NYPL RESEARCH LIBRARIES
3 3433 08182539 4
c
HISTORY
OF
Cherokee County, Kansas
AND-
Representative Citizens
EDITED AND COMPILED BY
NATHANIEL THOMPSON ALLISON, A. M.
COLUMBUS, KANSAS
"History is Philosophy teaching by Examples'
PUBLISHED BY
BIOGRAPHICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY
George Richmond, Pres. ; C. R. Arnold, Sec'y and Treas.
Chicago, Illinois
1904
3', .
AND
R L
Preface
CHE aim of the publishers of this volume has been to secure for the historic
portion thereof full and accurate information respecting all subjects therein
treated, and to pres'ent 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 historical statement,
Nathaniel Thompson Allison, of Columbus. 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 conscientious labor in the compilation
and presentation of the data is shown in the historical portion of this volume. The
record gives an elaborate description of the land, the story of its settlement and a
comprehensive account of the organization of the county and the leading events in
the stages of its development to the present time as set forth in the table of contents.
He regrets that certain subjects, through his inability to secure full and satisfactory
data, have not been treated as fully as they perhaps deserve, but the topics and
occurrences are included which are essential to the usefulness of the history. Although
the purpose of the author was to limit the narrative to the close of 1903, he has
deemed it proper to touch on some matters overlapping that period. For any possible
inaccuracies that may be found in the work, the indulgence of our readers is asked.
In the main the editor has found it a pleasant task to write this history, and
this largely for the reason that so many persons have cheerfully aided him in word
and in deed; and for the reason, too, that nothing has been done by anyone to
hinder the progress of the work. The following persons will be always kindly remem-
bered for the aid which they have extended and for favors which they have shown:
Mrs. A. Willard and C. W. Daniels, of Baxter Springs; Charles Moll, Joseph Wallace,
Dr. J. P. Scoles and C. W. Harvey, of Galena; Charles E. Topping, of Empire
City; Henry Mitchell, of Varck; Dr. C. W. Hoag, of Weir City; J. N. McDonald,
of Scammon; Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Patterson, of Mineral; Lawrence Conklin, of
Pleasant View township; Jerry Luckey, of Stippville; Richard D. Ellis, of Shawnee
PREFACE.
township; and A. S. Dennison, W. H. Layne and Charles Stephens, of Columbus.
The following newspapers in the county have extended Mr. Allison many favors, and
their editors have shown him every courtesy and kindly consideration: The Journal
and the Tribune, at Weir City; the News and the Republican, at Baxter Springs;
the Republican and the Times, at Galena; the Journal and the Miner, at Scammon;
the Modern Light, at Columbus, and the Times, at Mineral.
The reviews of resolute and strenuous lives, which make up the biographical
department of the volume, and whose authorship for the most part is entirely inde-
pendent 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 pur-
pose. They constitute a most appropriate medium of perpetuating personal annals
and will be of incalculable value to the descendants of those therein commemorated.
They bring into bold relief careers of enterprise and thrift and make manifest valid
claims to honorable distinction. If "Biography is the only true History," it is
obviously the duty of men of the present time to preserve in this enduring form the
story of their lives 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 epit-
ome of the growth of Cherokee County, which will fitly supplement the historic
statement; for the development of the county is identified with that of the men and
women to whom it is attributable. The publishers have endeavored in the prepara-
tion 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 would afford. The result has amply justified the care thus exercised, for
in our belief no more reliable production, under the circumstances, could be laid
before its readers.
We have given special prominence to the portraits of representative citizens,
which appear throughout this volume, and believe they will prove a most interesting
feature of the work. We have sought to illustrate the different spheres of industrial
and professional achievement as conspicuously as possible. To those who have
kindly interested themselves in the successful preparation of this work, and who have
voluntarily contributed most useful information and data, we herewith tender our
grateful acknowledgment.
THE PUBLISHERS.
Chicago, III., October, 1904.
NOTE
All the biographical sketches published in this volume were submit-
ted to their respective subjects or to the subscribers, from whom the facts
were primarily obtained, for their approval or correction before going to
press; and a reasonable time was allowed in each case for the return of the
type-written 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 therefore 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 cannot vouch
for their accuracy. 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.
BIOGRAPHICAL PUBLISHING CO.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER I.
A Briif History of the State of Kansas 15
CHAPTER II.
Geographical, Topographical and Geological Features ok Cherokee County 21
CHAPTER III.
The Early Settling of Cherokee County 26
The Passing of the Indian — Removal of the Cherokees from Georgia — The Cherokee Neutral Lands —
The First White Settlements — The Cherokee Neutral Lands Sold to the Confederacy— The Joy Pur-
chase and the Troubles that Followed — The Land League — Joy Sustained — The Townships, Cities and
Towns of the County — The First Settlers — The Old Settlers' Annual Reunion.
CHAPTER IV.
Some Early Documents, Letters and Other Things 44
CHAPTER V.
County Organization, Political History and Population Statistics 60
The Organization of Cherokee County — The "County Seat War" — List of County Officers — The Po-
litical Phases — Memorable Political Rallies — The Increase of Population, and Immigration from Other
States.
CHAPTER VI.
Educational, Religious and Fraternal 83
The Public Schools — The Churches, Lodges and Benevolent Societies.
CHAPTER VII.
The Physicians and the Bench and Bar of Cherokee County 90
The Physicians of the County— The Courts — The Cherokee County Bar.
CHAPTER VIII.
The Newspapers of Cherokee County 100
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
CHAPTER IX.
The Agricultural Interests 107
Farm and Live-Stock Products — The Home Market — The Profits in Agricultural Operations — Improve-
ment of the Roads — Berry and Fruit Growing— Rural Routes and Telephones.
CHAPTER X.
Thb Development op the Mineral Resources and the Water Power of the County 114
The Coal Mines of the County— The First Coal Shaft— The Central Coal & Coke Company— Statis-
tics of Coal Production — Gas and Oil — The Lead and Zinc Mines of the County — Big Real Estate
Transactions — The Mining of Lead and Zinc — The Discovery of Lead and Zinc — Statistics of Lead
and Zinc Production — The Operation of Mines — The Feature of Uncertainty Present — The Water
Power of the County— The Spring River Power Company.
CHAPTER XI.
The Railroads of Cherokee County .... 134
Railroad Construction — Railroad Property Tax Valuations — Railroad Mileage in the County — The
Latest Line to be Built — Bonds in Aid of Railroads — An Early Railroad Time Table — Travel in the
Days of the Stage Coach.
CHAPTER XII.
The History of Columbus 140
The First Settlers — Organized as a City— The Schools— The Churches — The Water Supply — The
Court House — A Bit of History — Improvement in Material Prosperity — Residences — Business Blocks —
The Cherokee County High School— Columbus as a Place for Residence— Early Settlers Who Have
Passed Away — The City's Business Interests Expanding — Population Figures — The Post Office.
CHAPTER XIII.
The History of Baxter Springs 151
The Phases of the City's Past — The First Settlers — Incorporated as a City — The Baxter Springs Mas-
sacre — Discovery of Lead and Zinc — Development of the Water Power on Spring River — Residences.
CHAPTER XIV.
The History of Galena and Empire City 159
CHAPTER XV.
The History of Mineral City, Weir City and Scammon, and List of the Towns of the County.... 170
CHAPTER XVI.
The ex-Union Soldiers of Cherokee County 178
List of the ex-Union Soldiers of the County — The ex-Union Soldiers' Inter-State Reunion.
CHAPTER XVII.
Miscellaneous Matters 199
BIOGRAPHICAL 213
Index
PAGE
Abbott, Benjamin S 321
Allen, Gilbert 373
Allen, Joseph 480
Allison, Nathaniel T 333
Ankrum, Harrison 463
Applegate, George F 404
Armstrong, James H 576
Ashley, Charles D 510
Ashmore, Milton W 387
Baker, C. C 463
Baker, Edmund 397
Baker, William 425
Ball, Frank L 629
Barrett, William H 347
Batten, Joseph 630
Baxter, J. H 239
Beltzhoover, John P 362
Benham, William M 605
Bennett, Oscar H 271
Benson, William M 273
Betty, Charles H 296
Blue, R. W 229
Boggs, Henry B 518
Boss, Jacob H 329
Bowman, C. S 321
Boyd, Andrew 403
Boyer, William 422
Bradshaw, Walter L 516
Branson, William W 254
Braun, George F 363
Brewster, Lorenzo D 532
Brookhart, Harry H 525
Brooks", Floyd W 409
Brooks, James H 394
PAGE
Brooks, William E 241
Brown, W. H. D 462
Brown, William D 343
Buergin, Jacob 618
Bulger, Mrs. Margaret T 469
Burrows, John R 622
Burrows, John Riley 499
Burton, George 507
Bush, W. F 594
Buzard, Jesse 615
Cadwalader, Reese 283
Caldwell, L. Alexander 617
Canfield, George W 322
Carver, John T 523
Callahan, Michael J 236
Cheshire, Robert M 223
Cheyne, M. C 485
Clabourn, Grant 429
Coe, Charles W 373
Coles, A 457
Coltrane, Isaiah M 400
Conklin, Lawrence 290
Cool, Commodore F 300
Coon, H. S 389
Cooper, John M 249
Cooper, Joseph H 472
Cooter, Elbert W 529
Covert, Peter 384
Cowley, W. R 311
Crawford, Elisha C 609
Crawford, Samuel J 213
Cross, Thomas H 381
Crowe, David 392
Crowell, Howard R 218
PAGE
Cruickshank, George W 284
Cunningham, Andrew J 378
Cunningham, Samuel 613
Davidson, Ellis 505
Davis, Charles E 428
Dean, Louis L 581
Dennison, Abiel S 259
DeVoe, Thomas E 476
Dixon, Zimri 266
Dodson, James N 309
Dorsey, Thomas W 519
Douglass, George W 498
Dowd, Charles S. and Francis E..627
Dresia, Peter 597
Dugger, Benjamin T 338
Dunbar, J. N 3U
Duncan, Thomas R 280
Ecke, O. C 232
Edwards, Daniel 291
Eisenhart, John 324
Ellis, Elbert A 619
Ellis, Richard D 548
Ellis, Samuel J 599
Elliott, Franklin 357
Evans, William H 487
Ewers, George 582
Ferguson, William T 339
Finley, Owen 588
Fisher, George M 293
Fitzgerald, John 390
Fleming, Michael 512
French, William M 491
IO
INDEX.
PAGE
Fribley, James J 353
Fudge, John T 317
Galpine, Joseph H 275
Gibbs, Charles A 337
Glasse, W. B 471
Graham, Peter 591
Gray, John 347
Haines, Edwin A 368
Hale, Newton J 450
Hamblin, Samuel 603
Hamlet, Jotham L 623
Hamilton, John H 232
Hanks, Robert P 398
Hannon, Henry 332
Harper, Henry H 456
Hasson, Samuel 483
Haynes, Thomas 255
Headley, John R 286
Heaton, Ira 464
Hefley, George W 427
Henderson, H. B 251
Herman, Andrew 412
Hess, Claude A 338
Hiller, Frederick 334
Hisle, James R 562
Hoag, Clark W 537
Hoffmire, William 415
Hogg, Benjamin F 243
Hohnsbeen, Ernst C 330
Holt, Ephraim E 531
Holt, Joseph S 374
Hood, Archibald 282
Hood & Sons Implement Co., The
A 264
Hord, Charles M 344
Hornor, William H 351
Householder, M. A 233
Howard, Samuel C 331
Hubbard, John C 535
Hubbard, Arthur L 431
Hughes, Luke 285
Hughes, Michael 292
Hughes, Victor 387
Hull, Emerson 593
Hurlbut, Samuel L 447
Jessup, Daniel A 502
Johnessee, Silas 420
Johnson, A. C 466
Johnson, John 628
Johnson, W. N 465
Johnston, J. 438
Jones, Charles M 451
Jones', D. M 359
Jones, Jacob K 272
Junkens, John H 428
Kanatzer, Mrs. Mary J 509
Kennedy, William 468
Kenny, Dennis 547
Kline, John 474
Kline, S. Peter 625
Knighton, George J 333
Kutz, Thomas 487
Laizure, J. T 504
Lamaster, James W 308
Lamaster, William A 312
LaRue, H. A 300
LaRue, T. P 304
Lathrop, Hamilton B 341
Lisle, Slem 256
Logan, J. Wilbur 314
Long, Robert A 320
Luckey, Jeremiah 279
Lundin, John 469
Lyerla, Aaron 294
McClellan, George B 252
McCombs, John T. and Robert... 550
McCormick, John S 536
McDonald, James N 604
McDowell, Samuel 440
McGregor, Frank R 445
McLaughlin, John 246
McMahon, Michael 574
McMickle, Clinton 225
McNay, John M 543
McNeill, C. A 367
Majors, A. L 352
Markham, Hon. Robert M 593
Meredith, Jonathan B 411
Merrill, Mose? F 553
Metzler, Philip C 354
Middaugh, Charlton E 473
Millner, Francis E 488
Millstead, William H 235
Moll, Charles L 455
Moore, James H 503
PAGE
Moore, William R 481
Morrow, James 497
Morrow, Thoma? J 379
Mount joy, Robert F 404
Murphy, Benjamin L 620
Myers, John L 220
Nash, William R 616
Newton, Mrs. Mary A 446
Newton, Solomon D 612
Noble, Edwin St. G 348
North, William 508
Northrup, Fred D 285
Norton, W. S 302
Oglesby, John C 575
O'Malley, James 437
O'Reagan, Patrick 377
Page, John 439
Pargen, Francis 340
Patterson, Leslie 567
Pattyson, Elmore R 3 T 8
Paul, Silas L 626
Pender, William C 417
Pendergrass, James P 452
Perkins, L. Murray 559
Perkins, William 410
Peters, James R 520
Pickering, Abijah 501
Pinson, J. F 361
Pixley, Waldo B 475
Polster, J. G 372
Porter, James 554
Puttkamer, John B 493
Rains, Hiram F 611
Randall, Curtis 606
Rawlings, John A 610
Revell, Arthur T 402
Rhoads, Oscar A 421
Richart, Willard M 364
Rickner, Chris 570
Riker, J. F 328
Rittenhouse, O. F 614
Roach, Charles N 430
Robinson, George 489
Robinson, James M 604
Rogers, Job A 449
Rohrbough, John W 39*
INDEX.
ii
PAGE
Ryan, Solomon 458
Sadler, Henry R 290
Sapp, Edward E 461
Savage, Harrison R 407
Sawyer, Charles L 382
Sayer, P. R 304
Scammon, E. A 217
Schermerhorn, E. B 289
Schmell, Louis 592
Seibert, DeWitt C 298
Shaffer, William H 276
Shearer, Andrew 307
Shideler, Henry 492
Simkin, Frederick W 350
Skidmore, Andrew H 216
Skinner, O. E 527
Skinner, Thurston J 490
Slease, L. J 301
Small, James T 443
Smith, Marcus L 433
Smith, S. E 505
Smith, Samuel H 585
Smith, Hon. Samuel W 573
Smith, Hon. William 570
Smith, William E 406
Smyres, H. F 517
Snider, John W 484
Souder, George F 244
PAGE
Sparks, Oliver W 418
Sparlin, Christopher C 569
Spencer, Elijah W 401
Spencer, John W 219
Spiva, Will E 542
Stauffer, Hon. John 586
Stephens, Charles 405
Steward, Milton R 327
Stice, W. E 369
Stone, John W 598
Stott, Capt. Richard H 579
Stoskopf, George 448
Strother, J. R 525
Sweeney, Charles M 568
Taylor, Richard W 482
Taylor, William 379
Thomas', Orlando T 555
Topping, Wallace E 265
Tracewell, E. M 327
Trotter, W. H 556
Vollmar, Rev. Henry R 269
Von Wedell, Walther 549
Wade, Alexander 492
Wagner, John W 399
Walker, Alexander 621
PAGE
Walker, Arcenith F 319
Walker, George W 215
Walker, Stephen L 298
Walker, William W 484
Wallace, Joseph 479
Ward, Woodford A 454
Watson, David J 398
Watts, Andrew D 541
Weaver, Thomas C 253
Wenzel, Albert E 587
West, Elijah T 390
Westervelt, Lewis R 515
Wheeler, Willis H 226
Whitmore, William W 497
Wiggins, Basil 526
Willard, Albert 368
Williams, Al. F 295
Williams, DeWitt C 435
Williams, Lane 383
Williams, Washington 486
Wilson, George H 467
Wimmer, Harvy 426
Winter, Daniel 263
Wiswell, John 231
Wolfe, Jes. F 528
Woods, George W 361
Wright, Jonathan R 529
Youngman, E. W 626
Illustrations
PAGE
Allison, Nathaniel Thompson ... 14
Ashmore, Milton W 386
Baker, Edmund 396
Baker, Mrs. Eliza 424
Baker, William 424
Baptist Church, Galena no
Baptist Church, Old, Columbus... 32
Baxter, J. H., M. D 238
Blue, Col. R. W 228
Braun, George F., Residence of. .166
Carver, John T. and family 522
Cherokee County High School... 96
Cherokee County Jail 66
Cheshire, Hon. Robert M 222
Cheshire, Hon. R. M., Residence. 144
Christian Church, Galena 1 10
Coke Works at Cokedale 120
Cooper, Hon. John M 248
Court House, Columbus 96
Court House, Galena 130
Crawford, Elisha C 608
Crawford, Hon. Samuel J 212
Dennison, Abiel S 258
Dresia, Mr. and Mrs. Peter 596
East Galena School no
East Side School, Columbus 66
Elliott, Franklin 356
PAGE
Fudge, John T 316
Gibbs, Charles A 336
Graham, Peter 590
Gray, Mr. and Mrs. John 346
Hamblin, Mrs. Lucy A 602
Hamblin, Samuel 602
Hoffmire, William 414
Hood, Mrs. A., Residence of 144
Hubbard, John C 534
Kenny, Dennis 546
Lead and Zinc Mining Shafts and
Crushers, Galena 120
Log Cabin Pioneer Home in
Galena 1 10
Luckey, Jeremiah 278
McNeill, C. A 366
McNeill, C. A., Residence of 144
Merrill, Mrs. Mary S 552
Merrill, Moses F 552
Methodist Episcopal Church, Co-
lumbus 66
Moore, J. C, Residence of 166
Morrow, Mr. and Mrs. James... 496
Murdock Block, Galena 130
Norton, W. S., Residence of 144
O'Reagan, Patrick 376
PAGE
Patterson, Leslie 564
Patterson, Mrs. Olive C 566
Pattyson, E. R., Residence of .... 144
Perkins, L. Murray 558
Presbyterian Church, Columbus.. 66
Richards, Val., Residence of ....166
Robertson, Riley F., Residence of. 166
Sapp, Hon. Edward E 460
Schermerhorn, Hon. E. B 288
Shearer, Andrew 306
Small, James T 442
Smith, Samuel H 584
Smith, Hon. Samuel W 572
South Galena School no
Stice, Mrs. W. E., Residence of.. 166
Stott, Capt. Richard H 578
Tracewell, E. M 326
Typical Miner's Home in Galena
25 Years Ago 32
Vollmar, Rev. Henry R 268
Wallace, Joseph 478
Watts, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew D. .540
Wright Block, Isaac, Columbus.. 66
Westervelt, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis
R 514
West Side School, Columbus ... 66
H I
,1
>:V. .
fiistory of Cherokee Coumy
CHAPTER. I.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE STATE OF KANSAS
As early as 1541 a company of Spanish
soldiers under the command of Francisco de
Coronado, and directed by Indian guides,
made their way from the lower valley of the
Pecos River to a point on the Missouri River
where the city of Atchison, Kansas, now
stands. The expedition was made in search of
gold ; but on reaching the Missouri River, then
known as the Teucarea, the company, footsore
and discouraged on account of their long,
fruitless march over the dreary, sandy desert,
besought their commander to lead them back
to Mexico, whence they had formerly come.
After killing the Indian guides, who had led
the Spaniards over the trackless wastes, to get
them away from the Pecos Valley, and to wear
them out in hunger and thirst, the little com-
pany retraced its course toward the South, but
not until Coronado had given the name Cannes
to that part of the country which lies between
the Arkansas and the Missouri rivers. This
was 363 years ago. The country was named
after the dominant tribe of Indians then inhab-
iting it, and through a series of modifications
it was later known as Kansas.
In 1762 France, having discovered and
claimed what was later known as Louisiana,
ceded it to Spain; but on March 21, 1801, it
was ceded back to France. On April 30, 1803,
the United States purchased it from France, in
consideration of the payment of $15,000,000.
It included practically all the country drained
by the Mississippi River ; but it did not include
that part of the present State of Kansas which
lies west of the 100th degree of west longi-
tude and south of the Arkansas River. This
was acquired by the United States from the
republic of Texas in the year 1850.
At the time of the Louisiana purchase, in
1803, Kansas was almost entirely unknown,
i6
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
except among the Indian tribes which wan-
dered over what was vaguely known as "The
Great American Desert," lying between the
Missouri River and the Rocky Mountains. In
1806 the United States fitted out an expedition
at St. Louis, and the next year General Pike
took command and led it westwardly through
Missouri and Southern Kansas. Besides the
soldiers of the command, there was a company
of geographers. Three years were taken up in
the exploration; but even then no well formed
idea was obtained of the true character of
the country, in respect to its mineral resources
and the adaptability of its soils for agricultural
purposes. In 1810 General Pike, who had ex-
plored as far west as the Great Divide, and as
far south as the Rio Grande, reported to the
Secretary of War, and, among other things,
he said: "These vast plains of the Western
Hemisphere may, in time become equally
celebrated with the sandy deserts of Africa;
for in various places on my route I saw tracts
of many leagues where the wind had thrown
up the sands in all the fanciful forms of the
ocean's rolling waves, and on them not a speck
of vegetation existed. * * * Our citizens,
so prone to wandering and extending them-
selves on the frontier, will, through necessity,
be constrained to limit their extent, in the
West, to the borders of the Mississippi and
Missouri rivers, while they leave the prairies,
incapable of cultivation, to the wandering and
uncivilized aborigines of the country. It ap-
pears to me to be possible to introduce only a
limited population, and that even this must be
confined to the banks of the Kaw, the Platte
and the Arkansas rivers." That was 94 years
ago. What a change has been wrought in the
intervening time! How "westward the course
of empire" has taken its way! What would
General Pike say now, if he could see "The
Great American Desert?"
In 1819-20 Major Long was sent West on
an exploring expedition ; and his report to the
Secretary of War, like that of General Pike,
did not seem designed to "induce immigration"
into these parts. Speaking of the region now
comprised within the boundaries of Nebraska
and Kansas, he said : "It is a region destined,
by the barrenness of its soil and its inhospitable
climate, as well as by other physical disad-
vantages, to be the abode of perpetual desola-
tion." And the Secretary of War at that time,
gloomily commenting on the report of Major
Long, said : "From the minute account given
in the narrative of the expedition, of the par-
ticular features of this region, it will be per-
ceived to bear a manifest resemblance to the
desert of Sahara."
From the time of which I have last writ-
ten, up to about the year 1840, very little
progress was made toward bringing this region
within the zone of civilization, it being believed
to be destined always as the home of savage
Indians and the wild animals which roamed
its valleys, hills and grassless plains. Here the
ground owl, the rattlesnake, the prairie dog,
the coyote, the deer, the elk and the buffalo had
their haunts, and it was believed that they
would always remain, disturbed only now and
then by the wandering tribes of Indians, whose
fixed habits shut out every thought of perma-
nency of habitation. Shortly after this, the
Mexican War agitation became so intense as
to break out in hostility, and when the war was
over, in 1848, bringing to the possession of the
United States that territory then including
California, the newly discovered gold fields of
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
17
the Western slope aroused the people of the
Middle and Eastern States, and vast numbers of
them went thither by whatever way offered the
easiest ingress. Beginning about the year
1849, almost innumerable caravans were fitted
out at different points on the Missouri River,
to take their course "across the plains," as it
was spoken of in those day. This was prac-
tically the beginning of the settlement of Kan-
sas ; for some of those who had intended to go
on to California, when they saw the goodly land
in Eastern Kansas, turned aside in their pur-
poses and settled among the Indians along the
larger streams, where wood and water could
be found. These were joined later by others
from the East, and thus the settlements were
enlarged little by little, as time went on.
The political history of Kansas dates back
to 1850, when the subject of slavery took on
the intense form of agitation which led to its
overthrow. It was in this year that the Mis-
souri Compromise was really abrogated. From
that time on it became constantly more appar-
ent that the question could never be settled
satisfactorily through legislation ; and the ad-
mission of Kansas into the Union, as a pro-
slavery State, or as an anti-slavery State, was
looked to as the test of the power and manage-
ment of the two sectional factions. The New
England States had experimented with slav-
ery, and, not finding it profitable, they had be-
come profoundly convinced that the institution
was morally wrong; the South had tried it,
and, finding it profitable, found no difficulty at
all in showing that it was of divine origin, and
therefore, scripturally right. Senator J. J.
Ingalls, the most scholarly man that ever rep-
resented Kansas in the United States Senate,
and himself a native of Massachusetts, said
that the people of the New England States
never became conscientious on the subject of
slavery until it ceased to be profitable in that
section of the country. The North was envious
of the South's prosperity; but their envy was
equaled if not surpassed by the intense preju-
dice fostered and nourished in the hearts of
the Southern people. Persons who recall those
days can never forget the rise and progress of
the "irrespressible conflict;" and those con-
versant with public affairs at that time, and who
kept up with the current events, easily recall
the efforts of the great American statesmen to
arrive at an amicable settlement of the sectional
dispute which had agitated the people since the
year 1820, and which was now fast becoming
the chief alarm of the nation. Kansas was the
focus upon which the mind of the people,
North and South, was so intensely centered;
but four years afterward, May 30, 1854, when
Franklin Pierce, president of the United
States, signed the act, entitled, "An Act to
Organize the Territories of Nebraska and
Kansas," debate of the great question ceased
to be fruitful of any effect toward a reconcila-
tion. Then began a series of "troublous
times," which did not end until the issues of
the War of the Rebellion were settled at Ap-
pomattox, April 9, 1865.
The first Territorial Governor of Kansas
was Andrew H. Reeder, of Easton, Pennsyl-
vania, appointed by President Pierce, June 29,
1854. He arrived at Leavensworth, Kansas, on
the steamer "Polar Star," October 7, 1854,
and immediately took up the duties of the
office, having been sworn in as Governor by
Justice Daniel, of the Supreme Court of the
United States, at Washington, D. C, July 7th
of that year. He was an ardent Democrat,
and he was in sympathy with the pro-slavery
efforts then being strongly made ; but before he
i8
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
finished his course on Kansas soil he as stren-
uously and as ably supported the plans and
operations for making it a free State. Not at
all times being in full accord with the Legis-
lature, which was pronounced in its pro-
slavery sentiments, and being often misrepre-
sented to President Pierce by wily politicians,
his lot was such as brought him "nothing but
worry and constant antagonism. As Governor
he was removed by the President, July 28,
1855. He was officially notified on the 31st of
July and on August 1 5th he notified the Legis-
lature of the fact. He was succeeded by Wil-
son Shannon, who was commissioned Governor
of the Territory of Kansas, August 10, 1855,
and he arrived at Shawnee Mission, then the
capital, September 3d. He had been four years
the Governor of Ohio; was Minister to Mexico
under Tyler's administration, and was a mem-
ber of Congress from Ohio in 1852-54. He
resigned the governorship of the Territory,
August 21, 1856, and on that day he received
official notice that he had been removed, and
that John W. Geary had been appointed his
successor. Geary resigned March 4, 1857;
and on March 10th President Buchanan ap-
pointed Robert J. Walker, of Pennsylvania. He
was a son of Judge Walker, of the United
States Supreme Court. He had been a United
States Senator from Mississippi and was
Secretary of the Treasury during Polk's ad-
ministration. Governor Walker arrived at
Leavenworth May 25, 1857, and left the fol-
lowing day for Lecompton, then the capital.
His was a short, stormy term ; for on Decem-
ber 7th, of the same year, he handed in his
resignation, being led to do so on account of
the disturbed condition of public affairs in the
Territory, in the midst of which there was no
prospect of peace or final settlement. John W.
Denver, who had been acting Governor from
the time of the resignation of Governor
Walker, received his appointment as Governor
March 15, 1858. He resigned October 10th,
of the same year, and on November 19th Sam-
uel Medary was appointed. He continued in
office until December 17, i860, when he re-
signed, and was succeeded by George M.
Beebe, who was sworn in as acting Governor,
and who continued in office until the inaugu-
ration of the State government, February 9,
1 861. The frequent and often dramatically
sudden changes in the governorship of the
Territory may be taken as indicating the turbu-
lent condition of public affairs, a condition
which, as if descending by heredity, is yet
shown in the easily disturbed political relations
of the people. It is probable that no other State
in the Union has such a heritage.
Kansas was admitted into the Union Janu-
ary 29, 1 861, and it may be said of the people
who had become permanent residents upon its
soil, that they were in a proper frame of mind
to join hands with the other free-soil States in
the great war which was just then about to
break upon the country. Forensic debate and
all other efforts amicably to adjust and settle
the bitter, sectional prejudices of the people
had fallen short of the desired aim. A ma-
jority of the people of the United States had
become set against slavery; the institution was
destined to pass away; but the methods and
measures for setting it aside involved questions
which could not be settled other than by the
arbitrament of arms.
Following the close of the war, there was
a tremendous immigration into Kansas from
the Middle States, attracted hither through the
well advertised opportunities which it offered
for securing rural homes, as well as for build-
AXD REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
19
ing cities, constructing railroads and for the
varied pursuits which follow such achieve-
ments. No other section of the entire country
was ever even half so well advertised as Kansas
has been, much of such advertising being true,
much of it false. Senator Ingalls once said
that Kansas is a land of the sharpest contradic-
tions and antagonisms ever known in human
experience; the hottest, the coldest; the wet-
test, the driest; the most fruitful, the most
barren ; the most to be desired and the least to
be sought. Here the best and purest aspira-
tions have been fostered and sustained ; here
homes have been built and fortunes made, and
here, too, lie the buried hopes of many whose
expectations were turned into disappointment,
whose toil and labor were in vain and whose
morning cheer and gladness were overshad-
owed and suppressed through the gloom which
came on before the middle of the day.
Politically, Kansas is the enigma of the
age; and in this respect it may be likened unto
those volcanic districts of the earth which are
subject to frequent and disastrous upheavals,
and where none but such as are inured to the
dread which constant danger inspires will dare
to live. Hither many political adventurers
came in the early days, probably expecting to
gather large returns from the new field. Some
of them, after a short and stormy sojourn, re-
turned whence they came, and the bones of
many others, whose daring and hardihood were
equaled only by the cunning and craftiness
which they employed, lie bleaching in the soil
of the land which they essayed to rule. In a
partisan way the State has always been, nor-
mally, Republican ; but at times the party has
been cut from its moorings and cast adrift upon
a rough, tempestuous sea, a condition due
largely to the grasping greed of political lead-
ers and to the official corruption of those placed
in charge of public affairs. But the people are
growing in conservatism, and when the old-
guard politicians pass away, and some of the
younger ones shall be required to know more
of statecraft and economics, there will be a
settling into safer channels and the care of
public interests will be in better hands.
Of those now living in the State of Kansas,
it may be truthfully said that they are "a pecu-
liar people." They will endure more hardships,
suffer more wrongs, surmount greater difficul-
ties and undergo more privations than any
other people in this broad land. Chinch-bugs,
grasshoppers, hot winds, drouths and floods
have been enough to depopulate the State, if
inhabited by a less hardy people. To these,
sufficient of themselves to deter next to the
most determined, the burden of taxes, borne
for the purpose of paying off public bonds, and
private mortgages of all kinds, once supposed
to concern every man, came as supplementary
hardships and vexations ; but the people have
lived through all of these, and they are today
comparatively prosperous. The pests come less
frequently, drouths are not so severe, bonds are
being paid and the voice of the sheriff is rarely
heard in the land ; the passing of these being
due almost entirely to the indomitable courage
and perseverance of the hardy sons of toil who
have borne the burden and heat of the day and
are now enjoying the fruits of their labor.
These things have not been done through stu-
pidity nor through the direction of blind judg-
ment; they have been achieved through intel-
ligence and good understanding; for in practi-
cal knowledge and in ability to get the best re-
sults in what they undertake, the people hold
20
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
the highest place. Proportionately to the num-
ber of inhabitants, it is said, without contradic-
tion, that Kansas takes and reads more news-
papers than any other State ; that it has more
pupils in the common schools and more stu-
dents in its higher institutions, and that fewer
of its people are idle and non-helpful in the
ordinary pursuits of life. There is a common
level upon which the people move, and there is
a free fellowship which has come down fn un
the earlier days, bringing with it the easy man-
ners which are characteristic of communities
unaffected by castes and sharp social distinc-
tions.
CHAPTER II.
GEOGRAPHICAL, TOPOGRAPHICAL AND GEOLOGICAL FEATURES
OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
GEOGRAPHICAL.
Cherokee County is a part of what was
formerly known as McGee County. This
county, named in honor of A. M. McGee, of
Kansas City, Missouri, a man of strong pro-
slavery sentiments, who figured actively in the
events which made up the early history of the
State, was bounded as follows : Beginning at
the southeast corner of Bourbon County ;
thence south, to the southern boundary of this
Territory; thence west, twenty- four miles;
thence north, to a point due west of the place
of beginning; thence east, twenty- four miles,
to the place of beginning."
When the anti-slavery sentiment became
strong and forceful in Kansas, and the man-
agement of the Territory passed under the con-
trol of those who favored making it a free
State, the name McGee was dropped by the
Legislature, and a part of its territory given
the name "Cherokee," in honor of the Cherokee
Indians. This was done on the 18th day of
February, i860, a little less than a year before
Kansas Territory was admitted into the Union.
The boundary of the county being so vaguely
described as not to be readily understood, the
Legislature, February 13, 1867, gave it the
following location : "Commencing at the
southeast corner of Crawford County ; thence
south on the east line of the State of Kansas, to
the southeast corner of the State; thence west
along the southern boundary of the State, to
the southeast corner of Neosho County, as de-
fined by the act of February 26, 1866; thence
north to the southwest corner of the county of
Crawford ; thence east to the place of begin-
ning." This remained the boundary of the
county until October 31, 1868, when an act,
approved March 3, 1868, went into effect. This
act gave Cherokee County the following boun-
dary : "Commencing at the southeast corner
of the county of Crawford ; thence west with
the south line of said county of Crawford to
the southwest corner of section 14, township
31 south, range 21 east of the Sixth Principal
Meridian; thence south on said section line
to the Neosho River; thence with the channel
of said riyer to the south boundary line of the
State of Kansas; thence east on said line to
the southeast corner of the State ; thence north
on the east line of the State of Kansas to the
place of beginning." From the maps recently
published, it seems that at some time since
the fixing of the last described boundary a
change has been made, by which the west line
of the county was moved one-half mile east;
and so it stands, to this day; and it will thus
22
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
be seen that Cherokee County lies in the ex-
treme southeast corner of the State, having
the State of Missouri on the east, and the In-
dian Territory on the south.
TOPOGRAPHICAL.
For the most part, the surface of the county
is gently undulating; but in the southeast it is
hilly, and in some places very rough and stony.
An elevated table-land lies north and south
through the center of the county, from which
the water runs generally southeasterly and
southwesterly, the latter flowing into the Neo-
sho River on the west, the former into Spring
River on the east. There are no very high
points, save that in the southern part of the
county, about five miles west of Baxter
Springs, there is a mound which may be seen
many miles in all directions, and a kind of
promontory a few miles north of Neutral, both
of which may be regarded as bubbles of the
Ozark Mountains. The altitude of Columbus,
considered the highest point in the county, was
established by Charles Nevins, the surveyor for
the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway, at the
time the line was extended from Parsons, Kan-
sas, to Joplin, Missouri, in 1900. The point
was indicated on the third step of the First
National Bank, and as determined by the meas-
urements it is 1025.68 feet.
Besides Spring River, on the east, and the
Neosho River, on the west, there are numerous
smaller streams, all of which afford easy drain-
age, except that in the southwest corner of
the county there is a low basin which is dotted
here and there with lakes and natural ponds, in
which water stands from year to year. Cherry
Creek, Lightning Creek and Fly Creek are the
principal streams flowing into the Neosho
River on the west, while Cow Creek, Shawnee
Creek and Brush Creek flow into Spring River
on the east. In the central and eastern parts
of the county there are some fine springs of
soft water. Before leaving this part of the
subject it is proper to speak of the adaptability
of the soils of the county to field and garden
tillage and to the growing of small fruits of
all kinds, including ever)* variety of berries.
The soils are of various depths, varying also in
colors, from the lighter soils of the higher
ridges to the dark, sandy loams of the lower
lands and the river bottoms. In the eastern
part of the county the soil partakes of the
nature of the red-clay soils of Southwestern
Missouri, and these are better adapted to the
growing of apples, pears and peaches than the
lighter soils of the prairie districts of the
county. Like almost every other county, in
whatever State it may be situate, Cherokee
County has some sections much richer in soils
than others ; but it is singularly true that there
is not a district in the county, however thin and
apparently non-productive the soil, but what
it is quickly and easily affected even at the
slightest efforts to increase the soil's strength
and fertility.
Forty years ago, when there was scarcely
any land in the county that had been touched
with the plow, and when there were no roads
established by any public act, the meager wood-
land was found only along Spring River and
its larger tributaries., and probably a mere
fringe along the Neosho River and the larger
streams which flow into it. The county was
almost a solid sward of prairie grass ; and from
the higher points, which afforded views of the
land as it lay in the repose which Nature had
given it through the centuries, many of the
most pleasing landscapes could be seen. To
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
23
those who came first, with implements of til-
lage for bringing the virgin soil into sub-
serviency to the purposes of civilization, it was
"a goodly land," fair to look upon and full of
promise, and to those who stayed and endured
the hardships incident to pioneer life, sowing
and reaping as the years went on, it yielded its
fruits in season, and with these the quiet satis-
faction which comes with faithful husbandry.
GEOLOGICAL.
Going beneath the surface of the land, we
come to consider it in the light of geology ; and
here, going through the storehouse of Nature,
we come to examine the wise, beneficent provis-
ions which have been made, and which through
countless ages have awaited the coming of man.
Speaking of the general formation of the whole
State of Kansas, Professor Mudge says : "The
uplifting of this State and the adjoining coun-
try, from the level of the ocean, must have been
slow, uniform and in a perpendicular direc-
tion, which has left all the strata in nearly a
horizontal position. This may have been as
slow as that now going on in Florida, or a rise
of five feet in a century. From our knowledge
of the geology of the West, this undoubtedly
took place after the rise of the Rocky Moun-
tains, and probably did not come to a close
until the drift period." The rock formations
of Cherokee County plainly show that the
land, some time in the remote past, lay upon
the seashore, and that, at a still more remote
period, it was probably submerged. Crusta-
ceous formations, abundant in many places,
give unmistakable evidence of the fact. In
times long gone by there was an oyster bed
about two miles southeast of the point where
Columbus now stands, as shown in the rocks
in that locality, and besides this, there were
numerous Crustacea, whose petrified fossils are
plainly to be seen. Later on, but probably not
until after the lapse of many ages, came the
carboniferous period, when the land was lifted
gradually from the water and was covered as
gradually by vegetation, through which a soil
was built up, in preparation for the great for-
ests still to follow : and thus age after age went
by, the processes of nature going on, step by
step, making ready for the coming of man.
The conditions of temperature, with the in-
creased fertility of the soil and the humidity of
the atmosphere, brought on the great vegetable
growths, which, afterwards swept down by de-
vastating tempests and covered by soil drifts
from the higher lands, now form the coal beds
which yield so much comfort to the people now
permitted to open them up for use.
In a work published by A. T. Andreas, in
1883, speaking of the coal deposits of the State
of Kansas, the writer says : "This area covers
about 9,000 square miles in the southeastern
part of the State, embracing the counties of
Cherokee, Labette, Montgomery, Chautauqua,
Elk, Wilson, Neosho, Crawford, Bourbon, Al-
len, Woodson, Coffey, Anderson, Linn, Osage,
and parts of Miami, along the northern line of
damarkation. All these counties are in some
degree supplied with coal. Whether the whole
area is underlaid with coal or not can not be
definitely ascertained till a thorough geological
survey has been made. The general structure of
the rock is that of the productive coal measures
elsewhere found, and the experimental borings
have been sufficiently numerous, and attended
with such favorable results as to warrant the
belief that the deposits exist in paying quanti-
ties in most parts of the area above described."
The coal district of Cherokee County lies
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
almost in the north central part, believed to be
about 13 miles wide at the north line of the
county, and extending south through Chero-
kee, Mineral and Ross townships, into the north
sections of Crawford and Salamanca town-
ships, while on the west side, tending slightly
toward the southwest, it reaches over into
Sheridan and Lola townships. The whole area
possibly includes about 130 square miles. The
strata vary in thickness from one foot to four
feet. The upper stratum crops out at the
eastern edge of the district and dips toward the
northwest, as also do the deeper and thicker
strata. The quality of the coal is excellent for
all purposes, and to those owning the land and
those operating the mines the district is a source
of immense wealth. The whole area is a network
of railroad tracks, and the operations going
on present a scene of the intensest industrial
activity. It is believed by some who have given
the matter mature thought, that a much larger
area of the county will be found underlaid with
coal, when deeper prospecting is undertaken;
but so far no effort has been made to determine
the fact.
In the southeastern part of Cherokee
County, extending from the south line of the
State northerly for about 15 miles, there is a
strip of land about six miles wide beneath the
surface of which are some of the richest zinc
deposits to be found in the world. The zinc
district, in Cherokee County, lies along the
valley of Spring River, on either side of the
stream, and, taken in connection with the great
Joplin district, of which it is a part, it is known
wherever there is a commercial demand for the
rich ores here produced. Rich but smaller
deposits of lead are also found here. The oper-
ations which have been carried forward in the
mining of these ores are such as have literally
torn up the earth and rendered its surface, in
the immediated locality, forever unfit for till-
age ; for, in bulk, the ore is not more than one-
thousandth part of the earth and rock which
must be brought to the surface. Unless ef-
faced by soil-drifts or by some other great
physical changes, these earth-markings, it is
believed, will stand for thousands of years, long
after the civilization which now prevails upon
the earth shall have passed away.
In addition to the great deposits of coal,
lead and zinc which, taken in connection with
the fertile soils of the county, place it in the
first rank maong the wealth-producing parts of
the State, shale for brick-making, potter's clay
and building stone are found in quantities
which will lead, after a while, to the establish-
ment of particular industries requiring these
materials. There are quarries of sandstone
near Columbus from which the very best of
building stone is now taken in limited quanti-
ties ; but in time not far hence, when building
material of other kinds becomes more expensive
than at present, these quarries will be sought
to the extent of making it one of the chief in-
dustries of the county. Such may also be said
of the deposits of shale, the demand for which
is a constantly growing one.
Up to the present it has not been generally
believed that either gas or petroleum will be
found in paying quantities within the boundary
of the county, although deep wells bored for
water have given off small quantities of each.
When the well at Columbus ( 1 ,300 feet
deep) was bored for a water supply for
the city, gas strong enough to produce a
flame was given off for a time, and even yet,
after 18 years, the water sometimes brings up
light traces of petroleum. In the southwestern
part of the county there are places where petro-
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
*5
leiun exudes from the surface of the earth, and
in wells of moderate depth larger quantities are
sometimes found. No deep wells have been
put down in that part of the county, and the
question as to whether petroleum may be found
in paying quantities remains unsettled. How-
ever, the fact that the counties lying next west
of Cherokee contain gas and petroleum already
attracting wide notice and inducing the invest-
ment of millions of dollars stimulates the belief
that Cherokee County also possesses these stores
of natural wealth.
The fitness of the soils of Cherokee County
for agricultural purposes compares favorably
with a large number of other counties. In this
respect it is far ahead of many, while not
measuring up to a few. It is not generally as
fertile as the Kaw Valley, nor is it as productive
as some of the counties in the northeastern part
of the State; but in the responsiveness of its
soils and the readiness with which it assimi-
lates natural fertilizers it is equal to, if it does
not surpass, all other sections. The county
contains about 589 square miles, or about ^JJ,-
000 acres ; and, with the exception of a small
area in the southeastern part, it is all suited to
cultivation. As early as 1878 more than
147,000 acres were in cultivation, but of this
amount 32,500 acres were in meadow and
pasture. For that year the value of farm prod-
ucts was $966,634, not including the value de-
rived from fenced pasture lands. Of this
amount, $478,000 were derived from the value
of the corn crop, and $155,000 from that of
wheat, the corn acreage being more than three
times the acreage of wheat. Besides corn and
wheat, other crops are largely grown, such
as rye. barley, oats, buckwheat, sorghum,
kafir corn, millet, flax, castor beans, Irish pota-
toes, sweet potatoes, timothy, bluegrass, redtop
and orchard grass. Recently experiments have
been made with English bluegrass, while a few
have been engaged in testing the adaptability of
Bermuda grass.
THE EARLY SETTLING OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
The Passing of the Indian — Removal of the Cherokees from Georgia — The Chero-
kee Neutral Lands — The First White Settlements — The Cherokee Neutral
Lands Sold to the Confederacy — The Joy Purchase and the Troubles that
Followed — The Land League — Joy Sustained — The Townships, Cities and
Towns of the County — The First Settlers — The Old Settlers' Annual Re-
union.
THE PASSING OF THE INDIAN.
Indian tradition relates that before the com-
ing of the red man's pale-faced brother the
country lying west of the Mississippi River
and stretching away into the unknown, beyond
the setting of the sun, was a "happy hunting
ground." always to remain the possession of
the tribes which had wandered over it through
the unnumbered centuries of the past. The
wants of the tribes were few and primitive;
and their rude civilization had reached a point
beyond which they never would advance, so
that the land, yielding to them the fruits which
Nature would afford, was found always to meet
their simple requirements. But the possessions
of the red men were not destined to remain for-
ever undisturbed. The settling of the white
races along the Atlantic Coast, and their grad-
ual penetration of the forests westwardly.began
to be regarded by the Indians as the beginning
of the end of their long and uninterrupted hold-
ing of the country beyond the great river.
And so it was and so it ever will
be, so long as there is greed for gain
and the strong man is willing to take from
his weaker brother that which he rightfully and
innocently holds. It ought not to be thought
strange or wonderful that the Indian is of a sad
countenance, and that he has a far-away look
in his eye; the former has come to him from
the experience he has had in innocently en-
deavoring to hold his own ; the latter is the ex-
pression of his contemplation of the "happy
hunting ground," which the Great Spirit will
give him, where his possessions will never be
disturbed by the tread of his pale-faced brother.
This is his only hope ; for here his posessions
have been almost wholly taken from him, and
his habitation has become circumscribed within
limits which are a vexation to his naturally
roving spirit. He is not the builder of cities,
nor is he the projector of great and widely
extended commercial enterprises; but he does
love nature, and he silently pleads to be let
alone in the simple, primitive enjoyment,
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
27
which the unbroken plains and the primeval
forests bring him. The history of the passing
of the American Indian is a pathetic story.
It is fewer than three hundred years since
the white races began actively to dispos-
sess him of his rightful holdings ; but the
work is so far accomplished that little, if
anything, is left of his former glory; and
within another century the account will be
closed, and he will be known only in the annals
of what are called the higher civilizations,
which have slowly but rudely crowded him off
the earth.
t
REMOVAL OF THE CHEROKEES FROM GEORGIA.
Formerly the Cherokee Indians had their
hunting grounds in the hills and mountains of
the State of Georgia, where the government
had provided them a reservation. For many
years prior to 181 7 it had been urged that the
tribe was in the way of the rapidly enlarging
settlements of the white race, and it was as
strongly urged as necessary that the Indians
should "move on;" and it was as much de-
sired on the part of the Indians themselves, for
their habitation was being surrounded, and the
land which they possessed there was not suited
to their primitive wants. They were glad of
an opportunity to move westwardly. In the
year 181 7 the tribe was moved to Arkansas,
where they were granted lands, in exchange for
their Georgia holdings ; but it was not long
until another change was thought necessary.
In 1828 the government made another treaty
with them, the purpose of which was to secure
to the tribe "a permanent home, which should,
under the most solemn guaranty of the United
States, be and remain theirs forever ; a home
that should never, in all future time, be em-
barrassed by having extended around it the
lines, nor placed over it the jurisdiction of
any State or Territory, nor be pressed
upon by the extension over it, in any
way, of the limits of any existing State
or Territory." By this treaty the Cherokee
Indians exchanged their possessions in the
State of Arkansas, for 7,000,000 acres in what
was afterward known, and is yet known, as
the Indian Territory, lying west of Arkansas
and Missouri and south of Kansas; and this
they were to have and to hold forever. In ad-
dition to the freehold, which passed to them
under this treaty, they were guaranteed per-
petuity to have and enjoy an outlet to, and the
unmolested use of, the country lying west of
their ceded or purchased possessions, that coun-
try now comprised within the limits of Okla-
homa.
THE CHEROKEE NEUTRAL LANDS.
In the exchange of their Georgia posses-
sions, for the lands in Arkansas, there was a
money consideration, also, ' amounting to
$5,000,000, in favor of the Indians, and which
was not paid at the time of the treaty. Really,
at the time that the Cherokee Indians were
moved from the State of Georgia to the State
of Arkansas there was no exchange of lands;
the government gave them the Arkansas lands,
and in 1835 bought their Georgia lands for
$5,000,000, the government holding the money
in trust for the tribe. At the time of the treaty
of 1828, when 7,000,000 acres, now compris-
ing the Indian Territory, were ceded to the
Indians, they were dissatisfied, urging that the
tract would not be sufficient for their needs.
In order, therefore, to appease their dissatis-
faction, the government sold them a strip of
28
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
land, 25 miles wide and 50 miles long, lying
between the State of Missouri and the Osage
Reservation, for $500,000, to be deducted from
the $5,000,000 which the government owed the
Cherokee Indians for their Georgia lands. This
strip of land, which now comprises Cherokee
and Crawford counties, was then known as the
Cherokee Neutral Lands. We now come to
consider some of the more interesting incidents
relating to this much disputed district.
THE FIRST WHITE SETTLEMENTS.
As early as 1835 settlements by white men
began to be made in what is now Cherokee
County, although those who came knew that
the land belonged to the Cherokee Indians.
The white population grew very slowly. In
the year 1842 the government endeavored to
secure a tract of land on Spring River, on
which to build a fort. The land belonged to
John Rogers, and he demanded $4,000 for it.
The officer in charge of the company of soldiers
was not authorized to pay more than $1,000.
As a result of the failure to get the land, the
officer, under the direction of the Secretary
of War, selected the site of Fort Scott, and
there the fort was built and barracks erected
for the garrison. This change in the govern-
ment plan had the effect of checking what oth-
erwise would have been a brisk immigration
into the Indian lands; for in i860, 25 years
after John Rogers settled in what is now
Lowell township, Cherokee County, the white
population of the whole Cherokee strip was only
1,500. However, by the year 1858 the settlers
had become sufficiently numerous to give rise
to much dissatisfaction among the Cherokee
Indians; and in that year the government sent
Albert Sidney Johnston, who afterward be-
came a distinguished Confederate general, to
make a survey of the Cherokee lands, prepara-
tory to moving the settlers off the tract. The
survey being finished and duly reported to the
government, Captain Lyon, who in 1861 was
killed at the battle of Wilson's Creek, near
Springfield. Missouri, was sent from Fort
Scott, in 1859, with a battalion of soldiers, to
move the settlers off. The work was com-
pletely done; for, in addition to moving them
off, all their improvements were burned or
otherwise destroyed. James A. Sheridan, who
died in Columbus only a few years ago, and
who is widely remembered in Cherokee
County, was among the settlers who were com-
pelled to get off the lands.
THE CHEROKEE NEUTRAL LANDS SOLD TO THE
CONFEDERACY.
It is almost entirely unknown, among the
people now living within the limits of what
was formerly known as the Cherokee Neutral
Lands, now comprising Cherokee and Craw-
ford counties, that these lands were pro-slavery
territory for a time. On the first day of June,
1861, the council of the Cherokee Indians, act-
ing under authority of the tribe, sold these
■lands to the Confederate States of America,
then at war against the United States, for the
consideration of $500,000, of which amount
$250,000 were paid in gold, and $250,000 in
Confederate money. As a further obligation
on the part of the Indians, they agreed to, and
did, raise two regiments of soldiers for the
Confederate army, one commanded by Colonel
Standwattie, the other by Col. William Penn
Adair. Jefferson Davis sent Col. Albert Pike,
AXD REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
*9
as the representative of the Confederacy, to
conclude the treaty with the Cherokee Indians.
In 1866, D. C. Finn, who now lives in Colum-
bus, was sent from Topeka. by Governor Sam-
uel J. Crawford, to make an enumeration of the
settlers then living on the Cherokee Neutral
Lands, and also to circulate a petition among
them, asking that steps be taken toward organ-
izing Cherokee County. At the same time a
petition was signed by a large number of the
settlers, addressed to the President of the
United States, asking protection of the settlers
in their holdings. This petition was sent to
James H. Lane, then one of the United States
Senators from Kansas, and he presented it to
President Johnson. For a time the President
was undecided ; but Senator Lane, knowing
that five years before that time the Cherokee
Indians had sold the lands to the Confederacy,
and being well acquainted with Col. Albert
Pike, who made the purchase for the Confed-
eracy, hunted up Colonel Pike, who then lived
at Washington, and brought him before the
President, to make a statement concerning the
transaction. "Did you pay the Cherokee Indians
in Confederate money, for these lands?" asked
the President. "The consideration for the
lands was $500,000," said Colonel Pike; "of
this amount the Indians were paid $250,000
in gold, and $250,000 in Confederate money."
After considering the matter for a moment, the
President said : "In view of the fact that the
Cherokee Indians got value received for their
lands and passed title thereto to the Confed-
eracy, the lands properly belong to the United
States. The settlers will be protected, as far
as the Indians are concerned, until the status
of their treaty rights can be determined."
THE JOY PURCHASE AND THE TROUBLES THAT
FOLLOWED.
In August, 1866, a treaty was made be-
tween the government and the Cherokee Indi-
ans, whereby the Cherokee Neutral Lands were
conveyed to the United States, in trust, and the
Secretary of the Interior was made the agent
for selling the lands, sealed bids for which were
to be filed with him for the purchase of lands,
at not less than $1.25 an acre, no individual be-
ing permitted to buy more than 160 acres. But
this process was too slow for selling so large a
body of land as 800,000 acres. The Secretary
of the Interior, therefore, entered into a con-
tract, August 30, 1866, for the sale of the
whole tract ; but as the terms of the sale did not
require an immediate payment it was set aside.
An effort was then made to sell the whole tract
to General Fremont ; but this failed ; and it was
not until October 1, 1867, that a sale was
effected. At that time James F. Joy, of Michi-
gan, made a bid of $1 an acre for the entire
tract ; and this being the highest and best bid,
the contract was concluded. But all settlers
that had been in possession of claims prior to
August 10, 1866, were permitted to buy such
claims at the values set by a commission ap-
pointed for that purpose. These values ranged
from $1.50 to $4 an acre. Some negotiations
followed between the American Emigrant
Company and Mr. Joy, growing out of the fact
that this company was the grantee in the first
sale, which had been set aside for the reason that
the terms of the sale did not stipulate a cash-
down payment. The company claimed that it
was not any fault of theirs ; that the terms had
been agreed upon, and that the government
3°
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
ought to stand to it. These negotiations were
concluded, and the company, for a considera-
tion of which the narrative makes not mention,
transferred all its claims to Mr. Joy, and on
December 18, 1868, he opened a land office in
Fort Scott, offering the lands to individual
buyers, at prices ranging from $2 to $5 an
acre. Then it was that Mr. Joy's real trouble
began. He was confronted by a condition of
affairs more perplexing than the intricacies of
an Indian treaty. By the time that the lands
had become his, through purchase and pay-
ment, more than 1,000 white settlers had se-
lected claims upon the premises, and more than
5,000 people were living thereon; and they had
come to stay. They believed that the Joy pur-
chase was perpetrated as a fraud upon them ;
that the government was recreant in its duty to
protect the private citizen against the encroach-
ment of great aggregations of wealth.
Through the constant and persistent urging of
their rights, whether real or supposed, the Leg-
islature of the State took up the matter and
passed resolutions declaring that the Cherokee
Indians had never possessed any legal rights
to the lands in question ; that even granting
that they had, in the treaty of 1835, acquired
any rights, those rights had been parted with
when the Cheroke Indians ceded these lands
to the Confederacy, in 1861, at the Tahlequah
treaty; that when the United States took the
lands, in trust, from the Indians, in 1866, the
Indians had no title to pass, and that the trans-
action was void, for that reason.
THE LAXD LEAGUE.
At the time of which I now write, the set-
tlers had organized into an offensive and de-
fensive body known as the Land League. They
employed William R. Laughlin to present their
claims before Congress. He consulted with
William Lawrence, of Ohio, Benjamin F.
Butler, of Massachusetts, and George W.
Julian, of Indiana. These gentlemen did what
they could to determine the facts covering all
the treaties concerning these lands. This they
did in the light of the laws governing treaties ;
and it was their finding and opinion that
even if the Cherokee Indians had not parted
with their title, by passing it to the Confed-
eracy, the ceding of lands to Indian tribes does
not carry with it the right to alienate to others,
without the approval and ratification of the
government. On the other hand, it was held
that the Joy purchase was a valid one ; that the
title passed, in fee, and that the lands had been
legally conveyed to him. The controversy
grew warmer, and on the part of the League
grew intensely bitter. Persons entering land at
the Joy land office were in many instances
driven out. Capt. A. V. Peters, who had set-
tled in Spring Valley township, and had pur-
chased land through the Joy land office, was
served with the following notice :
Petersville, June 2, 1S69.
Mr. Peters — Dear Sir : I presented your case be-
fore the League last night, who, after consideration,
agreed to permit you to return, if you would sign an
obligation to refrain from speaking, acting, writing or
otherwise operating against the League, or object which
that institution may have in view. Said obligation is
in my hands, and the oath will be administered by me.
Please call at my house immediately after you return.
By order of the Spring Valley League.
William Hayhurst.
John T. Cox was the agent for the selling of
the Joy lands, with his office located at Fort
Scott. Many persons secretly bought land
through him, but did not take possesssion of it,
being intimidated by the League men, who had
Old Baptist Church, Columbus'
The first church built in Columbus; now used as a blacksmith shop.
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
33
close organization all over the lands in con-
troversy. As showing the unfriendly, not to
say hitter, feeling, the following resolutions,
passed by the Lincoln Township League, Craw-
ford County, are given in full :
First. Resolved, That if John T. Cox does establish
an office in Crawford County, Kansas, for the purpose of
affording the settlers an opportunity of "proving up,"
as it is termed, under this contract, we will hold the
same as a common nuisance, working hurt, doing in-
jury and annoying the people; and (the right of self-
preservation being the paramount law of nature), we
have the right to, and we will, abate such nuisance;
peaceably, if we can; forcibly, if we must.
Second. Resolved, That any member of our League
that shall refuse to assist in abating the said John T.
Cox and office shall have meted out to him like treat-
ment which we propose to John T. Cox.
Third. Resolved, That any person living in Lin-
'coln township who shall, after this date, "prove up''
before the said John T. Cox, under the Joy contract,
shall have the same or like treatment administered to
him.
Fourth. Resolved, That any one sympathizing witli
or aiding or abetting the said John T. Cox, in establish-
ing or maintaining his nuisance, is no better than he is,
and deserves the like treatment.
Fifth. Resolved, That any settler belonging to this
League who will remain firm and not "prove up," shall
be protected ; and any one "proving up," or buying such
settler's claim, shall never enjoy the land ; that we
pledge ourselves to hang him higher than Haman, and
that without benefit of clergy.
Sixth. Resolved, That we mean action, and that we
will put the above resolutions in force, and that we will
make an example of the first person that violates any
of these resolutions.
\V. G. Cunningham,
J. S. Armsworthy,
W. G. Clark,
Committee.
JOY SUSTAINED.
Things ran along much in this line for a
number of years, and during all the time there
was a vague uncertainty in public affairs, and
this stood in the way of building up the ma-
terial interests of the country. The people were
watchful of those coming in from other States,
for there was a determination, on the part of
the League, to force the Joy faction out of the
land, if within their power to do it. But the
tide finally turned. On June 10, 1869, troops
were sent into the Cherokee Neutral Lands.
These were infantry. Three other companies
joined them on August 5th, and with these a
detachment of artillery came, and later, on Octo-
ber 9th, a company of cavalry joined the forces
already in the field. Early in 1870 one com-
pany of infantry was withdrawn. The remain-
ing troops were held until 1872, as by that time
the force of the Leagues was reduced, and the
number of persons not belonging to it had
grown greater than those who belonged to or
sympathized with it. But the trouble was not
over until the matter had been taken to the
United States Supreme Court. A test-case
was brought for the purpose of determining
the validity of the Joy title to the lands in dis-
pute. This case was argued in the Supreme
Court, April 16 and 17, 1872, and the decision
was handed down November 18th of the same
year. The title of the case was: "Peter F.
Holden, Appellant, versus James F. Joy. Ap-
pellee." Benjamin F. Butler, William Law-
rence and W. S. Rockwell were the attorneys
for Holden, who represented the interests of
the Land Leagues, and B. R. Curtis and Wil-
lard P. Hall were the attorneys for Mr. Joy.
The opinion is set out in full in Book 21 of the
Supreme Court Reports (The Lawyers' Co-
operative Publishing Company's Edition,
1884), beginning at Page 523, and through the
opinion Mr. Joy's title to the lands was de-
cided valid. Practically, this was the end of
34
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
the operations of the Land League. In the
meantime Mr. Joy had sold the lands to the
Missouri River, Fort Scott & Gulf Railroad
Company, and it was for the protection of the
railroad company's interests that troops had
been kept in Cherokee and Crawford counties,
from June 10, 1869, until December, 1872.
The Supreme Court having decided the mat-
ter in favor of Mr. Joy, the troops were with-
drawn. Peace then settled over the broad and
generally untouched prairies. Up to Decem-
ber 31, 1870, the railroad company had sold
283,012 acres of the land, and had taken in
$1,705,398, and the company yet owned about
400,000 acres, much of which was afterward
sold at higher rates. These figures pertain to
the whole tract of land formerly known as the
Cherokee Neutral Lands, now embraced within
Cherokee and Crawford counties.
Before leaving this particular subject, we
deem it not improper here to relate a matter
which, as far as we now know, has never been
put into print. Through his connection with
the controversy between the early settlers and
James F. Joy, Benjamin F. Butler's attention
was attracted to the natural resources of Chero-
kee County, and particularly to the water
power of Spring River. He sent an agent here
to make an investigation of the stream, and it
was understood at that time that it was his in-
tention to buy up the land on each side of the
river, build dams for securing the water power
and to establish a number of manufacturing
industries, an enterprise such as is now being
put forward by The Spring River Power Com-
pany, and which is even now well under way.
General Butler died before anything had been
done beyond the examination into the feasi-
bility of the project, but it is believed that he
fully intended to go forward with the work,
which, had he lived, would doubtless have been
completed long ago.
THE TOWNSHIPS, CITIES AND TOWNS OF THE
COUNTY.
Cherokee County is divided into 14 munici-
pal townships, which, beginning in the north-
east corner of the county, and alternating east
and west, are named as follows : Pleasant
View, Cherokee, Mineral, Ross, Sheridan;
Lola, Salamanca, Crawford, Shawnee, Lowell,
Garden, Spring Valley, Lyon and Neosho.
The cities and towns are located as follows :
Columbus, in Salamanca; Galena and Empire
City, in Lowell ; Baxter Springs, in Spring
Valley ; Scammon, in Mineral ; Weir City, in
Cherokee ; Mineral City, in Ross. The towns
are as follows : Lawton, Pleasant View and
Kniveton, in Pleasant View; Turck and Stipp-
ville, in Mineral ; Cokedale, Folsom and Stone
City, in Ross ; Sherman City, in Sheridan ;
Hallowell and Sherwin, in Lola ; Quaker Val-
ley, in Crawford; Crestline and Peacock, in
Shawnee; Lowell, in Garden; Neutral, in
Spring Valley ; Keelville, in Lyon ; Melrose and
Faulkner, in Neosho.
THE FIRST SETTLERS
That came to what is now Cherokee County
were David M. Harlan, Richard Fields, George
Fields, John Rogers and Dennis Wolf. Har-
lan settled two and a half miles east of the pres-
ent site of Baxter Springs. John Rogers set-
tled where the town of Lowell now stands,
while the Fields brothers and Wolf settled far-
ther north, all in what is now Garden town-
ship. They came in 1835. All these men were
one-fourth Indian blood; their wives were
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
35
white women. All of them were natives of
Georgia, and were of the Cherokee tribe. Har-
lan and Rogers were commissioners in behalf
of the Cherokees in the treaty of 1817, when
the Indians were ceded lands in Arkansas, and
afterwards in the Indian Teritory. These
men had some kind of misunderstanding with
their tribal officers in the Territory, and on
account of this they, with their families, with-
drew and came north. Mrs. Lucinda Harlan
Willard, who now lives in Baxter Springs,
and who is a daughter of David M. Harlan,
was born two and a half miles east of Baxter
Springs. June 28, 1840. She is now 64 years
old, and she has lived all her life in this county.
I visited her at her home, on June 24, 1904,
when she talked freely about the incidents of
the early days. When a child she saw deer,
antelope and buffalo in large herds by day,
and at night she often heard the coyotes and
gray wolves as if the whole earth were alive
with them. According to the information ob-
tained from her, A. Baxter, who laid a claim,
where the big spring flows out of the hill, from
which Baxter Springs was named, settled there
about the year 1850. He came from some
place in Missouri, and after settling near the
spring he built a small tavern, for the accom-
modation of the few travelers passing over the
country in those days. He did not seem to
care much for the accumulation of property.
Living was cheap, game was plentiful, and he
was satisfied with making a little money. He
was an infidel and in some other ways a hard
man. He got into trouble with a man by the
name of Commons, who had settled on the
east side of Spring River, about three miles
northeast of Baxter's place; he wanted the
claim on which Commons had located, and he
threatened violence, if Commons refused to
move off. Baxter probably wanted the claim
for his son-in-law, who is said to have been
a nondescript character and a kind of depend-
ent. Baxter, accompanied by his son-in-law
and another man, whose names I have not
been able to get, went across the river and
started up toward where Commons lived, for
the purpose of driving out the latter. Com-
mons, in some way, heard that they were com-
ing, and he called in a friend to help him in the
defense of his rights, the possession of the
claim. As Baxter and his companions ap-
proached the log house in which Commons and
his force were fortified, they opened fire on
Baxter and his companions. The fire was re-
turned. Baxter and his son-in-law were killed,
as was the man whom Commons had called in
to aid in repelling the invasion. There was not
much excitement over the tragedy, chiefly for
the reason that there were not many people to
become excited. The remaining part of Bax-
ter's family, when the war came on, joined
their fortunes with the Confederacy, went
south and were never heard of any more. Da-
vid M. Harlan, Mrs. Willard's father, lived
several years after the close of the war; but
of John Rogers, the Fields brothers and Dennis
Wolf little, if anything, is known as to what be-
came of them. Upon the scenes of those early
days the curtain has fallen. Later events have
come trooping on down through the years, and
the perspective of memory, with those who can
recall much of that which entered into the for-
mer annals of the land, narrows down to a
mere point in the distance. Beyond that one
has to depend upon tradition, whose weak and
often broken threads give but a vague, uncer-
tain conception of the incidents of prehistoric
times. Here are found the mists and the shad-
ows which dim the vision, and which, like the
36
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
mantle of charity, shut out many a grewsome
scene. The historian must content himself this
side of the line which lies between tradition and
the field of known facts.
It is thought best to take up the townships
in the order in which they are usualy men-
tioned, and give what facts can be obtained of
their early settlers. Some of these facts will
give to some of the townships a larger men-
tion that can be made of others, for the reason
that a few persons have done what they can to
aid in this work, while others, though equally
interested, have given it no attention at all.
Pleasant View. — This township, in the
northeast corner of the county, had a few very
early settlers ; and it was due chiefly to this fact
that the town of Pleasant View, if it was ever
proper to call it a town, was the first county
seat, a distinction which the historian must not
overlook. Walter Merrick was about the first
settler in the township. He was born in Jasper
County, Missouri, in 1841. When he was 20
years old, he enlisted in the 6th Kansas Cav-
alry and served to the close of the w T ar. In
1865 he moved to Cherokee County, settling in
this township, where he now lives, and where
he owns a fine farm. John H. Scott, now liv-
ing in Columbus, came to the township in
1866; and about the same time John Rawlings,
Henry Stuckey, Lawrence Conklin and Joseph
Galpine settled in the township. There were
some incidents out of the ordinary run of
things, even in frontier life. A man, whose
name I have been unable to get, was seined out
of Spring River, near Merrick's ford, near
Waco, Missouri; and a man by the name of
Wyrick was suspected of being his murderer.
Both had lived in Pleasant View township.
Another man by the name of Estes was sus-
pected as being associated with Wyrick in the
foul deed. The few settlers in the township
got together and ran them out of the coun-
try. They never returned. About that time a
man by the name of Gifford was suspected of
stealing cattle. He was taken out by the
people and hanged to a tree, in broad day light.
Nothing was said of the matter ; and there was
no effort made to prosecute those engaged in
the execution of the spspected man. It was in
the manner of frontier life, before there were
any courts in the county, and the people would
not wait the slow processes of law which would
make it necessary to take the case to the court
at Fort Scott. As early as 1868 Harry Hem-
ming, A. O. Webb. Henry Rice, John H. Dyer,
Levi Keithley. A. Lamb, G. Keith, S. B. Crist
and James H. Dyer were among the citizens of
Pleasant View township. There was also P.
Pattyson and D. A. Stephens.
Cherokee. — This township formerly in-
cluded what is now known as Mineral town-
ship; and a mentioning of the old settlers will
include those who came to both, or the terri-
tory now covered by both. Among the early
settlers of the township may be mentioned :
D. M. Easley, H. A. Markham, William Vin-
cent, M. Burns, H. J. Helmick, W. H. Hill,
Byron Potter, William H. Baker, W. Ellis, W.
C. Davis, James Kennedy, Darius Pattyson, F.
V. Henry, A. Louther and James H. Story.
The dates of the settlement of these can not
now be given ; but it is of record that they were
citizens of the township at an early time in the
history of the county.
Ross. — This township lies west of the pres-
ent township of Mineral, and east of Sheridan.
C. C. Hyde, G. M. Edgemond. H. G. May.
Isaac Parker, A. Hillard, A. B. Kirk. O. B.
Ferris, I. N. Smith. B. F. Wells, M. Allen,
J. F. Rice, William Benham, Daniel Edge-
AXD REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
37
mond, William Whitson, J. M. Wills, D. Wick-
off, R. M. Elliott, J. M. Jordan, George Mc-
Clure, S. Sellers, W. Evans, George W. Hoyt
and Walter B. McCormick, came early to the
township and were prominently known in its
affairs.
Sheridan. — The following names may be
taken from among the first settlers of Sheri-
dan township : Wesley Howard, W. H. An-
gell, Alfred Landstrum, M. B. Clingler, John
M. Maher, Alfred Spence, S. B. Matthews,
William McGibony, William Westervelt,
Stephen McClure, L. C. Branson, Robert Rat-
cliff and William Savers.
Lola. — Jacob Galer, Samuel Megenity,
Joseph T. Martin. William Smith. W. W.
Warren. H. E. Durkee, William Rogers, C. A.
McNeill, William A. Clevenger, John Buck-
master, W. Dunbar, G. Dobbins, Clinton Mc-
Mickle, W. C. Pender, Samuel Ollenger, T. S.
Cookston, James Pendergrass, and Alvin Gar-
rison came early to what is now Lola township.
Salamanca. — This township had its share
of the early settlers. John Whitcraft, who is
76 years old, and who now lives in Columbus,
came to the township in April, 1866. He kept
a little store at Millersburg, the glory of which
has long since passed away-; and there he sold
goods and provisions to the few settlers then
there, whose manners and customs were primi-
tive and simple, and whose wants were few
and easily satisfied. Eugene F. Ware, now
United States Commissioner of Pensions, who
came to Cherokee County, with his brother,
and was taking his place among the early set-
tlers, was one of Mr. Whitcraft's best cus-
tomers. Mr. Ware was a young man, who
had laid a claim on a quarter section up in
Ross township, and he was then breaking the
virgin soil, with a big plow drawn by four yoke
of oxen. He was a sturdy yeoman among his
fellows, all of whom liked him for his sim ■
plicity of manner, his sterling integrity and his
native brilliancy of intellect. Mr. Ware yet
owns a large and very valuable tract of land in
Ross township. Of the other settlers of Sala-
manca township mention must be made of
James, George and Hamilton Corbin, three
brothers who came in 1865, or early in 1S66.
They were here before John Whitcraft came.
H. A. Scovell, who now lives in Columbus,
and his brother, Hannibal Scovell, who lives in
Galena, laid claim on the east half of section 13,
Salamanca township, in the fall of 1867. H.
A. Scovell sold his claim to S. S. Smith, and
Hannibal Scovell sold his to George Souder.
A part of the city of Columbus stands on this
tract of land, and the principal street of the
city runs transversely across it, from east to
west. Other names of early settlers of this
township are : F. Fry, John Appleby, Charles
E. Hyde, A. Hudson, Daniel Johnston, Wil-
liam Swanson and Merida Allen.
Crawford. — J. P. Hanson, now living in
Columbus, came to Crawford township No-
vember 9, 1867. He at once took a claim on
the southwest quarter of section 18, in that
township. John Davis settled on Brush Creek,
about two miles east of Columbus, in 1865.
William Davis came the next year. James F.
Pitzer and Zabrina Williams came in the spring
of 1867. W. H. Layne also came at that time.
Mr. Layne was afterward elected sheriff. He
yet lives in the county. Some of the
early settlers are : C. W. Willey, Andrew Hus-
ton, J. S. Vincent, William Baker, Milton
Douglass, E. W. Hall, William Horner, W.
S. Martin, and G. W. Wood.
Shawnee. — The following settlers came to
Shawnee township as early as 1866: H. G.
38
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
Clem, Matthew Raulston, J. R. Burrows, A.
Lynch, E. C. Wells, G. Hutsell, J. J. Wells,
Philip Cogswell, John Bird, John Springer;
and later came R. D. Ellis, Zimri Dixon, F.
M. Beatty, E. D. Lutes, John Robinson, Clem-
mons Lisle, Dr. Harrington, Dr. Calvin C.
McDowell. Wirt McDowell, Henry Wiggins,
Joseph McBride, Jacob Martin, Riley Burris,
William Lewis, S. J. Ellis and Basil Wiggins.
The first Methodist church organized in the
county was organized at the house of Dr. Mc-
Dowell, who was a prominent leader in that
denomination. Mrs. Gates, who now lives in
Columbus, was one of the members. Shaw-
nee township was more thickly settled at first,
on account of the woodlands along the streams,
and on account of the numerous springs of
good water.
Loiicll. — Originally, the township of Low-
ell included what is now known as Garden
township. In giving the names of the first
settlers it is necessary to speak of the two as
one. Elsewhere in this chapter David M.
Harlan, George and Richard Fields. John Rog-
ers and Dennis Wolf are mentioned as settling
in this part of what is now Cherokee County.
They came in 1835, when the country was a
wilderness, 19 years before the territorial gov-
ernment of Kansas was organized. The next
settler was Charles D. Merrick, who came from
Jasper County, Missouri, and settled near the
present site of the town of Lowell, in 1842.
He was perhaps the first settler not of Indian
blood, except the wives of the first settlers men-
tioned in this paragraph. Later yet, among
the early settlers of the county, came J. J. Ken-
ley, Thomas Miller, J. M. Wilson, William
Hayhurst. J. M. Ritchey, H. R. Hubbard, John
Fisher, Thomas May, W. H. Peters and J. J.
Murray.
Garden.- — It has been my good fortune to
get from Henry Mitchell, an old settler of this
township, a carefully written history of its set-
tlement, or the settlement of that part of the
original territory of Lowell township which is
now known as Garden township. From his ac-
count I glean a large amount of interesting
matter. He speaks of David M. Harlan, James
and Richard Fields, Dennis Wolf, John Ely,
William Bly, Ira Goddard and a man by the
name of Rogers as having settled in what is
now Garden township. He speaks also of Cal-
vin James, who built some cabins on the west
side of Spring River, above the mouth of Shoal
Creek, and broke out some prairie land, which
land is now owned by the widow and children
of John Pearson. A school was taught there
by Penina Lisle, in 1859, which he says must
have been the first school taught in what is now
Cherokee County. In 1858 the lands west of
the James place were improved by Dr.
Dowdna, a Quaker from Barnesville, Ohio.
Dr. Dowdna planted a nursery containing 20,-
000 grafts, which was the first nursery in the
county. Some of the trees from this nursery
compose the old orchard on the Cox place: and
there is just one left on the site of the nursery.
Dr. Dowdna kept the. first post office estab-
lished in the county. Mr. Mitchell's account
of the killing of a man by the name of Baxter
varies some from the account given by Mrs.
Willard, mentioned elsewhere in this chapter.
Mr. Mitchell says that the tragedy grew out of
a quarrel between Baxter and a man bv the
name of Rogers, concerning a payment on a
land deal which had taken place some time be-
fore. It seems that Baxter had a widowed
daughter by the name of Carr. She sold some
land to Rogers, and he, in turn, sold it to
David B. Commons. The quarrel between
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
39
Baxter and Rogers occurred in i860. Both
were killed, as also a man by the name of Mor-
ris. In the fall of 1862 Mr. Commons was
compelled to move his family away, on account
of the war. He moved to Coffey County,
where he died in the fall of 1863. At the close
of the war Mrs. Commons and the children
returned to the old home, where she died in
1893. George O. Harvey, who now lives in
the Quaker Valley, married a daughter of Mrs.
Commons. In i860 Thomas Archer, a son-in-
law of David M. Harlan, lived on the place
known as the Hinkle farm, just south of Stan-
ley mines. The place now owned by George
Wallace, on the east side of Lowell prairie, is
the place where David M. Harlan settled in
1835. In the year 1858, Benjamin Hiatt, a
Mr. Jennings, a Mr. Spurgeon and a Mr. Stiles
came from Tennessee and settled on the prairie
now bearing the name of that state. At the
close of the war Benjamin Meeker, Andrew
Wooten and Benjamin Pickett came on a tour
of inspection. Meeker purchased the claim of
a man by the name of Heep, and moved on it
on February 26, 1866. In January of that year
George \V. Fulkerson, with a son and daugh-
ter, came to the township, from Linn County,
Kansas; and in March of that year, David
Bodlv, Alonzo Adams Green, Thomas and Al-
bert McDowell came into the community. La-
fayette McDowell came later. He improved a
place and sold it to C. W. Harvey in 1867.
Ephraim Harvey and sons now own the place.
Spring Valley. — Some of the old settlers of
this township came at an early time. Of some
of these I shall give an account in the history
of Baxter Springs, in this volume. Among
those found among the records are the follow-
ing: E. J. Trimble, T. D. Lake, J. Sloan, J.
S. King, William H. Chew, W. P. Eddy, 6.
P. Farley, Thomas Pennington, Andrew J
Williams, G. Van Winkle, L. P. Johnson. J
M. Raney, H. S. Ross, A. P. Steel, C. M. Tay-
lor, J. M. Davis, S. B. Apple, Charles Eddy.
A. C. Griffin, M. J. Vance, Thomas Griffith
L. A. Gibbons and E. W. Leake.
Lyon. — Leander Mulliken, E. Holcomb
S. T. Kennedy, John Peterson, O. O. Potter
C. A. Williamson, A. S. Dennison, C. D. Price
C. T. Cowan, H. Reynolds and C. H. Cornish
are some of the first settlers. To these may be
added F. M. B. Amos, E. Botsford and J.
Cooper. These may not include the very first
settlers in Lyon township, but they are among
those who took an active part in affairs of the
township as early as 1869.
Neosho. — Prominent among the early set-
tlers of Neosho township these names may be
mentioned : A. J. Eggy, James Norris, S. W.
Vanatta, D. P. Bullock, J. C. Kimmons, J.
Kelsow, James Songer, L. N. Beaman, D. J.
Churchhiil, FI. H. Abbott, F. J. Jones, N. C.
Turner, W. W. Hinton, J. P. Owens, A.
Dolby, J. N. Box, J. D. Dunaway, Ira Wilson
and L. F. McAleer. Also E. M. McPherson,
W. E. Brooks, Hugh Smith and S. F. Mc-
Aleer.
THE OLD SETTLERS' ANNUAL REUNION.
The people of Cherokee County, like those
of the other parts of the State of Kansas, are
extremely social. With the older settlers, when
they have finished their chase after fortune,
some now resting at ease in the enjoyment of
that which they have accumulated, while others
are nervous and restless over what they con-
sider to be failure, there is a disposition occa-
sionally to get together and talk over the inci-
dents of early life in the county, in the doing
4o
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
of which memories may be refreshed and many
an event recalled which had become obscure
through the winding vicissitudes of busy lives.
Unlike the Athenians, who, it is said, delighted
in relating and hearing things which were new,
the people of Cherokee County are fond of
dwelling upon things which run back to the
old days. The mists of time-dust may hang
over the scenes, and the perspective of inter-
vening years may narrow down an event to a
mere outline, so that none but the sharp partic-
ulars can be seen ; but the scenes seem the more
interesting because the more removed, as dis-
tance lends enchantment to the view.
About the year 1893 the Cherokee County
Old Settlers' Reunion was organized, in con-
nection with the county fair, then being held
annually, on the old fair ground, in the north-
west part of Columbus. A. S. Dennison was
elected the first president, and E. R. Pattyson
was the first secretary. It was the plan to hold
it annually ; but the county fair for want of
interest on the part of the people, was not held
the next year, nor at any following year. The
reunion was discontinued with the fair. One
or two years afterward, S. O. McDowell, then
mayor of the city of Columbus, agitated the
matter of reviving the reunion, claiming that
it would be sustained, if held apart from any
other association. It was reorganized, and the
park in the southern part of the city was se-
cured for holding it. S. O. McDowell was
elected president, and he held the office for two
years. The association did not get along very
well, and be urged that it be abandoned ; and
so it was; but the people the next year reor-
ganized it and elected A. S. Dennison its presi-
dent, and he was five times reelected. He was
succeeded by W. J. Moore, and he by E. R. Pat-
tyson, who was president for the year closing
in August, 1904. The officers of the associa-
tion, for the year ending August, 1905, are:
A. S. Dennison, president; J. Wilbur Logan,
secretary; John E. Tutton, treasurer; and S.
P. Salisbury, manager of the grounds.
The primary object of the reunion associa-
tion was to provide for an annual meeting of
the old settlers of Cherokee County, to be held
during four days, beginning on Tuesday after
the first Monday in the month of August ; and
growing out of this purpose, as incidental
thereto, it was to afford an opportunity for
speeches, historical and biographical sketches,
the reading of manuscripts, papers and for such
other communications as would pertain to the
history of the county, from its first settlement
on down to the present. In a sentence, it was
for the purpose of keeping alive a correct
knowdedge of the events which ought to enter
into and make up the social history of the
county, in a way of such interest as would hold
the people in a sufficient fondness of the mat-
ter to prompt them to keep the organization
alive and active and to continue it through the
generations as they in turn take their places as
the years go on. Unhappily, the real purpose
of the association has not been attained. It re-
quired some money, though not much, to get
the matter under way, and to keep it going;
and, in order to raise such money, a casting
about was indulged for the employment of
some expedient to that end. The amusement
idea was suggested, and it was as readily taken
into the plan. Here lies the danger to the life
and effectiveness of the association. The
amusement feature, being considered essential
to the material support of the undertaking,
must be nourished and maintained; if nour-
ished and maintained, it must grow ; if it con-
tinues to grow, it will overshadow all other
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
41
considerations, and as a result the old-settler
feature will die out and disappear. Even now,
lh' iugh the organization is young, the books
and papers of the association have been lost,
and little, if anything, has been done toward
preserving a well formulated history of the
county.
It is beginning to be felt, on the part of the
oldest settlers of the county now living, that the
primary purpose of the association must be
better guarded and protected, which it is pos-
sible to do without making the meetings less
attractive to all classes that it is right and
proper to be received on the grounds. The
best thought will be followed, and whatever
wrong or injurious features that have been per-
mitted will be quietly left off, while others,
looking to better results, will be added.
Among the attractions which have been
profitably employed is that of having speeches,
essays, addresses, historic descriptions, a pro-
gram of vocal and instrumental music and an
occasional light play. Among the local speak-
ers who along through the years have ad-
dressed the association are : Judge W. B.
Glasse, E. M. Tracewell, Col. R. W. Blue,
Judge A. H. Skidmore, R. M. Cheshire, Judge
Edward E. Sapp, W. J. Moore, William F.
Sapp, Dr. Martin, G. W. Canfield, C. S. Bow-
man, Henry Mitchell, Mrs. Sarah Edgemond,
W. R. Cowley, Senator M. A. Housholder and
John R. Wright. Speakers from abroad have
been Judge H. G. Webb, Editor Price, of Cher-
okee, Kansas, Congressman S. S. Kirkpatrick,
Congressman A. M. Jackson, Rev. Mr. Bram-
hall, Congressman Charles Curtis, Congress-
man Phil Campbell, Clarence Lansdon, and
Mr. Flannagan, of Charthage, Missouri.
As indicating the interest which the old set-
tlers take in the meetings of the association,
and as showing that my criticism of its plan,
expressed in one of the foregoing paragraphs,
may not be altogether proper, it is thought to
be an encouraging matter to give a list of the
old settlers, whose names were taken at the last
two days of the association's meeting in Au-
gust, 1904. They are the names of those who
actually attended the meetings at that time.
The locations given are the locations of the set-
tlements, and not the places where the persons
now live. The list begins with those who came
first, and the order is followed throughout :
Year 1840; Mrs. A. Willard, formerly
Miss Harlan, born in what is now Garden
township.
Year 1842; Walter Merrick, then one year
old, was brought by his parents to what is now
Garden township. The family moved back to
Jasper County, Missouri, in 1843.
Year 1865 ; Walter Merrick, Pleasant View
township ; David Treat.
Year 1866; J. H. Galpine, Pleasant View
township; S. D. Newton, Lyon township; Dr.
J. W. Jane, Baxter Springs; W. H. Layne,
Crawford township; Mrs. Rose Maxton,
Crawford township ; Mrs. Mary Ridge, Sheri-
dan township; Leslie Patterson, Ross town-
ship; H. S. Davis, Baxter Springs; G. W. Can-
field, Lola township ; John A. Rawlings, Pleas-
ant View township; John Whitcraft, Ross
township; W. N. Stowell, Spring Valley town-
ship ; J. G. Coldiron, Pleasant View township ;
W. H. Peters, Lowell township; B. Alsenz,
Spring Valley.
Year 1867; C. W. Harvey, Lowell town-
ship; Fred Bennett, Pleasant View township;
William March, Baxter Springs; W. A. El-
liott; Benjamin Capron, Crawford township;
Ira Easterling, Crawford township; Mr.
and Mrs. A. S. Dennison, Baxter Springs;
42
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
C. H. Scott, Pleasant View township; Hanni-
bal Scovell and H. A. Scovell, Columbus;
James Hanson, Crawford township ; E. R. Pat-
tyson, Pleasant View township ; William Ba-
ker, Crawford township; Joseph Wallace,
Spring- Valley township; Mrs. Odell Filler,
Columbus; T. J. Wilson, Sheridan township;
E. B. Older, Baxter Springs; George Craw-
ford, Crawford township ; W. P. Eddy, Spring
Valley township.
Year 1868; C. N. Wager, Pleasant View
township ; Matthias Hook, Lola township ;
G. W. Douglass, Crawford township ; J. W.
Jacobs, Spring Valley township; C. A. Mid-
daugh, Columbus ; George Martin, Lola town-
ship.
Year 1869; C. W. Thomas, Pleasant View
township; C. J. Peterson, Shawnee township;
A. D. Watts, Ross township; C. A. McNeill
and E. V. McNeill, Lola township; R. D.
Ellis and J. H. Ellis, Shawnee township ;
W. V. York, Shawnee township; John
Albertson, Mineral township; H. R. Sadler,
Crawford township ; Henry Howey, Pleasant
View township ; Mrs. Anna Lisle, Columbus ;
Jerry Schock, Columbus ; W. A. Brentlinger.
Year 1 870 ; Gus Foster, Columbus ; James
Broadley, Neosho township ; John Grow, Ross
township; Leander Mulliken, Lyon township;
H. Kinnaman, Spring Valley township ; E.
Chase and J. P. Parr, Salamanca township;
Theodore Goldsbury, Columbus; A. T. Lea,
Columbus; Fred Cowley, Columbus: William
Miller, Spring Valley township ; S. W. Smith,
Lola township.
Year 1871 ; J. R. Carter, Salamanca town-
ship ; B. W. Martin, Columbus.
Year 1872; John Ratcliff, Salamanca town-
ship; W. B. Lowry; John Hogg, Columbus; J.
T. Small, Pleasant View township.
Year 1873; A. B. Saunders, Columbus; J.
C. Broadley, Neosho township; John Gray,
Mineral township; J. H. Rhea; Lewis Prell,
Spring Valley township; P. F. Shackle, Co-
lumbus; L. M. Holmes, Salamanca township;
Mrs. Kate Vincent Cool, Columbus; J. A.
Miller, Mineral township; M. R. Chiisman,
Columbus.
Year 1874; James Skidmore, Columbus;
A. J. Jameson, Columbus; George M. Barrick.
Lola township; C. W. Raymer, Lyon town-
ship; W. Fierce, Neosho township; Phil C.
Metzler, Mrs. Margaret Metzler and Mrs.
Kate Gallagher, Columbus; Mrs. Mary Goes.
Year 1875; Dr. J. O. Houx, Columbus;
L. W. Medlin, Lowell township.
Year 1876; John Huff, Shawnee township;
S. P. Salisbury, Quaker Valley; A. H. Skid-
more, Columbus.
Year 1877; W. J. Houston, Pleasant View
township; W. R. Elliott, Galena; Mrs. Hattie
DeVoe Capron, Crawford township ; W. B.
Stone, Galena.
Year 1878; C. M. Skinner, Salamanca
township; J. C. Babb, Galena; William Mas-
ters and Charles E. Masters, Salamanca town-
ship ; W. L. Ireland, Neosho township ; T. J.
Skinner, Salamanca townsHp.
Year 1879; Mrs. Susan Pennock; J. C.
Mahood, Galena; C. D. Ashley, Columbus;
Mrs. Ellen Richardson and Mrs. Fred Cowley,
Columbus ; M. A. Housholder, Columbus.
Year 1880; E. B. Davis, Lyon township;
Andrew Shearer, Lyon township; E. W. Coo-
ter, Salamanca township; J. C. Little. Colum-
bus.
Year 1881 ; Michael Mover and George
Moyer, Salamanca township; R. A. Burton,
Lola township; H. M. Schock, Columbus; C.
C. Thompson, Salamanca township.
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
43
Year 1882; James Morrow, Lyon town-
ship; T. G. Hicks; W. C. B. Davis, Lyon town-
ship ; L. S. Tanquary, Columbus ; C. H. May,
Ross township.
Year 1883; J. S. Moore; M. R. Steward
and B. F. Steward, Columbus ; J. H. Arm-
strong, Salamanca township; Isaac Wright
and Mrs. Iowa Wright, Columbus ; Mrs. Ida
Archer, Columbus.
Year 1884; W. L. Hamlet, Shawnee town-
ship; Mr. and Mrs. A. Miller, Columbus; R.
M. Cheshire, Columbus; W. B. Duncan, Sala-
manca township.
The foregoing list may not include, and
perhaps does not include, all the old settlers
that attended the reunion. The names of those
who have lived in the county fewer than 20
years were not sought, as it is an unwritten
rule that one is not an old settler until he has
been in the county 20 or more years.
SOME EARLY DOCUMENTS, LETTERS AND OTHER THINGS.
After I had about completed the history of
Cherokee County, using such material as it had
been my fortune to secure, it chanced that a
number of documents, letters and other things
came into my possession. They are here given
as additional information concerning the early
struggles of the people who came to make
homes in the Cherokee Neutral Lands district.
Some of these old papers will be read with
much interest by the early settlers yet living,
while the younger generations cannot fail of
being impressed with an idea of the hardships
which their ancestry bore, for the sake of their
own immediate comfort and the yet greater
comfort and happinesss of their descendants.
In 1867, William H. Dodge published a
little pamphlet, entitled "Dodge's Sectional
Map of the Cherokee Neutral Lands," with a
description of the country and an invitation to
immigrants. A good copy of the map itself
is not available for reproduction, but the pam-
phlet is interesting, as it is a rather minute de-
scription of the country. In his preface Mr.
Dodge says :
"The many favorable accounts of the Cher-
okee Neutral Lands I received, while vainly
searching for United States Public Lands, on
which to make a home, in Southwest Missouri,
induced me to go and see it; and on reaching
it, I learned that the treaty with the Cherokee
Indians, by which these lands were obtained
for white settlement, was so framed by the
commissioners who treated for the lands as to
give railroads and other land speculating com-
panies an immense advantage over the settlers,
who are justly fearful that some 'trick of state-
craft' so often practiced now-a-days by our
government officials, will deprive them of their
little improvements, and to prevent which they
are organized in neighborhood clubs. As no
correct information could be got (without per-
sonal inspection) of the character of these
lands, or the late surveys of it, to guide the
emigrant, or to enable many of the settlers to
get the numbers of the lands they are on, to-
gether with the many rumors of these lands
being sold in a body to this, that or the other
land speculating company, increasing the ap-
prehension of the settlers, and creating the
general belief that the Secretary of the Inte-
rior, the commissioners, half the members
of Congress, and all the Railroad Companies
were designing another gigantic land swindle
to rob the settlers and emigrants of their hard
earnings, I resolved to make a complete and
correct map of the country, while in it. which
I did by tracing the section lines, and wrote
out, as best I could, the following imperfect
description of the country, and publish both to
induce and direct immigration to fill it up be-
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
45
fore government schemers can accomplish
their hellish design of enslaving western emi-
grants — the most useful class of American
citizens — by depriving them of this last chance
to get homes, without patronizing that mon-
strous and shameless curse to our country,
Land Speculators."
The author of the pamphlet then goes on
to give a description of his travels over the
entire Cherokee Neutral Lands district. That
part of his travels which relates to the lands
now forming Cherokee County is here given
in his own language :
"There is considerable settlements on
Lower Cow Creek and its tributaries. The
towns of Neutral City and Pleasant View are
located here on the military road. All the
good timber is claimed by settlers, but many
of these timbered claims are offered for sale
cheap, and immense tracts of excellent prairie
land lies here, yet unclaimed, inviting immi-
gration. Mills and machinery of every de-
scription is much needed here and would pay
handsomely for such enterprise.
"Went then to the Missouri line, fixing
the point where Spring River enters (the
state), and tracing it thence to where it makes
its final exit from the Neutral Lands, locating
its tributaries, Centre, Turkey, Short. Shoal,
Shawnee, and Crooked Creeks. Spring River
is a bold rapid stream of clear water, about
one hundred and fifty feet wide, ten inches
deep on the shoals at low water, running over
a rocky and pebble bed, and affording great
water power and fine mill seats. Shoal Creek, its
principal tributary, is nearly as large as Spring
River, and of the same character, affording
the same advantages — both skirted by large
bodies of good timber. The mill seats and
timber claims on these streams are all taken
up, some of them are offering for sale at from
$1,200 to $2,000.
"Timbered hills come quite down to
Spring River on the side next to Missouri,
along Shoal Creek, giving an abundance of
mill timber. Enterprising men are erecting
mills at and near the mouth of Shoal Creek,
where the town of Lowell is laid out, which
has superior advantages to build up a town.
With unsurpassed water power, an inexhaust-
ible supply of good timber in the midst of a
great farming country, and bounded by Long
and Tennessee prairies on the east, Round and
Kretchfield prairies on the north, Spring River
prairie on the south and the great fertile Neu-
tral Lands on the west, is destined to make a
considerable town in a few years.
"Baxter, two miles south of Lowell, west
side of Spring River, is a rival town. It at-
tained a start and some note as a military post
during the late war, but even with that start
it cannot compete with Lowell for manufact-
uring importance.
