pomological  Society,  of  the 
American  Association  of  Economic  Entomologists,  of  Washington,  D.  C, 
and  of  the  Entomological  Society. 

Professor  Popenoe  is  very  well  known  through  Kansas,  having  visited 
nearly  all  the  counties  on  lecturing  and  investigating  tours.  He  is  familiar 
with  the  State's  natural  resources,  climatic  conditions  and  social  features. 
During  a  long  season,  when  he  served  as  State  inspector  of  nurseries,  his 
contributions  to  the  various  agricultural  and  horticultural  journals  laid  the 
foundation  for  various  legislative  measures.  He  owns  a  fine  farm  of  187 
acres  in  section  14,  township  12,  range  15,  in  Topeka  township,  where  he  him- 
self broke  some  of  the  land  and  planted  extensive  orchards.  He  conducts  the 
estate  mainly  as  a  dairy  farm.  It  is  an  ideal  rural  home  and  came  into  his 
possession  in  1899.  Here  he  has  a  fine  chance  to  carry  on  his  experiments, 
watch  the  growth  of  his  herd  of  Jersey  and  Shorthorn  cattle,  and  enjoy  the 
treasures  of  a  magnificent  library  of  more  than  2,000  volumes,  made  up  of  all 
that  is  best  in  literature  and  in  science.    He  has  probably  the  finest  herbarium 


622  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

and  choicest  collection  of  insects  indigenous  to  Kansas,  to  be  found  in  the; 
State. 

Professor  Popenoe  was  married  in  1883  to  Carrie  G.  Holcomb,  who- 
was  born  at  Decatur,  Illinois,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Myron  and  Dorcas  C. 
(Winchell)  Holcomb.  Four  sons  have  been  born  to  them:  Charles  H.,  a 
student  at  the  State  Agricultural  College ;  Herbert  L.,  a  student  at  Washburn. 
Academy;  Edwin  A.,  Jr.,  preparing  to  enter  Washburn;  and  Willis  Parker,  a 
lad  of  seven  years. 

Politically,  Prefossor  Popenoe  is  identified  with  the  Republican  party  in. 
which  he  is  as  active  as  is  consistent  with  his  public  duties.  Fraternally,  he  is  a 
Mason  and  is  master  of  Lafayette  Lodge,  of  Manhattan,  Kansas.  He  is  an. 
enthusiast  in  his  work  and  has  brought  honor  upon  his  name  and  State  through, 
the  vast  extent  and  the  thorough  accuracy  of  his  scientific  researches. 


GEORGE  O.  WILMARTH. 

George  O.  Wilmarth,*  chief  of  the  Fire  Department  of  Topeka,  is  one 
of  the  pioneers  of  this  city,  where  he  has  resided  since  1859,  and  is  the  second 
oldest  fire  chief  in  the  United  States  at  the  present  time.  He  is  one  of  the- 
city's  most  popular  and  efficient  public  servants,  and  has  speaking  acquaintance 
with  more  of  the  citizens,  possibly,  than  has  any  other  man. 

Mr.  Wilmarth  was  one  of  two  children  born  to  Otis  and  Julia  Wilmarth. 
He  was  born  April  23,  1843,  in  Rhode  Island,  where  he  was  reared  and  received 
a  good  education  in  the  public  schools.  In  his  native  State  he  engaged  in  the 
mercantile  business  for  a  number  of  years,  and  in  1859  he  came  West  to- 
Topeka,  Kansas.  Here  he  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  until  1872, 
when  he  was  made  chief  of  the  Fire  Department,  a  position  he  has  since  filled.^ 
At  that  time  the  department  was  small  and  its  work  inefficient.  He  has  de- 
voted the  best  years  of  his  life  to  developing  a  fire  department  of  which  the 
city  may  well  feel  proud.  His  efforts  have  been  appreciated  and  he  to-day 
occupies  an  enviable  position  in  the  public  esteem.  He  has  four  engine  houses 
and  a  force  of  39  men  under  his  charge.  He  has  made  a  thorough  study  of 
the  fire  systems  of  the  various  cities  of  the  country,  and  has  been  cjuick  to 
suggest  such  improvements  as  were  desirable,  with  the  result  that  Topeka  has 
the  best  service  of  any  city  in  the  State.  Mr.  Wilmarth  is  the  second  oldest 
chief  in  the  United  States,  the  oldest  being  Thomas  O'Connor,  of  New  Or- 
leans, Louisiana. 