"Wirtonia, located at the forks of Shaw-
nee Creek, is another 'would-be town' like
Neutral City and Pleasant View, boasts of two
dwellings and a store, and all of them, with
Baxter, are making pretensions for the future
county seat of Cherokee County; but from
their geographical positions, and the general
wish of the settlers to locate the county seat
in the center of the county, I predict that
' neither of these places will get it. I would
respectfully suggest Centralia as a proper
place for the future county seat of Cherokee
County. It is a beautiful and elevated point,
commanding a very extensive view of the sur-
rounding country. The soil of the Spring
River country is generally a gray clay, grav-
elly in places, and said to be excellent for small
4 6
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
grain. There is also fine tracts of black land
in the valleys of Shawnee and Crooked Creeks,
well adapted to raising corn. * * * The
prairie near Spring River is rolling, with
many beautiful mounds and gentle elevations,
affording splendid building sites. * * *
Many springs of pure and some of mineral,
waters greet the traveler and emigrant to this
country, that gives it a peculiar charm and fas-
cinating interest. There is considerable set-
tlement here; new houses dotting the prairie
miles out from timber, indicating the indus-
try, and great numbers of the hardy frontiers-
men that have chosen these beautiful and fer-
tile lands for their future homes, and yet there
is room for four times as many more.
"Crossed westward over the high ridge, or
plain, that rises near Fort Scott, bending a
little westward around the head of Drywood
Creek runs thence — nearly due south the en-
tire length of the Neutral Lands, terminating
at the Blue Mounds in the government strip —
the projected Kansas City and Mexican Gulf
Railroad, by the way of Fort Scott and Fort
Gibson, will probably be located on this ridge
or plain, dividing, as it does, the streams that
run southeast into Spring River from those
that run southwest into the Neosho River.
"This plain, or table land, is of so easy
ascent and so broad that the traveler scarcely
knows when he is on top of it, which is gently
rolling * * * rising in places into mounds
and promontories where limestone and sand-
stone appear on the surface, and wide valleys
with gentle slopes between them.
"This vast prairie is generally good land —
black, red and gray clay soil, gravelly in
places, with occasional spots covered with an
incrustation of evaporated white salicious mat-
ter, miscalled 'alkali.' This vast prairie is al-
most uninhabited, but it will not long remain
so. as no part of it is too far from timber to
haul lumber for building, and there are signs
everywhere of stone coal to furnish fuel to
the thousands of families who will find here
the elements out of which to make comforta-
ble homes * * *.
"Continuing westward, traced Tar and
Keel creeks to where they pass the southern
boundary of Kansas into the Quap-paw lands.
Tar Creek is covered in places with a black
oily scum that oozes, out from its banks, indi-
cating the presence of petroleum somewhere
close by, perhaps in the coal beds underlying
the high plain just described, whose black soil
in many places looks greasy, which with this
tar on the water warrants me in pronouncing
this an oil region * * *.
"Traced Fly, Maple, Lost and Cherry
creeks and the Neosho River to the mouth
of Lightning Creek, which is a curiosity in
itself. The creek forks twice, and runs in
every direction, the prongs crooking and wind-
ing everyway and everywhere in dense tim-
"The Neosho River is a sluggish, deep
stream, about one hundred yards wide, of dirty
looking water; it is fordable for one on horse-
back sometimes, but it is not safe to cross at
some of the fords, as its banks are boggy in
places. There is a ferry near the mouth of
the Lebet River, from which point down the
Neosho may be made navigable for small
boats in the winter and spring seasons.
"The face of the country along the Neosho
is nearly level ; immense marshes, caused by
the overflow of the stream, extending along
them for miles * * *. These marshes
produce the finest grasses on which stock of
ever)' kind keep in good condition 'the year
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
47
round,' requiring very little feed or attention,
and which, if cut in proper season, makes ex-
cellent hay * * *.
"The west half of Cherokee County is
perhaps not so much settled as the east half,
and the people take less interest in public mat-
ters, such as securing the offices and getting
the county seat over to their side of the county,
but they are unanimously opposed to specula-
tion in land in all its forms, and in favor of the
county seat being made at the centre of the
county, and like the people of Crawford Coun-
ty are in favor of the county owning the sec-
tion of land the future county seat will be
built upon, which will give all the people an
equal benefit of the increased price of town
lots * * *. The general wish of the peo-
ple of Cherokee County to have the county seat
at the centre of the county, has induced some
'patriotic' persons to claim the town site I
have indicated on the map as Centralia, but
these 'public spirited men' have misjudged
the character of these honest, hardy frontiers-
men if they think to speculate in this way, for
if they are not willing to take a fair remunera-
tion for the improvements they hold, or may
claim to hold when the voice of the people
shall demand it in the name of the county,
they may be politely invited to leave the coun-
try."
After thus giving a running desciption of
the country, which will enable the reader to
get a generally fair idea of what it was before
any implements of tillage were applied to dis-
turb the virgin soil, the author proceeds to
issue an "Invitation to Emigrants ;" and with
the invitation he also lays down some sugges-
tions to those who may be mindful of journey-
ing to this goodly land. He also indulges in
what some may term vituperative censure of
the high officials of the day, who are mildly
charged with conspiring against the interests
of the people. Here is what he says :
"Having got around to where I com-
menced, completing the data to make a cor-
rect map of the Neutral Lands, it is my duty
to the people to extend to them the invitation
of the settlers, to all who want homes to emi-
grate to, and take possession of, these fine
farm lands, which will strengthen the cause of
the settlers against land speculators, and, by
virtue of great numbers, command the respect
of Congress, so as to get an act passed recog-
nizing the rights of the settlers.
"In the hope of contributing something to
this end, I will state a few facts that all may
know the unsearchable virtues ( ?) of some of
our government officials who, in place of being
our servants, try to become our masters.
"The Commissioners who made the treaty
with the Cherokee Indians, by which these
lands were obtained for white settlement, in-
serted two remarkable provisions in it, for
reasons best known to themselves and those
who sent them to make such treaty. One of
these provisions is that 'no preemption or
homestead claim shall be recognized, except
improvements made before the treaty, July,
1866!' when the country was occupied by In-
dians and no white settlers in it. This pro-
vision is contrary to existing laws making all
unappropriated lands of the United States or
Territories subject to the preemption and
homestead laws; the other and most extraor-
dinary provision of this treaty empowers the
Secretary of the Interior to sell the whole
eight hundred thousand acres in a body. This
again is a violation of the laws regulating the
sale of United States public lands in subdi-
visions by the local land officers, for which all
48
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
surveys are made. But these commissioners,
like many others of the 'big fish' of our times,
do not regard the laws or care what becomes
of the 'small fry,' where there is a chance of
getting rich by violating law and the plain
principles of justice, if there is any possibility
of succeeding in such unprincipled villainy.
I don't make any charges against those silk
stocking government gentlemen ; but I ask
all sensible men if these unusal, unnecessary
and unlawful changes in the manner of dispos-
ing of public lands don't look like these com-
missioners and the Secretary of the Interior
designed to perpetrate a monstrous fraud by
a wholesale robbery of the frontiersmen,
whom they knew would emigrate to and fill
up these fine farming lands as soon as the In-
dians should remove from them?
"In conformity with the provisions of this
treaty Mr. Secretary of the Interior sold the
whole eight hundred thousand acres of land
in a body to an 'Emigrant Aid Society,' of
which perhaps he was president ! This sale
was declared illegal, and broken by the Attor-
ney General, but the philanthropic Secretary
was resolved to exercise all the power vested
in him by the treaty, as it was too good a
chance to 'serve the country' and make a
splendid fortune by the operation, so he sold
it to a Railroad Company ; and the sale was
again broken on the same grounds and the
secretary was removed from office.
"Now, this treaty has in it illegal pro-
visions, and all action taken under it declared
illegal by the Supreme Court, and meanwhile
these lands are being rapidly filled up with
settlers, it will require an act of Congress to
dispose of the lands, and as many of our Con-
gressman are leading railroad men, known to
be making efforts to get these lands, the set-
tlers have much cause of alarm, and are fear-
ful that they may be robbed of their little im-
provements by the liberality of our too liberal
Congress, who may take a notion to vote
themselves another empire of good farm land,
under the pretense of 'aiding the construction
of some railroad' * * *.
"Now, as the land speculating government
officials have great advantage of the settlers
in the treaty, and as they are poor and too
few to expect justice in the disposal of these
lands by Congress, they are all anxious for
immigration to settle up the country this fall,
so that our virtuous law makers may not dis-
regard and trample upon their rights. I
would respectively advise all who want homes
to go to the Cherokee Neutral Lands at once,
leave the women and children where they are,
two or more men associate together and take
provisions enough to last while they are build-
ing a house, each helping the other, — and cut
hay for winter, then return and bring your
families to their new homes. None need fear
that they will not get homes, some may not
get timber lands, but all can get good lands.
The people in this devoted country are orga-
nized into clubs, and are doing all that they
can to prevent these lands from falling into
the hands of railroad or other speculating com-
panies ; they are holding meetings, getting up
petitions, passing resolutions, etc."
Some person, whose name was not given,
has sent me another pamphlet, the title of
which is, — "Manifesto of the People of the
Cherokee Neutral Lands." It is somewhat
lengthy, and it is signed by C. C. McDowell,
W. R. Laughlin. A. Perry and C. Dana Say-
ers, the first two from Cherokee County, and
the others from Crawford County. There is
no date to the pamphlet; but the subject mat-
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
49
ter indicates that it was within the period
known as the "troublous times" in Cherokee
and Crawford Counties. The pamphlet is in
the same tone of the preceding paragraphs,
speaking out clear and emphatic as to the in-
justice to which the settlers believed them-
selves shamefully subjected. From their view
point, the action of the government was unjust
and in utter disregard of the rights of the
people. The document starts out something
in the vein of the Declaration of Independ-
ence. Some of the paragraphs are here given :
"In view of the many false statements that
have been published throughout the country,
by the monopolists in regard to the legal
standing of the Cherokee Neutral Lands case,
and also as to acts charged against the settlers
on this tract, justice requires that the world
should know the truth. It has been thought
proper, by the people, through the under-
signed selected committee, to set forth to all
whom it may concern, and especially to the
working and thinking, common people of the
United States, the real state of affairs here,
with some of the facts and arguments in favor
of the settlers.
"We feel confident that if this case is prop-
erly understood by the people of our country,
it will be seen to involve several issues more im-
portant and far-reaching than the mere ques-
tion of title to a tract of land, as between two
claimants; questions bearing directly and pow-
erfully upon the rights of American citizens, to
protection by laws already standing on the
statute books of the nation and of the State;
as against monopolies, individual or corporate.
"The settlers on the Cherokee Neutral
Lands are asking for no new or strange condi-
tions, concessions or guaranties, no special fa-
vors, no local discriminations. We ask only
the honest carrying out of the land policy of
our government, and of laws which stand yet
unrepealed, and that no public man or politi-
cal party shall be permitted to openly violate.
We have been industriously stigmatized
through subsidized newspapers, by anony-
mous, penny-a-line publications, as trespass-
ers, outlaws, murderers, and so forth, to the
exhaustion of the vocabulary of moderately
genteel Billingsgate. Hired emissaries have
been, and still are being, sent among us to
create division and confusion. Money has
been, and still is being, lavished here and else-
where, with the hope of overcoming us; the
settlement of our country has been kept back;
citizens have been harrassed by many malic-
ious arrests and arbitrary 'bindings-over' to
appear at court, not sustained by one particle
of proper evidence, done by a justice of the
peace who is a mere tool of Joy & Com-
pany, and who does not live on the Neutral
Lands. One of our number, Jeremiah Mur-
phy, has been foully murdered by an assas-
sin, and only because he was a Leaguer. Sev-
eral others of our prominent men have been
threatened with the same fate. Harrison
McGinnis, one of our most resolute men
was shot at twice, in Baxter Springs,
while he was under arrest and disarmed
and he saved himself only by his remarkable
presence of mind. His would-be murderer
was allowed to escape. To cap the climax,
troops have been sent here, when their only
possible errand was to aid the monopolists
in preventing an appeal to Congress or to
the courts, on the part of the settlers. No
officer has been arrested, nor even ob-
structed in the performance of his duty as
So
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
an officer; no state of anarchy has existed
here; no man has been murdered or robbed
by the Leaguers or other settlers.
"Let those whom it mostly concerns answer
the question, 'Why are troops stationed on
the Neutral Lands?' We may be unable just
now to draw out an answer; but the time will
come when higher authority than brought them
here will demand the reason. There are but
a few easily taken steps between the present
state of affairs on the Cherokee Neutral Lands
and the condition of countries where political
meetings and other primary assemblies of the
people are prevented or dispersed at the point
of the bayouet. Farmers, men and women of
the workshops, the factories and the mines in
the United States, a blow at our rights as
American citizens is a blow at yours. If capi-
talists can this year prostitute the military
power of the nation, on the Cherokee Neutral
Lands, other capitalists can do the same in
Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania or
Ohio next year! The vast success of specula-
tors during the last six or eight years, in build-
ing up powerful monopolies and corporations,
by having special privileges granted them, and
in robbing the people of bonds and of public
lands, under the pretext of aiding railroads, has
alarmed thinking men. Fortunes unheard of
in the good old days have been extorted from
the producers of the nation by adventurers who,
during the hurry and distraction of the war,
wormed themselves into places where their
votes or official action gave them opportunity
for plunder. Success has made cowardly
thieves bold and defiant. The strength which
lies in ill-gotten millions makes weak men
strong. The power of money is cumulative;
and common sympathy between successful men
is fast building up an aristocracy which threat-
ens us and our posterity, our institutions and
our very form of government.
"In 1803 our government bought from
France what has since been known as the Lou-
isiana Purchase, of which the Cherokee Neu-
tral Lands are an integral part. After Missouri
became a state, and its western counties were
being settled for the protection of its inhabi-
tants, the government treated with the Osage
Indians for this tract of land, with the stipula-
tion that neither the Indians nor the whites
should occupy the same, thus placing a strip
fifty miles north and south, by twenty-five miles
east and west as a barrier between the white
and the red men. So it remained until the
treaty-making power gave the Cherokee In-
dians the right to occupy the tract. In 1866
by a 'treaty,' the Cherokee Indians gave back
the land to the United States, and attempted
to do so, 'in trust,' and to empower the Secre-
tary of the Interior to sell the lands for them.
One of the last official acts of Secretary Har-
lan, then at the head of the Interior Depart-
ment, was to sell as much of the tract as was
not occupied by actual settlers at the date of
the treaty, to the American Emigrant Com-
pany, for one dollar an acre; but Secretary
Browning, on assuming the office, procured
the opinion of Attorney General Stanberry
that Harlan's sale was 'illegal and void;' and
on that opinion set the sale aside. Browning
then proceeded to sell the residue of the tract
not occupied by settlers at the date of the treaty,
to James F. Joy, of Detroit, Michigan, at one
dollar and a quarter an acre. The American
Emigrant Company threatened litigation ; and
matters remained in secret negotiation until
June 6, 1868, when, to the utter surprise of the
settlers, a supplemental treaty was put through
the Senate, which assumed to cancel Mr. Joy's
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
51
contract with Browning, and to assign to him
the contract of the American Emigrant Com-
pany. Such is a very brief outline of the
strange transactions by which the 'rings' cast
lots for the garments of the settlers, and pro-
pose to divide among themselves the gains of
this most infamous of all 'jobs' for robbing the
settlers of the West.
"During the administration of President
Buchanan a considerable number of families,
attracted by the beauty and fertility, and the
genial climate of this section of the country, and
finding no opposition from any source, came
upon these lands. For political reasons a
movement was set on foot to remove these set-
tlers. Soldiers, without any proper authority,
were brought here, and a few worthless build-
ings were burned. The indignation of the set-
tlers, at such unwarranted proceedings, was
such that the soldiers desisted from their work
of ejectment, and the citizens sent a delegation
to see President Buchanan. He told them to
return to their homes and occupy them ; told
them to encourage the settlement of the coun-
try, and that the land would soon come in under
the preemption law. The soldiers whom poli-
ticians had procured to be sent here were with-
drawn, and the settlement of the country
went on.
"During the Rebellion the Neutral Lands
were held alternately by the two parties, the
settlers not being able safely to remain at their
homes. Thousands of Union soldiers cam-
paigned back and forth over these lands ; and
when the war was over thousands of them
brought their families here to make homes.
The Indians directly and indirectly encouraged
the settlement of the country.
"In March, 1866, President Johnson wrote
us : 'Go on and settle it up and make a country
of it, and you shall be protected in the home-
stead and preemption right.' Senators Lane,
Pomeroy and Ross, by many letters, some of
which are yet preserved, stimulated our occu-
pation of the country, and assured the settlers
of their safety, under the land policy and the
laws of the nation.
"The fall of 1866 saw several thousand
families occupying claims, some in such rude,
temporary shanties as they could erect, some
in tents, and some under wagon covers only.
From their former homes many of the people
had brought a few choice cattle; but that fall
four-fifths of these fell victims to the 'Texas
fever,' brought here in the herds of cattle
driven from the South. February and March,
1867, proved very hard on the few remaining
cattle and on the horses of the settlers. With-
out grain and sufficient shelter, many of the
hay-fed animals perished in the sleet and cold
rain storms of the season. Disaster seemed to
attend the settlement of the land, and many of
the faint hearted became discouraged and went
elsewhere; but an intelligent appreciation of
the country itself, and an abiding trust in the
government, that the homes they were strug-
gling for would be secured to them and their
families, sustained the more stable of the set-
tlers through all their trials and anchored them
fast to the country of their choice. The few
patches of sod corn planted in 1867 produced
very well, but only a small fraction of what the
people needed. Every nerve was strained to
get in as large a crop as possible in the spring
of 1868, and the coming of 'garden truck' and
the ripening of the corn was looked to with
earnest hope, as a time of relief from a pressure
which, because of its weight and duration and
the inability of the people to stand it, had be-
come simply terrible. And yet upon this added
52
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
misfortune came. About the middle of June
there came the worst drought that Southern
Kansas ever knew. Corn everywhere was a
failure, and, as but little small grain had been
sown, there was scarcely any relief. The grass
was short, thin and parched, so that only a lit-
tle of very poor hay could be made. Under
these circumstances nothing but a most favor-
able winter could save the people from further
calamity ; but that mercy came, and the people
were saved. Stock wintered well on the range ;
but how the people managed to live is known
only to themselves. The half of the story of
the winter of 1868-69 will never be told.
"Fully to expose Mr. Joy's bad faith, in his
attempted dealings with our people, would re-
quire much of our and the reader's time.
Briefly, his course, from first to last, has been
marked by the very essence of despotism, and
by an utter disregard of our rights. Evidently
he has supposed that he could play the mission-
ary, the benefactor and the guardian, believing
that we could not see through the velvet which
concealed the claw, the sheepskin which cov-
ered the wolf or the thin coating of the sugar-
covered pill which he had with so much care
prepared for us."
The committee, after going on at much
length as to the treaty through which the Che-
rokee Indians passed their lands to the United
States, in trust, have this to say :
"We hold, in short, that the whole transac-
tion is a base swindle, not only upon the whites,
but also upon the Indians themselves, and that,
in the language of the opinions given by Judge
William Lawrence, Hon. George W. Julian,
Gen. Benjamin F. Butler and Judge William
Johnson, January 28, 1869, 'We hold, there-
fore, that the sale of the Cherokee Neutral
Lands to James F. Joy, is void ; that any patent
which may be issued to him will be void ; that
the purchaser from him will acquire no valid
title. * * * To remove all doubt, it is
further our opinion that Congress has the
power, and that it is a duty, to abrogate, by
law, so much of the municipal regulation of the
Cherokee treaty as purports to authorize a
sale.' We ask all thinking, honest men and
women thoroughly to investigate not only this
case, but this general, wholesale and shameless
disposal of the people's lands to railroads and
other monopolies. The public domain is the
heritage of all the people. We ask whether
this robbery of the* people shall be permitted
to go on, until monopolies, always aggressive,
aristocratic and oppressive, shall have coutrol
of the Legislature of every State in the Union,
and of the government of the United States
itself, or whether you will join us in our effort
to stop it now and to overthrow it forever. To
this end we petition you, for we deem the dan-
ger imminent. Aristocracy never did, in any
age or nation, so flourish, except when based
upon the soil; but if we read the signs of the
times aright, this extensive engrossment of the
public domain by a few, is the result of an aris-
tocratic tendency in this government, which if
not defeated will prove as destructive of our in-
stitutions as a dissolution of the L'nion, or as
a successful foreign war would be. It is
equally true that republican institutions, in or-
der to flourish, must be based upon the soil.
They cannot stand upon any narrow founda-
tion. The people to be free, must own the
soil. As well might we attempt to pull down
the sun from heaven, or to do any other impos-
sible thing, as to attempt to maintain free in-
stitutions of government upon any other or
different principles than liberty for all, and a
division of the public domain at least among
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
53
all the people who wish to cultivate the same,
in small areas, each family being sole lord and
proprietor of its little spot of earth, sufficient
to feed, clothe, educate and provide for the
household ; for in whatever country or neigh-
borhood the lands are in the hands of the few,
there will be found serfs, toiling men and
women irredeemably poor. The Congress, as
well as the court, has the power to undo our
wrongs, and the House of Representatives, to
its honor let it be said, has twice resolved that
it shall be done, while the Senate has as often
tabled the resolution. Many of the ablest and
best Senators, however, are in our favor, and
will, we believe, concur with the House in what
it is trying to do.
"The West is being smothered by land
monopoly. Principality after principality has
been bestowed upon corporations of the most
gigantic proportions, and the progress is on-
ward, with a vigor increased by every success-
ful grab of the people's heritage. The govern-
ment no longer purchases the Indian's title of
occupancy, and allows the pioneer to settle upon
it, under the homestead and pre-emption laws ;
but railroad companies purchase the Indian
lands for a mere song, that they may wring
untold millions of money from one of the most
useful and energetic classes of the citizens of
the United States.
"The departure from the land policy of the
government began in 1861. At that time S. C.
Pomeroy entered the United States Senate,
from Kansas, as the standard bearer of a party
which from every stump had sent up the cry,
'Free homesteads for the landless millions.' He
was at that time a man of moderate means.
Follow him for a few years. In 1865 we find
him as president of the Atchison & Pike's
Peak Railroad Company. A treaty was carried
by him through the Senate, by which that com-
pany purchased 123,832 acres of rich land in
Kansas, embracing the beautiful Kickapoo Res-
ervation, thirty miles west of the city of Atchi-
son, for a mere song. The reservations of the
Sac and Fox tribes, those of the Kansas, Dela-
ware, Ottowa and Kickapoo tribes, and the
Cherokee Neutral Lands have all' passed into
the hands of railroad corporations and other
speculating companies, and Pomeroy has been
the 'Big Injin' of the whole ring. From the
day he was clothed with Senatprial honors, he
has been energetic and unscrupulous in subvert-
ing the policy of our government, with regard
to the public lands. Congress has granted fifty-
seven million acres of the public domain to
various Western and Southern railroad com-
panies since 1861 ; and the Pacific Railroad
Company has been granted one hundred and
twenty-four million acres. The commissioners
of the General Land Office, speaking of these
immense grants of land which properly be-
longs to all the people, that it 'is of empire ex-
tent, exceeding, in the aggregate, by more than
five million acres, the entire area of the six
New England States, with New York, New-
Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Delaware, Mary-
land and Virginia.' "
The people during the times of anxiety,
when they were having trouble with James F.
Joy, concerning land titles and their rights
under the claims which they had taken in
Cherokee County, left no means unemployed
that offered even a showing of aid. They held
meetings, passed resolutions, drew up and
signed petitions, pubkshed articles in the
friendly newspapers and besought their Repre-
sentatives in Congress and their Senators at
Washington to help them in gaining the mas-
tery over their adversaries. They appealed
54
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
to every motive that could move men to help
their fellows who were in distress. I have
before me a letter, written by Hon. William
Lawrence, of Ohio, to A. V. Peters, an elder
brother of W. H. Peters, one of the present
county commissioners of Cherokee County.
Mr. Peters was a captain in the Federal Army,
in an Ohio regiment, and having a personal
acquaintance with Judge Lawrence, who was
then a member of Congress, from that State,
he hoped that some good might be obtained
at his hands, in getting a settlement of the
troubles which had so long disturbed the peo-
ple here. The letter, copied from the original,
is given below :
House of Representatives,
Washington, D. C, April 13, 1S68.
A. V. Peters, Esq. :
Yours of the 1st inst. is received. I thank you for
the approving words you wrote in reference to my
efforts in behalf of the poor and landless people of the
country. I am their friend. They need friends. If
we do not stop this scheme of delivering over the
public lands to speculators, the poor of the country are
doomed to toil and poverty, with no home wherein
to dwell. Yon, and the true men like you, have a
remedy. It is not merely in writing letters. Call meet-
ings, pass resolutions and demand action of Congress.
Send them to every Senator and Representative. De-
nounce their treaties 1 which seek to rob the poor. They
are all void. Net one good land title can be made
under them. But if they go on, Congress will, after a
while, ratify them. Now is your time to strike. Do
not delay an hour. Kansas is deeply interested. Let
Kansas be heard. But if you rest in peace, all will be
lost. My efforts will do no good, unless you people
come up to the rescue. The men who speculate under
these treaties, and crowd God's poor away from homes
on God"s earth, are powerful, active and busy. Every
county in Kansas should speak out for her people.
Will you do so? Let me hear.
Respectfully,
William Lawrence.
Captain Peters also wrote to Gen. John A.
Logan, who was at that time a member of the
House of Representatives. General Logan
answered briefly. The original letter is before
me, and of it the following is a copy :
House of Representatives,
Washington, D. C, June 13, 1868.
A. V. Peters, Esq., Petersville, Kansas
My Dear Sir — Your letter of June 4 is received. In
reply I will state, with pleasure, that I agree with you
fully, in reference to the just claims of our soldiers
and sailors, upon the gratitude of the government. I
am in favor of giving them who fought our battles
an opportunity to select homes which shall embrace
both convenience and value. I will keep your sugges-
tions in mind. As an opportunity may offer wherein
it would be of service to our friends, I am always
glad to aid in any enterprise which has in view the
soldiers' interest.
Yours very truly,
John A. Logan.
The troubles of the people were not over,
even when they had come to know their condi-
tion with respect to the Joy land matter, and
were settling down to accept it. It seemed that
they, like many communities in the West and in
the South, had to have their experience with the
bond-sharks who were abroad in the land for a
good many years following the close of the war.
Salamanca township, which includes the city of
Columbus, early voted bonds, in aid of a rail-
road company. The bonds were issued and de-
livered to the company, and the company sold
them to an "innocent purchaser," who was in
the market for such securities. The road was
never built : but the courts held that the bonds
were good, and that the people would have to
pay them. I have before me a small pamphlet,
written by William C. Wilson, into whose
hands the bonds finally fell. It is addressed,
"To the Law-Abiding People of Cherokee
County," but it bears no date. The following is
the preface to the pamphlet :
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
55
The municipal township of Salamanca, having de-
faulted in the payment of interest on its bonds held by
me, the United States Circuit Court gave judgment and
peremptory mandamus, commanding your county com-
missioners to levy a tax to pay the same; but as they
'•unlawfully, contemptuously and oppressively'' refused
to do so, the court incarcerated them in jail for thirty
days.
I also brought suit against them, personally, in a
civil action for damages, and a Kansas jury awarded
me a verdict for the small sum of $500 and costs ; upon
which their attorneys made a motion for a new trial,
which, after argument by Messrs. Webb, Ritter and
Williams, was emphatically overruled by Judge Foster.
As the people of Salamanca, "in mass meeting as-
sembled," after parading to the music of a brass band,
resolved that they would not patronize any paper that
would publish any communication from me, and as there
is a conspiracy and confederation to prevent the pay-
ment of money lawfully owing to me, and also to hood-
wink the people and keep them in ignorance of the
true condition of affairs, freedom of speech and of
the press being no longer tolerated in the mob-ridden
city of Columbus, I herewith send you Judge Foster's
opinion, and the charge of Judge Krekel, to the grand
jury, upon combinations to repudiate debts and to re-
sist the laws of the land. I do this in the hope that the
time may speedily come when the honest, intelligent and
wealthy people of Cherokee County will say to their
commissioners, "We can no longer allow you to bring
reproach upon our good name, by toadying to the
defaulters of Salamanca township, as there is no good
reason why they should not pay their honest debts."
Yours truly,
William C. Wilson.
The author of the pamphlet then sets out
the opinion of Judge Foster, which is as fol-
lows :
UNITED STATES CIRCUIT COURT, DISTRICT
OF KANSAS.
William C. Wilson )
versus > No. 4362.
R. W. Vaughn, John Russell and W. E. )
Swanson.
November Term, 1884.— Filed March 4, 1885.
Bottsford & Williams, for Plaintiff.
Ritter & Anderson, for Defendants.
MOTION FOR NEW TRIAL.
Opinion by Foster, J. :
This action was brought by the plaintiff against the
defendants, who are the commissioners of the County
of Cherokee, to recover damages for a wilful refusal,
on the part of the said commissioners, to levy a tax
on the taxable property of Salamanca township, in
said county, to pay off a judgment held by plaintiff
against said township, in obedience to a peremptory writ
of mandamus from this court.
The recovery of the judgment, the issue and service
of the writ commanding the levy of the tax, and the
wilful disobedience thereof by the defendants, were
admitted on the trial, and two of the defendants, on
the witness stand, testified that it was not their pur-
pose to levy the tax hereafter.
The plaintiff claimed, as his damages, the full
amount for which the writ was issued, about $19,000.
On the trial, the court instructed the jury as fol-
lows:
"Gentlemen of the Jury :
"In this case, under the pleadings and evidence,
the plaintiff is entitled to recover against the defend-
ants, as it was clearly the duty of the defendants to
levy the tax as commanded in the peremptory man-
damus, and which they wilfully refused to do.
"The plaintiff is entitled to recover his actual dam-
ages sustained by reason of such failure and refusal of
the defendants. But, inasmuch as he has not lost his
debt or judgment, or any part thereof, and as there is
evidence to show that the debtor township is fully able
to respond to his debt, and that the refusal of the de-
fendants to levy the tax has only delayed the collec-
tion of his debt and the accruing interest, his dam-
ages are, consequently, presumed to be but nominal,
and you will so find in your verdict.
"In this case there is also another element of dam-
ages under which the plaintiff may recover, and that is
exemplary or punitive damages. The action of the
defendants, to say nothing of being contemptuous disre-
gard of the mandate of this court, was oppressive to
the plaintiff and a clear and wilful violation of his legal
rights, and in my opinion presents a case for considera-
tion of exemplary damages on the part of the plaintiff
against the defendants. I can not lay down any definite
rule to govern you in fixing these damages. They are
given by the law as a punishment for an aggravated
violation of plaintiff's rights, and they should be such
as, under all the circumstances and facts shown, are
commensurate with the offense; and this, you gentle-
56
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
men, in the exercise of your sound judgment, are to
fix and determine under the evidence produced in the
case.
"The court instructs the jury that this being an
action of that in which defendants' refusal was wilful,
continuous and unlawful, you are at liberty to award
plaintiff exemplary damages against defendants, in addi-
tion to the damages awarded as and by way of com-
pensation to plaintiff. The court instructs the jury that,
in the issues made by the pleadings, and on the uncon-
tradicted evidence in the case, your verdict must be for
the plaintiff, finding the issues in his favor."
The jury returned a verdict for plaintiff, $500; and
the defendants now move the court to set aside the ver-
dict and grant a new trial for error of law in the said
instructions to the jury. The particular excepted to is
that part of the charge in reference to exemplary or
punitive damages. The defendants claim that as the
compensatory or actual damages sustained by plaintiff
were but nominal, he can not recover exemplary dam-
ages. In support of this rule counsel have cited two
cases : Stacy versus Portland Publishing Company, 68
Maine 287 ; and Maxwell versus Kennedy, 50 Wis. 647.
The former case was an action for libel, and the
latter for slander. In the action for libel, the trial
court refused to instruct for plaintiff for exemplary
damages co nomine, but told the jury they might add as
actual damages for any elements of aggravated injury
occasioned by the express malice of the person who
published the article complained of.
The jury gavetheplaintiff one dollar damages, and
the court refused to reverse the case and remarked,
among other things, as follows : "Taking the case as it
resulted, we are satisfied that the plaintiff has sus-
tained no injury in this respect. The legal significa-
tion of the verdict is, either that there was no actual
and express malice entertained toward plaintiff, by
the defendant's agent, or that, if there was, it did the
plaintiff no injury.
In the slander case, the trial court instructed the
jury that certain mitigating circumstances shown by
defendant should be considered by them in reduction
of compensatory damages only, and not exemplary
damages. The appellate court held this to be error;
that no distinction should have been made between
the two classes of damages in respect to mitigation.
Both cases support the rule contended for by these
defendants, in case of this kind. Whether that doc-
trine may generally be regarded as accepted law in
such cases, I have not sufficiently examined the books
to form an opinion; but if such is the fact, I do not
think that the rule can be applicable to a case of
this kind.
In Day versus Woodworth, 13 How., 371, the Su-
preme Court laid down the law as follows : "It is a well
established principle of the common law, that in actions
for trespass and all actions in cases for tort, a jury
may inflict what are called exemplary, punitive or vin-
dictive damages upon a defendant, having in view the
enormity of his offense, rather than the measure of
compensation to the plaintiff. * * * By the com-
mon, as well as by statutory law, men are often pun-
ished for aggravated misconduct or lawless acts, by
means of a civil action, and the damages, inflicted by
the way of penalty or punishment, given to the party
injured."
In Milwaukee Railroad Company versus Armes. gr
U. S., 493, the court, speaking of damages, says: "In
ascertaining its extent the jury may consider all the
facts that relate to the wrongful act of the defendant,
and its consequence to the plaintiff; but they are not
at liberty to go farther, unless it was done wilfully or
was the result of that reckless indifference to the rights
of others which is equivalent to an intentional viola-
tion of them. In such case the jury are authorized, for
the sake of public example, to give such additional dam-
ages as the circumstances require. The tort is aggra-
vated by the evil motive, and on this rests the rule of
exemplary damages."
The Supreme Court of Kansas has held, in a case of
trespass quare clausum fregit, that exemplary damages
may be recovered where the compensatory damages are
but nominal. Hefley versus Baker, 19 Kan., 9.
Southerland on Damages, Vol. I, pages 724-748,
states the rule, in the following language: "If a wrong
is done wilfully; that is, if a tort is committed delib-
erately, or by wilful negligence, with a present con-
sciousness of invading another's rights, or of exposing
him to injury, an undoubted case is presented for ex-
emplary damages. One who does an act maliciously
must be careful to see that the act is lawful; other-
wise, though the actual injury may be slight, the
exemplary damages may be considerable."
In the case at bar the plaintiff is deprived of a clear
legal right, through the wrongful and wilful conduct
of the defendants. They alone have the power to levy
the tax, and it is their duty, under the law and
the command of the court, to levy it. By no other
means can the plaintiff obtain his rights, and it cannot
be denied that the action of the defendants is wrongful
and oppressive. It was held by the court that the plain-
tiff's compensatory damages are but nominal, as he has
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
57
not lost his debt, but has only suffered delay in its col-
lection. But it is in the power of these defendants, and
their successors in office, by defying the law, to delay
him indefinitely in its collection. It is said that the de-
fendants can be, and have been, punished for contempt
in refusing to obey the writ of mandamus. That is
true ; but that punishment is not to be reduced to the
wrong done the plaintiff, but it must rather vindicate
the dignity and authority of the court.
The defendants have been committed to the cus-
tody of the marshal, for imprisonment, until they com-
ply with the demands of the writ ; but in a community
where the popular sentiment is all adverse to levying
the tax, it is likely that the imprisonment of the defend-
ants, like the plaintiff's compensatory damages, would
be but nominal. A tax-ridden people are deserving of
sympathy, especially when the burden has been fraudu-
lently imposed, though it was done by the dishonesty
of their own agent; but neither courts nor communities
can afford to deny to any orator the exact letter of his
legal rights, and it is not a pleasant or consistent thing
to inveigh against nullification of the laws and cry out
"law and order," and, in the same breath, applaud nul-
lification, lawlessness and disorder.
The motion to set aside the verdict and for a new
trial must be overruled.
On the back page of the pamphlet Mr. Wil-
son quotes a charge which Judge Krekel, of the
United States Circuit Court of the Western
District of Missouri, gave a grand jury, at
Jefferson City, on the subject of repudiation.
The charge is quoted, no doubt, in the hope that
the people of Cherokee County who might read
his pamphlet would be indirectly warned
against any further attempt at obstructing the
processes of the court. The charge of Judge
Krekel is here given :
UNITED STATES CIRCUIT COURT, WESTERN
DISTRICT OF MISSOURI.
Instructions to the Grand Jury.
Resistance or interference with the execution of the
laws of the United States, in many instances, takes the
shape of interfering with the processes of the courts ;
and as offenses of the kind come within your jurisdic-
tion, it will be your duty to examine and pass upon
these cases that may come before you.
In order to commit an offense of the class referred
to it is not necessary that the offender should present
a gun, a pistol, or by any other direct means put the
officer intrusted with the execution of the law or pro-
cess of court into terror, but it may be done by indirect
means, such as assembling in large numbers, acting and
cooperating and by means of threats, or otherwise to
overawe the officer and interfere with the discharge of
his duty.
Thus a large number of persons may assemble and,
by means of combinations and agreements not to bid
for property offered for sale, and by threatening those
who come for the purpose of bidding, with bodily harm,
cause them not to bid. All such means the law de-
nounces as interfering with its execution, and not to
speak of the possible individual liability to those
thus damaged. The law will not permit the judg-
ments of its courts to be defeated by such means.
To tolerate such interference, without punishment,
would be aiding in bringing about a demoralization
which, while today may demonstrate its power for evil
in resisting processes of the court, will to-morrow re-
sist the government in its proper functions - , not to
speak of the utter disregard implied as to individual
rights. The highest duty of the citizen, and his greatest
interest, is that the law be obeyed and its violators
punished, for on this he must ultimately depend for
the protection of his person and property.
Jeremiah Luckey, of Salamanca township,
has recently sent me a number of old papers
relating to early affairs in Cherokee county.
Among these is a "Notice to Settlers on the
'Joy Purchase' of the Cherokee Neutral
Lands." I here give it in full :
CHEROKEE NEUTRAL LAND OFFFICE.
General Agency.
Fort Scott, Kansas, December 18, 1868.
Notice is hereby given that all persons who have
made settlement and continued to reside on the Chero-
kee Neutral Lands, between the nth day of August,
1866, and the 10th of June, 1868, will be permitted to
make entry at this office, of the lands occupied by them
June 10, 1868, and at the date of entry; that the same
may be held secure from sale to other purchasers.
5?
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
In order to prevent delay or detention of the set-
tlers at this office, in making entry of their lands, we
have arranged to receive proofs, by townships, com-
mencing with those nearest this office, during certain
days herein specified; and all persons failing to make
such entry, before or during the time herein named, re-
spectively, will be understoood as waiving all privilege
to purchase at the proposed rates of Mr. Joy, unless it
shall be shown, by satisfactory proof, that such delay
was unavoidable. Only one witness is necessary, in ad-
dition to claimant's affidavit, to establish a claim for
entry, such witness knowing that claimant resided upon
the tract claimed, prior to June 10, 1868, of his contin-
ued residence thereon.
In case of transfer, the evidence must show that
the purchaser has been an occupant since his purchase
from such recognized claimant. As soon as the entries
are closed the lands will be valued, and by the first of
March, next, a schedule of prices prepared, so that con-
tracts may be made with settlers after that date. No
contracts will be made prior to that date, except upon
such lands as are known to be occupied, or where the
settler has waived his right, and then only under spe-
cial instructions.
That portion known as "The Eight Mile Strip,"
being six miles off the south end of Bourbon County
and two miles off the north end of Crawford County,
towit: Townships 26 and 27, Ranges 21, 22, 23, 24
and 25, will be entered during December 21, 22, 23, 24
and 26, 1868. Township 28, Ranges 21, 22, 23, 24 and
25, will be entered before or during December 28, 29
and 30, 1S68, and January 4, 5, 6 and 7, 1869. Town-
ship 29, Ranges 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25, will be entered
during or before January 8, 9, 11, 12, 13 and 14, 1869.
Township 30, Ranges 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25, will be en-
tered during or before January 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22
and 23, 1869. Township 31, Ranges 21, 22, 23, 24 and
25, will be entered during or before January 25, 26, 27,
28, 29 and 30, 1869. Township 32, Ranges 21, 22, 23,
24 and 25, will be entered during or before February
J , 2 > 3, 4, S and 6, 1869. Township 33, Ranges 21, 22,
23, 24 and 25, will be entered during or before Febru-
ary 8, 9, 10, II, 12 and 13, 1S69. Township 34, Ranges
21, 22, 23, 24 and 25, will be entered February 15, 16,
17, 18, 19 and 20, 1869. Township 35, Ranges 21, 22,
23, 24 and 25, will be entered February 22, 23, 24, 25
26 and 27, 1869.
Settlers must be prepared with the numbers of
their lands', that there may be no unnecessary delay in
preparing their proof.
John T. Cox,
General Agent.
Among the papers sent me by Mr. Luckey is
a circular addressed, "To the Voters of Chero-
kee County," and signed by "Many Voters." It
is dated January 31, 1869, and it relates to the
election then to be held February 16, 1869, for
the purpose of ascertaining whether the people
wanted the county seat to remain at Baxter
Springs or to be moved to Columbus. I have
elsewhere given an account of that election.
The following is the circular, in full :
COUNTY SEAT CIRCULAR.
To the Voters of Cherokee County :
At the regular session of the Board of County
Commissioners, held in Junuary, last, a special elec-
tion was ordered to be held on the 16th day of Feb-
ruary, 1869, to vote upon the question of removal and
permanent location of the county seat.
Under the law providing for the same, 603 peti-
tioners, legal electors, were necessary in order for the
board to call an election. The number of petitioners
presented was 862. The petition of one township,
signed by forty voters, did not get in, making the en-
tire number of electors calling for the election over
900. The total number of votes cast in the county, at
the presidential election in November, last, was 1.349,
showing that a majority of 447 voters in the county are
not satisfied with the county seat being located, as it
is at present, on the extreme border of the county,
or rather out of it. Notwithstanding the large majority
in favor of a central location, a desperate effort is being
made by the people of Baxter Springs again to thwart
the will of the people. The most unblushing falsehoods
are being circulated, hoping to divide the people and
cause them to vote for different points. Lies that ought
to blister the tongue of any person uttering them are
unblushingly told. For instance, that the people of
the west side of the county are "pulling the wool over
the eyes of the people on the east side ;" that they are
going to work for Millersburg instead of Columbus.
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
59
The people of the west side emphatically brand the
assertion as basely false. They have never asked for
Millersburg to be a point and shall not vote for it.
Their vote, as at the last election, will be a unit for
Columbus. They waive all selfish and personal pref-
erence, and they ask the people of the eastern, north-
ern and southern and all other parts of the county,
to join with them and, with an eye single to the pros-
perity and well being of the county, vote for Columbus.
It being the geographical center of the county, justice,
economy and expediency demand it. The prosperity
of the whole county is our prosperity. The county seat
rightfully belongs to the whole people of the county,
and not to a few ; and it is the right of every tax payer
to demand that its location be central.
It is urged by the people of Baxter Springs that
the question ought not to be brought again so soon ;
that it is a big expense to the county, and all that sort
of thing. Does it not come with poor grace for them to
cry "quits," after having so shamefully and rascally
stolen the county seat, as it were. No man denies that
Baxter Springs stuffed the ballot box, to the number of
4,000 votes, last May, when the question of moving the
county seat was up. They do not deny it themselves.
They admit it; and they plead, in justification, that
other parts of the county did so ; and, in order to be
even, they did the same. But let us examine a little
farther, in regard to the expense to the county, in the
proposed change in the location of the county seat.
The greatest item of expense in the county, amounting
to many hundreds of dollars, is in having to send out-
prisoners away for safe keeping, as we have no jail
of our own. The amount we paid last year, for this
item, would build us a jail that would answer, for the
present. A seemingly natural answer would be, "Why
don't you build one?" There is where the trouble lies.
The people are not willing to be taxed to build one, or
any other county building, in a place that is not, and
never can be made, the permanent location of our
county seat. Its location where it now is, is a mere
question of time; and a very short time, at that. If it
is not voted away, the probabilities are that we shall
have to go into another state before long, for our
county seat. It is already reported and believed that
the treaty now pending for the Indian Territory south
of us, out of which a new state is to be formed, will
throw Baxter Springs out of Kansas. Such a result is
not at all improbable. The very fact that no provision
is being made for the sale of the government strip in-
dicates that it is' in the new state. * * *
One thing more the county should know : The
offices of the county clerk, county treasurer and regis-
ter of deeds are all in the barroom of a restaurant, the
only room that could be had. Oh, shame, where is
thy blush! All this, remember, is in a city of the
second class. May the good Lord have pity on cities
not of the second class!
In view of all the facts, we earnestly appeal to the
voters throughout the county once more to stand up
and demand their rights. The right to have the county
seat at the center of the county is your right. See
that you reclaim it at this election. Turn out and let
us vote a unit for the county seat at Columbus. If we
turn out our full strength, this vexatious question will
be settled for all time to come. Just so long as the
county seat is claimed and held at the edge of the
county, just so long will we be harrassed with special
elections. Strife, animosity, ill will are sure to exist.
Remember the day, the 16th of February, and the
style of the ticket, "For County Seat, Columbus."
Many Voters.
The undersigned proprietors of the claims upon
which is laid the town site of Columbus, do propose
to donate to the county, in the event of the county seat
being located at Columbus, all lots necessary for county
buildings, grounds for seminary, cemetery and fair
grounds, said lots and sites to be selected by the Board
of County Commissioners ; also immediately to furnish
a building that will answer for county offices, free of
expense until such time as buildings can be put up.
J. N. Lee,
F. Fry,
H. Scovell,
Dr. J. H. Walker.
Note. — Elsewhere, in giving an account of the
election concerning which the foregoing circular was
put out, it is shown that there was a lot of ballot-box
stuffing done in favor of Columbus. I have given this
circular, for the purpose of showing how high the feel-
ing was concerning the location of the county seat. I
am glad it can truthfully be said that the relations be-
tween Columbus and Baxter Springs', while not alto-
gether as amicable as they will yet become, have so
much improved that the old troubles have almost been
forgotten. — Editor.
Note. — Since writing the foregoing chapter I have
received a copy of "Dodge's Sectional Map of the
Cherokee Neutral Lands," which L. Conklin, of Pleas-
ant View township, kindly sent the publishing com-
pany. The map is much worn, and it can not be repro-
duced. I desire to assure Mr. Conklin that his 1 kindness
is appreciated. — Editor.
CHAPTER V.
COUNTY ORGANIZATION, POLITICAL HISTORY AND
POPULATION STATISTICS.
The Organization of Cherokee County — The "County Seat War" — List of County
Officers — The Political Phases — Memorable Political Rallies — The Increase
of Population, and Immigration From Other States.
the organization of Cherokee county,
Or the measures which were put in force for
the purpose of organizing it, began in the sum-
mer of 1866, shortly after the Cherokee In-
dians had transferred the Cherokee Neutral
Lands to the United States, as noted in a for-
mer chapter. This was before the exact boun-
dary of the county had been determined. The
people were pressing so intently into this coun-
try, that something had to be done toward ef-
fecting an organization. In 1862 the Legisla-
ture had passed an act providing for the organ-
ization of new counties, where the conditions
were up to the requirements; but, on account
of the trouble between the settlers of Cherokee
County and James F. Joy, pertaining to land
titles, the organization of the county had been
delayed.
August 3, 1866, Samuel J. Crawford, Gov-
ernor of the State, appointed and commissioned
A. V. Peters, Reese Cadwalader and J. W. Wal-
lace, special county commissioners for Chero-
kee County, and Julius C. Petit, special county
clerk. Julius C. Petit was sworn in by J. S.
Emmons, county clerk of Bourbon County,
September 6, 1866, and he that day appointed
Daniel C. Finn as his deputy, who was the same
day sworn in by Julius C. Petit. A. V. Peters,
Reese Cadwalader and J. W. Wallace were
sworn in by D. C. Finn, deputy county clerk,
September 8, 1866.
The appointment of the special county com-
missioners by the governor of the State was for
the purpose of calling an election. At the time
of these appointments Governor Crawford fixed
the county seat at the town of Pleasant View,
the site of which is nine miles east and four
and a half miles north of the present Court
House at Columbus.
The first appointment that the special coun-
ty commissioners made was that of C. A.
Keithley, whom they appointed justice of the
peace for Pleasant View township. This was
on September 13, 1866. The county commis-
sioners met at the county seat and elected J. W.
Wallace president of the board. The date of
the election is not given. On the day of the
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
61
meeting they ordered the county clerk to "draw
on the Secretary of State, for law books." It
seems from the old record from which I get
these facts, that Julius C. Petit, the county
clerk, did not attend to the duties, as the papers
are all signed by D. C. Finn, the deputy.
On September 15, 1866, the county com-
missioners called a general election, for State
and county officers, the county officers being
the following: Three county commissioners,
sheriff, treasurer, assessor, Probate judge,
county attorney, coroner, superintendent of pub-
lic instruction, county clerk, district clerk, reg-
ister of deeds and county surveyor. The elec-
tion was called to be held on the first Tuesday
after the first Monday in November, 1866.
On September 22, 1866, the county com-
missioner appointed D. C. Finn, Probate judge,
and he was sworn in on that day, and the rec-
ords do not show that he continued as deputy
county clerk, which it seems he might have
held, had he desired it, as will appear hereafter.
The election was held that year on Novem-
ber 6th, and the following county officers were
elected : Representative, D. C. Finn ; county
commissioners, — J. W. Wallace, U. G. Rags-
dell and B. F. Norton; Probate judge, D. C.
Finn ; sheriff, H. B. Brown ; district clerk, F.
M. Logan ; treasurer, D. Callahan ; assessor,
W. H. Norton; county clerk, William Little;
register of deeds, F. M. Logan ; county super-
intendent, Sidney S. Smith; county attorney,
J. A. Smith; coroner, J. Miller; county sur-
veyor, C. W. Jewell. It will be seen from this
list of officers elected, that D. C. Finn was
elected both as Probate judge and as Repre-
sentative of the county, in the State Legisla-
ture. It will also be seen that F. M. Logan
was elected both as district clerk and as regis-
ter of deeds. At that time the elections law
did not require that the tickets should be
printed at public expense ; any one could write
or print his ticket. Candidates were voted for
without much reference to their nominations;
often they were not nominated at all ; whoever
received the highest number of votes for any
office, whether nominated for that office or not,
was duly elected to the same ; and at that time,
when the population of the county was sparse,
and the duties of the offices light, one person
was allowed to hold two offices, if elected to
both. The whole number of votes cast at the
election that year (1866) was 321.
Of the county officers elected at the general
election in 1866, as far as I know, D. C. Finn,
William Little and J. A. Smith are the only
ones living. Finn anl Little live in Columbus,
while Smith lives at Girard, Crawford County,
Kansas. The whereabouts of the others can-
not be learned ; it is certain that none of them
are living in this county, if living at all.
Among the records of the proceedings of
the county commissioners, at their July ses-
sion, 1867, may be found the allowed account
of William Matheney, "for assisting the county
attorney in the prosecution of Jefferson Davis,
$25." William Matheney is remembered by
many of the old settlers. He was perhaps the
first lawyer that settled at Baxter Springs, and
he represented the county in the State Senate
early in its history. The record also shows
that the fee-bill covering the services of the
grand jury, "at the last session of the court,"
was allowed, — $77.60. J. A. Smith was then
the county attorney ; and at that session of the
commissioners he was allowed $75 for prose-
cuting Jefferson Davis. Who Davis was, and
the crime for which he was prosecuted, will
appear when we come to the chapter covering
matters of that kind.
62
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
At the September (1867) session of the
county commissioners, as shown of record, the
commissioners made the following order :
That the office of D. C. Finn, as Judge of the Pro-
bate Court, (be) declared vacant, upon the part of D.
C. Finn, (he) failing to renew his bond, and also failing
to hold court as the law directs him to do, and failing
to keep his records at the county seat open to the in-
spection of the public, as the law requires him to do.
At the same session the commissioners ap-
pointed John D. Coulter as Probate judge, "in
and for Cherokee County, to fill the vacancy
of D. C. Finn."
For the year 1867 the following tax levy
was made upon the property of Cherokee
County: State tax, $659.56; school tax,
$164.89; county tax, $3,287.50; total, $4,-
012.25.
THE "COUNTY SEAT WAR."
At a special election of 1867 the question
of locating the county seat, permanently, was
submitted to the people, there having arisen a
good deal of dissatisfaction against its remain-
ing at Pleasant View. Columbus and Baxter
Springs were the contestants for the honor.
Columbus was then known as Cherokee Center.
The total number of votes cast, according to a
printed statement of the matter, was 139, of
which Baxter Springs received all but three.
But for some reason the records were not
moved at once to that place; in fact, the rec-
ords were not moved to Baxter Springs until
April 14, 1868, and at that in obedience to a
peremptory order of the Supreme Court, under
a writ of mandamus. It is said that Baxter
Springs, as a matter of fact, was not then in
the State of Kansas; that the survey which
was afterward made, by which the south line
of the State was moved two and one quarter
miles south, through a treaty with the Indians,
was not made until after two or three terms of
the District Court of Cherokee County had
been held in the Indian Territory.
The changing of the county seat from
Pleasant View to Baxter Springs did not suit
the people of the county any better. On the
other hand, the dissatisfaction was really
greater, many thinking that the vote, moving
the county seat, was fraudulent. Those who
favored Columbus believed that, if a fair elec-
tion could be held, they would be able to secure
a change. So much was said of the matter
that the commissioners were at last petitioned
to call another election. It seems, from the
record, that two elections were held in the
month of May, 1868, the first on the 12th, the
second on the 26th. At the first election the
vote stood as follows: Baxter Springs, 600;
Geographical Center, 639 ; Cherokee Center, 1 :
The Center, 95, or a total of 1335. No one
point having received a majority of the votes
cast the matter remained undecided. At the
election on the 26th of May, two weeks after
the other election, 1885 votes were cast. Of
these Baxter Springs received 965 ; Geographi-
cal Center, 920. By this election Baxter Springr
retained the county seat.
It would seem that by this time the county
seat controversy ought to be settled ; but it was
not. The dissatisfaction was not in the least
abated. On the contrary, it had increased.
The location of the county seat six miles from
the east line of the county and two miles from
the south line could not be made to appear a
proper measure, when the geographical center
of the county offered a more convenient site
and was soon to become easily accessible from
all parts of the county by railroad. The people,
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
63
therefore, stirred up the matter and would not
allow it to quiet down. Every effort was
made to bring the question before the people
again, and this time to secure a final determi-
nation of it. A special election was called for
February 17, 1869. The vote was cast at that
time, and on the 20th day, as shown of record,
the county commissioners met and counted the
returns, their session being held at Baxter
Springs, then the county seat. The following
table, showing the returns, is taken from the
record :
Precincts
Pleasant View . .
For
Baxter
Springs
s
For
Columbus
iog
For
Peters-
ville
Baxter Springs .
• 1045
31
Lowell
60
25
93
Shawnee
130
Sherman City . . .
108
Crawford
57
Petersville
I
22
I
Ratcliff
73
Neutral City
Neosho
7
43
42
Salamanca
66
Lola
352
Total
, 1118
"51
I
There is a bit of unwritten history con-
nected with this election, which may be of in-
terest here to relate, as it clears up what would
always be a mystery. Outside of Baxter
Springs only 73 votes had been cast for that
place, and these by four precincts; but Colum-
bus received a good vote from every precinct
in the county. Evidently, Baxter Springs had
done a big lot of "stuffing" at the polls. It cast
1045 votes, while it is safe to say that the town
did not have more than that number of inhabi-
tants, men, women and children. When all the
votes had been counted, except those cast by
Lola precinct, it was found that Baxter Springs
was 319 ahead of Columbus. Capt. Sidney S.
Smith, an ardent supporter of Columbus, see-
ing that Baxter Springs had made its show-
down, began to feel in his pockets for the re-
turns from Lola precinct, which he claimed to
have brought in. To his utter astonishment,
the package was missing. He was greatly con-
fused, but finally said that he must have left
the package in his saddlebags, at the hotel ; that
he would go to the hotel and make a search for
it. He was gone two or three hours, and came
back without the package, seemingly very de-
jected over the loss of the returns, which, if not
found, would leave the matter as before the
election, Baxter Springs still holding the coun-
ty seat. Finally he gathered up the tail of his
overcoat, as if accidentally, and it was found
that the package had slipped down into the
lining of the coat. He cut it out, produced the
returns to the commissioners, and when they
were counted, Columbus was 33 ahead of Bax-
ter Springs, as the above table shows.
As showing that each faction in the county
seat contest had grounds for suspecting the
other of fraud, it may be noted that, in the
election of 1876, a presidential year, when it is
presumed that every precinct brought out every
available voter, the total number of votes cast
by Baxter Springs was 218, and that the total
vote cast by Lola precinct was 130. This was
seven years after the county seat contest, when
the population of the precincts must have been
double what it was at the election of 1869.
When the result of the county seat contest
was shown, and the showing had given it to
Columbus, neither faction dared charge the
other with fraud ; for it was too plainly evi-
dent that both had practiced it. If Baxter
Springs had held out some precinct, as the
64
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
friends of Columbus had done, the former place
would no doubt be the county seat to-day. It
made its showing too early; for this gave the
friends of Columbus an opportunity to see how
many votes Lola precinct must bring in, in
order to carry the election. Such methods
would now be called fraudulent ; they were per-
haps less so then. The country was new, and
there were fewer persons to be affected, and
smaller interests were at stake.
Capt. Sidney S. Smith's name is always
associated with the thrilling events connected
with what may not be improperly called the
"County Seat War" of Cherokee County. He
was an ardent supporter of the change, and he
left no effort untried for carrying the matter
his way. He had unconquerable will power,
and to this was added a genius for employing
expedients rarely equalled and probably never
surpassed. Immediately after the votes were
all in and counted, and while the people of Bax-
ter Springs were dazed at the result. Captain
Smith quietly counseled with his friends there
with him, and they decided to move the records
at once, without even waiting for a certificate
from the county clerk, and certainly not for the
order of the county commissioners. The rec-
ord does not show any order ; it is silent on the
matter of moving the county seat to Colum-
bus. A little after nightfall, and without much
ado, the records were quickly loaded into a two-
horse wagon, which was driven out of town be-
fore it was known to anybody, excepting the
friends of the movement. It is said that the
man in charge of the wagon, after he had
driven about two miles from town, transferred
the records to another wagon, the driver of
which knew what he had to do. The first man
returned with his wagon to Baxter Springs, in
order to throw off their guard any persons who
might have seen him drive away ; and it is also
said that the second man, instead of taking a
direct course toward Columbus, sought a cir-
cuitous route and entered the town from an
opposite direction. All these precautions were
taken, it being believed that the men who
had worked so faithfully for Baxter Springs
would not quietly give up. It was believed
that when they recovered from the stunning
effects of the defeat they would employ force-
ful measures for holding the records.
The friends of Columbus, anticipating that
the county seat contest would be settled in favor
of that place, had prepared a room in an old
frame house which then stood on the east end
of the south side of the public square, where
the Steward Building now stands. They were
kept there about two years, and were then
moved into a new building which was com-
pleted in the spring of 1871, on the northeast
corner of the public square, and which cost the
county about $1,500. It remained there until
1889, when the new Court House was finished,
at a cost of about $70,000, and the records
moved into it. The old, wooden house,
weather-worn and dilapidated, was then quietly
moved away, being bought by William H.
Chew and moved out on his farm, to be used
as a barn. The contrast between the old,
wooden building, dingy, dreary and dilapi-
dated, as it awaited the day of its going, and
the imposing, brick-and-stone structure which
rose to take its place, fitly illustrated the rapid
progress made in the development of the re-
sources of the county, and the subsequent in-
crease in the comforts and conveniences to the
people. In these respects Cherokee County has
been, and is yet. an astonishment, not only to
w
125
I— I
Q
►J
B
m
w
ffl
a
t>
o
o
w
o
03
js
D
"3
a
o
o
U3
ft
o
A
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
67
the outside world, but even to its own inhabi-
tants, as well as to those who have temporarily
sojourned among its busy people.
For many years after the moving of the
county seat from Baxter Springs to Columbus,
a spirit of antagonism prevailed between the
people of the two places. It was deeply serious,
and it sometimes led to expressions of bitter-
ness and "cordial dislike." Even yet there are
those who probably do not cultivate a marked
degree of charity and forgiveness, when recall-
ing the exciting incident which so separated
the people in those days ; but within recent
years, time having somewhat mollified their
wounded feelings, while removing some who
took an active, aggressive part in the factional
contest, the people have sought the ways of
peace and brotherly consideration, to the extent
that the lines of separation have been mostly
erased. The generation now coming on will
practically know nothing of the old troubles,
only as they read of them in the annals of the
county.
There was one condition which helped Bax-
ter Springs to bear much of the supposed mis-
fortune of losing the county seat : It was by
far the busiest town in the county, besides being
the oldest and the largest in population. It was
what yas called a "wide-open" town, and there
was a free-and-easy way among its people,
such as is characteristic of all frontier places.
It was the gathering place of many cattlemen
and the cowboys whom they employed ; and the
tradespeople who were there to supply the
wants of these classes were too busy to take
time for considering little matters like county
seat controversies. It was the emporium of the
Southwest country; and within its mart could
be found every class and kind of merchandise
that the wants of the settlers and sojourners
4
required, and these in quantities suited to the
demand. Hither came hundreds of drovers with
their herds. These were the days before the com-
ing of the railroad, when the country had not
yet fully awakened to the call of intenser indus-
trial pursuits ; but there were trade and traffic,
and there were the coming and the going of
many in quest of opportunities for bargain and
sale. These conditions continued for many
years; and even as late as 1875, after the dis-
covery of rich mines of lead and zinc, at Joplin,
Missouri, had begun to attract attention to that
place, Baxter Springs remained the leading
business point south of Fort Scott and west of
Carthage, Missouri ; and here hundreds of
thousands of dollars changed hands between
the Texas and Indian Territory cattlemen and
the buyers for the markets of the North ; and
as such it contained among its inhabitants
nearly every class of people found in the United
States, not a few of whom dwelt lightly within
its borders, and were ever ready, like the shift-
ing sands of the desert, to move on under the
impulse of a lightly stirring breeze.
Really it was not until after these conditions
had given way to the growing requirements of
better social tendencies and to the fixing of
more permanent pursuits, that the inhabitants
of Baxter Springs fully realized what it had
lost in the election of 1869.
LIST OF COUNTY OFFICERS.
In the following list I have endeavored to
get the facts, as far as can be had from the rec-
ords, in the keeping of which, there are reasons
to believe, many errors could have easily gotten
in. It is designed to give the names of the per-
sons who were elected to the county offices, in-
cluding those elected to the State Senate and
68
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
the House of Representatives ; to note resigna-
tions, refusals to serve, and appointments for
filling vacancies. Deputies and assistants will
not be noted.
1866.
On August 3, 1866, Cherokee County then
not having been organized, Governor Crawford
appointed A. V. Peters, Reese Cadwalader and
J. W. Wallace special county commissioners,
and Julius C. Petit special county clerk, for the
purpose of organizing the county. The special
county commissioners, on the 22nd of Septem-
ber ©f that year, appointed D. C. Finn Probate
judge. An election was called for November
6th, and at that time the following county offi-
cers were elected : Representative, D. C. Finn ;
county commisisoners, — J. W. Wallace, U. G.
Ragsdell and B. F. Norton; county clerk, Wil-
liam Little; Probate judge, D. C. Finn; dis-
trict clerk, F. M. Logan ; sheriff, H. B. Brown ;
register of deeds, F. M. Logan ; surveyor, C.
W. Jewell; county attorney, James A. Smith;
treasurer, D. Callahan.
1867.
Representative, N. D. Ingraham ; county
commissioners, — W. C. Pender, P. G. Noel and
S. S. Smith; county clerk, William -Little;
treasurer, J. J. Goodner; register of deeds, C.
A. Keithley; county superintendent, William
Givens; Probate judge, W. M. Matheney; dis-
trict clerk, Lane Williams; sheriff, William G.
Seright ; coroner, John Dyer ; surveyor, J. H.
Lucas ; county assessor, Clinton McMickle.
1868.
Representative, C. C. McDowell ; state sen-
ator, M. Voss ; county attorney, John N. Ritter ;
county superintendent, D. R. Martin (appoint-
ed February 6th) ; Probate judge, Amos San-
ford ; county commissioners, — M. Robertson,
and R. W. Bogges ; district clerk, W. B. Shock-
ley. D. R. Martin was elected county superin-
tendent.
1869.
Representative, J. B. Hodgins; sheriff', J.
S. Vincent; register of deeds, John Little;
county clerk, J. G. Dunlavey; treasurer, S. S.
Smith ; coroner, R. M. Elliott ; surveyor, Jo-
seph Wallace ; county commissioners, — Milton
Douglass, S. W. Vanatta and M. Robeson.
The number of votes cast that year was 11 76.
C. A. Keithley, who had been elected register
of deeds in 1867, failed to qualify, and did not
hold the office; but the commissioners did not
make any appointment until February 2, 1869,
when they appointed John H. Dyer, to serve
until his successor was elected and qualified.
For some reason not shown in the record, the
Governor appointed J. F. McDowell, Probate
judge November 2, 1869.
1870.
Representative, George W. Wood ; State
Senator, H. D. Moore; register of deeds, John
H. Little ; district clerk, Bruce Miller ; Probate
judge, J. F. McDowell; county superintendent,
T. S. Stockslager ; county attorney, John N.
Ritter; county commissioners, — W. H. Clark,
and J. W. Spencer. Whole number of votes
cast, 1757.
1871.
Representative, George W. Wood; county
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
69
commissioners, — J. R. Royce, Milton Doug-
lass and H. H. Angell ; sheriff, J. H. Ludlow ;
coroner, J. B. Thurman ; treasurer, J. S. Vin-
cent ; J. O. Norris ; register of deeds, E. A.
Scammon : county surveyor, Joseph Wallace.
1872.
Representatives, — Cyrus Harvey and A. F.
Childs; State Senator, W. M. Matheney; dis-
trict clerk, A. W. McGill ; county superintend-
ent, J. A. Murray; Probate judge, C. D. Nich-
ols; coroner, W. P. Eddy; county attorney,
W. H. YVhiteman. Votes cast, 2194.
1873.
Representatives, — Lawrence Conklin and
L. P. Stowell; sheriff, Alfred Palmer; treas-
urer, Slemons Lisle; county clerk, Edward Mc-
Pherson ; register of deeds, T. V. Lane ; county
surveyor, W. W. Murry; coroner. J- A.
Smith ; county commissioner, John McLaugh-
lin.
1874.
Representatives, — H. H. Angell and W.
E. Cowen ; State Senator, E. C. Wells ; district
clerk, C. O. Stockslager ; county attorney, John
N. Ritter ; Probate judge, C. D. Nichols ; coun-
ty superintendent, H. W. Sandusky.
1875-
Representatives, — J. H. Smith and J. R
Hallowell; treasurer, Slemons Lisle; sheriff,
Alfred Palmer ; county clerk, Edward McPher-
son ; register of deeds, W. C. Jones ; county sur-
veyor, J. B. Hodgins ; coroner, D. S. Freeman ;
county commissioner, T. F. Wilson.
In August, 1875, Lola township voted on
bonds for the aid of the Memphis, Carthage &
Northwestern Railroad. The township cast 60
votes, 21 for and 39 against the bonds. On
September 7, 1875, Salamanca township voted
on bonds for aiding the same company, casting
171 votes; 154 for and 17 against the bonds.
This is an instance in which the 'sequel shows
that the minority may sometimes be right.
Possibly no greater fraud was ever perpetrated
upon a municipality. It certainly ought to have
a prominent place in the catalogue of crimes.
1876.
Representatives, — S. W. Smith and A. F.
Harold ; State Senator, J. R. Hallowell ; county
attorney, D. M. McKenney; Probate judge, C.
D. Nichols; county superintendent, E. M. Ma-
son.
The people voted in 1876, on the proposi-
tion to establish a county farm, and it was car-
ried by a majority of 783 votes. The whole
number of votes cast in the county that year
was 2,606, the Republicans carrying the county
by a majority of 267, over all.
1877.
Treasurer, G. G. Gregg; county clerk,
Charles Saunders; register of deeds, J. T. Cald-
well ; sheriff, A. J. Bahney ; county surveyor,
Joseph Wallace; coroner, J. A. Monahan ; coun-
ty commissioners, — J. T. Maxey, Henry Dur-
kee and J. A. Hubbard.
There was a contest between A. S. Denni-
son and A. J. Bahney, for the office of sheriff.
The returns showed that Bahney was elected
by a majority of 62. It was claimed by Denni-
son that in two wards of Empire City, which
70
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
was the largest town in the county, the cigar
boxes which had been used for ballot boxes,
had been slipped out, while the judges and
clerks of the election were at supper, and other
boxes, of the same kind, had been substituted,
containing fraudulent ballots. The case was
tried before C. D. Nichols, Probate judge, on
December 26, 1877, continuing, from time to
time, until January 9, 1878, when it was decided
in favor of Bahney. Dennison then took an
appeal to the District Court, and subsequently
a change of venue to the Johnson County Dis-
trict Court ; but it never came to trial there, and
Bahney held the office. Dennison had some of
the best lawyers in the county: J. R. Hallo-
well, H. G. Webb, W. H. Whiteman, J. D.
Lewis, W. H. Hornor, and Ritter & Anderson.
Bahney had as good : Stockslager & Spear,
Bennett & Hampton, and Cowley & Skidmore.
The record also shows a contest between W.
C. Jones and J. T. Caldwell, over the office of
register of deeds. After a number of continu-
ances, the case was dismissed.
1878.
Representatives, — H. T. Helmrick, T. P.
Anderson and J. S. Gillespie ; county attorney,
W. R. Cowley; district clerk, M. W. Coulter;
Probate judge, H. C. Pursel; county superin-
tendent, J. H. Baxter ; coroner, David Crow.
The proposition to build a new Court
House was defeated by a majority of 1952, out
of a vote of 2,518.
1879.
Representative, C. G. Metzler; State Sena-'
tor, J. J. Goodner; treasurer, R. H. Stott;
county clerk, C. A. Saunders; sheriff, A. S.
Dennison; register of deeds, Clarence Wood-
ruff; county surveyor, C. L. McClung; coro-
ner, Jonathan Pickering ; county commissioner,
W. E. Swanson.
As shown in the returns of the election of
1879, C. A. Saunders was elected county clerk
by a majority of 58. E. H. Dunbar, who was a
candidate for the office, contested the election,
and the case was tried before H. C. Pursel, A.
H. Skidmore and E. A. Scammon. The case
was dismissed, at the motion of the contestor,
December 26, 1879, the contestor being held
for the costs, $45.95.
1880.
Representatives — V. L. Browning, C. R.
Webbert and H. R. Hubbard ; State Senator,
B. F. Hogg; district clerk, J. E. Tutton ; county
attorney, W. R. Cowley ; Probate Judge. E. J.
Leggett; county surveyor, Joseph Wallace;
county commissioner, R. W. Vaughn; county
superintendent, E. J. Leggett.
The constitutional amendment relating to
the prohibition of the sale of intoxicating
liquors received a majority of 477 in favor of
the amendment, out of a vote of 4.368. There
were no contests that year.
1881.
Treasurer, R. H. Stott ; county clerk, John
T. Veatch ; sheriff, A. S. Dennison ; register of
deeds, C. L. Woodruff; county surveyor, E.
W. Cooter ; coroner, I. N. Smith ; county com-
missioner, John Russell.
1882.
Representatives — T. P. Anderson and W.
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
71
B. Stone ; county attorney, C. D. Ashley ; dis-
trict clerk, James Whitcraft ; Probate judge, H.
C. Pursel; county superintendent, Sallie Hut-
sell ; county commissioner, W. E. Swanson.
There were three candidates for each office,
and there were 4,132 votes cast. Sallie Hut-
sell, for county superintendent, was eletcted by
a plurality of one vote.
1883.
Treasurer, G. G. Gregg ; county clerk, John
T. Veatch; sheriff, W. H. Layne; register of
deeds, S. Y. Timberlake; county surveyor, E.
W. Cooter ; coroner, J. W. May ; county com-
missioner, M. Robeson.
The returns show that W. H. Layne was
elected by a plurality of one vote. His elec-
tion was contested by G. W. Hoyt, and the case
was tried before H. C. Pursel, Probate judge,
and A, W. McGill and Benjamin D. Beal. The
final hearing was on January 4, 1884; and
upon motion to dismiss, the case was dismissed,
the contestor paying the costs — $80.90.
1884.
Representatives — E. C. Scammon, J. S.
Gillespie and E. C. Weilep; State Senator, John
N. Ritter; district clerk, James Whitcraft;
county attorney, C. O. Stockslager; Probate
judge, George Richardson ; county superinten-
dent, Sallie Hutsell ; county commissioner, John
Russell.
The year 1884 was remarkable for the polit-
ical enthusiasm which prevailed. There were
four candidates for the presidency : James G.
Blaine, Grover Cleveland, Benjamin F. Butler
and John P. St. John. These brought out every
available voter. Cherokee County, that year,
cast 5,634 votes. Blaine carried the county by
a plurality of 1,030, but lacked 216 of having
a majority.
Treasurer, E. C. Scammon ; county clerk,
L. R. McNutt; sheriff, W. H. Layne; register
of deeds, William H. Chew ; county surveyor,
Joseph Wallace; coroner, Lawrence Conklin;
county commissioner, \V. E. Swanson.
The number of votes cast that year was
4.416.
1886.
Representatives — R. P. McGregor and H.
R. Hubbard ; Probate judge, George Richard-
son; district clerk, J. H. Hamilton; county at-
torney, G. W. Webb; county superintendent,
M. F. Jarrett; coroner, William Russell;
county commissioner, M. Robeson.
The number of votes cast that year was
4,218.
Treasurer, E. C. Scammon; county clerk,
J. C. Atkinson ; sheriff, J. C. Babb ; register of
deeds, William H. Chew; county surveyor,
Joseph Wallace ; coroner, D. W. King ; county
commissioner, James M. Robinson.
The number of votes cast that year was
4708.
1888.
Representatives — John S. Gillespie and
John W. Herron; State Senator, W. S. Nor-
ton; county attorney, C. D. Ashley; Probate
judge, Jesse Forkner; county superintendent.
M. F. Jarrett; district clerk, J. H. Hamilton;
county commissioner, H. N. Furness.
72
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
In the political annals of Cherokee County
no year is more vividly recalled than 1888.
Three presidential candidates were in the field ;
and the friends of each rallied enthusiastically
to his support. No voter was allowed to remain
at home, unless sick, and even then, if not seri-
ously sick, he was brought out. The campaign
partook somewhat of the nature of a military
one; for feeling was so highly wrought that
men, otherwise friendly and on neighborly
terms, drifted so apart as to lose their kindlier
feelings. The presidential vote that year was :
Benjamin Harrison, 2,935; Grover Cleveland,
2,038; A. J. Streeter, 1,269; total, 6,242. Har-
rison's plurality was 897; but he lacked 187
of having a majority.
1889.
Treasurer, H. R. Sadler; sheriff, J. C.
Babb ; register of deeds, J. H. Abbott ; county
clerk, J. C. Atkinson ; county surveyor, E. S.
Morton ; coroner, R. S. Mahan ; county com-
missioner, R. P. McGregor.
The number of votes cast that year was
4-95 1 -
1890.
Representatives — J. T. Jones and J. H.
Chubb; Probate judge, John Stauffer; county
attorney, W. J. Moore; district clerk, C. R.
Bernard ; county superintendent, Anna Wid-
man ; county surveyor, Joseph Wallace ; county
commissioner, F. A. Jackson.
1891.
Treasurer, A. D. Watts; sheriff, C. D.
Arnold ; register of deeds. J. C. Hubbard ;
county clerk. P. M. Humphrey ; county sur-
veyor, Joseph Wallace ; coroner, O. L. Young ;
county commissioner, J. H. Armstrong.
The number of votes cast that year was
5.645-
1892.
Representatives — M. L. Walters and Alex-
ander Warner; State Senator, M. A. House-
holder; Probate judge, John Stauffer; district
clerk, C. R. Bernard ; county superintendent,
Anna Widman; county attorney, W. J. Moore;
county commissioner, Andrew Shearer.
The number of votes cast that year was
6,508; of these, Cleveland received 3,752 ; Har-
rison, 2,695 '< Bidwell, 61. The Populist reform
movement in Kansas was at its full force at that
time.
1893.
Treasurer, A. D. Watts ; sheriff, C. D. Ar-
nold ; county clerk, P. M. Humphrey ; register
of deeds, J. C. Hubbard ; county surveyor,
William H. Dugger; coroner, E. W. Doan;
county commissioner, F. A. Jackson.
The number of votes cast that vear was
4,823.
1894-
Representatives — James Duffy and Alex-
ander Warner ; county attorney, C. A. McNeill ;
Probate judge, W. R. Elliott; district clerk, L.
G. Scranton ; county superintendent, E. O.
Herod ; county commissioner, James H. Elliott.
The number of votes cast that vear was
5,128.
1895-
Treasurer, Andrew Shearer; sheriff. W. T.
Forkner; register of deeds, H. A. Bender;
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
73
county clerk, Thomas Thomason; county sur-
veyor, Joseph Wallace ; coroner, C. S. Huff-
man ; county commissioner, W. H. Peters.
The proposition for building a jail was de-
feated by a majority of 281.
The number of votes cast that year was
5>387-
1896.
Representatives — George T. McGrath and
E. C. W'eilep; State Senator, M. A. House-
holder ; county attorney, Charles Stephens ; dis-
trict clerk, L. G. Scranton; Probate judge, E.
E. Sapp ; county superintendent, C. F. Cool ;
county commissioner, James Pryor.
The number of votes cast for the presi-
dential candidates was 8,703, of which McKin-
ley received 3,505; Bryan, 5,108; Palmer, 46;
Levering, 44.
1S97.
Treasurer, Frank Hoover ; county clerk,
S. W. Swinney ; register of deeds, Ross David-
son ; sheriff, O. W. Sparks ; county surveyor,
J. H. Jenkins ; coroner, \Y. Hisle ; county com-
missioner, Charles H. Smith.
The number of votes cast that year was
6,304-
Representatives — J. C. Fogle and G. W.
YVheatley ; Probate judge, E. E. Sapp ; district
clerk, J. M. Wales ; county attorney, Charles
Stephens; county superintendent, C. F. Cool;
county commissioner, W. H. Peters.
The number of votes cast that year was
6.213.
1899.
Treasurer, Frank Hoover; sheriff. O. W.
Sparks; county clerk, S. W. Swinney; regis-
ter of deeds, Ross Davidson; Probate judge,
George H. Wilson ; clerk of the Court of Com-
mon Pleas at Galena, E. F. Tucker; county
surveyor, J. H. Jenkins ; coroner, R. B. En-
glish ; county commissioner, J. B. Pryor.
The number of votes cast that year was
8,033. This heavy vote was due to a number
of causes. At a special session of the Legisla-
ture of Kansas, begun on December 21, 1898,.
a new court of record, to be known as "The
Court of Common Pleas for Cherokee and
Crawford Counties," was established; and the
act provided for submitting the matter to the
qualified voters of the two counties, at the
general election of 1899. Besides this, there
was the proposition to build a County High
School, which matter was thoroughly agitated
among the people that year. The Common
Pleas Court proposition was carried by a ma-
jority of 1.740; the High School proposition
was carried by a majority of 379.
Judge E. E. Sapp, of Galena, was elected
to the bench of the new court. Sessions of the
court were held at Galena, Cherokee County,
and at Pittsburg, Crawford County. At the
July (1900) term of the Supreme Court, in re
John Davis, 62 K, page 231, the court handed
down a decision, declaring that Court of Com-
mon Pleas as not having been legally estab-
lished. After this Cherokee County was made
to constitute the Eleventh Judicial District, and
Judge A. H. Skidmore continued on the bench
of the District Court until Judge W. B. Glasse
was elected his successor, at the general election
of 1902.
1900.
Representatives — E. C. Weilep and Teas-
74
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
dale Wilkinson ; State Senator, M. A. House-
holder; county attorney, J. N. Dunbar; dis-
trict clerk, J. M. Wales; Probate judge, R. M.
Cheshire ; county superintendent, S. N. Mont-
gomery; board of trustees of the County High
School — Walter Merrick, Emerson Hull, T. J.
Vest, Phil. L. Keener, C. A. Gibbs and P. L.
McManus.
The number of votes cast that year was
9.756, the largest ever cast in the county, up to
that time.
1901.
By an act of the Legislature of the State of
Kansas, approved March 1, 1901, the election
of county officers was fixed to come in even
numbered years, beginning with 1902, except
the election of county commissioners.
1902.
District judge, W. B. Glasse; Representa-
tives — E. B. Schermerhorn and John Mc-
Laughlin ; treasurer, Franklin Elliott ; sheriff,
Charles L. Raines ; county clerk, William H.
Shaffer ; register of deeds, E. R. Pattyson ;
district clerk, J. B. Rudolph ; county attorney,
Al. F. Williams; county superintendent, Birdie
Adams ; Probate judge, George H. Wilson ;
county surveyor, J. S. Sherman ; coroner, J.
H. Boss ; board of trusteees of the County High
School — D. C. Walker, Emerson Hull, Walter
Merrick and T. J. Vest.
The number of votes cast that year was
6,560, which, compared with the vote of 1900,
shows a falling off of 3,196.
THE POLITICAL PHASES.
That everv man living in the State of Kan-
sas belongs to some political party, is a proposi-
tion which is almost idle to utter. Here
partisan affiliation is almost an instinct ; and he
who has no "political home" is a lonely outcast,
even in the midst of the din and rush of politi-
cal agitation. The early settlers of the State
lived under a tense political strain, from the
day they set foot upon its soil, and those who
came later readily partook of the spirit of the
most enthusiastic demonstrations. The sur-
roundings made it necessary. They had to de-
clare themselves, for they were not allowed to
remain silent. The lines were drawn, and they
had to take sides.
The Republican party of Kansas, when not
torn into factions through the disagreement of
its leaders, has always been dominant in the
State, as a matter of birthright. It has been
next to folly for any other party to seek a
breaking of its control of public affairs; for
this has never been done, except when internal
dissensions have dissipated its strength and
driven large numbers into the camps of the
opposing party. The State has had four Gov-
ernors who were not elected by the Republican
party, — St. John, Glick, Lewelling and Leedy;
and it has sent but three men, other than Re-
publicans, to the United States Senate, — Mar-
tin, Harris and Peffer, the latter of whom went
back to the Republican party when it was no
longer profitable for him to remain with the
Populists.
The political phases of Cherokee County
have partaken much of the character of those
of the State. Nominally, the county is Repub-
lican ; but the people sometimes break away ;
and as the numerical strength of the two par-
ties is almost evenly divided, the Democrats
have held the innings about as often as the Re-
publicans. Each party has been often rendered
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
75
incapable of gaining public control, through
blunders made in each by a few who were too
anxious to direct the party machinery.
Back in the early days of the county, when
the inhabitants were few, and the frontier spirit
bound the people closer, there was a time when
the only question that divided them was
whether a person supported or opposed the Joy
side of the land question. All other likes and
dislikes were for a while laid aside; in fact, this
matter was the issue among the people of
Cherokee County for seven or eight years. Af-
ter it was settled by the Supreme Court of the
United States, by which settlement the
^Leaguers" lost their lands, the Democrats and
Republicans, who had joined hands on one
side or the other, quietly fell back to their
places in the political parties ; and from that
time down to the present no side issue has been
such as to draw them away, save that during
the Populist uprising of 1890 many of the
members of the two parties cut their moorings
and took passage in the reform craft and went
out upon a brief voyage, while the two disabled
parties remained on the shoals and watched the
sail as it went over the rounded sea. Some of
the voyagers are back in their respective ships,
while some of them are yet at sea, "rocked in
the cradle of the deep."
From about the year 1876 down to the year
1890, neither of the principal parties engaged in
any "masterful inactivity." There was some-
thing lively going on all the time. Scarcely was
a political canvass over when scheming began
for the succeeding one. Elections were held
every year, which maintained a condition of
constant turmoil, and which required an out-
watch always on duty. The terms of the
county offices were for two years, and the offi-
cers coming in alternated with those going out.
Often half of the offices in the Court House
were filled by Republicans, and the other half
by Democrats ; but there were times, after 1890,
when the offices were filled by neither.
Perhaps the intensest political contest ever
had between the Republican and the Democrats
of Cherokee County was that of 1888. And
this is perhaps true in every other part of the
country where numbers were anywhere nearly
equal. There was a general reason for it. In
1884 the Democratic candidate for the presi-
dency was elected and the following spring was
inaugurated, the first Democratic President in-
augurated since March 4, 1857. Four years
after 1884 the Democrats were determined that
Grover Cleveland should be re-elected ; the Re-
publicans were equally determined that he should
be defeated,and that Benjamin Harrison should
be elected the next President of the United
States. Each party was correspondingly eager
and zealous. Tremendous influences were
brought to bear upon the people, from those im-
mediately under the control of the national
committees, down to the voters who were man-
aged by the ward politicians in the cities and by
the precinct managers in the rural districts.
Big local contributions were made to the cam-
paign funds, for many were so enthusiastic
that they spent money freely, in order to gain
advantage over the opposing party. The ag-
gregate of each party was mustered, drilled
and marched to the polls on election day. Ward
and precinct meetings were held whenever and
wherever there was the slightest hope for gain-
ing any advantage. Speakers were employed to
hold meetings at the school houses in all the
rural districts ; abler ones were brought in from
other parts to address the town-hall gatherings,
and still others to speak to the multitudes too
vast for other than out-door meetings.
76
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUXTY
MEMORABLE POLITICAL RALLIES.
In the fall of 1888 some of the greatest polit-
ical rallies ever known were held at Columbus.
The first was on the 22(1 day of September,
following the meeting of the Democratic County-
Convention. The convention met at the Opera
House at 1 1 o'clock in the forenoon, and was
called to order by R. A. Long, chairman of
the county central committee. R. M. Cheshire,
mayor of Columbus, was chosen temporary
chairman of the convention, and J. H. Clawson
was chosen secretary. After the chairman had
appointed the usual committees, the convention
adjourned until 1 -.^o in the afternoon.
On assembling in the afternoon, J. C. Mur-
doch, of Galena, was chosen permanent chair-
man, and A. L. Hayden, of Weir City, was
chosen secretary. Dr. E. A. Scammon was
chairman of the committee on resolutions.
From the report of the committee I copy this
sentence : "That, in the administration of our
county affairs, we demand of all officers a strict
and full performance of all their official duties ;
and at the hands of our county commissioners
we demand that they, as the law requires, at
the end of each year cause to be published a full
and explicit account of every dollar expended,
and for what purpose, and all indebtedness of
the county, that the tax-payers may know for
what purpose their money is used." It had
been said about that time that the county com-
missioners were not managing public matters
in a business-like way ; that the people were not
kept informed of the expenditures ; that the law
covering such things was being ignored, and
that a course of better control of the interests of
the county must be had. This was one of the
issues of the local canvass for votes.
The big rally of that day set in. upon the ad-
journment of the convention. The Baxter
Springs Neivs, September 29, 1888, copied the
following account of the rally from the Colum-
bus Star-Courier:
"A parade, headed by the Columbus Band,
formed at the Gulf depot, consisting of floats,
ladies and gentlemen on horseback, citizens in
vehicles, and various designs representing the
inconsistencies of the Republican platform,
marched throughout the principal streets. Hon.
John A. Eaton, candidate for Congress in the
Third District, spoke in the afternoon to the
assembled throng west of the new Court House.
He received round after round of applause as
he spoke for two hours on the tariff issue. Ex-
cursion trains arrived almost hourly during the
day, and the committees were kept busy receiv-
ing them. Judge Martin, of Topeka, arrived
at 4 130 in the afternoon. He was met at the
depot by two bands and a large crowd of peo-
ple. He was driven to the hotel, where he re-
ceived many callers during the evening. At seven
o'clock the excursion arrived from Galena, one
thousand strong, and a procession was formed
at the Gulf depot with two thousand five hun-
dred in line. All the clubs participated, mak-
ing a grand procession, over a mile in length,
with torchlight banners and transparencies.
Fireworks were discharged on all sides, caus-
ing the scene to be one of dazzling brilliancy.
The transparencies illustrating the deceit and
hypocrisy of the Republican platform were
borne by stalwart Democrats. The Andrew
Jackson Glee Club, composed of young ladies
and young gentlemen, on a large float, followed
by another float containing 38 ladies represent-
ing the different States of the Union, were at-
tractive features of the procession. After the
parade the various glee clubs congregated on
the speakers' stand and rendered some splendid
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
77
campaign music. Judge Martin was intro-
duced, and he held the audience for two hours.
He spoke in a clear tone, and he was heard by
a large proportion of the vast audience. His
excellent points were loudly applauded. There
is not the least doubt that Saturday was the
grandest day for the Democrats that Columbus
ever enjoyed. Good judges placed the crowd
at from eight thousand to ten thousand. The
whole matter passed off with the best of feel-
ing, harmony prevailing on every hand."
Following the Democratic rally, the Re-
publican managers set out to surpass it, in num-
bers and in brilliancy. As indicating the en-
thusiasm, the following paragraphs are taken
from the Baxter Springs News:
"The Baxter Springs Republican Club pro-
poses to send two hundred warriors, one hun-
dred ladies and two brass bands to the grand
rally at Columbus on the 13th of October."
"The Republicans are making arrange-
ments for a grand demonstration at Columbus.
October 13, afternoon and evening. Senator
Plumb, Congressman Perkins, Hon. Eugene F.
Ware and S. S. Kirkpatrick, of Fredonia, have
promised to be present. There will be a grand
torchlight procession and display of fireworks
in the evening."
When the Republican rally day came, Co-
lumbus had the biggest political rally that had
ever assembled within its limits. This was gen-
erally conceded. Long before the break of day
the managers were up and about the work to
be done; for no preparation was to be left out.
The homes and the business houses of the city
were lavishly and splendidly decorated, tri-
umphal arches were erected, flags were flying
everywhere, and by the early morning there
was such a demonstration of interest as could
not other than portend a day of full advantage
to the party putting forth the effort. But if
the people of the town itself were ready for a
grand rally, those from other parts of the
county, and even from other counties, were
more so. The following account of the rally
is taken from the Baxter Springs News, of Oc-
tober 20, 1888:
"By nine o'clock people began to pour in
from the country, in large delegations and
singly, in wagons, in buggies and carriages, on
horseback and otherwise. At 10 o'clock the
marshals, under the direction of the grand mar-
shal, C. W. Daniels, of Baxter Springs, began
forming the procession for the grand parade,
which required an hour and a quarter for pass-
ing a given point. * * * At the head of
the procession was the Columbus Cornet Band ;
next, one hundred ladies on horseback, riding
three abreast, wearing the national colors. Fol-
lowing the ladies in uniform, were ladies and
gentlemen on horseback, including colored men
and women. Then followed an elaborate float,
covered all over with bunting and flags, drawn
by six fine white horses, bearing about thirty
old gentlemen who voted for Gen. William
Henry Harrison in 1840. This was really one
of the most imposing sights in the procession,
and none of the line felt more enthusiastic or,
for the time being, younger than those old vet-
erans of 1840. Following them, close behind,
was a geunine log cabin on a truck, drawn by
four spans of mules. The cabin was complete
in all its details, about ten by fifteen feet, with
a porch on the front side, on which set a spin-
ning-wheel and many other articles of indus-
trial use so familiar to the people of that
time. On the roof were a wolf and a 'possum',
lazily sunning themselves, and there were a
number of coonskins nailed on the outside.
The cabin was designed after the pattern of the
78
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
primitive cabin of the settlers of the great West.
* * * Then followed wagons, buggies,
carts and so forth. Along down the line, and
just ahead of Capt. Abbott's company of horse-
men from Spring Valley, was a float containing
about twenty little girls singing patriotic songs.
Following this were more vehicles of various
kinds, followed by the Baxter Springs Cornet
Band, which led Capt. Abbott's company of
horsemen numbering about one hundred young
men from Spring Valley township, all uni-
formed and drilled. They made a splendid ap-
pearance in the line. These were followed by
a float containing little girls representing the
States which Harrison will carry. * " * *
The procession was nearly three miles in
length, and not strung out like telegraph poles,
either. They were kept as close as circum-
stances would permit. In the procession, at
appropriate intervals, many bands were sand-
wiched, among them the Baxter Springs Band,
the Melrose Band, the Columbus Band, the
Chetopa Drum Corps, Wall's Drum Corps, the
Columbus Drum Corps and Colored Band, the
Oswego Drum Corps and Richardson's Colum-
bus Kid Drum Corps. By two o'clock the seats
on the west side of the Court House, fronting
the grand stand, were literally packed with peo-
ple, numbering between four thousand and five
thousand. After music by the Columbus, Mel-
rose and Baxter Springs bands in unison, and
two or three songs by the Columbus Glee Club,
which were greeted with great applause, Capt.
H. R. Hubbard, of Boston Mills, introduced
Senator Preston B. Plumb, who, notwithstand-
ing the great hoarseness under which he was
laboring, addressed the people for one hour
and forty-five minutes, upon the issues of the
day. His address was a plain, common sense,
logical talk upon the great issues now before
the American people, the tariff and the Mills
Bill, and it was listened to with great interest
and greeted with frequent applause. At 4 130
a large delegation arrived on the Frisco road,
from the West, including the Coffeyville Flam-
beau Club, numbering 38 well-drilled men.
and also the Oswego Flambeau Club, and torch-
bearers from Fredonia, Coffeyville, Cherryvale,
Mound Valley and Oswego, numbering five
hundred men. The Daisy Glea Club from
Fredonia was also on board. At 5 130 the Weir
City and Cherokee excursion train brought in
the Weir City Flambeau Club and about one
thousand people composed mostly of voters
who were torch bearers. At 6 :30 the torches
were lighted and the procession commenced
forming on East Maple avenue, where it re-
mained for the arrival of the Fort Scott excur-
sion and for the excursion from Webb City,
Joplin, Galena and Baxter Springs. The first
did not arrive until 7 :_).o and the latter not until
8. These two trains brought in about two
thousand people. Fort Scott furnished a splen-
did flambeau club and many torch bearers, num-
bering about four hundred. The train from the
southeast brought in the Webb City. Joplin and
Galena flambeau clubs, besides the Joplin Shot-
gun Brigade. There were also about one thou-
sand torch bearers in the delegation. As soon
as possible the men were thrown into line and
started on the march. Two thousand five hun-
dred torches were in the parade, and along in
the line were the various bands, and the drum
and fife corps, and the line of march was through
the principal streets of the city. * * * It
was the grandest medley of lights and noises
that ever greeted Southeastern Kansas. At
9 :20, which was as soon as the parade was
over, the people again gathered around the
grand stand to hear Hon. B. W. Perkins, who
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
79
was introduced by Capt. H. R. Hubbard, the
chairman. Mr. Perkins was received with en-
thusiasm. He spoke over an hour, and his ad-
dress was exceptionally scatching and bitter to
the Democrats. The crowd being so great, and
not being able to hear Mr. Perkins, an over-
flow meeting was held at the Opera House,
where Hon. Eugene F. Ware and ex-Governor
George T. Anthony spoke to the people. * * *
Taking the meeting as a whole, it was a grand
success throughout, and it is acknowledged by
nearly every one to have been the most elabo-
rate demonstration made in the State this year,
if not in the entire West."
At the time of which I write, the Union
Labor party was strong in Kansas, so strong as
sometimes to hold the balance of power in some
of the counties. Its organization in Cherokee
County was thorough, and those making up
the ranks of the party were numerous and ag-
gressive in the propagation of their party doc-
trines.
On the 27th of October, 1888, the Union
Labor party held a rally at Columbus which
was perhaps more largely attended by the farm-
ers of the county than any other rally held in the
county, up to that time. A. J. Streeter, their
candidate for the presidency that year, and W.
H. Utley, their candidate for Congress from the
Third District, were the chief speakers. The
presence of Mr. Streeter brought out the entire
party strength and the rally, in every particular,
was certainly creditable to the managers who
had the matter in hand. The Galena Miner,
as quoted by the Baxter Springs A r ex.'s of
November 3, 1888, had this to say of the rally :
"To say that the Union Labor people were
pleased with their demonstration at Columbus
last Saturday would be putting it mildly. It was
simply wildly enthusiastic. The crowd and
procession were undoubtedly the largest evei
held in the county, considering the fact that it
was confined almost wholly to Cherokee County
people. The old parties had more people pres-
ent at their demonstrations than the Union La-
bor people had, but at both of their meetings
the crowds were largely swelled by imported
delegations from neighboring counties. Galena
turned out three car-loads of people, the train
arriving at 10:30 in the forenoon. Soon after
the arrival of our train the grand procession
was formed, and the parade began from the
Gulf depot, headed by the Galena Band and the
Short Creek delegation on foot. Moving to the
square, and around to the south side, the
Galena Band and delegation halted, opened
ranks and allowed the procession to pass
through. It was two miles in length, the peo-
ple in wagons, carriages, buggies and on horse-
back, and it required forty-five minutes to pass
a given point. One feature of the procession
was the universal acceptance of the appellation,
'Pumpkin Huskers,' as applied to the new party
by the old parties. There was a liberal display
of pumpkins on almost every vehicle in the pro-
cession. The tails and manes of their horses
were trimmed with oats, wheat, rye and flow-
ers, while wreaths of corn and bunches of ap-
ples hung around their horses' necks or hung
from thier saddles. Corn-stalks, with massive
ears of corn on them, appeared all along the
line. Castor-bean stalks, oats, trees with apples
on them, corn, Irish potatoes and sweet potatoes
were displayed in abundance on almost every
wagon. Hay wagons, covered with hay and
loaded down with little boys and girls, were
pleasing features. A float, bearing a rail-
splitter with maul and wedge, working lustily
as it went along, was one of the attractions ; and
several floats, bearing ladies and glee clubs,
8o
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
were in the procession. Flags and banners,
bearing all kinds of superscriptions, were
numerous, expressing the sentiments and princi-
ples of the party. In display, the procession
throughout was out of the regular order of
things of that kind, entirely original and unique,
giving a better idea of the purposes of the party
than a torchlight procession forty miles in
length. At 1 :40 in the afternoon James Skid-
more, as chairman, introduced Hon. A. J.
Streeter, a Union Labor candidate for the presi-
dency, to one of the largest and most attentive
assemblies that has listened to any speaker in
this county, this year. He spoke for nearly two
hours. Hon. W. H. Utley. the Union Labor
candidate for Congress, was introduced and he
spoke for a few minutes, which concluded the
exercises of the day."
The last big rally held in Columbus in the
fall of 1888 was that of the Democratic party,
held on Saturday, November 3d, three days be-
fore the election. It is said that when the chair-
man of the Democratic County Central Com-
mittee saw the big Republican rally, which was
held on October 13th, he said he was deter-
mined to surpass it in number, at the next
Democratic rally, if it cost him a thousand dol-
lars out of his own pocket. He set out to do if;
and it is generaly conceded that he succeeded.
I quote again from the Baxter Springs News,
of November 10, 1888:
"The demonstration held at Columbus last
Saturday, by the Democratic party of this
county, exceeded, in point of numbers, anything
else of the kind ever held in Southern Kansas.
During the forenoon every road leading into
Columbus was literally a grand procession of
wagons, buggies and horsemen in gay uni-
forms, while the trains invariably arrived late
and loaded down to the guards : and when about
noon the vast assemblage had gathered in and
about the city, it was found that no amount of
good generalship there obtainable was adequate
to handle the throng and get them into line for
the grand parade. After struggling for about
one hour and a half to get a start of some kind,
and in some order, the words, 'forward, march,'
were given ; and then for fully an hour delega-
tion behind delegation, with bands playing and
colors floating, filed into line and paraded the
principal streets of the town. A general rush
was then made for dinner, which cut the parade
short. After dinner the several bands met
at the speakers' stand in the public square, and
after giving several selections, and the glee
club had sung a piece or two, Hon. T. T. Crit-
tenden, of Missouri, was introduced, and he
made a lengthy and interesting address. At
five o'clock in the afternoon the Galena, Mel-
rose, Weir City, Monett (Mo.) and the Bax-
ter Springs cornet bands met at the Odd Fel-
lows' Hall and, under the command of Col. L.
C. Weldy, made a parade around the square,
in platoons of five, playing in unison a difficult
quickstep. Returning to the hall, a halt was
called and another piece was selected, playing
which the band of sixty pieces marched in single
file into their large dining hall, filing around the
tables until the selection was ended. This was
a feature of a demonstration not on the pro-
gram, but it was, nevertheless, not the least in-
teresting. It was acknowledged by all musi-
cians, as well as by others, to be the most won-
derful band performance ever given in Kan-
sas, both as regards the music and the drill.
Col. Weldy won glittering laurels from the
band boys, for the excellent manner in which he
handled them. After supper three or four large
excursion trains were received, the last one
arriving after eight o'clock, after which the
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
81
grand torchlight procession was formed and
wended its way amid the glare of flambeaus,
torches and rockets, the music of bands and
drums, the crack of muskets and the huzzas of
thousands of enthusiastic American citizens,
through the principal streets and around the
square again and again, until the crowd was
gradually lessened, by the trampers, one by one,
dropping out of the ranks, from sheer fatigue.
The display of fireworks was exceptionally fine,
as were also the decorations of the homes and
buildings of the city, both day and evening.
Owing to the fact that the election is now over,
in the result of which the people are more inter-
ested than in rallies, we cut this report much
shorter than we otherwise would. There are
many interesting features of which we have not
spoken, for this reason."
THE INCREASE OF POPULATION, AND IMMIGRA-
TION FROM OTHER STATES.
The original settlers of Cherokee County
came from the Northern and Middle Eastern
States. A very large proportion of them came
from the States of Illinois and Indiana, a few
from New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Al-
most none came from the New England States,
and only a few from Michigan, Wisconsin and
Minnesota, a few from Iowa, a few from Ken-
tucky and Tennessee.
The people who first came, as well as those
who came later, were farmers who, after the
war was over, and the country had taken on
new life, betook themselves to newer parts,
coming West, where they might light upon
easier conditions and wider opportunities for
building homes, and where larger returns might
come of their labor and the comforts of life
more rapidly accumulate. Many young men
only a few years out of the army, where they
had been affected by the spirit of adventure,
came with the purpose of devoting themselves
to the pursuits of peace, under enough of the
inspiration of frontier life to keep alive the
memory of the incidents of war.
The population of Cherokee County, in
1870, the first census after the organization of
the county, is given in the following table :
Pleasant View Township 971
Cherokee Township 370
Ross Township 449
Sheridan Township 1,149
Lola Township 650
Salamanca Township 306
Crawford Township 593
Shawnee Township 894
Lowell Township 1,612
Spring Valley Township 2,364
Lyon Township 378
Neosho Township 900
The town of Columbus 402
Total 11,038
In the census for that year the population
of Baxter Springs was included in that of
Spring Valley township ; Galena and Empire
City were included in the population of Lowell
township, and Weir City was included in Cher-
okee township.
The following table shows the population of
Cherokee County, by townships and cities, for
the years 1880, 1890 and 1900:
Townships 1880 1890 1900
Pleasant View 1,107 1,181 1,073
Cherokee 996 1,639 2,135
Mineral 1,144 1,189 L539
Ross 1,071 1,224 2,776
Sheridan 1,642 1,661 1,325
Lola 1,052 792 1,145
Salamanca 1,993 1.061 1.016
Crawford 893 947 857
82
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
Townships 1880 1890 1900
Shawnee 995 983 950
Lowell 5,-2.24 1,486 1.486
Garden 1, 134 1,296 2,652
Spring Valley 2,499 1,512 1,432
Lyon 909 975 1,043
Neosho 1,246 1,124 1,123
21,895 17,010 20,552
Cities.
Columbus 1,164 2,135 2,414
Galena 2,362 10,511
Baxter Springs 1.324 1.539
Empire City 1,367 889 2,245
Scammon 649 1,802
Weir City 376 2,308 3,091
24,802 26,677 42,154
For the year 1880 the population of Galena,
that of Baxter Springs and that of Scammon
were included in the townships in which they
are situate, which accounts for their not being
given among the cities. Effort was made to get
the figures, but there is no public record cover-
ing these matters at the county seat ; that is, as
to the three places named, for that year.
The small increase in population, from 1880
to 1890, was due to the generally hard times
which prevailed in that period, as also to the
fact that progress in the development of the
mining interests of the county was slow and
uncertain. The big increase in the next decade
was due to opposite conditions from those just
mentioned, and also to the fact that the people
paid off most of their mortgages and were in
every way better off than they had been, which
condition attracted the attention of persons in
other States and drew a brisk immigration.
But the chief factor in the increase of popula-
tion was the tremendous activity in the mining
regions. The prices of ore had gone up, new
mines were being opened and men were needed
in large numbers. The influx of mine workers
brought others, and so there was a rapid, strong
increase, proportionate to the requirements
which brought them ; but not all of this in-
crease could be counted as entering into the per-
manent population of the county.
CHAPTER. VI.
EDUCATIONAL, RELIGIOUS AND FRATERNAL
The Public Schools — The Churches, Lodges and Benevolent Societies.
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The spirit of public education is one of the
chief characteristics of the people who live in
Kansas. The soil of the land may be richer
in some places than in others ; in matter of
rainfall the "short grass" districts of the west-
ern part of the State may not compare with
the more favored eastern section ; but in matters
pertaining to the education of their children
the people maintain a uniformity of sentiment,
and everywhere the same strong enthusiasm un-
interruptedly prevails. Persons are sometimes
heard complaining of public expenses of various
kinds ; but there is one item concerning which
a murmur is never .heard: The public
school is absolutely immune ; it is not sub-
jected to the ordeal of rigid investigation such
as is often made into other matters of public
concern. It is the pride of the people.
Cherokee County has 120 public schools,
outside of the cities. There are 14 schools in
the cities of the county, besides the County
High School at Columbus. All told, there are
135 schools in the county, as shown by the
county superintendent's report, for the school
year 1903-04. These are distributed uniformly
over the county, so that not a community within
its borders can be found without a school house,
well furnished and under the charge of an in-
dustrious, well qualified teacher.
Columbus has three school buildings and 13
teachers. O. C. Ecke is the superintendent.
The teachers are : R. D. Jones, S. A. Mentzer,
Clara Elliott, Plattie Colvin, Bessie Furness,
Ruth Kenworthy, F. W. Peterson, Mabel At-
kins, Etta Staton, Lizzie G. Adams, Gertrude
Lacock and George E. Rogers. Formerly, the
city maintained a High School whose graduates
were admitted to the State University; but
since the establishment of the County High
School, the City High School was set aside.
Galena has five school buildings, and the
School Board will soon complete a High School
building, at a cost of $20,000, which, when
completed, will be the second best building in
the county, ranking next to the County High
School at Columbus. J. A. Higdon is super-
intendent of the Galena schools, and the fol-
lowing are the teachers : F. H. Barbee, prin-
cipal of the High School; Rebecca Hunter, Lu-
cile Goodwin, Mattie Burkholder, Lucy Vest,
Rhoda Bowers, Emma Shivel, Wilhelmina
Scheulin, Clara Crosson, L. J. Pickering, Mar-
guerite Miller, Victoria Bunch, Pearl Garrison,
Jessie Ditson, Annetta Beals, Gertrude Ander-
84
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
son, Flora Hubbard, Sarah Walkenshaw, Alma
Carpenter, Eva Orr, Juliette Hunter, Elsie
Watkins, Lena Bushorr and Laura Person.
Baxter Springs has one large school build-
ing and eight teachers. T. B. Mosher is the
superintendent, and the teachers are : Daisy
Catlett, Cora Tyndall, Nellie Stewart, Pearl
Masters, Nellie Williams, Mattie L. Moore and
William Martin. The rapid growth of the
city will make it necessary, within the coming
two years, to provide larger facilities.
Weir City has two buildings and 17 teach-
ers. George B. Deem is the superintendent,
and the teachers are : Anna White, Mary
Brown, Lizzie Beatty, Martha Bonnett, Anna
Fanna, Delia French, Luella Gager, Maud
Gager, Mamie Rodda, Arthur Clark, Sallie
Robertson, Iva Haney, Minnie Anderson, Liz-
zie Robson and W. P. Cowen.
Scammon has one large building and eight
teachers. The principal of the last year was
S. N. Montgomery, and the teachers were : M.
J. Kane, Nellie Mitchell, Mary Williamson,
Libbie Reno, Myrtle Hunsaker, Maggie Dunn
and Lulu Newton.
Empire City has one building and five
teachers. Clinton Wright is principal, and the
teachers are: Lillian Balch, Eura Piper, Myr-
tle Hickman and Pauline Reeves.
Mineral City has one building and six
teachers. J. A. Knox is principal, and he is
assisted by the following teachers : Emma
Hunker, Ada Kenny, Nellie Gibbs, Pearl M.
Wiggins and Lillian White.
The Cherokee County High School build-
ing was erected at Columbus, in the year 1900,
at a cost of about $18,000. The High School
Board recently contracted for the erection of an
addition which will cost, when finished and fur-
nished, about $13,000. A manual training de-
partment will be added when the new building
is ready.
The attendance at the County High School,
the first year, was more than 200. For the
school year 1903-04, the attendance was 260.
The school has turned out 102 graduates and a
good number of them have entered the State
University, being admitted to the sophomore
year. It is expected that the County High
School, for the coming year, will have 350
students, almost all from Cherokee County. C.
S. Bowman has been principal of the school
since its founding, and he has been chosen by
the board for the year 1904-05. The following
are the other teachers : S. W. Black, M. L.
Catlett, Catherine Denwith, Albert Mulliken,
Ada Baker, Mr. Bordeau and Florence Adams.
The arrangement with the Board is for Miss
Adams to take charge of the manual training
school. The board of directors of the school
are : Birdie Adams, county superintendent, ex
officio president ; Emerson Hull, secretary ; J.
Shoman, Walter Merrick, D. C. Walker, David
Mackie, Jr., and T. J. Vest. The members of
the board are elected by the people, for a term
of two years.
It is probable that no other county in the
State of Kansas shows more enthusiasm in the
support and maintenance of its high schools
than in Cherokee County ; and, indeed, this may
be said of the schools of the country districts,
as is shown in the fact that for the school year
1903-04 the country schools had 6.062 pupils,
an average of more than 53 pupils to the school.
Some of the country schools have more than
one teacher in each of them. Union District,
No. 18, has two; Sherman District. No. 21, has
two ; Coal Valley District, No. 59, has three ;
Roseland District. No. 70, has two ; Hallowell
District, No. 76, has two: Crestline District,
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
85
No. 78, has two; Union District No. 91, has
two; Melrose District, No. 96. has two; Stip-
ville District, No. 102, has two; Stone City
District, No. 105, has two.
The excellent standard of the public schools
of Cherokee County is due, mainly, to the uni-
formly strong interest which the people have
taken in them, and to the watchful care of the
school directors in the employment of teachers.
As a rule, the moral and intellectual fitness of
the teachers has been such as could not be called
in question. Within recent years the teachers
have beeen selected from among those educated
in the county ; and among them there has been
maintained a spirit of hearty co-operation
which can come only from a feeling of high,
common interest in a cause which affects every
condition of society. For the closer guarding
of this interest, and for the maintenance of an
effective standard of mental and moral fitness
for the work, the county provides a normal
school, held during the month of June, each
year, which every teacher in the county is re-
quired to attend. In addition to this, and for the
purpose of providing a sufficient number of
teachers for the schools, a normal course is
maintained in the County High School.
The uniformly good condition of the schools
of the county is also largely due to the fact that,
as a rule, the county superintendents have been
of good selection. A superintendent is chosen
at the general election, every two years, and the
salary of the office is such as to lead well quali-
fied persons to seek it. The first county super-
intendent, elected in 1868, was D. R. Martin.
Dr. Martin was one of the first settlers of the
county. He was a physician, and lived in Lola
township, where he died in 1902. T. S. Stock-
slager was elected superintendent in 1870. J.
A. Murray was elected in 1872. H. \V. San-
dusky was elected superintendent in 1874. He
was a teacher, and a man of scholarly attain-
ments. E. M. Mason was elected in 1876, and
as county superintendent he was succeeded by
J. H. Baxter, now a resident of Columbus and
one of the leading physicians of the county. Dr.
Baxter was elected superintendent in 1878. E.
J. Leggett was elected superintendent in 1880.
Sallie Hutsell, now Mrs. Sallie Hutsell Crane,
was elected county superintendent in 1882, and
again in 1884. She was the first woman that
held the office, and the impress of her good
work in the interest of public education has
not ceased being felt in the county. M. F.
Jarrett, then a prominent teacher in the county,
was elected to the office in 1886, and again in
1888. He was thorough in his work, and dur-
ing the four years of his service the condition of
the schools throughout the county was con-
stantly advanced. He is now living at Fort
Scott, Kansas, and is one of the leading physi-
cians of the State. In 1890 Anna Widman was
chosen to discharge the duties of the office, and
in 1892 she was re-elected. She put her best
energies into the work, and at the end of her
last term left the schools in increased favor
among the people. E. O. Herod, then superin-
tendent of the city schools of Galena, was
elected superintendent in 1894. C. F. Cool was
elected to the office in 1896, and again in 1898.
In 1900 he was given a place on the faculty of
the County High School, where he remained
three years. In 1902, S. N. Montgomery, then
superintendent of the city schools of Scammon,
was elected county superintendent. He now has
a position in the city schools of Los Angeles,
California. Birdie Adams, who had been a
prominent teacher in the county for many years,
was elected superintendent in 1902. Under her
management of the office the schools of the
86
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
county have been improved, and she has done
much toward bringing them to the high stand-
ard which they have attained.
l
THE CHURCHES, LODGES AND BENEVOLENT
SOCIETIES
Of Cherokee County are about such as may be
found in any other part of the country where
social conditions are the same. It is an age
characterized by a tendency to join something.
Few people now live apart from all social re-
lationships. The scripture, "No man liveth to
himself," is about literally fulfilled. Society
is wonderfully "chopped up" in these days of
hurry and feverish anxiety for reaching sup-
posedly advantageous ends. Xever was there
a time when the great, middle classes of the
people were so intermingled, in a social way,
and so tempered through business considera-
tions. The social feature in all these interming-
lings is merely incidental. It grows out of the
business element, which has the controlling,
directing influence. It is now rare for one to
seek affiliation with a lodge or a society other
than through the prompting of an ulterior mo-
tive for gaining some material advantage.
Business interests go a long way in matters of
this kind : but whether this may be said in a
commendatory way or not, is questionable. It
is no doubt true that the merging of classes,
whether through selfish or unselfish motives,
tends to emphasize the sentiment of brother-
hood, for it broadens the views of the individ-
ual, and it enables him to note the measure of
his influence among his fellows and thereby to
determine his importance in the community
where he lives. Anyhow, the tendency toward
improved social conditions is manifest: it could
scarcely be otherwise, for the moral fiber in
society yet prevails, and there are few, if any,
indications that it will not continue so.
Presumably, in a chapter dealing with mat-
ters of the kind now under consideration, the
churches ought to have first mention, at least
in a general way; for religion, professedly, has
to do with thought of "the life that now is, and
of that which is to come." But churches,
lodges and societies, in the aspects which they
all present to the unprejudiced observer, in
these days of "the open door," have many
things in common, and to some they "all look
alike." It may not be said that there is less of
spiritual-mindedness, nor that there is a want
of positive power and influence for good ; but
it cannot be denied that, with some persons of
a certain mental type, membership in a church
or in a society is held as equivalent to so much
capital stock in trade.
The Methodist Episcopal Church, in its
numerical strength, is the leading denomina-
tion in Cherokee County, as well as in the
whole State of Kansas. The influence which
this denomination lent toward the movement
for the emancipation of slavery in the United
States, coupled with the political trend of pub-
lic affairs since 1856, has led to a large gather-
ing into its fold. In a state like Kansas it occu-
pies practically every township, and it has a
membership organization in every hamlet, vil-
lage, town and city. Its oligarchial form of
government, while not favorable to strict, re-
publican principles, is found to be wonderfully
efficient and generally satisfactory to the mem-
bership. Its zeal for progress in numerical
force never lags, while the spiritual impulse
cannot be surpassed by any other denomina-
tion. As has been noted elsewhere, the first
Methodist Church organized in Cherokee Coun-
ty was effected through the efforts of Dr. C. C.
AXD REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
87
McDowell and a few others, at his house in
Shawnee township, about the year 1867. There
were 19 members in the original organization,
some of whom are yet living. From this small
beginning the denomination has grown so rap-
idly that, at the present, it probably outnum-
bers all other religious denominations in the
county, taken as a whole. In every hamlet,
village, town and city of the conuty it has the
strongest organization, and every organization
has its regular minister constantly in superin-
tendence of its affairs. There are no vacan-
cies, as under its form of government none can
exist for more than the shortest time.
The other denominations, in the order of
their numerical strength, are about as follows:
Christian, Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Uni-
ted Brethren, Seventh-Day Adventists, Epis-
copalians, the Latter-Day Saints and the Qua-
kers. Of each of these there are several church
organizations in the county, some strong, others
weak. All the denominations agree upon cer-
tain cardinal or fundamental principles of re-
ligion ; but they are kept separate in their orga-
nizations and in their work mainly through dif-
ference of belief as to forms of doctrine on rites
and ceremonies and in views concerning eccle-
siastical government. An old settler, recently
speaking of the difference in views and prac-
tices, between those of the present day and those
of the pioneer times, said that much of the "old-
time religion," felt and practiced by the people
when the country was new, and when there was
not so much strife for room and supremacy
in denominational influence has died out and
given place to the lifeless formalism character-
istic of this lighter-minded age ; that the people
now go more for display and curiosity, when
there is to be an assembly for public worship.
Materialism, he claims, has taken large hold
upon the minds and hearts of the people, due,
it is perhaps safe to say, to the supposed pros-
perity in worldly things that is now pointed
out with so much pride. The church organi-
zation is not now so reverentially regarded as
formerly. Mental training has been pursued,
too often to the neglect of the moral forces, and
conviction does not rest so heavily upon the
mind, as touching any particular religious obli-
gation, for the widening of the intellectual
range often prompts one to believe that he is
able to "explain away" some of the teachings
which formerly gave religious dogmas the force
and terror of a supposed, immediate revelation.
There is so much to detract the mind from the
consideration of what are sometimes termed
serious matters, and in the rush and hurry of
our fresh, free and frightful civilization there
is so little leisure and opportunity for giving
attention to "weightier matters," that what
might be called intentional neglect is due to the
stress of the times in which we live. It is per-
haps safe to say that the people, while appar-
ently not so, are just as deeply religious as the
generations which have gone on : the difference
being that people now see things from a differ-
ent view-point ; reading is more general and
there is a wider and speedier exchange of
thought upon any and all subjects of interest,
mentally, morally and materially.
The work and influence which the religious
denominations have done and exerted in Chero-
kee County cannot be gainsaid ; and the import-
ance of their work and influence, as now going
on and yet to go on, cannot be set aside and
treated as a matter of light concern : for while
there remains a spiritual element in human
nature, and there are doubts and questionings
as to the purpose and destiny of our living,
there will be some form of recognition of the
88
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
relation which we sustain to the present life
and to that which is yet to come.
The lodges or secret orders and institu-
tions in Cherokee County are such as may be
found elsewhere in the country. These may
be divided into two classes. First, those which
are designed exclusively for the exemplification
of certain principles and virtues, the teachings
of which are associated with events lying far
back in the history of the world, and which
have come down to us through the legendary
lore of "ancient crafts," here and there leaving
their "landmarks,*' recorded by the wayside of
the historic path. The second class includes
such lodges and orders as have their primary
purpose in seeking out ways and means for
maintaining a closer compact of mutual de-
pendence, whereby, in case of the death of a
member, the survivors will extend to the rela-
tives of the deceased a kind of protection and
support, in lieu of what the deceased would do,
if yet living. This is broadly known as the
practical principles of fraternity. These orders
also have their social features which can scarce-
ly be other than helpful, in many ways. They
take the forms of amusement, afford opportuni-
ties for pleasant, restful recreation, give relief
from the tedium of life, broaden acquaintance
and serve in many other ways to brighten what
might otherwise be a gloomy, cheerless exist-
ence.
Alasonry is perhaps the oldest institution
known to what are called the enlightened peo-
ples of the earth. In some form, and always
preserving certain traditions and enforcing cer-
tain virtues, it is known wherever the habita-
tions of man have been pitched ; and in what-
ever quarter of the globe it may be found,
whether with the cultured and refined in the
great cities of the world, or among those who
dwell in tents on the sands of the desert, its
life-roots may be traced back through the mists
of antiquity to events which gave it character
and purpose and a growth which seems to know
no decay. Wherever man has gone to make
his home on the frontier and to gather to him
the conditions of intelligent, social life, thus
forming communities and States, the principles
of the institution find formal expression and
lodges are formed. So it was in Cherokee
County.
The first Masonic lodge chartered in Chero-
kee County was Baxter Springs Lodge, No. 71,
chartered October 21, 186S. L. D. Brewster
was the Master for the year 1903.
The second Masonic lodge chartered in the
county was Prudence Lodge, Xo. 100, at Co-
lumbus. October 19, 1S71. Elmer R. Pattyson
was master for the year 1903.
Galena Lodge, Xo. 194, was the third lodge
chartered in the county, February 17. 1881.
William A, Stone was master last year.
Black Diamond Lodge. Xo. 274, was char-
tered at Weir City. February 16, 1887. David
B. White was master last year.
Scammon Lodge, Xo. 351, was chartered
February 15, 1903. Ivan B. Grant was master
for the year 1903.
There is a chapter of the Royal Arch Ma-
sons at Columbus, one at Galena and one at
Baxter Springs.
The Order of the Eastern Star, an auxiliary
to the institution of Masonry, has a lodge at
each of the five places in the county where there
is a Masonic lodge. It will be seen that the
Odd Fellows have 12 lodges in the county,
while the Masons have but five.
As to the time of the organization or char-
tering of the lodges of the Independent Order
of Odd Fellows, in Cherokee County, I have no
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
89
information at hand. The following lodges of
the order, by numbers, are now in the county :
Columbus, No, 387; Baxter Springs, No. 235;
Galena, No. 195; Weir City, No. 183; Hallo-
well, No. 205; Crestline, No. 476; Skidmore,
No. 552; Scammon, No. 397; Melrose, No.
408; Empire City, No. 148; Sherwin Junction,
No. 411. The Order of Rebekah, woman's
auxiliary to the Odd Fellows order, has two
lodges at Columbus, and one each at the other
places in the county where there is an Odd Fel-
lows' lodge.
The Improved Order of Red Men have a
few lodges in the county; but the information
at hand enables me to give no particulars. The
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks has
but one lodge in the comity, and that at Galena.
It has members living in different parts of the
county.
The Knights of Pythias have lodges in the
county at the following places : Columbus, Ga-
lena, Baxter Springs, Weir City, Scammon and
Mineral City. Tancred Division, No. 3, Uni-
form Rank of the Knights of Pythias, was or-
ganized January 27, 1883. It w-as one of the
best drilled divisions in the United States, and
under the command of Capt. J. H. Abbott, now
dead, it took first prize at a drill exhibit at New
Orleans, a few years after the organization. It
also took first prize at Louisville, Kentucky,
Carthage, Missouri, and at Emporia, Kansas.
The division has since discontinued its organi-
zation. The Rathbone Sisters is the woman's
auxiliary to the Knight of Pythias ; there are
several lodges of the auxiliary in the county.
The Ancient Order of United Workmen is
perhaps the oldest fraternal order in the coun-
ty; and it has lodges as follows: Columbus,
Galena, Baxter Springs, Weir City, Scammon
and Mineral City. The Degree of Honor is
the woman's auxiliary to the A. O. U. W.
The Modern Woodmen of America and the
Woodmen of the World have lodges at the
principal places in the county, and they have
grown to be numerically strong.
Some of the other fraternal orders in the
county are : Knights and Ladies of Security,
Sons and Daughters of Justice and the Frater-
nal Aid. All of these orders or societies have
done much good ; and the home of many a de-
ceased member, with the comforts needed for
the family, has been made cheerful, as far as
might be, through the thoughtful providence
of the deceased, while yet living.
Within recent years literary clubs, com-
posed solely of women, have been organized
all over the country, and they have done much,
in many ways, for the mental and social im-
provement of those who have entered them.
Among these clubs we may mention the
Shakespeare Club, the Home Culture Club and
the Clio Club. These are all represented in
Cherokee County. The general plan is to hold
weekly meetings, through the fall, winter and
spring months; and at these meetings a range
of subjects is gone over, according to the liter-
ary purpose of the club and a specially pre-
pared program for the year. These clubs have
a State federation, whose meetings are held
annually; and there are certain district federa-
tions which meet oftener. Literary clubs, such
as are mentioned here, have organizations in
Columbus, Galena, Baxter Springs, Weir City
and Scammon. The Century Club has a strong
organization at Galena, and the Sunshine Club
is represented at several places.
CHAPTER. VII.
THE PHYSICIANS AND THE BENCH AND BAR OF CHEROKEE COVNTY
The Physicians of the County — The Courts — The Cherokee County Bar.
Wherever the habitations of men are pitched
and communities are formed physicians, law-
yers, teachers and ministers of religion enter
into the make-up of the population as essential
factors in the progress of the affairs of the
people. Bodily infirmities, errors in conduct,
ignorance in the fields of knowledge and
thoughts and reflections on the spiritual import
of the life which we now live, with the hopes
and fears relating to the life which is to come,
make places for, and give rise to, these classes
of men.
the physicians of the county.
So long as there are diseases and ailments
in the physical organism of man, physicians will
be sought and remedies prescribed, sometimes
even to the wasting of one's substance, and that
without relief; sometimes to the regaining of
strength, at the cost of a simple drug. The
considerations of food, raiment and shelter,
which chiefly employ the genius and industry of
man, and which enter into and make up the
commerce of the world, are not the only mat-
ters upon which man bestows his attention ; for
next following these is the consideration of
the health of his bodilv frame.
In its early settling, Cherokee County, like
all other new countries, had its course to run in
the diseases among the people common where
malarial conditions prevail. Chills, ague, inter-
mittent and remittent fevers and the other
forms of ailment which come from such condi-
tions were generally prevalent. Then there
were the extreme hardships through which the
people had to pass and the deprivations which
they underwent. Their houses were not com-
fortable, their clothing was sometimes not such
as it should have been and their food was often
not the best adapted for giving strength and
hardihood. These conditions opened the way
for the physician, and he was earl)'' on the
ground, and it was well that he was, if he was
wise in his counsel and cautious and intelligent
in his practice. However, as a rule, the best
physicians are not the first to go upon the
frontier or into new settlements. Usually they
are young men seeking an opening for the prac-
tice of that which they have recently learned in
the schools, or older ones who have not suc-
ceeded in the earlier settled portions of the
country, and are looking for places where they
may begin anew in their more or less experi-
mental operations.
Dr. C. C. McDowell, the father of S. O.
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
9i
McDowell and J. F. McDowell, was one of
the very first physicians that settled in Chero-
kee County. He came to Shawnee township in
1866 and took a claim just north of the present
site of Crestline, where he lived the remaining
part of his life, and where he attended to the
practice of his profession. He was an ardent
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and
was an ordained preacher of the denomination.
Dr. Patty, father-in-law of Judge John N.
Ritter, settled at Lowell in 1867 and practiced
medicine there for several years. He after-
wards lived on a farm, and later moved to
Columbus and still later to Wichita, where he
died about the year 1898.
Dr. Warrington settled in Shawnee town-
ship in 1867; but of the extent of his practice,
or as to what became of him, there is little
information.
Dr. D. R. Martin, who became widely
known over Cherokee County, settled at Hallo-
well, in Lola township, in 1866. He was elected
county superintendent of schools very early in
the history of the county. He had a general
practice, which he continued for many years,
dying at his home at Hallowell about the year
1902.
Doctors O'Connor, Street and Stewart all
settled at Baxter Springs in 1867. Dr. Stewart
was from Mississippi. He was once a candidate
on the Republican ticket for the office of county
superintendent of schools, but was defeated.
Dr. C. W. Hoag, now living at Weir City,
and practicing his profession there, came to
Cherokee County in 1871. He settled first at
Coalfield, a small station on the Kansas City,
Fort Scott & Gulf Railroad, and he was the
company's agent there for a while. In 1877,
when Hugh Lincoln, justice of the peace for
Cherokee township, died. Dr. Hoag was ap-
pointed to succeed him, by Governor George
T. Anthony.
Dr. E. A. Scammon, now living in Colum-
bus, came to Cherokee County in 1869. He
had but recently graduated from Ann Arbor,
and was seeking a location for the practice of
his profession. He soon afterward became in-
terested in coal lands, and he, with his brothers,
S. F. Scammon and E. C. Scammon, opened the
first coal mine in Kansas, south of the Leaven-
worth district. This was near where the city
of Scammon now stands. Dr. Scammon did
not continue long in the practice of medicine.
He sold his interests in the coal mines and went
into the drug business in Columbus. He con-
tinued in this business until 1902, when he re-
tired from business.
Dr. J. H. Baxter came to Cherokee County
in 1875. He is a native of Indiana, and is a
graduate from Bellevue Medical School, of New
York. Dr. Baxter, for some time after he came
to Cherokee County and settled in Columbus,
was the only medical graduate in the practice
of medicine at this place. He has had an exten-
sive practice, but more recently he has discon-
tinued attending calls, except where he is called
in consultation with other physicians. He does
almost an exclusive office business, which takes
about all his time.
As in any other profession, physicians come
and go. Time sifts out the earlier ones, and
their places are taken by others. Thus has it
been in Cherokee County. Nearly all the first
physicians that settled in the county are now
gone. Here and there one may be found who
was here in the early days, when the country
was sparsely settled and the practice was but
lightly remunerative. Dr. Scammon, in point
of residence, is perhaps the oldest physician in
the county. Dr. Hoag, of Weir City, is per-
9 2
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
haps the next, with Dr. J. P. Scoles, of Galena,
following. The last named has lived contin-
uously at Galena since 1877, or the year of the
"discovery" of lead and zinc at that place. But
I have omitted to say that Dr. Baxter came to
the county before Dr. Scoles came.
From conversation with the older physi-
cians of the county some information is gath-
ered concerning the particular diseases common
among the people during the pioneer period.
Like all other new sections, Cherokee County
had its time with malarial fever, ague, chills and
other maladies and ailments growing out of
the peculiar climatic and local conditions. It
is said that these were particularly stubborn,
no doubt largely due to the circumstances of
the people. Everything tended to give the odds
against the settlers and in favor of the malady.
Exposure to heat in the warmer seasons and to
cold during the rigorous winters, and living in
houses not the most suitably prepared for domi-
cile and upon food not of a wide variety and
wholesome quality ; all these made up conditions
not advantageous to the physical well being of
the people. There was, however, a remarkable
freedom from pneumonia and typhoid, and
diphtheria and scarletina were practically un-
known. Malaria was the chief dread, with
rheumatism the next to be feared. There were
no epidemics, and there never have been, except
that smallpox, in a very light form, has three
times run over the country. The physicians re-
gard the climatic conditions of Cherokee
County as now being exceedingly favorable to
health, and these, with the improved general
conditions and a wider knowledge of the laws
of health, are taken into the account in explain-
ing why people live so long here and so enjoy
life. In the city of Columbus, with a popula-
tion of fewer than three thousand people, there
are more than fifty persons over the age of
seventy, and several of these are over the age
of eighty.
The following is a list of the physicians now
living in Cherokee County, according to infor-
mation furnished me by Dr. D. Winter, the
county health officer :
Baxter Springs, — C. M. Jones, R. B. En-
glish and R. C. Wear. Columbus, — E. A.
Scammon, J. H. Baxter, W. N. Johnson, C.
S. Huffman, P. J. Hendrickson, J. Dale Gra-
ham, J. S. Xewton, Mary Kraft, J. W. Janes
and D. Winter. Galena, — J. P. Scoles, John
Allen, H. A. Brown, Clem H. Jones, E. B.
Payne, W. Sam Jones, R. C. Lowdermilk,
William Jones, E. L. Higginbotham, W. R.
Hart, Margaret Hart, Fred C. Northrup, H.
R. Savage, W. A. Walker and Dr. Von Mueller.
Scammon, — A. H. Revell, H. H. Brookhart and
R. M. Markham. Weir City, — C. W. Hoag. J.
H. Boss, J. R. Adams, George B. McClelland
and Dr. Crum. Mineral City, — J. H. Greene, J.
W. Steever and L. L. Souders. East Mineral,
— C. L. Russell, R. S. Mahan and George P.
Bell. Empire City,— F. R. McGinnis. Mel-
rose, — G. W. Walker. Sherwin Junction. —
O. L. Young. Crestline, — J. L. Griswold.
Hallowell— W. A. Ward and Frank L. Ball.
THE COURTS.
The Eleventh Judicial District of the State
of Kansas was formerly the Sixth Judicial Dis-
trict. It comprised Cherokee, Crawford, Bour-
bon and Linn counties. At a time of which I
have no certain knowledge the counties of
Cherokee. Labette and Montgomery were made
to comprise the Eleventh District. In 1901
Cherokee County of itself became the Eleventh
District, Labette and Montgomery counties be-
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
93
ing made the Fourteenth judicial District. The
necessity for the change grew out of the in-
crease of population in this county. Here it
was found that the litigation of this county
alone was enough to take up the time of four
terms of court of two months each, which is
enough work for any judge.
The first term of the District Court of
Cherokee County was held in the house of
William Little, at Pleasant View, the county
seat, beginning May 4, 1867. The term cov-
ered three days. The case of the State of Kan-
sas against Jefferson Davis, for grand larceny,
was the first case tried. Davis was convicted.
The records of this term of court can not be
found ; but William Little, at whose house the
court was held, and who was then county clerk,
elected at the preceding November election,
was appointed to keep the records of the term.
F. M. Logan had been elected recorder of
deeds and district clerk, at the election last
referred to; but there is nothing to show for
which of the offices he qualified. Mr. Little,
who now lives in Columbus, says that he him-
self was clerk of this term of the District Court.
Mr. Little says that the records of the court
proceedings at that time were kept on scrolls,
and not in bound books, the court officers not
then being provided with bound books. I have
made search for the scrolls, but they can not
be found. In Trial Docket A, en the page next
preceding that numbered "1," there is a pencil
entrance, as follows: "No. 1. The State
against Jefferson Davis — Grand Larceny."
Case No. 2 has the same title. On the first
regularly numbered page on the docket the
numbers of the c~ses begin with No. 1, a civil
case, in which Fletcher J. R. Williams is the
plaintiff, against Martin J. Mann, defendant.
Vcss & Brother and W. M. Matheny were the
attorneys for the plaintiff; the docket does not
show that the defendant had any attorney.
There is nothing to show where the term was
held. In the chapter of 'this history, relating to
the organization of the county, mention is
made of the records of the proceedings of the
county commissioners, at their July, 1867, ses-
sion; at that time they allowed the account of
J. A. Smith, county attorney, $75, for the pros-
ecution of Jefferson Davis. William Matheny
was allowed $25 for assisting the county attor-
ney in the case. These accounts, being allowed
by the commissioners, at their July, 1867, ses-
sion, show that the prosecution of Jefferson
Davis took place at a prior time. The first
term of the District Court must have been held
at Pleasant View, as told by William Little, for
it was not until in .April, 1868, that the county
seat was moved to Baxter Springs ; but if the
Pleasant View term was held including three
consecutive days, beginning May 4, 1867, as
he says it was, the court must have done busi-
ness on the Sabbath Day, for the 5th of May,
1S67, came on Sunday. However, this does
not affect the record of the proceedings of the
county commissioners, at whose session, in July,
1867, was allowed the account for the prosecu-
tion of Jefferson Davis, at the last term of
court.
D. P. Lowe was the first judge of the Dis-
trict Court of Cherokee County. He lived at
Mound City, Linn County. He presided at the
opening of the first term of the District Court
held at Baxter Springs, beginning May 4,
1868. Lane Williams was the district clerk;
but he was not present. William Little, his
deputy, kept the records. William G. Seright
was the sheriff, and James A. Smith was the
o imity attorney. The last act that Judge Lowe
did, as judge of the Cherokee County District
94
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
Court, was to sign a journal entry, on page 79
of Journal A, awarding a judgment for $42
and costs in favor of Joseph Kitt, plaintiff,
against Charles Westcott, defendant, and then
to make the order, "that this court adjourn
sine die." This was on October 8, 1869. Fol-
lowing that, and before another term of the
District Court of Cherokee County was held,
the county was put into the Eleventh Judicial
District.
When the Eleventh Judicial District was
formed, William C. Webb was appointed by the
Governor as the judge of the district. On
April n, 1870, as shown on page 83 of Journal
A, the first day of the first term, the court was
opened. There were present : William C.
Webb, District judge; J. S. Vincent, sheriff;
J. H. Ludlow, under sheriff; W. B. Shockly,
clerk; T. P. Anderson, deputy clerk; and John
N. Ritter, county attorney. Judge William C.
Webb presided at that term of court ; but when
the October term of that year came, October
3rd, the first day of the term, the Cherokee
County Bar requested Judge Webb to adjourn
the court to the 12th day of December. It
seems that the order he made, adjourning the
court "until Monday, December 12, 1870, at
10 o'clock, A. M.," was the last order he made
as judge of the court, for when the court
opened, December 12, 1870. Henry G. Webb
was the judge.
Judge Henry G. Webb served as judge of
the Eleventh Judicial District about two years,
when he resigned. B. W. Perkins was ap-
pointed to fill the unexpired term, and in 1874
he was elected, and again in 1878. He served
two years under appointment and eight years
under election. Judge Perkins was then elected
to Congress, where he continued eight years.
He was a man of high honor and strict integ-
rity, and his superior ability was generally rec-
ognized. He was later appointed to the United
States Senate, from Kansas, to take the place
made vacant by the death of Senator Plumb.
George Chandler, of Independence, Mont-
gomery County, was elected to the bench of the
Eleventh Judicial District at the November
election in 1882, and again in 1886. In the
spring or summer of 1889 President Harrison
appointed Judge Chandler Assistant Secretary
of the Deparment of the Interior ; and upon his
accepting the appointment, there was a vacancy
in the judgeship of the district. Lyman U.
Humphrey, then Governor, appointed John N.
Ritter, of Columbus, to fill the unexpired term.
Judge Ritter was a candidate for election at the
November election. 1890, but he was defeated,
and J. D. McCue was elected to the bench.
Judge McCue was a candidate for re-election, in
1894, but the election was in favor of A. H.
Skidmore, of Columbus. Judge Skidmore was
reelected in 1898, and he served until January,
1903, when Judge W. B. Glasse, who had been
elected at the previous November election, be-
came judge of the district.
Judge Lowe, after he had served several
years as district judge, was elected to Con-
gress. He moved from Mound City to Fort
Scott, and died there some years ago.
Judge William C. Webb, after leaving the
bench, engaged in the practice of the law in
Topeka, and later he compiled and published
the laws of the State of Kansas. He was for
a time the clerk of the Supreme Court. He died
at Topeka about five years ago.
Judge Henry C. Webb, who is a brother of
William C. Webb, lives now at Parsons, Kan-
sas. When he resigned the judgeship of the
Eleventh District, he engaged in the practice
of the law, at Oswego, Labette County, where
A
*.v
[^sr^
I'M! hi;.« II
-l, r -- ' rr :jf ,.^
Court House, Columbus
0M ■■
WUPWUOSREBN2J&A Uj
««%"
4
>
Cherokee County High School, Columbus
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
97
lie was regarded one of the ablest of his profes-
sion. He possessed a wonderfully strong, ana-
lytical mind and a striking personality. He
had the native endowments for great achieve-
ment, had it not been for a certain immobility
which held him from the activities necessary
for the accomplishment of things beyond the
ordinary.
I have spoken of Judge Perkins ; but it may
be added here, that while in Congress he was
one of the four chief leaders of the House ; and
it may be said to his credit that, while he was
in a position for eight years where he had, no
doubt, many great opportunities for financial
gain, he came home, at the end of the time,
without any means and not long afterward died
a poor man.
Judge Chandler, after serving his term as
Assistant Secretary of the Department of the
Interior, remained in Washington, where he
now lives, and where he practices his profes-
sion.
Judge Ritter was a banker besides being a
lawyer. He came to Cherokee County a young
teacher, but he had graduated from the law
school of the University of Michigan at Ann
Arbor. After teaching one or two terms, at
Lowell, he removed to Columbus about the
time the county seat was moved thither from
Eaxter Springs. He was for two terms the
county attorney, and after that he had a lucra-
tive practice. He was the senior member of the
banking firm of Ritter & Doubleday, and was
a prosperous man until 1893, when the bank
failed, on account of the panic of that year.
With this misfortune others came, and these,
with declining health hastened his death, which
took place in January, 1897.
Judge McCue resumed the practice of the
law, after his term on the bench ; but in some
way he lost his property at Independence,
Montgomery County, and he then moved to
Kansas City, Missouri, where he now lives.
Judge McCue was one of the readiest lawyers
that ever occupied the bench of the Eleventh
District.
Elsewhere in this volume mention is made
of Judge Skidmore and of Judge Glasse, both
of whom are widely known, not only in the
Eleventh Judicial District, but throughout the
State.
It may be said that the men who have occu-
pied the bench of the Eleventh Judicial District
have been chosen from among the best lawyers
within its limits, and that in the disposition of
the causes which have come before them for
adjudication they have followed a course of
fairness and impartiality toward every one con-
cerned therein. Possessing a clear understand-
ing of the law, and feeling the responsibility
of dealing out equal and exact justice in all
their official acts, they have, with few excep-
tions, been free from any damaging criticism
among the people. They have had many seri-
riously grave and important matters to pass
under their judicial notice, requiring the most
careful consideration of the intricate details of
varying propositions of law and of fact ; but
in all these they have acquitted themselves as
men of capability and fixed integrity.
THE CHEROKEE COUNTY BAR.
In the early settling of Cherokee County
there were a few lawyers, who came, as other
classes, seeking openings for business. The
first of these settled at Baxter Springs. Among
the very first was James A. Smith, the first
9 8
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
county attorney. John E. Tutton, president of
the Columbus State Bank, lived at Baxter
Springs and knew Mr. Smith, who. on account
of his height, was sometimes called "Long
Jim." At the time of the Graham raid, which
is spoken of in the chapter concerning Baxter
Springs, Mr. Smith, it is said, took such a
fright that he walked out of town, across the
broad prairies, and never returned. I have
been told that he now lives at Girard, Crawford
County.
The early trial dockets show the names of
W. H. Hornor, W. M. Matheny, J. T. Voss,
M. F. Edgington, William C. Webb, Henry T.
Sumner, William Teal, John N. Ritter, Mc-
Keighan & Waterman, Blair & Martin, Amos
San ford, Henry G. Webb, W. P. Lamb, J. W.
Davis, Addison Rucker, Thomas Rucker, J. R.
Hallowell, Bishop & Perkins, R. J. Hill, M. V.
B. Bennett, Danford & McComas, M. V. Voss,
L. J. Webb, Brown, Case & Wright, J. R. Ed-
wards, McCue, Bettis & Kelso. Many of these
attorneys came from other counties, to attend
court here, where they often had cases for trial.
Hornor, Matheny, the Voss brothers, Ritter,
McKeighan, Sanford, Hallowell and the
Rucker brothers, and also James A. Smith,
were resident lawyers. Later came T. P. An-
derson, C. O. Stockslager, W. R. Cowley and
W. H. Whiteman, whose names appear fre-
quently on the trial dockets, following the year
1872. T. P. Anderson was associated with
John N. Ritter, under the firm name of Ritter
& Anderson, and they were often in court. Mr.
Ritter had been county attorney ; and after that
he was much sought by those entering litiga-
tion. E. A. Perry and C. W. Blair, of Fort
Scott, were often in the court of Cherokee
County. General Blair, who was for a long
time an attorney for the Kansas City, Fort
Scott & Gulf Railroad Company, is kindly re-
membered by every Cherokee County lawyer
that ever had anything to do with him. The
same may be said of many other lawyers who
lived in other counties and frequently practiced
in this court. The firm name of Webb & Glasse
appears on the trial docket along in the years
after 1875. Afterward A. H. Skidmore, D.
M. McKenney and J. D. Lewis come on. C.
D. Ashley's name appears in 1882, and J. P.
Perkins, E. M. Tracewell. R. M. Cheshire, W.
J. Moore. William F. Sapp, John Wiswell and
E. E. Sapp all had cases in court following the
year 1883.
The following are the members of the Cher-
okee County Bar at this time : C. D. Ashley,
N. T. Allison, R. W. Blue, James Bulger, R.
M. Cheshire, W. R. Cowley, E. H. Cullison,
Guy Cooter, A. S. Dennison. J. N. Dunbar, R.
W. Emerson, H. C. Finch, W. B. Glasse, Jesse
Forkner, H. A. Forkner, Ira Heaton, J. H.
Hamilton, W. H. Lucas, A. L. Major, A. Mac-
donald, C. S. Macdonald, C. A. McNeill, E.
V. McNeill, W. H. Millstead. W. J. Moore, W.
S. Norton, William F. Sapp. Edward E. Sapp,
A. E. Schreiner, A. H. Skidmore, C. B. Skid-
more, Samuel H. Smith, Will E. Spiva, Charles
Stephens, J. R. Strother, E. M. Tracewell, S.
L. Walker, F. A. Walker, George W. Wheat-
ley, L. H. Winter, George H. Wilson, A. S.
Wilson. S. C. Westcott, Al. F. Williams and
John Wiswell. The following are now prac-
ticing as firms : Blue & Bulger. Sapp (William
F.) & Wilson (A. S.), the two Macdonalds,
the two McNeills, Skidmore & Walker, Trace-
well & Moore and Wiswell & Lucas. Ashley,
Allison, Blue, Bulger, Cheshire, Cowley, Coo-
ter, Dennison, Dunbar, Glasse, the two Fork-
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
99
ners, Heaton, Hamilton, Lucas, the two Mc-
Neills, Moore, Norton, A. H. Skidmore, Ste-
phens, Tracewell, S. L. Walker, George H. Wil-
son, Williams and Wiswell live at Columbus.
Cullison, Major, Finch, the two Macdonalds,
the two Sapps, Spiva, Strother, Wheatley,
Winter, A. S. Wilson and Westcott live at
Galena. Emerson, Millstead and F. A. Walker
live at Weir City. Samuel H. Smith lives at
Baxter Springs, and C. B. Skidmore lives at
West Mineral.
CHAPTER VIII.
THE NEWSPAPERS OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
The newspapers of Cherokee County have
done much in developing its material resources
and in advancing the interests of the people in
nearly every other way. There may have been
exceptions to this general proposition, and there
may now be exceptions to it ; but for the most
part newspaper owners and newspaper editors
who have come within the borders of the county
and have cast their lots among the people, have
devoted their energies to the general good, pa-
tiently and without stint. Not many of them
have reaped rich, material harvests; most of
them have had a struggle, sometimes for the
reason that the exactions of the public are often
greater than its willingness to return a cheer-
ful, material compensation ; sometimes for the
reason that, without proper fitness for the work,
men have undertaken the business, only to en-
dure for a while and then quietly go away.
The first newspaper published in Cherokee
County -was the Baxter Springs Herald, the
first issue of which was in October, 1867. It
was owned and edited by B. R. and N. J. Evans.
Baxter Springs was then a mere frontier camp,
the home of some good, steady, reliable people,
largely outnumbered by a floating class who
drifted from place to place as their shifting
fortunes opened the way. The paper had but
a meager support, never strong, but constantly
doubtful ; and before its first volume was
rounded out the project was quietly abandoned.
The second paper established in the county
was the Cherokee Sentinel, also at Baxter
Springs, in October, 1868, by M. \Y. Coulter
and D. C. Holbrook. Some time in the spring
of 1869, W. E. C. Lyons bought an interest in
it. In December of that year Mr. Holbrook
sold his interest to the other members of the
firm. It was then conducted by them. Mr. Ly-
ons being the editor and Mr. Coulter the busi-
ness manager. I have not been able to get in-
formation as to how long this paper was con-
tinued ; before me lies a copy of the issue of
Saturday, April 9, 1870. This number shows
that some changes had taken place other than
those I have mentioned. Lyons and Coulter
are the proprietors, and W. E. C. Lyons is the
editor. That was before Baxter Springs had
a railroad ; but the Kansas City, Fort Scott &
Gulf road was just then being finished to the
place. The following reading matter and ad-
vertisements are taken from this issue :
Work has begun on the freight depot, and it
will soon be ready for business. The passenger
depot will soon be commenced.
The District Court meets next Monday at Co-
lumbus. Judge Webb will preside. We understand
that the attorneys have agreed to move the post-
ponement of all business until some time in June.
W. M. Matheny, Attorney-at-Law, Land and
Pension Agent, Baxter Springs, Kansas. Will pay
especial attention to the collection of claims of all
kinds.
C. M. Waterman, Attorney-at-Law, and Notary
Public.
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
101
McKeighan & Hornor, Attorneys at Law. Will
practice in this and adjoining counties, in this State,
and in the counties of Southwestern Missouri.
Other lawyers whose advertisements ap-
pear in the paper are A. W. Rucker, T. A.
Rucker, Amos Sanford and T. F. Dewees.
According to a time table, it is noted that
the Kansas Stage Company, Southern and
Overland Mail, sent out a coach, for Wirtonia,
Pleasant View, Neutral City, LaReville, Ar-
cadia, Fort Scott, Kansas City and Pleasant
Hill, daily, (Monday excepted), at 6 a. m.
And for Fort Gibson and the South, Tuesdays,
Thursdays and Saturdays, at 6 a. m. J. M.
Terry was the superintendent, with office oppo-
site the Wiggins house.
The following local item will be read by
those who recall the events of the early days :
The thanks of the editors of this paper are due
to the members of Co. A, 6th U. S. Infantry, for a
complimentary ticket to the grand ball to be given
by them at their camp near Columbus, on the even-
ing of April 13. We hope they will have a jolly
good time.
And this will be of interest to the people of
Columbus then and yet living:
The first passenger train of the Gulf road to
Columbus is to be there by next Sunday night. All
hail for Columbus! That young town has been
growing rapidly for some time, and lately a number
of very intelligent and influential men have located
there. Col. Hallowell, L. J. Webb, Capt. T. P. An-
derson and some others are there, and they will do
wonders in building up the place. Their influence
will destroy the poisonous effects of the leaders of
the infamous League, who cared more for office
than for the good of the people.
A. T. Lea, who now lives in Columbus,
started the publication of the Republican, at
6
Baxter Springs, October 1, 1872. He contin-
ued the publication until February, 1877, when
he sold the paper to A. J. R. Smith. Mr. Smith
continued the publication until February, 1888,
when it ceased.
The Columbus Independent was started at
Columbus, September 1, 1870, by A. T. and
W. J. Lea. After continuing the paper for two
years, the Lea brothers sold it to A. W. Mc-
Gill, who moved the paper to Oswego, Labette
County, in September, 1872. It is now one of
the leading papers of Labette County.
The Galena Miner was established at Galena
by A. T. Lea and S. O. McDowell, in April,
1877. In 1880 they sold it to a Mr. Stebbins,
ivho discontinued it after one year.
The Columbus Advocate was established
by A. T. Lea and E. A. Crewson, May 5, 1882.
On the first of August of the same year, Mr.
Crewson sold his interest to J. M. Roach ; and
on January 1, 1883, Mr. Roach sold his inter-
est to Mr. Lea. In July, 1889, Mr. Lea made
his son, Asa Lea, a partner with himself in the
business. This partnership continued until
1894. when Mr. Lea, the elder, sold his interest
to J. M. McNay, who came to Columbus from
Phillipsburg, Kansas. In 1896 Mr. McNay
bought out Asa Lea's interest in the paper, and
for five years he conducted the business with
such care and under such methods as made it
very profitable. He then sold the paper, and in
selling it he secured a price which justified the
disposal of the property.
The Columbus Courier was started Septem-
ber 29, 1874, by J. F. McDowell. The paper
was independent in politics and devoted to re-
form. In March, 1876, the paper was sold to
S. O. McDowell, and in February, 1877, it was
consolidated with the Republican, and under the
ownership and management of McDowell &
102
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
Lea it continued until February, 1879, as the
Republican-Courier. Mr. McDowell then
bought out his partner's interest, and changed
the name back to the Columbus Courier.
The Border Star was established in the fall
of 1881, by R. T. Ballard; but after about two
months it passed into the hands of H. C. Jones
and L. E. Albright. In 1882 Mr. Jones be-
came the sole owner. Some time after that, the
paper was consolidated with the Columbus
Courier, when the new periodical was known
as the Columbus Star-Courier. There is no in-
formation at hand as to the changes of owner-
ship, for the time from March, 1882, to Feb-
ruary, 1888, when James Wilson sold the paper
to J. H. Clawson and W. P. Eddy. In October,
1888, Mr. Clawson sold his interest to N. T.
Allison. The paper was owned and edited by
Allison & Eddy until January 7, 1895, when
N. T. Allison sold his interest to J. N. Cook,
and shortly after that time Mr. Eddy sold his
interest to W. S. Norton. Afterwards Mr.
Norton bought Mr. Cook's interest, and
the paper was edited by S. O. McDowell, who
came back into newspaper work, after being
several several years engaged in other matters.
When Mr. McDowell took editorial charge of
the paper, he changed the name back to the
Columbus Courier. L. M. Dillman was the
business manager of the paper during Mr.
McDowell's connection with it as editor. About
the year 1898 the editorship and management
of the paper passed to Richart & Cavaness.
They continued the publication until October,
1902. At that time the ownership of the paper
was combined with that of the Columbits Advo-
cate, and the issue of the paper was discon-
tinued.
In October, 1869, at the time the contro-
versy between the settlers and James F. Joy
was chiefly engaging the attention of the
people, The Neutral Land Printing Company
began the publication of the Workingman's
Journal, having Amos Sanford as its editor.
C. D. Nichols and J. F. McDowell bought the
paper early in the year 1872; and in July of
that year Mr. Nichols sold his interest to Will-
iam Higgins. The firm was then known as
Higgins & Company. The paper was well sup-
ported by the anti-Joy classes, until the contro-
versy died out. It was then discontinued.
The most largely circulated paper ever pub-
lished in Cherokee County was the Reporter,
published by Caldwell & Company, and edited
by C. D. Nichols. It was devoted largely to
efforts for inducing immigration. At one time
it had a circulation of five thousand. It was
started in 1882 ; but as to the time of its discon-
tinuation there is no information.
There are two newspapers at Weir City :
the Tribune and the Journal. The Tribune was
established in 1883 by J. F. McDowell, who
established about as many newspapers in the
State of Kansas as any other man could possi-
bly do. Not all of the files have been kept ; and,
on this account, the early changes of ownership
and in the editorial management can not now
be ascertained. I believe that the paper was in
the management of A. L. Hayden back in the
early "nineties," if not earlier. Then Horace
Hayden, for a time, was editor and publisher.
T. E. Haines has been editor and publisher
since 1898, except one year, when John W.
Kirk had charge of the paper. The Journal
was established in 1888 by John McKillop. He
sold it to a Mr. Robinson. After an uncertain
existence, for a time, he sold the paper to a
Mrs. Rudisill, who managed the paper well for
some years, when Colonel Campbell bought it
and had its management for two or three vears.
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
103
Then Jarbo & Hill ran it for a while. Phil.
Moore, formerly of Pittsburg, Kansas, is now
the editor and proprietor. The paper is better
manage 1 now than it was before Mr. Moore
took charge of it.
At Scammon there are two newspapers:
the Journal and the Miner. The Journal was
established in August, 1903, by L. M. Dillman.
Mr. Dillman has probably worked at the news-
paper business longer than any other man in
Cherokee County. He was with Columbus
papers for many years, first as a printer; then
as foreman, and lastly as business manager.
He afterwards went to Empire City, where he
was the owner and editor of the Empire City
Journal, and he was also the postmaster of the
city for several years. In 1904, when the min-
ing interests of the place fell off a good deal,
he moved his printing office to Scammon, be-
ginning the publication of the Journal as a new
paper. The files of the paper while published
at Empire City have not been kept. The Scam-
mon Miner was established in 1889. It went
through various ownerships which can not be
given here; but Phil. L. Keener has been the
editor and proprietor nearly all the time. He
has done well with it.
The Modern Light was established at Co-
lumbus in 1891. It is now in its 14th year.
Clavvson & Albin were the first owners. Mr.
Albin died not long after the paper was estab-
lished, and not long following this, Mr. Claw-
son sold the paper to M. A. Housholder and
J. W. Wallace. It had many hard experiences,
and its chances for existence were often in the
balance. It did not represent much property
value, and the support which was given it was
not at all encouraging. Often it was poorly
edited, while the impression of its mechanical
appearance was anything else but favorable.
It finally "went to the wall," and was sold to
N. T. Allison for $500. The next day he sold
it to C. E. Dedrick for $750. The scale of its
fortune then turned. Mr. Dedrick, who came
to Columbus from Nebraska, was an experi-
enced printer and a good business manager.
The paper took on a better editorial tone, also,
and its appearance was neater and more at-
tractive. Additions were made to the printing
material and to the machinery, and the value of
the plant was much set forward. This was
about the year 1895. September 1, 1897, Mr.
Dedrick sold a half interest to W. B. Lowry.
who was formerly a telegraph operator, and
later the head clerk in a large dry goods house
in Columbus. Mr. Lowry, when he became
half owner of the Modern Light, made a house
to house canvass through the rural districts and
in the towns of Cherokee County, thereby
greatly increasing the circulation of the paper.
September 1, 1899, he bought the other half
interest in the paper, then becoming the sole
owner. By this time the value of the property
had become greater, and its net earnings were
very encouraging. In 1900 he bought a lot and
put up a two-story office building on the north-
west outer corner of the public square, at a cost
of $3,000. Since then an addition has been
made, at a cost of $500. The property, includ-
ing the realty and the newspaper plant, is now
worth $6,000. The paper now has a circulation
of 2.800, of which there are 2,600 paid-up sub-
scribers. Mr. Lowry owns a neat, comfortable
home in the northwest part of the city, and he is
out of debt, which shows that the newspaper
business, usually considered hazardous in what
are called country towns, is not always so.
The Cherokee County Republican was es-
tablished at Baxter Springs in 1894. For a
time it was under the ownership and manage-
104
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
ment of F. N. Newhouse and J. M. Newhouse,
editor and publisher, respectively. W. S. Bax-
ter, the present postmaster of Baxter Springs,
is now the editor and proprietor.
The Baxter Springs Neu-s was established
in 1881 by Captain Rowley, with M. H. Gard-
ner as foreman. Mr. Gardner afterwards be-
came owner of the paper, and some years after-
ward he sold a half interest to Charles L.
Smith. About the year 1897 Mr. Smith became
sole owner, and Mr. Gardner moved to Joplin,
Missouri, where he now lives. The News is
one of the best edited papers in the county, and
it has a liberal support.
The Galena Times was established in 1889
by C. T. Dana, who, after conducting the busi-
ness for several years, sold it to E. E. Stevens.
Mr. Stevens had other lines of business, and
he finally disposed of the newspaper, selling it
to J. N. Cook. The paper was then issued daily
and weekly. Mr. Cook sold it to Riley F. Rob-
ertson, and during Mr. Robertson's ownership
of the paper W. L. Burk was the editor. The
weekly edition was discontinued, as the circula-
tion of the paper was then mostly confined to
the city. The paper is now owned and man-
aged by B. L. Strother & Son, and it is perhaps
now more profitable than for several years next
preceding the present. Strother & Son are
from Abilene, Kansas, where they were many
years in the newspaper business.
The Short Creek Republican, afterward
changed to the Galena Republican, was estab-
lished in the fall of 1880, by L. C. Weldy and
A. W. McDowell. The paper was both a daily
and a weekly. Mr. McDowell remained with
the paper but a short time, when he sold his
interest to J. J. Chatham. I do not know how
long Mr. Chatham remained with the paper;
but from what can be learned Mr. Weldy be-
came the sole owner not long after its estab-
lishment; and he continued as editor and pro-
prietor until the time of his death, January 24,
1904. The property now belongs to Riley F.
Robertson, and the paper is edited and pub-
lished by Robertson & Son. It is now issued
weekly, and a special effort is being made to
gain a good circulation in the rural districts
of the county. For several years before Mr.
YVeldy's death, he was the oil inspector for
the State, and, giving much attention to this
office, he neglected his newspaper and let the
subscription list run down until there were but
a few hundred bona fide subscribers. The sub-
scription list is now over one thousand.
The last paper established in Cherokee
County is the Mineral Cities Times, at West
Mineral, published by W. B. Lowry, of Colum-
bus, and edited by Nora Evans. The first issue
was on June 9, 1904. The paper has a good
local support, of which it is highly deserving.
Two of the best known editors, among those
who have owned and managed newspapers in
Cherokee County, are S. O. McDowell and L.
C. Weldy. Both were early identified with the
work in the county, and they had a wide ac-
quaintance over the State in political circles.
Each impressed his personality on his work as
an editor, and each sought to mold sentiment,
rather than to be led by it. Neither was schol-
arly in expression nor profound in thought ;
but their editorials were always read with inter-
est, even by those who did not agree with them
in their political views. There was a nervous
boldness in Mr. McDowell's articles which,
while it may not have carried the reader by
irresistible force, was always such as to con-
vince one of the writer's candor and sincerity.
While he may not have always been able to give
a clear, comprehensive analysis of the grounds of
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
io5
his political affiliations, there could be no doubt
that he felt himself right in the advocacy of his
party's principles. Mr. Weldy's method of
reasoning, in the support of his party, was more
of the suggestive order ; but that which chiefly
made his writing interesting was a natural vein
of facetiousness which he often turned into
what he said. He could not help it, even had he
tried, for it was a deep-seated part of his life,
and without it he was unnatural, insipid and
cheerless, and what he wrote or attempted to
write, outside of his real impulse, was always
without the stamp of his originality, and to that
extent uninteresting. What he lacked in
effectiveness, through want of broad acquire-
ments, he made up through the employment of
his natural gifts. His arguments could scarce-
ly ever be considered convincing, for he was
neither deep nor logical ; but his pleasing humor
and his freedom from irritibility, in dealing
with those whom he opposed, always enabled
him so to spice what he wrote as to give it a
relish to those who read it. Whether from a
deep, well-grounded conviction or not, he was
bold and uncompromising in the advocacy of
his views, but not in such a way as to engender
bitter and lasting enmity on the part of those
who did not agree with him.
The best paragraph writer among the news-
paper men of Cherokee County is L. M. Dill-
man, of the Scainnwn Journal. But for his
undue caution and a certain natural, mental
immobility, he would attain a comfortable rank
among country newspaper writers.
Willard M. Richart, for a time the editor
of the Columbus Courier, was, while in that
position, the most widely read newspaper writer
in the county, and, in some respects, the ablest.
His articles indicated a wider range of knowl-
edge than those of other writers in the county,
and throughout there was a literary quality
which made them pleasing to all classes of
readers. For a young man, who had next to
none of the advantages which one ought to have
in early life, in the matter of gaining a mental
preparation for such work, Mr. Richart was al-
most a prodigy ; and had he continued in news-
paper work with some one or some company to
look after the business interests, so that he
might be free to devote his attention exclusively
to the following of his choice, he would have
become widely known as a writer, especially on
the political affairs of the country.
It may be said of the newspaper men of
Cherokee County, as a class, that they have not
made the business financially profitable. The
newspaper business in what are called the coun-
try towns and cities has always been financially
hazardous ; and it is only here and there that
one makes it remunerative beyond the eking
out of a scant living. This fact is due, in most
part, to the large number of men who engage in
the business without any well-defined purpose
and often without any mental preparation what-
ever. They begin at the "case" and learn, in
a general way, the mechanical part of the work ;
and when they can "set a stick," correct proof
and "make up," they consider the work of
preparation well along. The newspaper office,
in the country towns and cities, is a good place
for keeping posted on the current events cf
the community ; and in most such offices every
one employed, even down to the "devil," hears
everything that is said, and the employment in
which he is engaged seems to give him a fitness
for remembering it. He may not know a thing
about the construction of the English language ;
may not know even the rudiments of his own
speech; but he is presently found editing a
newspaper, where the disadvantage to which
io6
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
he is put, by reason of his utter lack of suitable
preparation, is equaled only by the chagrin
which the people feel at his presuming to "mold
public sentiment," and to lead the thought of
the community. The State protects the people,
or makes an effort so to protect them, against
poorly prepared practitioners in the professions
of law and medicine, and against illiterate
teachers who may try to get into the public
schools; but it makes no provision against the
operations of a large class of poorly qualified
newspaper men who often have no permanent
connection with, or interest in, the community
whose social thought they try to lead and whose
political policies they assume to dictate.
Among the newspaper men of Cherokee
County who have made their business financially
successful, I mention John M. McNay and W.
B. Lowrv. It is not meant that others have
been altogether unsuccessful, but that these
have led in the matter of money making. But it
is true that, with much less energy, on the same
capital invested, they could make more at some
other business. The dollars which they have
earned, above all expenses, have been hard-
earned dollars, and they are justly deserving of
what success they have achieved. Mr. McNay
was a close manager. He made money while in
the business ; and when he, through good busi-
ness foresigt, became convinced that there would
come a decline, he turned his holdings, at a
full-value consideration, thus demonstrating
that the time for parting with property is when
one is doing well. Mr. Lowry is still in busi-
ness, and he is likely to remain so, as he is get-
ting a good return on his investment, and he
seems suited to the work in which he is
engaged.
CHAPTER. IX.
THE AGRJCVLTVRAL INTERESTS
Farm and Live-Stock Products — The Home Market — The Profits in Agricultural
Operations — Improvement of the Roads — Berry and Fruit Growing — Rural
Routes and Telephones.
FARM AND LIVE STOCK PRODUCTS.
Among those who have never seen Kansas,
the first thought of the country is that it is a
vast area of level land suited only to farming
purposes. This thought is largely correct ; for
while within recent years vast mineral resour-
ces have been discovered and are now being
rapidly developed in the eastern part of the
State, the source of greatest wealth lies in the
soil, to be developed by tillage. A tremendous
majority of the people of Kansas are engaged
in agricultural pursuits.
While the mineral resources of Cherokee
County are richer and more nearly inexhausti-
ble than those of any other county in the State
of Kansas, it also holds high rank as an agri-
cultural district, in the money value of its farm
and live-stock products. The following table
will show the farm and live-stock products of
Cherokee County, for the year 1903 :
Wheat $ 181.945.20
Corn 531.669.60
Oats 121,018.50
Rye 509.60
Irish Potatoes 36,12960
Sweet Potatoes 18.330.25
Flax 6,849.60
Tobacco 460.00
Broom Corn 1,680.00
Millet 8,869.00
Sorghum 6,745.00
Milo Maize 99.00
Kafir Corn 17,487.00
Tame Grasses 23,281.00
Timothy Hay 37,246.00
Prairie Hay 151,964.00
Total Field Products 1,144.273.35
Live-Stock Products' 507,094 .57
Aggregate Products $1,651,377.92
The table includes all horticultural prod-
ucts, the products of the dairy, of poultry, of
the apiary and of the orchard.
The year 1903 was not an average year for
Cherokee County, in the matter of farm and
live-stock products. The wheat crop and the
corn crop were very much below the average,
and the same may be said of all other products
of the soil. The corn crop was not much more
than enough to supply the local market, and the
wheat sent out was of small quantity, compared
with other vears.
io8
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
The agricultural conditions of the county,
at the time of the writing of this chapter, Au-
gust 1 6, 1904, are not promising of the very
best yield. In the months of May and June,
and extending into the month of July, there
was an almost continuous rainy season, which
did immense damage to all growing crops.
The wheat yield would have been the best for
the last twelve years, but for the excessive
rains. Less than one-half of it was saved in any
kind of marketable condition, and hundreds of
acres were not cut at all. Oats were an almost
entire failure, and corn was fearfully damaged.
In the western part of the county, along the
Neosho River, many thousands of acres of the
very best lands were overflowed and the crops
literally swept away. In some places the river
was four miles wide, and the flood continued
for nearly two weeks. The hope of the people
was almost taken away, for a time; but there
has been a great reaction. The crop conditions
have been greatly improved since the rains
ceased ; and the yields will be far above what
was indicated only a few weeks ago.
Although Cherokee County may not be
classed with the very best agricultural districts
in the State of Kansas, there is as large a pro-
portion of well-to-do and wealthy farmers as
can be found in any other county. The soil,
while not so deep as the soil of the Kaw Val-
ley, in the northern part of the State, is won-
derfully productive; and there is never a year
of entire failure. There are perhaps a larger
number of retired farmers in Cherokee County
than in any other county in the State, — men
who have endured the hardships of frontier
life, saved up the earnings of their labor and
are now enjoying it in a quiet, peaceful life,
either in the rural districts or in the towns and
cities, where thev have comfortable homes.
THE HOME MARKET.
One of the big factors in the make-up of the
prosperity which has come to those who have
given their time to agricultural pursuits is the
good, home market for the products of the
fields and gardens of Cherokee County. It is
safe to say that not more than one-half of the
people of Cherokee County can be numbered
among the agricultural classes. The rest of
the population is engaged in other pursuits. The
good markets are due to the fact that so many
of the people are profitably engaged in mining
and in the various followings which are inci-
dent thereto. Hundreds of thousands of dol-
lars change hands in the county every month,
and a very large part of the expenditure is
for such things as are classed among the prod-
ucts of the soil. As related in another chapter
the mines of Cherokee County produce an im-
mense value, in minerals and metals, but the
operator does not get all. The gross products
are very great, but when the expenses have been
paid, which are distributed among many classes
the clear profit is not so large, after all. The
benefits are widely distributed, and this to the
building up of more than a select few. The
farmer of Cherokee County, as well as the live-
stock dealer, has had his portion, and he is yet
receiving the benefits of the varied industries of
the county.
THE PROFITS IN AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS.
As showing that agriculture has not fallen
off in the profits derived from it, it is only nec-
essary to state that the prices of farm lands
have advanced fully 100 per centum in the last
10 years. Lands that were sold 10 years ago at
from $10 to $20 an acre cannot be bought now
It:
Baptist Church, Galena
Christian Church, Galena
East Galena School
South Galena School
J^fc :l ::: '
A Log Cabin Pioneer Home in Galena
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
ill
for less than from $20 to $40 an acre, and the
tendency is still upward, with the condition that
owners are not seeking to sell. Buyers are
much more numerous than those who want to
dispose of their lands. This condition prevails
all over the county.
Another condition is that there are almost
no farms for rent. The farmers of Cherokee
County, as a rule, own their homes, and
they want to remain on them, except in cases
where the owners have retired from active
work, having laid by a competency in the years
gone by. A little incident came under my no-
tice since beginning this chapter. It seems that
through some kind of mistake a 40-acre tract
of land belonging to a well-to-do farmer was
advertised for sale. He was asked why it was
for sale; and he replied that the advertisement
was a mistake, and to this he added the signifi-
cant sentence : "I never sell any land in Cher-
okee County, for when I appear in a transac-
tion of the kind, it is always as a buyer."
In certain parts of Cherokee County the
growing and feeding of stock for the market
has been a very profitable business. In other
parts the growing of wheat has been found
profitable. Some wheat growers have, from a
small beginning, spread out their ownership
of land until they have hundreds of broad, fer-
tile acres, and they annually get a good return
from them. Of course, there are years when
the yield is comparatively small ; when to a less
courageous people it might appear discourag-
ing; but they have, in the general average,
found a profit sufficiently large to encourage
them in continuing in the work. The seasons
are becoming constantly more favorable:
droughts are less frequent, and the rains are
more uniformly distributed through the year,
so that, while there are seasons when the yield
is not up to what would be wanted, there is a
constantly improved condition of the agricult-
ural classes.
IMPROVEMENT OF THE ROADS.
Another matter deserves to be mentioned
here: The era for the improvement of the
public highways of the country is at hand, and
the good-roads spirit is abroad in the land.
The soil of Southeastern Kansas is especially
adapted to the easy building of good roads.
Except in a few parts of Cherokee County,
there is enough of sand in the soil to save it
from the condition of extreme muddiness, even
in the wettest weather. The city of Galena,
always forward in matters of this kind, has
improved a number of roads leading into that
place, by the use of the "tailings" of the mines
or mills, the finely crushed stone from which
lead and zinc ores are sifted, after the whole
has been run through the crushers. If properly
applied, upon well drained roads, it forms a
solid, cement-like surface which will endure for
a score of years. Many miles of this kind of
road may be seen in the vicinity of Galena, as
also in the vicinity of Baxter Springs. Besides
affording easy transit for the people, in going
to and fro, these roads give the country an ap-
pearance of tidiness much above what was for-
merly seen, and they stand as an index of thrift
and economy which give an attraction to rural
life. In 1903 the people of Columbus organ-
ized a movement for the improvement of the
roads leading into it, and some work has been
done. Crusher gravel or "tailings" had to be
shipped from Galena, and then hauled out on
the roads, at a good deal of cost : but the roads
so improved have shown that the work will
pay. It is expected that within the next 10
112
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
years nearly all the principal roads of the coun-
ty will be so improved ; that the farmers and all
other interested classes will favor the matter.
It is not improbable that the roads of the county
will be improved as above described, at public
expense, so that the tax payers will bear the
burden proportionately. But no effort of this
kind has yet been suggested.
BERRY AND FRUIT GROWING.
It may not be improper here to speak of the
industry of berry growing, which has been
found very profitable in Cherokee County. In
1903 the acreage in blackberries was 158, and
the acreage of strawberries was 192, and these
did not include the smaller growers. Black-
berries have not been so valuable as strawber-
ries, There have been years when the profit
on strawberries has been very large. Thous-
ands of crates have been shipped out every
year, and the industry has so grown in favor
that many persons who formerly looked upon
it with doubt have recently gone into it as a
regular business. Cherokee County is the third
county in the State, in this particular under-
taking.
By protecting the trees from frost, fig trees
may be grown in the county. Since begin-
ning this chapter I have seen a few, full size,
ripe figs from a tree grown by a Mr. Chase,
who lives in the south part of Columbus. Ex-
periments will be continued with the fruit, in
the hope that the tree may yet be so acclimated
as finally to do well, even in a latitude so far
north.
Almonds can be grown in Cherokee Coun-
ty. A few persons have experimented with
them, and thev have found that the nut does
fairly well here; but I am not informed as to
whether the industry can be be made profitable.
RURAL ROUTES AND TELEPHONES.
Rural life in Cherokee County has been
vastly improved in the few years next preced-
ing the present in the conditions which have
made it more desirable. It now even has a
charm attaching to it. The monotony and irk-
some routine usually so characteristic of rural
life have been much changed through the oper-
ations of the rural free delivery of mail and the
rural telephone systems which have been estab-
lished throughout the county. They have done
much toward bringing the rural districts into
easy communication with the towns and cities
of the country and, as a consequence, to
broaden the intelligence of the people and to
make life more worth living.
Elsewhere in this history the intelligence of
the people of Kansas is spoken of; and it is
there said that, in proportion to the inhabitants,
the people take and read more newspapers than
the people of any other State. No one who
travels among them, and becomes acquainted
with them in their daily life in their homes, can
fail of being impressed with their ready intelli-
gence upon the current events and the ease with
which they converse upon subjects of general
interest.
The farmer of Cherokee County, even in
the remotest parts of it, keeps himself in touch
with the outside world ; the rural free delivery
system has brought it to his door. His daily
paper, which reaches him the next day after it
comes from the press, informs him of the mar-
ket covering every commodity with which he
may be concerned ; it spreads before him the
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
113
news gleanings of the whole world and inspires
him with the consciousness that he is a factor
in the great aggregation of human effort.
There are bits of philosophy and short outlines
of the achievements of science, and here and
there a touch of romance and a short, interest-
ing fiction which enter as spice to enliven the
whole. To the farmer and his family the daily
paper enters into the necessaries of life, and its
coming is looked for with eagerness with which
a hungry person marks the approach of the
hour of his regular meal.
Cherokee County, with its slightly undu-
lating surface, its generally good roads and its
thickly settled population, could not be other
than a suitable field for the rural free delivery
experiment ; and from the time of its incep-
tion here, about four years ago, the number of
routes has been increased until nearly every
nook of the county has been reached. With the
road improvements now contemplated, and for
which there is an effort soon to be put forth,
it will not be long until every family in the
rural districts, however out of the way it may
now live, will have a daily delivery of mail at
the very door of its home, a convenience which
many families in the towns and cities do not
enjoy.
In the year 1903, after the long-distance tel-
ephone had been extended to Columbus, thus
connecting it with the larger cities of the State
of Kansas, as well as with those of other states,
and after the local telephone companies had
connected the towns and cities of the county,
the farmers began to establish rural telephones,
through which, at a nominal expense, they may
have easy intercourse with one another. Ross
and Salamanca townships were the first in the
work, and now, within less than a year after
the beginning of the project, the north half of
the county is a network of rural telephone
wires ; and it will not be long until the entire
county, from farm house to farm house, will
be supplied with the cheap, easy means of inter-
communication. The rural telephone system
is under the mutual ownership of thos ewho
join in its establishment and in its extension.
It is needless to say that the people fully
appreciate and highly enjoy the convenience,
the comfort and the advantage which they have
from the free delivery of their mail matter and
the operation of their rural telephone systems;
for now that they have these, and what they
have wanted has been realized from them, the
monotony and prosaic hardship of rural life
have been so removed as to take away the
drudge of toil and bring the cheer and gladness
which spring from contented employment.
The establishment of the rural free delivery
of mail and the putting in of the rural tele-
phone systems mark an era in the progress of
the people of Cherokee County. In the genera-
tions to come on, the drudgery and cheerless
toil of farm life, from which the people are now
beginning to be relieved, will be mere matters
of tradition related in story by those who can
recall them. Other things are yet to follow, no
doubt, and through them the people will ad-
vance in the achievements of civilization, set-
ting now and again the marks of their progress
as they pass along the way.
CHAPTER. X.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MINERAL RXSOVRCES AND THE
WATER, POWER OF THE COVNTY
The Coal Mines of the County — The First Coal Shaft — The Central Coal & Coke
Company — Statistics of Coal Production — Gas and Oil — The Lead and Zinc
Mines of the County — Big Real Estate Transactions— The Mining of Lead
and Zinc — The Discovery of Lead and Zinc — Statistics of Lead and Zinc
Production — The Operation of Mines — The Feature of Uncertainty Present
— The Water Power of the County — The Spring River Power Company.
the coal mines of the county.
Coal mining is the second greatest industry
carried on in Cherokee County. It requires
more capital than any other industry in the
county, and a greater number of men are em-
ployed. It may also be said that it yields a
larger clear profit. The whole of the north-
central part of the county is underlaid with a
two-and-a-half-foot stratum of coal, at a depth
of about fifty feet, and a four-foot stratum at a
depth of about one hundred and fifty feet. The
output of coal in Cherokee County is more
than one-third of the whole output of the State
of Kansas. In the year 1900 it amounted to
1,629,108 tons, not including a great deal of
coal taken from what are called strip pits,
which was not reported to the State mine in-
spector. The output now is much greater, but
there are no figures at hand for determining
the amount taken out for the last two years.
Although mining has been going on for
about thirty years, and immense quantities of
coal have been taken out, it is believed, by those
who are best qualified to judge of such matters,
that not one-tenth of the field has been worked.
Some think that not more than one acre out of
fifty has been mined. Within recent years the
greater demand, and the consequent higher
prices, have stimulated to greater activity
among operators. In Ross township, where
there was but one shaft nine years ago, there
are now 28 and all of them are in full opera-
tion. The townships of Cherokee, Mineral and
Ross are a network of railroad tracks, which
have been built out from the main lines of the
four roads which traverse the district ; and
from any point from which the entire field can
be seen (which is not difficult, for the country
is an almost level prairie), the whole presents
a scene of the intensest activity. Switch en-
gines, bringing in "empties," and others draw-
ing great trains of loaded cars, may be seen
going in all directions, at all times ; and, from
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
115
the way the work is going on, one might judge
that the coal of the entire district would soon
be exhausted in a little while. It is probable,
however, that even forty years from now the
industry of coal mining will still be profitable
in the county, and that many companies will be
engaged in it. New deposits may be discov-
ered ; and in the districts where the more shal-
low strata are now being worked deeper strata
will be found, thus continuing the industry for
many decades.
There are three principal districts or cen-
ters of operations : Weir City, Scammon and
Mineral City, the last named being the newest,
or the district in which the more recent exten-
sive operations have been put on foot. Weir
City is in Cherokee township, Scammon in
Mineral township and Mineral City in Ross
township.
THE FIRST COAL SHAFT
Opened in the county was at Scammon, in
1877, owned and operated by the Scammon
brothers, for whom the town was named. This
shaft was the first coal shaft opened in Kansas,
south of the Leavenworth coal district. The de-
mand for coal was then comparatively light,
and many persons, who now know better,
thought at that time that the industry would
never amount to much. The ownership of coal
lands then was considered of light importance,
and the fact that a farmer knew that his land
was underlaid with fine coal did not impress
him with an idea that it was more valuable than
lands not so underlaid. Twelve years ago
Johnson Patterson, then living in Ross town-
ship, near where the railroad station at Mineral
City now stands, offered his quarter section at
$20 an acre; and two years afterward, when a
company offered him $25 an acre for the land,
the transaction was closed at once, and he
thought he had sold his land at a big price.
His brother, Leslie Patterson, who owned the
quarter section just north of his, did not accept
the offer of the same price for his. He kept
his land. He had taken it as a claim, when he
first came to the county, had improved it ; had
his ups and downs on it, as a farmer, and the
family felt attached to it. Afterwards he leased
the land to a company, for the purpose of min-
ing only, and he is now getting $300 an acre,
in the way of royalty, and he has sold $14,000
worth of town lots, and has most of the surface
left. There was a time within the last twenty
years when Leslie Patterson offered to take
less than $1,000 for his quarter section, which
is now worth $75,000. Such has been the revo-
lution brought about by the development of the
coal industry of the county. A great many
people now say they have been extremely near-
sighted ; that they have passed over many an op-
portunity for making a fortune in a compara-
tively short time, to take up something else,
which promised good things and turned out
nothing but disappointment to them.
THE CENTRAL COAL & COKE COMPANY.
One of the leading coal companies operat-
ing in the district of Cherokee County is The
Central Coal & Coke Company. It is among the
great coal companies of the West. I here make
use of information which has been furnished
me concerning this company, for the purpose
of showing what a small beginning may some-
times develop into, as well as to call attention to
the possibilities within the scope of this indus-
try. The information is not set forth for the
purpose of advertising the company; it does not
n6
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
need it ; but it is done to stand as an index to
what is being done in the field by other com-
panies.
The pioneers in the operations of The Cen-
tral Coal & Coke Company were Richard H.
Keith, the company's president and general
manager at this time, and John Perry. In
1 87 1, Mr. Keith began his active connection
with the coal business in Kansas City, by open-
ing a retail yard there. Within a year the busi-
ness increased to such an extent that he needed
a partner. A copartnership was formed, under
the firm name of Mitchell & Keith ; and later,
this firm was succeeded by R. H. Keith & Com-
pany. Changes took place in the firm several
times before the present style of the firm or
company was reached. In 1873 the partner-
ship of Keith & Henry was formed, which con-
tinued until 1881, when a change was made to
Keith & Perry. In 1884 it was The Keith &
Perry Coal Company. The Company was in-
corporated, under the laws of the State of Mis-
souri. The capital stock was $800,000. The
style of the company was continued until 1893,
when it was changed to The Central Coal &
Coke Company, with an authorized capital
stock of $3,000,000, the additional capital being
used in the purchase of The Sweetwater Coal
Mining Company, at Rock Springs, Wyoming.
This gave the company charge of the two larg-
est mining undertakings in the West, capable of
producing 3,500 tons of coal every day in the
year, and which employ 700 men.
In April, 1902, the capital stock was in-
creased to $7,000,000, and the bonded indebt-
edness was raised from $904,000 to $2,500,-
000. The funds raised from the sale of the ad-
ditional bonds were used in the purchase of the
mining properties of The Kansas & Texas Coal
Company, with all the latter's allied interests.
This company is interested in six different
fields, and it produces as many different kinds
of coal. Its properties are located in Missouri,
Kansas, Arkansas, Indian Territory and Wyo-
ming. It operates 45 mines, requiring 9.000
men. Its average pay roll is $10,000 a day.
Its leases cover 70,000 acres of land, and the
stratum of coal under the entire tract is five
feet thick.
The officers of the company at present are
as follows: R. H. Keith, president and gen-
eral manager; \V. C. Perry, vice-president;
Charles S. Keith, assistant general manager
and general sales agent ; and D. Mackie, mana-
ger of mines.
The workings of the various districts are
in a great measure similar, entailing a great
effort and each one bringing in its adequate re-
turn. The original coal district in Kansas lies
between Weir City and Scammon ; and here the
famous Cherokee steam coal was first mined.
The mines at Weir City were opened in 1877.
In the Cherokee district the company has 13
mines and employs 3,00* men, and these mines
produce 9,000 tons of coal each working day.
The mines at Weir City are under the manage-
ment of Hugh Reid, and through his superin-
tendence they are well equipped, well ventilated
and properly supplied with modern hoisting
and screening machinery. A stranger, coming
by chance to Weir City, would fancy himself at
some great railway terminal point, the network
of track, the spurs, switches and junction points
all being required for carrying out the work of
such mining operations as are here going on.
Four lines of railroad reach this district at Weir
City : Missouri Pacific, Kansas City Southern,
Santa Fe and St. Louis & San Francisco.
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
117
The local officers of the company, at Weir
City, are C. N. Sweeney, district manager ; and
C. A. Hess, agent.
STATISTICS OF COAL PRODUCTION.
The following table shows the quantity and
value of the coal produced in the State of Kan-
sas, for the 11 years next preceding 1902, and
the quantity and value of the coal produced in
Cherokee County for the same time, with
the per centum which the latter is of the
whole.
YEAR
PRODUCTION
IN STATE
VALUE
Product in
Cherokee County
VALUE
Per Cent
of Value
1890
1891
2,516,054
2,753,722
3,007,276
2,881,931
3,611,214
3,190,843
3,191,748
3,291,806
3,860,405
4,096,895
4,269,716
4,793,374
$ 3,170,870
3,607,375
3,954,568
3,960,331
4,S89,774
3,590,141
3,227,357
3,488,380
4,193,159
5,124,248
5,500,709
6,231,386
724,861
832,289
825,531
807,796
1,036,614
1,013,612
1,085,132
1,061,409
1,309,808
1,306,239
1,357,631
1,507,282
$ 882,186
989,785
1,009,524
1,009,704
1,295,768
1,013,612
1,206,022
1,010,343
1,375,361
1,472,385
1,629,108
1,959,467
28
28
25
1892
1893
95
1894
25
1895
1896
28
37
1897
29
1898
32
1899..
28
1900 .
25
1901
32
41,464,984
$50,938,298
12,868,264
$14,853,265
29
The quantity of the coal produced in the
State and in the county is given in tons. The
table shows that, in round numbers, the state
output was 41,000,000 tons, while, in round
numbers, the output of the county was 12,000,-
000 tons, or a little more than 31 per centum
of the State output. The value of the State
output, in round numbers, was $50,000,000;
the value of the county output, in round num-
bers, was $14,000,000, or a little more than 29
per centum of the value of the State output.
The coal producing counties of the State of
Kansas, given in the order of the quantity pro-
duced in each, are as follows : Crawford,
Cherokee, Leavenworth, Osage, Linn, Coffey,
Bourbon, Labette, Franklin, Cloud, Ellsworth,
Atchison, Chautauqua, Shawnee, Republic,
Lincoln and Russell. The following table
shows the output of the State for the year 1900,
bv counties :
Counties
Number of
Tons Produced
Value
2,335,998
1,357,631
250,183
194,618
36,320
35.524
28,000
9,670
8,250
7,208
2,510
1,200
1,100
592
501
400
11
4,269,716
$2,769,629.70
1,629,108.16
455,365.48
377,350.24
45,900.00
90.252.00
56,000.00
21,757.50
18,187.50
18,020.00
8,527.50
3,600.00
2,750.00
1,776.00
Republic
1,252.50
1,200.00
Russell
33.00
Totals
$5,500,709.58
n8
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
Up to the year 1900 there were 46 shafts in
operation in Cherokee County. There are now
about 60, and the increase in the output of coal
has been about in the same ratio, as, in addition
to the increased number of shafts, those al-
ready in operation are widening the areas of
the mines, which gives an increase of produc-
tion. The following table shows the mines in
operation in the year 1900. The quantity is
given in tons, of 2,000 pounds.
9
10
u
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
NAME OF COMPANY OR INDIVIDUAL
Central Coal & Coke Company
Kansas & Texas Coal Company
J. R. Crow Coal Company
Bennett & Crowe
J. H. Durkee Coal Company
Hamilton Coal & Mercantile Company
L. S. Myers & Son
Barrett & Hayden
Inter-State Coal Company
Allen Coal Company
M. C. Guy Coal Company
James Stone
Henry Jenkins
Mackie Fuel Company
Pullen Sons & Holman
L. J. Hisle
Eastern Coal & Coke Company
Humble Coal Company
Edwards Coal Company
Fidelity Land & Improvement Company
S. D. Scott
Southwestern Coal & Improvement Company
S. W. Baxter & Sons
Scranton & Son
J. C. Graham Coal Company
George Roeser
Columbus Coal Company
Southern Kansas Coal Company
Strip Pits not Reported
LOCATION OF MINE
H mile west of Weir
\Yx mile north of Scammon
2% miles southwest of Weir
1 '4 miles west of Scammon
North of Weir
Northeast of Weir
At Weir
Location not given
Yt mile southwest of Turck
1 mile west of Weir
1 Yi miles west of Weir
2 miles southwest of Turck
3# miles northwest of Weir
1 mile southwest of Weir
\% miles northeast of Weir
1 X miles northeast of Weir
1 mile northwest of Weir
% mile southwest of Weir Junction
2 miles northeast of Weir
North of Weir
% mile west of Scammon
1 mile south of Scammon
Southeast of Scammon
Scammon
North of Scammon
North of Scammon
Southwest of Weir
\% miles northwest of Scammon. . .
1 mile north of Scammon
Scammon
Cokedale
1 mile northwest of Turck
1 l i miles southwest of Turck
2 miles north of Mineral
1 Vi miles south of Mineral
Mineral
1 mile east of Mineral
1 mile west of Mineral
1 % miles west of Weir
1 mile south of Weir
Scammon
1 mile south of Scammon
2 miles west of Turck
Stippville
\% miles south of Cherokee
Estimated
OUTPUT
70,212
83,624
173,713
75,178
44,034
75,320
46,264
10,000
85,440
65,800
34,518
11,432
2,689
67,780
9,740
8,800
26,430
12,195
6,262
30,000
40,000
5,366
10,560
1,526
1,118
9,500
9,821
4,500
2,027
5,587
28,268
3,625
12,356
1,058
70,885
146,734
18,565
636
3,676
13,000
6.981
400
150
14,861
7,000
645,079
11^^
Coke Works at Cokedale
Lead and Zinc Mining Shafts and Crushers, Galena
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
i2r
A number of mines are not given in the
table, for the reason that they have been opened
since the publication of the last report of the
State mine inspector, and because there are no
figures from which to make a showing of the
output of these new mines. The Flemming
mine at Mineral City is one not included, for
the reasons given, and there are others whose
names and locations have not been obtained in
time to be embodied in this chapter.
Notwithstanding the vast increase in the
output of coal in Cherokee County, prices to
local consumers have advanced nearly ioo per
centum in the last 15 years, and this without
any apparently just reason. There is no reason
for it, only that the operators have simply ad-
vanced the price, for the gain which it brings.
If prices to all other consumers have been ad-
vanced as they have been to the consumers in
Cherokee County, the value of the output of the
mines in the county, if it could be given here,
for the last few years, would show a great ad-
vance over any like number of former years.
GAS AND OIL,
Which arise from the deep coal beds far be-
neath the surface of the earth, have been found
in large quantities in Southeastern Kansas, west
of the Neosho River, in the counties of Labette,
Montgomery, Chautauqua, Elk, Wilson, Neo-
sho and Allen. It is not believed that either
will be found in large quantities in Cherokee
County. The gas and oil are found above what
is known as the Mississippi limestone, which
geologists say, crops out in this county, but
pitches toward the west and northwest. How-
ever, oil in small quantity has been found in
Neosho township, in this county, and it is be-
lieved that it may be found in Sheridan town-
7
ship, both these townships lying along the Neo^-
sho River, on the east side, and just west of the
general trend of the coal deposits. If, in the
ages gone by, the oil exuded from the coal,
through the tremendous pressure of the earth
resting upon it, and was drained off in a north-
westerly direction on the Mississippi limestone,,
as water courses over a slightly tilted roof; and
if the upper edge of this slightly tilted limestone
crops out in Cherokee County, it is a reasonable
presumption that there is no oil in the county,
and that there is not much of it in Labette
County, which is immediately west of, and only
a little removed from, the coal fields.
THE LEAD AND ZINC MINES OF THE COUNTY.
It is conceded by those best qualified to
judge of such matters, that, in mineral re-
sources, Cherokee County is the richest county
in the State of Kansas. Within several years
next preceding the present a good deal has been
published concerning what is called gold-bear-
ing shale, found in some of the northwest coun-
ties of the State ; but nothing has come of the
effort to find gold in paying quantities. The
people of Cherokee County, as well as very
many who do not reside here, know that its
mineral resources, in the process of their de-
velopment, have passed the experimental
period. Many millions of dollars have been
made out of the rich deposits opened ; but it
may be truthfully said that only a beginning
has been made. This is particularly true of the
lead and zinc. It is possible that one-tenth of
the coal, in the strata now being worked, has
been taken out; but no deep mining has been
done. As to lead and zinc, not one-tenth has
been taken out, even in the districts which have
been most thoroughly worked in what may be
122
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
called the upper lodges of ore. Very little deep
mining has been done for these ores ; but suffi-
cient has been done to show that the lowest
lodges reached are the richesth, in both quality
and quantity. Operators who have had large
experience in lead and zinc mining say that the
store house of these ores, in what is known as
the Galena district, are so nearly inexhaustible
that the youngest generation now living will
remain to see no more than a beginning made in
their development.