Our  subject  was  married  to  Mary  A.  Starkey  and  they  have  a  son,  Charles 
B.,  a  successful  fruit-grower  of  California.     Mr.  Wilmarth  is  a  member  of 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  623, 

the  Masonic  order;  Knights  of  Pythias;  Odd  Fellows;  Red  Men;  and  United 
Workmen.  In  politics,  he  is  a  stanch  Republican.  He  and  his  wife  are  mem- 
bers of  the  First  Congregational  Church,  and  reside  at  No.  i  loi  Eighth  avenue. 


HON.  JOSEPH    REED. 

Hon.  Joseph  Reed,*  one  of  the  best  known  citizens  and  most  popular 
public  ofificials  of  Topeka,  who  has  with  dignity  and  efficiency  filled  many  hon- 
orable offices,  was  born  at  Portland,  Maine,  December  10,  1848,  and  is  a  son- 
of  Joseph  and  Catherine  J.   (Webster)   Reed. 

The  Reed  family  is  one  not  unknown  to  fame  in  the  United  States,  many 
of  its  members  having  attained  prominence  in  various  walks  of  life.  Our  sub- 
ject has  every  reason  to  feel  proud  of  belonging  to  that  branch  of  the  family 
which  produced  one  of  Maine's  most  exalted  and  disinterested  statesmen, 
the  late  Hon.  Thomas  B.  Reed,  his  cousin  and  intimate  personal  friend.  The  ■ 
parents  of  Judge  Reed  were  both  born  in  Maine  and  the  father  conducted  a 
real  estate  office  at  one  location  in  the  city  of  Portland  for  47  years.  The 
mother  died  in  1861,  survived  by  the  father  for  20  years.  The  three  surviv- 
ing brothers  of  Judge  Reed  are  all  prominent  and  successful  men  in  their 
different  localities:  John  B.,  a  broker  and  capitalist  at  Portland,  Maine; 
George  W.,  a  journalist  of  Topeka;  and  Thomas  T.,  who  is  in  the  real  estate  ■ 
business  at  St.  Louis, 

Joseph  Reed  was  reared  in  the  quiet  old  city  of  Portland  and  was  given 
a  liberal  and  thorough  education  in  the  schools  there.  He  read  law  under  the 
direction  of  Albert  Merrill,  of  Portland,  and  was  admitted  to  practice  in 
June,  1871.  Late  in  the  same  year  he  visited  Jewell  City,  Kansas,  but  pros- 
pects did  not  seem  bright  enough  to  induce  him  to  locate  there  and  he  re- 
turned East  as  far  as  Chicago,  reaching  that  city  in  1871  on  the  day  before 
what  was  then  the  greatest  conflagration  of  modern  times  had  laid  the  city 
in  ashes  and  prostrated  every  business.  He  remained  there,  however,  untiL 
1878,  when  he  returned  to  Kansas  and  settled  at  Topeka  where  he  has  con- 
-tinued  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  ever  since. 

The  young  lawyer  was  not  averse  to  entering  into  politics,  his 
family  being  rather  noted  successes  in  that  line,  and  he  was  soon  elected  a 
justice  of  the  peace,  an  office  he  held  for  nine  years.  From  1887  to 
1889  he  was  assistant  city  attorney  and  in  1888  he  was  elected  police  judge, 
an  office  he  filled  for  11  months.  On  March  9,  1889,  he  was  appointed  com- 
missioner of  elections,  an  office  he  held  until  a  Populist  Governor  was  elected, 
when  he  was  succeeded  by  Frank  Harrold.     He  served  also  as  assistant  city 


624  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

attorney  for  one  year  and  as  deputy  county  attorney  for  the  same  length  of 
time.  His  private  practice  has  been  along  all  reputable  lines  and  he  stands 
high  with  his  professional  brethren  both  in  city  and  county. 