BIG REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS.
Before entering upon a description of the
mines of Cherokee County and a statement of
the output from them, it is deemed not im-
proper to speak of some of the big real es-
tate transactions, the records of which may be
found in the office of the register of deeds at
Columbus; for some of these transactions have
grown out of the undertakings which have
been in course for the development of the mines
in the county, while others have incidentally
grown out of such interests.
May i, 1896, The State Trust Company
funded bonds for The Cherokee Lanyon Spel-
ter Company, to the amount of $300,000, the
bonds being secured by a first mortgage of the
company's real estate. The recorder's fee in
this transaction was $48.65.
September 28, 1896, The Mercantile Trust
Company funded bonds of The St. Louis &
San Francisco Railroad Company, in the sum
of $5,666,500, taking a mortgage on the com-
pany's real estate in Cherokee County, with
real estate elsewhere.
In January, 1902, The Central Coal & Coke
Company negotiated with The Pennsylvania
Company, for $2,500,000, and in security they
passed 37,000 acres of land in Missousi, Kan-
sas, Arkansas and the Indian Territory. The
record of the mortgage covers 90 pages, and the
recorder's fee was $51.60. In January, 1898,
the same company had negotiated with Edward
E. Stansbury, under mortgage, for the loan of
$800,000.
January 11, 1904, James Murphy and
others, by quitclaim deed, sold more than 1,000
town lots in Empire City, to The Murphy Min-
ing & Realty Company, for the consideration
of $60,000. The fee for the recording of this
deed was $158.65.
Perhaps the largest individual transaction
in real estate ever made in Cherokee County
was that in which W. S. Norton, of Columbus,
sold certain coal lands to The Fidelity Land &
Improvement Company, in consideration of
$84,000.
These transactions cover considerations
amounting to $9,410,500, a large part of which
pertains to Cherokee County; but they do not
include all the transactions which have imme-
diately grown out of or incidentally pertain to
the mining interests of the county. Other
transactions, of more or less magnitude, if
sought out in the records, would be found to
foot up many hundreds of thousands of dollars
in the county.
THE MINING OF LEAD AND ZINC.
Considering the area over which the opera-
tions have been extended, the mining of lead
and zinc since the year 1882, has been the most
profitable industry in Cherokee County. The
location of these mines is in the southeastern
part of the county, along Spring River, chiefly
on the east side of the stream, extending to the
east line of the State. The city of Galena, so
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
123
named on account of the mineral which is so
abundant there, is in the midst of the great
mining region. Empire City lies just north of
Galena. For many years next following the
discovery of mineral there, a brisk rivalry was
maintained between the two towns, each en-
deavoring by every possible means to lead the
other for the honor of designating the mining
district. Galena early gained the ascendency,
and it has constantly held it. In the reports
showing the output of ores the region has come
to be known as the "Galena District," and it is
probable that it will so continue to be desig-
nated.
THE DISCOVERY OF LEAD AND ZINC.
As is stated elsewhere, in the chapters de-
voted to the history of Galena and of Empire
City, lead and zinc were discovered in that lo-
cality in the spring of 1877. Up to that time
no uncovering of the rich deposits had been
made. As far as human habitation was con-
cerned, the region, in almost every respect, lay
in an untouched condition ; and as for agri-
cultural purposes Nature never designed it to
be at all attractive. But from the year 1877,
on down to the present, it has been one of the
busiest regions in the world, in the activity con-
stantly kept up in the operations necessary to
bring to the surface of the earth the rich metal
ores which are lying beneath.
STATISTICS OF LEAD AND ZINC PRODUCTION.
The annual output of ore has not constantly
increased, each year greater than the preced-
ing one, either in quantity or in value; for the
activity has been intense or slack, proprtionate
to the demnad for the product of the mines.
However, in a general way, taking any partic-
ular series of years, there has been an advance,
and a great one, too, since the first few years
of the industry. The quantity and the value
have not changed proportionately; for in 1896
the mines yielded 62,232 tons of zinc, worth
$1,401,307.83, while in 1897 the yield was
59,451 tons of zinc, worth $1,492,663.04. In
the latter year the yield was 2,781 tons less,
but the value was $91,355.21 more, the increase
in value being due to the higher market price.
I have before me a table showing the annual
output of lead and zinc, in the Galena district,
from 1886 to 1901, inclusive. The table is
taken from the "Annual Bulletin on the Min-
eral Resources of Kansas," for 1900 and 1901,
prepared by Erasmus Haworth, of the depart-
ment of physical geology and mineralogy in the
University of Kansas. It had been my aim to
get information on the two years following
1901, but this is lacking.
The table shows that the quantity of zinc
mined is much larger than the quantity of lead.
But it also shows that the price of lead is higher
than that of zinc. For the 16 years covered by
the table, the quantity of zinc taken out and
sold was more than six times as much as that of
lead ; but the value of the zinc was less than four
times as much as that of the lead. For this series
of years the greatest output of zinc was in the
year 1898, when 74.852 tons were sold ; but the
greatest output of lead was in the year 1897,
when 15,184.68 tons were sold, for $762,-
469.96 The largest amount realized for zinc,
within the time covered by the table, was for
the output of 1899, which amounted to $2,313,-
831.00. For the 16 years the mines yielded the
enormous quantity of 633,683.63 tons of zinc
ore, which was sold for $15,144,640.70, and
105,178.46 tons of lead, which was sold for
124
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
SHOWING OUTPUT OF ZINC AND LEAD ORES, GALENA DISTRICT, KANSAS,
From January 1, 1886, to December 31, 1901, inclusive. Data since 1895 from the Engintiring and Mining Journal; others
from Russell Elliott, Galena.
Year.
1886.
1887..
1888.
1889
1890.
1891.
1892
1893.
1894.
1895.
1896
1897.
1898.
1899.
1900.
1901.
Zinc Ore.
Tods
(2000 lbs)
31,768.00
32,795.00
33,391.00
32,950.00
21,675.00
20,641.00
23.811.00
25,028.00
28,670.00
41,232.00
62,232.00
59,451.00
74,852.00
64,708.48
46,501.35
33,977.80
Average
price
per ton.
$18 50
19 00
21 00
24 00
23 00
21 51
20 00
18 85
17 10
19 68
22 51
25 17
26 64
38 54
30 28
27 95
Totals for 16 years 633,683.63 $373 73 {15,144,640 70 105,178.46 $705 94
Value.
$587,
623
701
790
498,
454,
476,
471,
490
812
1,401
1,492
1,994
2,313
1,238
797
708 00
105 00
211 00
800 00
525 00
102 00
237 78
789 00
257 00
792 00
307 83
663 04
230 55
831 00
237 13
,844 3'
Lead Ore.
Tons
(2000 lbs)
2,962.14
3,073.19
2,624.00
3,992.50
4,173.96
3,602.21
7,188.17
5,139.59
5,817.49
12,537.64
14,061.58
15,184.68
7,918.28
6,723.40
4,938.44
5,238.19
Average
price
per ton.
$59 00
52 50
31 00
46 00
42 28
50 32
42 00
38 00
33 64
38 56
32 04
50 20
42 04
52 62
48 80
46 94
Value.
$174,
161,
81,
183,
176,
182,
301,
195
195,
482
450
762
352
354
240
245
766 38
499 98
344 00
655 00
176 28
271 83
903 14
314 42
794 66
548 75
529 90
469 96
,798 45
311 00
,995 87
880 63
Total value
of output.
$762,
784,
782,
974,
674,
636,
778,
667
686,
1,295,
1,851
2,255,
2,347
2,668,
1,479
1,043
474 38
604 98
555 00
455 00
701 28
373 83
140 92
103 42
051 66
340 75
837 73
133 00
029 00
142 00
233 00
725 00
$4,542,260 25 $19,686,900 95
$4,542,260.25, making, in all, $19,686,900.95.
It must not be thought that this is all profit ;
for, as a matter of fact, a very small part of it is
clear profit, to any individual or company. The
expenses of mining are always very great.
While the output, when sold on a good market,
brings in a vast amount of money, it has to be
distributed among a large number of men, of
various classes, which diffuses the benefits of
the operations. Foundrymen, machinery build-
ers, engineers, laborers, helpers, teamsters,
shaft bosses, time keepers, clerks, bookkeepers;
all these come in for their wages, salaries and
accounts, and they must be paid. Then, if the
mine is on leased ground, as many of them are,
the owner of the land comes in for his royalty,
Avhich is the easiest money made in all the under-
taking. He has nothing to do but to accept his
check and go to the bank and have it added to
his account.
The product of zinc ore, when the ore has
been passed through the furnace and has been
brought out in the metallic form, is called
spelter. The furnace is called a smelter, and the
operation of reducing the ore to metal is called
smelting. The lead and zinc ores mined in
Cherokee County, Kansas, are nearly all
shipped to other places to be reduced. For-
merly there were some smelters at Weir City,
where coal is abundant ; but they were discon-
tinued. A much larger number were at Pitts-
burg, but many of them were moved to Iola,
Kansas, on account of the abundance of natural
gas. Recently, since the gas pressure has be-
come weaker and insufficient to meet the de-
mands as fully as desired, the smelters are being
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
12 =
brought back into the coal fields, where the
supply of fuel is ample and will remain so, any-
how for the next fifty years.
In Mr. Haworth's bulletin, referred to in
this chapter, he says that during the years of
1900 and 1 90 1 the zinc smelters of Kansas
yielded the largest amount of spelter ever pro-
duced in a like time. They produced 57,856
tons of metal in 1900, and 81,542.3 tons in
1 90 1. The average price of spelter in New
York, for the year 1900, was $87.80 a ton, and
for the year 1901 it was $81.50 a ton, a decline
of $6.30 a ton ; but the quantity put upon the
market during the latter year was so much
greater than the quantity for the former year
that the value was greater by $1,516,864.65,
the value for the first year being $5,028,832.80,
while the value for the second year was
$6,645,697.45.
In the year 1900 the total amount of spelter
produced in the United States was about 123,-
000 tons. Kansas produced nearly one-half of
this amount. It is claimed by some that much
of the ore smelted in Kansas is brought into
the State from other places; that the Joplin
district sends a large amount of ore to Kansas,
to Iola, LaHarpe and Cherryvale, all of which
are situate in the gas regions. This may be
true ; but it may be stated as true, also, that
as much Kansas ore is shipped out of the State,
to smelters in Missouri, Illinois and other
States, as that which comes into the State from
the Joplin district. Anyhow, it is within the
bounds of truth to say that, of the lead and
zinc ores smelted in Kansas, nearly the entire
amount is taken out of the earth in the Galena
district, which includes all the mining opera-
tions for zinc and lead in the State of Kansas.
The following table will show the amount
and value of the zinc produced in the State of
Kansas, annually, from 1882 to 1901, inclusive,
the table covering the product of 20 years :
Year
Amount in
short tons
(2000 pounds)
Price per ton
in New York
Total Value
1882
7,306
9,010
7,859
8,502
8,932
11,955
10,432
13,658
15,199
22,747
24,715
22,815
25,588
25,775
20,759
33,443
38,543
52,664
57,876
81,542.3
$110.60
90.60
89.60
86.80
87.90
92.80
98.34
100.20
108.75
108.82
89.78
80.37^
70.43
71.04
79.70
82.40
91.40
115.00
87.80
81.50
$ 814,679.60
816,306.00
704,466.40
837,973.60
785,122.80
1,109,424.00
1,025,902.83
1,368,531.60
1,052,891.25
2,475,336.9s
2,218,912.70
1,733,755.63
1 902 162 84
1883
1884
1885
1886
1887
1888
1889
1890
1891
1892 .
1893
1894
1895
1,831,056.00
1,653,592.30
2,755,703.20
3,5(18,524.27
6,056,360.00
5 028 832 80
1896
1897
1898
1899
1900
1901
6,645 697 45
Total
499,380.3
$91.19
$44,824,932.23
The table does not cover the product of the
mines of the Galena district, from the time of
the discovery of lead and zinc ores there, in
1877, up to the year 1882. By those who are
best qualified to judge, it is estimated that the
spelter produced in these five years was of the
value of about $3,000,000, which added to the
figures given in the table is seen to make up the
aggregate value of $47,824,932.23, or an an-
nual average of $2,391,246.61.
The world's production of zinc metal has
constantly increased, and very rapidly within
recent years, due to the increased uses to which
it is put. It enters into the composition of
brass and other yellow compositions, into the
cyanide processes, into the manufacture of sheet
metals and very largely for electrical purposes.
Fifty per centum of it is used for galvanizing
purposes, twenty per centum for sheet metals,
fifteen per centum for brass and other yellow
126
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
compositions and fifteen per centum for sundry
other purposes. It is indispensable in the
manufacture of brass, and nothing else has
been found that will take its place in electrical
appliances. It is said that in America the
greatest demand is for galvanizing purposes,
in the manufacture of wire for fencing and
other uses, and of galvanized iron for construc-
tion purposes.
Belgium and the Rhine district, taken to-
gether, produce more zinc metal than any other
district in the world. Silesia came next, in
former times, with America third, Great Britain
fourth, France and Spain fifth. Austria and
Poland seventh : but more recently. America
has gone ahead of Silesia, and is now second in
the zinc-producing countries of the world, and
it is not far behind Belgium and the Rhine dis-
trict. The following table will show the world's
output of zinc metal, for the years from 1884
to 1900. inclusive. In the last year the Bel-
gium and Rhine district produced 189.994 tons ;
Silesia produced 102,316 tons and America
122.885 tons. The next year, for which the
output of other countries is not given, America
nroduced 155.206 tons:
Veaf
Rhine
and
Silesia
Great
France
and
Spain
Austria
Poland
Total
foreign
America
Grand
Total
Per cent.
American
1884
18S5
127.240
12!t.7.34
129,020
130,995
133,245
134,6t8
137,630
139,695
143,305
149,750
152,420
172,135
184,45a
191,836
192.994
-
76,116
79,623
SI, 630
81.375
83,375
85,665
87 175
- -
>7.7-,:i
90,310
91,14,5
93,620
95,875
94.045
99 2 S
100,160
102,316
29,2-59
24,299
21,230
19,839
. >
29,145
29.410
30,310
.- n
32,065
29,495
23,430
27.035
0222;;
30, Hi "'7
15,341
14,847
i '
--
16.140
16,785
18,240
1S.360
- 1 -
20.585
21,245
22,895
28,450
32,120
32,049
33,482
44.200
6,170
5,610
5,000
5,388
4.077
6,330
7,135
6,440
5,020
7.500
- 580
8,355
9.255
8,185
7.229
7,305
6,836
4,164
5,019
4,145
3.580
3,7a5
3.026
3,620
3,760
4,270
4,530
5,015
4,960
5,760
5,664
6.325
5,969
86 290
2-59,152
256,330
257,155
26S,305
. -
283,245
234,745
.- .:
301.110
310,470
331.400
345,355
347,995
304,246
372.490
28H 525
34,414
36 329
•
44,940
49,913
52,55
57,860
72.208
77.910
70.385
67,257
80,077
72,707
- :• -
103.515
123,194
122 885
2»4.7'Ji
292,659
294,402
302,101
318.21S
329,801
341,105
356.953
367,237
371,405
::77.7^7
411,537
418.122
437.263
495.690
411 375
• •
1886
12.93
18S7
14.87
1888
15.68
1889
16.23
1890 ..
16.96
1891
20.22
1892
21.21
1893
1894
18.93
17.80
1895
19.45
1896
17.43
1897
2*">4l
- -
1899
1900
22.10
■■ ■ -
1901
155 206 1 -
It would take more time and space than can
here be given to name all the individuals and
firms that have been engaged and are now en-
gaged in the mining of lead and zinc in the Ga-
lena district. During the 27 years, since the dis-
covery of these ores in that district, many have
come and gone, and only a few of the companies
which were among the first are still operating.
From the Galena Times of July 28. 1004. some
information is taken as to a number of the
operators. Those mentioned are The South Side
Mining & Manufacturing Company. The
Pittsburg Lead & Zinc Company, The New
Century Zinc & Lead Mining Company. Mur-
phy, Freil & Company. The Merger Mining
Company. The Clara Louise Mining & Mill g
Company. The Galena Smelting & Manufac-
turing Company, and The McXeal Mining &
Milling Company.
The following table shows the output of
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
127
The Southside Mining & Manufacturing
Company, from 1877, the beginning of mining
operations at Galena, to and including the year
1903, and also a supplemental showing of the
output for the first five months of the present
year (1904) :
OUTPUT OF SOUTH SIDE MINING & MANUFACTURING COMPANY
YEAR
LEAD ORE
SOLD FOR
ZINC ORE
SOLD FOR
1877 .
112,455
3,570,003
10,291,291
9,553,204
7,703,234
5,007,410
2.368,808
1,351,847
1,282,661
1,671,813
1,803,775
1,329,277
1,904,083
1,070,360
1,016,003
1,018,229
1,569,380
1,272,090
538,200
1,036,136
1,613,260
1,121,470
1,081,648
1,712,031
2,262,830
732,070
660,770
$ 2,372.52
63,911.82
233,320.84
215,939.59
220,518.49
115,591.66
69,092.66
97,066.03
31,169.07
49.659.20
47,458.46
20,604.51
43,810.29
25,146.28
25,781.09
21,815.44
29,728.03
21,185.80
9,307.76
15,640.92
32,273.00
24,926.40
28,537.25
41,705.55
51,551.75
16,758.54
16,693.31
1878
271,130
$ 2,169.09
1880
2,283,480
4,650,250
3,525,690
3,054,320
8,227,690
14,475,180
10,101,690
14,579,770
13,378,070
3,977,890
8,458,400
7,615,110
2,582,760
3,249,450
2,821,450
2,363,490
10,431,080
14,399,240
14,124,860
12,503,980
9,477,370
6,886,700
7,203,316
18,267.84
37,202.04
28,205.55
24,434.;'5
65.821.50
115,801.47
1887
80,813.52
116,638.16
107,024.56
38,823.12
67,667.20
60,920.88
18,079.32
16,728.86
14,033.45
14,327.21
43,707.27
78,269.55
174,426.64
132,593.23
93,060.60
91,925.95
93, 304. S3
64,654,338
$1,571,567.32
180,642,306
$1,532,846.39
OUTPUT FOR FIRST FIVE MONTHS 1904
MONTH
LEAD ORE
SOLD FOR
ZINC ORE
SOLD FOR
102,780
197,050
231,720
159,580
222,030
$2,098.51
4,199.43
6,391.88
4,397.49
5,605.00
575,786
633,826
886,986
937,845
636,636
$ 5,290.59
8,558.83
12,243.91
9,773.95
7,307.70
913,160
$22,692.31
3,671,079
$43,174.98
,
The figures of quantity in the table indicate
pounds instead of tons. It may be presumed
that the Southside Mining & Manufacturing
Company's output is an average among the
principal mining companies operating in the
district. If so, it indicates the wonderful ac-
tivity which has been kept up since the discov-
ery of the rich ore deposits in the lead and zinc
128
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
area of Kansas, and which has brought so much
wealth to the people engaged in the mining
operations.
THE OPERATION OF THE MIXES.
In taking out lead and zinc ores the opera-
tions are so different from those employed in
the mining of coal that it is deemed a matter
of interest here to make a brief statement, so
that the reader not acquainted with the dif-
ferences will have a better understanding of
them. Coal nearly always lies in strata or
layers, varying in thickness, from a few inches
to several feet. These strata are sometimes
level ; oftener they are slightly tilted, and some-
times much so. In the coal fields of Southeast-
ern Kansas the strata incline slightly down-
ward toward the northwest. If one owns a
tract of land on all sides of which shafts have
been sunk and a stratum of coal found, he
is almost absolutely safe in the presumption that
he has the same stratum lying under his land,
and at about the same depth of that of his
neighbors, making allowances for the surface
variations and the general tilt of the stratum.
This is not true with respect to lead and zinc.
These ores lie in pockets or lodges, or they may
be scattered through the earth very irregularly,
sometimes "good stuff," sometimes "poor
stuff," according to the per centum of ore, com-
pared with the rock and earth to be worked.
The ores can never be depended upon to lie in
strata ; and, on this account, one can not judge
from surrounding operations, only in a general
way, whether he will find ore or not. His
neighbor may find the richest of deposits; but
he may not even get a "shine," although he
may sink his shaft close by.
The amount of earth and rock taken out is
simply enormous. Excavations are sometimes
made so large that the roof of a "room" may
be 50 feet above the floor, or even higher. The
whole force of miners may be employed in a
single excavation. Of course, the rocks not
containing ore are not hoisted to the surface,
after the room is large enough for storing them,
if the drifting is on a level ; but often the ore is
so scattered through the stones that it is neces-
sary to bring them to the surface. There is not
much of what is called "free ore."
After the ore-bearing rock is brought up it
is run through powerful crushers, which grind
it into a fine gravel. It is then run through
"jigs," where is is shaken thoroughly in water,
when the heavier particles go to the bottom.
The water is then lowered and the top part of
the gravel is skimmed off and thrown aside.
This is called "tailings," but it yet contains a
low per centum of ore. The heavy part, at the
bottom, is then taken out of the "jig." when it
is ready for the smelter. Recently, some com-
panies have put in what are called "sludge
mills," which grind the "tailings" into a still
finer gravel, and this is put through the same
kind of process as last described. The owners of
these mills usually buy the great dumps of "tail-
ings" at such prices as will justify them in
working over the entire quantity, sometimes as
large as a great hill containing thousands of
tons.
THE FEATURE OF UNCERTAINTY PRESENT.
On account of the fact that lead and zinc
ores do not lie in strata, but in pockets, scat-
tered here and there through the region, many
persons fail in their mining operations. Thou-
sands of dollars have been spent in prospecting,
and ground has been abandoned in numberless
Murdock Block, Galena
Court House, Galena
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
cases. In many instances abandoned shafts
have been reopened and drifts started in other
directions from those at first started, and these
have led into the richest "finds" of ore. To
those engaged in mining there are many inter-
esting things. Some fail where others suc-
ceed; some become suddenly wealthy by some
fortunate turn, and afterwards strike a "streak
of bad luck," and lose all they had formerly
made ; others have toiled on from year to year,
battling always against adverse conditions, at
last to "strike it rich," and in a few months be
independent. There is a fascination about the
business, and this, with the chances to make
money, attracts many people and leads to the
building up of a community of rugged, cour-
ageous class of citizens who, besides gaining
the comforts which wealth affords, add largely
to the material progress of the county. Lead
and zinc have done wonders for Cherokee
County. In its wealth of metal and mineral it
stands in the front rank among the counties of
the State, and if not at the very head, it is a
question of a very short time when it will be
there.
THE WATER POWER OF THE COUNTY.
In the chapter of this book, under The
Early Settling of Cherokee County, the fact is
mentioned that Benjamin F. Butler, of Massa-
chusetts, who was one of the attorneys for the
first settlers of the county, in their controversy
with James F. Joy, once planned to secure the
franchise for the water power of Spring River,
or that part of it which flows through Cherokee
County, Kansas. This was more than 30 years
ago. It is believed that, had General Butler
won the suit which was taken to the Supreme
Court of the United States, and was decided
adversely to the people, in 1872, he would have
pushed the water power project to the extent
of making Southwestern Missouri and South-
eastern Kansas a great manufacturing district,
after the pattern of many in the New England
States. General Butler was a far-seeing man.
He foresaw that the time was then not far away
when the manufacturing interests of Massa-
chusetts and its neighboring States would move
South and West; that the commercial require-
ments of the country would make it necessary.
But it was the mining interests of this section
that chiefly led him to consider the feasibility
of the project concerning which I now write,
although the mining operations here were then
in their inception. Joplin was then a mere vil-
lage of board shanties and here and there a few
habitations of better pretense. That was five
years before the discovery of lead and zinc at
Galena, or rather where Galena now stands, for
the place was then unhonored and unnamed.
The region was then a post-oak and black-jack
wilderness hemmed in by hills and bluffs of
flint and limestone, where an occasional trav-
eler would sometimes halt to quench his thirst
at a rippling stream, thinking not at all that he
trod the surface beneath which lay untold stores
of wealth. The Joplin district seven miles
away, had begun to attract the attention of cap-
italists in the Northern and Eastern States, and
some of them had come and were beginning
operations for developing its riches.
The development of the water power of
Spring River, for more than the operation of
an occasional grist mill, was left for persons
coming upon the field at a later time. Perhaps
it is better that it was so. There are turns in the
affairs of men which lay hardships upon the in-
dividual and later change for the benefit of the
whole community, though lapses of time may
13-
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
often intervene. Thirty years ago the oppor-
tune time had not arrived for the undertaking
here considered. The conditions of population
and of material development were not such as
would justify the undertaking then; but the
absence of these did not hinder far-seeing men
from judging that they would speedily come.
THE SPRING RIVER POWER COMPANY.
Within the last two years The Spring River
Power Company, a corporation controlling all
the money that it needs, has taken hold of the
matter of harnessing the power of that river,
and the work is largely on its way. Surveys
have been made, lands have been purchased,
franchises have been obtained and the work
of building a mighty dam across Spring River,
at Lowell, just below the mouth of Shoal
Creek, is well under way. I was at the scene
of operations on July 16, 1904, and the extent
to which the work had been carried indicates
that a gigantic enterprise is in progress. More
than 300 men were at work ; and it is expected
that by the first of January, 1905, the dam will
be completed, the machinery put in and the
company ready to furnish electric power to any
point within a radius of 50 miles. History, gen-
erally, does not have to do with matters of the
future ; its province is to record the incidents
and achievements of the past ; but in an instance
where a great enterprise has been planned and
the material operations have been begun, it can
scarcely be improper to lay out before the
reader the scope and purpose of the undertak-
ing. Such is the matter in hand ; and the ob-
ject of this record is to preserve facts which,
if not now set down, may escape the historian
who, in the years to come, will enlarge upon
that of which I now write.
The scope of the enterprise is planned to
be broad, so broad as to meet the requirements
laid upon it as the conditions may require from
time to time along down the future. Besides
the dam already under construction and well
on its way to completion, another will be built
at the south line of Cherokee County, where
Spring River leaves the State of Kansas. By
the course of the stream this is about 10 miles
below Lowell, the point at which the first dam
is being built. It is also said that the company
will build a dam somewhere above Lowell, in
Cherokee County, which will make three dams
in the county. Besides these, the company in-
tends to build a dam across the same stream,
in the Indian Territory at a point a few miles
west of Seneca, Missouri, on account of the rich
ore fields in that district, as well as for other
general purposes. But it is concerning the
water power of Cherokee County that this
chapter is being written. Mention is made of
the fourth dam, as indicating the general scope
of the company's planned undertaking.
The three dams in Cherokee County, if the
whole energy of the stream can be conserved,
will perhaps secure the application of 60,000
horse power; for Spring River is a magnificent
stream of pure, limpid, spring water, with such
a descent as admits of the feasibility of frequent
dams along its course. Its main branch rises
in Christian County. Missouri, not far west of
Springfield. Its north fork rises in Dade
County, Missouri, and Shoal Creek rises in
Barry County, in that State. The main stream
and all its branches flow through districts
where there are many never-failing springs,
some of which are large enough, in a single
spring, to afford power for light-running grist
mills and for other purposes.
The purpose of the undertaking, concern-
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
133
ing which this article is written, is to supply
electric power for every kind of mechanical
contrivance through which it may be profitably
applied. It will be used in the operation of
railway systems, for the transportation of pas-
sengers and freight ; in supplying light and
power for use in the towns and cities of the dis-
trict, and for the smelting of ores in the near-
lying mining fields along the river, on either
side. In a sentence, the purpose of the under-
taking is to turn Cherokee County, with the
other districts lying within reach of the seat of
power, into a great manufacturing center,
where the cheap power can be used in the pro-
duction of the commodities of trade and com-
merce ; where the energy of the cold stream, now
flowing on toward the distant sea, may be
turned into light and power, for the comfort
and convenience of the people now living, and
yet to live, along its shores, and this without
destroying its quality or much interrupting its
course. That the water of this beautiful stream
has flowed on for years, decades and centuries,
deepening its channel among the hills and
through the valleys, affords a presumption that
it will continue to flow, and thus offer to those
who dwell along its way the opportunity of
securing the benefits which will help to lighten
toil and open an easement from the drudgery
of life ; and acting on this presumption the com-
pany entering upon the gigantic undertaking
now in its inception will, before long, come to
the test of the feasibility of the enterprise. The
people will watch the progress of the great
scheme with an eagerness proportionate with
the vastness of the work to be done, and with
the hope that disappointment will come neither
to those who have it in charge, nor to those to
whom its benefits will come. The water power
of Cherokee County is foremost among the
many advantages which its material resources
afford.
CHAPTER XI.
THE RAILROADS OF CHEROKEE COVNTY
Railroad Construction — Railroad Property Tax Valuations — Railroad Mileage in
the County — The Latest Line to be Built — Bonds in Aid of Railroads — An
Early Railroad Time Table — Travel in the Days of the Stage Coach.
Railroads are perhaps the chief factor in
the accomplishment of the purposes of modern
civilization. Though the activity which they
give to methods in nearly every industrial un-
dertaking lays a heavy strain upon the nerves
of the people, making it questionable whether
the facilities which they afford bring an ade-
quate compensation for the tremendous outlay
of energy, they are now considered indispensa-
ble for maintaining the present social and com-
mercial conditions of the country. The dread
of distance and the loss of time have so lost
ground as anxiety-producing elements that
they are now no longer taken into account.
With railroads the people accomplish in a day
what, a generation ago, would have required a
year. As the modern steamship, with its con-
venience, comfort, luxury and speed, and the
network of ocean cables which encircle the
earth, have brought the fulfillment of the
prophecy, "I saw a new heaven and a new
earth ; for the first heaven and the first earth
had passed away, and there was no more sea,"
so railroads have accomplished a like condition
on the continents.
At the close of the war, April, 1865, Seda-
lia, Missouri, on the Missouri Pacific, and
Rolla, Missouri, on the St. Louis & San Fran-
cisco, were the nearest railroad points to Chero-
kee County. The nearer of these was more
than two hundred miles away, and travel to and
from either was made by stage or by private
conveyance, either of which was slow and
dreadfully wearing. Merchandise of all kinds
had to be brought in on the slow-going freight
wagons, many of which were drawn by oxen.
It would take more than a month to make a
round trip. However, those engaged in the
work enjoyed it ; and slow as the methods were
in those pioneer days, life seemed to be as much
worth the living as it is to-day, with all the
modern ways and means which rapid-transit
facilities enable the people to employ.
railroad construction.
As late as 1869, Pleasanton, Kansas, one
hundred miles north of Columbus, was the
nearest railroad point ; but by the latter part of
that year the road was finished to Fort Scott.
This was the Kansas City, Fort Scott & Gulf
Railroad. It was pushed on rapidly toward
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
135
Columbus, and on April 8, 1870, the first
freight train entered the town. This was a
heyday for Columbus. On the nth of April
the first passenger train came; and on the 18th
the people were given a free excursion to Fort
Scott. These events marked the beginning of
an era in the history of the town, as well as
in the history of the county.
The building of the railroad south from
Fort Scott was delayed by the opposition of the
Land League ; and even after it was finished to
Baxter Springs traffic over the line was often
interrupted. It was partly for the protection
of the company's property, that soldiers were
kept in the county as late as 1872, when the
dispute between the settlers and James F. Joy
was settled by the United States Supreme
Court.
The Kansas City, Fort Scott & Gulf Rail-
road was finished to Baxter Springs the same
year it reached Columbus, and the latter place
remained the terminus of the road many years ;
then it was extended to Galena, and on to Jop-
lin, Missouri. It did more to develop the
county than any other road, at least for a long
time, as from the main line, in the north part
of the county, switches were extended to the
coal shafts then opening up for supplying the
markets as far north as Kansas City; and the
road had much to do in opening the great lead
and zinc mines at Galena.
In the fall of 1872 the St. Louis & San
Francisco Railroad, which had then been fin-
ished to Carthage, Missouri, was extended
west, to the east line of the State of Kansas.
This was done by Edward Brown, who had
built the road from Peirce City, Missouri, to
Carthage. At the State line a town was laid
off and named Brownsville. This remained
the terminus of the road, from about 1868 until
1872, when the road was extended through
Cherokee County. In the meantime a narrow-
gauge railroad was built from Weir City, in
the northern part of the county, to Messer, in
the middle eastern part. This was independent
of the other road, and as such it was operated
three or four years. After the completion of
the St. Louis & San Francisco road through
the county, traffic on the narrow-gauge road
ran down, and the road was torn up and aban-
doned. It was a non-productive investment,
even at its best.
While Brownsville was the terminus of the
St. Louis & San Francisco Railroad, the pro-
moters of the contemplated extension were
busy devising means for the carrying out of
their plans. Townships were besought to vote
bonds, all along the proposed route, and every
other possible effort was resorted to for raising
funds. Two towns were laid off, one east and
the other west of the present town of Crestline.
Some enterprising men at Carthage, Missouri,
and a few from Cherokee County, got up an
organization, issued bonds and sold them in the
New York market, realizing many thousands
of dollars upon them. They were entirely
worthless ; and as soon as the victims found out
the truth a criminal action was brought, and a
number of persons in Carthage were arrested.
The affair broke up a wealthy banker, whose
son was the legal adviser in the fraud, and it
is said that others were seriously damaged in
a financial way.
The St. Louis & San Francisco Railroad
was completed to Columbus in the fall of 1876,
and on the first day of January, 1877, the com-
pany's station was opened for business, under
the care and management of J. M. Filler, who
is still in charge of the company's business at
Columbus, the company never having had any
x 3 6
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
other agent here. If he continues in charge
until the first of January, 1905, he will com-
plete 28 years of continuous service for the
company.
In 1901 the St. Louis & San Franscisco
Railroad Company bought the controlling inter-
est in the Kansas City, Fort Scott & Memphis
Railroad Company, formerly the Kansas City,
Fort Scott and Gulf Railroad Company, and
since the purchase the properties of the two
companies are known as the property of the
St. Louis & San Francisco Railway Company.
The stations of the two companies, in Colum-
bus, were combined into one, in charge of J.
M. Filler, of whom mention has been made.
In 1886-87 the Nevada & Minden Railroad,
later known as the Missouri Pacific Railroad,
was built through the county, from about the
center of the north line of the county, to the
southwest corner of the county, a distance of
25 miles, of which there are 24 miles lying in a
direct line. This road crosses the St. Louis &
San Francisco road at Sherwin Junction, six
miles west of Columbus. It passes through
the coal fields in the northern section of the
county.
In 1894 the Missouri, Kansas & Texas
Railway was extended from the company's
main line, at Parsons, Kansas, to Mineral City,
about nine miles northwest of Columbus, where
the company had bought large tracts of coal
lands. In 1901 this road was continued,
through Columbus and Galena, to Joplin, Mis-
souri, making the length of the line 52 miles,
32 of which lie in Cherokee County, besides
more than 20 miles of side tracks and switches
in the coal fields.
Besides the roads which I have mentioned,
the Kansas City Southern Railway touches
Cherokee County, at the northeast corner, hav-
ing a little more than three miles of track in
this county.
In addition to the railroads which are de-
scribed in the preceding paragraphs, Cherokee
County is one of the few counties of the State
of Kansas which have electric roads. About
two miles of the Southwest Missouri Electric
Railway lie in this county, having the city of
Galena as its present western terminus. This
road is soon to be extended to Baxter Springs,
and probably entirely through the county.
RAILROAD PROPERTY TAX VALUATIONS.
Probably no other county in the State of
Kansas has its railroad property so well dis-
tributed as is found in Cherokee County. Out
of the 14 townships of the county all but one
have railroad property. Lyon township, in the
southern central part of the county, has none.
The following table, for the year 1904, shows
the distribution of the county's railroad prop-
erty valuation :
Townships. Valuations.
Pleasant View $ 32,268
Cherokee 93418
Mineral 84,915
Ross 131.513
Sheridan 34.209
Lola 102,293
Salamanca 95-590
Crawford 111,758
Shawnee 54,oo8
Lowell 56,667
Garden 19.125
Spring Valley 102,859
Lyon
Neosho 38,682
Cities.
Baxter Springs 17.501
Columbus 30.859
Empire 20.703
Galena 31.037
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
137
Scammon 8,705
Weir 24,579
Total Valuation $1,092,596
RAILROAD MILEAGE IN THE COUNTY.
In the following table, showing the mileage
of railroads in the county, it will be seen that
the St. Louis & San Francisco Company has a
number of branches, and that these have a
number of side tracks, the side tracks, in some
instances, being more than the main lines of
the branches. These are in the mining districts
of the county.
St. L. & S. F. Division Main Line Side Track
Short Creek 9.31 7.98
Cherryvale 2.18 19.12
Weir 2.01 14.91
Girard .22
Joplin, north and south. . . 25.55 22.71
Galena 1.99 5.32
Main, east and west 25.63 2.22
66.89 72.26
M. K. & T 32.18 20.83
Missouri Pacific 25.03 1. 19
Kansas City Southern 3.31
Totals 127.41 94.28
94.28
Total mileage of track 221.69
THE LATEST LINE TO BE BUILT.
The Arkansas, Missouri & Kansas Railroad
Company has lately made a survey through
Cherokee County, entering the east side of the
county near the middle of the east line, and
running northwesterly, leaving the county at a
point eight miles east of the northwest corner.
The main line will be about twenty miles, in
the county, besides a large mileage of side
tracks, as the road will lie through the coal
fields. The road is now in process of construc-
tion. When completed, it will add much to the
assessable property of Cherokee County.
BONDS IN AID OF RAILROADS.
With one exception, the townships of
Cherokee County have steered clear of rail-
road bonds ; but in some instances the struggles
were fierce and long continued. In the early
days, following the close of the war, between
the years of 1868 and 1880, a horde of
"sharks," "grafters" and "confidence men"
swarmed into Kansas, as well as into other
States, for the sole purpose of securing fraudu-
lent bonds upon every municipality not guarded
against their wily, sinuous methods. Not all
the smooth, artful schemers with which the
country was then infested were sent out by
railroad companies; most of them were what
are more recently called "promoters," bank-
rupts, broken-down politicians and reckless ad-
venturers, who had been spewed out of respect-
able circles in the older States and cast away as
worthless. They alighted here and there, in the
West and in the South, and wherever an un-
suspecting community could be found they set
to work with a showing of fairness which
would deceive the very elect. Petitions were
circulated, elections were held, bonds were
voted, issued and sold to "innocent purchasers,"
the promoters disappeared, and the people were
left in a state of helplessness equaled only by
their amazement at the deft, cunning manner
in which they had been swindled.
Salamanca township, on November 7, 1871.
voted to bond itself, in the sum of $75,000, to
aid in the construction of the Memphis, Car-
thage & Northwestern Railroad. The bonds
138
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
were issued and placed in escrow with the Secre-
tary of State, at Topeka, pending the fulfillment
of what the people understood as the condition
upon which they voted the bonds. Some time
afterward, and while the people were resting
easy under the belief that their interests were
safe, the bonds were turned over to the railroad
company. The company then hunted up an "in-
nocent purchaser" and sold the bonds to him,
it is said, at a discount of about 50 per centum.
The construction of the road was then aban-
doned, and the people had nothing left but the
figurative "gold brick" and a broad expanse of
"blue sky." They took the matter into the
courts, followed through a long course of ex-
pensive litigation and came out losers. But
the people are now paying off the bonds, and in
a few years more there will be nothing of them
left. The manner in which they are discharg-
ing the task imposed upon them through fraud
of the deepest dye displays courage of the
rarest type.
As Columbus is situated in Salamanca
township, its property owners have borne and
are bearing their proportion of the burden of
paying for something they never received. The
Memphis, Carthage & Northwestern Railroad
was practically nothing more than a railroad on
paper, while the corporate existence of the com-
pany remains only in the memory of a few of
the old settlers of the county.
AN EARLY RAILROAD TIME TABLE.
I have before me the Missouri River, Fort
Scott & Gulf Railroad Time Table, No. 21,
which took effect Sunday, November 27, 1870,
at 8 A. M. The time table was handed me yes-
terday (July 14, 1904) by E. L. Martin, a
locomotive engineer w ho helped in building the
road through this place in the spring of 1870.
His engine drew a construction train. While
at Cherokee, 12 miles north of Columbus, he
suggested Cherokee as the name of the station,
and the name was given it. Mr. Martin has
been an engineer for about 39 years, and he
now runs an engine for one of the passenger
trains between Columbus, Kansas and Spring-
field, Missouri. According to the time table,
Columbus had but one passenger train each
way a day. This train left Columbus at 8:11
A. M., and arrived at Kansas City, a distance
of 148 miles, at 4:00 P. M., requiring seven
hours and 49 minutes to make the distance,
which was less than 19 miles an hour. The pas-
senger trains made stage connections at the fol-
lowing places : At LesCygnes, for Butler, Ger-
mantown and Sedalia ; at Pleasanton, for
Mound City ; at Fort Scott, for Nevada, Lamer
and Humboldt ; at Girard, for Osage Mission ;
at Columbus, for Carthage, Oswego and Che-
topa ; at Baxter Springs, for Seneca and Neo-
sho, Missouri; Fayetteville, Bentonville, Van
Buren, Fort Smith, Arkansas ; Fort Gibson,
Tahlequah, Perryville, Boggy Depot, Fort Ar-
buckle and Fort Sill, Indian Territory ; and
Sherman, Dallas, Fort Worth, Waco and San
Antonio, Texas. Under the head "Special Di-
rections," some rules are laid down for the
speed of trains. "The speed of freight trains
must not, at any time, or under any circum-
stances, exceed fifteen miles an hour; and that
speed will only be allowed when trains are un-
avoidably detained and it becomes necessary, to
prevent detention of other regular trains at
meeting points." Another rule is : "Trains
must not cross truss bridges at a greater speed
than eight miles an hour."
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
*39
TRAVEL IN THE DAYS OF THE STAGE COACH.
Speaking of stage travel in those days
brings to mind the fact that, with all of what
would now be regarded uncomfortable methods
for getting over the country, there was usually
a good cheer and an ease of manner among
fellow passengers by stage which went far to-
ward compensating for whatever of hardship
there might be. People in those days were not,
as now, bent upon getting to their destination
without loss of time. The distance, before
starting, was often much dreaded ; but after the
start was made, and the passenger became ac-
quainted with his fellow passengers and fell
upon good terms with the driver, the worst was
over. Conversation ran freely upon matters of
general interest, and the constantly occurring
incidents of the trip came in for their share of
attention. There were rough roads and smooth
roads; there were broad stretches of prairie,
skirts of shady woodland and the deep, quiet
forests, with their valleys and hills and their
streams of limpid water; and there were the
relays, and, at long distances, the cheerful inns,
where thirst could be quenched and hunger as-
suaged in a manner befitting the days of fron-
tier life.
Railroads may annihilate distance and time,
and they may do much toward meeting the fev-
erish demands of a rushing, commercial age;
but those who remember the days of stage
coaches and steamboats, with the easy require-
ments and simple manners of the people, pleas-
antly recall many incidents and thrilling occur-
rences which, at this day of hurrying to and
from, would pass without notice; and to those
who do remember the slower methods and the
primitive manners and customs of the people,
it is a question, not yet determined, whether the
achievements of our present civilization have
not been attained at an outlay of energy and
mental force greater in value than that which
we have received in exchange.
CHAPTER. XII.
THE HISTORY OF COLVMBVS
The First Settlers — Organized as a City — The Schools — The Churches — The
Water Supply — The Court House — A Bit of History — Improvement in Ma-
terial Prosperity — Residences — Business Blocks — The Cherokee County High
School — Columbus as a Place for Residence — Early Settlers who Have
Passed Away — The City's Business Interests Expanding — Population Figures
— The Post Office.
Columbus, the county seat of Cherokee
County, is situate almost exactly in the geo-
graphical center of the county. It is of easy
access, from all points ; and its broad streets,
its well platted blocks, its comfortable, well-
built homes, its churches, schools and other
public buildings, make it a much desired place
for residence. It is at the crossing of three
railroads. — the Kansas City, Fort Scott &
Memphis, the St. Louis & San Francisco and
the Missouri, Kansas & Texas. Recently, as I
have noted in the chapter on railroads, the first
mentioned two roads have passed under the
management of the St. Louis & San Francisco
Railway Company, and the business of the two
roads is now done through one office. The
Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway Company's
office is separate, and is conveniently located
on East Maple street, the finest street in the
city. The St. Louis & San Francisco station is
in the northeastern part of the city, at the cross-
ing of the tracks of the two branches of that
road. It is the company's intention to build a
station at a point more convenient for the
public.
the first settlers.
It is not very clear as to who was the first
settler on the present site of the city of Colum-
bus. There have been some contentions as to
this matter, and the truth of it may never be
precisely known. The original plat of the city
contains 36 blocks, nearly in the center of sec-
tion 13, township 33 south, range 23 east of
the Sixth Principal Meridian, in the State of
Kansas. The middle of the section is in Maple
street, about one block and a half east of the
Court House square. It is said that John Ap-
pleby built the first house. This was on the
northwest quarter of the section, on what is
now lot 17, block 16, of the original plat. This
was a farm house. No effort had been made to
lay off a town. It was in the year 1867, when
most of the land was in wild prairie grass.
About that time Martin Jones built a house, the
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
141
second erected. Even then there was no town
organization. The county seat was at Pleasant
View ; and there was no well organized purpose
to make a change to the center of the county.
H. A. Scovell, who now owns a hardware store
on the north side of the public square, came to
Cherokee County in 1867, and filed a claim on
the southeast quarter of section 13. He
sold his claim to S. S. Smith. His brother,
Hannibal Scovell, sold his claim, the northeast
quarter of the same section, to George Souder.
The third house built was that erected by F.
Fry, in 1868. It was afterward used as a hotel,
known as the Lagonda House. Mr. Fry dug a
well from which a large quantity of good water
was obtained. He had it analyzed, and finding
it contained medicinal qualities, according to
the analysis, he advertised it, with a view to
inducing immigration to the place. Hannibal
Scovell, in 1867, laid claim to the northeast
quarter of the section which I have mentioned,
and he afterward sold the claim to George
Souder. Both men are yet living in Cherokee
County. On December 25, 1868, J. N. Lee,
who had bought John Appleby's claim, opened a
general store, the first store of any kind opened
in the place. Then Scovell & Hanson opened
a grocery store. Then the town, if it might be
called such, began to attract attention. It was
variously designated. It was called The Center,
The Geographical Center, Centralis, and finally
A. V. Peters, who was from the State of Ohio,
called the place Columbus, in honor of that
State's capital. In August, 1869, C. E. Mid-
daugh opened a dry goods and grocery store.
Mr. Middaugh was the principal merchant in
the town for many years, and he made his busi-
ness profitable. He afterward built a hotel,
known as the Middaugh Hotel, and it is so
known to this day, and is the leading hotel in
the city, having been, a few years ago, combined
with the Palace Hotel, formerly built and
owned by F. Fry.
ORGANIZED AS A CITY.
The city of Columbus was organized
through the election held in April, 1871. This
was about a year after the coming of the Kan-
sas City, Fort Scott & Gulf Railroad. The
first mayor was Leland J. Webb, and the fol-
lowing are those who have succeeded : J. N.
Ritter, 1872 ; T. P. Anderson, 1873 • J- H - Lud-
low, 1874-75; C. A. Sanders, 1876; George
Hoyt, 1877; W. C. Lykens, 1878: S. O. Mc-
Dowell, 1879-80-81-82; C. E. Middaugh, 1883-
84; E. A. Crewson, 1885-86; R. M. Cheshire,
1887-88; O. S. Butler, 1889-90-91-92; John
Wiswell, 1893-94; S. O. McDowell, 1895-96;
John Wiswell, 1897-98; J. O. Houx, 1S99-
1900; L. J. Slease, 1901-02; and W. T. Fork-
ner, 1903-04. The mayors of the city have
been chosen with a view to getting the best pos-
sible public service; and the affairs of the city
have usually been in conservative hands. The
expenditures, which have necessarily become
larger every year, as the city has grown and
has been compelled to look after larger inter-
ests, have been carefully guarded. As a rule the
best men are chosen as councilmen. Sometimes
the importance of this matter has been over-
looked ; but there is a growing tendency to avoid
the mistake of electing other than well-in-
formed, conservative men; for the people are
watchful of such things, and they will not
stand for the inefficiency of poorly informed
officials.
THE SCHOOLS.
The people of Columbus have maintained
14-2
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
a constant watch care over the public schools of
the city ever since the organization of the city.
Every citizen had taken an interest in them ;
and while the members of the School Board
have been selected from among all classes, a
wise direction has been given the management
and the very best results have been attained.
Good and well furnished buildings have been
provided, well qualified and painstaking super-
intendents have been employed, capable teachers
have been chosen and everything else has been
done to reach satisfactory results. Many grad-
uates from the City High School have become
teachers in the city and in the county. Some
of them are holding responsible positions, too,
in the government service at Washington ; one
is the State Geologist, and another is the dean
of the medical faculty at the State University,
whose articles on subjects in the science of
chemistry have been copied in the London, Ber-
lin and other foreign scientific journals and
eagerly read by the best thinkers of the age.
THE CHURCHES.
According to an old history which I have
been permitted to examine, the first church
organized in Columbus was the Baptist Church,
May 20, 1870. There were 12 members. El-
der C. A. Bateman presided at the meeting
when the organization was effected. There
were a number of pastors in the early years,
among whom may be mentioned Elders
Maver, Lappin, Post, Floyd, and Bowman.
More recently there were Elders Ferguson,
Houston, Hudson and Essex. Elder John
R. Wright is the present pastor. The first
Baptist Sunday-school of which there is any
record was organized in August, 1882, with L.
D. Dana as superintendent. The old church
house now belongs to J. L. Thomas, and is used
as a blacksmith shop, on East Maple street.
The Methodist Church was organized, with
15 members, May 22, 1870. It grew rapidly
in number. Among the ministers who had
charge of the church in the first years of its
work were : Elders Kirchner, Lowe, Bliss,
Burrows, Combs, Scaggs, Thornbrue, Sibley,
Marey, Kirby, Griffin, Thrall, McBirney and
Robb. More recently there have been Elders
Parker, Boaz, Vollmar, Murphy and Mulva-
ney. The present pastor is Elder S. L. Chase.
The church membership is perhaps the largest
in Cherokee County, being about 500.
The Christian Church was organized in
October, 1870. I have not the names of the
former pastors, in the order of their terms.
Elder J. A. Murray organized the church, and
he was the pastor for the first two years. Other
pastors were : Elders Baxter, Dewees, Jenkins,
Dutcher, Tout, Hooten, Witt, Yard, Derry and
McFarland. Elder Frank Jewett is the present
pastor. The church numbers about 250 mem-
bers.
The Presbyterian Church was organized in
1 87 1. Among the pastors the following may
be mentioned : Elders Hawkins, Mayo, Cole-
man, Moore, Hatfield, Hillis, Theis, Smalley
and Bliss.
The Seventh-Day Adventists have a church
organization and a church building, but no
resident pastor.
The United Brethren have a church and a
pastor, W. L. Stone, but they have no church
building. The church organization is just now
making an effort to put up a church building.
Elder Stone has one or two country congrega-
tions to whom he preaches regularly. In Co-
lumbus the congregation uses the Adventists'
church house, situate in East Columbus.
AST' iN0
Residence of W. S. Norton
Built and formerly owned by R. A. Long, now of Kansas City, Mo.
Residence of Mrs. A. Hood
Residence of Hon. R. M. Cheshire
Residence of C. A. McNeill Residence of E. R. Pattvson
SOME COLUMBUS RESIDENCES
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
145
THE WATER SUPPLY.
In 1887 R. A. Long, president of the Long-
Bell Lumber Company, whose main office was
in Columbus at that time, and L. L. Doubleday,
of the banking firm of Ritter & Doubleday, built
a water supply system, at a cost of $60,000,
one of the finest systems, at that price, there was
in Southeastern Kansas. The city of Colum-
bus, or certain citizens, some years previous to
that time, had put down a well, 1.300 feet deep,
and had secured a good flow of most excellent
water. This well became a part of the water
supply system. The very best of machinery
was put in and a stand-pipe was erected on the
original plat of the city. The City Council con-
tracted with the firm of Long & Doubleday for
putting in 50 fire plugs, agreeing to pay the
firm $3,000 a year for their use. This was a
heavy tax upon a city of no more than 2,000
inhabitants ; and the burden, after being borne
for a few years, gave rise to much complaint
and dissatisfaction. The city got behind, and
such was the pressure brought to bear upon the
council by those who were complaining that
the matter continued until about $12,000 was
due the firm. In the meantime mandamus pro-
ceedings were begun to compel the Council to
make a levy, which it had failed to do. The
water supply firm also brought suit, for dam-
ages, against T. P. LaRue, J. E. Tutton, Wes-
ley E. Best, members of the Council, charging
conspiracy against the firm. This case was
finally dismissed. The city employed YV. B.
Glasse and C. D. Ashley, to defend it in the
mandamus proceedings in the Supreme Court,
where the case was finally disposed of in favor
of the city. Some time during the disagree-
ment between the city and the water supply
firm, the co-partnership gave place to a corpo-
ration, with L. L. Doubleday as manager; but
this change did not improve the condition to the
extent of bringing about an amicable adjust-
ment of the trouble. Matters rather grew
worse; and finally there began to spring up a
sentiment favoring the city ownership of the
system. The matter was discussed, from time
to time, in the City Council, and everywhere
else, the proposition gaining favor all the time.
The city was deeply in debt to the water com-
pany, and there was a decided feeling among
the people against any effort to pay the claim.
Finally, in 1897, while John Wiswell was
mayor of the city, the water system was pur-
chased by the city, for the sum of $32,000, the
city issuing bonds for $30,000, at six per
centum annual interest. By this the city saves
$1,200 a year, provided the water rentals which
come from private use will pay the running ex-
penses and provide against the wear and tear
of the equipment. So far, the Council has not
made any considerable effort to increase the
earnings from private use, nor is it providing
any fund against the necessity which will some
time come for the renewal of the machinery,
mains, branch pipe and other things needed for
the effective operation of the system. It is
claimed by some that all these precautions
would be taken, if the system were under pri-
vate ownership and control ; that it is not a good
policy to manage a public concern on other than
along such courses as are followed in the man-
agement of private affairs ; and such persons
predict, and that upon safe grounds, that the
city, maybe, at a time when it is the least pre-
pared to met it, will find itself confronted with
a condition under which it will be necessary
to meet a big expense. Those favoring the
city ownership believe that the city, after a little
more experience, will begin to provide against
146
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
the day of want; that it will learn how to get
the most profit, at the least outlay, and that
within a comparatively short time the system
will be managed according to the best methods
eir ployed in directing private affairs.
THE COURT HOUSE.
In 1887, on the 15th day of June, the grand
master of the Grand Lodge of the State of Kan-
sas, A. F. & A. M., laid the corner-stone of the
Court House, which the people had voted to
build. The ceremony was impressive, and it will
long be remembered by those who witnessed
it. Hundreds were there, and to them it was a
resting place in the long, patient, enduring
through which they had passed, hoping the day
when they would begin the erection of a house
creditable to the county which they had made
their choice. For years and years they had put
up with the old, wooden building on the north-
east corner of the public square, inadequate in
every respect for the safe-keeping of the public
records, a dim, dingy and dreary old house
which had served its time and was awaiting the
day of its removal. To them it was the begin-
ning of a new era. The erection of the new
house went on for a while ; then came a delay.
Some changes were made in the plans, and these
brought a cessation of the work, and the sound
of the hammer was for a while not heard. The
building, however, was at last finished, and
into it all the county records were moved. This
was in 1889. The building, including furnace
and furniture and such other things as are
necessary to modern ideas of convenience, cost
about $75,000.
A BIT OF HISTORY.
In the year 1885 a most unfortunate affair
occurred on the Court House square. While
the county officers were occupying the old
wooden building on the northeast corner of the
square, there was no place in the building for
keeping the records in safety. For the protec-
tion of the books the county built a brick vault
in the yard, and into this vault the records
were put at night. Lawton & Woodruff was
the style of a firm which was at that time en-
gaged in the real estate, loan and insurance
business. They employed much of their time
in making a set of abstract books from the rec-
ords. About the time they completed the set
of abstract books, the vault in which the county
records were kept was blown up, evidently with
the intent to destroy the records of the county.
Suspicion almost immediately rested upon the
two members of the firm, but no arrest was
made at the time. The ground of the suspicion
was that it would be to the interest of Lawton
& Woodruff, but to no one else, to have the
records destroyed. Their abstracts would then
be worth many thousands of dollars to them.
There was another reason, which came to light
later : The firm had negotiated a number of
false mortgages, selling them to Eastern capi-
talists, and these mortgages would in time be
shown as fraudulent, upon an examination of
the records; hence the importance of getting
the records out of the way. A thorough inves-
tigation was made of the matter, through the
aid of detectives, and at the end of it Lawton
and Woodruff were put under arrest ; but it was
not until after another attempt was made to
destroy the records. After the vault was
blown up, and it was deemed unsafe to keep the
books in the Court House, old and dilapidated
as it was, the records were moved into an upper
room in the J. W. Tompkins Building. S. Y.
Timberlake was the register of deeds at the
time. In the fall of 1885, William H. Chew
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
147
was elected register of deeds, and he took the
office in January, 1886. Not long after he
took the office, some persons got into the room
one night, a very cold night, between one and
two o'clock, saturated the books with coal oil
and set them on fire. B. W. Martin, who kept
a harness shop in the room beneath, and who
roomed on the same floor where the records
were kept, chanced to hear persons talking, and
on making an investigation found the office on
fire. He burst the door open, carried water in
a bucket and got the fire under control. He
also gave the alarm, and was soon joined by a
number of others, with whose help the flames
were at last extinguished. Following this a
warrant was issued and the two men placed
under arrest. The case against Woodruff
never came to trial. It was not generally be-
lieved that he was guilty. His case was dis-
missed. Lawton was held under bond, and
pending the trial he went to Ohio, the State
whence he came. He was constantly under
the shadow of a detective. At his hotel, in
Cincinnati, the detective roomed just across the
hall. It is a mere conjecture as to whether he
ever suspected that he was being shadowed;
but the detective watched his incoming and his
outgoing; and when a certain day had well
worn along, and Lawton did not come down,
the clerk of the hotel made an entrance into the
room, the death chamber of Richard H. Law-
ton, for there lay the man cold and senseless.
The detective entered the room with the clerk,
identified the man who had been followed from
Columbus, Kansas, and the career of the pur-
sued was at an end. J. R. Hallowell, one of
the leading lawyers of the county, at that time,
was Lawton's attorney. Lawton told him all.
He went to the bottom of the matter, as clients
sometimes do, and ought always to do, with
their attorneys. Mr. Hallowell died some years
ago, I believe, in the State of Indiana, whence
he had come to this State in the early days.
But before he died he told a friend, who now
lives in this city, that Lawton made a full and
complete confession to him ; confessed that he
was guilty ; that he tried to destroy the records,
for the purpose of making his abstract books
valuable. As far as it has been learned, he did
not implicate any one else with him in the
crime. Richard H. Lawton was born in Ma-
rietta, Ohio, February 24, 1849. He graduated
from Wabash University, Indiana, in 1865, at
the age of 16 years. He then came West, and
after being engaged in a number of different
employments he went to what is now Crawford
County, Kansas, and helped to lay out Girard,
the county seat. He came to Columbus in
1878, for the purpose of disposing of the Rail-
road company's lands. Let us turn to brighter
things.
IMPROVEMENT IN MATERIAL PROSPERITY.
For a long time after the beginning of the
upbuilding of the place the home owners of
Columbus had many ups and downs, and espe-
cially downs. Times were hard, and the mort-
gage taker was abroad in the land. Twenty
years ago from this good day of grace half the
homes in Columbus were the abode of sadness
because of debt ; and in many of them sadness
took up her permanent residence, to bide the
time of the sheriff's coming. The people, in
the years preceding, had reveled in speculative
ideas of the dreamiest nature ; the city had had
a "boom," but when Nature had brought about
an equilibrium, as Nature always does, many
had the form of ownership, while lacking the
real thing. About 15 years ago the sheriff was
148
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
the busiest, best known man in Cherokee Coun-
ty, while many a mortgage holder was "a very
sick man," and many a former home owner
was looking about for a place to begin life
anew. Things went down to bed rock, and
some of them even crawled under it. In not a
few instances the rental charge for a house was :
"Move in and take good care of the property."
There was a time, about ten years ago, when
the money lenders of the East owned scores of
houses and lots in Columbus from many of
which they were receiving no returns at all.
It is far different now. Those properties have
been bought by the people who went through
the trying times and came out wiser from the
experience and are now holding their homes
without incumbrance. Mortgage holders are
much in the minority, and a case in foreclosure
is now a rare entrance on the docket of the
court. In many an instance it may be said that
The blazing hearthfire now again doth burn,
And busy housewife plies her evening care;
While children run to lisp their sire's return,
And climb his knee the envied kiss to share.
RESIDENCES.
In the earlier days, even before it was gen-
erally believed that Columbus would become a
very desirable place for residence, a number of
the more enterprising citizens built commodi-
ous, comfortable homes ; and it was largely due
to these, that others were encouraged to hold
on and to grapple with adverse conditions, fin-
ally to succeed and do likewise. Among those
who early built good homes the following may
be mentioned: Lewis Prell, W. R. Cowley,
Henry C. Mentzer, R. A. Long, Mr. Jarvis, M.
A. Housholder. John N. Ritter, John E. Tut-
ton, Milton R. Steward, B. F. Steward, A. H.
Skidmore, J. P. Campbell. J. H. Smith, Isaac
Wright, Chester Branin, E. A. Scammon, J.
R. Hallowell, Slemons Lisle, Mr. Walbert,
E. M. Tracewell, A. Hood, D. S. Free-
man, Wesley E. Best and S. O. McDowell.
More recently, and since the city has taken on
new life, others have established good, com-
fortable homes, and among them are these :
Robert Warren, W. J. Moore, Dr. Johnson. J.
H. Hamilton, L. J. Slease, A. Hood, H. N.
Furness, E. W. Youngman, A. H. Baldwin, C.
A. McNeill, H. R. Crowell, Fred Scoville, C.
M. Hord, J. C. Forkner, W. T. Forkner, Alex-
ander Wilson, George Martin, Roy Wilson,
Charles Bartlett. C. R. Aitchison, Dr. Winter,
R. M. Willis, Dr. Huffman, Fred Simkins,
John Wiswell, Hy Rains, C. D. Ashley, John
Rawlings, H. B. Henderson, Mary Kraft, E. R.
Pattyson, F. A. Jackson, Dr. Hendrickson, Mr.
Hodge, J. Wilbur Logan, Judge W. B. Glasse,
C. A. Middaugh and James Morrow. Some of
the better suburban homes are those of Col.
R. W. Blue, Judge R. M. Cheshire, Senator M.
A. Householder, Ex-Treasurer Frank Hoover,
Thomas A. Blake, Andrew Shearer, Dr. J. O.
Houx, A. S. Dennison, T. J. Skinner, Phil C.
Metzler and Wash Williams.
BUSINESS BLOCKS.
In the building up of business properties
some of the citizens have done much for the
city in the last half a score of years. T. P. La-
Rue and W. M. Benham have led in this re-
spect, while H. A. Scovell, W. B. Lowry, J.
Wilbur Logan, W. S. Norton, A. H. Skidmore
and M. A. Housholder have done much toward
helping the city into better conditions. All of
these have put up good, substantial brick build-
ings which add to the good appearance of the
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
149
city, while increasing its taxable wealth. In
addition to what has been done toward build-
ing up business properties Mr. LaRue has
bought and improved many residence proper-
ties which had been formerly neglected by the
owners and allowed to go to sale for debt.
THE CHEROKEE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL.
The establishment of the Cherokee County
High School at Columbus, gave a better im-
petus to the growth and permanent improve-
ment of the city than anything else that has
taken place in the last 15 years. Immediately
upon the determination of the fact that the peo-
ple had voted affirmatively on the question, res-
idence property began to advance in value,
while a lighter stimulus was given business in-
terests.
COLUMBUS AS A PLACE FOR RESIDENCE.
With its central location, where it is acces-
sible from every direction ; with its wide, shady
streets, its good water for every purpose, its
churches and schools and its well laid out
homes, Columbus is a much desired place for
residence. The people who live in it do not pro-
fess to be righteous above those of other places ;
there is a good deal of liberality and fairmind-
edness ; views on all matters are liberally enter-
tained and freely expressed ; the truly pious are
respected and they have their influence, which
is always an uplift to others; those of wide re-
ligious views are not held in scorn, but there is
no place for the trimmer, the artful dodger, the
man of policy who joins a lodge or a church
or keeps himself in touch with certain classes
for the sole purpose of turning his affiliation
in as merchantable asset that he may profit
thereby.
There are no saloons in Columbus. The
subject of the traffic in intoxicating liquors,
whether it is materially profitable for the city
to allow it or not, has been settled thoroughly
and, it ought to be hoped, for all time to come.
As a rule, the mayors of the city, as well as the
other officers, have been against the traffic, and
the sentiment of the people is that it shall never
be tolerated within the municipal limits. The
people of the county, in settling the County
High School at Columbus, did so with the tacit
understanding that the government of the city
would not allow the saloon, with all its concom-
itant influences, to stand as a menace to the
work of education, which it would do if per-
mitted to ply its traffic where the students of
the High School might be reached.
EARLY CITIZENS WHO HAVE PASSED AWAY.
Many of the early citizens of Columbns
have passed away. Few of the first settlers re-
main. Of those who lived here 20 years ago
and were active in the interests of the city,
many now gone will be well and kindly remem-
bered. Capt. S. S. Smith, F. Fry. Dr. E. L.
Enlow, Horace Brown, Capt. J. H. Smith,
George S. Richardson, Samuel Megenity, R.
H. Stott. Slemons Lisle. Edward McPherson,
James Whitcraft, W. H. Timberlake, Judge
John N. Ritter, J. W. Tompkins, A. A. Bloom-
field, C. E. Middaugh, H. A. Hicks and A.
Hood. And yet, out of a population of 3.000,
there are 52 persons in the city who are over
70 years of age.
THE CITY'S BUSINESS INTERESTS EXPANDING.
Heretofore, the city of Columbus has de-
pended, for its business, upon the agricultural
districts of the county, and it is yet almost so
i~,o
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
at this time; but within recent years the devel-
opment of the rich coal fields just north of the
city has added much to business interests. With
the completion of the electric railroad now con-
templated, which will connect the city with the
lead and zinc mines on the southeast and with
the coal districts on the north, the place will
become more desirable, both for residence pur-
poses and for the enlarged opportunities which
will be offered for trade and commerce.
In 1889 the Lafflin & Rand Powder Com-
pany, of New York, established a system of
powder mills about three miles north of Colum-
bus, for the Inanufacture of blasting powder.
The immense quantity of powder used in the
mines of Southeastern Kansas and Southwest-
ern Missouri first called the attention of the
company to the importance of the undertaking,
which has been in constant operation since the
work's were finished and the company ready to
supply the demand. These mills have cost the
company about $500,000, and they have added
much to the taxable property of the county,
besides giving employment to a large number
of men.
Within the last two years a company has
been organized and incorporated by a number
of the citizens, for the extensive manufacture
of brick and tile. The works are in operation
now, and the successful manufacture of vitri-
fied brick and the other products of the plant
has shown the good business judgment which
led to the undertaking. The city itself has
been much profited by this enterprise, as it
affords an immediate supply of material for
buildings of all kinds, and for paving the
streets and sidewalks, which until recently had
been so much neglected.
POPULATION FIGURES.
In 1870 the population of Columbus was
402 ; in 1 880 it was 1 , 1 64 ; in 1 890 it was 2,135;
in 1900 it was 2,414 and in 1904, as taken by
the city assessor, in the month of March, it
was 2,952. The population is almost wholly
made up of American-born people, there being
very few of foreign birth living in the place.
THE POSTOFFICE.
The business of the postoffice of Columbus
has never brought it up to the grade of a sec-
ond-class office; but the rate of the increase as
it now is will before long bring it to that class.
Nearly all the territory within easy reach is sup-
plied, in its mail matter, from this office; and
four rural routes have been established. The
postmasters of Columbus are here named, in
the order in which they served : J. F. McDow-
ell, S. O. McDowell, A. T. Lea. M. W. Coulter,
H. V. Gavigan, W. P. Eddy, S. Y. Timberlake.
N. T. Allison, Clarence R. Aitchison and
Jesse Forkner. The amount of mail matter
handled through the office has vastly increased
within the last few years, while the transfer of
mail pouches coming through the office and
those handled at the railroad stations makes a
showing of enormous volume. At Girard,
Crawford County, 30 miles north of Colum-
bus, a weekly newspaper has a circulation of
260,000 copies; and much of the mail matter
which it sends out is transferred at this place.
Twenty-two mail and passenger trains pass
through Columbus every 24 hours, and from
this fact it may be presumed that the mail mat-
ter handled here is of itself an important item.
CHAPTER XIII.
THE HISTORY OF BAXTER SPRINGS
The Phases of the City's Past— The First Settlers— Incorporated as a City— The
Baxter Springs Massacre— Discovery of Lead and Zinc — Development of the
Water Power on Spring River — Residences.
the phases of the city - s past.
The site of Baxter Springs could scarcely
be excelled in any country. It is neither level
nor very hilly. Situate on the west side of
Spring River, in the southeast corner of Cher-
okee County, and about two miles north of the
Indian Territory line, half in woodland, half in
what was originally a prairie, the city never
fails favorably to impress those who sojourn
within its quiet, restful precincts. It was not
always thus; for in the early days, when it was
a mere outpost on the frontier, it was known,
far and wide, as "a tough place," made up of
a number of classes of people who would
scarcely be taken into the aggregate of polite
society. Hither came people from the North
and East, seeking easement from the harder
conditions under which they had lived in the
States of denser population, some of them hop-
ing through upright methods to gain a footing
where they might establish homes, while others,
more of roving, adventurous dispositions, came
along to light upon any edge of fortune that
might turn in the constant drifting of a reck-
less life. From the South and Southwest there
came the not less reckless but the bolder classes
of the extreme frontier, honorable in a way,
true to a friend, but deliberately cold to the ap-
proach of those who might be suspected of a
questionable design. The classes who fur-
nished the money were those who came from
the older sections of the country, as merchants
and tradespeople, and those who came from
the frontier, as the owners of the vast herds of
cattle which, in those days, were driven north-
ward, to come within easier reach of the mar-
kets or to meet the cattle buyers, who were
plentiful at that time. Being the principal
trade mart of the Southwest, the place was the
nerve center of a constantly widening area
from which it drew all things unto itself.
Money was so plentiful that men became wild
in their speculative ideas; and those who had
the direction of public affairs reckoned not at
all for the future; or, if they did, they could
see nothing but a continuation of the feverish
conditions of the material prosperity which had
set the town so well along. By the year 1875
the town had a population of about 5,000; but
long before that it had voted bonds to the Kan-
sas City, Fort Scott & Gulf Railroad, to the
152
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
amount of $150,000. In 1871, after the rail-
road bonds had been voted, $25,000 was voted
for building school houses, and $10,000 for a
Court House; and in 1873 $4,000 was voted
for street improvements, making the bonded
indebtedness of the city $189,000, an amount
greater than the real value of the taxable prop-
erty of the people. Subsequently, the building
of the St. Louis & San Francisco Railroad and
the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway into
the Indian Territory, the one south and the
other west of Baxter Springs, so cut off the
Texas cattle trade as practically to ruin the
trade interests of the town. When the trade
of the city was taken away ; when civilization,
in its Westward march, pushed the frontier
farther on, and the place settled down to the
basis of its own merit, the ardor and enthusi-
asm which had led the people into wild ideas
as to the future of the town cooled down ; but
their bonded obligations remained no less ex-
acting. Creditors rarely slacken their hand on
account of the weakened condition of the deb-
tor. If a "pound of flesh" is "nominated in the
bond," the payment is demanded at the limit
of its run. The tax burden of the people of
Baxter Springs grew so heavy that there was a
distressing diminution of the population, by
reason of the fact that a large number, weak-
ened in their purposes by the general misfor-
tunes of the city, and seeing no early prospect
of a better turn, abandoned what they could illy
afford to hold and left for other parts. About
that time the discovery of the rich ore fields in
the Joplin district and at Galena drew away
many people, who surrendered their property
to the iron-handed tax gatherer. The desola-
lation was so complete, and values went so
low, that property which in the better days had
been highly prized was sold under the hammer
at a merely nominal price, to satisfy the de-
mands of public debt. The conditions were
such that even the bond holders found it nec-
essary to accept a compromise ranging from
20 cents to 50 cents on the dollar ; but even this
left to the few people who remained a mere
modicum of hope. But to those who did re-
main, and who have withstood hardships which
would crush out the life of a less courageous
people, there is now the dawn of a better day.
They have endured a long night of weeping, and
through it they have earned the joy of the
morning, whose cheering light is now begin-
ning to break through the rifted clouds. With
the conditions now setting in, under which there
is a permanent growth fostered and guided
through the experience of those who have un-
dergone even' manner of hardship, it is safe to
say that Baxter Springs bids fair, not far hence,
to become one of the most delightful dwelling
places in the entire West. The city has come
through great tribulation, such as has been the
lot of many a Western town whose hopes and
fears have alternated through the shifting
phases of fortune; but it has now come to an
estate of better things, where the joy of the
achievement of laudable aims enables the peo-
ple in a measure to forget the gloom through,
which they have come. The city has freed it-
self from the burden of public debt, and it is
safe to say that its affairs will hereafter be
guided clear of such entanglements as those
through which it has passed so much of its
time.
THE FIRST SETTLERS.
Baxter Springs took its name from A. Bax-
ter, the first person to take a claim on the land
on which the northeast part of the town was
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
153
afterward built. According to the statement of
Mrs. A. Willard, who is now 64 years old, and
who has lived all her life in the neighborhood,
"Old Man Baxter" lighted upon his claim about
the year 1850, and could, therefore, be nothing
more than a "squatter." In the chapter of this
volume treating of the early settling of the
county I have somewhat described the char-
acter of the man and have given an account of
his tragic death. In addition to what is there
said, it has been later learned that he was a
kind of self-appointed Universalist missionary,
and that he finally drifted into spiritualism and
later into infidelity. Baxter first built a squat-
ter's shack on the claim which he took, a short
distance in a northeasterly direction from the
spring, and broke out a few acres of ground,
the meagei returns of which were sufficient to
meet the simple wants of himself and family.
With these rude pretensions, suited to the char-
acter of frontier life, they lived along in com-
parative comfort until there came to be some
travel through the country, occasional adven-
turers from the States, who were pushing west-
wardly in search of broader and freer fields.
He then built a small inn or tavern for the ac-
commodation of sojourners, many of whom
mysteriously came and as mysteriously went
away.
Some time after A. Baxter had built his tav-
ern there came a man by the name of Powell,
who opened the first store ever in the place
and did a kind of small business, after the man-
ner of merchants at the outposts of civilization,
where came the few settlers to lay out their
meager savings in the purchase of such things
as answered the wants of their unpretentious
lives, and to hear the news which the country
store-keeper was supposed to be able to give
out. Some time after Powell came, Jefferson
Davis and a man by the name of Armstrong
lighted upon claims and built rude shanties,
their claims being on lands upon which a part
of the town was afterward built. Years after-
ward, when the county had been organized,
and courts had been established, Davis was the
defendant in a criminal action, the first case,
of any kind, that was tried in the District Court
of Cherokee County. The trial came on at the
first day of the only term of court held at Pleas-
ant View, then the county seat ; and it was the
only case tried at that term, which began on
Monday, May 6, 1867, and lasted three days.
It is said that Davis was charged with commit-
ting a felony, and that he was convicted.
INCORPORATED AS A CITY.
Baxter Springs was incorporated in 1869,
as a city of the second class ; and at that time
it was, by far, the most important place in the
county, for it had long possessed advantages
which easily gave it that distinction. L. G. Den-
ton was the city's first mayor. Since then the
following persons have been elected to the
office : H. R. Crowell, Mr. Boyd, Philip Pfen-
ning, J. M. Cooper, J. C. Naylor, J. B. Opper-
man, \V. H. Hornor, J. J. Fribley, W. S. Nor-
ton, C. W. Daniels and L. D. Brewster, the
last named gentleman being the present mayor.
The people have always chosen their best busi-
ness men to hold the office of mayor ; and they
have been equally careful in selecting the mem-
bers of the City Council. Despite the fact that
in the early days, when speculative ideas were
large, and the future was believed to have noth-
ing in store but the continuation of the good
conditions which then prevailed, the city govern-
ment laid out courses which often ran into dis-
aster and brought on the sorest of hardships;
154
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
but through it all the people have done what
they could, and their work has not been in vain.
THE BAXTER SPRINGS MASSACRE.
On October 6, 1863, when the spirit of civil
war was abroad in the land ; when the fires of
sectional strife had been fanned into a devour-
ing flame, an event took place at Baxter Springs
without the chronicling of which the history of
the city would most certainly be incomplete.
Reference is had to what has since been known
as the "Baxter Springs Massacre." Had a
great conflagration swept the city at a time
when it was at the height of its early glory, or
had a dire pestilence stealthily crept into the
habitations of the people and carried them away,
such an event could not be compared in its im-
pression with the ineffaceable mark of this
event.
Perhaps a better account of the massacre
cannot now be given than that written by Dr.
W. H. Warner, of Girard, Kansas, who was
among the garrison in the little fort at Baxter
Springs at the time. I here quote, substanti-
ally, what he says of the dark, bloody affair :
"Our garrison, up to two days previous to
the attack, consisted of one company of the
Second Kansas Colored Infantry, commanded
by Lieutenant Cook, and Company D, of the
Third Wisconsin Cavalry, commanded by
Lieut. John Crites, who had command of the
post, but who had been summoned to Fort
Scott, leaving Lieut. Cook in command. On
this day, the 4th day of October, we were rein-
forced by Company C, Third Wisconsin Cav-
alry, under Lieutenant Pond, who, on his arri-
val, assumed command of the post. Three sides
of the camp were protected with logs and earth,
thrown up about four feet high. The west
side had been removed the day before, for the
purpose of enlarging the camp. On the morn-
ing before the fight sixty picked men, with all
the teams and wagons, were sent out to forage
through the country, leaving a fighting force
of twenty-five cavalry and sixty-five or seventy
colored infantry, more than half of the white
soldiers in the camp having been excused from
foraging duty, at the sick call in the morning.
"At twelve o'clock noon, the enemy having
quietly, and. without being observed, crept
near the camp, suddenly advanced at double-
quick and opened fire. The cavalry and col-
ored infantry were standing around the fire,
while dinner was being taken up, when the en-
emy was discovered advancing and firing rap-
idly, from the east, south and west. Riding at
full gallop, they passed, on the south, between
the camp and the men at the cooking sheds,
which were outside and about two hundred
feet south of the camp. The colored soldiers
and the cavalry at dinner made their way the
best they could to the camp, the infantry seiz-
ing their muskets and the cavalry their car-
bines and revolvers, and all commenced a re-
turn fire with undaunted bravery. While this
attack was being made, the main body of the
enemy galloped from the woods skirting Spring
River, on the east, and formed in line sixty or
eighty rods north of the camp, on the ridge,
apparently with the purpose of making a charge
upon us, in full force, simultaneously with an
attack by the advance, which had passed
around the camp, to the west.
"At the first attack Lieutenant Pond had
unlimbered the howitzer, manned it the best he
could and had loaded it himself with twelve-
pound shell. No one of the command knew
anything of artillery drill, and. on this account
the fuse was not cut. The shot fell short of
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
155
the enemy and did no harm ; but the firing of
the cannon gave them notice that \ye had such
an instrument of death in our hands. Men
never fought more willingly and courageously.
For twenty minutes there was a ceaseless rattle
of musketry and revolvers and the booming of
the cannon. After the first dash the enemy, on
the west, retreated, scattered and fought from
shelter behind trees and from the north bank
of the creek, and at the expiration of half an
hour, unaccountably to us, they withdrew from
the fight, one by one. The main body, on the
north, countermarched back to the woods, and
then advanced toward us again, though as if
undecided whether to attack us or not. They
then returned to the woods again.
"All was now quiet, like the calm after a
furious storm, and we had time to make a list
of the casualities. Of the forces at the Springs,
eight white soldiers and one colored soldier
were killed, and about fifteen were wounded,
including one woman, shot through the heel,
and a little child shot through the lungs. Lieu-
tenant Cook and a man who was with him were
killed, they being out in the woods practicing
with their revolvers at the time. The husband
of the wounded woman and the father of the
wounded woman and the father of the wound-
ed child, were shot, in cold blood, the latter by
a cousin and former schoolmate. About six
other married men were killed. A teamster,
seeing an old acquaintance among the advanc-
ing enemy, tossed his revolver toward him, in
token of his surrender, was immediately shot
through the abdomen, by his former neighbor
and friend, and the poor man died in thirty
minutes. The colored man who was killed had
seen his former master and was running to
meet him, with joyous acclaim, as the master
stood on the hill across the creek. His master
shot him through the heart, and his body rolled
down the hill into the clear water of the brook.
"For an hour or two all was quiet, with the
exception of our preparations for another at-
tack, which we momentarily expected. We
did not know who our enemy was, nor why
he had so suddenly left us; but we fully ex-
pected him to return. We afterward learned
that the enemy was the notorious Ouantrell and
his guerrillas.
"About two or three o'clock in the after-
noon Maj. B. S. Pfenning, of General Blunt's
staff, rode into camp and told us of the mas-
sacre on the prairie ; and he called on Lieuten-
ant Pond for a volunteer guard of two or three
men, to return with him to search for General
Blunt, who he believed, was alive and was hid-
ing somewhere in the vicinity of the massacre.
The guard was furnished ; and soon after the
Major left us a messenger, bearing a flag of
truce, approached our camp. He brought from
Quantrell a request for an exchange of prison-
ers. As we had taken no prisoners, Lieuten-
ant Pond, as an answer to the request, sent a
proposition, that each party should uncondi-
tionally release all the prisoners he held. Soon
after this, out on the prairie west of us. we
heard quick, successive reports of firearms;
and it is probable that the prisoners taken by
Quantrell were then being shot.
"Soon after this, Ouantrell, at the head of
his entire force of about three hundred men,
approached our camp, as we had anticipated,
formed in line of battle and halted on the south
bank of the creek, where Baxter Springs now
stands, about eighty rods southwest of our
camp. Our men all quietly awaited his charge,
prepared and determined to give him a warm
reception. The gap on the west side of our
camp had been closed, by placing sutler wag-
1 56
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
ons, poles, rails, ropes and everything else that
could be used, and it would have been difficult
for cavalry to make a successful charge upon
us from that direction, especially as our howit-
zer was mounted conspicuously in the front
and was happily manned by skilled men who
knew artillery practice. Knowing our enemy,
all of us, white men and black men, were deter-
mined to sell our lives as dearly as possible, and
to die rather than to surrender, for to surrender
would have been certain death, any way. We
remained thus for thirty minutes ; it might have
been longer, when he suddenly wheeled and
left us, marching southwardly, and, to our
great relief, we saw him no more.
"About sundown Major Henning returned
to our camp, accompanied by General Blunt.
After dark the few wounded men from the
prairie came into our camp, one by one. Most of
them were so disfigured that they could scarce-
ly be identified. All of them had been left on
the praire as dead. Jack Arnold came in with
five or six wounds in the face, which could not
be recognized as belonging to a human being.
Others had received from five to eight wounds
in different parts of their bodies; but most of
the wounds were in the face and head. Those
who had escaped being killed did so by feigning
to be dead. Even with their wounds, which put
them in great pain and suffering, they were
rejoiced to find us still alive and in possession
of the little fort. It had been generally be-
lieved, after the battle with General Blunt's
command, that our garrison had been captured
in the morning, as Quantrell, when first seen
by them, was coming from the direction of the
camp. Quantrell's men were dressed in the
Federal uniform, and on this account, when
seen by General Blunt's command, they were
taken to be friends, coming to escort the Gen-
eral and his bodyguard into the fort. General
Blunt had halted his command and ordered
his headquarters band in front. The members
of the band had arranged themselves in posi-
tion and had their music in readiness for play-
ing a welcome to their supposed friends. Gen-
eral Blunt and his staff were in an ambulance,
their horses being led by orderlies. All were
joyous, in anticipation of an immediate march
into our camp, a hearty dinner and a good
night's rest among friends. At this moment
Quantrell gave the order for a charge upon
General Blunt's command. This was instantly
obeyed, and the charge came with terrific force,
each of Quantrell's men having a revolver in
each hand, firing and yelling like demons,
which they were. General Blunt's little com-
mand was in the worst possible condition suc-
cessfully to resist the onslaught. No concerted
action could be had. Each must fight or flee
for himself, so complete was the surprise and
overwhelming the charge. General Blunt gave
no command ; for a command would have been
of no avail. As their foe his soldiers soon
learned that it was Quantrell, who, six weeks
before, had sacked and burned Lawrence, and
had there murdered two hundred men, in cold
blood. For General Blunt's men, or for most
of them, there was no possible escape. Only
a few got away, and these were on the fleetest
horses. The band had a fine wagon, built for
their especial use, and they wore elegant uni-
forms, with side arms, fancy swords and re-
volvers, made not for fighting but for show.
They were not enlisted soldiers. Upon realiz-
ing the situation, the driver wheeled his horses
westward and undertook to escape by rapid
driving; but in less than a mile he was over-
taken and he and every member of the band
were shot dead. Fire was set to the wagon
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
157
and many of their bodies were burned so they
could not be identified. Their bodies had been
stripped of all valuables.
"General Blunt and Major Curtis, his adju-
tant, saw two openings in the enemy's ranks.
General Blunt told Major Curtis to run through
one of the openings, saying he would try the
other. General Blunt escaped ; but the body
of Major Curtis was found next day with a
bullet through his temple. His revolver lay
near him.
"On the 7th of October all our available
force was kept busy, from early light until
darkness covered the field, searching for the
dead and bringing them into camp. Quantrell
had done his work thoroughly. Evidently, it
was his intention that no man should be left
alive. If any mercy was shown, it was that all
but one man had been shot through the temple,
thus causing instant death. Ninety-three men
had been shot down, in cold blood, after surren-
dering without firing a gun. These, with the
eight men we lost in the battle at the fort, made
101. Quantrell lost only two men, and these
were killed in the battle at the fort. It is true
history, I believe, though given otherwise by
some, that in the battle on the prairie (if it can
be called a battle) the Federal soldiers made no
stand and did not fire a gun; that they ran as
soon as they realized that they were being
charged by an enemy, and that many of the
men threw away their carbines to lighten their
weight.
"General Blunt, with his command, was on
his way from Fort Scott to Fort Gibson, where
a department had been established for him. He
was marching through the country without ex-
ercising the precaution of keeping out an ad-
vance guard, though it was a time when num-
erous marauding bands were going here and
there, and when there was momentary liability
of being attacked. After suffering this sad
misfortune, he desisted from his purpose of
g
going on to Fort Gibson, remained in camp at
Baxter Springs five or six days and then re-
turned to Fort Scott."
It is believed that many more of General
Blunt's soldiers were killed than those found
on the ground where the massacre took place.
Occasionally, for as many as 20 years after the
event, human bones were found in the vicinity
of Baxter Springs ; and it is believed that they
were the bones of some of the men who broke
through the ranks of Quantrell's soldiers and
were pursued here and there and shot down
wherever overtaken. On June 24, 1904, A. S.
Dennison, who was sheriff of Cherokee County
in the early "eighties" showed me over the
grounds where the massacre occurred, and he
pointed out the positions of the forces of the
two commanders, the place where the dead were
buried and many other things of interest in
connection with the affair. He also told me
that, while sheriff of the county, he found a
number of human skulls on the prairie west of
Baxter Springs, which he supposed were those
of some of the unfortunate victims of the fury
and bloody work of the men under Quantrell.
DISCOVERY OF LEAD AND ZINC.
Earlv in the year 1903 lead and zinc were
discovered, in paying quantities, just south of
Baxter Springs, and since then a number of
mines have been opened. Extensive opera-
tions are now going on. Prospecting has been
extended well into the Indian Territory, but
not so far away but that the work is yet within
the Baxter Springs district, which gives prom-
ise of becoming one of the best districts in all
the lead and zinc region.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE WATER POWER ON
SPRING RIVER.
Elsewhere mention is largely made of the
158
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
dams which are being built on Spring River
for the purpose of generating electric power.
Baxter Springs, the center of which is only
two and a half miles, on a direct line, from the
dam at Lowell, will be supplied with electric
power, for all purposes. The electric railroad
is to be extended from Galena, by the way of
Lowell, to Baxter Springs, and it is expected
that it will go out to the mines south of the city,
There is no doubt that the city and the imme-
diately surrounding country will become a
thickly settled, very busy manufacturing dis-
trict in the near future.
RESIDENCES.
The following are the names of some of the
people of Baxter Springs who have remained
at their posts and have built comfortable, ele-
gant homes: John M. Cooper, J. J. Fribley, C.
W. Daniels, J. C. Haskett, S. O. Noble, C. F.
Noble. T. J. Morrow, R. H. Sands, L. M. Per-
kins,]. C. Plumb. F. M. Perkins, W.T.Hartley,
James Hartley, Mrs. A.S.Hornor, C. A. Childs,
Charles L. Smith, Mrs. Emma Gregg, A. L.
Kane, Julius Bischofsberger, William F.Shailer,
W. F. Douthat, Mrs. Carrie DeWitt. Willard
Shultz, R. J. Hiner, A. Willard, Ed Corey,
L. R. Francis, George Haines, Samuel H.
Smith, T. Connor, J. B. Opperman, R. Milne,
M. H. Eastham, A. D. C. Harvey, R. C. Wear,
R. C. Rummel, Capt. J. S. Price, Burton
Smith, T. C. Weaver, T. E. Meads and A. C.
Direlev.
CHAPTER. XIV.
THE HISTORY OF GALENA AND EMPIR.E CITY
GALENA.
The history of a city is the narration of i he
events connected with its founding, the progre «
which it has made and the part it takes in the
promotion of civilization. The primary motive
which leads to all these is that which impels a
community to seek higher and better social con-
ditions ; to gather about them the comforts of
life, establish fixed homes and so to adjust
themselves to their environments, mentally and
morally, as to give strength and permanency
to the tacitly accepted compact which binds
them into a municipality. The history of
Galena, if written fully and correctly, would
embody the acts of many men of rugged char-
acters and strong, unyielding purposes, in the
pursuit of which the qualities of courage and
constant determination have been prominent.
The environment has every characteristic ele-
ment for the development of such qualities ; but
if an individual, not possessing such qualities, has
cast his lot in the community, and has essayed
to lead a part in the direction of its affairs, his
sojourn has been short, or if he has remained
and grappled with the exacting conditions, un-
der the shifting fortunes of the community, fail-
ure has marked his course and he has quietly
withdrawn from the fray of the strenuous life
required of those who would succeed. Galena
affords many examples of "the survival of the
fittest;" but if the history of every undertaking
within the limits of its industrial operations
were given in detail, there would be the record
of many a one who came with the courage
which hope inspires, but after a time quietly
went away unobserved, leaving but a mere trace
of the part which he took in the affairs of the
community. Human nature is inclined to the
liking of positives, and it has also the disposi-
tion to point to instances of successful achieve-
ment and almost a fondness for forgetting those
who have failed and disappeared.
The name "Galena" would never attach
to the place and community now bearing it,
were it not for the fact that it designates the
physical quality which makes it the greatest lead
and zinc mining region in the world. It has no
other natural resource that could possibly make
it desirable as the habitation of an intelligent,
earnest, prosperous people. Situate in a region
of rocky hills and gravel-filled valleys, it had,
in its primitive state, no attractiveness save to
such as were moderate in their purposes, unpre-
tentious in their manners and satisfied with a
scant, uncertan livelihood. It had to be turned
upsicle-down before its apparently inexhausti-
ble stores of natural wealth could be revealed.
It has been literally torn to pieces ; and even
now the earth-markings of the region are such
that, if left to the moderate, slow-working pro-
cesses of time, they would remain distinct for
i6o
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
thousands of years, long after its resources
have been exhausted and the people who are
now making its history have been forgotten.
The stories of the discovery of lead and
zinc on the land which became the site of the
city of Galena differ in the narratives told by
different people. The concrete of these narra-
tives is such as embodies the history of the
whole. Viewed from the stand-point of any
one particular person who was early "on the
ground," and who has noted the shifting for-
tunes of the community, the aspect is always in-
teresting to those who have come later and
listened to the story. It is not intended here to
give more than a general outline of the be-
ginning and the progress of that which has
been done; for to tell it all would be to fill a
volume of greater size than those read by the
people of this age of hurry and intense, business
exertion.
Galena is "The City Which Jack Built."
It is situate in Lowell township, in the south-
east corner of Cherokee County, four miles
north of the south line of the State of Kansas,
and immediately west of the line separating
the states of Kansas and Missouri. It is
one and a half miles north of Shoal
Creek and two miles east of Spring River.
Short Creek separates Galena from Empire
City, on the north. The site of the city is
naturally hilly, while a general slope toward the
northwest. It is on the Fort Scott and Joplin
branch of the St. Louis & San Francisco Rail-
way system, and on the Parsons and Joplin
branch of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Rail-
way ; and it is at present the western terminus
of the Southwest Missouri Electric Railway,
which has its eastern terminus at Carthage,
Missouri, 32 miles away.
Up to the year 1S76 it was not generally
believed that the land of the present site of
Galena was ore-bearing ground. An occasional
"shine" had been found, when a tuft of shy
grass was sometimes pulled up, or when an un-
fortunate black-jack had been fondled by a
"Kansas Breeze" and gently torn out by the
roots ; but these had not excited any particular
activity, and there had been no marked inrush
of feverish prospectors. In fact, it was not un-
til the early spring of 1877 that any well defined
movement was made toward determining
whether "good stuff" might be found. Egidius
Moll, a German, owned 160 acres of land, now
in the center of the town site of Galena. The
land, for farming purposes, was worth about $3
an acre, if worth anything at all. It was the
south-east quarter of section 14, township 34.
range 25. Moll sat lightly upon the land, for
he considered it of very light value. Even after
lead and zinc had been discovered in largely
paying quantities, he sold 40 acres of the land
for $700. Much of the same land, in the matter
of royalties paid on the ore taken out and sold,
has yielded a thousand dollars an acre, and this
without going down to what is now known as
"deep ore."
On a Sunday afternoon in the spring of
1877 some young men, by the names of Moll,
Evans, Fry and Moorland, chanced to get to-
gether and decided to go swimming in a "hole"
at the north end of the Moll land. In arranging
a spring-board it was necessary to fix one end
in the bank of the creek, and in doing this they
pulled out some looser stones, finding some of
them very heavy. UJpon examining them they
proved to be boulders of lead. They took these
up to the Moll home and showed them to the
owner of the land. The "find" was quickly
reported, and in a few days some Joplin mine
owners came over. Negotiations followed, under
which Moll sold the 40 acres, as I have told in
the preceding paragraph, to "Billy" Barnes,
"Jake" Massmer and Joseph Hoy, it being
the northwest quarter of Moll's quarter section,
which is now known as the "Hoy Forty." Moll
gave them a guarantee that, if they did not
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
161
take out and sell $700 worth of ore within one
year, he would buy the land back at the same
consideration. He did not have a chance to buy
it back. It is perhaps not wide of the truth to
say that the 40 acres have yielded $2,000,000
worth of ore, and it is not yet entirely ex-
hausted. No deep mining has been done on it.
Many other rich deposits of ore were dis-
covered that spring and summer, and as early
as June 19, 1877, the place was incorporated
as a city of the third class. May 11, 1888, it
was made a city of the second class. The fol-
lowing have been mayors in the order in
which their names are given : George W.
Webb, A. M. McPherson, G. W. Dansenburg,
C. O. Stockslager, E. D. Vandergrift, John G.
Schmereir, B. S. Moore, A. M. Thomas, Mor-
gan Rush, L. K. Moeller, John Page, Val Rich-
ards, William Smith. J. P. McCann, O. E. Al-
len and Charles L. Sawyer, who is the present
mayor.
At the time of the discovery of lead and
zinc, Galena had no railroad. It was about the
year 1879 that the Kansas City, Fort Scott &
Gulf Railroad was extended to Galena, from
Baxter Springs. The St. Louis & San Fran-
cisco Railroad, some time afterward, was ex-
tended to Gelena from Joplin, thus giving the
place the advantage of two roads, both of which
were, in 1901, consolidated, and they are now
owned and operated by the last named com-
pany. In the summer of 1902 the Parsons and
Joplin branch of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas
Railway was built through Galena. The elec-
tric road was extended to Galena, from Joplin,
the distance of seven miles, about the year 1896.
It is expectd that this road will be continued
on to Baxter Springs during the coming year.
These roads have had an immense freight traffic
here : and the prospect is that it will be vastly
increased as more extensive and deeper min-
ing operations shall be carried on. The electric
road has done, and is now doing, a very profita-
ble business in the transportation of passengers,
and the demand is for improved facilities in this
line.
Time would fail one in an attempt to tell
of all the old settlers at Galena ; for while many
of them remain to this day, and are well-to-do
citizens of the place, some have died and others
have moved away. The population has been
largely an unstable population, as is always the
case in towns and cities which grow up and
flourish through the shifting fortune of mining
operations. Of the people who have come to
Galena with the purpose of making it their
home, not more than one out of twenty has re-
mained, if all classes are included. Many have
come, being led chiefly by the spirit of adven-
ture common among many classes who drift
westwardly in search of favorable turns in their
more or less weak-purposed lives; and when
fortune has refused to smile upon their ill-
directed efforts, they have sought other regions,
with the like purposes which led them hither,
and others have come to take their places for a
while. But through the siftings of population,
the city has gradually built up a comparatively
large number of permanent residents, most of
whom have made their money here and have
built comfortable, and in many instances fine,
well-appointed, homes and are quietly follow-
ing the ways which have led them along in their
prosperous lives. Of those who have suc-
ceded at all, and have laid by a part of the
profits from the various lines of business in
which they have been engaged, there is a
larger proportion of well-to-do people than are
usually found in other cities of its size. Galena
has been good to those who have been indus-
trious, economical and willing to endure hard-
ships and waiting.
From a brief history of Cherokee County,
published 21 years ago, in connection with the
history of other counties in the State, the follow-
ing are given as the names of some of the citi-
1 62
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
zens of Galena, at that time: H. Andrews, of
the firm of Aldrich. Fuller & Andrews, propri-
etors of the Excelsior Crushing & Separating
Works; Capt. A. Arnold, superintendent of the
Maggie Taylor Mining & Smelting Company;
Ludwig Baum, dealer in dry goods; F. S.
Boice, of the firm of Boice & Fallis, miners and
crushers ; J. H. Brown, of the firm of Brown
& McMillen, mine operators; Dr. W. H. D.
Brown; William H. Chew, superintendent of
the Short Creek Lead & Zinc Company :
John F. Cody, superintendent of The Cody
Crushing Company ; Spencer Cooper, pro-
prietor of The Cooper Mining & Crushing
Works ; George W. Dansenburg. grocer ; A. F.
Davidson, superintendent of the Cornwall Min-
ing & Smelting Company; H. S. Davis; Samuel
Gates, of the firm of Gates & Lewis, mine oper-
ators ; E. F. Guthrie, mine operator in the Stan-
ley "diggings;" Daniel W. Hainer. druggist ;G.
W. Harper, superintendent of the Sawyer lease;
J. E. Leeper. mine operator ; John Lewis, super-
intendent of the Galena Lead & Zinc Company ;
Wesley Lewis, of the firm of Gates & Lewis;
Z. H. Lowdermilk, grocer; A. M. McPherson,
superintendent and operator in the Galena Zinc
Company; J. B. Martin, credit man of the
Cheney Crushing & Separating Works : John
G. Miller, civil engineer and surveyor; S. N.
Montgomery and B. S. Moore, grocers; George
E. Moran, superintendent of the Tousley tract;
John C. Murdock, hardware merchant; E. St.
George Noble, capitalist ; John Page, superin-
tendent of the Illinois Lead & Zinc Company ;
E. N. Perry, mine operator in the Stanley "dig-
gings:" George PI. Redell. mine operator; Val.
Richards, of the firm of Milligan & Richards ;
Moses Robeson, of the firm of Williams &
Robeson, lumber dealers ; Charles O. Stock-
slager, attorney-at-law ; Harry Tamblyn, secre-
tary of the Cornwall Mining Company; R. A.
Teeter, superintendent of the Teeter Crushing
Company, on the Maggie Taylor tract ; Robert
A. Vaughn, mine operator ; William O. Wiley,
grocer: W. \Y. Williamson, mine operator; and
J. B. Yeager. of the firm of Yeager, Brown &
McMillen, mine operators. Many of these do
not appear in the list of business men of Galena
of today. A few of them are yet engaged in
business here, and they are so fixed to Galena
that they have no desire to reside elsewhere.
Fortune has kindly favored them, and they
show their appreciation by remaining in the
community where their industry and good
management have been duly rewarded. But
this can not be said of many who came, made
small fortunes and then went away to invest
their savings elsewhere.
Of the mining companies and mine opera-
tors at Galena at the time of the writing of this
chapter, the following list, taken from the
Galena Times of July 28, 1904, is gi\ en, though
it must not be taken as a full, com] 'ete list of
all the companies and individuals engaged in
the business. Cooley & Robeson, Murphy,
Friel & Company, Hoosier Mining Company,
Palmetto Mining Company, Battlefield Mining
Company, Owl Mining Company, Southside
Mining & Milling Company, Merger Mining
Company, Index Mining Company, James
Murphy, Clara & Shultz, John Page. Galena
Lead & Zinc Company, F. Rohrbaugh, Palmer
& Company, Wyandotte Mining Compai y,
Maggie Taylor Mining & Smelting Company.
New York Zinc Company, H. H. Beckwith. T.
S. Hayton, Hacker Zinc & Lead Company. E.
B. Schermerhorn, W. W. P. Clement, McNeal
Mining & Milling Company, Pittsburg Lead
& Zinc Company, Clara Louise Mining & Mill-
ing Company, Deborah Mining Company. G.
C. Monlux. J. M. Pollard Mining Company.
California-Buckeye Mining Company, and
N< irthcut Brothers.
Galena has had few postmasters. The fol-
lowing is the list, in the order in which they
served : L. C. Weldv, who is said to have held
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
163
the office about 12 years, Mrs. N. O. Wiley. A.
M. McPherson, H. A. Bender, then A. M. Mc-
Pherson again, and then William Smith, the
incumbent at this time. The office is second-
class, and mail is delivered throughout the city
by carriers. There is but one rural route from
the office.
The following are some of the denomina-
tions having church houses in the city of Ga-
lena : The Methodist Episcopal, which has a
membership of 400, and of which Frank W.
Otto is the pastor; the Presbyterian, which has
a membership of 150 with Robert Liddell as
pastor ; the Baptist, membership not given, with
Elder Moore as pastor ; the Christian Church,
membership and name of pastor not given ; the
Protestant Episcopal Church, membership and
name of pastor not given.
The Galena Telephone Company was the
first to move in the matter of establishing a
system of telephones throughout Cherokee
Count}'. Williams & Robeson are the owners
of the system, which reaches every village, town
and city in the county, and which has connec-
tion, by long-distance lines, with the principal
cities throughout the Middle-Western States.
One of the most important establishments
in Galena is the plant of the Galena Light &
Power Company, of which E. St. George Noble
is the president. The company has the finest
machinery, including a 400-horsepower engine,
and another of 200-horsepower. The plant is
said to be one of the very best in the State of
Kansas.
The Galena Ice Works plant is another en-
terprise which reflects credit upon those who
have brought it up to its present status. It has
a capacity of 50 tons a day, and it is in opera-
tion nine months in the year. Besides supply-
ing the local demand, which is heavy, the com-
pany ships ice to many of the neighboring
towns and cities. The water of which the ice is
made is absolutely pure ; made so through a
process of filtration and distillation, before it
enters the tanks where it is congealed.
Galena has a large number of the most en-
ergetic business men that can be found any-
where. It is due to their good judgment, per-
severance and public spirited care for the in-
terests of the city, that it has grown to be the
leading business center in the county. The best
business men have been called to the direction
of public affairs, and, almost without exception,
they have done their duties well and faithfully.
In 1901 the Legislature made Cherokee County
constitute the Eleventh Judicial District of the
State of Kansas, giving Galena, annually, three
out of the seven terms of court held in the coun-
ty. The city, without any expense to the
county, provided a fine Court House, on the
principal street of the city, one of the most sub-
stantial and best furnished buildings in the city.
This achievement was the result of a united
well directed effort on the part of the business
men of the place.
The public schools of Galena are of a high
class, and they are the pride of the city. In
addition to the four houses heretofore provided,
a City High School is now being erected, one
which would do credit to any city. The School
Board always employs the very best of teach-
ers and superintendents, and it makes every
other provision for the full effectiveness of the
educational facilities placed at their hands.
Among the many who have become wealthy
or well-to-do at Galena, and have built them-
selves comfortable, well-appointed homes are :
Val Richards, George Brown, E. B. Schermer-
horn. William F. Sapp, W. B. Stone. J. C.
Murdock, M. Pickett. Riley F. Robertson. Dr.
J. P. Scoles, C. C. Moore. Lou Winter, M.
Robeson, B. Cooley, B. S. Moore. John Mur-
dock, J. Shoman, A. M. McPherson, Mrs. Ed.
Stice, John O'Riley, H. A. Bender, Morgan
Rush, George W. Wheatley, George Kains,
John Jarrett, John McCullough, B. S. Moore,
1 64
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
George Immel. Harry Stough.T. J. Vest, E.W.
McNeal, George Dansenburg. William Aach,
William Smith, Peter Dansenburg, L. K. Moel-
ler. J. C. Moore. George Puckett, John Chap-
man, Mr. Lanier, the Hunter sisters, S. C.
Westcott, Albert Smith. Mrs. Abbott, Worth
Allen. C. L. Sawyer and J. W. Tate.
Galena has many fine business buildings,
which are an exponent of the thrift and public
spiritedness of some of the people. Among
these it is proper to mention those who have
taken the lead in matters of the kind and have
always worked for the interest of the city, as
well as for themselves. J. Shoman. C. C.
Moore, William F. Sapp. B. S. Moore. J. C.
Murdock, Edward E. Sapp, J. C. Moore and
Williams & Robeson are justly entitled to
credit for the untiring energy with which they
have worked for the upbuilding of the city;
but this list does not include all that have
helped to push things along.
EMPIRE CITY.
Empire City is situate in the southeastern
part of Cherokee County, six miles north of the
Indian Territory and Kansas line, and one and
a half miles west of the Missouri and Kansas
line. It is in the midst of a very hilly, stony
district, on the north side of Short Creek. The
selection of such a site for the building of a town
or city could never be accounted for only for
the reason that beneath the surface of the rough
and almost impenetrable hills there lay the rich-
est deposits of lead and zinc. There is so little
soil on the surface of the ground that the peo-
ple, except in a few places, do not attempt the
growing of any kind of vegetation. In its
native condition, before any "instrument of
torture" was applied to disturb its restful re-
pose, it was shabbily mantled with an adven-
turous grass, except where frequent stony
points persisted in remaining bare; and here
and there were the hardy black-jack and post-
oak, whose perseverance in the struggle even
for an unpretentious life was worthy of better
things. The tenure of such a region could
scarcely be sought by one of human kind other
than one in search for an ideal spot where he
might live apart from the rest of the race.
Here were the cool spring, the rippling brook,
the high, rugged hills and the narrow, shut-in
valleys, all making the fittest environment for
a hermit's home. But it was not thus to re-
main. The restless, wandering forerunners of
civilization were on their way ; and near by
there was already a dim, tortuous path that told
of an occasional traveler who passed through
the quiet stillness of the place, in search for
better things beyond. An awakening was soon
to come.
The land on which the original plat of Em-
pire City was laid out was a part of the farm
of a man by the name of Nichols, who owned
1 20 acres. The whole tract was bought by the
West Joplin Zinc Company, for the sum of
$7,000. This price, which was fabulous in
those days, was indicative of the high value
placed upon it on account of the riches which
lay beneath the surface of the ungainly land-
scape, for a discovery had been made and ex-
citement was running high. There was a fever-
ish desire to come into the ownership of land in
that particular place.
Since beginning the writing of this volume.
I have received a letter from Charles E. Top-
ping, of Empire City, setting out an interesting
account of the discovery of lead and zinc in the
bed of Short Creek, just south of the site on
which the town was afterwards built. The
letter bears so much upon the early, interesting
events which took place there, following the
discovery, that I give it in full :
Residence of George F. Braun
Residence of Mrs. W. E. Stice
Residence of J. C. Moore
Residence of Val. Richards Residence of Riley F. Robertson
SOME GALENA RESIDENCES
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
167
Empire City, Kansas, June 26, 1904.
Mr. N. T. Allison:
Seeing your request, in the Modern Light, for
citizens to aid you in making a history of Cherokee
County, and having been a settler here in the first
years of the discovery of lead, I thought perhaps I
might aid you some.
1 came here in June, 1877. The discovery of lead
was made in April, of that year. As I was after-
wards a partner with John McAllen. one of the men
who discovered the lead, 1 had it from his own
lips just how the discovery was made.
There was a dim, old road which used to run
down what is now Cooper hollow, and it went on
west past where the Frisco depot now stands, in
Galena; and from that point it went in a north-
westerly direction to the Ryan ford on Spring
River, where the Ryan bridge now stands. The
part of this road running west from where the
Frisco depot now stands, to a junction with what
.was afterwards called Columbus street in Empire
City, later became known, in the exciting times of
the two cities, as "Redhot street;" and it was red-
hot, sure enough. Columbus street, in Empire City,
was the northern continuation of it. It was in
April, 1877, that John Shoe and John McAllen were
traveling westward on that road, on their way out
of Joplin, whence they had been driven as vagrants.
They were on their way to the home of John Shoe's
mother, who lived on Spring River, near the Ryan
ford. Where this road crossed Short Creek, just
below where the "Katy" railroad bridge now stands,
there was a deep hole washed out in the creek,
caused by the creek's butting up against a square
bluff, and then turning to the west. Shoe and Mc-
Allen arrived at this point in their journey, tired
and dusty, from their eight-mile walk from Joplin:
and they stopped and went in bathing. They were
exxpert divers, as well as swimmers. They bantered
each other as to which could bring up the heaviest
stone from the bottom of the stream. Finally, one
of them brought up a '"rock" which seemed unusu-
ally heavy; and when they examined it they found
it to be a chunk of lead. This set them to thinking,
and they concluded that Short Creek once ran in a
straight line across the promontory above this point
of rocks, and that this lead had been brought by the
water from somewhere to the eastward. They went
to the house of one of the Nichols brothers, who
then owned the land and lived in a log cabin near
where the "Katy" depot now stands, and told them
they thought they could find lead on his land, and
that if he would furnish them a pick and shovel to
dig with they would sink a shaft and give him half
they could get out of it. To this, Mr. Nichols
agreed, and he also agreed to board them while
sinking it. They went to work and sank a shaft
about the middle of the promontory, and this shaft
was afterwards known as the "Discovery Shaft."
It was but a short time before they had lead ore in
abundance.
The news of the discovery soon reached Joplin,
and many men came over to look at it. Money was
offered the discoverers, and they sold out. How
much they got I do not know; but McAllen had only
about $75 of his part left when I last saw him. A
company was formed, called "The West Joplin Min-
ing Company." The company bought out both the
Nichols brothers, the owners of the land, and laid
it out in mining lots; and they laid off the town
of Empire, on the north of it. Galena was laid off,
south of the Nichols land.
For nearly a year after this lead discovery, all
the lead that was found was found on the company's
land; and this company got "foxy," and thought
they had "the whole cheese." A part of Redhot
street was in Empire and a part in Galena. On the
east end of the street, or the part which lay in
Galena, a number of men located and did a good
business in buying "scrap" or "neutral" lead. They
paid more than the company did; and some of the
men working for the company would forget to turn
in their output until after dark. Then their mineral
boxes would be broken open and robbed. It was
to stop this, that the idea occurred to the company
to build a stockade fence between the two towns.
This was built of timber about the size of fence
posts, set in a deep ditch, and it was made high
enough and- strong enough to turn anything, from
a man to a mule; and it was long enough almost to
shut out Galena from the outside world, on the
north and west sides. Nearly everybody in both
towns, except the West Joplin Mining Company,
was opposed to the building of this stockade. Early
one morning in the fall of 1877 there was a great
moise in the direction of Redhot street; and when
the people looked that way they saw a big fire. The
stockade had been chopped down, saturated with
coal oil and was being burned; and there was plenty
of another liquid, which was being carried in
buckets and delivered to the men who were engaged
in the work. The mining company had guards to
protect the stockade; but they were conspicuous by
their absence, about that time. Only one man \va*
hurt; he was one of the workmen who persisted in
setting in more posts. He got a shot in the leg.
The mob was fired with whisky; and there probably
would have been more burning that night, had not
cooler heads advised them to desist. The stockade
was rebuilt, or an attempt was made to rebuild it.
1 68
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
An injunction was sued out in the court, and the
stockade was declared unlawful. Although the mass
of the citizens of Empire was opposed to the stock-
ade, and many of the miners in that town assisted
in tearing it down, many people in Galena, to this
day, have a prejudice against Empire on account
of the trouble which arose over it.
Chas. E. Topping.
Empire City was incorporated, as a city of
the third class, in the summer of 1877, and S.
L. Cheney was elected its first mayor. He
served three years, when he was succeeded in
office by G. W. Davis. Afterwards N. W.
Barren was elected mayor, and he was suc-
ceeded by C. L. McClung. Dr. Fletcher Mc-
Ginnis, Hugh McKay and J. P. Walters have
been mayors of the city ; but I have no infor-
mation as to the order of their service.
J. H. Hadley was commissioned the first
postmaster of Empire City. The office has
been held by J. Shannon, C. L. McClung, then
Hugh McKay held it for a long time. Since
his term Mrs. Maude Cole and L. M. Dillman
have held it in the order of their names, and it
is now held by J. P. Walters.
There are two churches in Empire City. —
the Baptist Church, of which Elder S. Johnson
is the pastor ; and the Catholic Church, of which
Father Austin Hull is the priest and pastor.
The city has one school building, a superin-
tendent and five teachers. Mr. Shank has been
elected superintendent for the school year
1904-5.
The city has a fire department and company,
and it owns a fine water works system, having
a well 1,000 feet deep. The water from this
well is said to be the finest water in the State
of Kansas. It is very clear, and an analysis
shows it to be almost absolutely pure. The
water system is owned by the city, and an ex-
cellent service is rendered the people.
In former times, when the mining interests
had set Empire City well along, and had made
it the most important town of the county, high
hopes were held that it would always maintain
first rank. The population increased wonder-
fully. Some say that it once had as many as
5,000 people, and that among its citizens were
some of the wealthiest men of the county. Re-
verses have come, as they will to towns and
cities, as well as to men. There is a kind of
destiny which shapes the affairs of communi-
ties and of states ; something which operates
irrespective of the people, however strong their
united efforts may be to turn this course to suit
themselves. Empire City is not what it for-
merly was. Much of its strength is gone ; and
its streets, once the scenes of a highly profitable,
business activity, are now much deserted .and
almost oppressively quiet. But it is believed,
by those who are well qualified to judge of such
matters, that the town will regain much, and
maybe all, of its former glory. The lead and
zinc, from which it derived its strength,
have not been mined out of one-tenth
of the available ground in the immedi-
ate neighborhood. Only a beginning has
been made. The time is not far hence
when deep mining will be undertaken
there and found as profitable as it has
been shown to be at other places. Hundreds
of thousands of dollars' worth of ores have
been taken from the earth there: but a vastly
greater quantity lies there yet undisturbed,
only awaiting renewed activity, after surface
mining in other parts has run its course.
Some of the older or first settlers deserve to
be mentioned here. Among them Hugh Mc-
Kay ought to have a prominent place. He was
born in Scotland in 1830, and came to the
United States when he was 17 years old. He
settled in Empire City in 1877. He was post-
master, police judge and justice of the peace.
He still lives in the town ; but at the writing of
this chapter he is in Old Mexico, on business
relating to mining interests which he owns
there. S. L. Cheney was one of the first set-
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
169
tiers in Empire City, after the discovery of
lead and zinc, and he was prominent in the af-
fairs of the place. He was the first mayor of
the town, and was for many years a leading-
citizen. He now lives on a large stock farm
which he owns, in Lyon township ; but he is
still largely interested in mining operations in
the eastern part of the county. William Cave
was another prominent citizen of the town, set-
tling there about the year 1880. N. B. Cah-
telle, a native of Canada, came to Empire City
in 1879, and he has been prominent in the af-
fairs of the place ever since. Others are : Wil-
liam A. Collins, Dr. George W. Davis. Harri-
son McMillen, William Smith, E. Goede, Car-
lisle Faulkner, J. L. Heasely, Samuel Finkel-
stein, Carl L. Hinkel, R. W. Vaughan, James
Murphy, C. L. McClung, J. H. Hadley and N.
W. Barren.
Some of the prominent men of Empire City
who have more recently been identified with its
interests, and have built good, comfortable
homes there, are : Thomas Kennedy, James
Murphy, Angus McKay, Neill Murphy, Hugh
McKay, Jesse Boone, T. H. Ellis, Edward
Lane. John T. White and Ralph Standley.
CHAPTER XV.
THE HISTORY OF MINERAL CITY, WEIR CITY, SCAMMON AND LIST
OF THE TOWNS OF THE COVNTY
MINERAL CITY.
The land on which Mineral City now stands
was formerly owned by Leslie Patterson. He
filed a claim on the southeast quarter of sec-
tion 6. township 32 range 23, in 1866, being
among the very first settlers of Cherokee
County. His brother, Johnson Patterson,
laid claim to the quarter section just
south of the one above described. The
brothers came to Kansas at the same
time, from Mercer County, Illinois. There
were times when they were much discouraged.
Droughts, hot winds, floods, grasshoppers and
chinch-bugs, with only an occasional good
crop, were enough to drive out people of less
courage. Even after living on his land nearly
30 years, and after having been led to believe
that there was a good stratum of fine coal un-
derlying it, Johnson Patterson sold his land for
a mere trifle, when compared with the natural
riches which his title covered. He sold his
quarter section to The Southwestern Develop-
ment Company, for $4,000. The royalty on the
coal underlying it, at seven cents a ton, would
amount to $300 an acre, or $48,000 for the
quarter section.
The beginning of the movement for the de-
velopment of the coal land in the district now
known as the Mineral City district, and which
led. as a result, to the building of a town or
city, began about 10 years ago, when a branch
of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway was
built from Parsons, Kansas, to a point near the
northeast corner of Johnson Patterson's farm.
The road was built through and under the man-
agement of The Southwestern Development
Company, the purpose being to secure shipping
facilities for the coal which the company de-
signed taking out. The company had bought
2,200 acres of coal land, and operations for the
taking out of the coal began as soon as the road
was finished. It was evident that something
was going to be done, and that on a large scale.
Workmen were employed in building houses
for the miners on the company's land, trades-
people established places of business and there
was a tacit understanding that a town would be
built.
The plat of the original town-site of Min-
eral City was filed April 16, 1895. The site
contained 126 lots 25 feet by 140 feet, and 42
lots 50 feet by 140 feet, and it was laid off in
the southeast corner of Leslie Patterson's farm.
Another plat, additional to the original and
containing 66 lots, has been laid off since then,
just west of the original plat. The growth of
the place was at first slow, and there seemed an
uncertainty as to whether there would ever be
much of a town. The company which built the
railroad, having no purpose other than the min-
ing: of coal, was not solicitous as to the building
AXD REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
171
up of a trading place. The company had then,
and yet has, a store of its own, from which the
miners may get their supplies, of all kinds. It
was not particularly to the interest of the com-
pany to have a town of any size spring up : but
the tendency could not not be suppressed. At
first there was a rivalry for first place, and
there was a lively contention over the post
office. The company's houses were grouped
on a tract of land one mile east of the surveyed
and platted town of Mineral City, and the com-
pany, after the contention had gone on for some
time, secured the establishment of the post
office at the east settlement, and the Post Office
Department gave it the name of "Mineral."
Afterward an office was allowed at the west
settlement, and the name "West Mineral" was
given it. The company has never platted any
of its land into lots for sale. Those who make
up the inhabitants of the east settlement live on
the company's land. This condition has made
it favorable for the building up of the west set-
tlement, as the people there may buy lots and
build permanent homes and enjoy their owner-
ship. Nearly every lot in the original plat is
occupied, either by homes or by business
houses. Besides this there are many houses in
the first addition and a number in a second ad-
dition, which has been lately surveyed. The
second addition is just north of the original
plat. It will be occupied exclusively by resi-
dences, some of the best in the town being in
course of construction at this time. There is
a confidence in the minds of the people, that
Mineral will become more than an ordinary
trading center for the immediate country about
it. The business which the extensive opera-
tions now going on have already brought about,
with the belief that these operations will be
vastly enlarged, as the demand for fuel in-
creases, inspires the hope that the place will be-
come a city of the second class. It was organ-
ized as a city of the third class in 1901, and
since that time much material progress has
been made. J. E. Wheatley was the first mayor
of the city. He has lived in the place since the
first settlement, and he has been earnest and
active, with others, in directing its course along
safe and conservative lines. N. L. Raymond is
the present mayor.
Mineral City is surrounded by as fine a
farming community as can be found anywhere
in Cherokee County. From the top of a coal
shaft building on Leslie Patterson's land, just
outside the city, on the north, the view is grand
in every direction. That toward the northwest
is particularly magnificent. A slight depression
scarcely so low as to be called a valley, stretches
away as far as the eye can see, while toward
the north and toward the west there are other
views which can scarcely be surpassed. In fact,
look where one may, the view is beautiful al-
most to the extent of being enchanting, and
one's interest in the scene is deepened through
the reflection that beneath the surface of the
gently undulating country, which stretches
away to the horizon in every direction, there
lies the quiet stores of Nature's own provision,
now just beginning to be disturbed after a rest
of hundreds of thousands of years. This mag-
nificent farming country, becoming the better
as the years go on, and more reliable because
failures come less frequently, is tributary to the
town, and there is springing up a feeling of
mutual dependence, as well as a spirit of co-
operation. Mineral City is getting a large por-
tion of the trade which formerly went else-
where. The merchants are supplying the
wants of the people, and there is a brisk, con-
stant trade in the business streets of the young
city. As a city, it is only three years old. and
yet there are mercantile houses in every line
required for supplying the demands of the peo-
ple. There are two immense stocks of lumber,
large dry goods and clothing houses, a number
of grocery houses, besides hardware and furni-
172
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
ture houses. It has a bank, which is doing a
good business, and there is every indication
that the various lines of business there will soon
be enlarged. There is one large school house,
with four rooms, and there are two church
houses, and more will be built, as the social and
religious conditions may require. At present,
the Catholic Church, which has a house of wor-
ship in East Mineral, and a resident priest, has,
perhaps, the largest number of members. The
Methodists and the United Brethren come next,
in the order given. The Catholics have a paro-
chial school in East Mineral. A large portion
of the population of Mineral is made up of for-
eign-born people, and they are noted for in-
dustry and habits of economy. Many of them
have gone into the lines of business usually
found in cities of this class, — merchants in gro-
ceries, dry goods and so forth, while others are
carpenters, masons and workmen in the various
pursuits of life. Many of them have built good,
comfortable homes, and they are helping along
in the general effort to advance the material in-
terests of the place.
Leslie Patterson and his family, having
opened the way for the building of the city,
naturally have an abiding interest in it, and
they have never faltered in their effort to ad-
vance it in every just and profitable way. They
encouraged the settlement of industrious, up-
right people; they have favored the building of
homes, the beautifying of grounds and the
gathering of the comforts and conveniences of
life among the people; but in all they have
done or suggested, they have not been disposed
to dictate the course which others should take.
Mr. and Mrs. Patterson are well and favorably
known by nearly every person living in Mineral
City. They have been strictly upright in all
their dealings with every class, believing that
the way to build up a community and make it
a desirable place in which to live is to do justly
in all things and to be oppressive and exacting
in none.
Among those who have made permanent
settlements in Mineral City, and have built
good, comfortable homes, we may mention the
following: J. P. Davidson, M. C. Perrine, B,
Cross, J. D. Smith, Mr. DeChamp, Henry
Dewey. Miss Belle Huntsinger, William John-
son, Orville Brenner, Wayne Sargent, J. V.
McAnally, Charles Bramlet, J. S. Kenaston,
Mrs. Rhea, Mrs. McLeod, N. M. Smith and
Leslie Patterson.
As indicating the importance of Mineral
City, in a commercial way, the immense amount
of shipping done into and from the place may
be mentioned. The coal mining industry is the
big thing of the place. The beginning of this
is what gave rise to the city. It has fostered
its growth, and it will continue as the chief
business of the community. For about four
months of the year, since the coal operations
have reached the present volume of production,
the shipment of coal is about 2,500 car-loads a
month, or nearly 100 car-loads a day. For the
remaining eight months of the year the ship-
ment is about 1,800 car-loads a month. The
merchandise shipped into the place will aggre-
gate 360 car-loads a year.
Mineral City, proper, has about 1.200 peo-
ple living within its limits, and nearly every
family owns the home in which it lives. The
community, the building up of which has been
brought about by the mining interest, proba-
bly includes a population of 3,000.
WEIR CITY
Is situate a little east of the north central part of
Cherokee County, two miles south of the Craw-
ford County line, and eight miles west of the
east line of Cherokee County. The town was
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
U3
built upon land which belonged to T. M. Weir,
and it took its name from him. Mr. Weir, who
was born in Washington County, Pennsylva-
nia, March 2, 1814, came to Cherokee County.
Kansas, in 1871, and immediately entered a
quarter section of land, upon 40 acres of which
the original plat of Weir City was laid out. He
began at once to open coal mines. A. J. Weir
and H. P. Weir, two of his sons, now live in
the city, and they have done much toward build-
ing it up.
Besides the Weirs, the following may be
mentioned as among the very first settlers : P.
E. Brady, John Sullivan, John Hoffman and G.
D. Sams. Afterward there came William
Hamilton, Edward Baker. Nick Smith, E. E.
Holt, Peter Smith, Joseph Bennett and Robert
Hogg. Among the first to open coal mines
were Fred Blattner, the Oswego Coal Company
and Bovard & Dixon. Then came Keith &
Perry, and later The Kansas & Texas Coal
Company.
When the Missouri River, Fort Scott &
Gulf Railroad, which later became the Kansas
City, Fort Scott & Memphis Railroad, was
built through Cherokee County, from north to
south, no account was taken of the rich coal
deposits as far away from the line as the site
where Weir City now stands, although it was
only four miles from the track of the road.
Bovard & Dixon first opened mines near the
present town of Scammon. on the line of the
road. Afterward Keith & Perry operated mines
there, before opening mines at Weir City. Even
as late as 1880, Weir City was a mere mining
camp containing only about 350 people. This
was nine years after the railroad had been built
through the county. The progress of develop-
ment in those days was much slower than at
the present. At that time long, dreary years
dragged by, and even men of means, who were
said to possess a lively perception of advantage,
and could see well into the future, were slow to
seize upon opportunities which offered sure and
largely remunerative returns. The whole State
of Kansas was then new. It had been only a
few years since the first coal mines had been
opened in the State, at Leavenworth ; and these
were worked but lightly, for the demand for
coal was slight. The attention of the settlers
of the State, up to as late as 1875, was directed
almost wholly to agriculture, and to the classes
of business which agricultural interests would
support in the new towns which were springing
up. It is true that the railroad companies had
an eye to the coal fields, for they knew what the
value of such wealth would ultimately be; but
the people, as a rule, had not awakened to their
importance, beyond the light demands which
they would supply at easy effort. Such were
the conditions in Cherokee County; and the
conditions as they then existed held back the
Weir City coal district from early, rapid de-
velopment. The first settlers and the first mine
operators did not get the best returns from their
labor. Coal was produced at merely nominal
prices, so low that the operators secured but a
narrow margin of profit. But as the popula-
tion of the eastern part of the State increased,
and the enlargement of railroad systems went
on, the demand for fuel was proportionately
greater; and with the greater demand there
came an opportunity for greater profit. In the
chapter on mines and mining I have given the
output of the mines of this particular district,
along with that of the other mining sections of
the county.
Weir City is a city of the second class, and
has been such for many years. The following
have been the mayors, in the order of their serv-
ing: J. Knox Barney. P. E. Brady, B. S. Ab-
bott, D. W. King, H. M. Grandle, Thad Har-
giss and W. J. Allen. The postmasters have
been : J. Knox Barney, Jack Morgan, Wilson
Liff. W. P. Kent. J. W. Kirk and S. W. Gould.
The salary of the office is $1,700. There are
174
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
two rural routes, and the office supplies a vast
amount of mail matter through its immediate
delivery.
The first physicians in Weir City were Dr. J.
Knox Barney, Dr. Bailey and Dr. C. W. Hoag.
Later there were Dr. J. A. Wallace, Drs. Doan
and Pritchard, Dr. I. E. Striker, Dr. D. W.
King and Dr. G. B. McClelland. Dr. Hoag is
the oldest in residence now, having lived here
since 1881. The physicians now located in the
city are Drs. Hoag, McClelland and J. H, Boss.
Dr. Boss is the county coroner.
The water works and the electric light plant
of Weir City are owned and operated by a pri-
vate company, and from each of them the city
gets prompt and efficient service. A fire de-
partment is maintained, and the streets of the
city are well lighted. A large ice plant is also
in successful operation which, besides supplying
the local demand, ships large quantities to
other towns and cities.
Weir City, like all other Kansas communi-
ties, takes a pride in its public schoods. There
are three fine buildings, in different parts of the
city, and there are 17 teachers employed.
George B. Deem was the superintendent last
year, and for many years preceding. R. Ran-
kin will be superintendent for the year 1904-05.
The Baptist, Catholic, Methodist and Pres-
byterian churches have church organizations
and buildings. Of these the Catholic Church
is the strongest in number, with the Methodist
following.
The population of Weir City in 1880 was
about 350. It has had a steady growth, and at
the last census, in 1900, its population was
3,091. The building of the Weir City branch
of the Kansas City, Fort Scott & Memphis
road, which leaves the main line at Scammon,
runs through Weir City and Pittsburg and re-
turns to the main line at Girard, gave an im-
petus to the growth of the place and very large-
ly increased its commercial importance. The
city also has railroad' connections west with
Parsons, Kansas, and on to the gas and oil
fields west and southwest of the latter place.
Weir City has its share of what are called
secret orders, — Masons, Odd Fellows, Knights
of Pythias, Sons and Daughters of Justice,
Knights and Ladies of Security, Rebekahs, Or-
der of the Eastern Star and the Degree of
Honor. Black Diamond Lodge, No. 274, A.
F. & A. M., was organized and chartered Feb-
ruary 16, 1887. David B. White is the master ;
Robert Hogg is the secretary.
Among those who have built commodious
comfortable homes in Weir City, the follow-
ing may be mentioned : A. J. Weir, A. B
Cockrill, David Crow, Edward Baker, William
Hamilton, Harvey Smith, B. S. Abbott, Hor-
ace Hayden, Rome Allen, Joseph Bennett, Dr.
Hoag, Fred Grant and W. M. Pye.
SCAMMON
Is situate near the center of the west tier of
sections in Mineral township, Cherokee
County, Kansas, near the east edge of the coal
fields and in the midst of a very active mining
district. Coal mining gave rise to the town,
and it is through this industry that it was
finally built up to the proportions of a city of
the second class. For farming purposes
the lands about the place would not rank
as first class, though many of the farmers
who came early to the county and settled in the
neighborhood have become well-to-do.
The lands in the community of Scammon
were taken as claims early in the history of
Cherokee County. E. C. Scammon first owned
the quarter section just north of the present site
of the place. Samuel F. Scammon took a claim
northwest of this, and James Coman, who came
to the county in 1868, took the quarter section
west of the site of the present town. The quar-
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
175
ter section to the southeast was taken by James
Burns. He sold it to M. J. Callahan, and Cal-
lahan sold it to Bovard & Dixon, some time
after coal mining was begun. The discovery of
coal was made by James Coman.
The first coal shaft was put down by E. A.
Scammon, S. F. Scammon and E. C. Scam-
mon, all of whom came early to that part of the
county. This shaft was on E. C. Scammon's
land, just east of the railroad track, near what
is now known as Mackie's Junction, where the
Weir branch of the railroad leaves the main
line, and about one mile north of the present
city. There was not much demand for coal
then, and for this reason the operations were
not large. Only a few men were employed.
It was the first coal mining done in Kansas,
south of the Leavenworth coal district. The
big coal deposits of Crawford County, just
north of Cherokee County, had not been
touched. In that county the coal region is sev-
eral miles east of the main line of the railroad,
and it was practically unknown. It has since
become the biggest mining center in the State
of Kansas, with Cherokee County as the second
largest in the State. The vastly increased de-
mand for fuel, due to the enlarged railroad
operations and to the great increase in popu-
lation, led to the rapid and extensive develop-
ment of the coal region in both counties,
and to the building up of many small towns
and a goodly number of cities which have be-
come important local centers of trade.
It was not until the spring of 1871 that
the Kansas City, Fort Scott & Gulf Railroad
was finished through Cherokee County. It
passed through the tract of land on which the
town of Scammon was afterward built; but for
a number of years after the road was built
there was no town there at all. Even as late as
1883 the land there, and all around, was in
farms, and the people living there had no ex-
pectation that anything beyond a mere vil-
10
lage would ever be found there. At that time
there was but one store, and that was of rude
pretensions, kept for supplying the very lim-
ited demand which arose out of the simple
wants of the few people who had settled there to
till the soil and to raise stock on the broad prai-
ries, which extended in every direction. True,
there were by this time three coal shafts in
operation, and a coal company, composed of
Keith and Mitchell, who had bought out the
Scammon brothers, was in control of the busi-
ness ; but no large expectations had been
aroused, and it was not known but that, when
the coal had been taken out of the immediate
vicinity, operations would cease. However,
the men who had had experience in matters of
the kind, in the older States, and some in for-
eign countries, and had seen the growing de-
mand for fuel where populations were denser,
and where industrial enterprises were carried
on extensively, believed that this county would
some day be the scene of large mining opera-
tions. But they did not come for the purpose
of building towns and cities ; they came to en-
gage in the coal mining business, and to make
ready for supplying a demand which they
believed would some day become enormous.
The results have shown that they were cor-
rect in their foresight.
The Scammon Town Company was incor-
porated March 15, 1884, with E. C. Scammon
as president of the company, and D. Mackie
as secretary. The stock of the company was
held as follows : Keith & Perry, 72 shares ;
R. H. Keith, one share; John Perry, one share;
D. Mackie, one share ; S. F. Scammon, E. C.
Scammon and E. A. Scammon, each 25 shares.
The village was incorporated as a city of the
third class July 5, 1888, and the first officers
were as follows : P. M. Humphrey, mayor ;
L. W. Kendall, police judge; J. P. Rafter, J.
J. Wooten, Charles Brown, J. J. Pullen and
Tohn T. Stewart, couucilmen ; J. N. McDonald,
176
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
clerk. The other mayors have been : R. E.
Gardiner, R. S. Mahan, J. N. McDonald,
George K. Mackie, J. H. Guinn, J. N. Mc-
Donald again, Robert Gilhnore, T. B. Pryor
and R. M. Markham. Perhaps no town or
city in Cherokee County has been better gov-
erned than Scammon. Its public men are wise,
prudent and conservative, and they have not let
a day pass without guarding the best interests
of the place. They have encouraged home
owning, with all its good effects upon society
and the material upbuilding of the community.
Lots have been sold at low prices, in order to
bring them within the reach of the less for-
tunate classes, and other inducements have been
held out for aiding those who were anxious to
get homes. For a number of years, D. Mackie,
Jr., was the local agent for The Inter-State
Building & Loan Association, of Bloomington,
Illinois. Through him many persons took
stock in the association and began the work
of home building. After some years the com-
pany failed, and a number of the stockholders,
including Mr. Mackie. suffered loss; but the
community has recovered from it, and the
homes are now free from debt. There were
no foreclosures.
The first store opened in Scammon, not to
speak of the old company store which used to
stand near the first shaft, on the E. C. Scam-
mon farm, was that of DuPage & Hovey,
about the year 1885. Then Samuel Barrett put
in a drug store, and this was followed by Peter
Graham, who put in a grocery store. There
was no lumber yard until 1890, when J. T.
Small established one. Before this, about
1 886, Griffin Brothers opened a hardware
store, but it was destroyed by fire not long after
it was opened.
W. S. Norton went to Scammon about
the year 1883 and began mining, and not many
years thereafter he opened a store, in connec-
tion with the mines, and did a big business.
He was one of the most successful mine opera-
tors ever in the district. As among the lead-
ing men of the place, particularly among those
connected with the coal business, D. Mackie is
perhaps the most prominent, and he is among
those who have done most in building up the
social and material interests of the place. Mr.
Mackie has been manager of the mines for The
Central Coal & Coke Company ever since he
came to Scammon, in 1884, his duties calling
him wherever the company's mines are located,
in several different States and Territories ; but
he has been partial to Scammon, for
here he has made his home, and here
he has his children, all now grown, gathered
about him. Among other persons who have
been active and hearty in their efforts to build
up the city, these may be mentioned : D.
Mackie, Jr., J. N. McDonald, George K.
Mackie, Patrick McNamara, W. B. Pixley,
Joseph Batten, J. W. Hooper, J. R. Hisle. J. T.
Small, Thomas Moran, James Crumrine, Rob-
ert Gilhnore and J. J. Wooten.
The city has a large public school building,
one of the finest in the county ; but there is need
for the enlargement of the school facilities,
and another building will be erected. The city
owns the water system put in a few years ago,
at a cost of about $20,000 ; and the building
of a plant for lighting purposes is now contem-
plated.
The commercial importance of Scammon
may be judged, in part, from the amount of
business done at the railroad station in the
city. The coal shipments, in quantity, amount
to 1.750 car-loads a month, or 57.750 tons.
Other shipments, in and out. will amount to
600 car-loads a year. The freight receipts of
the railroad at Scammon, it is believed, will
amount to $30,000 a month. The express
receipts are about $500 a month.
The Arkansas, Missouri & Kansas Rail-
road Company is now building a line of road
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
177
through Cherokee County, as has heen noted in
the chapter on railroads. This is to pass
through Scammon. Work is going forward on
this undertaking, and at this time (August 31,
1904) it is expected that the road will be in
operation by the first of next June. This will
add much to the material interests of the city,
as the road, it is understood, is to run from
Memphis, Tennessee, into the grain fields of
Kansas and Nebraska. Its crossing of the St.
Louis & San Francisco road at Scammon will
make the place of more than ordinary import-
ance as a railroad center.
The following are the names of those who
have built good, comfortable homes in Scam-
mon : Dr. R. M. Markham, George K.
Mackie, Hugh Reid. D. Mackie, John Eisen-
hart, D. Mackie, Jr., E. Kelly, William Winn,
J. T. Small, J. N. McDonald. C. R. Keiter, Dr.
H. H. Brookhart, T. C. Lewis, T. B. Pryor, J.
P. Rafter. John Morton, L. J. Hisle, Thomas
S. Keith, J. R. Hisle, W. H. Burkhart, Joseph
Keith and Patrick Ouinn.
THE TOWNS OF THE COUNTY.
Within the last eight years many little
towns of the county have been brought into ex-
istence and now have a place on the county
map. In every case this has been brought
about either by the opening of new mines or by
the coming of a railroad.
Cherokee township, in which Weir City
is located, has no towns. Weir City seems to
supply the trade which the people there de-
mand.
Mineral township, besides the city of Scam-
mon, has Turck, Stippville and West Weir.
Ross township has, besides Mineral City,
— Stone City, Roseland, Cokedale, Folsom
and Skidmore.
Sheridan township has Sherman City, the
only village in the county, situate on the Par-
sons-Joplin branch of the Missouri, Kansas &
Texas Railway. The village is in the midst of
the best farming district of the county.
Lola township has two towns : Hallowell
and Sherwin Junction, both on the St. Louis
& San Francisco Railway, and the latter being
at the crossing of that road and the Missouri
Pacific road. Both are places of local im-
portance.
Salamanca township has no small towns.
The trade interests of Columbus supply all
the surrounding country, and there is no need
of other centers.
Crawford township has a part of Colum-
bus, and it also has a little trade center at
Quaker Valley, a small station of the Mis-
souri, Kansas & Texas Railway.
Shawnee township has Crestline, one of the
oldest places in Cherokee County, and Peacock
City, a small mining place, which also includes
the place known as "Badger Mines."
Pleasant View township has the town of
Pleasant View, which was the first county seat,
and Lawton, a little mining place recently
established.
Lowell township, besides Galena and Em-
pire City, has Lowell and Varck.
Spring Valley township, besides Baxter
Springs, has the town of Neutral, on the St.
Louis & San Francisco Railway, half way be-
tween Baxter Springs and Columbus.
Lyon township has only the small town of
Keelville, in the west central part of the town-
ship.
Neosho township has Faulkner, on the
Missouri Pacific Railway, in the north-central
part of the township, and Melrose, inland, in
the southeast part of the township.
CHAPTER XVI.
THE EX-VNION SOLDIERS OF CHEROKEE COVNTY
List of the Ex-Union Soldiers of the County — The Ex-Union Soldiers' Inter-
State Reunion.
The ex-Union soldiers who have lived, and
those who yet live, in Cherokee County have
been, and are yet, a large factor in its popula-
tion, as the list which I give in this chapter will
show. It is not claimed that the list is per-
fect ; but, as much care has been given the mat-
ter, it will be found reliable in most respects.
The list contains the names of many who have
moved from the county, as well as a large num-
ber who have died since their names were ob-
tained. These particulars cannot now be given,
except in instances where they are well known.
The list will not show other than the name, the
rank, the company and regiment in which the
soldier served, and the postoffice address.
list of the ex-union soldiers of the
county.
Agard, John G., — Priv., Co. A, 37th 111. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Allen, James H., — Priv., Co. H, 19th Kan., U. S.
Inf., Galena, Kan.
Applegate, Samuel L., — Priv., Co. C, 8th Mo.
Cav., Galena, Kan.
Adams, Jesse, — Priv., Co. H, 5th Ky. Cav.
Galena, Kan.
Adams, W. A., — Priv., Co. K, 2d Ark. Cav.,
Galena, Kan.
Andrews, Henry, — Priv., 7th N. Y. Art., Galena,
Kan.
Ash, E., — Co. A., I22d 111. Inf., Galena, Kan.
Aikens, John, — Ord. Serg., 29th U. S. Inf., Ga-
lena, Kan.
Ash, J. W.,— Priv., Co. C, 122th 111. Inf., Ga-
lena, Kan.
Akes, Smith,— Priv., Co. A, 4th Mo. Cav., Bax-
ter Springs, Kan.
Austin, Horace,— Capt., Co. K, 105th 111. Inf.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Allen, Martin L., — Priv., Co. I, 49th Mo. Inf.,
Empire City, Kan.
Anderson, Geo. W., — Serg., Co. C, 4th U. S.
Inf., Columbus, Kan.
Adams, Samuel C, — Priv., Co. C, 22d Penn.
Cav., Columbus, Kan.
Archer, James P.,— Priv., Co. A, 6th Kan. Cav.,
(dead).
Anderson, T. P.— Capt., Co. F, 64th U. S. Inf.,
Kansas City. Kan.
Anderson, T. P.,— Priv., Co. F, 10th Mo. Inf.,
(P. O. unknown).
Alfred, Otis,— Priv., Co. F, 9th 111. Inf., Colum-
bus, Kan.
Allison, N. T.,— Priv., Co. G, 28th 111 Inf., Co-
lumbus, Kan.
Aldous, George, — Priv., Co. C, 56th 111. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Aultman, E. C, — Corp.. Co. A, Benton Cadets,
Melrose, Kan.
Amos, W. H.,— Corp., Co. K, 58th Ind. Inf.,
Chetopa, Kan.
Allen, John,— Priv., Co. H, 72d Mo. Cav.. Bax-
ter Springs, Kan.
Abbott, J. H.,— Corp., Co. I, nth Ind. Cav.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Amos, Jesse T., — Priv., Co. F, 30th Ind. Inf.,
Chetopa, Kan.
Arehart, C. D.,— Priv., Co. D. 21st Mo. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Allen, W. H.,— Corp., Co. C, 44th III. Inf., Bax-
ter Springs, Kan.
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
179
Allman, James, — Priv., Co. E, 7th 111. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Andrews, James, — Priv., Co. I, 38th Wis. Inf.,
Waco, Mo.
Allen, Z. H.,— Priv, Co. C, 14th lnd. Inf., Hal-
lovvell, Kan.
Allen, A. J,— 1st Lt, Co. B, 14th la. Inf., Co-
lumbus, Kan.
Amos, F. M. B,— Priv, Co. C, 10th lnd. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Allen, James, — Priv, Co. E, 6th lnd. Inf., Star
Valley, Kan.
Allen, Joseph, — Priv, Co. D, 48th lnd. Inf., Star
Valley, Kan.
Asher, Thomas, — Priv, Co. I, 16th Kan. Cav,
Scammon, Kan.
Asher, John, — Priv, Co. I, 16th Kan. Cav,
Scammon, Kan.
Anderson, T. J,— Priv, Co. E, 16th Mo. Militia,
Waco, Mo.
Allen, W. P,— Priv, Co. I, 91st 111. Inf., Weir,
Kan.
Allen, Ruel C.,— Priv, Co. A, 136th N. Y. Inf.,
Weir, Kan.
Bradshaw, H. C,— Priv, Co. H, 24th Mo. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Bender, H. A, — Serg, Co. E, 194th Penn. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Buchman, Joseph, — Priv, Co. M, 1st la. Cav,
Galena, Kan.
Barney, Jas. S, — Priv, Co. D, 9th lnd. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Brown, M. H. D,— Hos. St'd, Co. A, 8th U. S.
Inf., Galena, Kan.
Brandon, Thomas, — Priv, Co. H, 12th 111. Res.
Corps. Galena, Kan.
Belston, Joseph, — Corp, Co. G, 1st O. Cav,
Galena, Kan.
Balch, A. J, — Corp, Co. I, 92d O. Inf., Galena,
Kan.
Belford, W. W,— 1st Lt, Co. C, 2d O. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Blunk, A. J, — Priv, Co. D, 32d la. Inf., Galena,
Kan.
Burge. N. T,— Corp, Co. B, 5th Mo. Militia,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Boyer, Jacob B, — Serg, Co. E, 5th O. Cav,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Burris, James, — Priv, Co. D, 63d O. Inf., Bax-
ter Springs, Kan.
Beck, Louis, — Priv, Co. H, 3d Mo. Inf., Galena,
Kan.
Bridges. M. S,— Priv, Co. I. 154th III. Inf.,
Lowell, Kan.
Burwick, William, — Priv, Co. B, 21st Mo. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Bramball, G. S,— Priv, Co. A, 103d 111. Inf.,
Empire City, Kan.
Bingaman, Peter, — Priv, 2d Kan. Art, Galena,
Kan.
Brown, B. F,— Priv, Co. D, 87th lnd. Inf.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Brewster, S. M.,— Ord. Serg, 3d N. Y. Art,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Burns, Thomas, — 2d Lt, Co. I, 154th 111. Inf.,
Columbus. Kan.
Botorff, Jas. T„— Priv, Co. I, 98th 111. Mt. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Berry, J. S.— Priv, Co. C, 44th lnd. Inf., Opolis,
Kan.
Bird, Richard, — Priv, Co. B, 2d Tex. Cav, Weir,
Kan.
Bennett, O. H,— Priv, Co. D, 3d Mo. Militia,
Waco, Mo.
Baker, William,— Ord. Serg, Co. K, 1st 111.
Cav, Columbus, Kan.
Bloomfield. A. A, — Lieut, Co. C, 51st lnd. Inf.,
(dead).
Baxter, Joseph H, — Corp, Co. F, 146th lnd.
Inf., Columbus, Kan.
Barger, Alex, — Priv, Co. G, 1st O. Art, Co-
lumbus, Kan.
Brown. Elijah F, — Priv, Co. F, 5th Kan. Cav,
Columbus, Kan.
Bernine, Jacob D,— Priv, Co. K, 2d 111. Lt. Art,
Columbus, Kan.
Burchfield, C. P.— Serg, Co. I, 17th Ky. Inf.,
Weir, Kan.
Brophy, Michael, — Priv, Co. C, 45th Penn. Inf.,
Weir, Kan.
Brown, Samuel W, — Priv, Co. K, 5th Tenn. Mt.
Inf., Weir, Kan.
Barney, T. W,— Priv, Co. I, 45th 111. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Burk, W. L,— Priv, Co. B, 10th Kan. Inf.,
(dead).
Brooks, W. E,— Priv, Co. I, 16th la. Inf., Mel-
rose, Kan.
Brown, T. W, — Priv, Tex. Cav, Columbus, Kan.
Bliss, D. M,— Priv, Co. D, 1st \V. Va. Art,
Columbus, Kan.
Benn, J. H,— Priv, Co. K, 49th Mo. Cav. (dead).
Bell, James,— Priv, Co. E, 16th 111. Inf., Colum-
bus, Kan.
Bray, Sion P„— 2d Lt, Co. H, 64th Mo. Cav,
Columbus, Kan.
Brown. N. C,— Priv, Co. K. 137th N. Y. Inf.,
Columbus. Kan.
i8o
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
Bryan, S., — Priv., O. Inf., Columbus, Kan.
Bell, J. M.,— Priv., Co. C. 16th 111. Inf., Colum-
bus, Kan.
Burnett, Geo., — Serg., Co. B, mth U. S. Inf.,
Keelville, Kan.
Boyer, Ralph, — Corp., Co. E, 78th Penn. Inf.,
Keelville, Kan.
Beal, G. H.,— Priv., Co. D, 23 111. Inf., Baxter
Springs, Kan.
Brown, Thomas, — Priv., Co. K, 12th Mich. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Beaston, J. A., — Priv., Co. C, 119th 111. Inf., Ga-
lena, Kan.
Butler, Geo. W.,— Priv., Co. B. 47th Mo. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Black, Wm. C.,— Priv., Co. C, 8th Kan. Inf.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Boucher, N., — Corp., Co. E, 12th 111. Cav., Ga-
lena, Kan.
Byrant, A. J.,— Priv., Co. F, 7th Mo. Cav., Ga-
lena, Kan.
% Betty, Robert C— Priv., Co. D, 126th 111. Inf.,
Crestline, Kan.
Burrows, G. R.,— Priv., Co. H, 72c! O. Inf. (P.
O. unknown).
Beeman, A. R.,— Priv., Co. F, 22d O. Inf., Ga-
lena, Kan.
Burton, George, — Priv., Co. D, 37th 111. Inf.,
Hallowell, Kan.
Burrows, J. R., — Priv., Co. E, 61st 111. Inf., Crest-
line, Kan.
Bailey, Geo. H.,— Priv., Co. K, 1st Mich. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Briggs, J. A.,— Priv., Co. A, 91st 111. Inf. (dead.)
Barmore, R. M., — Corp., Co. A, 153d 111. Inf.,
Hallowell, Kan.
Bidler, F.,— Priv., Co. E, 41st 111. Inf., Colum-
bus, Kan.
Bratton, Jas. T., — Priv., Co. C, Kan. Militia
(dead).
Brubaker, D. B.,— Priv., Co. C, 163d O. Nat.
Guard (P. O. unknown).
Beach, Ira, — Priv., Co. D, 46th la. Inf., Sherwin,
Kan.
Beekman, W. J., — Bugler, Co. A, 1st la. Cav.,
Columbus, Kan.
Barrick, Geo. M.,— 1st Lt., 6th O. S. Shoos.,
Hallowell, Kan.
Barnes, Austin, — Priv., Co. G, 45th la. Inf.,
Starvale, Kan.
Browning, V. L., — Priv., Co. D, 3d Mo. Cav.,
Mineral, Kan.
Beggs, Arch.,— Priv., Co. F, 80th 111. Inf., Min-
eral, Kan.
Bowers, James, — Priv., Co. C, 157th O. Inf., Co-
lumbus, Kan.
Baker, H. L.,— Priv., Co. L, 2d 111. Art., Colum-
bus, Kan.
Bates, Uriah,— 1st Lt., Co. E, 5th Mo. Cav.,
Cherokee, Kan.
Branson, W. W.,— Priv., Co. G, 74th O. Inf.,
Cherokee, Kan.
Boyer, William, — Corp., Co. E, 9th III. Int.,
Cherokee, Kan.
Burris, Job H.,— Priv., Co. I, 14th III. Inf.,
McCune, Kan.
Bland, William— Priv., Co. I, 154th 111. Inf.,
McCune, Kan.
Brook, T. W.,— Priv., Co. D, 60th 111. Inf., Sher-
man, Kan.
Brook, Jas. H.,— Priv., Co. D, 60th 111, Inf.,
Sherman, Kan.
Baird, W. W.— Priv., Co. K, 10th 111. Inf., Star-
vale, Kan.
Barker, John M.,— Priv., Co. H, 2d Mo. Art.
Scammon, Kan.
Baird, Giles H.,— Priv., Co. G, 2d 111. Cav., Cher-
okee. Kan.
Buchanan, L. A. — Priv., Co. G, 2d Mo. Cav.,
Scammon, Kan.
Dickie, John C— Priv., Co. K, 139th Mo. Inf.,
Scammon, Kan.
Brundage, G. W.,— Priv., Co. A, 78th 111. Inf.,
Weir, Kan.
Brownfield, A. S.,— Capt, Co. F, 7th O. Cav.,
Cherokee, Kan.
Barber, W. A.,— D. Maj., Co. G, 61st 111. Inf.,
Weir, Kan.
Babcoke, Thos. J., — Serg., Mo. Cav., Opolis,
Kan.
Baker, Henry J., — Priv., 101st Ind. Inf., Colum-
bus, Kan.
Bartholomew, J. C, — 2d Lt., Co. K, 20th Ind.
Inf., Columbus, Kan.
Crane, J. J.. — Corp. Co. F, 50th Mo. Inf., Ga-
lena, Kan.
Craig, John W., — Priv., Co. K, 49th Mo. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Cobb, A. S., — Capt, Co. H, I42d Ind. Inf., Ga-
lena, Kan.
Cave, William, — Priv., Co. A, 91st 111. In., Ga-
lena, Kan.
Crocker, S. W., — Priv., Co. A, 12th Kan. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Clark, Thomas, — Serg., Co. I, 18th la. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Culp, Josiah, — Priv., Co. C, 117th O. Inf.. Ga-
lena, Kan.
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
i8x
Clift, George,— Priv., Co. L, 8th Mo. Cav., Ga-
lena. Kan.
Cooper, Spencer, — Corp., Co. D, 39th O. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Clifton, C. J., -Priv., Co. D, 107th 111. Inf., Ga-
lena, Kan.
Coffer, Geo. W.,— Priv., Co. H, 64th 111. Inf.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Chubb, H. W.,— Priv., Co. G, 2d Cal. Cav.. Bax-
ter Springs, Kan.
Carroll, H.,— Serg., Co. B, 6th O. Cav., Baxter
Springs, Kan.
Cooper, Jos. H.,— Priv., Co. D, 7th 111. Inf., Bax-
ter Springs, Kan.
Cordry, John, — Priv., Co. D, 7th Ind. Inf., Bax-
ter Springs, Kan.
Crowell, B. F., — Priv., Co. A, Mo. Cav., Bax-
ter Springs, Kan.
Corrigan, Nathan, — Priv., Kans. Militia, Empire
City, Kan.
. Cooper, John M., — Corp., Co. K, 16th 111. Inf.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Couch, W. A. — Corp., Co. A, 44th Mo. Inf., Ga-
lena, Kan.
Carlton, Jas. M., — Priv., Co. F, 2d Ky. Inf.,
Empire City, Kan.
Clinebell, W. L.,— Priv., Co. C, 14th Mo. Cav.,
Empire City, Kan.
Cole, James, — Priv., Co. C, 25th Wis. Inf., Em-
pire City, Kan.
Conn, Wm. C.,— Priv., Co. D, 144th O. Inf.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Coffern, J. F„— Corp., Co. C, 2d Kan. Inf., Co-
lumbus, Kan.
Craig, Sam'l., — Priv., Co. F, 2d la. Cav., Colum-
bus, Kan.
Cookston, Thos. S.,— Priv., Co. F, I32d O. N. G .
Columbus, Kan.
Coleman, H. T., — Priv., Co. H, 54th Ind. Inf..
Columbus, Kan.
Chew, Wm. H.,— Corp., Co. F, 81st 111. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Cook, Wm. H.,— Priv., Co. B, nth Tenn. Cav.,
Weir, Kan.
Crissman, J., — Priv., Co. C, 1st Penn. Cav..
Rocky Ford, Colo.
Coy, George, — Priv., Co. B, nth Ind. Cav.,
Chetopa, Kan.
Clavvson, S. F.,— Serg., Co. K, 19th O. Inf.,
Chetopa, Kan.
Cole, A. J.,— Priv., Co. F, 13th Kan. Inf., Mel-
rose, Kan.
Chubb, J. W.,— Priv., Co. A, 74th 111. Inf., Bax-
ter Springs, Kan.
Callis, William,— Priv., Co. B., 20th Mich. Inf.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Childers, Geo. W., — Priv., Co. A, 4th Ky. Cav.,
Columbus, Kan.
Cooper, Isaiah, — Capt, Co. K, 99th 111. Inf.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Cobble, Benjamin, — Priv., Ind. Inf., Neutral,
Kan.
Cavanaugh, M. C, — Priv., Co. B, 49th Wis. Inf.,
Lowell, Kan.
Covert, Peter, — Priv., Co. G, 51st Mo. Inf., Lowell,
Kan.
Carney, Daniel, — Priv.. Co. H, 15th Mo. Cav.,
Galena, Kan.
Chew, L. A.,— Priv., Co. B, 81st 111. Inf., Ga-
lena, Kan.
Carney, J. W., — Corp., Co. A, 80th Mo. Militia,
Galena, Kan.
Cowell, Benj. F.,— Capt., Co. H, 28th 111. Inf.,
(dead).
Corey, Jamgs L., — Priv., Co. C, 70th 111. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Caspri, John, — Priv., Co. E, 47th 111. Inf., Co-
lumbus, Kan.
Clark, G. W.,— Priv., Co. A, 6th Kan. Inf., Ga-
lena, Kan.
Clark, Oscar N.,— Priv., Co. D, 51st Mo. Inf.,
Empire City, Kan.
Carter, George,— Priv., Co. G, 10th Tenn. Inf.,
Boston Mills, Kan.
Corkle, Joseph, — Priv., Co. H, 21st O. Inf., Hal-
lovvell, Kan.
Chidister, James, — Priv., Co. E, 1st O. Cav.,
Crestline, Kan.
Cook, Samuel R.,— Priv., Co. E, 75th 111. Inf.,
Hallowell, Kan.
Crain, A. J.— Priv., Co. D, 151st 111. Inf.. Hal-
lowell, Kan.
Cooter, E. W.,— 1st Lt., Co. A, Kan. Militia,
Columbus, Kan.
Craig, William,— Priv., Co. K, 8th la. Cav., Co-
lumbus, Kan.
Carter, Joseph R.,— Priv., Co. C, 96th O. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Cunningham, Sam'l.,— Priv., Co. I, 98th O. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Clark, David L.,— Priv., Co. E, 22d 111. Inf., Co-
lumbus, Kan.
Coultraine, I. M.,— Priv., Co. F, nth Ind. Cav.,
Starvale, Kan.
Craig, John W.,— Priv., Co. A, 31st 111. Inf.,
Starvale, Kan.
Curry, Robert— Priv., Co. C, 8th Ind., Inf.,
McCune, Kan.
1 82
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
Crawford, J. H.,— Priv.. Co. C, 34th 111. Cav.,
Starvale, Kan.
Christalier, Win. — Priv., Co. G. 18th la. Inf.,
Monmouth, Kan.
Coover, Joseph W., — Priv.. Co. C, 1st Perm. Inf.,
Sherwin, Kan.
Copper, N. — Priv., Co. G, 2d Ind. Inf., Cherokee,
Kan.
Crossley, William,— Priv., Co. B, 100th N. Y. Inf.,
Weir, Kan.
Cunningham, Joseph, — Serg., Co. G, 73d 111. Inf..
Cherokee, Kan.
Cooper, Win. H.,— Priv., Co. C, I02d 111. Inf.,
Opolis. Kan.
Cooper, C. E., — Priv., (company, regiment and
P. O. unknown).
Codding, W. T. ,— Priv., Co. E, 43d 111. Top. En-
gineers, Opolis, Kan.
Coon, F.,— Priv., Co. F, 1st Neb. Cav., Cher-
okee, Kan.
Coonrod, J. F.,— Priv., Co. D, I22d 111. Inf..
Crestline, Kan.
Crage, J. M., — Surg., 134th Ind. Inf., Baxte-
Springs, Kan.
Davis, Hiram,— Priv., Co. E, 117th Hi. Inf..
Galena, Kan.
Dunham, J. W.,— Priv., Co. C. 1st O. H. Art.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Daniels, Chas. W.,— Priv., Co. E, 8th 111. Inf.
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Danglade, J. B.,— Priv., Co. C, 3d Ind. Cav.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Day, S. A.,— Priv., Co. G, 136th 111. Inf.. Baxter
Springs, Kan.
Dale, W. H.,— Priv., Co. H, 2d 111. Lt. Art-
Empire City, Kan.
Doty, Morris, — Priv., Co. G, 93d O. Inf., Baxter
Springs, Kan.
Dunn, Charles— Priv., Co. H, 136th 111. Inf..
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Duncan, J. M.,— Priv., Co. C, 78th 111. Inf., Bax-
ter Springs, Kan.
Dover, Isaac L., — Priv., Co. F, 10th Tenn. Cav.,
Columbus, Kan.
Doran, J. H.,— Priv., Co. D, 71st 111. (dead).
Deem, D. A., — Serg., Co. I, 13th Kan. Cav.
(dead).
Davis, Charles, — Priv., Co. E, 6th 111. Cav.. Co-
lumbus, Kan.
Deane, Perry,— Priv., Co. E, 1st W. Va. Lt. Art-
Weir, Kan.
Davis, J.. W., — Priv., Co. D, 109th Pcnn. Inf.,
Weir, Kan. l
Daugherty, D. M., — Priv., Co. E, nth Mo. Cav.
(dead).
Dalby, Albert— Serg., Co. C, 25th 111. Inf.,
Faulkner, Kan.
Duncan, Thomas R.,— Priv., Co. D, 81st 111. Inf.,
Faulkner, Kan.
Davison, F M.,— Priv., Co. I, 7th U. S. Cav.,
Keeiville, Kan.
Dill, John S.,— Priv., Co. K, 34th la. Inf., Keei-
ville, Kan.
Delany, W. T.,— Priv., Co. H, 47th III. Inf., Co-
lumbus, Kan.
Dutton, M. M..— Priv., Co. F, 91st 111. Inf., Ga-
lena, Kan.
Dove, John, — Priv., Co. C. 33d Ind. Inf., Bax-
ter Springs, Kan.
Dugan, F. M.,— Priv., Co. I, 12th Ohio Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Davis, H. M.,— Priv., Co. F, 3d Wis. Inf., Crest-
line, Kan.
Davis, Silas C— Priv., Co. F, 8th Mo. Inf., Hal-
lowell, Kan.
Denney, E. D., — Capt., Co. H, 5th Ohio Cav.,
Crestline, Kan.
Deem, John W., — Serg., Co. A, 15th Kan. Cav.,
Columbus, Kan.
Davis, M. J.,— Priv., Co. K, 1st Minn. H. Art.,
Columbus, Kan.
Dillon. A. H.,— Priv., Co. F, 179th O. Inf., Co-
lumbus. Kan.
Dillon, W. C— Serg., Co. M, 9th 111. Cav., Co-
lumbus, Kan.
Davis, L. D.,— Corp., Co. A, 28th 111. Inf., Co-
lumbus, Kan.
Doss. A. A., — Serg., Co. A, 2d Mo. Cav., Opolis,
Kansas.
Daulton, Geo. W., — Serg., Co. F. 1st Ky. Cav.,
Weir, Kan.
Downey, J. H.,— Priv., Co. D, 42d 111. Inf., Weir,
Kan.
Douglass, F. B., — Corp.. Co. H, 29th la. Inf.,
Weir, Kan.
Duncan, Alexander, — Serg., Co. K. 103d Penn.
Inf., Weir. Kan.
Dewitt, C, — Priv., Co. H, 95th Ind. Inf., Opolis, Kan.
Davis, W. H.,— Priv., Co. C, 16th Penn. Cav..
Weir, Kan.
Dugger, W. H.,— Priv., Co. A. 13th Tenn. Cav.,
Pleasant View, Kan.
Dobson, William.— Priv.. Co. B, 16th 111. Inf..
Weir, Kan.
Dale, William— Priv., Co. H, 2d 111. Lt. Art.,
Empire City, Kan.
Evans, William J.,— Priv., Co. B, 48th Mo. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Eastman, C. O., — Priv., Co. K. 52d Ind. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
183
Easley, Barton, W.,— Priv., Co. G, 16th 111. Inf.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Edwards, Oliver, — Priv., Co. A, 69th Ind. Inf.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Ellis, B. M.,— Priv., Co. M, nth 111. Cav., Em-
pire City, Kan.
Easley, Jefferson, — Hos. St'd, Co. K, 10th 111.
Cav., Baxter Springs, Kan.
Evans, Lorenzo, — Priv., Co. G, 4th Ky. Cav.,
Columbus, Kan.
Elliott, T. T.,— Priv., Co. E, 15th la. Inf., Weir,
Kan.
Erwin, Hugh, — Capt., Co. A, 24th Ind. Inf.,
Keclville, Kan.
Easton, George, — Priv., Co. C, 119 III. Inf.,
Keelville, Kan.
Evans, George, — Priv., Co. G, 9th Kan. Cav.,
Lowell, Kan.
Ellis, James H.,— Priv., Co. C, 116th 111. Inf., Baxter
Springs, Kan.
Ehalt, Martin— Priv., Co. B, 48th Wis. Inf.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Ebbenstein, Chas., — Priv., Co. B. 69th Ind. Inf.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Ewing, Nelson, — Serg., Co. I, nith Tenn. Inf.,
Varck, Kan.
Evans, J. E.,— Priv., Co. I, 34th Ind. Inf., Ga-
lena, Kan.
Elliott, Win. E.,— Serg., Co. K, 10th III. Cav.,
Columbus, Kan.
Everett, W. H,— Priv., Co. H, 44th Mo. Cav.,
Hallowell, Kan.
Ellis, William H.,— Priv., Co. I, nth la. Inf.,
Tehama, Kan.
Everett, E. J.,— Priv., Co. I, 23d Mo. Inf., Hal-
lowell, Kan.
Ellis, R. D.,— Capt., Co. M, gth Tenn. Cav.,
,Messer, Kan.
Embree, J. C,— Priv, Co. H, 18th 111. Inf., Min-
eral, Kan.
Eddy, L.,— Priv., Co. H, 6th R. I. Inf., Mon-
mouth, Kan.
Eakin, F. M.,— Serg., Co. D. 3d HI- Cav., Mon-
mouth, Kan.
Elam, A. M.,— Vt. Sert, Co. I, 2d Neb. Cav.,
Waco, Mo.
Ellis, Win.,— Serg., Co. G, 4th 111. Cav., Weir, Kan.
Finnell, Jas. S..— Priv., Co. H, 136th Ind. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Fredrickson, Geo.,— Priv., Co. F. 53d Ind. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Friend, August,— Priv., Co. K, 15th Mo. Cav.,
Galena, Kan.
Fribley, J. J.,— 2d Lt„ Co. K. 98th Ind. Inf.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Freeman, H. H.,— Priv., Co. K, 136th 111. Inf.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Fullman, John, — Priv., Co. K, 4th Minn. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Finn, D. C— 2d Lt., Co. B, 30th Mo. Inf., Co-
!lumbus, Kan.
Foster, W. B.,— Serg., Co. B, 112th 111. Inf., Bax-
ter Springs, Kan.
Forest, Jacob, — Priv., Co. A, 34th Ind. Inf., Em-
pire City, Kan.
Foster, Turner, — Priv., Co. H, 14th Tenn. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Frogue, L. D., — Capt., Co. D, 12th Ky. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Ferguson, John, — Priv., Co. L, 5th Ind. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Forkner, Jesse, — Priv., Co. H, 59th 111. Inf., Colum-
bus, Kan.
Faulkner, J. S.— Priv., Co. H, 25 111. Inf., Faulk-
ner, Kan.
Field, H.,— Priv, Co. D, 154th III. Inf., Chetopa, Kan.
Fee, Daniel, — Priv, Mo. Militia, Sherwin, Kan.
Foster, T. J,— Priv, Co. G, 60th Mo. Militia,
Galena, Kan.
Foster, Win. P, — Priv, Co. G, 6th Kansas Cav,
Galena, Kan.
Farrer, I, — Priv, Co. D, 99th Ind. Inf., Empire
City, Kan.
Fesler, Adam B.,— Artificer, Co. A, 1st Mo. En-
gineers, Galena, Kan.
Freeman, Noah B, — Priv, Co. F, 64th 111. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
French, John E, — Corp, Co. C, 6tst III. Inf.,
Messer, Kan.
Fast, Isaac, — Priv, Co. K, I02d Ohio Inf., Hallo-
well, Kan.
French, Oliver,— Priv, Co. I, 20th 111. Inf., Hallo-
well, Kan.
Fast, C. M,— Priv, Co. D, 112th 111. Inf., (dead.)
Faust, Aaron,— Priv, Co. G, 2d Ind. Cav, Mc-
Cune, Kan.
Fehrenback, W. E, — Priv, Co. I, 2d Iowa, Cav,
Columbus, Kan.
Fairchild, A. L„— Priv, Co. H, 72d 111. Inf., Mineral,
Kan.
Frank, Charles— Priv, Co. A, 9th 111. Inf., Scam-
mon, Kan.
Foster, H. S,— Corp, Co. B, 42d Wis. Inf., Scam-
mon, Kan.
Furness, H. N,— Corp, Co. C, 105th 111. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Fryer, James— Priv, Co. E, 2d Mass. H. Art,
Scammon, Kan.
Frazce, Silas,— Priv, Co. D, 83d Ohio Inf. Weir,
Kan.
1 84
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
Fisher, A. J.,— Priv., Co. D, 23d Ind. Inf., Weir,
Kan.
Frazier, John E., — Corp., Co. E, 43d Mo. Inf.,
Opolis, Kan.
Flanner, Charles, — Priv., Co. K, 15th Ohio Inf.,
(dead.)
Freeman, D. S., — Priv., Co. D, 1st Ohio Inf.,
(dead.)
Garner, A. J., — 1st Lt., Co. B, 2d Ark. Cav., Galena,
Kan.
German, Judson, — Priv., Co. C, 10th Mo. Cav.,
Galena, Kan.
Greathouse, Sidney E., — Priv., Co. E, 13th 111. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Glenn, A. T.,— Priv., Co. D, 86th Ohio Inf., Baxter
Springs, Kan.
Griffin, Jas. W., — Serg., Co. G, 49th Tenn. Inf.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Gill, Maskel,— Priv., Co. H, 136th Ohio N. G„
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Green, Geo. W., — Priv., Co. G, nth Conn. Inf., Em-
pire City, Kan.
Garrett, J. H.,— 2d Lt, Co. B, 15th 111. Inf., Baxter
Springs, Kan.
Glascow, John, — Priv, Co. F, 4th U. S. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Gates, Jacob— Priv, Co. E, 8th 111. Cav, (dead.)
Guffin, A, — Corp, Co. F, 2d N. J. Cav, Colum-
bus, Kan.
Goldsbury, Geo, — Priv, Co. G. /2d Ind. Inf., Colum-
bus, Kan.
Goldsbury, T. W,— Priv, Co. G. 72 Ind. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Grimes, Geo. H, — Priv, Co. A, Penn. Inf., Chetopa,
Kan.
Grimes, G. H,— Priv, Co. A. 69th N. Y. Inf.,
Chetopa, Kan.
Green, W. S,— Priv, Co. C, 13th U. S. Inf., Bax-
ter Springs, Kan.
Griffin, L. C— Priv, Co. A, 8m Mo. Militia, Bax-
ter Springs, Kan.
Glassbrook, W. T, — Priv, Co. D, 1st Ark. Cav,
Neutral, Kan.
Gates, Sam'l S, — Priv, Co. G, 7th Kans. Cav.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Grigsley, Robert, — Priv, Co. E, 14th Tenn. Cav,
Galena, Kan.
Gaw, John W, — Priv, Co. I, 14th Ind. Inf., Galena,
Kan.
Gault, H. P,— Priv, Co. I, 52a 111. Inf., Galena,
Kan.
Glenn, Jas. B, — Priv, Co. E, Mo. Cav, Galena,
Kan.
Grimm, Adam, — Priv, Co. A, 148th Penn. Inf.,
Smithfield, Mo.
Gibbons, John, — Priv, Co. H, Mo. Inf., Smithfield,
Mo.
Gaither, R, — Priv, Co. K, 30th 111. Inf., Columbus,
Kan.
Galloup, John, — Priv, Co. F, 69th Mo. Militia,
Columbus, Kan.
Grow, William— Priv, Co. G, 87th Ind. Inf., Hallo-
well, Kan.
Graham, R. S,— Priv, Co. K, 5th 111. Cav, Hallo-
well, Kan.
Girton. J. L, — Wagoner, Co. I, 143d Penn. Inf.,
(dead.)
Golding, J. W, — Priv, Co. H, 151st Ind. Inf.,
Columbus. Kan.
Gentry, J. B, — Bugler, Co. I, 13th Ohio Cav,
Oswego, Kan.
Gambill, D. J, — Priv, Co. F, 17th Ky. Cav, Mon-
mouth, Kan.
Green, John, — Priv, Co. C, nth Iowa Inf., Weir,
Kan.
Gray, John, — Priv, Co. I, 15th Mass. Art, Colum-
bus, Kan.
Grant, S. T, — Priv, Co. G, 6th Mo. Cav, Opolis, Kan.
Gilliland, John— Priv, Co. G, 133d 111. Inf., Pleas-
ant View, Kan.
Henry, William, — Musician, Co. A, 130th 111. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Highland, Robert— Priv, Co. E, 66th 111. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Harris, W. H,— Priv, Co. D, 17th 111. Cav, Galena,
Kan.
Harper, Alex,— Priv, Co. I, 1st W. Va. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Hubbard. J. C— Serg, Co. C, 38th Ind. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Huntington. O. P.— Priv, Co. C, 36th Iowa. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Highland. William— Corp, Co. D, 4th 111. Cav.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Hiner, R. J, — Capt, Co. B, 5th Kans. Militia, Bax-
ter Springs, Kan.
Hodgkins, Edward, — Priv, Co. I, 12th N. Y. Int.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Henry, James V, — 1st Lt, Co. D, 1st Mich. Inf.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Hopkins, Samuel, — Priv, Co. G, 15th U. S. Inf.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Hedges, T. J, — 1st Lt, 4th Kans. Cav, Baxter
Springs, Kan.
Hatfield, Elijah, — Corp, Co. G, 8th Tenn. Cav,
Galena, Kan.
Harris, L. W,— Priv, Co. C, 3d Ind. Cav, Baxter
Springs, Kan.
Howey, Thomas A,— Priv, Co. A, 38th 111. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
185
Hobson, Albert,— Priv., Co. B, 12th Term. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Hogg, B. F.,— Corp., Co. C, 104th N. V. Inf.,
(dead.)
Hartman, Simeon, — Priv., Co. H, 1st Colo. Inf.,
(dead.)
Huey, J. W.,— Priv., Co. F, 80th 111. Inf., Colum-
bus, Kan.
Hunt, E. F.,— Priv., Co. D, 118th Ohio Inf., Colum-
bus, Kan.
Henry, H.,— Priv., 23d Ind. Art., Columbus, Kan.
Hummers, John, — Priv., Co. L, 7th 111. Cav., Weir,
Kan.
Hood, Archibald, — Serg., Co. F, loth Mo. Inf.,
(dead.)
Hicks', H. A.,— 2d Lt, 9th Wis. Art., (dead.)
Haseltine, D. P., — Priv., 1st Kans. Art., Columbus,
Kan.
Hill, O. P.— Priv., Co. M, 3d Iowa Cav., Melrose,
Kan.
Hall, S. T.,— Priv., Co. H, 14th 111. Inf., Chetopa,
Kan.
Hennigh, Daniel, — Priv., Co. F, 206U1 Penn. Inf.,
Melrose, Kan.
Huggins, Geo. M., — Priv., Co. I, 130th Ind. Inf.,
Melrose, Kan.
Hadden, N. M.,— Priv., Co. K, 127th 111. Inf., Mel-
rose, Kan.
Himes, Geo. W.,— Serg., Co. D, 1st Kans Inf..
Faulkner, Kan.
Hubble, O., — Corp., Co. I, 19th Ind. Inf., Chetopa,
Kan.
Hill, John A., — Corp., Co. F, 7th Mo. Cav.. Keel-
ville, Kan.
Hall, James, — Priv., Co. C, 119th 111. Inf., Colum-
bus, Kan.
Hartley, J. F.,— Priv., Co. I, 69th Ind. Inf.. Baxter
Springs, Kan.
Hacks, J. H.,— Priv., Co. C, 12th Mo. Inf., Baxter
Springs, Kan.
. Houston, Benj., — Priv., Co. F, 125th 111. Inf., Neu-
tral, Kan.
Hudson, W. H..— Priv., Co. H, 36th Iowa Inf.,
Neutral, Kan.
Hedrick, S. C„— Priv., Co. G, 58th 111. Inf., Baxter
Springs, Kan.
Hall, S., — Priv., Co. H, 92d Ohio Inf., Galena, Kan.
Henderson, J. S., — Serg., Co. E, Mo. Independent,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Hubbard, J. A., — Capt., Co. D, 22d 111. Inf., Galena,
Kan.
Harman, J. R., — Corp., Co. D, 89th Ind. Inf., Bax-
ter Springs, Kan.
Harvey, C. W.,— Serg., Co. C, 89th Ind. Inf., Varck,
Kan.
Hurt, J. J.,— Priv., Co. E, 24th Mich. Inf., Lowell,
Kan.
Hallmark, Lewis, — Priv., Co. A, 8th Mo. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Hubbard, H. R.,— Capt., Co. A, 119th 111. Inf.,
Boston Mills, Kan.
Henderson, John,— Priv., Co. F, 73d Ind. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Hine, J.,— Priv., Co. B, 77th Ind. Inf., Galena, Kan.
Hays, Wrn. C.,— Priv., Co. G, 31st Wis. Inf.,
Tehama, Kan.
Harrison, Geo. W., — Priv., Co. E, 125th 111. Inf.,
Crestline, Kan.
Harbaugh, J. E.,— Corp., Co. K, 85th Ind. Inf.,
Crestline, Kan.
Hadson, James, — Priv., Co. B, 157th 111. Inf., Crest-
line, Kan.
Hileman, M. D.,— Priv., Co. D, 57th Mo. Inf., Hallo-
well, Kan.
Howard, James R., — Priv., Co. H, 71st Penn. Inf.,
Messer, Kan.
Hamilton, Hugh, — Corp., Co. B, 63d Ohio Cav.,
Crestline, Kan.
Huff, John, — Priv., Co. F, i52d Ind. Inf., Crestline,
Kan.
Hallam, W. H.,— Priv., Co. C. 129th 111. Inf., Crest-
line, Kan.
Hartman, M. J., — Priv., Co. E, 154th Ohio Inf.,
Hallowell, Kan.
Hannah. John G, — Priv., Co. B, 27th Ind. Inf.,
Hallowell, Kan.
Hook, Matthias, — Priv., Co. C, 27th Iowa Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Haight, Chas. B., — Corp., Co. B, -inth Penn. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Hollingsworth, I. B.,— Priv., Co. L, 8th Ohio Cav.,
Columbus, Kan.
Hendy, J. H.,— Priv., Co. I, 123d 111. Inf., Colum-
bus', Kan.
Henderson, John, — Priv., Co. G, 2d Penn. Art.,
Columbus, Kan.
Herreld, Benj., — Priv., Co. C, 40th Iowa, Inf., Star-
vale, Kan.
Herreld, A. F., — Priv., Co. C, 40th Iowa, Inf.,
(dead.)
Heap, Thomas, — Priv., Co. A, 31st 111., Inf., Sher-
win, Kan.
Hur;t, William— Priv., Co. B. 2d Ohio H. Art.,
McCune, Kan.
Hildreth, J. H.,— Priv., Co. K, 65th 111. Inf., Mineral,
Kan.
Herrington, D. H.,— Priv., Co. G) 184th Ohio Inf.,
McCune, Kan.
Haynes, Thomas, — Priv., Co. B, 52d 111. Inf., Colum-
bus, Kan.
1 86
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
Huffington, Geo., — 12th Ind. Battery, McCune, Kan.
Hicks, John W.,— Priv., Co. C, 88th Ohio Inf., Mc-
Cune, Kan.
Hale, W. M.,— Priv., Co. B, 136th 111. Inf., Star-
vale, Kan.
Holt, Joseph,— Priv., Co. H, 1st Ind. H. Art., Sher-
man, Kan.
Harris, A. R., — Priv., Co. L, 1st Mo. Militia, Scam-
mon, Kan.
Holmes, Henry, — Corp., Co. A, 156th 111. Inf.,
Columbus', Kan.
Hoy, John W.,— Corp., Co. E, 9th 111. Inf., Mon-
mouth, Kan.
Harding, H. N., — Corp., Co. K, 49th Wis. Inf.,
Scammon, Kan.
Henry, John, — Serg., Co. H, 2d 111. Caw, Weir,
Kan.
Hanes, Charles, — Serg., Co. B, 81st Ohio Inf.,
Opolis, Kan.
Huffman, William— Priv., Co. G, 17th Ind. Inf.,
Pleasant View, Kan.
Hiatt, Jas. H.,— Priv., Co. C, 19th Ind. Inf., Waco,
Mo.
Ingram, Wm. H.,— Priv., Co. D, 22d 111. Inf., (P. O.
unknown.)
Jacobs, John, — Priv., Co. H, 16th Kans. Cav.,
Galena. Kan.
Johnson, Elias, — Serg., Co. E, 161 Ohio Inf., Bax-
ter Springs, Kan.
Jordan, J. VV. — Priv., Co. A, 8th Mo. Cav., Baxter
Springs, Kan.
Johnson, W. P.,— Priv., Co. E, 8th Mo. Inf., Baxter
Springs, Kan.
Jarvis, W. V., — Priv., Co. G, 173 Ohio Inf., Galena,
Kan.
Jones, Wm. W. ,— Serg., Co. E, 7th U. S. Inf., Bax-
ter Springs, Kan.
Johnson, Shelly, — Priv., Co. D, 33d Ind. Inf., Bax-
ter Springs, Kan.
Jones, James B., — Serg., Co. K, Iowa Engineers,
Columbus, Kan.
Jones, Wm. L., — Priv., Co. C, 134th Ohio Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Jones, Daniel, — Priv., Co. B, 1st Ohio H. Art.,
Columbus, Kan.
Johnson, William, — Priv., Co. H, 7th Ky. Cav.,
Columbus, Kan.
Jones, M. A.,— Priv., Co. F, 3d Mo. Cav., Colum-
bus, Kan.
Johnson, James, — Priv., Co. B, mth 111. Inf.,
, Columbus', Kan.
Jenkins, John, — Priv., Co. G, 25th Ind. Inf., Weir,
Kan.
Joachim, G. M., — Priv., Co. E, 106th Ohio Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Jones, L. D., — 111. Inf., Columbus, Kan.
Johnson, A. M.,— Priv., Co. E, 29th 111. Inf., Mel-
rose, Kan.
Jackson, Phillip— Priv., Co. F, 150th 111. Inf., Faulk-
ner, Kan.
Johnson, J. R., — Priv., Co. D, 170th Ohio Inf.,
Melrose, Kan.
James, W. F,— Priv, Co. D, 6th Mo. Militia, Mel-
rose, Kan.
Jones, David W.,— Priv, Co. A, nth U. S. Inf.,
Melrose, Kan.
Jarrett, W. D,— Priv, Co. I, 3d Mich. Cav, Mel-
rose, Kan.
Jarrett, John F,— Priv, Co. I, 3d Mich. Cav, Mel-
rose, Kan.
Johnson, Thomas, — Priv, Co. E, 44th Ohio Inf.,
Varck, Kan.
Jarrett, Michael,— Priv, Co. H, 148th Ind. Inf.,
Baxter Springs', Kan.
Jonas. John, — Priv, Co. H, 36th Ind. Inf., Varck,
Kan.
Jenkins, F. F, — Priv, Co. E, 106th 111. Inf., Galena,
Kan.
Jackson, Elvis B,— Priv, Co. D, 52d Ky. Mt. Inf.,
Crestline, Kan.
Jaco, Benj. F,— Priv, Co. E, 6th W. Va. Inf.,
Crestline, Kan.
Janey, Stephen,— 1st Lt, Co. G, 79th Ohio Inf.,
Crestline, Kan.
Jones, Robert M, — Serg, Co. I, 7th Iowa Inf.,
Crestline, Kan.
Johnson, E. M, — Priv, Co. D, 30th Ind. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Jones, Orrin S,— Priv, Co. B, 29th Mo. Militia,
Columbus, Kan.
Jarvis, William, — Priv, Co. H, 97 Ind. Inf.,
Sherwin, Kan.
Jones, J. W, — Corp, Co. D, 6th Ind. Cav, Hallo-
well, Kan.
Jones, Robert H,— Priv, Co. F, 3d Mo. Cav,
Mineral, Kan.
Jeter, Geo. S, — Priv, Co. H, 23d Mo. Inf., Mon-
mouth, Kan.
Jenkins, John H, — Priv, Co. K, 134th Ind. Inf.,
Cherokee, Kan.
Johnson, A. P,— Priv, Co. I, 80th 111. Inf., Weir,
Kan.
Jones, J. D, — Priv, Co. A, 6th Iowa Inf., Sherwin,
Kan.
Kelley, W. A, — Priv, Co. E, 26th Ind. Inf., Galena,
Kan.
Keetin, Patrick, — Priv, Co. I, 23d Ind. Inf., Galena,
Kan.
Kinkade, A. P„— 2d Lt, Co. B, 35th Ky. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
187
Knox, Carey, — Priv., Co. F, nth Mo. Cav., Galena,
Kan.
Kennedy, G. L.,— Capt., W. Va. N. G., Baxter
Springs, Kan.
Knight, Madison, — Priv., Co. K, 6th Kans. Cav.,
Empire City, Kan.
Kyler, Jesse, — Wagoner, Co. E, 17th Ind. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Knapp, M. R., — Priv., Co. H, 74th Ind. Inf., Kan-
sas City, Mo.
Kleinfield, J. P,— 2d Lt., Co. E, 26th N. Y. Inf.,
(P. O. unknown.)
Kitch, J. M.,— Priv., Co. H, 97 Ind. Inf., Neutral,
Kan.
King, G. R.,— Priv., Co. C, 119th 111. Inf., Neutral,
Kan.
Knott, Wm. A., — Corp., Co. D, 1st Mo. Cav.,
Messer, Kan.
Kramer, David— Priv., Co. G, 82 111. Inf., Waco,
Mo.
Kyle, A. R.,— Priv., Co. C, 24th Mich. Inf., Hallo-
well, Kan.
Kimerer, Joseph, — Priv., Co. F, 16th 111. Inf., Star-
vale, Kan.
Kennedy, A. W.,— Priv., Co. B, mth 111. Inf.,
Starvale, Kan.
Knox, James,— Priv., Co. B, 3d N. Y. Lt. Art.,
Hallowell, Kan.
Lunsford, I. G., — Bugler, Co. 1, 47th Mo. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Love, James, — Priv., Co. G, 2d Mo. Cav., Galena,
Kan.
Love, F., — Priv., Co. G, 3d Mo. Cav., Galena, Kan.
Leake, Geo. W., — Priv., Co. C, nth Kans. Cav.,
Galena, Kan.
Lamb, E.,— Priv., Co. H, 35th Mo. Inf., Galena,
Kan.
Luther, Charles, — Corp., Co. A, 140th N. Y. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Leerney, M. C, — Priv., Co. E, 2d Iowa Cav., Bax-
ter Springs, Kan.
Long, Sedrick, — Priv., Ohio Militia, Baxter Springs,
Kan.
Locer, William,— Priv., Co. E, 57th Ind. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Labedie, C. H., — Corp., Co. E, 2d Mo. Cav., Galena,
Kan.
Louderback, A.,— Priv., Co. H, 1st Ind. H. Art.,
Galena, Kan.
Lamb, Avery, — Priv., Co. A, 2d Colo. Cav., Empire
City, Kan.
Leslie, Thomas,— Priv., Co. D. 15th Iowa Inf.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Lewis, J. W.,— Priv. Co. C, 117th 111. Inf.. Colum-
bus, Kan.
Lees, John, — Priv., Co. I, 23d U. S. Inf., Colum-
bus, Kan.
Larremore, Joseph, — Priv., Co. L. 15th Mo. Cav.,
Weir, Kan.
Liff, Wilson,— Priv., Co. H, 18th Ohio Inf., Weir,
Kan.
LaRue, T. P., — Corp.. Co. G, 2d Iowa Inf., Colum-
bus, Kan.
Long, Matthew, — Priv., Co. A, 16th Penn. Inf.,
Weir, Kan.
Lamson, H. T., — Corp., Co. I, 55th Ohio Inf.,
Columbus', Kan.
Leeper, John S., — Priv., Co. D, 9th Iowa Cav.,
Chetopa, Kan.
Lammey, S. Y.,— Priv., Co. E, 149th 111. Inf., Mel-
rose, Kan.
Little, William— Priv., Co. G, 32d Ohio Inf., Mel-
rose, Kan.
Landon, W., — Corp., Co. I, 85th 111. Inf., Chetopa,
Kan.
Longly, G. W.,— Priv., Co. H, 30th Ind. Inf.,
Chetopa, Kan.
Lane, J. W. S.,— Priv., Co. D, 75th Ind. Inf., Keel-
ville, Kan.
Lucas, Edward, — Priv., Co. C, 7th Ky. Inf., Colum-
bus, Kan.
Lees, William, — Corp., Co. B, 4th Iowa Cav.,
Columbus, Kan.
Leggett, E. J.,— Serg., Co. I, 116th N. Y. Inf.,
Lowell, Kan.
Lucas, T. B., — Priv., Co. C, 10th Ind. Inf., Galena,
Kan.
Lindsey, J. W.,— Priv., Co. H, 78th Penn. Inf.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Lowe, W. A.,— Priv., Co. F, 27th 111. Inf., Baxter
Springs, Kan.
Lucky, John, — Priv., Co. B. 25th 111. Inf., Galena,
Kan.
Lea, A. T., — Priv., Co. B, 143 Ind. Inf., Columbus,
Kan.
Locke, A. W.,— Corp., Co. K, 1st Ohio Cav., (P. O.
unknown.)
Ludlow, J. H.,— Serg., Co. B, 63d Ind. Inf., Crest-
line, Kan.
Landers, John B— Priv., Co. B, 43d Mo. Inf.,
(P. O. unknown.)
Ludlow, John S.,— Priv., Co. K, 63d Ind. Inf..
Crestline, Kan.
Loucks, Cornelius-,— Serg., Co. G, 79th Ind. Inf.,
Crestline, Kan.
Lutes, E. D.,— Priv., Co. B, 4th Mo. Cav., Crest-
line, Kan.
Lisle, A. B.,— Priv., Co. D, I02d Ohio Inf., (dead.)
Luckey, Jerry— Priv., Co. F, 25th Iowa Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
1 88
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
Lopp, Charles W., — Capt, Co. B, 38th Ind. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Lewis, David D.,— Priv., Co. H, Mo. Cav., (P. O.
unknown. )
Lanstrum, A. A., — Capt., Co. G, 59th 111. Inf.,
(P. O. unknown.)
Lyons, W. E.,— Priv., Co. B, 139th 111. Inf., Colum-
bus, Kan.
Louther, Arnold, — Priv., Co. E, 99th Ir.d. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Lyons, T. A., — Priv., Co. G, 139th 111. Inf., Colum-
bus, Kan.
Larcum, Lee, — Priv., Co. C, 121st Ohio Inf.. Cher-
okee, Kan.
Langlass, Nicholas, — Priv., Co. G, 148th 111. Inf.,
Weir. Kan.
Lewis, Warren, — Corp., Co. A, 12th Ohio Cav.,
Weir. Kan.
Lakey, John, — Priv., Co. E, 25th Mo. Inf., Crest-
line, Kan.
Mahan, Wm. J.,— Priv., Co. K. 8th 111. Inf., Galena,
Kan.
Manlove, S. L., — Priv., Co. G, 16th 111. Inf., Galena,
Kan.
Mayer, Jacob M„ — Corp., Co. F, 6th Penn. Cav.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Mitchell, John, — Corp., Co. C, 171st Ohio Inf.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Merriman, R., — Priv., Co. I, 111th Penn. Inf.,
Galena. Kan.
Martin, W. H.,— Priv., Co. D, 44th III. Inf., Em-
pire City, Kan.
March, William— Serg., Co. H, 60th Ohio Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Murphey, James, — Message Boy, Ship "Vermont,"
Empire City, Kan.
Mann, Martin, — Capt., Co. B, 61st 111. Inf., Bax-
ter Springs, Kan.