Judge  Reed  has  been  twice  married,  first  on  December  14,  1872,  to 
Almira  Toops,  who  is  a  daughter  of  Charles  and  Serepta  Toops.  They  had 
five  children,  viz :  Joseph,  Jr.,  an  engineer  on  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St. 
Paul  Railway;  Edna  lone,  wife  of  William  T.  Dawson,  a  prominent  farmer 
of  Oakland,  Kansas;  Corliss,  a  railroad  engineer  in  Chicago;  Roscoe,  a  me- 
chanic in  Topeka;  and  Catherine  A.,  an  accomplished  musician  and  teacher 
of  music  in  this  city.  The  mother  of  this  family  died  October  19,  1889.  In 
March,  1901,  Judge  Reed  was  married  to  Mary  Nina  Reid,  of  Topeka,  who  is 
a  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  E.  Reid,  the  latter  of  whom  was  once  matron 
of  the  State  Penitentiary  at  Sing  Sing,  New  York,  and  the  former  peniten- 
tiary commissioner  of  Illinois.  One  son  has  been  born  to  this  second  mar- 
riage, Thomas  B.,  a  manly  youth  of  13  years.  The  only  grandchild  that 
Judge  Reed  has  is  little  Estella  Irene  Dawson,  only  child  of  his  eldest  daugh- 
ter. Judge  Reed  and  family  occupy  a  very  pleasant  home  at  No.  1936  Kan- 
sas avenue,  Topeka. 

For  many  years  Judge  Reed  has  been  a  Mason,  and  is  a  member  of 
Orient  Lodge,  No.  51,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Topeka,  and  belongs  also  to  Shaw- 
nee Lodge,  No.  I,  I.  O.  O.  F. ;  Knights  of  Pythias;  and  Capitol  Lodge,  No. 
3,  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen. 


JAMES   HAYES. 


James  Hayes,*  one  of  the  leaders  among  the  florists  of  Topeka,  a  pio- 
neer in  the  business  and  the  proprietor  of  several  first-class  greenhouses,  was 
born  February  2,  1847,  in  the  North  of  Ireland.  John  Hayes,  his  father,  was 
a  gardener  by  profession,  and  he  and  his  wife  passed  their  lives  in  Ireland. 

Our  subject  is  one  of  a  family  of  eight  children,  four  of  whom  reached 
maturity  and  two  still  survive,  viz:  James,  our  subject;  and  John,  who  is 
gardener  for  O.  D.  Munn,  proprietor  of  the  Scientific  American,  and  the 
owner  of  a  very  large  estate.  One  sister,  Mary,  left  a  daughter,  Rebecca  and 
a  son,  formerly  in  the  greenhouse  business,  who  is  now  in  the  employ  of  the 
Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railway  Company. 

James  Hayes  attended  school  until  about  15  years  of  age,  since  which 
time  he  has  been  more  or  less  connected  with  his  present  line.  He  grew  up 
under  his  father's  tuition  as  a  gardener  and  then  was  apprenticed  for  seven 
years,  afterward  spending  three  years  as  private  gardener   for  a  nobleman 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  625- 

on  the  latter's  large  estate  in  Ireland.  After  leaving  his  own  country,  he 
spent  two  years  in  England  and  then  came  to  America,  making  the  passage 
on  the  vessel  "Palmyra."  It  was  a  strange  coincidence  that  the  lady  whom  he 
afterward  married  also  crossed  the  ocean  on  that  vessel,  although  they  did  not 
become  acquainted  until  at  a  later  date,  at  Boston,  Massachusetts.  The  year 
following  Mr.  Hayes'  marriage  in  Boston,  he  moved  with  his  wife  to  Hoosick 
Falls,  New  York,  where  he  worked  as  a  private  gardener  until  1884,  and  then 
removed  to  Greenwich,  Connecticut,  and  from  there  in  1886  to  Baltimore, 
Maryland. 