Mann, Charles W.,— Priv., Co. A, 53d 111. Inf.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Meads, James L., — Priv., Co. C, 6th Ind. Inf., Bax-
ter Springs, Kan.
Morris, C. D., — Corp., Co. E, 33d 111. Inf., Rogers,
Ark.
Martin, P. S.,— Priv., Co. D, 33d 111. Inf., (P. O.
unknown.)
Miles, R. P.,— Priv., Co. E, 14th Mo. Cav., Keel-
ville, Kan.
Middaugh, C. E.,— Priv., Wis. Art, (dead.)
Mitchell. D. L.,— Corp., Co. D, 23d 111. Inf.. Co-
lumbus, Kan.
Mentzer, H. C— Corp., Co. B, i62d Ohio Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Masters, William— Priv., Co. D, 47th 111. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Mahan, J., — Corp., Co. D, nth 111. Cav., Weir, Kan.
Mulliken, William, — Corp., Co. I, 22d Ind. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Macy, E. T., — Musician, Co. H, 39th Ohio Inf.,
(dead.)
Mitchell, Chas. W.,— Priv.. Co. F, 7th 111. Cav.,
Columbus, Kan.
Moore. H. W.,— D. Maj., Co. C, 131st Penn. Inf.,
Miami, I. T.
Morris. Matthew,— Priv., Co. B, 18th Mo. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Marshall, D. T.,— Priv., Co. C, oSth Ind. Militia,
Columbus, Kan.
Maxwell, N. H„— Serg., Co. F, 80th 111. Inf.,
Faulkner, Kan.
Modisett, John F., — Corp., 2d Ohio Battery, Mel-
rose, Kan.
Moore, C. R.,— Capt., Co. F, 38th Wis. Inf., Colum-
bus, Kan.
Matthews, Geo. W.,— Priv., Co. D, no 111. Inf.,
Melrose, Kan.
Moore, Jas. H., — Priv., Co. I, 12th Kansas Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Mayer, John M„ — Priv., Kansas Militia, Colum-
bus, Kan.
Millen, J. H„— Priv., Co. D, 198th Ohio Inf., Bax-
ter Springs, Kan.
Medaris, Jacob, — Priv., Co. B, 47th 111. Inf., Bax-
ter Springs, Kan.
.A last, John R.,— Priv., Co. I, 85th Ind. Inf., Neutral,
Kan.
Mulliken, Lee— Priv., Co. F, 77th N. Y. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Miller, Henry,— Priv., Co. A, 15th N. Y. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Michner, E. M., — Corp.. Co. B, no Ind. Inf., Bax-
ter Springs, Kan.
Mitchell, A.,— Priv., Co. C, 7th 111. Inf., Varck,
Kan.
Medler, M. L.,— Priv., Co. H, nth N. H. Inf.,
Empire City, Kan.
Murray, J., — Serg.. Co. K, 14th Kan. Cav.,
Galena, Kan.
Madison, Maurace, — Priv., Co. C, 117th Ky. Cav.,
Galena, Kan.
Messer, Lewis, — Priv., Co. E, 15th Mo. Cav., Em-
pire City, Kan.
Morse, John, — Priv., Co. H, 4th Iowa Cav., Galena,
Kan.
Metcalf, Andrew, — Priv., Co. I, 25th Wis. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Malott, William— Priv., Co. H, 12th Mo. Cav.,
Boston Mills, Kan.
Mays, John, — Priv., Co. M, 9th Tenn. Cav., Galena,
Kan.
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
189
Moore, Benj.,— Priv., Co. B, 138th Wo. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Marina, Job, — Priv., Co. M, 4th Mo. Cav., Galena,
Kan.
Morarity, M. E., — Priv., Co. K, 9th Iowa Inf.,
Messer, Kan.
Morrow, James, — Priv., Co. A, 115th 111. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Mason, John A., — Priv., Co. F, 47th 111. Inf., Crest-
line, Kan.
Martin, D. R., — Surg., 3d Iowa Inf., (dead.)
Mayes, R. J., — Priv., Co. A, 7th Iowa Cav., Hallo-
well, Kan.
Martin, C. C, — Corp., Co. A, 102 111. Inf., Colum-
bus, Kan.
Metzler, C. G.,— Priv., Co. D, 1st Mo. Inf., (dead.)
Mayhood, J. C, — Priv., Co. G, 10th Penn. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Milligan, J. M.,— Priv., Co. L, 2d Ohio H. Art.,
Columbus, Kan.
Morgan, James, — Priv., Co. M., nth Kans. Cav.,
Columbus, Kan.
Masters, John G.,— Priv., Co. D, 47th III. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Mast, Amos, — Priv., Co. C, 51 Ind. Inf., Crestline,
Kan.
Miller, John A., — Priv., Co. E, 35th Ohio Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Morgan, William, — Priv., Co. I, 138 Ohio Inf.,
Scammon, Kan.
Morgan, Austin, — Priv., Co. B, 20th Iowa, Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
.Mitchell, David— Priv., Co. D, 85th Ind. Inf.,
Opolis, Kan.
Mordica, James, — Priv., Co. L, 15th Kans. Inf.,
Opolis, Kan.
Moody, J. F„— Priv., 6Sth Ky. Militia, Weir, Kan.
Mishler, Jacob, — Priv., Co. K, 149th Ind. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Merrick, Walter, — Priv., Co. C, 6th Kans. Cav.,
Waco, Mo.
Merriman, Jas. N, — Priv., Co. E, 143d 111. Inf.,
Waco, Mo.
Mabley, Randolph, — Priv., Co. D, 10th Kan. Inf.,
Weir, Kan.
Mc Wilson, William, — Priv., Co. A, 2d Iowa Cav.,
(dead.)
McCollough, R. T.,— Priv., Co. I, 16th Mo. Cav.,
Galena, Kan.
McDugal, Geo. W.,— Priv., Co. B, 33d 111. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
McLahlan, James, — Priv., Co. C, 6th Kans. Cav.,
Galena, Kan.
McNay, John M.,— Priv., Co. B, 45th Iowa Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
McCall, Samuel,— Priv., Co. E, 75th 111. Inf., (dead.)
McGinnis, II. L.,— Priv., Co. D, 9th Kans. Cav.,
Empire City, Kan.
Mcllhaney, R. B.,— Priv., Co. D, 107th 111. Inf.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
McClure, Curtis,— Priv., Co. C, 16th Tenn. Inf.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
McDowell, S. O.,— Priv., Co. M, nth Ind. Cav.,
Minneapolis, Kan.
McFarren, Henry, — Priv., Co. F, 25th Mich. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
McCollough— Priv., Co. E, 41st Ind. Cav., Faulk-
ner, Kan.
McClure, J. A.,— Serg., Co. A, 2d 111. Res. Corps,
Columbus, Kan.
McClure, John A.,— Serg., Co. D, 81st 111. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
McClure, Thos. A.,— Corp., Co. D, 81st 111. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
McMickle, Clinton, — Serg., Co. G, 2d low. Inf.,
Hallowell, Kan.
McComas, Wm. N., — Priv., Co. K, 25th Iowa Inf.,
Crestline, Kan.
McKennis, H.,— Priv., Co. F, S2d Ky. Inf., Hallo-
well, Kan.
McCullough, Silas, — Priv., Co. G, 100th Ohio Inf.,
Hallowell, Kan.
McEwen, James, — Serg., Co. E, 5th Kans. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
McCurdy, John, — Priv., Co. D, 4th Penn. Cav.,
Starvale, Kan.
McClure, S. P.— Priv, Co. K, 68th 111. Inf., McCune,
Kan.
McFarland, John, — Priv, Co. C, 135th Ind. Inf.,
Cherokee, Kan.
McCorkle, Geo. R,— Priv, Co. C, 156th Ind. Inf.,
Scammon, Kan.
McClure, G. M,— Priv, Co. B, 39th Iowa Inf., Weir,
Kan.
McWethey, Jerome, — Priv, Co. G, 2d Mich. Cav.,
Columbus, Kan.
Neal, Robert D,— Serg, Co. D, 91st 111. Cav,
(dead.)
Naylor, J. C,— Priv, Co. H, 148th 111. Cav, Baxter
Springs, Kan.
Noble, Elbert O, — Priv, Co. C, 46th Mass. Cav,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Norris, James, — Priv, Co. G, 26th Ky. Cav, Galena,
Kan.
Newman, Isaac, — Priv, Co. A, 6th Ohio Inf., Weir,
Kan.
Nail, W. T.,— Priv, Co. K, 86th 111. Inf., Weir,
Kan.
Nichols, C. D,— Priv, Co. D, 3d Wis. Inf., Colum-
bus, Kan.
190
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
Nottingham, John, — Priv., Co. E, 1st Va. Caw,
Faulkner, Kan.
Newmire, Geo. H., — Corp., Co. F, 21st Mo. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Norton, E., — Priv., Co. A, 17th Ind. Inf.,
Chetopa, Kan.
North, William II., — Priv., Co. D, 12th Kans. Inf.,
Faulkner, Kan.
Nash, M. J.,— Priv., Co. E, 95th Ohio Inf., Baxter
Springs, Kan.
Noell, L. J.,— Priv., Co. B, 138th 111. Inf., Columbus,
Kan.
Nichols, J. J., — Priv., Co. K, 6th Kans. Cav., Empire
City, Kan.
Nichols, Geo. W.,— Priv., Co. A, 10th Mo. Inf.,
Messer, Kan.
Newberry, Edward, — Priv., Co. F, 37th Ind. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Newell, John W.,— Priv., Co. F, 125th 111. Inf.,
Starvale, Kan.
Norris, Edward,— Priv., Co. B, 35th Wis. Inf.,
Sherman, Kan.
Nunn, Ingram, — Priv., Co. A, 101st 111. Inf., Mc-
Cune, Kan.
Nolan, John, — Priv., Co. H, 36th Ohio Inf., Sher-
man, Kan.
Nolan, James A., — Priv., Co. B, 32d Ohio Inf.,
Sherman, Kan.
Norton, W. S.,— Priv., Co. K, 8th Mo. Cav.,
Columbus, Kan.
Newport, John W., — Priv., Co. E, 57th Ind. Inf.,
Crestline, Kan.
Newman, S. E., — Priv., Co. H, 7th Ohio Art., Weir,
Kan.
Nowlin, Lewis, — Serg., Co. G, i$2d Ohio Inf.,
Weir, Kan.
Opperman, J. B., — Priv., 17th Ohio Bat., Baxter
Springs, Kan.
O'Connell, John, — Corp., Co. B, 92d N. Y. Inf.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Owen, J. M., — Bugler, Co. A, 6th Ind. Cav., Galena,
Kan.
Orwan, F. M., — Corp., Co. G, 9th Kans. Cav.,
Galena, Kan.
Oliver, E. T.,— Priv., Co. A, 8th Mo. Cav., Boston
Mills, Kan.
Olinger, S. H.,— Priv., Co. I, 5th Iowa Inf., (dead.)
Owen, Henry L.,— Priv., Co. F, 8th Mo. Cav.,
Galena, Kan.
Ogleby, J. C„— Priv., Co. G, 72d Ind. Mt. Inf.,
Hallowell, Kan.
Oliphant, W. R.,— Priv., Co. E, 42d Ind. Inf.,
Oswego, Kan.
Oliphant, O. S.,— Priv., Co. H, 149th Ind. Inf.,
(dead.)
O'Malley, James, — Priv., Co. I, 53d 111. Inf., Cher-
okee, Kan.
O'Neill. Hugh— Priv., Co. C, 90th 111. Inf., Weir,
Kan.
Oglesby, John H., — Priv., Co. D, 14th Kans. Cav.,
Opolis, Kan.
Pangborn, H. L., — Priv., 1st Wis. Art., Galena, Kan.
Pummel!, John, — Priv., Co. E, 2d Ark. Cav., Galena,
Kan.
Pond, James M., — Priv., Co. C, 12th Mo. Militia,
Galena, Kan.
Pittman, Reason, — Corp., Co. F, 2d Mo. Cav.,
Galena, Kan.
Perry, L. J., — Priv., Co. C, 44th Mo. Inf., Galena,
Kan.
Payne, Jas. M., — Priv., Co. G, 2d 111. Cav., Galena,
Kan.
Patterson, John, — Serg., Co. K, 16th Ohio Inf.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Pulley, Geo. W.,— Priv., Co. H, 81st 111. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Price, J. S.,— Capt., Co. A, 79th 111. Inf., Baxter
Springs, Kan.
Pittman, Edward, — Priv., Co. I, 2d Mo. Lt. Art.,
Galena, Kan.
Pounds, William,— Priv., Co. H, 1st Ark. Cav.,
Galena, Kan.
Pinnick, William, — Corp., Co. I, 38th Ind. Int.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Price, Charles J., — Priv., Co. D, 2d Kans. Cav,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Pierson, Geo. W.,— Priv., Co. G, 10th N. V., 11.
Art., Columbus, Kan.
Parker, J. M.,— Priv., Co. C, 54th Ky. Mt. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Pattyson, Darius, — Seaman, U. S. G. Boat "Brill",
Columbus, Kan.
Perkins, Elisha— Priv., Co. E, 27th Ind. Inf.,
(dead.)
Phillips, John— Priv., Co. I, 5th Ohio Inf., Mel-
rose, Kan.
Pemberton, Russell,— Priv., Co. C, 48th Ohio Inf.,
(dead.)
Pearce, R. C, — Priv., Co. A, 33d Ind. Inf., Melrose,
Kan.
Phillips, Vincent,— Capt., W. Va. Cav., Baxter
Springs, Kan.
Parsons, A. J., — Priv., Co. K, 6th Kans. Inf., Baxter
Springs, Kan.
Potter, O. O., — Serg., Co. A, 141st 111. Inf., Colum-
bus, Kan.
Patterson, Ellis, — Serg., Co. F, 43d Ohio Inf., Bax-
ter Springs, Kan.
Pence, D. N.,— Priv., Co. D, 62d 111. Inf., Baxter
Springs, Kan.
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
19I
Payne, R. N., — Priv., Co. G, 19th Kans. Cav., Galena,
Kan.
Peters, Joseph, — Priv., Co. G, 76th Ind. Inf., Baxter
Springs, Kan.
Peters, W. H. ,— Priv., Co. H, 5th Ohio Cav., Bos-
ton Mills, Kan.
Porter, P. B., — Priv., Co. A, 130th Ohio Inf., Galena,
Kan.
Peck, Ira, — Priv., Co. B, 91st Ind. Inf., Galena, Kan.
Parker, Geo. W.,— Priv., Co. K, 7th 111. Inf., Crest-
line, Kan.
Pancake, Geo. H., — Priv., Co. B, nth 111. Cav.,
Galena, Kan.
Parker, G. E. T.,— Priv., Co. C, 9th Mo. Cav.,
Crestline, Kan.
Preston, J. S., — Priv., Co. A, 194th Ohio Inf., Crest-
line, Kan.
Porter, H. L,,— Priv., Co. H, 23d Mich. Inf., Sher-
win, Kan.
Pollock, W. YV.,— Priv., Co. I, 31st 111. Inf., Hallo-
well, Kan.
Pendcrgrass, James, — Priv., Co. I, I22d 111. Inf.,
Hallowell, Kan.
Perry, William,— Priv., Co. B, 10th 111. Inf., Mc-
Cune, Kan.
Puckett, J. C.,— Priv., Co. E, 21st Ky. Inf., Hallo-
well, Kan.
Penrod, Solomon, — Priv., Co. A, 120th Ind. Inf.,
Hallowell, Kan.
Perrin, J. H„— Serg., Co. G, 135th 111. Inf., Hallo-
well, Kan.
Patterson, Leslie, — Priv., Co. E, I02d 111. Inf., Min-
eral, Kan.
Pigg, S. N,— Priv., Co. B, 137th 111. Inf., Cher-
okee, Kan.
Pryor, James B.,— Priv., Co. K, 7th Mo. Inf., Weir,
Kan.
Payne, James F.,— Priv., Co. 6th Kans. Cav., Pleas-
ant View, Kan.
Parker, Isaac.,— Priv., Co. H, 1st Ohio Lt. Art.,
Monmouth, Kan.
Quinn, Bruce,— Priv., Co. A, 6th Mo. Cav., Varck,
Kan.
Rains, H. F.,— Priv., Co. G, 49th Ky. Inf., Waco,
Mo.
Raub, William G.,— Priv., Co. F, 153d Penn. Inf.,
Scammon, Kan.
Rush, Morgan— Priv., Co. E, 5th W. Va. Cav.,
Galena, Kan.
Rowley, Martin E.,— Priv., Co. I, 47th 111. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Reed, S. N.,— Priv., Co. C, 1st Neb. Cav., Galena,
Kan.
Rains. J. M.,— Capt., Co. C, 1st Tenn. Cav., Galena,
Kan.
11
Rice, Joseph,— Priv., Co. I, 96th U. S. Inf., Baxter
Springs, Kan.
Rehm, Louis, — Priv., Co. C, 1st Mo. Cav., Baxter
Springs, Kan.
Records, John,— Priv., Co. D, 56th U. S. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Reed, James,— Priv., Co. A, 6th Kans. Cav., Empire
City, Kan.
Row, William E.,— Priv., Co. I, 5th Mo. Cav., Bax-
ter Springs, Kan.
Richardson, Geo. S.,— Serg., Co. G, 6th Iowa Inf.,
(dead.)
Reynolds, C. L.,— 7th Mo. Cav., (P. O. unknown.)
Ruhland, Christian, — Serg., Co. F, 3d 111. Cav.,
(dead.)
Richards, William, — Priv., Co. I, 79th 111. Inf.,
Weir, Kan.
Robinson, A. W.,— Priv., Co. K, 12th W. Va. Inf.,
Weir, Kan.
Rood, T. B.,— 2d Lt., Co. K, 7th 111. Inf., Columbus,
Kan.
Reem, G. W., —Priv., Co. C, 51st Ind. Inf., Colum-
bus, Kan.
Rayburn, H. W.,— 2d Lt., Co. K, 22d Ohio Inf.,
Chetopa, Kan. .
Reynolds, J. L.,— Priv., Co. A, 66th Ohio Inf.,
Chetopa, Kan.
Reinhart, Joseph,— Priv., Co. C, 78th Ohio Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Ransom, A. G., — Priv., Co. E, 7th Ohio Inf., Neu-
tral, Kan.
Rowland, H. E.,— Priv., Co. H, 3d Ark. Cav., Bax-
ter Springs, Kan.
Rose, W. D.,— Priv., Co. E, 9th Mo. Militia, Galena,
Kan.
Ross, W. L.,— Priv., Co. H, 6th Mo. Cav., Galena,
Kan.
Ryan, Solomon, — Priv., Co. H, 8th Kans. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Robinson, F. W., — Priv., Co. H, 34th Iowa Inf.,
Crestline, Kan.
Riseling, Joseph, — Priv., Co. C, nth Penn. Inf.,
Crestline, Kan.
Rinker, Levi, — Priv., Co. B, 23d Mo. Inf., Messer,
Kan.
Reaser, Daniel,— Priv., Co. F, 85th Ind. Inf., Hallo-
well, Kan.
Reinhart, N.,— Priv., Co. A, 24th Mich. Inf., Hallo-
well, Kan.
Reed, Allen,— Priv., Co. M, 136th Ohio N. G.,
(dead.)
Read, Geo. W.,— Priv., Co. A, 146th Ind. Inf.,
(dead.)
Robinette, J. W.,— Priv., Co. D, 21st 111. Inf., Hallo-
well, Kan.
192
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
Roberts, James, — Priv., Co. A, 139th Ind. Inf.,
HaUowell, Kan.
Ratcliff, John,— Priv., Co. D, 147th Ind. Inf., Colum-
Ijsu, Kan.
Ruggus, Perry,— Priv., Co. G, 124th Ky. Inf., Sher-
win, Kan.
Rohrbough, J. W.,— Priv., Co. A, 70th 111. Inf., Mc-
Cune, Kan.
Rockefeller, F. M.,— Priv., Co. K, 65th 111. Inf.,
Mound Valley, Kan.
Robinson, G. A.,— Priv., Co. K, nth Vt. Inf., Cher-
okee, Kan.
Rodenberger, P., — Priv., Co. K, 59th Ind. Inf., Star-
vale, Kan.
Ryan, William— Priv, Co. D, 148th Ind. Inf., Weir,
Kan.
Russell, John— Corp, Co. C, 17th 111. Inf., Waco,
Mo.
Ratcliff, Wm,— Corp, Co. K, 46th Mo. Inf., Mc-
Cune, Kan.
Smith, L. S,— Priv, Co. E, 33d 111. Inf., Galena,
Kan.
Secrist, W. M,— Priv, Co. H, 6th Kans. Cav,
Galena, Kan.
Stone, T. B. S,— Priv, Co. F, 8th Mo. Inf., Galena,
Kan.
Stone, W. B, — Capt, Co. H, 10th Kans. Inf., Galena,
Kan.
Scoles, J. P., — Serg, Co. G, 31st Iowa Inf., Galena,
Kan.
Smith, S. H,— Serg, Co. K, 13th Mich. Inf., Baxter
Springs, Kan.
Streat, W. B, — Priv, Co. A, 34th Iowa Inf., Bax-
ter Springs', Kan.
Seaman, H. S, — Capt, Co. A, 3d Kans. Cav, Bax-
ter Springs, Kan.
Spears, John, — Serg, Co. G 3d Mich. Inf., Baxter
Springs, Kan.
Sisson, John, — Priv, Co. C, 149th 111. Inf., Empire
City, Kan.
Saunders, J. F, — Priv, Co. C, 133d 111. Inf., Galena,
Kan.
Swaney, D. A,- — Priv, Co. E, 6th Penn. Inf., Galena,
Kan.
Shaw, Jas. A.,— Priv., Co. A, 61st 111. Inf., Galena,
Kan.
Scofield, Geo. W,— Priv, Co. G, 16th 111. Inf., Em-
fire City, Kan.
Springston, A. J, — Priv, Co. Ff, 24th Ind. Inf.,
Empire City, Kan.
Spencer, John W, — Serg, Co. D, 13th 111. Cav,
Columbus, Kan.
Skidmore, James, — 1st Lt, Co. F, 51st 111. Inf.,
■ !< Inmbus, Kan.
Swell, H,— Priv, Co. A, 44th Ind. Inf., Galena.
Seaward, William, — Serg. Maj, Co. A. 9th Iowa
Inf., Weir, Kan.
Sweeney, Jas. N, — Serg, Co. I, 75th Ohio Inf.,
Weir, Kan.
Stinnett, Lewis, — Music, Co. A, nith U. S. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Smith, Geo. W,— Priv, Co. A, 1st Mich. Art.,
Columbus, Kan.
Spencer, M. W,— Priv, Co. E, 58th 111. Inf., Colum-
bus, Kan.
Smith, John O,— Priv, Co. D, iojd 111. Inf., Mel-
rose, Kan.
Smalley, J. W,— Priv., Co. K, 5th Penn. Art, Mel-
rose, Kan.
Shipley, I. F,— Serg, Co. C, 18th Mo. Inf., Melrose,
Kan.
Stoner, C. W,— Priv, Co. D, 51st Mo. Inf., Mel-
rose, Kan.
Springer, Chas. E, — Priv, Co. G, 9th Kans. Cav,
Chetopa, Kan.
Scheer, John M,— Priv, Co. B, 99th 111. Inf.,
Chetopa. Kan.
Sparks, Milton, — Corp, Co. K, 117 Ky. Inf., Keel-
ville, Kan.
Shortwell, John W,— Priv, Co. G, 25th Ohio Inf.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Starrett, W. H, — Corp, Co. F, 59th Ind. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Scott, John J, — Priv, Co. D, 46th Iowa Inf., Keel-
ville, Kan.
Street, Thomas, — Priv, Co. C, 138 Ind. Inf., Keel-
ville, Kan.
Sackett, J. A,— Priv, Co. L, 3d 111. Cav, Baxter
Springs, Kan.
Slutltz, Emanuel, — Priv, Co. H, 97th Ind. Inf.,
Neutral, Kan.
Swalley, Abraham, — Corp, Co. B, 45th Ohio Inf.,
Baxter Springs', Kan.
Sanders, G. W,— Priv, Co. H, 3d U. S. Inf., Lowell,
Kan.
Shelton, Daniel,— Priv, Co. F, 2d Tenn. Inf., Galena,
Kan.
Shellhammer, W. H,— Priv, Co. P.. 164th Ohio Inf.,
Boston Mills, Kan.
Snider, Silas, — Priv, Co. D, I02d 111. Inf., Colum-
bus, Kan.
Staton, Geo. H,— Priv, Co. C, 31st 111. Inf., (dead.)
Secrist, Joseph, — Priv, Co. H, 6th Kans. Cav,
Galena, Kan.
Shaffer, Daniel, — Priv, Co. F, I02d Mich. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Snider, John W,— Priv, Co. H, 179th Ohio Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Short, J. R, — Priv, Co. H, 1st Colo. Cav, Galena,
Kan.
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
193
Scott, A. L. D.,— 1st Lt., Co. A, 128th Ind, Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Sadler, Henry R., — Priv., Co. F, 4th Iowa Cav.,
Columbus, Kan.
Smith, Joseph S., — Corp., Co. E, 31st Mo. Militia,
(P. O. unknown.)
Stiles', Wm. A., — Priv., Co. G, 23d Mo. Inf., Smith-
field, Mo.
Starkweather, G. E., — Priv., Co. D, 43d Mo. Inf.,
Sherwin, Kan.
Spauldwin, S. D., — Priv., Co. D, 2d Ohio Cav.,
Sherwin, Kan.
Stoughton, S. D.,— Priv , Co. H, 93d 111. Inf., Sher-
win, Kan.
Spence, John, — Corp., Co. C, 146th Ohio Inf., Colum-
bus, Kan.
Schmell, Louis, — Priv., Co. F, 85th Ohio Inf., Co-
lumbus, Kan.
Seymour, E. C, — Corp.. Co. D, 126th 111. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Smith, Sidney S., — 1st Lt., iSth Iowa Inf. (dead.)
Stapleton, Nelson,— Priv., Co. G, 79th 111. Inf.,
Hallowell, Kan.
Shirk, Jonas S,,— Priv., Co. B, 86th Ohio Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Sparks, John T., — Corp., Co. H, 58th Ind. Inf.,
Hallowell, Kan.
Stice, J. Frank— Priv., Co. B, 28th 111. Inf. Oswego,
Kan.
Sharp, George, — Priv., Co. F, 4th Ind. Art., Colum-
bus, Kan.
Shoemaker, J. F., — Prix., Co. H, 51st Ind. Inf.,
Hallowell, Kan.
Smith, Moses M.,— Priv., Co. H, 28th 111. Inf.,
Hallowell, Kan.
Sandusky, H. W.,— Priv., Co. D, 12th Ky. Inf.,
McCune, Kan.
Stott, R. H.,— Capt., Co. H, 26th Ind. Inf. (dead.)
Spriggs, John, — Priv., Co. A, 4th Iowa Inf., Mineral,
Kan.
Story, D. M.,— Priv., Co. G, 3jd III. Inf., Colum-
bus, Kan.
Sargent, Charles,— Priv., Co. C, 126th Ohio Inf.,
Cherokee, Kan.
Shidler, Henry,— Priv., Co. G, 59th Ind. Inf., Mon-
mouth, Kan.
Swearinger, A. B., — Priv., Co. I, 47th Iowa Inf.,
Monmouth, Kan.
Sanders, M. H.,— Priv., Co. D, 18th Ohio Inf.,
Columbus, Kan*
Stoker, J., — Priv., Co. G, 2d Wis. Inf., Columbus, Kan.
Scoville, A. R.,— Priv., Co. I, 18th Iowa Inf., Scam-
mon, Kan.
Seisor, George,— Priv.. Co. B, 207th Penn. Inf.,
Weir, Kan.
Snyder, D. W.,— Priv., Co. L, 9th Ky. Cav., Weir,
Kan.
Stuekey, Henry, — Corp., Co. A, 62d Mo. Militia,
Pleasant View, Kan.
Small, J. T.,— Priv., Co. D, 131st Ohio Inf., Scam-
moii, Kan.
Sterns, Tyler B.,— Capt., Co. K, 19th U. S. Inf.,
Pleasant View, Kan.
Scott, John H.,— Priv., Co. C, 3d 111. Cav., Colum-
bus, Kan.
Thompson, Thomas, — Priv., Co. I, 1 nth Ala. Inf.,
(P. O. unknown.)
Taylor, George,— Priv., Co. M, 9th Kans. Cav.,
Hallowell, Kan.
Thomas, A. M.,— Priv., Co. D, 40 Mo. Mt. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Taylor, Tubba, — Priv., Co. G, 61st 111. Inf., Galena,
Kan.
Treace, John J., — Priv., Co. A, 1st Ark. Cav.,
Galena, Kan.
Tanquary, Levi S., — Priv., Co. C, 10th Ind. Inf.,
Columbus', Kan.
Tompkins, J. W., — 4th Mass. Cav. (dead.)
Taylor, Samuel D., — Priv., Co. C, 82d Iowa Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Timberlake, W. H.,— 2d Lt., Co. C, 8th Maine Inf.,
(dead.)
Trotter, Jonas, — Trump., Co. D, 13th Ind. Cav.,
Columbus, Kan.
Turner, John T.,— Priv., Co. D, 123d 111. Mt. Inf.,
Chetopa, Kan.
Thornburg, A. S., — Priv., Co. D, 141st Ind. Inf.,
Chetopa, Kan.
Taylor, L. H.,— Priv., Co. G, 95th Ohio Inf., Keel-
ville, Kan.
Treat, John, — Priv., Co. A, 16th Mo. Cav., Neutral,
Kan.
Taylor, James W.,— Priv., Co. B. 4?d 111. Inf., Bax-
ter Springs, Kan.
Tackett, M. V,— Priv., Co. B, 14th Kans. Cav.,
Galena. Kan.
Throop, S. B.,— Priv., Co. B, 20th Mich. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Tschakart, Francis, — Serg., Co. G, 82d 111. Inf.,
Messer, Kan.
Thornton, K. B. ,— Co. G, 46th Mo. Inf., Messer, Kan.
Trout, A. J.,— Priv., Co. A, 86th Ind. Inf., Messer,
Kan.
Turner. E. B„— Serg., Co. A, 119th 111. Inf. (dead.)
Theobald, William— Priv., Co. F, 7th Mo. Cav.,
Sherman, Kan.
Topping, Washington, — Priv., Co. C, 1st Mich. Eng.,
Hallowell, Kan.
Taylor, R. W.,— Priv., Co. A, 186th Ohio Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
194
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
Tanner, Joseph, — Priv., Co. G, 77th 111. Inf., Scam-
mon, Kan.
Tarter, D, — Priv., Co. F, 2d Ky. Cav., Mineral, Kan.
Terhorst, Arent ,— Priv., Co. B, 27th Mo. Inf., Crest-
line, Kan.
Talbott, R. H., — Mo. Cav., Baxter Springs, Kan.
Ulery, James, — Priv., Co. A, 26th Mo. Inf., Galena,
Kan.
Ulrich, Jacob J. —Priv., Co. B, 29th Ind. Inf., Bax-
ter Springs, Kan.
Vanneet, J. S,— Priv, Co. H, 16th Kans. Cav.,
Galena, Kan.
Vanhorn, W. M.,— Serg., Co. F, 140th Ind. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Vanarsdoll, A. E.,— Priv., Co. E, 1st N. Y. Cav.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Vallier, Alfonso, — Corp., Co. A, 16th Kans. Cav.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Vanfossen, L. C — Priv., Co. E, 1st 111. Lt. Art.,
Baxter Springs', Kan.
Vaughn, Job.,— Serg., Co. D, 55th 111. Inf. (dead.)
Veatch, John T.,— 2d Lt., Co. F, 1st Ind. Cav, Weir,
Kan.
Vanvalin, J. W,— Priv, Co. B, 148th Penn. Inf.,
(P. O. unknown.)
Vannoy, T. G, — Corp, Co. G, 9th Kan. Cav, Galena,
Kan.
Vick, James, — Priv, Co. L, 3d Mo. Cav, Boston
Mills, Kan.
Vincent, W. H,— Serg, Co. H, 25th Iowa Inf.,
Weir, Kan.
Wiley, David A, — Serg, Co. F, 30th Iowa Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Williford, W. A,— Priv, Co. K, 55th 111. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Walker, John— Corp, Co. K, 10th 111. Inf., Waco,
Mo.
Witherell, Theo,— Priv, Co. E, nth 111. Cav,
Opolis, Kan.
Wylie, Calvin— Priv, Co. C, 57th Mo. Inf., Scam-
raon, Kan.
Wooten, J. J,— Priv, Co. A, 81st 111. Inf., Scam-
mon, Kan.
West, James,— Priv, Co. G, 112th 111. Inf., Weir,
Kan.
Wallace, John, — Priv, Co. C, 2d 111. Inf., Scammon,
Kan. •
Wooten, Edward, — Priv, Co. C. 51st Mo. Inf.,
Scammon, Kan.
Wade, Alexander, — Priv, Co. G, 36th 111. Inf.,
Scammon, Kan.
Wilcox, J. D,— Priv, Co. C, 155th 111. Inf., Star-
vale, Kan.
West, E. F, — Corp, Co. B, 62d 111. Inf., Sherman,
Kan.
Wallace, John M,— Corp, Co. D, nSth Ohio Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
West, J,— Priv, Co. E, 94th 111. Inf.. McCune, Kan.
Walker, W. H,— Priv, Co. A, 43d Ind. Inf., Oswego,
Kan.
Watson, Dennis,— Priv, Co. C, nth 111. Inf., Hallo-
well, Kan.
Williams', Jas. M, — Priv, Co. I, 41st Ohio Inf.,
Hallowell, Kan.
Westervelt, Louis R, — Priv, Co. B, 14th Iowa Inf,
Starvale, Kan.
Worthen, Peter,— Priv, Co. H, 6th Colo. Inf., Sher-
man, Kan.
Walke, William— Priv, Co. K, 96th Ohio Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Walton, Henry, — Artificer, Co. H, 1st U. S. En-
gineers, Hallowell, Kan.
Wall, Solomon, — Priv, Co. E, 69th Ohio Inf., Crest-
line, Kan.
Wiggins, H, — Priv, Co. A, I02d Ohio Inf., Crest-
line, Kan.
Wells, E. C.,— Corp., Co. G, 54th 111. Inf, Crest-
line, Kan.
Watson, Charles, — Corp, Co. C, 6th Kans. Cav,
Messer, Kan.
Williams, Clinton, — Corp, Co. H, 154th Ohio
Inf., Crestline, Kan.
Williams, Lane, — Corp, Co. M, nth Mo. Cav,
Smithville, Mo.
White, Nathan G.,— Corp., Co. K, 156th 111. Inf,
Galena, Kan.
Warner, Samuel S, — Corp, Co. G, 203d Penn. Inf,
Galena, Kan.
Weaver, Joshua, — Corp, Co. D, 38th 111. Inf., Crest-
line, Kan.
Williams, Edward, — Corp, Co. I, 21st 111. Inf,
Columbus, Kan.
Word, John,— Corp, Co. G, 76th Penn. Inf, Galena,
Kan.
Wallace, G. W,— Priv, Co. H, 4th Mo. Cav, Bax-
etr Springs, Kan.
Wagoner, J. J,— Priv, Co. H. 106th 111. Inf,
Galena, Kan.
Wallaver, W. H,— Priv, Co. I, 45th Mo. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Wile, W. H,— Priv, Co. H, 3d Penn. Res. Co,
Galena, Kan.
Williams, Jas. F, — Priv, Co. C, 2d Wis. Inf,
Galena, Kan.
Wright, Andrew— Priv, Co. F, nth U. S. Inf.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Wenzel, William— Priv, Co. D, 47th Mo. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Whiton, William— Priv, Co. H, 25th Mo. Inf,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
195
Wallace, Joseph, — Corp., Co. D, 18th Ohio Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Wahl, Lewis,— Priv., Co. F, 35th Ohio Inf., Keel-
ville, Kan.
Winkleman, Fred, — Serg., Co. I. 2d Mo. Inf., Keel-
ville, Kan.
Wright, L. M..— 1st Lt., Co. A, 2d Ohio Militia,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Wilbur, L. C— Corp., Co. B, 143d Penn. Inf., Bax-
ter Springs, Kan.
Webber, Jacob— Priv., Co. A, 3d U. S. Inf., Baxter
Springs, Kan.
Wasson, John R., — Priv., Mo. Independent, Mel-
rose, Kan.
Waymire, N., — Corp., Co. K, 48th Ind. Inf., Melrose,
Kan.
Wiley, B. J.,— Priv.. Co. F, 2d 111. Lt. Art., Melrose,
Kan.
Wax, Samuel— Priv., Co. G, 38th 111. Inf., Chetopa,
Kan.
West, I. P.— Priv., Co. D, 148th 111. Inf., Kansas
City, Kan.
Willis, R. M.,— Priv., Co. I, I02d 111. Inf., Colum-
bus, Kan.
Woolsey, P. H,— Serg., Co. D, 46th 111. Inf. (dead.)
Walbert, Jonathan,— Priv., Co.* D, 25th Mich. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Wilson, W. H., Priv., Co. D, 21st Kan. Mt. Inf.
(.dead.)
Weir, H. P.— Musician, Co. B, 42d 111. Inf., Weir,
Kan.
Wagoner, James,— Priv., Co. K, 138th 111. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Winter, D.,— Serg., Co. I, Ohio Militia, Columbus,
Kan.
Whitcraft, John,— Priv., Co. D, 39th Iowa Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Wells, James H.,— Priv., Co. A, 103 111. Inf., Colum-
bus, Kan.
Williams, Samuel,— Priv., Co. C, 40th Tenn. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Wilson, T. J.,— Corp., Co. M, 2d Iowa Caw, Colum-
bus, Kan.
Willard, A,— Priv., Co. C, 6th Kans. Inf., Baxter
Springs, Kan.
Weaver, T. C— 1st Lt., 53d 111. Inf., Baxter Springs,
Kan.
Walker, Henry S.,— Priv., Co. G, 6th Ind. Cav.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Whipple, E. R.,— Musician, 20th 111. Inf., Colum-
bus, Kan.
Woostern, I.,— Priv., Co. M, 2d Kans. Cav., Empire
City, Kan.
Winters, Solomon L.,— Serg., Co. I, 56th Mass. Inf.,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Webb, Thomas, — Kansas Militia, Empire City. Kan.
Williams, E. M., — Corp., Co. A, 6th Mo. Cav., Bax-
ter Springs, Kan.
Warren, E. T., — Serg., Co. G, 18th Conn. Inf., Bax-
ter Springs, Kan.
Walker, W. A., — Surg., Co. L, 5th Mo. Cav., Galena,
Kan.
Warren, L. A., — 1st Lt., Co. G, 19th Ky. Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Wasson, J. A., — Priv., Co. G, 15th Iowa Inf.,
Galena, Kan.
Williams, Thomas, — Serg., Co. E, 10th Mo. Militia,
Baxter Springs, Kan.
Willabee, John— Priv., Co. D, 94th 111. Inf., Baxter
Springs, Kan.
Williams, H. C,— Priv., Co. C, 9^d 111. Inf., Galena,
Kan.
Webb, Geo. W.,— Capt., Co. A, 38th Ind. Inf.,
Weldy, L. C— Priv., Co. F, 83d Ohio Inf., Galena,
Kan.
Zimmerman, J. J.,— Priv., Co. B, inth 111. Inf.,
Columbus, Kan.
Zook, Thomas, — Serg., Co. B, 15th Kans. Cav.,
Columbus, Kan.
Zimmerman, J. T„— Priv., Co. H, 187 111. Inf., Sher-
win, Kan.
THE EX-UNION SOLDIERS' INTER-STATE RE-
UNION,
Held annually at Baxter Springs, Kansas, is
perhaps the greatest soldiers' reunion in the
world. It has become such wholly without
public aid of any kind. The enthusiasm which
gave rise to it, and which has since sustained
it. came itself out of the spirit of the "Border
War" back in the late "fifties," and which ex-
tended to, and became a part of, the great Civil
War, which bad its outbreak in 1861. While
the reunion had its rise under the control of
men who, for the most part, were from other
States, and did not participate in the ante-bel-
lum struggles on the "Border." it is not wide
of the truth to say that no State but Kansas
could foster and sustain so great an annual
soldiers' reunion. The incident which, more
than all other incidents, gave rise to the re-
union is that of the massacre of General Blunt's
body-guard, by Ouantrell, guerrilla chief of the
196
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
"troublous times," on the side of the South.
In the chapter of this volume devoted to the his-
tory of Baxter Springs an account of the mas-
sacre is given.
Charles \V. Daniels, of Baxter Springs, one
of the men who have been in control of the re-
union since the first, and who is yet as enthusi-
astic as ever, has written me a letter which
gives an account of the inception of the reunion
and an outline of what it has grown to be; and
to me it seems proper that the letter shall be
given here, in full, in his own language, which
those who know him will quickly recognize.
It follows :
"In October, 1863, Ouantrell. the famous
guerrilla, made an attack on the garrison in the
fort at Baxter Springs, then a small, half-way
station, between Fort Scott and Fort Gibson.
He was repulsed, with some loss; but he was
preparing for another attack, when he was in-
formed that a small detachment of Union sol-
diers were on their way from Fort Scott, and
would soon arrive at the fort. He then deployed
his men in such a way as to form an ambuscade
just north of the famous chalybeate springs and
succeeded in almost completely surrounding the
Union force, before they were aware of his
presence. The Union soldiers surrendered,
without firing a gun.
"The detachment was acting as a body
guard to General Blunt, and it consisted of two
companies of the Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry,
some detached horsemen and a brass brand.
The General and a few of the soldiers escaped ;
but about one hundred and sixty, who surren-
dered, were lined up and shot down, in cold
blood. It was one of the most fiendish, brutal
and uncalled-for massacres of the war.
"About the year 1883, twenty years after
the massacre, the government had all the bodies
of the murdered men that could be found taken
up and transferred to a military lot in the Bax-
ter Springs Cemetery. A magnificent monu-
ment was erected on the lot, and the American
flag now floats over the sacred remains of our
fallen comrades. In this same year a few of
the Union soldiers concluded to hold a reunion
on the old battle-field. Some of these men are
alive to-day and are still in control of the big
reunion at Baxter Springs ; but J. R. Hallo-
well. R. P. McGregor, J. P. Hartley, L. C.
Weldy, and others, have passed away. Am
those living are John M. Cooper. J. J. Frib-
ley. C. W. Daniel's. F. D. W. Arnold and S. O.
McDowell.
"The first reunion was held in the north
part of the city of Baxter Springs, where our
martyred comrades fell ; and it was a real hot
one. It was all blue. There was no comming-
ling of 'the blue and gray' on that old battle-
ground. The attendance was quite liberal, and
the enthusiasm and the effervescent loyalty was
immense. The sham battle was a particularly
noted feature, with quite a number of casual-
ties; but the sortie at night was terrific. Sol-
diers seemed to forget that the war was over, or
that Kansas might be a loyal State. Raids
were made on the peaceful citizens, by squads
and details ; chicken houses and pig pens were
assaulted ; gardens were bombarded ; cows were
milked ; drug stores were ravished ; mules
dared not bray, and pigs ceased to squeal ; two
'blind tigers' were raided and demolished, and
no rooster attempted to crow in Baxter Springs
for more than a month. In fact, it was sure
enough war times in old Baxter Springs. The
entire night was made hideous with jay-bird
bands, tom-toms, hew-gags. and other musical
instruments of warfare, accompanied by war
songs, war whoops and rebel yells.
"This first reunion proving such an emi-
nent success, it was decided to hold another the
next year; and this also proving satisfactory,
they have been held annually ever since that
time, until they have grown to be the monster
gatherings we now behold, where, annually, at
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
197
least fifty thousand people gather around the
fires of Camp Logan, to listen to the war sto-
ries, music, songs and speeches of the men who
made things hot for the 'Solid South' in the
days of 1861-65.
"In 1890 a charter was obtained, a stock
company of old soldiers formed, officers elected,
grounds purchased and buildings erected. As
the institution continued to grow, more land
was required, and in 1899 one hundred acres
were bought, on the banks of Spring River,
just south of Baxter Springs. It is a most
magnificent grove of forest trees, hills, hollows,
springs, brooks and everything to make an ideal
camping ground. In this new park The Inter-
State Reunion Association has erected a new
and commodious amphitheater ; they have
cleared and beautified the grounds, made roads,
built a fine system of water works, purchased
an elegant electric launch and induced the St.
Louis & San Francisco Railway Company to
build a track two miles long, into the grounds,
so that passengers may be landed right in the
center of the camp.
"There are no meetings in the West, of
any kind, that approach the Baxter Springs re-
unions, in point of numbers, enthusiasm or per-
fect enjoyment. Thousands of people, citizens
as well as soldiers, come every year, with their
families, and spend a whole week, tenting on
the old camp ground. The association provides
soldiers and war widows with tents, wood,
straw and water, all free. They have shady
groves for citizens' private tents, and more than
eighty acres for parking teams. They provide
the best of instrumental and vocal music, glee
clubs and orators that the country affords.
"In order to attract and entertain this vast
crowd of visitors, there are a half a mile of side-
shows, restaurants, fakers, peanut roasters,
juice racks, hot tamales, cider mills, lunch
joints, Jew stores, cigar spindles, shooting gal-
leries, knife racks, red lemonade, fortune tell-
ers, faith healers, witch doctors, and a thou-
other interesting, instructive and amusing fea-
tures to please the old and the young. Then
there is Red Hot street, with its many varied
and unique devices, leading up to the show-
grounds, and the celebrated Midway, or 'Pike,'
where may be found twenty or thirty sho -.
museums, exhibitions, vaudevilles and spectac-
ular sensations. Here we have the Ferris
Wheel, the Grand Carousal, the Loop-the-
Loop, the Shoot-the-Chutes, the Scenic Rail-
way, the Electric Fountain, the Slide-for-Life,
the High-Dive and many other thrilling and
astounding devices of the Twentieth Century.
Every year new and attractive features, and
better accommodations for the Old Boys in
Blue, are added, so that all may be assured of
a full measure of enjoyment and comfort.
"Nearly all of the old officers of the asso-
ciation who are living are still in control; but
the active management has been, to a great ex-
tent, relegated to some of the younger men. or
'Sons of Veterans,' who will gradually but
surely replace the old veterans, whose terms of
service will soon expire. The following is the
list of the present officers : President, John M.
Cooper; 1st vice-president, J. J. Fribley; 2nd
vice-president, F. D. W. Arnold ; 3rd vice-pres-
ident, J. V. McNay; secretary, C. W. Daniels:
treasurer, J. J. Fribley; platform, A. C. Hille-
goss; reception, J. M. McNay; general mana-
ger, C. E. Collins; license agent, Charles L.
Smith."
A more lovely or a more suitable site for
great gatherings could not be found anywhere
in all the country than the Inter-State Reunion
grounds near Baxter Springs, Kansas. The
immediate site of the grounds where the pa-
vilion is located is upon a high bluff overlooking
Spring River and a broad valley beyond. Be-
tween the bluff and the river there is a narrow-
lowland covered with stately elms and other
forest trees beneath which there is a sward of
198
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
bluegrass and white clover running down to
the edge of the stream. The view of the land-
scape, from the bluff, looking toward the east
and northeast for many miles, is of a beauty
rarely equaled, and in some respects never ex-
celled. The whole valley is checked out in farm
plats, and here and there are the comfortable
homes of thrifty, contented families whose in-
dustry and tasteful care have given to the
whole an attractiveness which always delights
and never tires the beholder. On the 20th of
July, 1904, Preston Daniels, a brother of C. W.
Daniels, secretary of The Inter-State Reunion
Association, took me over the association's
grounds and pointed out the natural beauties
which make up their attractiveness. A great
deal of work has been done in clearing out the
undergrowth and opening longer vistas along
the little valleys and up and down the sloping
hills, and much yet remains to be done; but
under the skillful direction of the association's
managers nothing is being left undone that will
add comfort and delight to the thousands of
people who annually gather there. In years to
come it will most surely be one of the most
popular resorts in the great Southwest; for to
its natural beauty will be added what art can
do. The water power of Spring River, turned
into electric energy, will be a big factor in the
work. An electric road is soon to be built, a
thorough system of lighting the grounds will be
put in and numerous electric launches will be
provided.
It is a part of the program at the annual
meetings of the reunion, to have the best speak-
ers that can be obtained, many of them being
men of wide reputation. In former years the
reunion has been addressed by J. R. Hallowell,
George T. Anthony. D. R. Anthony, Governor
Humphrey, Governor Bailey, Governor Stan-
ley, Governor Glick, J. K. Cubbison, T. B.
Dawes, John J. Ingalls, Bishop W. Perkins,
Senator Plumb, Chester I. Long, Senator Lu-
cian Baker, Webster Davis, Henry Watterson,
Col. R. W. Blue, Charles Curtis, A. M. Jack-
son, P. P. Campbell, Thomas Moonlight, Mary
Ellen Lease, Bernard Kelly, General Prentiss,
Judge Glasse, Judge Madison and Charles
Scott.
The part which the ex-Union soldier, more
than any one else, will take in the development
and permanent establishment of the resort, will
grow less as the years go on ; but to him is due
the credit for the effort which marked the incep-
tion of the undertaking, and which, up to the
present, has given it a direction and growth
portentious of greater things. He may be out-
numbered in the vast throngs which annually
come to spend a few days amidst the delightful
surroundings which Nature and Art have pro-
vided ; but the influence which he has exerted
in laying the foundation, and in making possi-
ble the great superstructure yet to be builded,
can never be eliminated and counted as naught,
even by those who look upon it from a view-
point far in the future. The boom of the can-
non may cease, the sound of the fife and drum
may die away and the stories of heroism and
valor may pass into history, to be read and not
told ; but the effects of what men have done, in
the feverish hour of strife, in the battle strug-
gles of the nation, and what they have done
toward commemorating the events which have
marked the nation's course, can never cease to
be of interest to the coming generations, though
they can never gather it only from the lifeless
page of cold, historic facts.
CHAPTER. XVII.
MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS
In writing the history of a county, where
one is limited to a short time, as in the present
instance, it is nearly impossible to get the sub-
ject matter arranged consecutively, either in
respect to the time of the occurrence of events
or as to the order of their importance. On this
account I have, at the close of the work of
preparing the copy for this history, found it
necessary to write a chapter on miscellaneous
matters, which have come to me after matters
of a similar character, with some not of a
similar character, have been prepared and sent
away to the printer. This chapter is designed
to take the place of the one announced in the
prospectus to cover the incidents of the lives
of the early settlers, related by themselves ; and
there are some things not covered in the origi-
nal design.
The first matter of which a narrative is giv-
en is that covered by the experiences and obser-
vations of Joseph Wallace, who was among the
first settlers of Cherokee County, and who had
much to do in its public affairs. I believe it
the more interesting to follow Mr. Wallace's
own language in this narrative, which can not
be other than of interest to those who can re-
call the early days. It is here given :
"It was in the fall of 1858 that news came
to the East that gold had been discovered along
the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains,
near where Denver now stands. This caused a
great excitement in the States east of the Mis-
sissippi River, as was usually the case concern-
ing gold discoveries in those days ; and it
caused a large emigration from tthe States, for
many persons eagerly sought the Eldorado of
the West, upon hearing of the discovery of
gold.
"With thousands of others, we left Ohio,
for Leavenworth, Kansas Territory, in the
spring of 1859, there to begin the journey
across what was known as the Plains of Kan-
sas and the Great American Desert, to make
our fortunes in the new gold fields which had
so recently been discovered.
"Conveyance in those days was by the slow
process made with ox teams, or in wagons
drawn my mules. This gave an excellent op-
portunity for observation and for one to form
conclusions as to the agricultural and future
commercial possibilities of the plains and des-
erts of Kansas and Colorado. One could take
his time in these matters, as the wagon trains
made their way slowly over these vast stretches
of dreary, desolate wastes of country.
"We left Leavenworth at the last of March,
in the year 1859, taking our way along Fre-
mont's southern route, for the most part, until
we reached the mountains. On our return the
next fall we took the route of the Platte River
trail. The conclusion arrived at. from crossing
this vast reach of country, was that Kansas
would be one of the greatest granaries of the
nation, and that the so-called American Desert
in connection with the plains, would be the
meat producer of the world. These observa-
200
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
tions and conclusions induced me to seek a
home in the West.
"The Civil War began soon after our re-
turn from the gold fields of the mountains ; and
when the call for volunteers was made by Presi-
dent Lincoln, I enlisted and served out my
term. When the smoke of battle had passed
away; when the carnage had ceased, and when
the ensign of peace waved over the land and
quiet was restored. I followed the tide of home-
seekers, in 1866, as they took their way west-
ward along the course of the general trend of
population. I came to Kansas, and stopped a
while at Ouindaro, in Wyandotte County.
There I taught the white school in the summer
and in the winter 1 taught in the Freedmen's
University, all the while seeking, by inquiry
and observation, for some suitable location
where I might make a home. Learning of the
Cherokee Neutral Strip, and being favorably
impressed by what I heard of it ; its location in
the southeastern part of the State, where were
beautifully undulating prairies and streams of
pure, clear water, and hearing that it was to
come in for settlement, under the homestead
pre-emption laws, I concluded to visit it, and I
determined that, if its climate and its agricul-
tural possibilities suited me, I would settle there
and roam no more.
"It was in the early part of August. 1867,
that I saddled up 'old Gray' and started on
my journey for the promised land. Be it
remembered that, at the time of which I write,
there were no railroads in Kansas, south of the
Kaw River. All travel had to be by vehicle,
on horseback or by going on foot. I made my
way to Fort Scott, which required several days.
After resting there one night, I had an early-
breakfast and started south, hoping, if possible.
to reach Baxter Springs that night. As I
passed along over the beautiful prairies I was
careful to make close observations as to the
natural resources of the country, in order to de-
termine what inducements there might be for
attracting immigrants here to pitch their tents
and afterwards to build homes. On the south
side of Drywood Creek, some distance south of
Fort Scott, I saw some campers, off at the road-
side, and not knowing why they had stopped so
early in the day, and being on the alert for in-
formation, I stopped and engaged them in con-
versation. Among them I found David Har-
lan, a Cherokee Indian, who lived on Shoal
Creek and owned the land where the Galena
water-works now stand. From his looks and
his conversation I would not have considered
him other than an immigrant seeking his home
in the West ; but I soon found that he had a
vast fund of knowledge of the country ; that he
was a walking encyclopedia of history. I ob-
tained much useful information. He was
familiar with the Cherokee Neutral Lands,
from north to south, and he could point out all
the good and all the bad locations. After I had
conversed with him a good while, and was
about to mount and ride away, he asked me
if I knew the danger of attempting to cross the
big prairie which lay before me, during the
heat of the day. I was surprised to learn that
danger lurked in the prairies in the daytime.
He informed me that the enemy was not of
human form, but that it was more numerous,
more bloodthirsty and more aggressive. He
described them and told how they waged their
deadly work ; that horses and cattle had fallen
by the wayside, robbed of their life blood. The
enemy consisted of innumerable green-head
flies. All the early settlers now living well
remember what a pest these small, voracious
insects were during the time the pioneers were
developing the agricultural resources of Chero-
kee County.
"On the big prairie over which I had to pass
there was not a house to be seen on either side
of the road or trail, for more than twenty miles,
and there was not a shrub of any kind any-
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
201
where to be found; but this vast stretch of
virgin soil, over which the home seeker hur-
hiedly passed in the summer season, in order
to escape the fly pest, and w hich he dreaded in
winter, on account of the unobstructed, cut-
ting winds, is now thickly studded with beau-
tiful homes and checked off in fertile farms,
and the greater part of it is underlaid with a
vein of coal from 36 to 42 inches thick. This
is one instance in which the pioneer of t,j and
38 years ago failed to grasp the future possi-
bilities of the Neutral Lands.
"About dusk the campers were ready for
the movement for crossing the prairie at night.
Being the only one on horseback, I started in
advance. The route lay along the General
Scott military road, which the government had
established between Fort Scott and Fort Gib-
son. The ride was a long, dreary, lonesome
one, with nothing to disturb the solitude of the
night. About three o'clock in the morning
we saw evidences of human habitation ; here
and there a log cabin and a little inclosure.
Seeing a hay stack a short distance from the
road, we used a portion of it for beds, and
lying down we slept tranquilly until the
meadow lark and the finch bade us arise and
resume our journey to the south. About ten
miles farther on we came to Pleasant View,
then the county seat of Cherokee County. It
was a village of about 25 inhabitants. While
here I was urged to go west to where Weir
City now stands, because there was in that lo-
cality a beautiful scope of country well suited
for agricultural purposes. Here is where my
foresight failed me. I pushed ahead to Baxter
Springs, at that time the largest town in the
county, or even in the Neutral Strip.
"On arriving at Baxter Springs, I found
quite a stirring, frontier town, full of home-
seekers and adventurers ; but there were many
substantial citizens engaged in various com-
mercial pursuits. A big excitement arose on
the streets the first evening after my arrival,
it being reported that a father and son had
been murdered on Rock Creek, a short distance
south of town, in the Indian Territory. As we
learned afterward, the criminals were never
found; but some years afterward a man who
was about to be executed under a judgn : ;
rendered by 'J n< -'& e Lynch' confessed that lie
was one of the murderers, and told that it was
committed in order to secure a lot of fat cat-
tle which the father and son were driving north
to market. I gave my six-shooter to a man
wlio was going, with others, in pursuit of the
suspects. They were overtaken in Bates
County. Missouri, and were brought back to
Baxter Springs; but they proved their inno-
cence, and the curious were disappointed in not
having a hanging-bee. Criminals were sum-
marily dealt with in those days, in the vicinity
of Baxter Springs. It seemed a necessary
evil, resorted to in order to protect the immi-
grants and to deter evil men.
"After a good night's rest at the best I'' itel
in the town (which, by the way, was a half-
finished, box house), I started north in the
morning-, in quest of a small portion of the
Neutral Lands. An hour's ride brought me
four miles north of Baxter Springs. Here I
found a man mowing in the prairie, and I en-
gage:! him in conversation, and was informed
that he had a claim on a quarter section, which
he would sell. I looked it over, got his price,
and. learned that it was what was then known
as a treaty-right claim. The bargain was
closed by my paying him the price asked.
Erecting a log cabin, a frontiersman's castle. I
moved in and commenced to learn the first les-
sons of a pioneer's life. Here we encountered
the hardships and passed through the vicissi-
tudes of the early-settler period in subduing
wild nature and making Cherokee County one
of the foremost counties in the State. From
the North, East and South came ex-soldiers
202
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
and civilians, all expecting to obtain homes un-
der the homestead and pre-emption laws ; but
here was one of the many cases where the gov-
ernment authorities thought more of one man
than of the thousands of brave defenders of
the nation's honor. Here began a two-fold
struggle; one to subdue the soil and make it
produce food for ourselves and little ones and
for shelter to protect us from the storms of
winter; the other against a soulless monopoly
which was seeking either to drive us from the
homes we had builded or to extort from us an
unjust price for them. The struggle was long
and bitter, causing much anxiety and doubt ;
but it bound most of the settlers, all over the
Strip, into a firm brotherhood. We early
identified ourselves in the fight with those who
were struggling against the common oppressor;
and we stayed with it until a partial victory was
won.
"The home defenders were known as
'Leaguers.' By epithet, they were called
'Bloody Leaguers,' 'Idlers' and 'Cut Throats.'
And yet not a grave ever marked the resting
place of any person at the hands of the fear-
less defenders of our homes. Instances did oc-
cur where persons 'jumped' or attempted to
take the claims of the Leaguers. In such case
they were simply ordered to move off. This
was business, and it had its moral effect. One
instance, in our immediate neighborhood,
serves to illustrate how the Leaguers did busi-
ness : A Leaguer, before the fight was over,
concluded to sell his claim and improvements.
Finding a purchaser who offered to pay the
price, he moved off and gave possession, before
the payment was made. After being repeatedly
asked to pay for the claim, the purchaser coolly
informed the Leaguer that possession was nine
points in law. and he told the Leaguer to help
himself if he could. The matter was brought
before the League, of which I was chairman,
and a decision was soon reached. About two
o'clock that night fifty mounted Leaguers sur-
rounded the house, harnessed up the man's
horses and hitched them to his wagon. They
then ordered him to get ready, with his family,
take what wraps they wanted and get into the
wagon. He begged like a fine fellow, made
many fine promises and promised to be good,
if left alone. We politely told him that prom-
ises seemed easily broken, and that possession
is often ten points, under our law. He and
his family were bundled into the wagon, a
driver took the lines, a guard went in front
and another in the rear, and not a word was
spoken until we came to Spring River. There
a good fire was built, and then he was informed
that he would not be harmed, in the least, pro-
vided he stayed there until the sun was an hour
high the next morning; that if he or any of
his family left before that time. Spring River
was near, and he might have to swim. It
worked like a charm, and the Leaguer had pos-
session of his place by sun-up the next morn-
ing, and the man who had been put off never
attempted to do anything, which was very wise.
"Before we had our land prepared to raise
a crop, we took our oxen and drove down into
Missouri, which we called Egypt, and bought
corn, flour, meat and other things, which we
brought back into the land of promise. Many
people in Missouri believed that they would
always have a good market for their surplus,
claiming that we could not raise anything in
Kansas ; but we soon turned the tables and sold
them corn.
"There is quite a difference between open-
ing up a farm now and at the time of which I
write. Lumber was scarce and very dear, farm
implements were hard to obtain, all kinds of
merchandise were high in price and fencing
material was so scarce and high priced that it
was next to the impossible for the settlers to
get it. Fence wire was from 10 to 12 cents a
pound. In fact, the dollar of those days was
AXD REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
203
about the size of a quarter at this time. Nut-
withstanding all these adverse conditions, the
early settler struggled on until the light came
and the gloom was dispelled. As a rule, we
were all, as neighbors, at peace with one an-
other and always ready to land a helping hand
when any one was in need. Our religion was
social equality, none contending for supremacy
or to be more holy than his neighbor. The
cabin of the settler was the church, where the
community met, sang their hymns, offered their
prayers and parted in peace. In those days
party politics did not much concern the settlers.
It was home, and how to defend it against the
growing monster of greed which was then get-
ting possession of the public domain. After
the organization of the League, the League
ticket ruled for years. I identified myself with
the settlers, believing that the public domain,
of right, belonged to the men who cultivated it,
and not believing that might makes right, nor
believing that the public domain, God's gift to
all mankind, can by the might of money be con-
trolled by the few and parceled out to the many,
nor by legislative enactments given to one, to
the detriment of the many who were compelled
to purchase at unjust prices what, by right,
belonged to them.
"From what we have passed through, en-
dured and overcome in our struggles for the
possession of the soil, and to erect homes, plant
and grow groves and orchards and to diversify
the once monotonous landscape, build school-
houses and churches for the education of the
youth and to lead them along the paths of
higher morals, can we, the early settlers, be
condemned for the fight which we made ? Of-
ten our bill of fare consisted of sorghum, corn
bread, fat meat, milk and water, and some-
times coffee. Often, in my surveying trips over
the county, I slept on a mattress of prairie hay,
with pillows of the same material, the mattress
resting upon a bedstead made of poles and in
a room where the earth served as a floor. This
was all the settler could afford, and I cheerfully
accepted the accommodation. Pride has had
no fall in Cherokee County, but it has raised
its head triumphantly through poverty's veil,
and by honest toil it has brought this section of
country to be second to no other. The hand
that tames wild nature and makes it yield its
hidden treasures moves the world."
Charles Stephens, a well-known attorney
living in Columbus, has reminded me of a set
of facts which may be put into a narrative of
ii.terest to the readers of this history. It re-
lates to the discovery and development of min-
eral directly east of Columbus, on Spring
River. The narrative follows :
"What has been known as the John Roush
farm and the J. K. Jones farm, over on Spring
River, where the Frisco railroad crosses that
stream, were settled in the 'sixties.' The for-
mer tract was at one time owned and occupied
by S. J. Ellis, who still lives near the place.
The tract of land was then covered with heavy
timber, but this w r as finally cut off and the land
was put into cultivation, by different individ-
uals who never dreamed that they walked every
day over millions of mineral wealth. S. J.
Ellis, while living there, in a little log hut, gave
a contract to an old man to dig a well, for
water, near the house. Sufficient water was
found at a depth of from fifteen to twenty feet.
The man who dug it said he found pieces of
lead and zinc, and he wanted to contract for
the sinking of a shaft. Ellis, having no confi-
dence in what the man said, and believing that
he merely wanted further employment, refused
the contract. For years he eked out a mere
living on the farm, but soon after it fell into
the hands of James Roush he found a small
piece of lead ore at the edge of Spring River,
which runs through the place; but he put oft*
the matter through believing that some miners
204
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
from Missouri had dropped the ore there.
Rottsh made a living, for years, by tending the
pumping plant of the railroad, on the bank of
the river. In the meantime he mortgaged the
farm and, being unable to pay the interest ac-
cording to the contract, he lost it in foreclosure.
in 1889.
"J. K. Jones early became the owner of the
quarter section just south of the Roush farm.
When he bought the place, he gave a mortgage
for a part of the purchase price; and it was al-
ways a struggle for him to meet the obligation.
It seems there were two mortgages. When the
first fell due, Jones was much perplexed, and he
made all kinds of offers to get some one to take
a lease on forty acres and put down holes in
search of mineral he felt sure was there. He
never lost confidence in the matter ; but, being
financially unable to do anything himself to-
ward developing the ground, he was almost
frantic in his anxiety to induce some one else to
undertake it. He always explained that he had
found 'shines, down along the river,' and that
there was no doubt as to there being mineral
there. Finally, he made a lease to the Jones-
boro Milling Company, in 1896, and this com-
pany sank a shaft and opened up one of the
greatest lead and zinc mines in the West, which
is still being worked on a large scale.
"Mr. Jones took great pleasure in watching
the great tubs of ore, as they were hoisted out
of the mine, and he daily talked of the trip
which he would take to California, a pleasure
which had been the dream of his life. Fate had
decreed it otherwise; for soon after he began
to receive his royalties, in gratifying amounts,
physical disabilities which had long hindered
him from being a very active man were intensi-
fied until death cut off his earthly hopes. The
administrator of his estate sold the farm for
$32,000, or at the rate of $100 an acre. There
had been times, within the ten years next pre-
ceding, when it could diave been bought for
$10 an acre. Not long after the first big sale,
it was sold again, for $82,000, or at the rate
of $512.50 an acre.
"In 1899, L. G. Scranton. L. H. Winter,
George W. Humphrey and Charles Stephens,
who were then the owners of the Roush farm,
leased a portion of the farm, east of Spring
River, to P. C. Stephens and Charles Stephens,
as the firm of Stephens Brothers. They sank
a shaft near a natural cave in the land, passing
through a very rich body of ore at a depth of
65 feet. This was the first shaft east of the
river, in what is known as the Peacock Val-
ley. Mining continued in this valley until
1901, when 40 acres of the Roush farm were
sold for $36,000. or at the rate of $900
an acre, the United Zinc Company being
the purchaser. This company began deep min-
ing, opening up vast bodies of ore at depths
ranging from 100 to 150 feet. Stephens
Brothers consolidated their mines with the
"Last Chance" mines, in 1902, under the cor-
porate name of The Peacock Valley Mining
Company, and a very large mill is now in
operation, clearing from $500 to $1,500 a
week. Five other mills are in operation at this
point, and it is generally conceded to be among
the richest mining land in the Galena-Joplin
district. Three miles north of these mines, at
the north end of the same valley, a mine known
as the Lawton Mine is being operated, and a
mill has recently been built there."
From the foregoing narrative it may be
seen how people may live for a long time in
the midst of natural riches, without ever com-
ing into their enjoyment. John Roush and
J. K. Jones, for many years eked out a hard,
scanty living on their farms, practicing the
most rigid economy in order to meet their obli-
gations and at the same time support their fam-
ilies. The former finally lost his home,
through the foreclosure of a mortgage;
the latter doing a little better by leasing
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
20-
his land and reaching a condition where life
seemed to begin to be worth the living, when he
was called away, as if to give others a chance
to reap the rich harvests which might have
come to him long years before. The good
things of life seem not always to come to those
apparently most in need, and who very often
seem to be the most deserving. Fortune fre-
quently frowning in cold disdain upon the earn-
est seekers after a mere modicum of the com-
forts of life, and as frequently dispensing her
favors upon those who come by chance within
the reach of her lavish hand.
An interesting narrative is given by Mrs.
Leslie Patterson, of Mineral City. In early
childhood she was left an orphan, and she was
reared by Jacob Galer, of Ohio, who had a
fondness for adventure, in the following of
which he often went contrary to his wife's
judgment, as men so often do, Jacob Galer
first moved from Ohio to Illinois; then to Kan-
sas; then to Iowa, where lie remained a while
(of course only a short while) , and then moved
to Missouri, settling in one of the finest por-
tions of the State, but his roving spirit would
not let him alone, and he came back to Kan-
sas. It was in Iowa that Mrs. Patterson, then
Olive Carter, a little child, was taken into the
family. Jacob Galer's moving outfit consisted
of two wagons, one drawn by three yoke of
oxen, and the other by two yoke of oxen, and a
lighter wagon drawn by two horses. He
brought along a number of cattle and sheep
and a few extra horses, the family, with the
outfit, making quite a caravan. The begin-
ning of the journey was from Trenton, Mis-
souri, in the summer of 1865; the destination
was unknown, only that it must be somewhere
on the frontier. Jacob Galer's family consisted
of himself, his wife, a daughter nearly grown
and Olive Carter, the little girl whom they had
taken to raise. Two men were hired to drive
the ox teams. Mrs. Galer drove the team of
horses and Mr. Galer brought up the loose
horses, cattle and sheep. At Cameron, Mis-
souri, one of the men quit the company, and
Mr. Galer had to take his place. From that
point, on to Cherokee County, Kansas, the
daughter and the little girl, then 11 years old,
walked and drove the loose stock. They
crossed the Missouri River at Kansas City and
came south by the way of Fort Scott, from that
point following the military road until they
came to Shawnee Creek, just north of where
Crestline now stands. They camped there one
night, and the next day took a course west-
wardly, and the next night they camped on
what is now known as the Johnson farm, about
two miles northwest of Columbus. Far along
in the night, after the howling of the prairie
wolves had lulled the family to sleep, it chanced
that Mr. Galer awoke and saw a glaring light
toward the southeast. It increased rapidly in
brightness, and he wisely concluded that a
prairie fire was advancing from the direction of
Baxter Springs. He awoke the family, hitched
the teams to the wagons, rounded up the herd,
and the whole caravan moved off as fast as
possible toward the west. Very early the next
morning they came to a log cabin on Lightning
Creek, the home of a family by the name of
Hale. After getting breakfast about a camp-
fire which they built on the bank of the
creek, they started in a southwesterly direction
and continued their way until they reached a
point on the Neosho River, about a mile south
of the place where the Frisco railroad now
crosses the river. Here Jacob Galer laid a
claim and lived for many years. He then
bought what is now known as the Blincoe
place, a mile and a half northwest of Colum-
bus, But even then he was not satisfied, al-
though he had moved from place to place
enough, it would seem, to bring about a desire
for settling down, if roving ever brings such a
206
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
desire. The next change was when he sold
out and moved to Washington Territory, and
this was his last, for he died there, going out
"seeking a better country."
I deem it not improper here to speak of
John McLaughlin, who, in the spring of 1867,
settled on the northeast quarter of section 12,
township 32, range 22, in Sheridan township,
Cherokee County. He is mentioned here on
account of his once being well known, a highly
respected citizen of the county and a cultured
gentleman, and on account of his tragic death.
He was an Irish Presbyterian, a devout, earn-
est Christian, a man of probity and of the
highest integrity. At the time of his death
he was a member of the Board of County Com-
missioners, and in this position, as in all other
relations of life, he displayed good judgment
and constantly sought the best interests of the
people. On an afternoon in the latter part of
October, 1874, he and two sons, Willis and
William, took a wagon and team and drove
out to Lightning Creek, to get a load of wood.
Prairie chickens were numerous then, and
naturally they would take a gun, which they
did. They were about three miles from home
when they saw some chickens, and Willis, then
14 years old, got out of the wagon and then
reached back for the gun. In taking it out
the gun was discharged, the contents entering
his father's body. The wound was not imme-
diately fatal, but the flow of blood was so
great that life could not long remain. Mr. Mc-
Laughlin, knowing that he was going to die,
directed one of the sons to get on a horse and
go for his wife. The boy did so, and Mrs.
McLaughlin was brought as quickly as possi-
ble. The wounded man, first of all, charged
his wife never in any way to blame the son for
what he had done; that it was purely acci-
dental, and that he must never be made to feel
bad about it. He then directed her what to do
in winding up the estate, talking calmly and
unexcitedly to the very last, and when he had
gone over such things as he deemed it proper
to mention he quietly and peacefully closed his
eyes and was dead. No man could be more
missed than John McLaughlin, either by his
family or by those among whom he lived in the
community ; for it is rare that one's acts and
deeds are more disinterested and helpful than
were his.
Among the early settlers of Cherokee
County no one was better known than Capt.
Sidney S. Smith, who was elected the first
county superintendent, in 1866. He was born
in Trumbull County, Ohio, July 26, 182 1, and
while yet a young man he moved to Des
Moines County, Iowa, and later to Mahaska
County, in that State. He was married to
Clementine Frederick, in that county, Novem-
ber 24, 1847. Miss Frederick was born in
Columbiana County, Ohio, January 13, 1828.
Captain Smith came to Cherokee County in
1866; his family came the next year. They
settled in the western part of Lola township,
where they lived a short time, and then moved
to Columbus. They had three daughters, who
married, the oldest to W. R. Cowley, the sec-
ond to Chester Branin, the youngest to R. C.
Warren. Captain Smith died July 1, 1892.
Mrs. Smith, now in her 77th year, lives in East
Columbus, where she has an elegant home with
her daughter, Mrs. Warren.
Captain Smith's death was a sad one. He
was nearly 71 years old and somewhat hard of
hearing ; but he was so energetic as always to be
at work. On the afternoon of July 1, 1892, he
had taken a plow from the field to a black-
smith shop to have it sharpened, and he was on
his way back to the field with the plow on his
shoulder, and he on horseback, going east
along the south part of Columbus. The wind
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
207-
blowing a gale from the south, and he being
partially deaf, he did not hear a train which
was going south. The engine killed both him
and the horse instantly. Me was so well known
and so highly respected that his frightful death
created wide-spread sorrow over the county.
He had been very prominent in public affairs,
very energetic and determined in all his pur-
poses. It is said to be largely due to him that
the county seat trouble, which so divided the
people for many years, was finally settled to
the satisfaction of a majority of the people.
Mrs. Smith has the original election certi-
ficate which was issued to Captain Smith when
he was elected county superintendent. It is
as follows :
State of Kansas, Cherokee County, ss.
I, William Little, County Clerk of Cherokee
County, certify that, at an election held in the various
townships of Cherokee County, on the 6th day of No-
vember, 1866, Sidney S. Smith was duly elected to the
office of superintendent of public instruction.
Witness my hand and seal, this the l"th day of July,
1867.
(Private Seal.) William Little,
Co. Clerk.
Dr. C. W. Hoag, of Weir, has handed me
two comparatively old papers, which because of
their association with men and things, it is
thought proper to copy here. The first is a
railroad pass ; the other is a commission author-
izing him to perform the official duties of a
justice of the peace. The railroad pass is as
follows :
Missouri River, Fort Scott and Gulf Railroad,
quarterly pass. third quarter.
June 27, 1877.
Pass C. W. Hoag, Agent at Coalfield, from June 30,
to September 30, 1877.
W. L. Annette,
Superintendent.
The certificate of appointment and commis-
12
sion, as justice of the peace, was issued by
George T. Anthony, then Governor of the
State. Governor Anthony, who died about
three years ago, was a cousin of the well known
Susan B. Anthony, who has done so much to-
ward the enfranchisement of women. The cer-
tificate follows :
The State of Kansas.
To All to Whom These Presents Shall Come, Greeting :
Know ye, that I, George T. Anthony, Governor of
the State of Kansas, reposing special trust and confidence
in the integrity, patriotism and abilities of C. W. Hoag,
on behalf and in the name of the State, do hereby appoint
and commission him Justice of the Peace of Cherokee
Township, Cherokee County, vice Henry Lincoln, de-
ceased, and do authorize and empower him to dis-
charge the duties of s'aid office according to law.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed
my name and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of the
State.
Done at Topeka, this 27th day of April, A. D.
1877.
Georce T. Anthony.
Attest : Thos. H. Cavanaugh, Secretary of State.
Dr. Hoag says that Judge A. H. Skidmore,
then just admitted to the bar, tried his first case
in his court, at the old town of Stillson, soon
after the foregoing certificate was issued.
Col. William March, of Baxter Springs, re-
lates a little incident of his journey when he
first came to Kansas. It was in September,
1869. At that time the Missouri River, Fort
Scott & Gulf Railroad had not reached Fort
Scott. Pleasanton was its southern terminus.
Colonel March traveled by stage from that
place to Baxter Springs. Between Fort Scott
and Baxter Springs there was what was then
known as "The Halfway House," a mere cabin
on the prairie, where the stage horses were
changed, and where passengers might get din-
ner. There were several on the stage that day,
and among them two or three ladies. The ride
over the prairie gave all good appetites, and a
number described what they would like to have-
2CS
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
for dinner. Colonel March said he would like
to have fried chicken, brown gravy, hot biscuits
and good, strong coffee. When they arrived
at the cabin and went in to sit down at the table,
there was just such a dinner as he had de-
scribed, including every detail. Colonel March
has never yet determined whether "the woman
of the house" had a mental message from him
or not ; but he knows that he got what he
wanted.
The following story is told by Cyrus W.
Harvey, concerning the manner in which the
Varck post office got its name :
The people of Quaker Valley wanted a post
office established in their neighborhood. There
was an old, somewhat influential man living at
Baxter Springs. He was known as "Dad Var-
rick." Through him a petition was sent on to
Washington and placed in the hands of Dudley
C. Haskell, a Member of Congress from this
State. Haskell took the petition to the Fourth
Assistant Postmaster General. The two talked
over the matter, and in looking over the papers
found that the people had recommended that
the office be called Varrick; but it seems that,
even then, the Department was in favor of mak-
ing names of post offices as short as possible;
names having but one syllable being preferred
to longer ones. In this instance it was agreed
that Varrick should be cut down to Varck, and
so it remains to this day.
In a way, or for good reasons, Cherokee
County lays some claim to Eugene F. Ware, at
present the United States Commissioner of
Pensions. Mr. Ware, when a very young man,
settled in what is now Ross township. Various
stories are related of his early struggles. He
took a claim, and it is certain that he lived much
as other people lived here in those days. It is
said that he broke prairie with a large plow
drawn by ox teams, and that he often came to
town in an ox wagon, and that he sometimes
came barefooted. Others say that he did not go
barefooted, in public ; but it is admitted that he
was a sturdy plowman, and that he never
shunned hard work. Mr. Ware was a close
student while he was working on his farm, and
it was not long until he quit tilling the soil,
studied law and was admitted to the bar. But
he liked other things also. He had a vivid im-
agination, loved literature and sometimes wrote
poetry, some of which is unexcelled. Here is
his poem, — "The Washerwoman's Song," —
which, with other poems, was published in a
little book, "The Iron Quill," which has given
the author more than local fame :
In a very humble cot,
In a rather quiet spot,
In the suds and in the soap,
Worked a woman, full of hope;
Working, singing, all alone
In a sort of undertone,
"With a Savior for a friend,
He will keep me to the end."
Sometimes happening along,
I had heard the semi-song,
And I often used to smile,
More in sympathy than guile ;
But I never said a word
In regard to what I heard,
As she sang about her Friend
Who would keep her to the end.
Not in sorrow nor in glee
Working all day long was she.
As her children, three or four.
Played around her on the floor ;
But in monotones the song
She was humming all day long,
"With the Savior for a friend,
He will keep me to the end."
It's a song I do not sing,
For I scarce believe a thing
Of the stories that are told
Of the miracles of old;
But I know that her belief
Is the anodyne of grief,
And will always be a friend
That will keep her to the end.
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
209
Just a trifle lonesome she,
Just as poor as poor could be,
But her spirit always rose,
Like the bubbles in the clothes.,
And though widowed and alone,
Cheered her with the monotone,
Of "a Savior and a friend"
Who would keep her to the end.
I have seen her rub and scrub,
On the washboard, in the tub,
While the baby soaped in suds,
Rolled and tumbled in the duds ;
Or was paddling in the pools,
With old scissors stuck in spools;
She still humming of her Friend
Who would keep her to the end.
Human hopes and human creeds
Have their roots' in human needs ;
And I would not wish to strip
From this washerwoman's lip
Any song that she can sing,
Any hope that songs can bring;
For the woman has a Friend
Who will keep her to the end.
It has been said that this poem, when read
by Theodore Roosevelt, some years before he
became President of the United States, touched
a tender spot in his "strenuous" nature, and
that through it he was led to seek Mr. Ware's
acquaintace. The acquaintance ripened into a
close friendship, and afterward, when there
was a vacancy, and the appointing power had
come to him, he made Mr. Ware his commis-
sioner of pensions. The appointment, though
it may have been made through the following
of a sentiment, was prompted by good business
judgment, and the people, particularly those of
Kansas, have given it thorough approval.
I think that here should be given a fitting
tribute to the memory of an unpretentious old
man who recently departed this life, at the city
of Columbus, at a very advanced age. George
C. Bailey was born in Fort McHenry, near the
city of Baltimore, Maryland, June 17, 181 1,
and he died at Columbus, Kansas, August 9,
1904. He was an old-time gentleman, quiet
of manner, rugged, of industrious habits and
courteous in his demeanor toward others. He
did not possess much of this world's goods, but
he had a proud spirit, and an ambition never to
be in any way dependent. Toward midnight,
August 9, 1904, an old clock, which had been
keeping him time for 73 years, was ticking
away the seconds in the quiet room, when he
turned his face to his daughter-in-law and said :
"Mary, what time is it ?" She told him that it
was 10 minutes to 12. Then he said : "I guess
I shall be going soon, for I think I have stayed
long enough." Then he was quiet for a while,
but breathing and yet in his mind, until the
faithful old clock chimed the hour of "low
twelve," and then all was over and the more
than 93 years of the spirit's lingering here was
at an end, and it was free to go elsewhere, into
the beauties and glories of the higher life.
■*&t &
HON. SAMUEL J. CRAWFORD
Representative Citizens
ON. SAMUEL J. CRAWFORD, ex-
Governor of Kansas and a distin-
guished lawyer, whose portrait ac-
companies this sketch, lias a beautiful
country home in section 6, township 35, range
25, in Garden township, Cherokee County,
Kansas. He was born in Lawrence County,
Indiana, near Bedford, April 10, 1835, and is a
son of William and Jane (Morrow) Crawford.
Mr. Crawford's ancestors were Scotch-
Irish and came to America at an early period
in the colonial days. His paternal grandfather
served in the Revolution as a soldier from
North Carolina, and his maternal grandfather
was a planter in the same State. His father,
William Crawford, migrated to Indiana in
181 5, when it was a Territory, locating in Law-
rence County, where he successfully farmed.
Although he was born, reared and educated in
a slave State, he had an unconquerable preju-
dice to the institution of slavery, and therefore
sought a home in the territory northwest of the
Ohio, where slavery and involuntary servitude
had been forever prohibited.
Samuel J. Crawford was reared on his
father's farm and attended the common schools
and also an academy at Bedford. At the age
of 21 years, he became a student-at-law in the
office of Hon. S. W. Short of Bedford, Indiana,
where he continued until the fall of 1857, when
he entered the Law School of Cincinnati Col-
lege, from which he was graduated in 1858.
In March, 1859, he came to Kansas Territory
and located at Garnett, the county seat of An-
derson County, where he engaged in the prac-
tice of his profession. He was elected a mem-
ber of the first State Legislature, convened at
Topeka, March 27, 1861. The swiftly follow-
ing- events of secession thrilled loval Kansas
to the very core, and Mr. Crawford, respond-
ing to the call of President Lincoln in 1861 for
75,000 volunteers, resigned his seat in the Leg-
islature, returned home and recruited a com-
pany, of which he was chosen captain. This
company, designated as Company E. was as-
signed to the 2d Regiment, Kansas Vol. Inf.,
and mustered into the United States service.
He participated under gallant General Lyon in
the battle of Wilson's Creek and various other
battles of the campaign in Missouri fought dur-
ing the summer of 1861. As it had suffered
severe losses, the regiment was ordered home
to Kansas and reorganized in the winter of
1861-62 as the 2d Regiment, Kansas Vol. Cav.
Captain Crawford was assigned to command of
Company A and was soon thereafter given
command of a battalion. He participated with
the regiment in the battles of Newtonia, Old
Fort Wayne, Cane Hill, Prairie Grove and
other engagements fought by General Blunt
during the Trans-Mississippi campaign of
1862. In these engagements he developed ex-
traordinary ability as a cavalry leader and was
complimented in general orders for his gallant
214
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
services at Old Fort Wayne, Cane Hill and
Prairie Grove. In March, 1863, although hold-
ing the rank of captain, he was assigned to
command of the 2d Regiment, Kansas Vol.
Caw, and led the regiment in the campaign of
that year through the Indian Territory and
Western Arkansas, which resulted in the en-
gagements at Perryville, Backbone Mountain
and the capture of Fort Smith by the Federals.
The 2d Regiment covered itself with glory in
these memorable campaigns. In October,
1863, Captain Crawford was promoted colonel
of the 83d United States Colored Infantry and
with his regiment accompanied General Steele
on the Shreveport (Louisiana) expedition,
which moved southward in March, 1864, from
Fort Smith and Little Rock and co-operated
with General Banks in his Red River campaign,
participating in the battles of Prairie D'Ane
and Saline River. At the latter engagement
Colonel Crawford charged and captured a bat-
tery, which his men brought off by hand, their
horses having been killed or disabled. After
this battle he returned with the 7th Army Corps
to Little Rock, and thence, with the Kansas
Division under the command of General
Thayer, to Fort Smith, Arkansas. In July.
1864, Colonel Crawford commanded an expe-
dition that was sent into the Choctaw Nation
in pursuit of the Rebel general, Standwattie,
whom he routed.
On September 8, 1864. Colonel Crawford
was nominated as Republican candidate for
Governor of Kansas. Obtaining leave of ab-
sence, he returned to Kansas, arriving at Fort
Scott on October. 9th. There he learned that
a heavy body of Rebels under General Price
was moving westward through Central Mis-
souri with the design of devastating Kansas.
He hastened to Kansas City, arriving there
October 17th, reported to General Curtis, com-
manding the Federal forces there assembling
to resist General Price, and was assigned to
duty as a volunteer aide. A few days later the
battle of the Blue, Westport and Mine creeks
were fought, and at the last named engagement
Colonel Crawford ordered and participated in
a charge of two brigades of cavalry that re-
sulted in capturing the Confederate generals.
Marmaduke and Cabell, 500 prisoners and
eight pieces of artillery. This battle closed his
military career in the Civil War, having partici-
pated in all battles fought west of the Missis-
sippi River, with the exception of Pea Ridge.
On April 13, 1865, he was promoted by the
President of the United States to the rank of
brigadier-general, by brevet, for meritorious
services in the field.
On November 7, 1864, General Crawford
was elected Governor, and in 1866 was chosen
for a second term. Governor Crawford and his
friend, Governor Holbrook, of Vermont, are
the only two of the war Governors that now
survive. During his service as Governor, he
reorganized and consolidated the volunteer reg-
iments in Kansas and secured the enactment of
new laws under which the State militia was
placed on a sure footing for the protection of
the people against Rebel invasions and Indian
incursions. He devoted much of his time to
the establishment and maintenance of the vari-
ous State institutions and on his retirement
from office left the Deaf, Mute, Blind and In-
sane asylums, the State University, the Agri-
cultural College and the State Normal School
in successful operation.
During 1867-68 hostile bands of Indians
hovered on the borders of Kansas, driving back
the incoming settlers, checking the construction
of railroads and threatening to cut off com-
munication between Kansas and the Western
States and Territories. For two years an In-
dian war of savage barbarity was carried on.
Many settlers were killed and scalped, prop-
1 erty destroyed, women and children outraged
and others carried into captivity to suffer a fate
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
worse than a thousand deaths. The Federal
forces stationed on the border, and State troops
furnished by Governor Crawford proved in-
adequate. The Indians followed their usual
custom of making' war during the summer
months and then retreated to their homes in
the Indian Territory to be clothed, fed and
nurtured by the government in the winter.
Finally, as a culmination of the Indian out-
rages, in August, 1868, the settlements of
Northwestern Kansas were raided by Indians,
who killed and wounded some forty persons,
carried women into captivity and committed
other atrocities. When the terrible details of
this last massacre reached Governor Crawford's
ears, he proceeded at once to the scene of dis-
aster, saw that the dead were properly buried
and the wounded cared for, then returned to
Topeka, organized the 19th Regiment, Kansas
Vol. Caw, resigned his office as Governor, and
with his regiment accompanied Custer, then
lieutenant-colonel of the 7th United States Cav-
alry, the whole force being under the command
of General Philip H. Sheridan, on the historic
campaign into the interior of the wild country
bordering on Texas, where the hostile tribes
had always felt secure from punishment during
the winter seasons. These Indians were at-
tacked and defeated in the Washitaw Valley, in
what is now Oklahoma Territory, in December,
1868, and several of the chiefs held as hostages
until the captive white women were delivered
up.
Governor Crawford returned home after
the campaign and practiced law in Topeka.
For many years he has been attorney for the
Indians, and many interesting notes may be
found in the State Historical Library, in his
briefs. Governor Crawford is of imposing
presence, standing six feet two inches in height,
of Herculean form, symmetrically propor-
tioned, and has a pair of shoulders that Atlas
might fairly envy. He has a handsome resi-
dence at Washington, and also one at Topeka.
His summer home is a quarter section of land
in Garden township, Cherokee County, inter-
sected by Spring River. It is beautifully sit-
uated on a hill in the southwestern part of the
township, one mile north of the Indian Terri-
tory, and from its elevation can be seen the
Court House at Columbus and the beautiful
fields between. He has his farm well stocked
with standard animals, in which he takes a
pride, and also has set out a good peach
orchard.
On November 2j, 1866, General Crawford
was united in marriage with Isabel M. Chase,
an estimable and accomplished lady of Topeka,
daughter of Enoch and Mary Chase of Massa-
chusetts, where she was born. Her father was
a large ship-builder of Newburyport, Massa-
chusetts, on the Merrimac, and when he came
to Kansas was one of the original five men win;
laid out the town of Topeka, where both he and
his wife died. Our subject and his wife became
the parents of two children, as follows: Flor-
ence, wife of Arthur Capper, proprietor of the
Topeka Capital; and George, a graduate "i
Yale and at the present time proprietor of a
large printing house at Topeka, publishing the
Mail and Breeze. He married Hortense Kelly,
a daughter of Bernard Kelly, who was chaplain
in the army, and to them were born two chil-
dren : George Marshall and Isabel.
EORGE W. WALKER, M. D.. is a
prominent practitioner of medicine
at Melrose, Cherokee County, and is
well known to the citizens of the
county, among whom he has lived for many
years. He was born on a farm near Lincoln,
Logan County, Illinois, April 13, 1855, and is
a son of John and Permelia (Ewing) Walker.
John Walker was born in North Carolina
2l6
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
in 1823, and when a boy went to Illinois with
his parents, overland, being a pioneer of Logan
County. He died there at the age of 34 years,
when George W. was two years of age. He
was a farmer by occupation. His wife was
born in Moultrie County, Illinois, in 1828, and
died in Logan County in January, 1894.
Dr. Walker was reared on a farm and at-
tended the common schools until 1874, when he
entered Lincoln University, at Lincoln, Illinois.
His college course was interrupted for one year,
during which time he engaged in teaching, and
in 1880 he was graduated with the degree of
A. B. He then taught school for a year, and in
iSSi went to Oregon. Washington and Colo-
rado with the primary object of seeing some-
what of this great country. During his stay
in the West, he was engaged in shipping grain.
In 1882 he returned to Illinois, where he taught
school until 1884. Then he came to Cherokee
County, and taught school at Blue Mound for
four years. In 1888 he was elected superin-
tendent of the Weir City schools, and in 1890.
superintendent of the city schools of Columbus.
In that year he was a candidate on the Republi-
can ticket, for county superintendent of schools,
but was defeated by the candidate on the Alli-
ance ticket. He was again the choice of his
party for that office in 1894, but withdrew in
favor of Edward Herod, who was elected. The
subject of this sketch continued as superintend-
ent of the Columbus schools until 1894. when
he resigned to prepare for the medical profes-
sion. He entered the medical department of
the U/niversity of Kentucky at Louisville,
and was graduated from that institution in
1897, with the degree of M. D. In April. 1897,
he opened an office at Baxter Springs, and in
the following June removed to Melrose, where
he has since practiced with a high degree of
success. He owns a farm of 40 acres one and
a quarter miles west of Melrose, in Neosho
township, and also has city property, and is a
man of high standing in the community.
In 1888, Dr. Walker was joined in mar-
riage with Julia A. Atchison, a native of De-
catur, Illinois, who died in 1890. at the early
age of 25 years, leaving one son, Clarence E.,
who lives at Decatur, Illinois,. In 1900, the
Doctor formed a second matrimonial alliance,
wedding Julia A. Wise, a native of Kansas, and
they have two daughters, — Permelia M. and
Roberta. While attending college in Illinois,
Dr. Walker united with the Presbyterian
Church, of which he has since been a faithful
member. Fraternally, he is a Master Mason ;
a member of the Knights of Pythias ; Modern
Woodmen of America ; Home Builders Union ;
and Woodmen of the World.
ON. ANDREW H. SKIDMORE.
The maternal ancestors of Mr. Skid-
more were hardy Highlanders of
Scotland, and those on the paternal
side were of Scotch-Irish descent. At the be-
ginning of his life, he was by nature well equip-
ped for battling with the obstacles which one
meets in the struggle for success, and his pa-
tience, vigilance and perseverance have enabled
him, by his own efforts, to succeed in every un-
dertaking in which he has engaged.
Judge Skidmore was born in Randolph
County, Virginia, now West Virginia, Febru-
ary 14, 1855. While he was yet a boy, his par-
ents moved to Illinois, where the family lived
on a farm. He obtained such mental training as
the country schools at that time afforded. After
teaching one year, he spent 1874 and 1875 m
the law department of the University of Michi-
gan at Ann Arbor, and on September 14, 1876.
he was admitted to the bar, before the Supreme
Court of Illinois at Ottawa. Believing that
AND REPRESENTATIVE CJ 1'IZENi
:i7
the boundless West afforded better opportuni-
ties for advancement in the profession of the
law, he came to Kansas, and on November 14,
1876, opened an office in Columbus. Here he
continued in the practice of the law uninter-
ruptedly until he was elected to the bench of the
Eleventh Judicial District of Kansas, in 1894.
He was reelected in 1898. After he had served
eight years on the bench, he resumed his gen-
eral practice, in 1893.
While occupying the position of judge of
the Eleventh Judicial District, Judge Skidmore
was fair in his rulings, considerate toward the
less fortunate, fearless in the discharge of his
duty, and yet prudent in the application of the
law. His course was noted for the energy he
displayed, his economical manner of conduct-
ing the business of the court, the general fair-
ness he extended to all., and his clear, concise
decisions in disposing of the legal questions
which came before him. For the first six years
of his service, the district was large, including
Cherokee, Labette and Montgomery counties.
Naturally there were many closely contested
cases, and as a matter of course, many appeals
to the Supreme Court. The records of that
court show fewer reversals of the decisions of
Judge Skidmore than of those of any other
judge in the State of Kansas, for a similar
period and in a like number of appeals. While
he always presided over the court with becom-
ing dignity, he was constantly courteous to at-
torneys, and kindly in his treatment of every
class of litigants that sought the benefits of a
just administration of the law. The result was
that when he retired from the bench, he did so
with the good will of the members of the bar,
and of all his constituents, regardless of party
affiliation.
In 1902 Judge Skidmore erected a fine,
brick office building, on the northwest corner of
the square, in Columbus, where, as senior mem-
ber of the firm of Skidmore & Walker, he now
has his office, and is engaged in a lucrative
practice. He stands in the front rank of his
profession, being a safe counsellor, careful in
the preparation of the cases put into his hands,
expert in trial proceedings, and always loyal
to his clients. He is a logical reasoner and an
able advocate.
Judge Skidmore resides with his family in
the suburbs of Columbus, where they have a
beautiful, well appointed home, and where they
live in the enjoyment of the fruits of his well
directed efforts in life.
The subject of this sketch married Alice
M. Allen, who was born in Wisconsin, and ac-
companied her father, the late Gilbert Allen,
to Cherokee County, in 1875. He was engaged
in the coal business, and was also the owner of
a large body of land. His death took place in
1902, at the age of 84 years. Four children
have been born to Judge Skidmore and his
wife, namely : Mrs. Daisy A. Dillard, of Cher-
okee; Etta May, wife of James C. Broadley,
cashier of the Bank of Weir City ; Andrew
Allen, who is attending school; and Hazel B.,
who died, aged four years.
Politically, Judge Skidmore is an active
Republican. He has been chairman of the Re-
publican County Central Committee, and has
taken a prominent part in public affairs for
many years. Fraternally he is a Mason and
Knight Templar, and belongs also to the
Knights of Pythias, the Ancient Order of Uni-
ted Workmen, and the Modern Woodmen of
America.
A. SCAMMON, M. D., whose long
and honorable professional life of 34
years has made him known to almost
every resident of Columbus. Kansas.
was born at Saco. Maine, and is a son of Luther
and Rhoda (Carter) Scammon.
Luther Scammon moved with his family
2l8
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
from Maine to Illinois, in 1845, an d settled in
Bureau County. In 1876 he came to Cherokee
County, Kansas, where he died in 1878, aged
70 years. His widow survived until 1896, dy-
ing when 88 years old. The family consisted
of four sons and one daughter, viz : E. A. ; S.
F.. who died in July, 1902, having settled on a
farm near Scammon, Cherokee County, in July,
1872, and being also the owner of large coal
interests; E. C, now a resident of Columbus,
who was formerly in the coal business, and
served one term as treasurer of Cherokee Coun-
ty, and two terms as a member of the Legisla-
ture from the northern district of the county;
W. L., who resides in the vicinity of Cherokee;
and Mrs. Hoover, who is the widowed mother
of Ex-County Treasurer Frank Hoover.
Dr. Scammon was reared and educated in
Illinois; he attended the Dover Academy at
Dover, Bureau County, before going to the
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, where
he pursued his medical studies during the win-
ters of 1864 and 1865, and was graduated there
in medicine, in 1867. He settled at Arlington.
Illinois, for practice, but two years later, in
December, 1869, lie removed to Columbus,
Kansas, where he has made his home ever since.
In January, 1870, he opened a drug store,
which was the first drug store ever opened in
Columbus. This he sold in two years. In 1888
he began to restrict his work to office practice,
and opened another drug store, which he sold
in 1902, and is now practically retired. Aside
from his profession, he has been interested in
other lines, and still continues his connection
with coal lands, having been formerly engaged
in the coal business with his brothers. Dr.
Scammon is one of the county's substantial
men, who has always shown much public spirit
and enterprise. His beautiful home, built on a
choice location and in the midst of a plat of 1 5
acres, is one of the finest in the city.
Dr. Scammon was married in Columbus.
Kansas, to Lida Snevely, who was born in
Ohio, and is a daughter of Dr. Snevely, who
became a prominent physician in Indiana,
where Mrs. Scammon's kindred are now lo-
cated. The two children of Dr. and Mrs.
Scammon are : Mrs. F. D. Crowell, whose hus-
band has charge of tne electric lights of Colum-
bus; and Harold, a youth of 12 years, who is
at school. Dr. and Mrs. Scammon attend the
Presbyterian Church.
Politically, Dr. Scammon is a Democrat.
He has accepted few political favors, his pro-
fession and his coal interests having absorbed
his time and attention to a great degree. He
accepted, however, the appointment of State
mine inspector, tendered him by Governor
Glick, being the first incumbent of the office
under the law creating it. At that time the
office was no sinecure, none of the later regula-
tions being then in force and many of the pres-
ent safety devices and inventions in modern
machinery having hardly been thought of.
These in combination render the work at pres-
ent almost perfunctory. Dr. Scammon has
been interested in the growth of the various
medical societies in the State, and retains his
membership with the Southeastern Kansas and
the State medical societies. He has lived a
very useful and active life, having achieved
success both in business and in his profession,
and now commands the respect and enjoys the
esteem of his fellow citizens.
iM
OX. HO W A R D RANDOLPH
CROWELL, president of the Colum-
bus Electric Company of Columbus.
Kansas, has been a citizen and
resident of Cherokee County since 1871.
He was born in Rahway, New Jersey, on
the 25th of September, 1837, and was edu-
cated in that city and in Philadelphia. He
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
219
became a student at law in the office of Judge
M. Russell Thayer, of Philadelphia, in 1855
and was admitted to the bar in 1859.
Coming West in 1861 to visit a brother
then living in Osage County, Missouri, Mr.
Crowell remained there taking charge of his
brother's business during the four years of the
Civil War. The brother. R. C. Crowell, en-
tered the army and was mustered out as major
of the 26th Regiment, Missouri Vol. Inf., at
the close of the war. H. R. Crowell was com-
missioned as the organizer and member of the
Western Sanitary Commission for Osage Coun-
ty and spent a good part of his time in provid-
ing and forwarding hospital and sanitary stores
for the wounded of the Union Army.
After the war, Mr. Crowell and his brother
engaged in the forwarding and commission
business in Kansas City, Missouri, under the
name of R. C. Crowell & Company and contin-
ued in this business along the line of the old
Missouri River, Fort Scott & Gulf Railroad
until that line reached Baxter Springs, Kansas.
At that time the forwarding business from rail-
way terminals was of great importance. The
firm had a large and profitable business for
some years.
In June, 1871, Mr. Crowell moved to Bax-
ter Springs, where he remained about 20 years,
engaged in various lines of business, chiefly
banking. He was vice-president and after-
wards acting president of the First National
Bank of Baxter Springs and finally closed out
its business and established a private banking
house. This bank was afterwards incorporated
as the Baxter Bank and the business was con-
tinued until 1890, when Mr. Crowell finally
sold out and moved to Columbus, where he
established a bank. He withdrew from the
banking business in 1894, selling to J. E. Tut-
ton, now the active president of the Columbus
State Bank. Mr. Crowell and others incorpo-
rated the Columbus Electric Company in 1893,
and he has in connection with his two sons
Arthur and Frederick been actively engaged
in supplying the city of Columbus with light
and power since that time. The business is now
managed by his son Frederick, and Mr. Crowell
is withdrawing from any active participation
in business affairs.
In politics Mr. Crowell is a Republican,
having served two terms as mayor of Baxter
Springs and one term as a member of the Leg-
islature from the southern district of the coun-
ty. He is a member and elder of the Presby-
terian Church of Columbus.
OHN \Y. SPENCER, a well known
citizen of Columbus, and an extensive
coal operator in Cherokee County, lias
been identified with this section of
country since 1869. He was born in 1840 in
Washington County, Illinois, where his parents
died.
Mr. Spencer is not the only member of his
family to come to Kansas, a sister also finding
a home here, and two brothers, C. A. and D. A.,
now being residents of Wichita.
The subject of this sketch was reared on his
father's farm in Washington County, and first
attended the local schools, and later, Lebanon
College, and the institution at Marshall, Illi-
nois, again returning to Lebanon. While at
this college, in December, 1863, he enlisted in
the Union Army and served about 18 months.
or until the close of the war, as a member of
Company D, 13th Reg., Illinois Vol. Caw. his
field of activity being in Arkansas. Good for-
tune followed him. and he returned to Illionis
without serious injury, at the close of his serv-
ice. His location in Cherokee County was
something in the nature of an accident, as he
came here first only as a visitor to see his sister.
He liked the country, saw what possibilities the
220
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
fertile soil and rolling prairie offered to the
farmer and stock-raiser, and decided to make
a permanent home here. He located two miles
north of Hallowell, taking up a claim and buy-
ing others, until he soon owned 1,000 acres in
claims. This was all originally Indian land,
held by the railroad companies.
Mr. Spencer developed 480 acres of this
land and operated it extensively in farming
and stock-raising for about 20 years. He sold
it about four years ago to W. J. Moore, since
which time he has given his attention exclu-
sively to the coal business. He operates as the
Columbus Coal Company, incorporated in 1881,
which owns two of the mines in the Cherokee
district, while he is privately interested in two
additional mines. He has actively promoted
three coal companies. Mr. Spencer has, at
various times, owned lead and zinc interests,
and is at present interested in silver and lead
mines in Colorado.
In December, 1869, Mr. Spencer was mar-
ried to Ambrosia E. Favor, who was born in
McHenry County, Illinois, and came to Kan-
sas in 1868. Her brother, P. M. Favor, who
died some years ago, was then a merchant at
Sherman City, and later, in partnership with
Mr. Spencer, conducted a hardware store at
Columbus. Mr. and Mrs. Spencer have two
children, — Charles F. and Lyda Ambrosia.
The former was born in December, 1872, in
Cherokee County ; he was reared at Columbus,
attended the city schools, and then became clerk
for the Columbus Coal Company, of which he
is now superintendent. He is a very reliable
young man. and formerly took charge, for a
year, of the Fidelity Coal Company, at Fidelity.
He then returned to take charge of the new
shaft of the Columbus Coal Company. He
married Clara Hughes, and they have two
sons, — Harold Hughes and Kenneth Aldridge.
Lyda Ambrosia Spencer was born July 8,
1884; she graduated from the Cherokee County
High School in the spring of 1903, and is now
attending the State University at Lawrence,
Kansas.
Mrs. Spencer was born in McHenry Coun-
ty. Illinois, in 1841, and is a daughter of Jona-
than and Mary M. (Pingry) Favor, who re-
moved in 1854 to Vernon County, Wisconsin.
Mrs. Spencer is a thoroughly educated lady,
and prior to her marriage taught 2$ terms of
school in Wisconsin, two terms in Iowa, and
one in Kansas. She was one of a family of
five sons and six daughters.
In political views, Mr. Spencer is a Repub-
lican and Prohibitionist, and has served on
the School Board and in the City Council.
Mr. Spencer and his wife and family belong to
the Methodist Episcopal Church. They have
many pleasant social connections in Columbus,
and are considered representatives of the best
educated and most refined element of the city.
10HN LANE MYERS, an esteemed
resident of Cherokee township, was
born in 1854 in Pennsylvania, where
he lived until he was 24 years of age.
Farming was his chosen occupation. In 1878
he came with his parents to Kansas, and settled
on a quarter section of land in Cherokee town-
ship. Cherokee County, near which he now
lives. His present home consists of 160 acres
of fine land, which formerly belonged to his
wife*s father, who had. among the early Kan-
sas settlers, chosen it for a home.
Martin Myers, the father of the subject of
this sketch, was born in 1 8 1 8. in Blair County,
Pennsylvania, and died at the old home in Kan-
sas at the age of 79 years. During his lifetime
he followed the occupation of farming. His
wife, also a native of Blair County, died at the
old home in 1897.
John Lane Myers is one of a family of 1 1
^P*^ ^v
m
*m
'm
.
;:'.,. -Vm
^5 i 8 i^k
WE "„.,*'' 1 i~* ^H
HON. ROBERT M. CHESHIRE
AXD REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
22 X
children born to his parents, seven of whom are
still living, as follows: Sarah J. (Mrs. W. T.
Ferguson), of Cherokee township; Dillie (Mrs.
Alonzo M. Duncan), who also lives in Chero-
kee township; Emeline (Mrs. William C.
Helm), who lives in Armstrong County, Penn-
sylvania; John Lane; Maria M. (Mrs. John
Cloak), of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania:
Caroline (Mrs. Charles C. Holler), of Kansas;
and Annie (Mrs. Henry Helm), of Weir City,
K;;;isas.
Mr. Myers was married in 1881 to Tillie
E. Smithpeter, who was born in Tennessee and
is one of nine children constituting the family
of her parents, John and Sarah ( Cable) Smith-
peter. She has one brother now living, James
S., a resident of Galena, Cherokee County, and
three sisters, — Nancy, wife of Anthony Gilten-
mier, living in Chicopee, Kansas; Mary, who
married a Mr. Miles; and Sarah, wife of Wal-
ter O. Manley. Mrs. Myers's father came to
Kansas from Iowa in 1870 and settled on
"Joy" land, which he afterward bought. His
death occurred in 1892, at the age of 78 years,
and his wife died five years later, at the same
age. Mr. and Mrs. Myers have nine children,
all born in Cherokee township. Cherokee Coun-
ty, as follows : Arthur M., Lizzie S., Anna L.,
Ella, Ethel. Bertha, Leona, Clara and Jewell
Evangeline.
In the splendid development which has come
to Cherokee County Mr. and Mrs. Myers and
their several connections have played a helpful
part. Their citizenship is of that sterling char-
acter which looks upon no sacrifice as too great
which lias for its object the uplifting of human-
ity about them. From the earliest day, schools,
churches, good roads and good government
have in turn commanded the full and hearty
support of these different members of the fam-
ily, and they are now able to rejoice with good
consciences at the unmistakable evidences of a
high type of Christian civilization, which con-
front them on every side. Mr. Myers takes but
little interest in politics as such, but is careful
on election day to support by his vote the prin-
ciples enunciated by the Republican platform.
A progressive and up-to-date farmer, a
loyal and patriotic citizen, and a courteous
Christian gentleman, Mr. Myers merits the
high measure of esteem in which he is held by
all classes in the county.
OX. ROBERT M. CHESHIRE, for-
mer mayor of Columbus, ex-Probate
judge of Cherokee County, and one
of the leading attorneys in this sec-
tion of the State, whose portrait accompanies
this sketch, was born in 1844 in Ogle County,
Illinois, and is a son of Michael and Margaret
J. Cheshire.
The family is of English extraction, and, as
the name indicates, at one time probably owned
large estates in the shire of Chester. Early
in the settlement of Virginia, this family was
represented. The father of Judge Cheshire was
born in Virginia, and in 1839 removed to Ogle
County, Illinois, where he resided for more
than 60 years, becoming prominent and wealthy
as a farmer and stockman. In early life a
Whig, he later adopted the principles of the
Republican party. His death occurred in Jan-
uary, 1903, at the age of 87 years. On the
maternal side, Judge Cheshire is of Scotch ex-
traction, his mother being a McAllister. She
was born in Ireland in 1823. Her father mi-
grated to Canada at an early day, but died lx?-
fore his family joined him. The mother and
her children came to America in 1836, but she
died shortly afterward, and the children were
reared by strangers. Of the five children born
to his parents, Judge Cheshire is the eldest of
the three survivors ; the other two are living in
Illinois.
224
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
The subject of this sketch was reared in
Ogle County, his boyhood being passed on his
father's farm. He was favored with school
privileges and attended a seminary of local
note, at Mount Morris. Later he read law,
and took a special course of two years at Har-
vard University. In 1881 he was admitted
to practice in the courts of Illinois by the Su-
preme Court, being examined before the Appel-
late Court at Ottawa. After a practice of two
years at Oregon, Ogle County, he went to
Colorado, but not finding conditions there
favorable for success in his profession, he came
to Kansas and finally located in Cherokee
County, where he soon entered actively into
politics. In 1886 he was nominated by the
Democratic party for the office of county attor-
ney, and in 1887 he was elected mayor of
Columbus, to which office he was subsequently
re-elected. It was during the second year of
his administration that occurred his noble ap-
peal for law and order, which resulted in the
suppression of mob violence in connection with
the arrest of two desperadoes, William and
John Blalack, of Columbus. When popular
indignation had reached such a height that it
seemed almost impossible to save the lives of
the wretched men, Mayor, Cheshire mounted a
convenient wagon in the street, and delivered
an impassioned address calling upon the law-
abiding citizens to avoid violence, and to en-
trust the prisoners to the care of the sheriff.
It is still remembered that Mayor Cheshire
thus placed his own life in jeopardy in the inter-
ests of law and justice.
In 1892 he was elected a member of the
Columbus Board of Education and served four
years, — two years as its president. In 1894
he was again his party's candidate for county
attorney. In 1900 he was elected Probate
judge of Cherokee County, and served from
January 13, 1901, to January 13, 1903. He
was defeated for re-election by only 300 votes,
his former majority having been 600. He has
served as chairman of the Democratic Con-
gressional Committee for two years, and on sev-
eral occasions and for various periods has
served on the Democratic County Central Com-
mittee.
Judge Cheshire has been twice married, —
first, in 1869, in Western New York, to Emma
J. Bartholomew, a native of New York, who
died in 1876, aged 28 years. She left one
daughter, Mrs. Viola F. Brown, born in 1870,
who died in 1897. Airs. Brown left twin
daughters who live with their father in West-
ern Iowa. In 1884 Judge Cheshire married
Sarah E. White, who was born in Rhode
Island. They have three daughters, viz : Mary
M., Hilah G. and Minerva White, all of whom
are attending school. The family home is a
handsome residence which Judge Cheshire
erected in the outskirts of Columbus, near the
Cherokee County High School building. In
addition to this valuable property, he owns
other property in the city and vicinity.
Judge Cheshire has always been public
spirited, and has done much to promote the
progress of the county, and for the advance-
ment of the city's welfare. He was chairman
of the committee of five appointed by the Com-
mercial Club of Columbus to secure for the city
the Cherokee County High School. On this
board he rendered most efficient service, and
much credit is due to him for advancing and
fostering the idea which culminated in secur-
ing to the city and county the magnificent insti-
tution above named. He wrote and delivered,
before the Commercial Club, of which he was
a charter member and which he has served as
chairman, a general address in favor of the
location and erection of a county high school at
Columbus. An issue of 5,000 copies was dis-
tributed in pahphlet form, the perusal of which
by the voters led ultimately to the calling of
a general election. The result is shown by
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
22 =
the beautiful, completed structure, which was
built in 1900. It stands as a testimonial to
his public spirit, enterprise and ability, and is
most creditable to this intelligent and cultured
community.
It was while Judge Cheshire was president
of the Commercial Club that he, with T. P. La-
Rue, C. R. Atchison, L. F. Williams, J. C.
Murdock, of Galena, and others cooperated
with Richard Nevins, Jr., a railroad promoter,
by promising him financial support and moral
encouragement at any time when needed, to
such an extent that he (Nevins) succeeded in
inducing the officials of the Missouri, Kansas &
Texas Railway Company to extend the mineral
branch of the railroad to Joplin, which has
proved of so much value to all points reached
by the road. Public acts of this character
done at the right time by the right man are
what bring about all needed improvements.
LINTON McMICKLE. The high
standard of intelligence among the
agricultural class of Cherokee Coun-
ty is a subject of frequent comment.
Tin's is evidenced by the many rural telephones
and rural free delivery routes, and the generally
tasty and refined appearance of the homes of the
people. Prominent among those who take de-
light in mental acquisition, is the gentleman
whose name appears above. Though a man of
but little scholastic training, owing to lack of
opportunity in his youth, Mr. McMickle has by
close observation and study during his mature
years become enviably proficient in the differ-
ent lines of astronomy, geology and physics,
and still takes great delight in the pursuit of
knowledge in those three fields. Mr. McMickle
is one of the oldest continuous residents in the
county, having settled on his present farm in
section 30, Lola township, in the spring of
1866, after having spent the previous five years
in saving to the nation '"Old Glory," intact and
without stain.
The subject of this sketch is a Hoosier by
birth ; he was born in Orange County, Indiana,
December 1, 1838, and is a son of Lorenzo Mc-
Mickle. When he was 10 years of age, his par-
ents moved to Davis County, Iowa, where the
war found him eager and anxious to do, and if
needs be die, for the old flag. In April, 1861,
he enlisted as a private in Company* G, 2nd
Reg., Iowa Vol. Inf.. Capt. James Baker com-
manding, under Col. Sam. R. Curtis. For the
greater part of the war this regiment was brig-
aded with the 15th Army Corps, saw much
active service in the Middle West and marched
with Sherman to the sea. Mr. McMickle got
to the front in time to take part in the fighting
at Fort Donelson. Then followed Shiloh, the
two Corinths and Iuka. He participated in all
the principal battles of the Atlanta campaign,
marched up through the Carolinas, and was
present at that matchless parade of the defend-
ers of the flag, known in history as "The Grand
Review." He was honorably discharged as
2nd sergeant of his company, a position which
he had held for about two years. He received
a bayonet wound in the face at Frederickstown
Missouri, was wounded in the leg at Fort Don-
elson, and at Atlanta was struck in the breast
by a bullet; but none of these was sufficient to
put him in the hospital. As an instance of the
fact that not all the gallant deeds of the boys
in the army received proper attention and re-
ward, Mr. McMickle relates that at the Jones-
boro fight, he was ordered by an officer on Gen-
eral Howard's staff to take several men and
make a reconnaissance to find out whether the
enemy was in retreat. He immediately set out
on his perilous trip, and so well was it done that
on his report. General Howard was able to
order an advance that cut off about 500 of the
enemy's wagons, loaded with supplies. Mr.
226
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
McMickle received no reward, indeed no notice
was taken of his gallant action.
The war over, Mr. McMickle passed the
winter of '65 in Linn County, Missouri, and in
February came to Cherokee County, making
the trip alone on horseback. He secured 160
acres, 80 of which he still owns, in section 30,
Lola township, and immediately began the
erection of a log house, 13 by 13 feet, in size,
there being but three others in the township.
This with all his other possessions he lost by
fire the following year, but he again built, and
continued his fight for a home. And it zvas a
fight, especially for the first few years. But the
man who had faced death in a hundred forms
in the army was not the one to be daunted by
anything short of impossibilities, and so as the
years passed Mr. McMickle found life becom-
ing somewhat easier, and its rewards greater.
As he looks out now on his splendid farm prop-
erty, he has the satisfaction of knowing that it
is all his in a double sense of ownership, based
on the fact that every building and tree and
fence is the result of his own hard labor.
Passing now to the consideration of facts
pertaining to the family of Mr. McMickle, we
note that on both sides he is of Scotch lineage,
the original immigrants to this country being
six brothers who enlisted in the English Army
from Midlothian, Scotland, and, being sent to
America during the Revolutionary War, were
so impressed with the justice of the patriot
cause, that they all deserted to a man and joined
the American Army. Later they were joined
by their father who was serving in the Eng-
lish Army in India. This was Dougal Mc-
Mickle, the great-grandfather of Clinton. He
was accidentally killed by the falling of a tree,
having attained the remarkable age of 102
years. Lorenzo McMickle, father of Clinton,
was born in Louisville, Kentucky, in December,
1808, and died in Linn County, Missouri, at
the age of 95 years. In his earlier manhood
he was a printer, and spent many years in New
Orleans, setting type on the Picayune. Later
he was connected with what is now the Courier-
Journal of Louisville, as assistant editor. In
his later years he became a farmer. He was
a Whig and Republican in politics, and a mem-
ber of the New Light Church. He first mar-
ried Ruth McWilliams. a native of Tennessee,
who died when her son Clinton was three years
of age, leaving three children. The eldest was
Marinda, who married a Mr. Wise and is now
deceased; and the youngest was Elizabeth,
Mrs. McCallum, now of Kansas City. To the
second wife were born 10 children, eight of
whom are living. On the paternal side Mr.
McMickle's grandmother was a Barton, a
Spanish lady, for whose father was named
Barton County, Missouri.
Mr. McMickle was united in marriage in
April, 1868, to Bina Sanders, daughter of Jer-
emiah and Catherine Sanders, who were of
German descent and natives of Pennsylvania
and Ohio, respectively. Her birth occurred
August 6, 1848. She came to Cherokee County
with her parents in the late "sixties." Her
children are: Bertha, now the wife of Albert
Johnson, a farmer of Lola township; and
Theda, who married James D. Duncan, and
also resides in Lola township.
It is unnecessary to speak of the high char-
acter which Mr. McMickle sustains in Chero-
kee County. Suffice it to say that none knows
him but to respect him. He is a worthy mem-
ber of the Seventh Day Adventist denomina-
tion, a Republican in politics, and a gentleman
by birth and training.
ILLIS HENRY WHEELER, a
prominent and successful agricult-
urist of Crawford township, Cher-
okee County, Kansas, owning 178
acres in section 26, is one of the early settlers
COL. R. W. BLUE
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
_■_■■
of this region, having been in the vanguard
which entered Cherokee County in 1868. Mr.
Wheeler was born in Guilford County, North
Carolina, in 1849, and is a son of Nathan and
Margaret (Milliken) Wheeler.
The Wheeler family is of English extrac-
tion, and of Quaker religious belief. Many of
the name still reside in North Carolina, but the
parents of the subject of this sketch moved to
Indiana in 1859, and located in Morgan Coun-
ty, where the mother died in i860. The father
continued in Indiana until 1868, when he came
to Cherokee County, Kansas, where he died
in 1 88 1, at the age of 60 years. He was a
mason by trade, but spent his later years en-
gaged in farming. Like his father, he was a
devoted member of the Society of Friends, and
assisted in establishing a meeting house in his
section of Kansas, in 1869. He was a man who
commanded the respect of all who knew him,
and whose life was in full consonance with his
religious belief. The subject of this sketch has
four brothers and one sister, the sister being
Mrs. Phoebe Jane Stanley, of Lowell, Chero-
kee County. The brothers are all well known
citizens in their respective localities. Isaac C,
Benjamin Albert and Samuel E. live in Car-
thage, Missouri, and John F. lives in Los An-
geles, California.
Willis Henry Wheeler was reared in In-
diana, and attended the common schools.
Farming has been his chosen occupation and
in it he has met with much success. After com-
ing to Cherokee County, in November, 1868, he
located in Quaker Valley, Crawford township.
In 1878 he purchased 40 acres of his present
farm, now consisting of 178 acres, and moved
onto the place in 1879. Mr. Wheeler is a man
of taste, as his fine improvements show. The
14 by 16 foot shanty, on the place when he pur-
chased it, has been replaced by a handsome
modern residence, with commodious and sub-
stantial buildings, and all the necessary con-
13
veniences for scientific and successful farming.
When Mr. Wheeler first made his home in
Cherokee County, Baxter Springs was the near-
est town, and where is now the busy little city
of Columbus, with its fine residences, churches,
schools and business houses, stood but a single
log house, forlornly situated on the wide prai-
rie. His neighbors were some distance away,
several farm houses being just in sight. Mr.
Wheeler made spring wheat his first crop, but
since then he has carried on diversified farm-
ing.
In 1875, Mr. Wheeler was married in the
Indian Territory, where he was employed for
five years as farmer at the government Indian
school of the Sac and Fox Agency. During
1873 and 1875 he was superintendent of the
absentees' Shawnee school, of which Mrs.
Wheeler was matron from 1875 to 1878. Mrs.
Wheeler was formerly Elma J. Coltrane, who
was born in Guilford County, North Carolina,
and is a daughter of Jesse and Abigail Coltrane,
who located in Johnson County, Kansas, as
early as 1867, Mrs. Wheeler having located in
Douglas County, Kansas, in 1865. Mr. and
Mrs. Wheeler have two children : Horace, who
married Viola Smith (born in Cherokee Coun-
ty, Kansas) and resides near the homestead;
and Flora, who is at home. The family belong
to the Friends' Meeting in Crawford township,
in which Mr. Wheeler is one of the elders. Po-
litically, he is a Prohibitionist. Few men in
this locality are more universally esteemed than
Mr. Wheeler, and the family represents the best
intelligent element of Crawford township.
OL. R. W. BLUE, of Columbus,
whose portrait accompanies this
sketch, has been identified with the
professional and political life of Kan-
sas since 1871, and is now one of the promf-
i nent members of the Cherokee County Bar. in
> 3 o
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
partnership with J. J. Bulger. He was born
September 9, 1841, in Wood County, Virginia,
now West Virginia, and was reared in the
vicinity of the present city of Grafton, West
Virginia.
Colonel Blue attended Monongalia Acad-
emy, at Morgantown, West Virginia, and
finally became one of the teachers of that insti-
tution. He went from there to Washington
College, Pennsylvania, where he remained un-
til half through the junior year, when he
entered the army, enlisting as a private in the
3d Regiment, West Virginia Vol. Inf., but was
later transferred to the 6th Regiment, West
Virginia Vol. Cav., and served in the mountains
of West Virginia and in the Shenandoah Val-
ley. Later he took part in the campaigns
against the Indians in the Platte Valley. He
spent the winter of 1865-66 at Fort Casper,
Wyoming, earning his promotion, first as lieu-
tenant, and later as captain. He was mustered
out at Leavenworth, Kansas.
Returning to West Virginia, the young sol-
dier engaged in teaching and also studied law
in Taylor County, and in 1871 came to Kansas.
He taught school during the first year, at Pleas-
anton, Linn County, and then entered upon the
practice of his profession. Soon afterwards his
ability was recognized by his election as Pro-
bate judge of Linn County in 1872, and again,
in 1874. In 1876 he was elected county attor- |
ney, and was reelected in 1878. He became a
potent factor in politics, and in 1880 was :
elected State Senator from the district com- \
posed of Johnson, Miami and Linn counties, :
and at the end of his term was reelected. His
public services to his State were of such a char- :
acter that he was awarded still higher marks
of confidence and appreciation, by being elected
to the 54th Congress in 1894. He was renomi-
nated by acclamation in 1896, but met with
defeat in the Populist landslide of that year.
Since that time Colonel Blue has not consented
to be a candidate for any office, confining his
attention entirely to the practice of his pro-
fession.
In October, 1899, Colonel Blue removed to
Cherokee County and located at Columbus,
forming a partnership with the present judge
of the District Court, W. B. Glasse, and later
with J. H. Hamilton, who retired from the firm
on account of ill health ; subsequently Colonel
Blue associated himself with J. J. Bulger.
Colonel Blue has had a wide professional ex-
perience, practicing in the United States courts,
the State courts of Kansas and those of the
Indian Territory.
Colonel Blue was united in marriage, in
July, 1866, to Virginia Protzman, a native of
Morgantown, West Virginia. They became
the parents of seven children, as follows :
Florence B., Richard Clarence, Gracie, and
Cordelia W., all of whom are deceased ; Mattie,
wife of Wilmer Bennett, of Concordia, Kansas ;
Madge A., wife of Dr. J. Dale Graham, of
Columbus, Kansas ; and John W., who is single
and resides at home.
Dr. J. Dale Graham, son-in-law of Colonel
Blue, was born in Coffey County, Kansas, in
1873, and is a son of the late C. H. and Eliza-
beth (McKelvey) Graham. C. H. Graham was
for about eight years docket clerk of the Kan-
sas State Senate, and was also treasurer of
Coffey County, being one of its prominent poli-
ticians. He was also an extensive farmer and
stock-raiser. His death occurred in 1885.
Dr. Graham attended the State Normal
School at Emporia, Washburn College at
Topeka, and the State Agricultural College at
Manhattan, Kansas. Prior to entering upon
the study of medicine, he was engaged in busi-
ness at LeRoy. He was graduated in the spring
of 1904, at the University Medical College at
Kansas City, Missouri, with class honors. He
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
231
also holds a diploma from the University Hos-
pital. He is fraternally connected with the Odd
Fellows and the Modern Woodmen of America.
ON. JOHN WISWELL, senior part-
ner in the law firm of Wiswell & Lu-
cas, of Columbus, Kansas, is one of
the prominent members and old prac-
titioners of the Cherokee County Bar. He was
born in 1857 in Ashtabula County. Ohio, and
is a son of James H. Wiswell.
James H. Wiswell was a well known citi-
zen of Ashtabula County, where he owned
property and carried on a large shoe manu-
factory which gave employment to a consider-
able number of workmen. He also owned a
tannery and a large farm, and was one of the
prosperous men of his locality. His death oc-
curred in 1897. He married a Miss Woodruff,
who died when the subject of this sketch was
nine years of age. The other members of the
family are, — Edward, an attorney at Moscow,
Idaho, and Mrs. Olive Pond, of Ashtabula
County, Ohio. A half-brother, Edwin, is a
contractor and builder at Cleveland, Ohio.
John Wiswell was mainly educated at the
Grand River Institute in Ashtabula County,
where he became instructor in writing and
commercial branches. Later he attended the
University of Wooster, at Wooster, Ohio,
where he served in the same capacity for two
years. He was associated with P. R. Spencer,
Jr., the originator of the beautiful system of
Spencerian penmanship. This favorable con-
nection had to be broken on account of Mr.
Wiswell's failing health, which occasioned his
coming to the West.
Mr. Wiswell reached Baxter Springs, Kan-
sas, in the fall of 1879, where he immediately
entered into educational work. Lie served as
superintendent of public instruction there in
1880 and 1 88 1, and resided there about four
years. He removed then to Columbus and
bought out Mr. Hampton's interest in the law-
firm of Cowley & Hampton, and the firm of
Cowley & Wiswell remained in business until
1885. After practicing two years alone, Mr.
Wiswell entered into partnership with Judge
John N. Ritter, as Ritter & Wiswell ; later, with
N. T. Allison, and still later, with W. H. Lu-
cas, who is the present city attorney of Colum-
bus. Mr. Wiswell was admitted to the bar on
February 7, 1888, at Columbus, where he has
followed general practice, devoting especial at-
tention to commercial law. Whether in prac-
tice alone or in combination with another able
attorney, Mr. Wiswell has developed profes-
sional efficiency of a high order, and enjoys the
esteem of the county bar and court officials, as
well as that of his large clientage.
Mr. Wiswell has other important interests
outside his profession. For the past 15 years
he has been the largest breeder of Jack stock, in
Kansas, and he also breeds Scotch collie dogs
and fancy chickens, shipping to all parts of the
United States. He owns several farms, prob-
ably aggregating a section of land, which is
especially valuable on account of coal deposits.
He is also the senior partner in a general mer-
cantile concern conducted at Sherman City,
Sheridan township, under the direct manage-
ment of his daughter, Alice J. Wiswell, who is
postmistress there, — the firm style being Wis-
well & Company.
Mr. Wiswell's first marriage was to Jennie
E. Bishop, in Ashtabula County, Ohio, in the
winter of 1878. At that time she was a teacher
in the Grand River Institute. She died in 1883,
leaving two children, — Alice J. ; and Florence,
who is now deceased. Mr. Wiswell married Eor
his second wife, Martha McMillan, formerly
a teacher in the public schools, who was born
*&
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
and reared in Harrison, Arkansas. Both Mrs.
and Miss Wiswell are members of the Pres-
byterian Church.
Politically, Mr. Wiswell has been one of the
zealous and influential Republicans of this sec-
tion. The esteem and confidence in which he
is held by his fellow citizens has been shown on
many occasions, and upon four of these he was
chosen for the city's highest municipal position
his first election being in 1888. Mr. Wiswell
takes pride in the fact that since his first elec-
tion to the office of mayor, there has never been
a saloon in Columbus. Since early manhood
he has belonged to the Masonic and Odd Fel-
low bodies, becoming identified with them in
Ohio. He has been very prominently con-
nected with the growth and development of
this city.
., ROF O. C. ECKE, superintendent of
J* Ji the city schools of Columbus, Kansas,
and a prominent educator, was born
in 1866, near Milwaukee, Wiscon-
sin, and is a son of Henry and Dora (Rain)
Ecke.
Henry Ecke was one of the three earliest
settlers of Crawford County, Kansas, coming
early in 1866, when pioneer conditions pre-
vailed in what was then known as the Cherokee
Neutral Lands. He cleared up a farm and cul-
tivated it until 1871, when his death occurred,
and his was the first burial in his section of the
county. His widow still survives and resides
at Walnut, in Crawford County, where several
of her children also live.
Professor Ecke was a pupil in the early
schools of Crawford County and later gradu-
ated from the Walnut and Girard high schools.
Subsequently, he secured a State certificate as a
teacher at Emporia. He has devoted his life
to educational work, having begun to teach
about 13 years ago. Since then he has fol-
lowed the profession continuously, meeting
with the success which his scholarly attainments
and earnest endeavors deserve. In 1895 ne re ~
moved to Columbus, first in the capacity of
ward principal. Then he became a high school
teacher, and afterwards, was made city super-
intendent, a position for which he is eminently
fitted, and which he has filled with dignity and
efficiency for the past five years.
Professor Ecke married, in Crawford Coun-
ty, Hattie M. Culbertson, who was formerly
a teacher in the Crawford County schools.
They have one daughter, born in Columbus.
Professor Ecke and wife are valued members
of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Fraternally, the Professor is a Mason, and
a Modern Woodman. His work in Columbus
has been most satisfactory, and the high stand-
ard maintained by the schools of the city must,
in a great measure, be attributed to his care, in-
fluence and encouragement. Personally, he
commands the respect and enjoys the esteem of
his fellow citizens.
OHN H. HAMILTON, an attorney-at-
law of Columbus, Kansas, of which
city he has been a resident for the past
17 years, is identified with large busi-
ness interests both in Cherokee and in other
counties. He was born in 1857 near Glasgow,
Scotland, and is a son of Andrew and Jane
(Foxe) Hamilton.
Both parents of Mr. Hamilton were of
Scotch descent and came to America in 1864.
Andrew Hamilton, Sr., located with his family
at Braidwood, Illinois, and engaged in coal de-
velopment, both as an operator and miner. He
died at Pittsburg, Kansas, in 1881, aged nearly
70 years. The mother still survives, at the age
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
of 86 years, and resides at Weir City, Cherokee
County. The surviving members of their fam-
ily are: J. H., of this sketch: William, a coal
operator living at Weir City, Cherokee County;
Matthew, formerly a coal operator, now a far-
mer and stock raiser of Missouri ; and Mrs.
McClennehan, a widow, and Mrs. McGregor,
who are engaged in farming near Weir City,
Cherokee County. Andrew Hamilton, Jr. (a
brother of our subject), formerly a coal opera-
tor, died in 1898 at Weir City. The family own
extensive coal interests in this locality.
J. H. Hamilton accompanied his parents to
Pittsburg, Crawford County, Kansas, August
20, 1878, and for a time engaged in coal mining
there, but for some years has been interested
in lead and zinc mining in the Galena district,
Cherokee County, owning several tracts of land
there. He is also one of the largest stockhold-
ers and the vice-president of the King Lumber
Company of Chanute, Kansas.
Prior to leaving Illinois, Mr. Hamilton had
commenced the study of the law, but this was
interrupted during his active operations in the
Crawford County coal fields. At a later date
he resumed the study of the law in the office of
Blue & Glasse and was admitted to the bar at
Columbus, in May, 1902. For a time he prac-
ticed in partnership with Col. R. W. Blue, to
whom he has but recently sold his fine law
library with the intention of devoting his time to
coal developing. Mr. Hamilton has purchased
some land near Greenwood, Arkansas, which
is underlaid with a coal vein of from five to
nine feet thickness. He proposes to open shafts
on the land and will devote his personal atten-
tion to the work. This coal, which on analysis
has proved to be semi-anthracite, is of a much
better quality than any yet found in Cherokee
County. Two railroads already run into the
district, thus insuring transportation facilities,
these being the Iron Mountain and the Midland
Valley, the latter of which runs through Mr.
Hamilton's land. His prospects could scarcely
be brighter for a large development and his pre-
vious business success is indicative of probable
prosperity.
At Weir City, Mr. Hamilton married Anna
B. Brown, whose parents came to Kansas 24
years ago, and whose mother still survives.
They have four children, all born at Columbus,
viz: Benjamin Harrison, Andrew Alexander,
Jennie Foxe and John H., Jr. The pleasant
family home is situated opposite the Cherokee
County High School building.
Politically, Mr. Hamilton is a Republican.
In 1886 he was elected clerk of the District
Court of Cherokee County, in which capacity
he served two terms. He is prominent in a
number of fraternal organizations, among
which are the Modern Woodmen of America,
belonging to the Columbus Camp, and the Ma-
sonic order, in which he has taken the 32nd de-
gree. As a Mason he is a member of the Blue
Lodge, A. F. & A. M., and Chapter, R. A. M.,
at Columbus; the Commandery, K. T., at Os-
wego; the Consistory, S. P. R. S., at Wichita;
and Isis Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., at Salina.
With his wife, he is a member of the Order of
the Eastern Star. They attend the Presbyte-
rian Church.
*-~+
ON. M. A. HOUSHOLDER, whose
popularity in Cherokee County has
been repeatedly emphasized by his
election to high and responsible pub-
lic offices, has resided here since 1880. For the
last 12 years he has ably and honorably held the
position of Senator from the Tenth Senatorial
District, and is equally well known to the citi-
zens of Columbus and Cherokee County, as a
lawyer, merchant and breeder of some of the
finest cattle ever exhibited from this portion of
the State.
Senator Housholder was born June 13,
234
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
1852, on his father's farm, in Darke County,
Ohio, and is a son of David and Rachel (Stahl)
Housholder. On both sides the ancestry is of
German extraction. On the paternal side, the
great-grandfather emigrated from Germany
and settled first in Virginia ; he removed thence
to Maryland and still later to Pennsylvania,
where Senator Housholder's father was born,
July 21. 181 1. On the maternal side, the first
migration was to England, thence to New York
and later to Pennsylvania, where Senator
Housholder's mother was born, in Bedford
County, April 20, 1S15. After his marriage,
in 1835, David Housholder, who had formerly
been engaged in lumbering, moved to Darke
County. Ohio, and there secured large tracts of
heavily timbered land from the government,
and became, in the course of time, one of the
prominent farmers and exemplary citizens of
his locality. His death, which was occasioned
by an accident, occurred in 1897. when he was
87 years of age. He supported the Demo-
cratic party, but never consented to take an
active part in political life. His wife died on
the farm in Darke County in 1868. Both were
most worthy members of the United Brethren
Church. Of their 10 children, all but two sur-
vive; one of the deceased was an infant, and
the other, Francis Marion, died in 1897. Fran-
cis Marion Housholder was a very prominent
citizen of Noblesville, Indiana, who was state's
attorney, and postmaster during the adminis-
tration of President Cleveland. His death, in
the prime of life, was caused by disease con-
tracted in a protracted army service, during the
Civil War. He enlisted first in Company C,
52nd Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., and reenlisted in
Company G, 187th Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., and
served faithfully until the close of the war. He
then engaged in the practice of the law at No-
blesville, and became a prominent and valued
citizen, but his health had been undermined and
he finallv succumbed.
Senator Housholder remained in Darke
County. Ohio, until he was 25 years of age,
enjoying the educational advantages offered by
the common and high schools of that locality.
and later attending the National Normal
School at Lebanon, Ohio. After completing
his education, he was engaged in teaching for
four years, both in the country and in Green-
ville, and then entered upon the study of the
law. Subsequently he was graduated, in 1879.
at the Indiana Central Law School, at Indian-
apolis, and, under the late Hon. Walter Q.
Gresham, was admitted to practice in the Uni-
ted States Circuit and the Indiana courts.
In May, 1880. the young lawyer came* to
Cherokee County, and during his three years
of legal practice became also interested in mer-
chandising and in the breeding of fine stock.
He almost immediately took a leading position
in political circles. He secured a ranch on
Cherry Creek, about 10 miles north of Colum-
bus, and stocked it with thoroughbred Short-
horn cattle, the breeding of which has not only
brought large financial returns to him, but has
afforded him the recreation and outside interest
so grateful to the tired, political leader. Inci-
dentally, it may be mentioned that his herd of
splendid cattle has twice taken the large prize
offered by the Iowa State Fair where all breeds
of cattle were in competition. Senator Hous-
holder still continues to be one of the county's
farmers, but closed out his mercantile interests
in 1903. His delightful suburban home is sit-
uated in the midst of a park of 15 acres, adjoin-
ing the city of Columbus.
Senator Housholder has had many political
honors tendered to him, the last one being a
unanimous nomination to the office of Lieuten-
ant-Governor, proffered by the late Populist
and Democratic Convention, which assembled
at Topeka, on August 3. 1904. He has been
in the public eye since 1888, when he was first
nominated by the Democratic party, as Sen-
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
23
o.i
ator from the Tenth Senatorial District. This
nomination came as a surprise, his first inti-
mation of the honor done him, being received
through a newspaper. At that time he was ex-
hibiting his fine cattle at the State fairs of Illi-
nois, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska and Kansas.
The Democratic party met with defeat that
year in the district, although our subject ran
far beyond the ticket. In 1892 he was nomi-
nated for the same office by the Populist party,
C. B. Stone of Galena, and Dr. J. H. Baxter,
of Columbus, being respectively, his Republican
and Democratic opponents, both men of worth
and ability. Senator Houshokler was elected
to the office by a plurality of 687 votes. In
1896, after a bitter fight made by the Republi-
can party, he was reelected by the gratifying
plurality of 1 ,400 votes. In 1900 he was a third
time elected, having the distinction of being the
only Senator elected to this office thrice con-
secutively. During each candidacy, he was
nominated by acclamation, this unanimity of
feeling showing clearly the public esteem in
which he is held. His services in the Senate
have been consistently directed to aid the con-
stituency by which he was elected, but at the
same time he has always held the interests of
the public before all others.
Senator Housholder is a man of versatile
talents, as is evidenced by his success in so
many different lines. He has filled other posi-
tions of responsibility, always with the same
conscientious regard for the welfare of all con-
cerned. Since 1893, when he was appointed a
member of the State Board of Charities, by
Governor L. D. Lewelling, he has served as
its president. His attention is also given to
local matters where his influence may lead to
public improvement or progress, and many
times he has shown a deep interest in educa
tional matters and charitable institutions.
On August 6, 1876, Senator Housholder,
then but an ambitious young aspirant for legal
honors, was united in marriage with Mary J.
Baughman, who was born October 28, 1856,
in Darke County, Ohio. She is of German an-
cestry, her parents, William and Elizabeth
Baughman, having been born in Germany. The
five children of this marriage were : Forest
A., who was born November 10, 1877, and died
at Columbus, Kansas, November 11, 1884;
Mabel M., born in Darke County, Ohio, April
6, 1880, who is a very accomplished young
lady, and has served with extraordinary ca-
pacity as her father's private secretary during
five sessions of the Kansas Senate; and Valley
Fern, born at Columbus, Kansas, October 25,
1885; Vale I., born at Columbus, October 12.
1888, and Victor Hugo, born March 18, 1892,
all of whom live at home.
For many years Senator Housholder has
been a consistent member of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, to which he has always
given a liberal support. In closing this brief
sketch of one of Cherokee County's favorite
sons, it is pleasant to record that his popularity
with the public is fully equaled by the esteem
felt for him in private life. He is fortunate
indeed in enjoying domestic happiness, the re-
spect and affection of those with whom he has
been associated on terms of personal friendship
for so many years, and a popularity of no un-
certain kind, after having been in the lime-light
of public life for more than a decade.
ILLIAM H. MILLSTEAD, a prom-
inent and successful member of the
Cherokee County Bar, was born in
1839 in North Carolina, and is a
son of J. M. and Elizabeth (Purnell) Mill-
stead.
J. M. Millstead was born in Maryland and
died in North Carolina at the age of 58 years.
Prior to the Civil War, he was a large slave
236
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
owner and a prosperous merchant. The great
struggle entailed heavy losses on him, but he
resumed his mercantile business and continued
in it until his death. His wife was born in
Virginia, and died in North Carolina, in 1869,
aged 57 years. They had two sons, — William
H. and Frank. The latter enlisted as a private
in the 55th Reg., North Carolina Inf.. C. S. A.,
and became 2nd lieutenant of Company F.
By trade he was a painter and carriage-maker.
He married Bertha Phillips of North Carolina
and died in 1896, leaving two children.
William H. Millstead was reared and edu-
cated in his native State, and was a student at
the University of North Carolina, at the break-
ing out of the Civil War. On May 6, 1861,
he enlisted as a private in Company F, 6th Reg.,
North Carolina Inf., C. S. A., but was later
transferred to Company A, in which he was
promoted to the rank of 2nd lieutenant, and
served until the end of the war. being finally
discharged in May, 1865, at Greensboro, North
Carolina. He took part in many of the most
serious battles and on all occasions displayed a
valor w hich won him the commendation of his
superiors and the admiration of his comrades.
He participated in the battles of New Berne;
the seven days fighting below Richmond ; Sec-
ond Bull Run ; Harper's Ferry ; Antietam
(where he received a scalp wound) ; Freder-
icksburg; the Wilderness; Hanover Court
House; Seven Pines (where he was wounded
in the left arm) ; and Petersburg.
In the fall of 1865 Mr. Millstead returned
to North Carolina, but the hardships of warfare
had undermined his health, and he went to
Florida for a season. Upon his return he be-
gan to teach school and to read law. his studies
being directed by A. M. Bogle, a prominent at-
torney. He continued his law studies after he
removed to Carthage and Springfield, Mis-
souri, where he engaged in teaching. He re-
turned to North Carolina, in 1869, to marry,
and remained in his native State until 1871,
teaching the greater part of the time. Realiz-
ing that time must elapse before the "Old North
State" could offer inducements to a young and
ambitious man, he decided to return to the
West. He settled first in Crawford County,
Kansas, but came later to Cherokee County,
and in 1876, after a short experience in farm-
ing, entered upon the practice of his profession,
having been admitted to the bar in 1866. He
is well and widely known in Cherokee County,
has a large practice, and enjoys the reputation
of being one of the safest counsellors in this
section.
Mr. Millstead was married to Candee C.
Hoke, who was also born in North Carolina,
and they have five children, viz : Robert E.
Lee, Florence, Junea, Alice and Cora. Robert
E. Lee, who is superintendent of a smelter at
Rich Hill, Missouri, was born in North Caro-
lina, married Nellie Johnson, of Weir City, and
has four children, — Fay, Ruth, Lulu and
Harry. Florence, who was also born in North
Carolina, married Theodore Moody, and they
have the following children, — Benjamin, Perly,
Pearl, William, Frank and an infant. Junea,
Alice and Cora were born in Kansas.
Mr. Millstead has always been a consistent
supporter of the Democratic party.
ICHAEL J. CALLAHAN, a suc-
cessful farmer of Ross township.
Cherokee County, Kansas, and one
of its leading citizens, resides upon
his well improved farm of 240 acres, in sec-
tion 2, township 32, range 23. Mr. Callahan
was born at Lowell, Massachusetts, August 10.
1854, and is a son of Daniel and Catherine
(Thomas) Callahan.
The parents of Mr. Callahan were born in
County Kerrv. Ireland, where thev were
J. H. BAXTER, M. D.
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
2 39
reared. They came to America single, were
married in Massachusetts, and in 1854 went
to Bureau County. Illinois. The mother died
in Shelby County. Iowa, where the family lo-
cated in 1869. They had two children. —
Michael J. and John.
Michael J. Callahan was reared in Bureau
County, Illinois, until he reached the age of
13 years, when he accompanied the family to
Shelby County, Iowa. Two years later he
came alone to Cherokee township, Cherokee
County, and there worked for Luke Hughes for
three years ; since that time he has been work-
ing on his own responsibility. He understood
all the practical details of farming, and found
no unsurmountable obstacles in his way. For
eight years he continued to rent land, occupy-
ing property which is now the present site of
Scammon, long before the mineral wealth of
the region was suspected. When Mr. Callahan
purchased his present farm, it was wild, prai-
rie land, and all the improvements made upon
the property have been effected by him. He
now has one of the best farms and finest homes
in his section of the county. He has about 160
acres of his land under cultivation, raising
wheat, oats, corn, hogs and a good grade of
horses and cattle. In addition to his home
farm, Mr. Callahan owns 160 acres in section
4, Mineral township, and 80 acres in section
13, township 32, range 23, in Ross township,
which he devotes to pasture.
Besides a fine home and productive farm,
Mr. Callahan has other blessings, chiefly
among these being a most estimable wife and a
large, interesting and intelligent family of chil-
dren. He was married on November 14,
1875, to Ann Coman. who was born at Arling-
ton, Illinois, and is a daughter of James and
Joan (O'Maley) Coman. Mrs. Callahan's
parents were born in Ireland, emigrated to
America, and lived in Bureau County. Illinois,
until 1869. Then they came to Cherokee
County, settled in Cherokee township and both
died here. Mr. and Mrs. Callahan have had 14
children, namely: Agatha, a Sister in Mount
Saint Scholastic Academy, at Atchison, Kan-
sas; Daniel; Josie, also a Sister in Mount Saint
Scholastic Academy ; Eva ; Rosanna, who died
aged 17 months; and James, George. Charles,
Mary, Chloe, John, Annie, Florence and Paul.
These children have all been carefully reared,
as members of St. Bridget's Catholic Church at
Scammon. In politics Mr. Callahan votes with
the Democratic party, but he is not an office
seeker.
Mr. Callahan takes a just pride in what he
has accomplished by years of personal industry.
What he owns he has earned — honestly
earned, — and during this time he has also won
the respect and esteem of his fellow citizens.
His word is as good as his bond, and he finds
the hand of friendship extended to him on every
side. He is one of the good citizens and good
men of Ross township.
H. BAXTER, M. D., a prominent
physician and surgeon of Columbus,
where he has been located since 1875,
was born in Shelby County, Indiana,
November 30, 1848. He is a son of James M.
and Lydia A. (Rozelle) Baxter.
James M. Baxter was born in Kentucky,
where he grew to manhood and obtained an
excellent schooling, and where he also learned
the trade of bricklaying and masonry. This he
followed for five years in his native State, be-
fore he had attained his majority, at which time
he moved into Indiana. He followed con-
tracting in the "Hoosier" State, and built many
of the important buildings at Shelbyville and
other points. He was interested in public af-
fairs from boyhood, being at one time one of
but three who subscribed for a newspaper in
240
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
his native township. His scholarly attainments
and his oratorical powers caused him to be in
great demand in political campaigns, and he
was also called upon to serve in many of the
local offices, and as justice of the peace.
Mr. Baxter was married twice, both times
after settling in Indiana. His first marriage
was to a Miss DeWitt, of Kentucky, who at
death left three children, of whom the only
survivor, Phcebe, is a resident of Los Angeles,
California. The second marriage was to Lydia
A. Rozelle, who was born in Indiana, and died
in 1879, at Columbus, Kansas, aged 60 years.
Seven children were born to this union, four of
whom died in infancy and early childhood. Dr.
Baxter has one surviving sister, Mrs. L. P.
McAdams, of Scammon, Cherokee Count)-.
Another sister, Mrs. Mollie E. Graves, died at
his home in Columbus in 1901. The father of
this family died in Rush County, Indiana, aged
42 years.
The death of his father, when he was but
seven years of age, placed heavy responsibilities
upon the subject of this sketch and his boyhood
was spent not like that of many, in search of
innocent amusements, but was devoted to every
kind of employment by which he could earn
something to add to the family purse. After
leaving the public school, he secured academic
advantages at Ladoga, Indiana, and began
teaching when 17 years of age. Thus by alter-
nate teaching and school attendance, up to his
24th year, he managed to spend two years in the
Christian University at Indianapolis, and later,
in 1875, was graduated at the Louisville Medi-
cal College. Since then he has enjoyed many
special courses, graduating at Bellevue Hospital
Medical College, New York, in 1884, and in
1890 taking a special course in the Eye and Ear
Infirmary there. In 1892 he took a special
course in Homeopathy at St. Louis, thus
equipping himself in every possible way for the
scientific practice of his noble profession.
Dr. Baxter's settlement at Columbus was
something in the nature of an accident. After
graduation, while looking about for a suitable
location, he advanced to met an old acquaint-
ance, Jonathan Hunt, of Martinsville, Indiana,
formerly sheriff of the county, who interested
him in the new town of Columbus, in Cherokee
County. It resulted in Dr. Baxter settling
here, and he was the first physician to establish
himself permanently at this point. He has
grown into the confidence and affection of the
people, and has performed some wonderful
surgical operations.
Dr. Baxter was married at Columbus to
Eva G. Shepard, who is a daughter of the late
Col. D. F. Shepard, who come here from Fort
Scott. The Colonel built the first flour mill at
Fort Scott, hauling the machinery from Kansas
City with ox teams. Dr. and Mrs. Baxter have
had three children, two of whom died in child-
hood. The survivor, LeRoy, is a young man of
brilliant promise. In 1898, he graduated at the
Columbus High School, and then spent five
years in the Kansas State University, where
he was graduated in June, 1902. He is now
attending the medical department of the
University of Chicago, being in his second
year.
Politically, Dr. Baxter is a Republican. He
has taken an active part in civic affairs, having
served on the School Board for 14 years, and
having been from 1878 to 1880 county superin-
tendent of the public schools. For eight years
he has been a member of the pension board.
He was one of the early members of the South-
eastern Kansas Medical Association, which has
been absorbed by the State organization. Fra-
ternally, he is an Odd Fellow, and joined the
Masons in Indiana ; he is also a member of the
Columbus lodge of the Knights of Pythias.
Since boyhood he has been a member of the
Christian Church. A portrait of the Doctor
accompanies this brief review of his life.
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
241
ILLIAM E. BROOKS, one of the
most successful of the pioneer far-
mers of Neosho township, Chero-
kee County, owner of what is
known as the "Forest Fruit Farm," was born
in DeKalb County, Illinois, October 14, 1844,
and is a son of Henry E. and Samantha
(Meade) Brooks.
The Brooks family was established in Ver-
mont, about the time of the Revolutionary
War, by four brothers, of Welsh-English ex-
traction. The name is variously spelled in dif-
ferent sections, one branch adopting the form
of Estabrook. The father of our subject spent
his early life as a ship-builder, on Lake Cham-
plain, but later removed to Illinois and subse-
quently to Iowa and finally, in 1867, came to
Cherokee County, Kansas, and died in Chau-
tauqua County at the home of his son, John
Brooks, at the age of 80 years. He was a large
farmer and stock-raiser and owned several ex-
tensive tracts of farming land in Cherokee
County. He married Samantha Meade, who
was born near Dayton, Ohio, and was a cousin
of Gen. George B. Meade who gained distinc-
tion during the Civil War and was the hero of
Gettysburg. Mrs. Brooks died in Iowa at the
age of 72 years. Their children were : John,
a resident of Chautauqua County, Kansas;
William E., our subject; Mrs. Jane Nugent,
of Iowa City, Iowa; and Mrs. Laura Wool-
wine, of Waterloo, Iowa.
William E. Brooks was reared in Illinois
until 1853, when he accompanied his parents
to Black Hawk County, Iowa. They located
on a farm near Waterloo, and there our sub-
ject attended the district schools and assisted
his father on the farm until 1861, when he of-
fered his services, although but a boy of 17,
to his country, enlisting on November 19th, in
Company I, 16th Reg., Iowa Vol. Inf., under
Col. Alex. Chambers. Mr. Brooks was dis-
charged on November 16, 1864, but served
until April, 1865. These years of danger, hard-
ship, sickness, imprisonment and excitement
changed the sturdy young farmer boy into a
grizzled veteran, with a record for courage,
valor and fidelity. He participated in many of
the hardest fought battles of the war, including
Pittsburg Landing; siege of Corinth and bat-
tle of Corinth; Iuka; siege of Vicksburg; and
the battle of Kingston, North Carolina, in
1865.
Mr. Brooks was also a member of General
Sherman's army that made the memorable
"March to the Sea." At Atlanta, Georgia, he
was unfortunate enough to be taken prisoner ;
he was sent to Andersonville Prison, where he
was kept for two of the longest months of his
life. On September 22, 1864, he was ex-
changed at Rough and Ready Station, near
Atlanta, and was then sent to the convalescent
camp at Chattanooga, Tennessee, in order to
be treated for prison scurvy which had infected
his wounded leg. This terrible imprisonment
reduced his weight from 160 to 107 pounds.
Upon recovering sufficiently, he was detailed
to Block House, No. 14, Chickamauga Creek.
It was while located here that he had some
amusing adventures. Being detailed as quar-
termaster of the Block House, it was incumbent
upon him to look after the commissary, and
this entailed considerable skirmishing through
the enemy's country. While on one of these
expeditions he became acquainted with a fam-
ily of Confederate sympathizers by the name
of Knowles. .They were probably hospitable
Southern people of great kindness of heart,
for they took pity on Mr. Brooks and invited
him and his partner to dine with them and en-
joy the festivities of Christmas Day. Youth
is youth, and, as there were young ladies in the
family and as such tempting offers came but
seldom in their lives at that time, the two young-
Union soldiers did not hesitate long before ac-
cepting. The occasion was also an old-fash-
242
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
ioned quilting party and all the maidens of the
neighborhood had gathered, according to cus-
tom, and the succeeding festivities were at their
height, about 10 o'clock in the evening, when
they were startled by the rattle of sabres com-
ing over the rail fence. Mr. Brooks and his
companion for a few moments felt they had
been betrayed and prepared to defend them-
selves from what they supposed a posse of Con-
federate soldiers. In answer to a loud demand
at the door, they met the intruders with pointed
revolvers, but fortunately did not shoot, as the
two visitors, when stripped of their Confeder-
ate coats, showed the Union blue beneath and
disclosed the fact that two other Block House
men were also out seeking recreation.
In February, 1865, Mr. Brooks reported
to his regiment at Goldsboro, North Carolina,
although his term of enlistment had expired
four months previously. While camped at
Vicksburg, in 1863, a member of Crocker's
brigade, many forms of amusement were tried
by the weary and homesick soldiers, and Mr.
Brooks was never behindhand in thinking up
new ones. The place where they were located
had many Confederate arsenals in the vicinity,
and the Union soldiers were in the habit of
amusing themselves by exploding the cannon
cartridges they found there. For various rea-
sons this amusement did not find favor in the
eyes, or ears, of General Crocker, and he gave
orders that the next offender should be dealt
with. The tents were wedged together, with
bunks of poles stretched two feet from the
ground and a plank passing through to serve
as a table. As may be imagined, one of the
greatest discomforts of these small dwellings
were the swarms of flies, which in Southern
countries amount to intolerable pests. Upon
one occasion when Mr. Brooks came into his
tent, he saw his companion lying apparently
asleep, while the flies were holding a kind of
carnival. With the best intentions in the
world, he decided that at least one tent should
be freed from them and set about his prepara-
tions accordingly, by pouring molasses in the
middle of the tent table and surrounding it
with a goodly amount of powder from a six-
pound cartridge. When the molasses seemed
to have attracted every fly under the tent cur-
tains, he reached inside, with a lighted paper,
and it is his conviction that the tent went at
least 60 feet in the air. Fortunately Mr.
Brooks' tent-mate was only blackened with the
powder and nearly frightened to death, but
probably not more so than Mr. Brooks himself,
as he was completely dumbfounded by his suc-
cess. Doubtless many other members of the
old 1 6th Iowa can recall the incident.
Mr. Brooks returned to Iowa after the
close of the war and farmed there until 1869,
when he followed his father to Kansas, accom-
panied by his wife and one child. The jour-
ney was made in 22 days in a prairie schooner,
which served as a home until he completed a
log cabin, 12 by 14 feet in dimensions. He
purchased a tract of 160 acres of land, half of
which he later gave to his children. It is well
located, in section 1, township 35, range 22, in
Neosho township, and has rewarded him well
for the labor and expense he has put on it.
Trading his team for a yoke of oxen, he began
to break his land on June 15, 1869, but after
two days of plowing found he could do noth-
ing more that season on account of the rains
setting in. He then hauled coal from the
Neosho River and surrounding territory to
Baxter Springs, receiving 25 cents a bushel.
When winter set in he went with his cattle to
the woods, procured hickory and maple, and
fashioned ax-halves and ox-yokes, receiving
35 cents for the former and $2.50 for the lat-
ter, averaging $5 a day. Although he could
earn this amount by being industrious, the
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
2 43
price of living was proportionately high, for
he paid $9 per hundred for flour, 30 cents a
pound for meat and $2 a bushel for corn. Kan-
sas City was the nearest railroad point and a tri-
weekly mail passed from Baxter Springs to
Chetopa. Deer were plentiful in those days
and he went on many hunting expeditions with
J. A. R. Elliott, a champion shot of the world,
who married his niece and now lives in Kansas
City.
For some years Mr. Brooks has devoted
himself to the raising of corn and hogs. He
set out a fine apple orchard of 60 acres, has a
large evaporator and cider press and gives
much of his attention to the growing of fruit.
He has also five acres of forest trees, there
being more on his quarter section than on any
other farm in the county, and it deserves the
name of the "Forest Fruit Farm." In 1900
he built a new and modern home and now has
one of the best houses in the township.
On December 30, 1867, Mr. Brooks was
married to Sarah Jane Tallman, who was born
in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, November
16, 1843, and is a daughter of John R. and
Jane (Corson) Tallman, both natives of Penn-
sylvania. They have had four children : Jo-
seph, a teacher of music, located in Colorado;
Mrs. Alice Owens, of Neosho township; Rosa,
who died at the age of two years ; and John,
who lives on a farm adjoining that of his
father.
Mr. Brooks has been treasurer of the town-
ship for two years, elected on the Republican
ticket, but in political matters he is independ-
ent. For a number of years he served as a
school officer. Fraternally he has been an Odd
Fellow and a Woodman, and in the latter organ-
ization! still continues. He has also been a
member of the Grand Army of the Republic
and of the A. H. T. A.
Being a great lover of music, Mr. Brooks
in 1882 organized a band of 16 members.
which for 16 years was the leading band of the
county. He still maintains for pleasure and
local pasttimes an orchestra of five pieces.
OX. BENJAMIN F. HOGG. The
death of Hon. Benjamin F. Hogg, at
Pasadena, California, on November
13, 1896, removed one of Cherokee
County's large capitalists, and a citizen who
had distinguished himself as a soldier, as a local
public official, and as a wise legislator. Mr.
Hogg was born at Lyndonville, New York,
April 23, 1842, and was a son of George and
Abigail (Reynolds) Hogg.
The Hogg family is of Scotch extraction,
the grandparents of the late Mr. Hogg coming
to America from Scotland and settling in Phil-
adelphia. Later they moved to Lyndonville,
New York, where George Hogg and his wife
spent their lives. They had nine children, two
of whom died in infancy. Five still survive,
all of whom are residents of the Empire State
except one, Adam, who resides at Lawrence.
Kansas, — he is the father of Prof. Archibald
Hogg, who is a member of the faculty of the
State University of Kansas.
The late Benjamin F. Hogg attended the
common schools, where he prepared for a useful
career. The outbreak of the Civil War
changed his plans and probably turned the
whole current of his life, as it did that of many
another young and loyal youth of those stirring
days. In the fall of 1861 he enlisted in Com-
pany I, 104th Reg., New York Vol. Inf.. in
which he served without injury until the dread-
ful slaughter of Gettysburg, where the gallant
young soldier lost a hand. Subsequently he
was honorably discharged. Por several years
following this disaster, he served in State offi-
cial life, as an officer of the Soldiers' Home at
Albany, and later in the New York City Post
Office, under Postmaster James.
244
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
After his marriage, in 1869, he moved with
his wife to Cherokee County, first locating in
Pleasant View township, but later moving to
Mineral township. His natural ability was
shown in the success which met his endeavors
in farming and stock-raising. He became the
owner of much rich farming land, aggregating
560 acres, 480 acres of which are still owned
and managed by his widow. Almost from the
period of his settlement in Cherokee County,
Mr. Hogg took an active and intelligent inter-
est in political life and devoted his time,
strength and means to the advancement of
such legislation as seemed to him likely to pro-
mote the welfare of his adopted State and
County. In 1880 he was elected by the Demo-
cratic-Populist party to the State Senate, where
for four years, by pen, voice and influence, he
faithfully served his constituents.
On June 28, 1869, Mr. Hogg was married
at Franklinville, New York, to Julia A. Searle,
who was born in New York, and was one of
a family of 1 1 children. Her parents were A.
D. and Jane M. (Scott) Searle, both of whom
were born in America, of German and English
ancestry, respectively. Mrs. Hogg is the only
member of her family residing in Kansas. One
brother, Judge D. B. Searle, has been a resi-
dent of Stearns County, Minnesota, for the
past 15 years. Another brother, Frank, is a
prominent attorney of New York City, and the
others all reside in the vicinity of the old home.
Mrs. Hogg has three children, viz : Abigail
J., who is at home; John, who is connected
with the Citizens State Bank of Joplin, Mis-
souri ; and James, who is associated with the
Continental Creamery Company at Topeka.
The last named completed the law course at
the State University of Kansas, and was ad-
mitted to the bar. John attended the State
University, and Abigail J., the State Normal
School at Emporia. Mrs. Hogg, who is a highly
cultivated lady, is a graduate of the New York
State Normal School at Albany. In the man-
agement of the large interests left in her care,
she has shown admirable judgment and busi-
ness sense. She is a valued member of the
Presbyterian Church in Columbus, and both
she and her daughter belong to the city's ex-
clusive social circles.
The death of Mr. Hogg took place while
sojourning in California, where he was in
search of health, a change of climate having for
some years been found necessary. He left be-
hind many who appreciated his excellent qual-
ities of mind and heart, and felt that his demise
was a great loss to the county, with whose de-
velopment he had been so long and prominently
identified.
EORGE F. SOUDER. a farmer re-
siding in section 6, in Salamanca
township, is one of the very oldest
settlers of Cherokee County, and a
gentleman whose influence has been powerful
in molding her institutions. Mr. Souder is a
"Buckeye" by birth, having been born in Fair-
field County, Ohio, on March 14, 1839.
It was oh May 10, 1869, when Mr. Souder,
accompanied by a Mr. Tice and another gen-
tleman, drove up to the town-site of Columbus,
having made the trip from Tipton. Missouri.
They were in search of a place to locate, and
after some figuring with Hannibal Scovel, one
of the two merchants then at that point, Mr.
Souder purchased his stock, together with the
northeast quarter of the section upon which the
town-site was located, — the geographical cen-
ter of the county being the southwest corner of
this quarter. The purchase price of the goods
and land was about $1 .500. The location of the
building was about the center of the west side
of the square. A Mr. Lewis conducted a store
on the northeast corner of the square, and these
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
H5
two establishments did the business of the whole
section at that time.
Mr. Souder conducted the store for a time,
and then sold out. The land he cultivated for
about six years, building a house and improv-
ing it otherwise. In 1875 ' ie traded the farm
for the one he now owns. When this came
into his possession, it had a small house of four
rooms and a bit of orchard, and but four acres
of it were broken out. This was little better
than virgin prairie, so that the splendid farm he
now owns is the product of his labor and intel-
ligent management. Besides the quarter sec-
tion, he has an 80-acre tract adjoining, and in
Ross township he also owns a tract of 225
acres. About four years ago, Mr. Souder built
the large and modernly appointed house in
which the family now resides, the whole con-
stituting one of the best farm properties of the
county.
Frederick and Agatha (Kirns) Souder
were the parents of the subject of this sketch.
Both were natives of Germany and both had
been previously wedded. They remained in the
"Fatherland" until 1838, when they crossed
the ocean in a sailing vessel. Landing at New
York, they immediately removed to Fairfield
County, Ohio, where they settled on a farm
near Lancaster. When Mr. Souder was a lad
of seven years, the family moved to Fort Ball,
Seneca County, Ohio. Several years later,
they moved to a farm in the western part of
the same county, where they resided the re-
aminder of their lives. Mr. Souder had six
half-brothers and three half-sisters. A full-
brother, Adam Souder, now resides at Fostoria,
Ohio.
The subject of this sketch was reared for
the most part in Fort Ball, now known as
Tiffin, Ohio. He received a common school
education, and remained at home until his mar-
riage, in Tiffin, to the lady who has been his
faithful companion and helpmeet, — Sybilla
Fruth. Mrs. Souder is a native of Seneca
County, Ohio, and is a daughter of George and
Margaret (Shubach) Fruth, natives of Ger-
many. Soon after their marriage, Mr. and
Mrs. Fruth removed to Seneca County; they
are now deceased ; a daughter is still living at
the old homestead. Mr. Souder followed farm-
ing in Ohio with good success, owning at dif-
ferent times several farms, all of which were
improved and sold to advantage. He served
the government for a time during the war, in
the barracks at Lima, Ohio, but was not in serv-
ice in the field. Since coming to Kansas, he
has devoted himself exclusively to farming.
He is not one of those that fear the recurrence
of drought, holding that wet weather has done
Kansas more damage than the lack of moisture.
Mr. and Mrs. Souder have reared seven
children, as follows: Lucy M., wife of E. C.
Hicks; William, who died in Ohio when three
years old; Adam, who died in Cherokee Coun-
ty at the age of 14 years; George, who died
in Cherokee County at the age of nine years ;
W. H., operating and residing on the home
farm, who married Anna Bergman, and has
six children,— Gladys, George, John, Anna,
Albert and Ralph; Charles A., a farmer of
Ross township, Cherokee County, who married
Birdie Reesman, and has three children, —
Henry, Lyle and Cleda; and Anna, who died
on the home farm when a child of six years.
E. C. Flicks, son-in-law of Mr. Souder,
owns a 120-acre farm in section 6, Salamanca
township, and 80 acres in section 1, Lola town-
ship. He was born at Tremont, Illinois, in
1859. He is a son of Elah Hicks, now of Coal
Center, Pennsylvania. Mr. Hicks came to
Cherokee County with his parents. He learned
telegraphy at Columbus, and spent about 20
years in the service of railroad companies, being
with the Missouri Pacific for years at different
points. He is independent, in politics, and is a
member of the Masons (Blue Lodge and Chap-
246
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
ter), and of the A. O. U. W., I. O. O. F., and
the O. R. T. Mr. and Mrs. Hicks have had
four children, — Edna; Gladys; Archie; and
Lee, who is now deceased.
The above constitutes a brief review of one
of Cherokee County's best families. Mr. Sou-
lier takes little part in politics ; he is a Populist,
in principle, but reserves the right to vote inde-
pendently. He belongs to the German Evan-
gelical Church. The esteem in which he and
his family are held throughout the county is
universal.
OHN McLAUGHLIN. Among the
early settlers of Cherokee County,
Kansas, the late John McLaughlin
took a prominent part, for he was a
man of sterling traits of character, a promoter
of all enterprises undertaken for the public
good, and one, who, while working for the wel-
fare of his family, remembered the claims of
education and morality. He was born in Coun-
ty Derry, Ireland, December 22, 1825, and
died on November 29, 1874, in Cherokee Coun-
ty, Kansas. His parents were William and
Mary (Patterson) McLaughlin.
The parents of Mr. McLaughlin spent their
whole lives in Ireland. The four of their nine
children who came to America, were, — John,
the subject of this record; William, a resident
of Mercer County, Illinois; Matilda and Jane.
John McLaughlin grew up on his father's
small farm, which he continued to assist in cul-
tivating until he reached the age of 21 years,
when he learned the carpenter's trade, which
was his main occupation through life. After
coming to America, he settled in Allen County,
Indiana, where he married. In 1855, he re-
moved with his wife to Richland County, Wis-
consin, where he was engaged in farming for
a time. Then he went to Illinois, and rented
a farm in Mercer County until 186G, when he
located in Johnson County, Kansas. In the
spring of 1867 he came to Cherokee County.
He secured 160 acres of wild land in Sheridan
township, to which he later added 160 more,
which was subsequently found rich in coal de-
posits, and was sold to a coal company.
Those pioneers who settled in Sheridan
township as early as 1867, only 10 years later
than the arrival of the first settler who dared
fate by establishing a home in this Indian reser-
vation, had still much to contend with, — the
subjugation of Nature in the clearing of their
lands, the protection of their families and flocks
from the savages and wild beasts, and the en-
durance of drudgery and deprivations of every
kind, being inevitable incidents of those days
on the frontier. Mr. McLaughlin had the great
advantage of possessing a wife who was his
cheerful, helpful assistant in every emergency,
and one to whom he always gave much credit
for his success. While he cleared his land, and
made the fine improvements which mark it as
one of the valuable farms of the township, he
continued to work at his trade. He built struct-
ures of all kinds throughout the county, includ-
ing the first house in Oswego, Kansas, and
many of the churches and school houses, which
bear their own testimony to the educational and
moral status of the good people of Cherokee
County.
In Allen County, Indiana, on January 9,
1852, Mr. McLaughlin married Isabel Orr,
who was born in March, 183 1, in County
Derry, Ireland, and is a daughter of James and
Jane Orr, both of whom were natives of Coun-
ty Derry. Mr. Orr came to America in 1834
and settled at Trenton, Ohio, later moving to
Allen County, Indiana, where he and his wife
spent the remainder of their lives on their farm.
The three survivors of their nine children are, —
William, who lives on the homestead in In-
diana; Annie, who resides at Ovid, Michigan;
and Mrs. McLaughlin. The five children born
HON. JOHN MILTON COOPER
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
-VJ
to Mr. and Mrs. McLaughlin were, — Alvin,
who is a prominent citizen of Chandler, Okla-
homa, where he is treasurer of Lincoln County,
and a large land owner; James Orr, deceased
at the age of 38 years, who was a farmer in
Ross township, Cherokee County ; William and
Willis, twins, of whom the former is night
watchman in mine No. 8, West Mineral, and
the latter is a lumber dealer at Wellington,
Kansas; and Mary (Mrs. Alexander Hudson),
who resides in West Mineral.
Mr. McLaughlin became a member- of the
Republican party soon after its organization,
and continued his identification with it until
his death. He was a prominent figure in coun-
ty politics for years, filled many township offi-
ces, and was a member of the Board of County
Commissioners. For years he was active in
the Presbyterian Church, being one of the el-
ders, and was always interested in the work of
the Sunday-school. Wherever known, he was
respected and esteemed.
Mrs. McLaughlin still survives, and until
1904 she continued to reside on the home farm
in section 12, township 32, range 22, in Sheri-
dan township, the place in which she and her
late husband had spent so many happy years
together. She now resides in a pleasant home
in West Mineral, surrounded by all the com-
forts grateful to advancing years, and beloved
by her family and friends.
OX. JOHN MILTON COOPER, ex-
Mayor of Baxter Springs, a promi-
nent and successful business man,
conducting the largest general store
in the city and identified with farming and min-
ing interests in Cherokee County, was born
December 11, 1841, at Eldara, Pike County,
Illinois, and is a son of Isaiah and Elizabeth
(Sigsworth) Cooper.
14
Isaiah Cooper was born June 18, 181 7, in
Virginia, and in boyhood moved to Pike
County, Illinois, where he later became a suc-
cessful farmer. He married Elizabeth Sigs-
worth, a daughter of Joseph and Anna (Jor-
den) Sigsworth, farming people of Pike
County, who came originally from England.
The children of Isaiah Cooper and wife were :
John Milton, of this sketch ; Joseph H., of Bax-
ter Springs; Ann Elizabeth, wife of B. F.
Townsend, of Santa Anna, California; William
Shepherd, of Kansas City; Isaiah Matheny, of
Santa Anna, California; George Elliott, of the
Indian Territory; Andrew Eugene, of Miami,
Indian Territory ; Blanche Ellen, wife of Bra-
ziller L. Naylor, of Wagner, Indian Territory ;
Benjamin F., who died at the age of 45 years;
and Charles Albert, who is engaged in farming
in Kansas.
Isaiah Cooper engaged in a mercantile busi-
ness at New Salem, Illinois, and prior to i860
owned and operated a flouring mill, with an
output of 100 barrels daily. He was not only
an enterprising and successful business man,
but he was also a patriotic one. In May, 1 862,
he enlisted and was made captain of Company
K, 99th Reg. Illinois Vol. Inf., and' at Black-
River Bridge, near Vicksburg, he was in a
furious engagement with the enemy, and while
gallantly leading his command was so wounded
that he lost an arm. He was invalided home
and later was honorably discharged. After
recuperating, Mr. Cooper resumed his farming
operations and remained in the vicinity of New
Salem until 1867, when he removed to Chero-
kee County, Kansas. He located some six miles
west of Baxter Springs, and also operated a
general store in Baxter Springs for a time. He
then resumed farming and was so occupied
until his death on February 8, 1895. His wife
had died on January 16, 1884. Thus passed
away two most worthy and esteemed residents
of Cherokee County.
250
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
John M. Cooper was educated in the public
schools of Pike County, Illinois, and completed
his school course at the age of 18 years. On
May 24, 1861, at the age of 20 years.he enlisted
in Company K, 16th Reg., Illinois Vol. Inf..
and until he was honorably discharged in 1864
took part in many of the conclusive battles of
the war, notably those of Resaca; the fighting
along the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad;
Island No. 10; Pittsburg Landing and the siege
of Corinth. Although he was, with his com-
mand, near enough to witness the battle of
Chattanooga, they were not engaged in it. The
most severe engagement in which he partici-
pated was that at Buzzards' Roost, in which 400
men made a gallant charge, capturing the
enemy's works, but sustaining a loss of no
men. Mr. Cooper was with his regiment until
the expiration of his term of enlistment and
was discharged May 24. 1864, at Springfield,
Illinois.
After his return home, he entered a com-
mercial college at St. Louis, from which he
received five certificates and a diploma. He
next opened a mercantile establishment at New
Salem, Illinois, and remained there for two
years and subsequently engaged in farming
until 1868, when he removed to Baxter
Springs, Kansas. He has made this city his
permanent home and is here interested in farm-
ing, mining and storekeeping. He is the head
of the largest general store in Baxter Springs.
carrying a complete stock of large value.
Since 1877 Mr. Cooper has been identified
with the mining interests of the county, and
was one of the original members of the Galena
Mining & Smelting Company, which laid out
the town-site of Galena and he was one of the
heaviest stockholders. He is now president
of the John M. Cooper M. & M. Company.
which was organized with a capital stock of
$100,000. Mr. Cooper had one of the first
: she first store, in Galena,
on Main street, and he still has a store on Main
street. The John M. Cooper M. & M. Com-
pany owns over 3,000 acres of rich mineral
lands, from which a handsome royalty is
received.
On September 24, 1868, Mr. Cooper was
married to Emily Little, daughter of Thomas
and Sarah (Keyes) Little, farming people of
Pike County, Illinois. They have had these
children : Laura May, Ida Lee, Jessie Milton
and John Isaiah. Laura May is the wife of
\Y. E. Price, manager of the Cooper Drug
Company, of Joplin, Missouri. They have five
children, — Herbert Williamson, born Septem-
ber 25, 1893; Earl Cooper, born December 13,
1894. deceased in childhood; Helen, born Oc-
tober 25, 1896, deceased; Jessie June, born
July 28, 1898, and Laurence Wallace, born
July 31, 1900. Ida Lee married Charles F.
Noble, of Baxter Springs, an oil speculator, and
has had three children, — Clara May, born Jan-
uary 1, 1893; John Franklin, born July 14,
1895; an d Scott Osborne, born March 2, 1898,
who died in infancy. Jessie Milton, born Jan-
uary 22, 1880, and John Isaiah, born August
12, 1889, live at home. Upon this happy family
circle fell a crushing bereavement, in the death
of Mrs. Cooper, who passed away at Baxter
Springs on July 27, 1904. She was a woman
of rare character, one who was adored by her
family and loved by her friends. She was a
ministering angel to those in need and a support
of the weak and wavering in her own circle or
wherever her gentle influence was needed. In
her the Episcopal Church lost a devoted mem-
ber. She was a charter member of the first lodge
of the Order of the Eastern Star, at Baxter
] Springs.
Mr. Cooper has always been an active Re-
! publican. He has been a member of the City
i Council, and during two terms served the city
as mayor. He is president of the Inter-State
■ Reunion Association and a member of the
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
251
Grand Army of the Republic. He is a 32c!
degree Mason, and an Elk, and formerly be-
longed to the Knights of Pythias and the An-
cient Order of United Workmen. His portrait
accompanies this sketch.
B. HENDERSON, whose real estate,
loan, rental, insurance and abstract
offices are located in the Crowell
Building, Columbus, Kansas, has
been in business in this city since April 28,
1885. He was born October 5, 1862, at Deer
Creek, Pickaway County, Ohio, and is a son
of John and Margaret (Thomas) Henderson.
John Henderson was born in Pennsylvania
and was 10 years old when his parents removed
to Ohio and located in Pickaway County,
where the family lived until 1885. They
moved thence to Bates County, Missouri, where
John Henderson bought a farm. There Mr.
Henderson died, April 7, 1900, aged 67 years,
but his widow still resides in Bates County.
Mr. Henderson was an active Democrat and,
being a man of education and responsibility,
was frequently elected to local offices.
The subject of this sketch was reared and
educated in Pickaway County, Ohio, and from
his 17th to his 2 1 st year was engaged in teach-
ing school there. Then he went to Nebraska
where he was employed as a solicitor in the
organ, piano and sewing machine business, and
gained much necessary experience, by coming
into contact with the great public. On locating
at Columbus he entered upon his present line
of business, and has become interested in, and
identified with, a number of the successful min-
ing operations of this section. He is secretary
and treasurer of the S. H. & S. Mining Com-
pany, which has its headquarters at Columbus
and its mines at Peacock, where the company
has a mill and developing plant. He is also
secretary and treasurer of the T. P. La Rue
Investment Company, of which H. A. La Rue
is president. This company was organized in
April, 1902, with a capital of $12,000, and
owns the Opera House Building. He is also
secretary of the Electric Investment Company,
organized at Columbus, with a capital of $20,-
000, the stock being backed by land adjoining
Columbus on the east and north. Mr. Hender-
son also owns stock in the Cherokee County
Lumber Company ; he is interested in consider-
able oil land in Appallatchie, Oklahoma; in
mining land at Galena and on Spring River at
Badger and Peacock; he owns, with D. M.
Bliss, 1,400 acres of farming land, which yields
about 500 tons of hay, besides other farm prod-
ucts, and has a farm of his own, of 400 acres,
in this county.
Mr. Henderson married a daughter of Lorin
W. Camp, who was born and reared at Clay-
ton, Illinois. Mr. Camp was born at Camptown,
Pennsylvania, where he married a Miss Ed-
wards, born at Laceyville, and they later re-
moved to Illinois. Their two children were
Mrs. Henderson and Dr. J. E. Camp, of Brook-
lyn, Illinois. Mrs. Henderson's father was a
piano tuner and also a teacher of music, and
for a long time was manager for the musical
negro wonder, "Blind Boone." In 1887, Mr.
and Mrs. Camp located at Wichita, Kansas,
and in June, 1898, removed to Columbus, where
Mr. Camp died November 12, 1903, at the age
of J2> years. He was a man of great musical
ability, and was known to the profession and
the public over a large extent of country. Mrs.
Camp resides with her daughter.
Mr. and Mrs. Henderson have three sons,
Lynn Camp, Leslie Thomas, and John, aged
14 years, nine years and one month respec-
tively. Mr. Henderson occupies a handsome
residence which he has built within a park of
15 acres, where he gratifies his taste for breed-
ing high-grade stock and horses. Politically
2^2
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
a Democrat, he lias never accepted office be-
yond serving as chairman and secretary of the
Democratic County Central Committee. His
fraternal connections include the Knights of
Pythias, of Columbus, in which he has served
in all the chairs; the Elks of Galena; the Mod-
ern Woodmen of America, of Columbus ; and
the Knights and Ladies of Security, of the
same city.
Mr. Henderson and his wife were reared
in the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mrs. Hen-
derson inherits much of her father's musical
taste and ability, and at her former home in
Clayton, Illinois, served as the church organist.
EORGE B. McCLELLAN, M. D.,
senior member of the firm of Mc-
Clellan, Revell, Iliff & Newton, all
leading medical practitioners of
Cherokee County, was born in 1864, at War-
rensburg, Johnson County, Missouri, and is a
son of Dr. Andrew Jackson and Sarah (Rown-
tree) McClellan.
Dr. Andrew Jackson McClellan was born
in 1834 in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, and died
at Weir City, Kansas, in 1898, aged 64 years.
His widow, who is a native of Kentucky, still
survives and resides with her son, George B.
The late Dr. McClellan attended the Michigan
Medical University through 1858 and 1859 and
at the outbreak of the Civil War was made a
post surgeon, in the Federal Army. After its
close he practiced at Baxter Springs, Cherokee
County, Kansas, until 1895, when he settled
at Weir City, where his death occurred, as
stated. In political action, he was a Democrat.
During several years of his residence at Baxter
Springs, he served on the pension board. He
was one of the early and prominent physicians
of the county, and was both esteemed and be-
loved.
Dr. George B. McClellan was the only child
of his parents to reach maturity. His mental
training was pursued first at Baxter Springs,
and later at Kansas City and in Gleason's
Academy at Chicago. He read medicine with
his father, whom he gratified by choosing the
same profession, and then acquired practical
experience in a drug store. In 1894 he grad-
uated in medicine at the Northwestern Medical
College of Missouri, and in the same year set-
tled at Weir City. Here he has been success-
fully engaged in practice ever since, first alone,
and later in association with other eminent
physicians whom he has called into association
with him. Dr. McClellan conducts his office
at Weir City in conjunction with Dr. C. B.
Coss, formerly of Topeka ; Dr. A. T. Revell
has an office at Scammon ; Dr. D. A. Iliff is
located at Cherokee; while Dr. Newton opened
at office at Chicopee. These physicians and
surgeons individually and collectively attend to
a large proportion of the sick, injured and
afflicted throughout the coal mining region, and
all are men of proved ability and high char-
acter.
In 1895, Dr. McClellan was married to
Lillian Revell, who is a sister of Dr. A. T. Re-
vell. They have two children, — Adelaide and
Robert Crowe, both of whom were born at
Weir City.
Politically, Dr. McClellan is a Republican,
but takes no very active part in politics. He is
a member of the Cherokee County Medical As-
sociation ; the Southeastern Kansas Medical
Association ; the Kansas State Medical Asso-
ciation ; the American Medical Association, and
other State and county organizations, contrib-
uting to their literature, and keeping fully
abreast of the times in scientific thought. Fra-
ternally he is a member of the Masons, Odd
Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Modern Wood-
men of America, A. O. U. W. and several other
societies. He is the medical examiner of the
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
2 53
Modern Woodmen of America and the A. O.
U. W. Personally, the Doctor has a wide circle
of warm freinds, and professionally, he enjoys
the confidence of the general public.
HOMAS C. WEAVER, one of the
honored survivors of the great Civil
War, who is a well known business
citizen of Baxter Springs, and a jus-
tice of the peace in Cherokee County, was
born in Kosciusko County, Indiana, July 14,
1840, and is a son of George and Hannah
( Moss) Weaver.
The Weaver family has descended from
Dutch, Scotch and Irish ancestry. The father
of our subject was born in Clark County, Ohio,
where he was educated and engaged in a mer-
cantile business until the age of 25 years, when
he removed to Kosciusko County, Indiana, and
embarked in cattle dealing, continuing in this
business until 1854. The remainder of his life
was spent in farming in DeWitt County, Illi-
nois, where he died at the advanced age of 89
years. He married Hannah Moss, whose pa-
rents were natives of Ohio ; she died at the age
of 83 years. They had issue as follows : Lou-
isa, wife of A. D. Cackley, who was in an ex-
press transfer business at Clinton, Illinois, but
is now retired ; Josephine, wife of J. D.Mitchell,
who was a farmer and stock-raiser of DeWitt
County, Illinois; Thomas C, of this sketch;
Henry, who died in infancy ; Martha and Car-
oline, who died in childhood; Mary and Hor-
ace (twins), who died in infancy; Harvey V.,
who is manager of a sanitarium at Onarga, Iro-
quois County, Illinois; and Charles F., who is
a merchant at Atlanta, Illinois.
Thomas C. Weaver received his early edu-
cation in the schools of DeWitt County, Illi-
nois, which he attended during the winter sea-
sons until he became of age. His summers
were devoted to agricultural pursuits on his
father's farm. The stirring events of the early
months of 1861 aroused his loyalty and he tes-
tified to the reality of his patriotism by enlist-
ing for service in the Civil War, on July 13,
1 86 1, and he was mustered into the army on
August 5th, entering Company C, 41st Reg.,
Illinois Vol. Inf. He served two years and re-
enlisted as a veteran, on December 18, 1863.
On April 12, 1864, he was transferred to the
Veteran Battalion and was promoted to the
rank of sergeant-major. Later he was trans-
ferred to the 53d Reg., Illinois Vol. Inf., as ser-
geant major, on April 24, 1865, and was pro-
moted to the rank of 1st lieutenant, to date
from April 7, 1865. He was finally mustered
out at Louisville, Kentucky, on July 22, 1865.
It will thus be seen that Mr. Weaver served
over four years and during this time he partic-
ipated in many of the most serious battles of
the war, including: Fort Donelson, Fort Heil-
man, siege of Vicksburg, Hatchie River, Ben-
tonville, Coldwater, Jackson and many minor
ones.
After the close of the war, Mr. Weaver re-
turned to the peaceful pursuit of farming, in
which he continued until 1882 in DeWitt
County, Illinois, and then came to Cherokee
County, Kansas, and engaged in a hardware
business for two years, and subsequently spent
four years in the grocery business. Since then
his time has been engaged in the management
of a successful insurance business at Baxter
Springs and in attending to his magisterial du-
ties as justice of the peace.
On September 20, 1870, Mr. Weaver was
married to Ella Scroggin, who is a daughter
of Humphrey Scroggin, a farmer of Logan
County, Illinois. The five children of this mar-
riage were: Edwin, who died aged two years;
Alberta Maud, who died aged 12 years;
George, who died aged four years; Olive (Mrs.
W. C. Anderson), of Fort Scott, Kansas; and
254
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
Nellie, who resides at home. The family at-
tend the Methodist Episcopal Church.
From his earliest voting days, Mr. Weaver
has been a stanch supporter of the Republican
party, and he has frequently been called upon
to assume the duties of office. In Illinois he
was a member of the local School Board and
held the same office at Baxter Springs, of which
city he was treasurer for six years. For, the
past seven years he has filled his present judi-
cial position, the powers of which he has many
times used to quietly settle differences without
resorting to continued litigation. His decisions
have been very generally supported and his
personal integrity has never been questioned.
Since the organization of the camp of the
Modern Woodmen of America at Baxter
Springs in 1889, Mr. Weaver has served as
clerk. He is a member and' the treasurer of the
local lodge of the Ancient Order of United
Workmen ; belongs also to the Knights of
Pythias and the Independent Order cf Odd
Fellows, and is serving his fourth term as com-
mander of the local G. A. R. post, of which
he is a charter member.
[LLIAM W. BRANSON, one of the
highly respected citizens of Ross
township, Cherokee County, lo-
cated in section 32, township 31,
range 23, is also a survivor of that gallant array
which marched out in defense of the country's
integrity, in the stormy days of 1861. He was
born in Harrison County, Ohio, May 10, 1837.
and is a son of Abraham and Ann W. (Wil-
son) Branson.
Abraham Branson was born in Loudoun
County, Virginia, and the mother, in Penn-
sylvania. They were married at Bridgeport,
Ohio, where our subject's father was in the
business of manufacturing woolen goods. Thev
had seven children : Lindley, Rachel, Jona-
than, Elizabeth, William W., John C. and
Abraham, the survivors being our subject and
Elizabeth and Abraham, both of whom reside
in Harrison County, Ohio.
William W. Branson obtained his educa-
tion in the schools of Harrison County, and
remained at home, assisting his father, until 21
years of age. He then made a visit to Cedar
and Muscatine counties, Iowa, and while there,
in April, 1861, he enlisted for three months,
in Company C, 1st Reg., Iowa Vol. Inf., and
took part in the battle of Wilson's Creek and
later was mustered out. Seeing that the war
would continue, he re-enlisted, entering Com-
pany C, 98th Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., and partici-
pated in many of the most terrible battles of
the unhappy struggle. From Chattanooga he
marched with his regiment through Georgia
and on, with Sherman's army, to the sea, and
took part in the battles at Resaca, Peach Tree
Creek, Kenesaw Mountain, Atlanta and Jones-
boro, and in innumerable skirmishes, his last
fight being at Bentonville, North Carolina. His
was an unusual case, for he was much exposed
but was neither captured nor wounded and
when he was finally discharged at Camp Den-
nison. he was able to go back to the farm and
resume his work.
Prior to enlisting. Mr. Branson had mar-
ried, in February, i860, Amanda Sergeant,
who was born in Harrison County, Ohio, and
died in 1873. She was tne mother of seven
children, viz : Hortense, who married J. H.
Jacobs, a farmer of Oklahoma; Russell W.,
postmaster at Cherokee, Kansas, who married
Edith Glover; Mary Ann, who is the wife of
J. S. Larimer, of Greenwood County, Kansas ;
Rachel E., who is the wife of F. M. Curry, of
Argentine, Kansas; Loretta, who is the wife of
Montgomery Boore, a farmer of Cherokee
County; Lizzie, who is the wife of George
Millard, of Crawford County. Kansas; and
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
-D3
John H., who married Huldah Johnson and re-
sides at Argentine, Kansas.
Mr. Branson was married, second, to Kate
Marsh, who was born in Noble County, Ohio,
and they have one daughter, Elsie Edith.
In 1878 Mr. Branson settled with his fam-
ily, in Cherokee County, Kansas, for a period
of four months and then bought a farm of 80
acres in Crawford County, which he operated
some years. In 1888 he bought one half of
section 29, township 31, range 23, in Ross
township, for a brother, and remained on that
place until 1891. Since then he has rented his
present farm in section 32, a property that
shows evidences of good management.
Politically Mr. Branson is identified with
the Republican party. He has never desired
political recognition, and is satisfied to do his
full duty as a citizen and to permit others the
honors of office. He is a member of the Meth-
odist Church.
HOMAS HAYNES. Old England, the
little island upon whose possessions
the sun never sets, has a number, of
representatives in Cherokee County,
and as a rule they are classed among her most
thrifty citizens. The biographer is privileged
to present here the name of one who, although
born under the Union Jack, received the bap-
tism of fire in the Civil War, which made him
forever a "child of the republic." Thomas
Haynes is a farmer who has for the past 27
years resided in section 35, township 32, range
23, in Ross township. He was born in Shrop-
shire, England, March 29, 1834.
William and Hannah Haynes, his parents,
were both natives of the same English shire.-
The father, who was a cooper by trade, died in
middle life, in 1839; the mother lived to the
old age of 84 years. They reared a family of
five children, of whom Margaret, the eldest, is
now deceased ; Hannah still resides in England ;
Mary, also, is deceased; John resides in Mc-
Lean County, Illinois; and Thomas is the sub-
ject of this review.