The  spring  of  1887  was  a  particularly  depressing  and  backward  one  in- 
Baltimore  and  the  city  in  its  March  slush  and  mud  presented  anything  but  an 
attractive  appearance  to  one  who  delighted  in  beautiful  landscapes.  On  the 
loth  of  the  month,  when  he  reached  the  "Sunflower"  State,  and  in  the  rapid 
train  was  rolled  swiftly  into  the  city  of  Topeka,  his  wearied  eyes  were  greeted  . 
by  bright,  warm  sunshine  and  a  balmy  air  was  blowing  over  the  blooming 
peach  trees.  His  heart  warmed  to  Topeka  and  an  interest  was  aroused  which 
has  never  left  him  and  which  resulted  in  the  establishing  here  of  his  extensive 
business.  It  was  founded  with  a  capital  of  $3,000.  A  purchase  of  two  acres 
was  first  made,  to  which  he  has  added  until  he  owns  seven  acres  of  very  valu- 
able land.  He  started  in  with  two  houses  but  now  owns  several  more,  located 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  Washburn  College.  Where  his  beautiful  home 
and  his  greenhouses  now  stand  was  a  stretch  of  virgin  prairie.  At  that  time 
one  could  drive  from  his  place  in  a  direct  line  to  the  Capitol  Building,  while 
now  the  intervention  of  streets  and  avenues  make  it  much  longer.  All  these 
changes  have  come  under  his  own  eye  and  many  of  the  improvements  in  this 
section  have  been  the  result  of  his  public  spirit  and  business  enterprise. 

Mr.  Hayes  has  two  greenhouses  75  by  18  feet  in  dimensions,  which  are 
utilized  exclusively  for  carnations,  and  also  another,  120  by  12,  for  carnations, 
but  at  the  present  writing  (April,  1905)  it  is  filled  with  bedding  plants  and 
lace  ferns.  This  house  was  constructed  for  roses,  but  Mr.  Hayes  has  since 
added  another  house,  120  by  21,  exclusively  for  roses,  during  their  season, 
at  a  cost  of  $1,500,  its  equipment  being  modern  and  complete.  There  are  12 
runs  of  four-inch  pipe,  which  cost  18  cents  a  foot;  air  pressure  is  used  to  keep 
the  plants  clean,  the  air  tank  being  three  feet  under  the  surface,  and  he  operates 
his  own  system  of  water-works.  Another  greenhouse  75  by  12  feet  in  dimen- 
sions he  uses  for  smilax  and  lace  ferns  and  has  also  established  a  reputation 
for  growing  American  Beauty  roses.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  roses  and  car- 
nations, but  has  also  a  collection  of  all  other  greenhouse  flowers  and  is  ready 
on  all  important  occasions  to  supply  quantities  to  meet  every  demand.  The 
beautiful  floral  decorations  used  on  the  occasion  of  the  inauguration  of  Gov- 
ernor Hoch  and  which  aroused  such  universal  tributes  of  admiration,  were 


•626  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

supplied  by  Mr.  Hayes.  He  also  supplies  the  flowers  for  funeral  decorating, 
a  notable  example  being  the  obsequies  of  Senator  Plumb,  whose  body  lay  in 
state  at  the  capitol.  The  business  is  conducted  both  wholesale  and  retail,  the 
latter  department  at  No.  107  Eighth  avenue  being  managed  by  the  son  of 
our  subject,  who  is  also  a  practical  florist. 

Mr.  Hayes  was  married,  as  noted  above,  to  Mary  Stevenson,  who  was 
born  in  Ireland,  and  they  have  three  children :  Mary,  Walter  and  James. 
Mary  is  the  wife  of  Benton  Holloway  and  resides  very  near  her  maiden- 
hood home.  Walter  manages  the  retail  business;  James,  Jr.,  also  assists,  both 
.  sons  being  interested  in  only  less  degree  than  the  father.  Mr.  Hayes  no  longer 
does  any  of  the  hard  work,  but  still  oversees  and  advises,  enjoying  the  beau- 
tiful results  of  his  care  and  patience  as  much  as  he  did  in  boyhood.  The  busi- 
ness has  expanded  to  great  proportions  and  is  one  of  the  most  commendable 
industries  of  Topeka. 

Mr.  Hayes  has  been  prominent  in  Masonry  for  many  years,  is  a  Knight 
Templar  and  has  received  the  32nd  degree.  Mrs.  Hayes  is  a  member  of  the 
Order  of  the  Eastern  Star  and  of  the  Triple  Tie  Benefit  Association.  Mr. 
Hayes  belongs  also  to  the  Elks,  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen  and 
to  the  Knights  and  Ladies  of  Security.  Both  he  and  his  wife  belong  to. the 
Protestant  Episcopal  Church. 

When  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hayes  first  settled  in  Topeka,  they  accommodated 
themselves  in  a  four-room  house.  This  gave  way  to  a  comfortable  modern 
home  but  the  latter  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1896.  A  small  amount  of  insur- 
ance was  realized  and  Mr.  Hayes  immediately  rebuilt,  erecting  one  of  the 
finest  homes  in  Topeka,  which  is  not  only  notable  on  account  of  its  attractive- 
ness, but  also  for  its  solid  comfort.  Few  homes  west  of  College  avenue  can 
compare  with  it.  Personally,  Mr.  Hayes  is  of  genial  presence  and  hearty 
manner,  has  a  wide  circle  of  warm  friends  and  admirers  and  is  entitled  to  all 
the  good  things  which  life  can  yet  bring  him. 


GASPER  CHRISTOPHER  CLEMENS. 

Gasper  Christopher  Clemens,*  who  occupies  a  leading  position  as  a 
member  of  the  Topeka  bar,  is  a  notable  example  of  the  self-made  man.  He 
Avas  born  April  23,  1849,  '^t  Xenia,  Ohio,  and  is  a  son  of  William  E.  and 
Eliza  J.   (Barnes)   Clemens. 

The  father  of  Mr.  Clemens  was  born  in  Virginia,  and  the  mother  in 
Kentucky,  the  latter  being  a  daughter  of  Henry  Barnes,  who  was  a  lieutenant 
•of  dragoons  in  the  War  of  1812.    William  E.  Barnes  was  a  pioneer  in  Ohio, 


AND    REPRESENTATIVE    CITIZENS.  627 

-where  he  was  first  a  farmer  and  latterly  a  merchant.  Both  he  and  wife  were 
active  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

Family  misfortunes  brought  about  conditions  which  threw  life's  responsi- 
bilities upon  our  subject  when  he  was  a  lad  of  13  years.  With  only  a  rudimen- 
tary education,  but  with  a  far-reaching  purpose  to  attain  success,  the  child 
took  up  his  burden,  working  at  first  as  a  laborer  in  a  brick-yard  during  the 
day-time  and  spending  his  evenings  in  study.  He  thus  mastered  the  English 
common  branches,  unaided  and  alone  and,  still  ambitious,  secured  for  himself 
an  enviable  classical  education. 

In  1886  he  began  teaching  a  country  school  and  in  the  following  year 
took  up  the  study  of  the  law,  providing  for  his  necessities  by  continued  teach- 
ing, and  on  January  5,  1869,  he  was  admitted  to  practice  by  the  Superior  Court 
of  Ohio.  He  practiced  in  his  native  city  for  a  period  of  14  months,  but 
March,  1870,  found  him  established  at  Topeka.  Here  he  at  once  entered  upon  a 
successful  and  lucrative  practice  which  he  has  maintained  and  increased  up 
to  the  present  time.  That  all  of  his  energies  have  not  been  devoted  to  the 
■practice  of  his  profession  was  demonstrated  by  the  issuance  of  a  valuable  work 
published  in  1877,  which  is  entitled  "Corporate  Securities,"  the  only  work 
-on  that  subject  extant.  It  has  been  most  favorably  received  by  the  best  law 
authorities  of  the  country  and  has  met  with  a  heavy  sale.  It  was  favorably 
reviewed  by  law  publications,  meeting  hearty  commendation  from  the  Ameri- 
can Law  Review  and  the  Chicago  Legal  Neivs,  the  standard  journals  of  law. 

Mr.  Clemens  has  not  sought  political  favor,  his  tastes  being  literary  and 
professional.  The  deep  scholarship  which  he  possesses  he  has  secured  by  his 
own  efforts,  but  in  addition  to  this  he  combines  the  practical  qualtities  and 
the  professional  ability  which  have  brought  him  ample  success  and  a  large 
measure  of  public  esteem. 


MYRON  HOLCOMB. 

Myron,  Holcomb,*  a  well-known  citizen  of  Shawnee  County,  who  has 
been  superintendent  of  the  large  farm  of  his  son-in-law,  Professor  E.  A. 
Popenoe  of  the  State  Agricultural  College,  for  the  past  six  years,  is  also  a 
survivor  of  the  great  Civil  War.  Mr.  Holcomb  was  born  in  Greene  County, 
Ohio,  April  27,  1829,  and  is  a  son  of  Alonzo  and  Lucy  (Morgan)  Holcomb. 

Mr.  Holcomb's  ancestors  came  from  Wales  and  settled  in  New  England 
at  a  very  early  period.  The  family  has  been  one  noted  for  its  loyalty  and 
patriotism.  James  Holcomb,  the  grandfather,  fought  through  the  Revolu- 
tion, and  the  same  spirit  led  our  subject  and  other  members  of  his  family  to 
■offer  their  lives  and  services  in  1861-65.     Alonzo  and  Lucy  (Morgan)  Hoi- 


628  HISTORY    OF    SHAWNEE    COUNTY 

comb  had  seven  children,  namely :  Irene,  deceased ;  Malinda,  of  Shawnee 
County;  Zanthus,  deceased;  Myron,  of  this  sketch;  Ludolphus,  member  of  a 
battery  of  artillery  from  Illinois  in  the  Civil  War,  now  in  a  soldiers'  home  in 
that  Stae;  Henry  C,  of  San  Francisco;  and  Cornelia,  of  Topeka. 

Our  subject  was  i8  months  old  when  his  parents  removed  to  Sangamon 
County,  Illinois,  and  he  was  reared  there  on  a  farm  until  he  was  24  years  of 
age,  when  he  went  to  Macon  County,  in  the  same  State.  In  1862  he  enlisted 
for  service  in  the  Civil  War,  entering  Company  E,  11 6th  Reg.,  Illinois  Vol. 
Inf.,  under  Capt.  Lewis  J.  Eyman  and  Colonel  Tupper.  The  regiment  was. 
sent  to  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  and  saw  hard  service.  Mr.  Holcomb  par- 
ticipated in  the  battles  of  Arkansas  Post,  siege  of  Vicksburg  and  the  Atlanta 
campaign.  After  a  furlough  of  60  days,  he  rejoined  his  regiment  at  Raleigh^ 
North  Carolina,  took  part  in  the  triumphant  review  at  Washington,  D.  C.,. 
and  was  honorably  discharged  after  almost  three  years  of  soldierly  service. 
His  record  shows  that  on  all  occasions  he  proved  himself  obedient,  cheerful 
and  brave. 

After  the  close  of  his  army  life,  Mr.  Holcomb  went  to  McLean  County, 
Illinois,  where  he  worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade  until  1869  and  then  moved 
with  his  family  to  Topeka.  Here  he  continued  work  at  his  trade,  entered  later 
into  contracting  and  building  and  prospered  in  a  material  way.  For  the  past 
six  years  he  has  been  superintendent  of  Professor  Popenoe's  large  estate,  the 
duties  of  the  latter  making  his  continued  residence  impossible.  This  farm 
consists  of  187  acres  and  is  mainly  devoted  to  dairying,  although  not  exclu- 
sively so.  Under  Mr.  Holcorab's  careful  supervision,  every  department  of  the 
farm  is  fully  developed. 

In  1852  Mr.  Holcomb  was  married  to  Dorcas  C.  Winchell,  who  was  born 
in  Franklin  County,  New  York,  January  8,  1828,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Elijah 
and  Dorcas  Winchell.  They  have  four  children,  viz :  O.  A.,  of  Topeka, 
whose  sketch  will  be  found  elsewhere  in  this  volume ;  Carrie  G.,  wife  of  Pro- 
fessor Popenoe;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Benjamin  Ost,  of  Los  Angeles,  California; 
and  Mina  E.,  wife  of  E.  G.  Miner,  of  Topeka. 

Mr.  Holcomb  is  one  of  the  old  and  stanch  Republicans,  voting  first  for 
the  Know  Nothing  candidates  in  the  early  days,  but  ever  since  steadfastly 
upholding  Republican  principles.  He  has  never  accepted  political  office,  but 
has  always  done  the  full  duty  of  a  citizen.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient 
Order  of  United  Workmen.