During the boyhood and early manhood of
Thomas Haynes, there was small chance for
him to procure an education, owing to the fact
that his father died when he was but five years
old. He early became inured to toil and hard-
ship of the severest kind, and it was the hope
of bettering his condition that led him, when
but a lad, to embark for America. Here he
secured work on a farm, and was engaged at
that occupation when the war cloud burst upon
the country in 1861 ; at that time he was near
Bloomington, Illinois. He was among the first
in his neighborhood to enlist, and became a
private in Company B, 52d Reg., Illinois Vol.
Inf. He was mustered in at St. Joseph,
Missouri, and arrived at the front in time to
participate in the fight at Fort Donelson. The
bloody battle of Shiloh followed. In both of
these the subject of this sketch took the part
of a soldier, after which, on account of failing
health, he was detailed as a driver in the am-
bulance corps. In this position he continued
with the Army of the West in its different
operations, finally winding up with Sherman in
his memorable "March to the Sea." His
health now became so much impaired that it
was necessary for him to return from the front,
and he spent the remaining few months of the
war in a hospital at Coney Island, New York.
He rejoined his regiment but a few days be-
fore the final discharge of its members at Louis-
ville, Kentucky, July 3. 1865. He now draws
a pension of $17 per month.
Returning to Bloomington, Illinois, he re-
mained in that vicinity for, about n years,
thence moving, in 1877, to Cherokee County,
Kansas. During the first year he rented a farm
in Ross township, and then purchased the place
on which he now resides. It contained 160
2 5 6
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
acres, only 25 of which had been broken, and
on it was nothing but a small box house — no
fences, no trees, — in fact the splendid farm
property which he now possesses is the product
of his own brawn and brain. His first crops
were corn and flax, but he later branched out
and took up the line of the diversified farmer,
in which he has nlade so signal a success.
The marriage of the subject of this sketch
was consummated in October, 1866, when he
was wedded to Sarah Buzard, a native of Ohio.
To them were born seven children, as follows :
William, who died, aged 17 years; Clara (Mrs.
Ernest Thatcher) ; John, a farmer of Ross
township, Cherokee County; Anna, who mar-
ried Jacob McCune, a farmer now residing
near Kansas City; Sarah Agnes (Mrs. Fred
Green), of Scammon, Cherokee County;
Frank, a farmer of Lola township, Cherokee
County; and Howard, who now manages the
home place, his father having retired from
active work about five years ago.
The life of Mr. Haynes during his resi-
dence in the county has been that of a quiet
and industrious farmer. He has never aspired
to office, but in politics votes the Republican
ticket. He and his wife are consistent and
worthy members of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, and in the large circle of their ac-
quaintance they are held in the highest regard.
LEM LISLE, deceased, formerly county
treasurer of Cherokee County, and
for many years one of its most prom-
inent citizens, located here as one of
the early settlers, and for 18 years was identi-
fied with its agricultural, business and political
life. Mr. Lisle was born February 8, 1824, in
Wayne or Holmes County, Ohio, and died at
Los Angeles, California, December 9, 1887.
Mr. Lisle received the best mental training
the local schools afforded, and in 1846 began
farming in his native State. Two years later,
he removed to Berlin, Holmes County, Ohio,
where he embarked in the grocery business,
which he continued until the discovery of gold
in California aroused the adventurous spirit of
the youth of the land; in 1850 he sold his
grocery and went to the West. There he en-
gaged in mining for two years, and then re-
turned to Ohio, where he bought 80 acres of
good land in Allen County. This continued to
be his home until 1856, when he moved to Lima
and was there engaged in the mercantile busi-
ness until 1868.
Deciding to select a permanent home in the
West, Mr. Lisle removed to Kansas City, and
a year passed before he had definitely settled
upon a locality which he considered most desir-
able. In the fall of 1868 he returned to Ohio,
settled up his affairs, and came back to Kansas
in the spring of 1869, locating on the "Mili-
tary Road" in Cherokee County, not far from
Baxter Springs. Mr. Lisle was a man of cau-
tion and excellent judgment, and, after a care-
ful survey of the country, he purchased a sec-
tion of land in Shawnee township, where all
the desirable conditions of fine prairie land and
good water supply were combined. Here he
conducted a large stock farm for six years,
dealing principally in Texas cattle, buying,
feeding and selling. When ready for the mar-
ket the cattle were driven to Carthage, Mis-
souri, whence they were shipped by railroad:
This business was very successful, as were all
of Mr. Lisle's enterprises, managed as they
were with the greatest good judgment and fore-
thought. In 1873 his Republican friends in-
sisted upon his accepting the office of county
treasurer, and he served in this capacity four
years and four months, — up to 1878. He
served also as councilman at Columbus, and
was always actively interested in the success
of his party.
ABIEL SAMUEL DENNISON
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
259
After closing his service as treasurer, Mr.
Lisle devoted his attention to the buying and
selling of real estate, and improved about 12
different farms. At the time of his decease, he
left four fine farms. He was largely interested
also in lead mining at Webb City and Galena,
being one of the first investors upon the discov-
ery of ore there.
Mr. Lisle was a Mason, a member of the
Blue Lodge and Chapter at Columbus and the
Commandery at Oswego, and with his wife was
a member of the Order of the Eastern Star. As
an Odd Fellow he was very prominent, and had
the honor of instituting Lodge No. 56, at Co-
lumbus.
At the age of 20 years, Mr. Lisle was first
married to Lamenta Steel, of Wayne County,
Ohio. She died at Lima, Ohio, in 1867. The
second marriage of Mr. Lisle took place Feb-
ruary 16, 1869, when he wedded Anna Jen-
kins, of Lima, Ohio, who still survives, and is
one of the most highly esteemed ladies of Co-
lumbus. The death of Mr. Lisle left her with
many business responsibilities. With remark-
able ability she has successfully handled them.
For about 10 years she conducted the four
farms which came into her possession, and then
disposed of two of them ; she still manages the
other two, which are located within 10 miles
of Columbus. She also retains her interests
in the mines at Galena.
For a number of years it had been Mr. and
Mrs. Lisle's pleasant custom to winter in Cal-
ifornia and. as the climate seemed to agree
with them, he was making preparations to es-
tablish a permanent home there, at the time of
his death.
Mrs. Lisle has probably traveled more ex-
tensively than any other resident of Cherokee
County. She has made 20 trips across the
continent, and has enjoyed all the advantages
which wealth and leisure afford in her own
country. She has also extended her travels
through England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales,
Italy, Switzerland and Russia, and is one of
the few American ladies who have penetrated
to the northernmost city of Hammerfest, and
rounded the North Cape, in the "Land of the
Midnight Sun." It is gratifying to her, own
people and to the city of her residence espe-
cially, that one who has enjoyed such unusual
opportunities to see the finest and best things
of other lands, should prefer to return to the
old home, and pass the evening of her life
among old surroundings, satisfied with the re-
spect and affection of old friends.
BIEL SAMUEL DENNISON, of
Columbus, whose portrait accompa-
nies this sketch, is a son of Alvin
and Rhoda Dennison, and was torn
fin his father's farm, in the town of Floyd,
Oneida County. New York, November 24,
1828.
On his father's side he is descended from
William Dennison, who came from the north
part of England, and settled in Roxbury, Con-
necticut, in 1 63 1, and on his mother's side from
George Potter, who emigrated from England,
and settled in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, in
1638.
His ancestors on both sides fought in Crom-
well's army in England ; in this country fought
for the English King in the French and Indian
wars ; against the King in the War of the
Revolution, and the War of 1812: and for the
Union in the War of the Rebellion.
He attended district school until 14 years
old, then went to the Whitstown Seminary
three years, after which he taught district
school four years, returning home every year
until 21 years old to work on the farm during
harvest.
When about 21 years old, he commenced
the study of medicine with Dr. Babcock. who
260
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
resided in Oriskany, Oneida County, New
York. Alter studying with the doctor about a
year and a half lie attended one course of lec-
tures at the Albany Medical College. Dr. Bab-
cock was a popular doctor, and had a very large
practice, conducted by himself and a Dr. White,
assisted by one or more students. On entering
the office as a student, he was immediately sup-
plied with a horse and sulky, saddle-bags, medi-
cine, tooth instruments, and' put on the road to
practice medicine, and kept on the road every
day, including Sundays.
In the summer of 1851 his health failed;
he was weary in body and mind, with symp-
toms of the dreaded disease consumption. Rest
and change of climate were prescribed, and a
trip to Chicago recommended'. In September,
1 85 1, he traveled from Rome, New York, by
passenger boat on the Erie Canal to Buffalo,
from Buffalo to Detroit by lake steamer, from
Detroit to New Buffalo by the Michigan Cen-
tral Railroad, then by steamboat to Chicago.
Chicago was then a city of from 25,000 to
30,000 people, with mostly wooden houses, lo-
cated on a mud flat, from six to eight feet
above the waters of the lake. The streets in
many places were almost impassable, loaded
teams often being stuck in mud holes in the
business streets ; there were no railroads, the
Galena & Chicago Union Railroad being then in
process of construction, running a few miles
north by west, but not in condition to do much
business; there was no good money, the money
then used in Chicago having only a local value;
times were hard and trade poor, and everybody
wanted to sell out at almost any price, a lot near
the lake front 100 by 120 feet being offered
him for $100.
Mr. Dennison remained in Chicago about
two weeks and then traveled from Chicago by
stage to Rockford, which town he made his
headquarters for about a month, visiting Tanes-
ville. Belvidere, Dixon and other towns. Dur-
ing this period he hunted and got lost on the
vast unsettled prairies, fished in Rock River
and other streams, and had a splendid time,
being greatly improved in health.
Here was a fine looking, fertile country,
with a healthy climate, that produced wonder-
ful crops, but there was no market for anything,
no railroads, or any prospect for railroads, no
navigable rivers and no canals. Some grain
three years old was still in stacks, not worth
threshing and hauling to market.
The people had no money, lived in poor
houses unsuitable for that harsh climate with
very little furniture, wore poor clothes, but had
plenty to eat, such as they raised. When they
needed salt or medicine, two or more farmers
clubbed together, hauled loads of pork or, wheat
to Chicago, camped out on the trip, and sold
pork from one to two cents a pound, wheat at
about 30 cents a bushel, the trip consumed
from five to eight days.
From Rockford to Galena, Illinois, he trav-
eled by stage, the last day of the trip being
election day. Galena was then famous for its
lead products, but it had seen its best days, and
the production of lead was decreasing rapidly.
As Mr. Dennison could not figure out any
speedy outlook of prosperity for Chicago, or
the country tributary to it, he concluded to
visit the Sunny South.
Here was the mistake of his life, but con-
sidering the experience and information he then
possessed, no other conclusion could be reached.
His own native country in a hundred years had
made very slow progress, notwithstanding it
had a navigable river (the Mohawk), later the
Erie Canal, and still later the New York Cen-
tral Railroad. The building of railroads at
that time progressed very slowly. Capital
avoided railroads. He could not foresee that
Chicago and the country tributary thereto
would in a few years be literally covered with
railroads, and the country built up as by magic.
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
261
Mr. Dennison journeyed on a Mississippi
River steamboat to St. Louis and found that
city a dead town. Alton was then claiming to
be the coming city.
After staying in St. Louis about a week, he
went on to New Orleans by river steamer. New
Orleans was a live, prosperous city. The
amount of property in cotton and sugar piled
on the river front was astonishing. Business
was rushing. He accepted a position as pro-
fessor of mathematics in the Franklin High
School, corner of Royal and Esplanade streets,
at a big salary, and remained in that position
until the school closed for the summer vacation.
Immediately on the closing of the school,
he accepted a position in a drug store at an in-
creased salary, soon received an offer of a better
salary in a wholesale drug house, and in about
three months received an offer of a larger sal-
ary in a wholesale cotton and sugar house,
first as shipping clerk, afterwards as cashier.
He remained with that house until August,
1853, when the yellow fever drove him, anil
every other person that could get away, out of
the city. He went to St. Louis, and soon en-
gaged in the manufacture of hardwood lumber
with William Martin, their saw-mill being lo-
cated in North St. Louis. He continued in
that business until March, 1857, when he took
a railroad construction contract on the Keno-
sha & Rockford Railroad, for grading and rock
excavation near 1 Rockford, and for building
culverts and bridges from Harvard, Illinois, to
Rockford, Illinois, with headquarters at Rock-
ford, Illinois, and then at Poplar Grove, and
Chemung, Illinois. He completed this work in
June, 1859, after experiencing a great deal of
trouble because of the financial crash of 1857.
The railroad company failed to pay the money
due for construction and finally Mr. Dennison
settled with it by taking its securities, mostly
farm mortgage bonds, at 80 cents on the dol-
lar. He took another railroad contract for
grading in Minnesota, with headquarters at
Winona, but sold out this contract before it
was completed in order to take another contract
on the Mobile & Ohio Railroad in the State
of Mississippi. Here was the second great mis-
take of his life, leaving the North to go
South.
In the fall of 1859 he took a contract for
grading and furnishing ties on the Mobile &
Ohio Railroad with headquarters at Baldwin,
Guntown, Booneville and Corinth. He finished
this work in April, 1861, after experiencing
serious trouble, owing to the disturbed condi-
tion of the country caused by the commence-
ment of the Civil War. He had agreed to take
a contract to build a railroad from Meridian
to Vicksburg, but it was impossible to perform
the work. All the energies of the people were
used in preparing for war to whip the Yankees
and Abolitionists. It became necessary to get
out of the country as soon as possible, or join
the Southern army to fight the North. He went
north, arriving at Cairo, Illinois, about the time
the Northern forces took possession of that
place. He purchased a fractional half-section
(338 acres) of raw prairie land, half a mile
east of Hoyleton, Washington County, Illinois.
He fenced it and put the land under cultivation,
built two houses on it, divided it into three
farms, and in the summer of 1864 sold the last
farm.
On November 9, 1864, Mr. Dennison mar-
ried Philena J. Chubb, and immediately settled
in Bloomington, Illinois, where he remained
about one year, without engaging in any regu-
lar business. In November, 1865, he moved to
Lawrence, Kansas, where he remained until
February, 1867. At the time he moved to
Lawrence, Kansas City had one railroad, the
Missouri Pacific, — with its depot in the south
part of the city. The Kansas Pacific Railway,
commenced at Wyandotte (now Kansas City,
Kansas), and ended at Lawrence. While in
262
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
Lawrence Mr. Dennison was engaged in build-
ing. In February, 1867, lie moved to Baxter
Springs, Cherokee County, Kansas. The move
from Bloomington to Lawrence was made to
avoid the wet, cold climate of the former place,
and the move from Lawrence to Baxter Springs
was made to avoid the cold, harsh winters of
Northern Kansas.
At first in Baxter Springs he engaged in the
real estate business, buying lots, erecting build-
ings and selling the same. He also engaged in
the drug business with G. G. Gregg.
In May, 1869, Mr. Dennison was chosen
president of The Joy City Town Company,
composed of G. Vanwinkle, J. E. Slater, A. S.
Dennison, W. H. Hornor, G. G. Gregg. Will-
iam Street and William Armstrong of Chero-
kee County, Kansas, Almond Botsford of the
State of Ohio, David Philips of Kansas City,
Missouri, and J. B. Grinnell "of Iowa. This
company purchased the squatter right (no other
title could be obtained at that time) to about
2.000 acres of land at the cost of about $20,000.
for the purpose of building a town about six
miles west of Baxter Springs. The Missouri
River, Fort Scott & Gulf Railroad had located
its road to Columbus, Kansas, and it was in-
tending to build the road south from Columbus
through these lands to reach the Kansas State
line in the valley of the Neosho River, to re-
ceive from the United States the only north and
south right-of-way through the Indian Terri-
tory, granted by the Indians to the United
States by treaty. This great prize the United
States offered to the railway running north ana
south through the State of Kansas, that first
reached the south State line of Kansas in the
valley of the Neosho River. The Missouri
River. Fort Scott & Gulf Railroad, running
from Kansas City, Missouri, south and the
Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway, running
fr< nn Junction City south were competing for
this right-of-way, the former leading. Unex-
pectedly, the Missouri River, Fort Scott & Gulf
Railroad Company located its road from Co-
lumbus to Baxter Springs, arriving at Baxter
Springs and the State line first with weeks of
time to spare. The United States decided that
Baxter Springs was in Spring River Valley,
and the road lost the right-of-way. The cov-
eted right-of-way was awarded to the Missouri,
Kansas & Texas Railway that reached the State
line at Chetopa. That road enjoyed the mo-
nopoly of the only north and south railroad
through the Indian Territory for many years.
The town company lost its prospective
profits and some of its capital. The railroad
company, by losing the right to reach the Gulf
of Mexico, was only a short road from Kansas
City to Baxter Springs, and in a short time
went into the hands of a receiver, then was sold
at master's sale on mortgage foreclosure.
In January, 1874, Mr. Dennison was ap-
pointed under-sheriff of Cherokee County by
Sheriff Alfred Palmer, and in 1876 was re-
appointed for another term.
In 1877 he ran for the office of sheriff, and
with the entire Republican ticket w r as defeated.
Soon after the election, it was rumored that
fraud in two wards of Empire City was the
cause of the loss of the election. The election
was contested and he lost. The Republican
County Central Committee, believing fraud had
been perpetrated, insisted the case of the sheriff
should be appealed forthe purpose of exposing
the fraud. The case was appealed, but the cost
of bringing a large number of witnesses to
court was so great that a change of venue was
taken, so the depositions of the witnesses could
be taken, and it required about the remaining
term of the office to take the depositions, so
the case was dismissed. The proof, however,
showed to the satisfaction of the people of the
county that the ballot-boxes in which the voters'
ballots were placed in the first and second
wards of Empire City were, after the election
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
26 3
was closed at night, while the judges of the
election were at supper, changed for similar
boxes that had been stuffed.
In 1879 ne was elected sheriff, and re-
elected in 1 88 1. On November 22, 1875, he
was appointed United States Circuit Court
Commissioner for the district of Kansas, which
position he held about seven years, and then re-
signed, not having time to attend to the duties
thereof.
On June 29, 1878, he was admitted to the
bar of the District Court of the Eleventh Judi-
cial District of Kansas.
On the 14th day of April, 1877, Dr - Will-
iam Street of Baxter Springs and A. S. Denni-
son bargained with Egidius Moll, for the west
half of the southeast quarter, and the southeast
quarter of the southwest quarter of section 14,
township 34, range 25, in Cherokee County,
for the consideration of $10,000. This pur-
chase was the commencement of the organiza-
tion of the Galena Town & Mining Company,
composed of W. H. Fairbanks, S. H. Sanders
and John M. Cooper, who founded the city of
Galena.
In March, 1881, Mr. Dennison moved from
Baxter Springs to Columbus, and in a few
months thereafter built a residence on a
10-acre lot in Salamanca township, a quarter
of a mile west of the west line of Columbus,
and has resided there (23 years) up to this
date.
Since 1884 he has been engaged in the real
estate and loan business and the practice of
the law.
Politically he is a Republican, and has often
served as chairman of the Republican County
Central Committee. His fraternal associations
are with the Masons, Odd Fellows, and
Knights of Pythias. In religious connection
he is a Congregationalist. He was the organ-
izer, in its present form, of the Old Settlers'
Association of Cherokee County, Kansas, and
was its president for several years.
Mr. Dennison has had seven children in
his family, of whom Eva, Clarence, Ernest and
Ralph died in infancy and in early childhood;
Nina, Samuel and Rhoda survive. Nina is a
successful teacher; Samuel is engaged in min-
ing in Arizona, and Rhoda is married and re-
sides in Arkansas.
ANIEL WINTER, M. D., one of the
leading physicians and surgeons of
Columbus, of the Homeopathic
school, has been a resident of Chero-
kee County for more than 20 years. Dr. Win-
ter was born in the principality of Waldeck.
Germany, in 1833, and is a son of William and
Henrietta (Meisner) Winter.
The parents of Dr. Winter came to Amer-
ica in 1843 and settled in Fairfield County,
Ohio, where William Winter followed his
trade of gunsmith until 1852, when he moved
to Shelby County, Illinois. He did not live to
establish himself there, however, his death oc-
curring six weeks later, at the age of 63 years.
His wife, who was also a native of Northern
Germany, died at Columbus, Kansas, in 1884.
aged 88 years. Dr. Winter has two brothers, —
Rev. E. A. Winter, a minister in the Lutheran
Church, who is now in Oklahoma; and
Ferdinand, who is a farmer in Fairfield County,
Ohio.
Dr. Winter was educated in Ohio and was
subsequently engaged in teaching for some
years prior to taking up the study of medicine,
which he did about 1849, at Lancaster, Ohio,
with Dr. Sachse, a noted German physician of
that day. In 1885 he began the practice of medi-
cine, which he has followed continuously with
the exception of three years, until the present
264
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
time. After his removal, with his parents, to
Shelby County, Illinois, he practiced very suc-
cessfully until he came to Columbus in 1884.
Prior to leaving Ohio, Dr. Winter was mar-
ried to Isabel Hiestan, who was born in that
State, of German ancestry. They have five
children, namely: W. F. E., of Columbus, who
follows the trade of a carpenter; Mrs. Henri-
etta Harvey, of Columbus ; Albert, of St. Louis,
who is in the employ of a manufacturing com-
pany ; Louis H., of Galena, Kansas, a stenog-
rapher by profession ; and Mrs. Emma A. Sam-
uelson, of Dietz, Wyoming. Three children
are deceased.
Politically, Dr. Winter is a Democrat of the
old Jeffersonian type, and was formerly very
active in political affairs. He has witnessed
many changes in the old standards, but still is
stanch in his adherence to the underlying prin-
ciples of the party. He is equally loyal to the
Lutheran Church in which he was reared from
childhood. His wife is also a member of that
church.
Dr. Winter is a member of the Missouri
Institute of Homeopathy, and formerly be-
longed to the Ozark Medical Society. He is
the only distinctively Homeopathic physician
in Columbus and has a large practice, which,
in spite of his 70 years, he skillfully attends
to. During his long residence here, he has seen
wonderful progress made, and has been identi-
fied with much of the city's development.
HE A. HOOD & SONS IMPLE-
MENT COMPANY, with head-
quarters at Columbus, Kansas, is one
of the extensive industries of Chero-
kee Conuty, and probably does the largest ve-
hicle business in the Southwest. It was es-
tablished in 1873, and was incorporated July
29, 1 901, under the laws of the State of
Kansas.
The first officers of this company, who also
formed its first board of directors, were : Ar-
chibald Hood, deceased July 17, 1903, presi-
dent ; Wilson K. Hood, who died February
19, 1904, vice-president; and Edgar C. Hood,
secretary. The present officers are : Edgar C.
Hood, president; George W. Hood, vice-presi-
dent; O. E. Skinner, secretary; and Mary A.
Hood, treasurer. The directing board is com-
posed of Edgar C. Hood, George W. Hood
and O. E. Skinner.
While Columbus is the headquarters of the
concern, branch houses have been established at
Pittsburg, McCune and Baxter Springs. The
company works with a full paid-up capital of
$125,000, has a large surplus, and carries at
all times a full line of vehicles, agricultural im-
plements and seeds. The main building of the
company is located on the south side of the
square at Columbus, and was built by Archi-
bald Hood in 1883. It is of two stories, 1 10 by
36 feet in dimensions. Of the two other
buildings, one is of two stories, 50 by
no feet, and the other, 25 by no feet, in di-
mensions. The total floor space occupied by
the company, in its main and branch houses,
reaches 50,000 square feet, or over one acre.
The employees number five at Columbus,
four at McCune, four at Pittsburg and three at
Baxter Springs. The stock carried comprises
about 350 vehicles or 12 car-loads all the time.
This large business is in the hands of capa-
ble men, wide awake to business competition
and enterprise. George W. Hood, the treas-
urer of the company was born at Columbus,
Kansas, in 1880, and spent two years in the
State University of Kansas. He has the over-
sight of the Columbus house, and gives his im-
mediate attention to the buggy department.
O. E. Skinner, who is the head bookkeeper
and cashier, has been with the company about
23 years, and has made its interests his own.
Oscar Crane, manager for the Columbus
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
26;
house has been with the company the same
length of time as has Mr. Skinner, and his fi-
delity is known and appreciated. James Han-
son, the genial warehouse foreman, has been
with the company since 1877, with the excep-
tion of seven years, and M. L. Downs has been
connected with the business for about 12 years.
John C. Broadley. traveling solicitor, has been
with the firm, at various times, since 1882.
Bruce Wilson is in charge of the seed depart-
ment of the Columbus house.
The Pittsburg house is under the immediate
supervision of Edgar C. Hood, the president of
the company, whose head salesman is Mr.
Harshman.
The McCune house is in charge of John
Martin, an efficient manager. The collecting
department is managed by Dan Elledge, who
resides at McCune. George E. Rucker is the
capable manager of the branch house at Bax-
ter Springs. The most cordial relations exist
between the officials and employees of this com-
pany, the result being little friction and the
greatest prosperity.
ALLACE E. TOPPING, a prosper-
ous farmer residing in section 3,
township 34, range 22, in Neosho
township, Cherokee County, is a
man of considerable prominence in the commu-
nity, and has frequently been called upon to
serve in an official capacity. He was born in
Barry County, Michigan, May 30, 1861, and
is a son of Washington and Emily (Sanders)
Topping, and a grandson of Robert Topping.
Robert Topping was born in Pennsylvania,
and died in Cherokee County, Kansas, in 1884,
aged 78 years. He was a farmer by occupa-
tion, and operated two sawmills when a resident
of Ohio. He later owned 400 acres of land in
Michigan, where he lived many years. He was
a captain in the State militia of Huron County,
Ohio. He married Elizabeth McNutt, who
was also born in Pensylvania, and died in Cher-
okee Comity, Kansas, at the age of 70 years.
They were the parents of seven children, as
follows: Jane (Rork), Alexander and Frank
Moore, deceased; Robert J., of Joplin, Mis-
souri ; Washington ; and two who died in in-
fancy.
Washington Topping was born in Huron
County, Ohio, August 5, 1837, and was 17
years of age when he moved with his parents to
Barry County, Michigan. He lived there until
he enlisted, in 1863, in Company C, 1st Reg.,
Michigan Mechanics and Engineers, under
Captain Robinson and Colonel Yates. They
built a bridge across the Tennessee River at
Chattanooga during Sherman's "March to the
Sea," and there, with 65 foragers for the regi-
ment, boarded a ship for Richmond. Mr. Top-
ping was present in the Grand Review at
Washington, at the close of the war. He then
went to Nashville, Tennessee, built barracks
and worked on the fort for a number of months,
and was discharged at Jackson, Michigan, in
the fall of 1865. He had learned the trade of
a carpenter in Michigan, and followed it three
years. On September 10, 1866, with his fam-
ily, including his father and mother-in-law,
he left Michigan for Kansas, driving through
in company with many others, there being 36
teams, in all. He located upon his present farm
in the northeast quarter of section 18, Lola
township, having originally 160 acres. Of this
the Indians "head righted" 40 acres, and he has
since disposed of 40 acres, leaving him 80 acres
at the present time. He had but little money
when he came, and a part of this was expended
in the purchase of a 5-acre tract of timber, from
which he cut the logs with which to build a
cabin. It was the first cabin in the county with
roof and floor, and also had one door and a
window. It was a very fair house, and 15
years elapsed before he replaced it with a good,
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
substantial home. It took four or five years be-
fore the sod was broken all over this tract, and
the sod crops for some years were poor. At
the present time Mr. Topping has about 17
head of stock, and a fine orchard of 400 apple
trees. The first orchard set out by him was
totally destroyed by fire. He is a member of
McGibben Post, G. A. R., and the Settlers'
League. He was a Republican in politics for
some years, but is now a Populist. Religiously,
he is a member of the Christian Church. His
first marriage was with Emily Sanders, who
was born in Ohio, and died at the age of 59
years. The following children were born to
them: Wallace E., Catherine E. (McKinsey),
deceased; Charles H., of Hollowell, Cherokee
County; and Nettie (Curtis), of Lincoln Coun-
ty, Kansas. Mr. Topping was married a sec-
ond time, in 1902, wedding Mrs. Martha E.
Merryfield, who was born August 4, 1836, and
is a daughter of Lorenzo and Eleanor (Rork)
Cooley. They were acquainted in their early
life and were childhood sweethearts. They
drifted apart, and did not meet agin until re-
recent years at Abilene, Kansas. This unex-
pected meeting and renewal of old acquaint-
ance resulted in their union.
Wallace E. Topping was five years of age
when he accompanied his parents to Cherokee
County, Kansas, and here he received his early
mental training. He first attended the old log
schoolhouse where they used slab benches, and
continued there until the county was districted.
He then attended District No. 1 until he was
ready to enter high school, which he attended
one year, after which the school was organized
as the Oswego High School, in which he was a
member of the first junior class. Afterwards,
he attended the Fort Scott Normal School.
At the age of 19 years he began teaching school
and continued that for 10 years, his last school
being at Sherman City. In politics, he was a
Republican until 1890, when he joined the
Farmers' Alliance, all of that party's candidates
being elected that fall. He was appointed dep-
uty clerk of the District Court under C. R.
Bernard, and served two years. Afterwards,
he was for two years land clerk in the State
Auditor's office under Van B. Prather. He
was appointed chief clerk under W. H. Morris,
of Crawford County, and served two years.
During the time he was at Topeka, he owned
80 acres of land ; upon his return to Cherokee
County, he sold out and purchased his present
farm of a little over 160 acres in Neosho town-
sip. He conducts a stock farm, and has about
30 head of white-faced cattle.
In 1 89 1, Mr. Topping was joined in mar-
riage with Bird Goodner, born in Sheridan
township, September 22, 1871, and a daugh-
ter of James J. and Elizabeth Goodner, who
came to Kansas in 1864 from Illinois, and lo-
cated in Cherokee Comity in 1865. Mr. Good-
ner was county treasurer of Cherokee County,
and afterwards served as county coroner. This
union has been blessed by the birth of one
daughter, — Crete, aged 12 years. Fraternally,
the subject of this sketch is a member of the In-
dependent Order of Odd Fellows and has been
representative to the Grand Lodge. He is also
a member of the Modern Woodmen of Amer-
ica, in which he has passed through the chairs,
and of the A. H. T. A.
IMRI DIXON, deceased, was for many
years one of the most prominent far-
mers of Shawnee township, Chero-
kee County, and to a marked degree
commanded the respect and esteem of his fellow
men. He was born in Parke County, Indiana,
November 2, 1840, and was a son of Eli and
Esther (Kelley) Dixon.
Eli Dixon, whose parents came from North
Carolina, lived most of his life in Parke Coun-
REV. HENRY R. VOLLMAR
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
269
ty, Indiana, where he followed fanning, and
where he died when the subject of this sketch
was an infant. He married Esther Kelley, who
had formerly married Nathan Hunt, and they
became the parents of three children, — John,
Rhoda and Zimri. Religiously, both were Qua-
kers.
Zimri Dixon was reared on a farm and fol-
lowed the occupation of a farmer throughout
his life. In 1861, he enlisted in Company K,
43d Reg., Indiana Vol. Inf., and served with
his regiment about nine months, when he was
honorably discharged on account of disability
caused by sickness. He returned to Indiana
and farmed a place owned by his half-sister,
Mrs. Mary Ann (Hunt) Rawlings, until two
years after his marriage, when he moved to
Kansas and located in the Cherokee Neutral
Lands on the place now occupied by his widow.
Subsequently, after extended litigation, he was
obliged to purchase it of the Kansas City &
Fort Scott & Gulf Railroad Company, which
had a prior claim to it. He farmed on an ex-
tensive scale, and with continued success was
enabled to add to his holdings from time to
time until at his death he was the owner of 720
acres of valuable land. He probably raised
more hay and corn than any other farmer in
the township, and also oats, in large quantities.
He kept on an average 35 head of cattle and 60
hogs. In 1870 he built a fine, stone residence
of seven rooms, the only stone house in Shaw-
nee township. About two years later, he built
the fine, large, stone barn, 46 feet square, with
a capacity for 100 tons of hay, and 1,000 bush-
els of grain.
On March 12, 1865, Mr. Dixon was joined
in marriage with Emily Atkinson, a daughter
of Robert and Polly (Curl) Atkinson, of Eng-
lish origin. Her father was born in Randolph
County, North Carolina, where he lived until
after his marriage and the birth of his first
child, and then moved to Indiana in the fall of
15
1 83 1. He took a homestead in Parke County
and farmed there until 1869, when he came
West to Cherokee County, Kansas. He pur-
chased a government claim of 160 acres in
Shawnee township, and continued to live upon
it until his death, September 2^, 1890, at the
age of 88 years. He married Polly Curl, a
daughter of George Curl, of Chatham County,
North Carolina. Five children were born to-
them, namely : Sarah Ann, widow of Demp-
sey Mills, who lives with Mrs. Dixon at pres-
ent; George, who lives in Parke County, In-
diana; John, who lives in Shawnee township;
Emily, widow of Zimri Dixon ; and Jared, of
Roseburg, Oregon. Mr. and Mrs. Atkinson
were of the Quaker faith.
Mr. and Mrs. Dixon became the parents of
nine children, eight of whom grew to maturity,
as follows : Ella, wife of J. E. Lane, of Empire
City, Kansas; Cora, wife of John Wellman, of
Shawnee township, Cherokee County ; Anna,
deceased ; Joel, of Scammon, Kansas ; Alice,
wife of John Isley of Los Angeles, California ;
Charles, of Shawnee township, Cherokee Coun-
ty; Morton, who lives at home; and Rosa, de-
ceased, who was the wife of J. M. Bass. Re-
ligiously, the subject of this sketch was a mem-
ber of the Society of Friends until he went to
the war, and his widow is still a member of
that society. Politically, he was a strong Re-
publican, but was never an office holder.
EV. HENRY R. VOLLMAR. On
the 5th of May, 1898, the community
of Williamsburg, Kansas, was called
on to mourn the death of Rev. Henry
R. Vollmar, pastor of the Methodist Episcopal
Church of that city, and formerly pastor of the
Methodist Episcopal Church at Columbus, in
this county. He was favorably and well known
throughout the South Kansas Conference and
2JO
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
in this field held a number of important charges,
building churches in different places and, in all,
rejuvenating the spiritual life of the member-
ship. In these communities are many noble
men and women, whose lives now stand as
fitting monuments to the earnest efforts of this
godly man.
Rev. Mr. Vollmar was a German by birth,
and was born November 4, 1855, in Rhenish
Bavaria, Germany. When eight years of age,
together with his parents and their family, he
came to America, where settlement was first
made on a farm in Fulton County, Illinois.
Later they removed to Corydon, Iowa, where
they continued to live for a time. Of delicate
health in his earlier childhood, Henry R. Voll-
mar became robust after his removal to Iowa.
As a youth, however, an attack of measles un-
settled his health, and for two years he had a
struggle for existence. As a last resort, in com-
pany with friends, he made an overland journey
to Kansas. This proved beneficial, and he soon
recovered his wonted vigor, and, entering the
State Normal School at Emporia, pursued a
course of study for a period. Again his health
failed. This time he recuperated in the Rocky
Mountain region, and after two years returned
to Iowa, where he became an inmate of the
home of his brother Philip, then a minister at
<i;.:den Grove. On this brother's advice he
entered the academy there and amid these
Christian influences developed a state of mind
thru made clear his call to the ministry. He
thereafter directed his study to preparation for
his life work, manifesting great talent as a pub-
lic speaker, and in 1883 he was licensed, and
■entered upon active work in the South Kansas
' "erence. To go into details concerning the
effective soul-winning efforts of this man of
God, during his nil too short lifetime, would be
hut the repetition of the story of successful
revival work and church building, as he took
up the work in ench charge in turn. Thc?e
physical monuments remain, — at Cecil, his first
charge, three churches ; a parsonage at Alta-
mont; a needed addition to the church at Co-
lumbus; a fine parsonage at Williamsburg, and
a church at the nearby town of Agricola. But
!iis enduring monument, and one which shall
stand in the judgment witnessing to his splen-
did work while in the flesh, is found in the
lives of the men and women made more full and
complete and Godlike by the magnetic influence
which was a part of his spiritual nature. He
held many successful revivals, and at Colum-
bus, alone, brought 150 souls into the Kingdam.
His charges, in turn, were Cecil, Altamont,
Hallowell, Columbus and Williamsburg.
But death "loves a shining mark." The
end came all too soon, in all human prescience,
to this gifted man. Having rebuilt a parson-
age at Williamsburg, he was just entering upon
the work of building another church, when he
underwent a surgical operation from which he
never recovered, dying the afternoon of the
same day. Thus ended a beautiful life on earth,
to unfold with brighter lustre in the life to
come! Truly can it be said of him, — "While
he is dead, yet he speaketh." His last audible
expressions were a message to his brother
Philip, and a prayer to his Master — "Tell
Philip it is well with my soul!" "Oh. I want to
go! Come, Lord Jesus, take me!"
Interment was at the old home in Corydon,
Iowa, where an aged mother, a brother and
four sisters survived him. The funeral services
;>.t 1 Villiamsburg were conducted by Presiding
Elder S. S. Martin, assisted by Revs. J. D.
Smith, of Waverly, and M. S. Rice and C. S.
Nusbaum, of Ottawa, and participated in by a
large concourse of mourning friends.
Rev. Mr. Vollmar is survived by a widow
and two daughters. — Pauline and Avis, — his
eldest daughter, Fra, having died in September,
1901; the family now resides in Columbus.
Mrs. Vollmar, nee Angelia Bishop, was the
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
271
daughter of Alexander and Almira (Elliott)
Bishop, natives of Ohio, who removed to Post-
ville, Iowa, where Mrs. Vollmar was born;
thence the family located on a farm in Labette
County, Kansas, in 1869. Mr. Bishop was an
active and useful citizen of that county for
many years, and there Mrs. Bishop died, in
1887. In 1892 Mr. Bishop went to Oklahoma,
where he died in 1897. from injuries received
in a cyclone at Chandler. Mrs. Vollmar is a
graduate of the State Normal School at Em-
poria. She taught successfully for several
years, and at the time of her marriage was first
principal of the Oswego schools. Her marriage
to Rev. Mr. Vollmar took place at the home
of her parents, while Mr. Vollmar was sta-
tioned at Cecil, Kansas. She is a woman of
much strength of character and during the life
of her husband was a splendid helper in his
religious work, a field in which she is still
a valued and earnest worker. Of fine executive
ability, she manages the three farms of which
she is possessed, near Columbus, with ease and
profit, leasing two and personally supervising a
third.
A portrait of Rev. Henry R. Vollmar ac-
companies this sketch, being presented on a
preceding page.
SCAR H. BENNETT. One of that
solid class of citizens that Cherokee
County is so fortunate in possessing
is Oscar H. Bennett, a farmer resid-
ing in section 25, township 32, range 25. in
Pleasant View township. He claims Vermont
as the State of his birth, which occurred in
1852. He is a son of Col. Oren and Harriet
( Merrell) Bennett.
Col. Oren Bennett was born in Vermont in
1825. He was a millwright and engineer, and
followed these trades about 15 years. A man
of intensely patriotic mold, he, at the breaking
out of the Civil War, was active in the organi-
zation of Union forces. In 1862 he became
colonel of the 22d Reg., Missouri Vol. Cav.
For three years and seven months he led his
regiment, participating in many battles, in one
of which he was wounded by a shell, which alsc
killed his horse.
After the war, Colonel Bennett resumed
work at his trades at his former home, and in
1866 moved to Jackson County, Kansas, mak-
ing the trip from Iowa in a large wagon, in
company with his wife, and four children, —
Oscar, Flora, Alice and Jim. In 1867 the fam-
ily came to Cherokee County, where they have
since lived. The father now lives on an 80-
acre farm in Pleasant View township ; the
mother died in 1903, aged 74 years.
To these parents 10 children were born, of
whom Oscar H. is the eldest. Seven are living,
as follows : Oscar H. ; Flora Jane, born in
Vermont, who married James Biggs, of Miami
County, Kansas, and has four children, — Clara.
Ralph, Lizzie and Flossie; Alice, born in Mis-
souri, who married Joseph Hayes, and is living
in Idaho ; James Hite, born in Iowa, who mar-
ried Emma Ward, and has eight children, —
Hattie, Henry, Lizzie, Freddie, Carl, Ada, Er-
nest and May; Fred E., born in Kansas, who
married Jessie Williams, lives in Cherokee
County, and has four children, — Harry, Frank,
Earl and Charles; Edith, born in Kansas, who
married Frank Sweany, of Cherokee County,
and has five children, — Raymond, Grace, Wal-
ter, Blanche and Irene; and Jesse M., born in
Kansas, who married Jessie Newton, resides
in Cherokee County, and has one child. —
Laura.
Oscar H. Bennett was married in 1879, in
Cherokee County, Kansas, to Sarah McNier,
nee Swinney, a native of Iowa, and a daughter
of Delaney and Elizabeth (Webb) Swinney.
Her father, a native of the Keystone State, was
2J2
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
born in 1828, and died in Kansas in 1882.
Mrs. Swinney was born in the Hoosier State
in 1830, and is now living in Oklahoma. Mrs.
Bennett is one of 14 children, of whom eight
are now living, as follows: John W., Sarah
(our subject's wife), Malinda, Nancy, Riley,
Sinah, Alvaretta, and Fanny. John \V. was
born in Iowa. His first wife was Tillie McCaf-
fery, who was the mother of Thomas, Lane,
Isaac, May, Aul, Pearl, Arthur and Lee. His
second wife was Belle Downes, who has one
child, — Ora. Malinda was born in Iowa, mar-
ried James Bear, and is living in Oklahoma.
Nancy was born in Iowa, married Zach. Sears,
and resides in Kansas; they have these chil-
dren, — Walter, Calvin, Oscar, Emma, Laura,
Roy, Jessie and Annie. Riley was born in
Iowa. Sinah, born in Iowa, married William
Hearn, and resides in Kansas; they have three
children, — Leona, Hattie and Merle. Alva-
retta, born in Kansas, married John Maline,
and lives in Oklahoma. Fanny, born in Kan-
sas, married Frank Prudom, and lives in Okla-
homa.
Mr. and Mrs. Bennett have had eight chil-
dren, all born in Cherokee County, namely :
Mattie (Mrs. James Gilbert), who has one
child, — Roy; Etta (Airs. William Weaver),
<>f Missouri, who has five children, — Lottie,
Ray, Albert, Fay and Leola; Flora (Mrs. Bry-
ant Lively), of Arkansas; James; Ninnie; Bes-
sie ; Clara; and Johnnie R., who died at the age
of 18 months.
The parents of Mr. and Mrs. Bennett were
the first to put up houses in Pleasant View
township. At that time there was nothing to
be seen but prairie, and wild animals, deer, prai-
rie chickens and quail. There was no roads of
any kind except the old "Military Road." Here
the subject of this sketch and his father fol-
lowed hunting for a living during 14 years.
They made many successful expeditions after
quail and prairie chickens, and shipped them to
the Eastern markets of St. Louis, Chicago and
New York.
Oscar H. Bennett is a Populist in politics,
and has held office as township assessor for two
years ; as constable, for the same period ; and as
justice of the peace for four years. As a mem-
ber of the School Board no one has ever been
found who was deemed so capable, in every-
way, as the length of his term testifies; for he
has served as clerk of the board for 25 years.
He is a member of the A. H. T. A. He and his
family are leading factors in the social life of
the community, where they have so long re-
sided, and where they are most highly regarded.
I ACOB K. JONES. Among the earlier
settlers of Kansas, we find the name
of Jacob K. Jones, a former well
known citizen of Cherokee County.
A native of Tennessee, he was born April 18,
1829. His death occurred August 15, 1899.
on his farm at Badger mines where he had lived
for many years.
Mr. Jones belonged to the good, old South-
ern family of Jones, so well known in Tennes-
see. His parents, William B. and Nancy Jones,
were born and reared in the vicinity in which
they passed their lives. The father was born
August 25, 1790, and the mother, February 29,
1792. In the old home were born eight chil-
dren as follows: Solomon H., born April 16.
1813; Mary B., born August 6, 1S15; Henry
D., born November 21. 181 7; Margaret Ann.
born November 29. 18 19, who still lives in
Tennessee; Catherine K., born February 22,
1822; John F., born April 1, 1824; Elizabeth
E., born August 29, 1826; and Jacob K. The
father died September 9, 1837, and the
mother's death occurred on March 16, 1843.
Jacob K. Jones received an unusually good
schooling for the time in which he lived. The
death of his parents occurred when he was
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
2/3
quite young, he became apprenticed to a brick-
mason. After learning the trade, he followed
it as an occupation until he located in Missouri,
shortly before the Civil War. In 1862 he gave
up his home in Missouri, to find a better one
in the West, and choosing Kansas as a good
place to locate, he took up a homestead where
the Badger mines were afterwards opened.
After farming on this place for 10 years he
moved to Brownville, Nebraska, where he spent
another 10 years on a farm.
Mr. Jones was married September 1, 1850,
to Sarah J. Bayless, who was born April 23,
1832. Her death occurred at Brownville, Ne-
braska, November 25, 1883. There were 10
children of this marriage, those who lived to
maturity being as follows: William F., born
July 7, 1851 ; John B., born January 7, 1853;
Nancy E., born January 1, 1855; James R.,
born February 4, 1859; Wyatt B., born Sep-
tember 9, 1861 ; M. S. I., born November 20,
1864; Laura J., torn November 17, 1866; and
Jacob K., Jr., born July 24, 1870. Two died
in childhood.
On July 3. 1884, the subject of this sketch
married Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Meeks, a daugh-
ter of R. A. Robinson, of Independence, Mis-
souri. She was born August 5, 1852. coming
from the old Kentucky family of Robinson.
Her children by a former marriage are, — Laura
Belle, born February 15, 1874, now Mrs. An-
drew Tolliver, of Pittsburg, Kansas; Charles
W., born December 3, 1875, living at the Bad-
ger mines; and Nettie May, wife of David M.
Haynes, of the Badger mines. The children of
her marriage to Mr. Jones are: Solomon Le-
Roy, born May 15, 1885; Ethel B., born Au-
gust 16, 1887; Fred B., born September 19,
1889; and Henry Arthur, born November 7,
1 891.
Mr. Jones was a Democrat, and stood for
the principles of the party at all times. Fra-
ternally, he affiliated with the I. O. O. F. and
the A. F. & A. M. In his church relations, he
was a consistent Baptist. Of Southern birth,
Mr. Jones possessed all the good qualities of a
Southern gentleman, and his kindness of heart
and uprightness of character made for him
many friends. His generosity and open hospi-
tality, natural traits of the Southerner, made
all feel welcome who came within his gates.
On July 3, 1900, Mrs. Jones married
George B. Rollins, a native of Brooklyn, New
York, who was born January 7, 1865. His
mother died when he was 13 years of age, and
he went to Iowa, where he was employed on a
farm for three years. Later, having learned
the carpenter's trade, he worked at it in various
places until his marriage.
Mrs. Rollins is a consistent member of the
Christian Church. She still lives on the farm,
and with her husband manages the work on the
place. The land produces all the small grains,
and large numbers of cattle and Poland China
hogfs are raised on it for the market.
ILLIAM M. BENSON, who was a
prominent farmer of Crawford
township and one of the early set-
tlers of Cherokee County, coming
here in 1876, died August 17, 1904. He was
born in Warren County. Indiana, near the Wa-
bash River, on September 20, 1830, and was a
son of Samuel and Martha (Martindale) Ben-
son, a grandson of James Benson and a great-
grandson of James Benson.
James Benson, our subject's great-grand-
father, was born in County Tyrone, Ireland,
and shipped to America, at the age of 18 years,
subject to indenture for his passage money of
$30. This resulted in his working for six years
for a Philadelphia weaver, who was a just man
and took the young Irish lad into his family
as one of his own, winning the youth's lifelong
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
devotion. Prior to the Revolutionary War,
lie went to South Carolina, where he secured
a title to 400 acres of land in Union County,
and resided upon it until his death in 1790.
His son, James Benson, grandfather of the
subject of this sketch, was born in Union Coun-
ty, South Carolina, and in 1810 removed with
his family to Warren County, Indiana, where
he resided on a farm until his death.
On the maternal side, William M. Benson's
great-grandfather was a native of Sweden, an
expert weaver, who was employed in London
and later settled in County Tyrone, Ireland.
The genealogy can be traced traditionally back
to the days of Holy Writ, even to the tribe oi
Benjamin.
Samuel Benson, the father of our subject,
was born December 15, 1800, in Union County,
South Carolina, and died on his 66th birthday.
December 15, 1866. His wife was born in
1805 in Greene County, Ohio, of South Caro-
lina parentage. The subject of this sketch was
the only son of the family that reached matur-
turity.
William M. Benson was reared in Warren
County, Indiana, and was afforded excellent
educational opportunities. He took a three-
years collegiate course at what is now De Pauw
University. His cousin, H. C. Benson, was one
of the first graduates of this institution and later
1«came a member of its faculty as professor of
Greek. For about 25 years Mr. Benson then
made teaching his profession, mainly in War-
ren County, his last experience in this line
being in the winter of 1877-78. In 1876 he
purchased a claim in the northwest quarter of
section io. Crawford township, Cherokee
County, Kansas, and secured the deed from the
railroad company in 1877. He built a house
on his land and then returned to Indiana for
his family, bringing them to their new home on
March 15, 1878. This home was burned in the
following year, while he and his wife were vis-
iting in Indiana. Upon his return, he built
another house, which is one of the most attract-
ive in the township. With wise forethought,
he brought with him from the old home a num-
ber of cedar tree slips, which he disposed about
his residence. They took kindly to the genial
climate and fertile soil and have much more
than repaid, in their growth, symmetry and
beauty, all the care Mr. Benson ever bestowed
upon them. The place has now a beautiful
grove of more than 500 pines and cedars, which
apart from their value were, during his life,
constant reminders of the days of his boyhood
and young manhood, and brought back many
tender recollections of those who had passed
away.
Mr. Benson owned large bodies of land in
Cherokee County, at one time an aggregate of
600 acres, but retained at the time of his death
only 220 acres, located in sections 3 and 10.
Crawford township. This property, known as
"Evergreen Bower Farm," he devoted to gen-
eral farming and spared neither labor nor ex-
pense in placing it under a high state of culti-
vation, and making permanent improvements.
Mr. Benson was first married, in Indiana,
to Prudence M. Slauter, who was born in War-
ren County, Indiana, and was a daughter of
one of the early settlers of that county, who
came there from the State of New York. Mrs.
Benson died in 1884. aged almost 48 years,
leaving a family of six children, viz : Martha
Marinda, who married J. H. Clawson, resided
for a time in Warren County and then moved
to the Indian Territory, where she died in 1900:
Cynthia Ann, who maried Robert Radley, in
Kansas, and died in Cherokee County in 1896;
Samuel I. (unmarried), his father's successor
on the farm; William Willard. who married
Emma Allen, and resides near Shawnee, Okla-
homan ; Rose Lee, who married William Cline,
and resides in Oklahoma ; and Theodoshia, who
resides at home.
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
275
In 1885, Mr. Benson was united in marriage
with Margaret Ann Fagan, of Cherokee Coun-
ty, who was born in Andrew County, Missouri,
June 12, 1864. Mrs. Benson is a daughter of
George and Margaret (Waterson) Fagan, the
latter of whom was born on the Isle of Man.
Mrs. Benson's father was born in County Kil-
larney, Ireland. He came to America in 1850,
and still resides in Cherokee County, where her
brother, Thomas W. Fagan, and a half brother
and sister also reside. Hon. Henry Watterson,
the great Democratic editor of Louisville, Ken-
tucky, probably came from the same family
branch as did the mother of Mrs. Benson.
Mr. and Mrs. Benson had five children, namely :
Tressie Treene, aged 17 years; George W.,
aged 14 years; Marguerite Christine, aged 10
years ; Lucy May, aged five years ; and Clara
June, aged one year.
In religious views, Mr. Benson was a mem-
ber of the First-Day Adventist Church. He
was a liberal supporter of church work, and not
only contributed the site, but also paid about
$600 toward the expense of erecting Beth-
any Methodist Episcopal Church, which is lo-
cated in section 10, Crawford township. Polit-
ically, he was reared a Jacksonian Democrat
and was practically one of that party's suppor-
ters, although he did not favor a departure in
any way from its sound old principles. His
first vote was cast for a candidate of the Know
Nothing party.
Mr. Benson most acceptably filled many of
the township offices, and always took a deep
interest in educational matters, his long ex-
perience as a teacher making him particu-
larly well qualified to judge of the efficiency
of school methods. For a number of years he
was active in the Masonic and Odd Fellow fra-
ternities, but was not affiliated with the local
lodges, never having taken his demit from In-
diana.
The mortal remains of Mr. Benson were
interred in Bethany cemetery, which is locat.ed
near the Benson homestead, Rev. Mr. Stone,
of the United Brethren Church officiating.
OSEPH H. GALPINE, one of the
prosperous farmers of Cherokee
County, residing on his well-improved
farm of 200 acres in section 24, town-
ship 32, range 25, in Pleasant View township,
was born in 1864 in Iowa, and is a son of Rob-
ert J. and Mary (Hawkins) Galpine.
Robert J. Galpine was born in 1819 in Eng-
land, and was a son of James and Mary Jane
(Mackie) Galpine, neither of whom ever came
to America. Robert J. Galpine came to the
United States in 1858, and located first at St.
Louis, where he followed his trade of cabinet-
making. Then he settled in Farmington, in
the southeastern part of Missouri. Thence he
moved to Waterloo, Iowa, where he resided
for a time, going from there to Fort Scott,
Kansas.
In 1866 he moved to Cherokee County,
Kansas, and secured the farm now owned by his
son Joseph H. in Pleasant View township. At
that time it was entirely unimproved and
he was one of the pioneer settlers. This
land he put under cultivation, converting-
it from the raw prairie into one of the
most productive farms of the locality. Here
his death occurred in 1889. In England
he married Mary Hawkins, who survived
him until 1900, dying at her daughter's
home in Smithfield, Missouri. Their family
consisted of four sons and one daughter, the
two survivors being the subject of this sketch
and his sister, Mrs. Jane Smith. The latter
was born in England. She married, first,
Thomas Noble, and had one child, — Nellie.
She is now the widow of David Smith, who-
le ft one son, Robert.
B76
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
Joseph M. Galpine is the only member of
liis parents' family who was born in America.
The only surviving son, he inherited a part of
the farm which his father secured and cleared,
nnd which he has continued to improve until
the present time.
In 1892 Mr. Galpine was married to Anna
1 louston, who was born in Moultrie County,
Illinois. They have two sons and two daugh-
ters, viz : Grace, Nellie, Henry and Justice.
Mrs. Galpine is a daughter of Caleb and Au-
gusta (Justice) Houston, natives of Kentucky
and Ohio, respectively. They came to Chero-
kee County, Kansas, in 1876, from Illinois.
Mr. Houston died in 1887, aged 64 years. Mrs.
Houston only survived her arrival here until
March. 1877. She left six children, viz: Wil-
liam, Carrie (Wales), Anna, Jacob A., Otis
and Arrie.
In politics, Mr. Galpine is a Populist. He
is one of the progressive and enterprising men
of this section, keeps fully abreast of the times,
and is a representative member of one of the
oldest pioneer families of this township.
ILLIAM H. SHAFFER, county
clerk of Cherokee County, was
born in Cherokee County, July 16,
1870, and is a son of David and
Margaret (Helms) Shaffer.
David Shaffer was born in Germany in
1846. and was six years old when he accom-
panied his parents to America. They located
in Wayne County, and later in Randolph Coun-
ty. Indiana, where David grew to manhood
and married Margaret Helms, of Wayne Coun-
ty. She died in Crawford County, Kansas, in
1894, at the age of 42 years. They had seven
sons and one daughter, all of whom still sur-
vive except one, George, who was accidentally
killed by a street car in Pittsburg, Kansas. All
wire born in Cherokee County, and those liv-
ing are: William H. ; Robert R., who lives on
the old homestead in Ross township, Cherokee
County: Nelson, who is a farmer near Mon-
mouth, Kansas ; Charles and Carl, who are far-
mers in Crawford County; Jesse, who is a res-
ident of Crawford County: and Eva, who is
the wife of Burt Gordon, also of Crawford
County.
David Shaffer and his wife came to Chero-
kee County May 10, 1870, locating in Ross
township, where the former filed a claim on 160
acres of land. It was subsequently contested,
but he finally acquired his title and made the
place his home until March, 1892. Then he
removed from Cherokee to Crawford County,
where he bought a farm, and is now engaged
in raising Percheron horses.
William H. Shaffer was reared in Cherokee
County and attended the district schools. His
early training made him a good farmer and
judicious stock-raiser, and for about four years
he raised Percheron horses very successfully.
In December, 1891, in Cherokee County,
Mr. Shaffer married Anna Heinrichsmeier,
who was born in Illinois, and is a daughter of
Frederick Heinrichsmeier, who came to Chero-
kee County in 1871, and located in Ross town-
ship with his family. Mrs. Shaffer's father
died in 1885. and her mother, in March, 1902.
Mr. and Mrs. Shaffer have four children :
Elsie, Ralph, Dee and an infant daughter.
Their pleasant home is in Ross township, with-
in four miles of Columbus.
Politically, Mr. Shaffer is an active member
of the Populist party, and was elected to his
present office on the Fusion ticket. Fraternally,
he belongs to the Masonic Blue Lodge at Co-
lumbus, the Anti-Horse Thief Association and
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of Co-
lumbus. His religious views are liberal, al-
though his and his wife's people have been
leaders in the Lutheran Church for genera-
tions.
JEREMIAH LUCKEY
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
279
EREMIAH LUCKEY. Not to know
"Jerry" Luckey, as he is familiarly
called, is to argue oneself unknown
in Cherokee County. Coming to the
county when all "trails," — for it was before the
day of roads, — led to Cherokee Center, the pio-
neer name of the now thriving county-seat town
of Columbus, Mr. Luckey has been a prominent
factor in each advancing stage of the county's
progress. The character of the business fol-
lowed by him during his residence in the county
is responsible for his being so universally
known, as he has operated a threshing machine
during each recurring season, for the past 30
years. He is a farmer residing on the south-
east quarter of section 1, Salamanca township,
where he located in the fall of 1867. Mr.
Luckey came to the State from Ohio, where
he was born in Athens County, October 15,
1842.
To look upon the splendid farms of Chero-
kee County, one can scarcely conceive of the
wild scene which presented itself to the eye of
Mr. Luckey as his "prairie schooner" reached
the confines of the county in the fall of 1867.
Stopping at Pleasant View, to inquire the way
to Cherokee Center, the schooner was headed
for that point, which then was marked by a
single log house, standing on the north side
of what is now the public square. Mr. Luckey
was accompanied by his wife and a cousin,
Samuel Wilson. After prospecting in different
parts of the county, Mr. Luckey located on the
quarter which has since been his residence,
though he sold the north 80 acres at a later
date. This spot was but virgin soil at that time,
with deer, wolves and prairie chickens in abund-
ance for game. Many provisions and other
articles were obtained, at quite a distance from
here, at Missouri points.
With the characteristic energy of the early
pioneer, Mr. Luckey began his "battle for a
home.'' and none can relate with greater vivid-
ness and truthfulness the privations endured,
and the many shifts necessary, in order to bring
order out of chaos. Mr. Luckey was the pio-
neer thresher of the county, a portion of the
time in partnership , but for the most part alone.
In this business his known honesty and great
energy have made him successful, as also in the
management of his farm. In the great devel-
opment which has taken place in the coal indus-
try of Southeastern Kansas, Mr. Luckey bears
the unique distinction of being the first to dis-
cover that mineral in the county. The place
was in the Stillson coal field in Mineral town-
ship, near Scammon, he being at the time ac-
companied by Mr. Wilson. Until arrangements
were made for mining the field, Mr. Luckey
supplied himself with coal at the simple expense
of getting it out.
Jeremiah Luckey is the eldest of six chil-
dren born to Joshua and Margaret (Means)
Luckey. His mother was born in Pennsyl-
vania, December 14, 1823. She is a devout
member of the Church of God, and is a resident
of Washington County, Iowa. Joshua Luckey
was born in Athens County, Ohio, January 17,
1 81 7. He was the son of James Luckey, a
native of Pennsylvania. He was an early pio-
neer in Athens County. There he followed
farming until 1850, when he settled in Louisa
County, Iowa. His death occurred there July
9. 1903. All the children of these par-
nets are living. Besides Jeremiah, there
are — Mary Jane (Fisher), a widow re-
siding in Waverly, Coffey County, Kan-
sas; James M., a farmer residing in Neosho
County, Kansas, who has served one term as
county surveyor of that county; Joseph C, a
farmer in Washington County, Iowa, who also
operates a thresher; Sarah E. (McGuire), re-
siding in Louisa County, Iowa, on the old
home farm; and William, a carriage-maker by
trade, now located at Grinnell, Iowa.
Mr. Luckey was reared in Louisa County,
280
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
Iowa, and was still in his teens when the tocsin
of war resounded throughout the land. In the
fall of 1862, he enlisted as a private in Com-
pany F, 25th Reg., Iowa Vol. Inf., and was
mustered out in Washington, June 7, 1865. He
saw service in the 15th Army Corps under Gen.
John A. Logan and was with Sherman in his
"March to the Sea." Although in many tight
places and with bullet holes in various parts of
his clothing, Air. Luckey bore the charm of
his name and came through without injury.
Returning from the war, Mr. Luckey estab-
lished a home of his own, bringing to preside
over it the lady who still bears him company,
whose maiden name was Mary T. Green. She
was born in Monroe County, Tennessee, in
1845, and removed to Iowa with her parents
in 1850. Mr. and Mrs. Luckey have had 11
children, all born on the old homestead, except
the eldest, Harvey E., who was born in Iowa.
The family record is as follows : Harvey E.,
Anthony W., William M., Ai, Faith, Nora,
Roy, Ada, Edward, Adda and Emma. Harvey
E. died in infancy. Faith, born November 29,
1876, and Nora, born July 11, 1881, are de-
ceased. Anthony W., of Pittsburg, Kansas,
born April 15, 1868, is engaged at work in the
coal banks, and is married. William M., born
Marcli 1, 1870, is located in Washington
County, Iowa, and is married. Ai, born Octo-
ber 5, 1873, is running an engine at the powder
works of the Joplin-Rand Powder Company,
and has been with the works for six years, as
engineer. He married Lizzie Steinbrook, of
the home county, and has two children, — Law-
rence and Bertha, also born here. Roy, born
February 12, 1879, lives at home and runs
the engine to the threshing rig. Ada, born
February 28, 1884, and Edward, born Septem-
ber 4, 1886, live at home. Adda and Emma
( twins) died in infancy.
Mr. Luckey, as has been intimated, has al-
ways !>een a man of influence in affairs, serv-
ing as road overseer and in other official posi-
tions at different times. His political princi-
ples are emlxxlied in the platform of the Re-
form party. He affiliates with the I. O. O. F.,
of Columbus, and has a warm place in his
heart for the G. A. R.
No man stands higher in the estimation of
the citizens of Cherokee County, and as he looks
out over the broad expanse dotted with well
tilled farms and happy homes, Mr. Luckey is
justified in feeling a pardonable pride in the
part which, under Providence, he has played.
His portrait accompanies this sketch.
HOMAS R. DUNCAN, one of the
pioneer settlers of Cherokee County,
a substantial and representative far-
mer of Lyon township, owns 160
acres of highly cultivated land, — the northeast
quarter of section 27, township 34. range 2^.
He was born at Martinsville, Indiana, Febru-
ary 10, 1839, and is a son of William and
Amanda M. (Hutsel) Duncan.
Robert Duncan, the grandfather of Thomas
R., was born in Scotland and accompanied his
two brothers to America, all probably settling
in the State of New York. There William
Duncan was born and learned the cabinet-mak-
ing trade before going to Indiana. Failing
health caused him to remove in 1856 to Illinois
where his sons could engage in farming. He
took part in the Black Hawk War. In early
days he was a Whig, but afterwards voted for
Stephen A. Douglas and was subsequently
identified with the Republican party. He died
in Illinois, in 1879, at tne a & e °f 7 2 years. His
wife was born September 20, 1815, near Lex-
ington, Kentucky, and died at Martinsville, In-
diana, November 22, 1847, when Thomas R.
was not quite nine years old. Their children
were: Thomas R.. who weighed but two and a
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
281
half pounds at birth; Peter, a farmer of Min-
eral Spring. Missouri, who belonged to Com-
pany H, 27th Reg., Illinois Vol. Inf., in the
Civil War : Giles, who belonged to Company D,
81st Reg., Illinois Vol. Inf., and died in the
service in February. 1863; and Jesse H., who
resides near Murphysboro, Illinois. The father
married three times, and three children of each
union still survive.
Thomas R. Duncan was 17 years of age
when his parents moved to Jackson Count)-.
Illinois, and he was engaged in farming there
from 1856 to 1862, when he enlisted on Au-
gust 1 2th, in Company D, 81st Reg., Illinois
Vol. Inf., under Captain Ward and Col. James
J. Dollins. He took part in many severe bat-
tles, and endured much hardship. He partic-
ipated in the battle at Thompson Hill, May 1,
1863; at Raymond, Mississippi, May 12. 1863;
at Jackson, Mississippi, May 14; at Champion
Hill ; Brownsville ; Spanish Fort ; in the Red
River expedition ; and in the three battles at
Vicksburg, and the skirmishing all about this
region. When serving with the ambulance
train at Spanish Fort, he spent a whole night
in hauling away the wounded. Mr. Duncan
was captured with 700 of his comrades and was
confined in Andersonville Prison for two and
a half months, at Savannah for one month, and
at another point, for a month and a half, and
was then paroled. He reached Annapolis.
Maryland, in a condition resembling a museum
skeleton, and was still too weak for service
when he reported for duty, after a furlough of
30 days. He was determined, however, to re-
join his regiment, which he did, at Eastport.
Mississippi, in January, 1865, after an una-
voidable absence of six months. Shortly after-
wards he was honorably discharged and now
receives a pension of $6 a month. After the
review and grand encampment at Columbus,
Ohio, he returned to Illinois, in 1865.
In the spring of 1869, Mr. Duncan started
for Kansas, with his wife, two children and his
brother. Each of the brothers took up [60
acres of "Joy" land, but the subject of this
sketch did not possess enough capital to imme-
diately build even a log house, and all lived to-
gether in the brother's log cabin, 12 by 14 feet
in dimensions, for the first four years. They
had brought three horses with them, but neither
of the brothers had much money, and during
the first winter they endured many hardships.
For a long time their diet consisted entirely of
corn bread and molasses, excellent warming
food, but rather palling as a steady diet f< >r
months with nothing else. The brothers broke
up the sod for corn and had to pay $1.50 per
bushel for seed corn. During the second year,
however, Mr. Duncan raised 100 bushels of
wheat, and had plenty of vegetables and mel-
ons. In recalling those days, Mr. Duncan re-
members one delightful episode and that was
the Christmas dinner to which the family was
invited by neighbors in better circumstances.
He remembers it as it had to serve as the only
satisfactory meal of that gloomy winter. It
was four years before he felt able to build a
home of his own. and this has been several
times replaced. The present one, situated in
the midst of a beautiful maple grove, the seeds
of which he planted himself, and flanked by a
productive apple orchard, is one of exceeding
comfort. The telephone inside and the rural
mail carrier at his door sufficiently connect him
with neighbors, friends and business associa-
ates, and mark very plainly the difference be-
tween life in Cherokee County in 1869 and in
1904. Mr. Duncan's farm is well watered, and
all of it can be made to produce grains and
grasses, and feed stock and cattle.
Mr. Duncan has always been identified with
the Republican party since the Douglas cam-
paign, and he has frequently served as a dele-
gate to the various conventions. In religious
belief, he is a Missionary Baptist, and has been
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
very liberal in his support of this religious
body. During the erection of the new house of
worship in Lyon township, in the past year,
he contributed 18 clays' work and $100.
On October 22, 1866, Mr. Duncan was mar-
ried to Sarah A. McClure, who was born in
Jackson County, Illinois, August 5, 1840, and
is a daughter of John A. and Clarinda (Nace)
McClure. Mrs. Duncan's father was born in
Ohio, and her mother in Pennsylvania. The
children of this marriage were as follows :
Clarinda, wife of Allen Jarrett, who has two
sons, — Robert and Estel ; Maria, who died
aged two years; John A., of Columbus, who
has four children; Edward H., of Lyon town-
ship, who has three children; Kate, wife of
Robert Rogers, of West Mineral, who has one
child; Laura, wife of James A. Sizemore, of
Lyon township, who has five children ; Dora,
wife of Frederick Divens, of Washington; and
Jarretta, wife of Jesse Roper, of Lyon town-
ship, who has one child.
With tireless hands the subject of this
sketch and his noble wife worked to insure for
their children the comforts which have been
theirs for many years. Mr. Duncan is well
known throughout this section, and is a valued
member of the local Grand Army post. His
life has been one of more than usual hardship,
during its earlier part, and he well deserves his
recompense of material comforts, and the gen-
eral esteem in which he is held by his fellow
citizens.
« ■ »
RCHIBALD HOOD, deceased, fa-
miliarly known through Cherokee
County as "Archie" Hood, was one
of the early business men of Colum-
bus, and fur many years was almost the only
implement dealer in the county. Mr. Hood
was born near Oakdale, Washington County.
Illinois, and died at Columbus, July 17. 1903.
Mr. Hood lost his mother when but eight
years of age, and his father died when he was
about 19 years old. His elementary training
was received in the public schools of Illinois,
and his literary culture at Fayetteville Acad-
emy, Pennsylvania, where he was engaged in
study at the outbreak of the Civil War. The
State quota from Illinois being full, he enlisted
in Company F, 10th Reg., Missouri Vol. Inf.,
in which he served three years, and was dis-
charged in September, 1864.
After the war, Mr. Hood located in Ne-
braska, but subsequently returned to Illinois,
where he was engaged in mercantile pursuits
until 1868; he then came to Columbus, set-
tling in this city in 1870. Here he carried on a
brokerage concern until 1873, and then founded
the implement firm with which his name has
been honorably identified for so many years.
His connection with this business was only ter-
minated by his death, although for about two
years prior to his decease he had been almost
continuously confined to his bed.
In 1873, Mr. Hood married Mary Wilson,
who was born in Chester County. Pennsylva-
nia. They had six children, as follows : Edgar
C, president of the A. Hood Implement Com-
pany; Grace, wife of J. C. Forkner, now of
Long Beach, California; Wilson K., who died
February 19, 1904, being at that time vice-
president of the implement company; George
W., vice-president of the company; Bessie, liv-
ing at home; and Harry C, who is at school.
Mr. Hood was a member of John A. Dix
post. No. 54, Grand Army of the Republic.
He had a large personal acquaintance in the
county, and for many years his business house
was a favorite stopping place for old settlers
and neighboring farmers. He was a man of
quick sympathy and never failing courtesy, and
no matter how much the cares of his private
business pressed him. he always found time to
listen to the troubles of others, and to seek some
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
283
way to adjust them. His advice was sought
and followed, and his friendship desired and
valued. Perhaps he was better known than
almost any other private citizen in Cherokee
County, and surely among them all could be
found no enemy. Although left without the
ministrations of a mother, in childhood, and de-
prived of the counsel of his father before he
reached his majority, he steered his life course
safely, and left an honorable name as a heritage
to his family. He was a man of cultivated
tastes, understood art and literature, and never
was too much absorbed in business to find time
for reading good books, or for the enjoyment of
conversation concerning matters outside the
general run of purely business affairs.
Mr. Hood is survived by his widow and
five children, by one brother, J. K. Hood, of
Delhi, New York, and by friends innumerable.
At the time of his funeral, every business house
in Columbus was closed, and the throng as-
sembled to pay respect to his memory, was
augmented by men from all over the county.
His death left a vacancy in the ranks of the
exemplary, useful and high minded citizens,
who have done so much toward the upbuilding
.of Columbus.
EESE CADWALADER, deceased,
was one of the early settlers of Cher-
okee County. His birth took place
in Ohio on September 16, 1816, and
he was a son of John and Ruth (Bogue) Cad-
walader.
John Cadwalader was a native of Pennsyl-
vania. In early manhood he moved to Ohio,
settling among the other pioneers. In 1826 he
removed to Illinois, where the remainder of his
life was passed. He and his wife belonged to
the Society of Friends.
The late Reese Cadwalader was reared on
his father's farm and continued to live in Illi-
nois until 185 1, when he moved to Iowa, and
in 1867 to Cherokee County, Kansas. In Illi-
nois he had owned and operated a flouring mill,
but he devoted himself to farming both in
Iowa and in Kansas. In Cherokee County he
bought the southwest quarter of section 27,
township 31, range 25, in Pleasant View town-
ship, which he improved and converted into
one of the best farms in the eastern part of the
county. In a material sense, Mr. Cadwalader
was a very successful man,— one whose energy
and industry were rewarded with ample re-
turns. He was, also, a man of integrity and of
public spirit, and in all the neighborhoods in
which he lived he was chosen to fill responsible
offices. He served as a justice of the peace in
Pennsylvania, Illinois and Kansas, a position
for which he was eminently qualified on ac-
count of his sterling traits of character. At
Vermont, Illinois, he joined the Masonic order,
and always lived up to the principles taught by
that fraternity. Few men of his day were more
pronounced in their advocacy of temperance,
and by example and precept he exerted a wide
influence. He died September 20, 1880.
On December 29, 1841, occurred our sub-
ject's marriage with Rhoda K. Easley, a daugh-
ter of John and Nancy (Kinsey) Easley. The
children of this union were as follows : Henry,
of Mexico; Stephen, of Clear Creek County,
Colorado ; John, of Williamson County, Texas ;
Ruth, deceased, who was the wife of Wesley
Ankrum; Kinsey, of Opolis, Kansas; Basco,
who is living on the homestead; Abigail, wife
of Frank Walker; and Angeline, wife of An-
drew Vermillion, of Pittsburg. Kansas. This
family has been reared in the Society of
Friends.
John Easley, the father of Mrs. Cadwala-
der, was born in Virignia, September 9, 1798.
When he was 10 years of age, his parents
moved to Harrison County, Ohio, where he
grew to manhood. In 1830 he moved to Ful-
284
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
ton County. Illinois, where he lived the remain-
der of his life, and at death was laid to rest on
his own land, the claim he took up when he
first settled in the State. He married a daugh-
ter of Richard Kinsey, and their children who
grew to maturity were as follows : Mrs. Cad-
walader; Jane and Rachel, now deceased;
Sarah Ann, wife of Chalkley Robinson, of Illi-
nois; Daniel, of Illinois; Phcebe, wife of John
Fitzhenry, of the same State; Elizabeth, of
Bellevue, Nebraska; John; and Louisa, wife of
James Graham, of Bellevue, Nebraska.
Mrs. Cadwalader still resides on the farm
to which she came, with her late husband, in
1867. She recalls many of the incidents of
that early period, when the present smiling
farms and sites of cities, in Cherokee County,
were but miles of wilderness, with no promise
of the wealth and comfort which brawny arms
and active minds have brought forth. As the
wife of a pioneer, she passed through the hard-
ships incident to all early settlements. She is
well known throughout the township, and is
held in very high esteem.
EORGE W. CRUICKSHANK, post-
master at Hallowell. Cherokee
County, and the leading general
merchant of the village, was born in
Bunker Hill, Macoupin County. Illinois, July
1, 1864, and is a son of William and Mary
(Hand) Cruickshank.
William Cruickshank was torn in Scotland.
within seven miles of the city of Edinburgh,
fter a long and useful life of 81 years died
ai Bunker Hill, Illinois, in 1897. He migrated
1" America just prior to the outbreak of the
Mexican War, and the services of the sturdy
young Scotchman were gladly accepted by the
recruiting officer at St. Louis, where he had
located in hope of finding work at his trade of
tailor. That city was full of enthusiasm and
excitement, the people taking more thought
concerning military matters than of their every-
day apparel, and Mr. Cruickshank found him-
self not only welcomed into the army ranks but
made one of the escort of Gen. Winfield Scott
himself. He served with bravery all through
the war. and received a pension for his services
until his death. After the close of the Mexi-
can War, he went to Colorado and the results
of his four years of mining /there amounted to
$7,000. With this capital he returned to Illi-
nois and engaged at his trade, which he fol-
loyed as long as health and increasing years
permitted. He married Mary Hand, who was
born not far from Windsor Castle, England,
and died in 1887, at Bunker Hill, Illinois, aged
67 years. They had eight children, the subject
of this sketch being the only son ; five of his
sisters still survive.
Mr. Cruickshank remained at Bunker Hill,
Illinois, until he was 20 years of age, complet-
ing a common-school education in the village
in 1883. He then spent two years on the Un-
ion Pacific Railroad in Colorado, and first came
to Cherokee County in 1885, where he was
engaged for a short time in farming. After
spending two more years in Colorado, he came
to Hallowell, where he was engaged in the
barber business for five years, and subsequently
entered into general merchandising. He was
appointed postmaster by the late President Mc-
Kinley, and has been continued in the office,
being a very staunch supporter of the admin-
istration.
In 1892, Mr. Cruickshank was married to
Florence Fee, who was born in Lewis County,
Missouri, April 5, 1869, and they have four
children, — Maria, Lola, Grace and Earl. Mrs.
Cruickshank is a lady of accomplishments and
education, having been a very successful teacher
prior to her marriage. The family is socially
prominent in the village.
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
285
Politically Mr. Cruickshank, like his late
father, has always heen a strong Republican, —
one of the party workers. Fraternally he is an
Odd Fellow and a Woodman, being active in
both organizations. He is held in very high
esteem in Lola township, both as an honorable
business man, and as a capable official.
UKE HUGHES, one of the oldest set-
tlers of Mineral township, Cherokee
County, is the owner of a fine farm of
160 acres situated in section 9, town-
ship 32, range 24. He was born in 1829 in Ire-
land, and is a son of Michael and Fannie
( Stiles) Hughes.
The parents of Mr. Hughes came with their
children to America in 1848. The mother died
at the age of 52 years, but the father survived
to the age of 90. They had 1 1 children, and
five members of this vigorous family still live,
namely: Luke, Mary, Ann, Jane and Mar-
garet.
The subject of this sketch accompanied his
parents to Pennsylvania, where he soon found
employment in the Whitney iron foundry, and
spent three years there, engaged in the manu-
facture of car wheels. He then went to Wis-
consin and worked at blacksmithing and foun-
dry work for a time, after which he was em-
ployed at his trade in St. Louis for about 10
years. Then he removed to Wyandotte, Kan-
sas, and three years later worked on a new rail-
road then being constructed from Olathe. Here
he was employed until the line was completed,
when he settled on his first farm, — the 160
acres on which his son Michael is located, and
which the latter now owns as a gift from his
father. In 1887 Mr. Hughes traded property
for his present farm of 160 acres, and has re-
sided upon it ever since.
In 1858, Mr. Hughes married Ann Cos-
tello. and they have had 1 1 children, the sur-
vivors of the family being Fannie, Michael,
Daniel, Joseph and Edward. James died De-
cember 31, 1903. Considering the many dis-
advantages under which Mr. Hughes labored
during the earlier years of his children, and the
unsettled state of the country, each received a
good mental training and is well settled in
life.
Few men are better qualified to relate the
occurrences of the pioneer times in Mineral
township than Mr. Hughes. Gifted with an
excellent memory, and having been associated
with so many of the township's early enter-
prises, he can bring to the mind of the visitor
very vivid scenes of the struggles, hardships
and final accomplishments of those who first
occupied these rolling prairies, after the Indian
had been banished farther West.
RED D. NORTHRUP, M. D. The
biographer is privileged to present
here a brief record of the life of one
of Galena's rising young physicians.
In the short period of his residence here, he has
established a reputation which is fast bringing
to him a large and extensive practice. Dr.
Northrup came to Galena in July, 1904, and
purchased the practice of Dr. E. P. Howell,
now of the Kansas City Homeopathic College.
Dr. Northrup was born in New Jersey on
February 8, 1875. He is the only son of Ben-
jamin and Clarissa (Bale) Northrup, who are
also natives of New Jersey. They there mar-
ried and remained until 1879, when they re-
moved to Kansas City, Kansas, where the
father was employed at his trade of milling.
This occupation he has followed ever since with
the exception of a period of two years, during
which he held the office of chief grain inspector
under Governor Stanley. In the family there
286
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
were four children, of whom the subject of this
sketch is the eldest.
Dr. Northrup was carefully trained in the
schools of Kansas City, and graduated from
the Central High School in the class of 1895.
He entered the State University of Kansas, in
1898, from which he took his degree of B. A.
Upon leaving the institution he received an ap-
pointment in the State grain department which
he held for a period of two years, his appoint-
ment being received from Governor Stanley.
Dr. Northrup then concluded that the field of
medicine would be more to his liking, and he
matriculated at the Kansas City Homeopathic
College. He pursued the course there for
about three years, taking the degree of M. D.
in the spring of 1904, and being house physi-
cian the last year. He at once located in Ga-
lena, where, as before stated, he bought the
practice of Dr. Howell.
It is rather early to predict the future ca-
reer of so young a physician, and yet the favor
with which Dr. Northrup has been received,
and the success which has met his efforts thus
far, augur well for his ultimate standing.
OHN R. HEADLEY, an extensive land
owner and prosperous farmer of Cher-
okee County, lives at "Pleasant View
Farm" in Neosho township, where
he has a fine home and pleasant surroundings.
He is one of the sturdy pioneers who came to
this country at an early day, located on prairie
land, and by dint of hard labor converted it
into fertile fields. He has succeeded beyond
the average, and is at the present time a man
of prominence and influence in his community.
Mr. Headley was born in Trumbull County,
Ohio, July 17, 1838, and is a son of Amos and
Experience (Lindley) Headley. His father
lived for a time in Ohio and died in Pennsyl-
vania, while on a visit, at the age of 65 years ;
at that time his home was in Tyler County,
West Virginia. His w r ife died in Greene Coun-
ty, Pennsylvania, in 1S46. They had 12 chil-
dren, — seven sons and five daughters.
John R. Headley was about a year old when
taken by his parents to Greene County, Penn-
sylvania, and nine years later he was taken by
his father to Virginia, where they remained
two years. Returning to Pennsylvania, he
lived there until he was 25 years of age, farm-
ing most of the time and working in a mill for
one year. He then went to LaSalle County,
Illinois, and farmed two years, after which he
sold out and returned to Pennsylvania where
he was married. He later returned to Illinois,
and then went to Iowa, where he lived one
year. He next went to Missouri and rented a
farm located 18 miles from Lexington, which
he cultivated for two years. In the fall of 1867,
he drove a team through to Cherokee County,
Kansas, where he has since lived continuously.
He settled upon a tract of 160 acres, for which
he paid $1,25 per acre. He built a log cabin,
14 by 16 feet, in dimensions, and for 10 years
lived in it with his family. He had a small
mule and pony team, but did not break any
ground until the second season, going to Mis-
souri for his feed. Baxter Springs was the
nearest post office, and Kansas City the nearest
railroad point. In making these trips he often
encountered the Indians, with whom he traded
considerably for many years. He adopted ap-
proved methods of farming and, as his success
became assured, enlarged his home farm to 400
acres, in addition to which he has four 80-acre
tracts in various parts of the township. During
the past five years he has been running a cheese
factory at Melrose, an enterprise that is in a
very flourishing condition.
In 1865, Mr. Headley was united in mar-
riage with Mary Nuss, who was born in Penn-
sylvania, and they became the parents of the
HON. E. B. SCHEEMERHORN
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
289
following children : George, of Neosho town-
ship, Cherokee County ; Perry L. ; Laura (Wars-
tier), of Lyon township, Cherokee County;
Sarah; Alice (Koch) ; James, of Kansas City;
Franklin ; Experience ; Herman ; Bessie ; Gro-
ver C, who died at the age of nine years ; and
Kitty. Politically, the subject of this sketch
has been a Fusion Democrat and Populist, and
has held numerous township offices, having
served as school trustee for nine years. He is
a member of the Modern Woodmen of
America.
ON. E. B. SCHERMERHORN, one
of the leading citizens of Galena,
Kansas, whose portrait is herewith
shown, is president of the Citizens'
Bank, president of the Cornwall Mining Com-
pany, president of the Galena Development
Company, treasurer of the Wyandotte Mining
Company, secretary and treasurer of the John
M. Cooper M. & M. Company, and since 1902
a member of the State Legislature. He was
born in Will County, Illinois.
Mr. Schermerhorn's early educational op-
portunities did not extend beyond the public
schools, but such was his ambition to succeed
and to make as rapid progress as possible, that
for six years after completing the course his
text-books remained his best beloved compan-
ions. He secured a postoffice position at
Greenville, Michigan, after the assassination of
President Lincoln, in which he continued until
January 1, 1866. He then entered a banking
institution with which he remained until 1873,
mastering every detail of this branch of busi-
ness, and accumulating in these years a capital
of $10,000. With this he went to Colorado,
invested in mining properties and lost his
money within two years.
In December, 1875, Mr. Schermerhorn
came to Baxter Springs, Cherokee County,
Kansas, to begin his business climb over again.
Here he accepted a clerical position with John
M. Cooper, the leading merchant, with whom
he later became associated in business. In 1877,
under the firm name of John M. Cooper &
Company, they opened a large mercantile busi-
ness in Galena, to which city Mr. Schermer-
horn removed. With this enterprise he is still
connected. He was and is identified with
many of the successful corporate institutions of
the city and county, and for a number of years
has been president of the Citizens' Bank.
In politics this prominent citizen has al-
ways been a firm supporter of the Republican
party. In 1902 he was elected to the State
Legislature, where his public acts have proved
him as wise a legislator as he is a financier and
private citizen.
Mr. Schermerhorn married Mrs. Abbie
Simpson, a lady who is well fitted to preside
over one of the most elegant and attractive
homes in Galena. It is beautifully situated on
a natural elevation, 65 feet above the street,
and is adorned with the most elaborate of
modern furnishings, a fit theater for many de-
lightful social functions. Mr. Schermerhorn
owns probably more valuable land than any
other citizen of Cherokee County, the greater
part of it being rich in mineral dsposits.
Mr. Schermerhorn is a Knight Templar
and a 32d degree Scottish Rite Mason. He is
also a member of the Ancient Order of United
Workmen, Knights of Pythias and the Elks.
being treasurer of the lodge of the last-named
society. He also has membership in the Com-
mercial Club.
Mr. Schermerhorn has accumulated a large
fortune and he knows how to enjoy it, taking
kindly to the good things of life and giving
generous assistance to those who have been
less fortunate. Both in his business and politi-
ifl
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
cal life, lie has gained the friendship and esteem
of those who adequately represent the highest
idards.
AWRENCE CONKLIN, one of the
most prominent farmers in Pleasant
View township, Cherokee County,
was born in 1832 in Licking County.
Ohio. In the spring of 1858 he. moved to Mis-
souri, and four years later, in the fall, found
him in Pike County of that State, where he fol-
lowed theoccupation of teaching. During the
; ! War he returned to Ohio, where he re-
mained until 1867, when he turned his face
Westward. The journey to the West was made
with horses and wagon, a large drove of sheep
being driven ahead. After a short stop in 111 i-
s, he proceeded to Cherokee County, Kan-
. where he purchased what were then called
"treaty right" lands. This land was bought
1 the Indians, and was located on the old
"Military Road," in section 10. township 32,
range 25. in what is now known as
Pleasant View township. Here the sub-
ject of this sketch opened a general store
and did a thriving business for a while. As one
of the pioneers in this part of the State, he
had the usual varied experiences of a settler
in a new territory.
In 1868, just one year after his arrival in
Kansas, Mr. Conklin married Mary Susan
Roberts, a daughter of the late "Squire" Rob-
erts. This marriage resulted in one child, Mur-
ray K., who was born in Pleasant View town-
ship, where he has always resided. His wife.
now deceased, was Maude Hudson, of the
same township; their children are Inez M. and
Ruth.
John C. Conklin, the father of Lawrence
Conklin, was a native of Dutchess County,
York. He lived to the advanced age of
ears, his death occurring in Ohio in 1894.
His life occupation was that of farming. A
most successful farmer, and a prominent man
of his vicinity, he was also esteemed for his up-
right character and honesty of purpose. In
politics, he was a stanch Republican, and was
very active in working for the party. He was
a justice of the peace for many years. He mar-
ried Sally Cooley, of Xew York State. Her
death occurred in Ohio in 1850, when 40 years
of age. The family consisted of six children,
four of whom are living, namely : Statira,
Lawrence. John and Winfield Scott.
The grandfather. David Conklin, was a na-
tive of New York City. His ancestors, emi-
grating from Holland, were numbered among
the original settlers of the State.
Of Lawrence Conklin as a citizen, no word
of commendation is too strong. He combines
qualities of character which make him most
popular. One of the old guard who helped to
form the Republican party, he followed it until
he felt that it was leaving the teachings of the
fathers, when he became an enthusiastic Popu-
list. He represented the county, as a Republi-
can, in the Legislature, in 1874, serving accep-
tably on several important committees. He has
served as township trustee and member of the
School Board, and was justice of the peace for
16 years.
ENRY R. SADLER. Cherokee Coun-
ty is particularly favored in the solid
character of its agricultural class, in
which is the gentleman above named,
who resides in section 15, Crawford township.
and owns one of the best farms in the county.
Mr. Sadler is a native of England, having been
born in Milford, Derbyshire, in 1S41, and has
been a resident of Cherokee County since June
15, 1869.
The parents of the subject of this sketch
came to America with their family in i8;6,
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
291
and settled in Philadelphia. After two years,
Mr. Sadler concluded to try his fortunes in
the great West, and went to Salem, Henry
I ',< iunty, Iowa, where he lived until his removal
ti 1 Kansas.
The first great event in the life of Mr. Sad-
ler was the Civil War, in which he took an
active and honorable part, bearing the scars of
battle upon his body to this day. He enlisted
in Henry County, Iowa, in September, 1861,
as a private in Company F, 4th Reg.. Iowa Vol.
Caw, Captain Winslow commanding. He saw
service in Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Missis-
sippi, Louisiana and Tennessee, and was mus-
tered out December 12, 1864. He is one of
the survivors of the dreaded Libby Prison,
where he spent some time as the result of cap-
ture during the operations about Vicksburg.
In a sharp skirmish which occurred about 25
miles from Helena, Arkansas, he received five
bullet wounds, and for many weeks was inca-
pacitated for service. With the exception of
his prison life and this hospital experience, he
was in the saddle during the entire period of
his service.
Returning to Henry County in 1866, he
there married Annie E. Smith, a native of
Philadelphia, and in 1869 came to Cherokee
County.
Upon the arrival of Mr. Sadler in Cherokee
County in 1869, he immediately selected the
claim which now constitutes his farm. This
was unbroken prairie and the task of subduing
it has been his life work. How well it has been
done is evidenced by the many improvements
on his farm, all of which are of a substantial
character, the whole tract bearing evidence of
the hand of an expert in agriculture.
Mr. and Mrs. Sadler are the parents of
seven children, as follows : Sidney F., a far-
mer of Crawford township, who is married ;
Lenford S., a farmer of Crawford township,
who is also married; Vinnie (Mrs. M. E.
Cowell), of Crawford township; and Cora,
Clytie, Scott and Winslow, who are children
at home.
Mr. Sadler's political affiliations are with
the Republican party; although not a politician
in any sense of the term, he has never failed
to take an active part in the local contests. In
the trying times of the early "nineties." when
the Reform party was at its best, the need of a
strong ticket caused the leaders of the party
to urge upon him the nomination for county
treasurer. and in the election which followed
he was chosen to that office. He served with
credit during the term of 1891-92. and turned
over the office to his successor in most credit-
able shape.
Fraternally. Mr. Sadler holds membership
in the Grand Army of the Republic. John A.
Dix Post, No. 59.
With a well spent past and no cause for
financial worry in the future, the subject of this
sketch bids fair to spend the remainder of his
days amid the felicitations of his hosts of
friends, who esteem him most highly for his
true worth and merit.
1899.
ANIEL EDWARDS, one of the highly
respected citizens of Ross township,
Cherokee County, Kansas, died on
his well cultivated farm June 19.
He was born in Cumberland County,
England, January 8, 1847, and was a son °f
Daniel and Elizabeth Edwards.
The parents of the late Daniel Edwards
were honest, worthy, industrious people, the
mother coming from an old Cumberland fam-
ily, and the father, from one in Lancaster.
They had six children, namely : Margaret,
Tamer, Daniel, Thomas, Elizabeth and James.
Although the subject of this sketch was a
man of more than usual intelligence and of ex-
292
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
cellent business capacity, he had but limited
educational advantages in his youth, as he
started to work in the coal mines when but a
child of nine years. In 1869 he came to Amer-
ica and worked at various places before coming
to Cherokee County, in 1879, spending some
years at North Lawrence, Stark County, Ohio.
After his marriage he settled in Mineral
township, Cherokee County, and, after be-
ing engaged for a time in mining, bought
80 acres of land in section 36, town-
ship 32, range 23, in Ross township.
He had all the improvements to make
here, as it was wild prairie land when he
settled on it. He did some farming, but coal
soon being found under his land, the develop-
ment of this great commodity rewarded him
letter than agriculture. His knowledge of
mines and mining assured him of much more
than a competency, when he put down what is
now known as the Edwards shaft on his farm,
in 1899. This mine is worked with a force of
from five to 14 men, and its output is very sat-
isfactory. Mr. Edwards was a very hard-
working man, and did not live to see how
really valuable his property was to be.
In 1879, Mr. Edwards married Mary Shaw,
who was born at Stockport, Cheshire, England,
and is a daughter of James and Martha (Gib-
bons) Shaw, with whom she came to America
in June, 1863. They located at North Lawrence,
Stark County, Ohio. Her mother died at Pig-
eon Run, in that county. The father came to
Kansas and spent his last years here. They
had three children, — John, who is a retired en-
gineer at Weir City; Mary (Mrs. Edwards) ;
and Wright, of Massillon, Ohio.
Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs.
Edwards, namely : John Albert, who died in
Ohio; Ida Martha, wife of John McGregor,
who farms the Edwards homestead ; Cora Eliz-
abeth, who died in Ohio; Daniel Wright, who
died in 1898; Nellie Belle, deceased, and Delia
Estelle (twins), of whom the latter became the
wife of William Earl, of Ross township; Wil-
liam Walter, who is mining on the home place;
and James Thomas, who is at home. Mr. Ed-
wards was a member, as is his wife, of the
Methodist Episcopal Church. In politics he fa-
vored the Populist party. Fraternally, he for-
merly belonged to the order of Odd Fellows.
Mr. Edwards was a man of the highest in-
tegrity. He was well known to a large number
of people. In his home he was beloved and re-
spected, being a loyal, loving husband and care-
ful father, whose ambition it was to train up
his children to be good men and women. He
was a man of a great deal of character. He
had earned all his possessions, and valued them
as the result of his industry, but he was always
ready to help those in need, and gave largely to
charity.
ICHAEL HUGHES, one of the
well known citizens and prosperous
farmers of Cherokee County, re-
siding on a finely cultivated and
improved farm of 160 acres in section 8, town-
ship 32, range 24, in Mineral township, was
born April 18, 1863, in St. Clair County, Illi-
nois, and is a son of Luke and Ann (Costello)
Hughes.
Michael Hughes, the paternal grandfather,
for whom the subject of this sketch was named,
was born in Ireland and came in 1848 to Amer-
ica, where both he and his wife subsequently
died. Luke Hughes, was born in Ireland in
1829, and accompanied his parents to America
in 1848. They settled in Pennsylvania, where
Luke Hughes worked in a foundry for three
years, and then moved to Wisconsin, where he
worked in a blacksmith and foundry establish-
ment. He was subsequently employed for about
10 years in the same business at St. Louis. He
removed to Wyandotte, Kansas, in 1868, and
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
several years later began to assist in railroad
construction work, on a line then building.
Thus he continued until he purchased
the farms on which he and his son now
reside. His own farm of 160 acres, lo-
cated in the northeast quarter of sec-
tion 9, township 32, range 24, he bought in
1887. He is a very highly respected citizen,
and one of the oldest settlers in Mineral town-
ship.
In 1857, Luke Hughes married Ann Cos-
tello, who was born in Ireland. They had 1 1
children, the survivors being: Fannie, Michael,
Daniel, Joseph and Edward. James died De-
cember 31, 1903.
Michael Hughes was nine years old when
his parents came to Kansas, and his whole life
since then has been devoted to agricultural pur-
suits. His finely cultivated farm of 160 acres
was given him by a very indulgent father.
This he has improved, and here carries on gen-
eral farming with most satisfactory results.
In 1 89 1 Michael Hughes was married to
Maggie McArdel, and their interesting family
of five children were all born in Mineral town-
ship. They are named as follows : Patrick,
Edward, Phillip, Frances and John. Politically,
Mr. Hughes chooses to vote independently. He
is a member of the Anti-Horse Thief Associa-
tion. Mr. Hughes belongs to one of the old
families of the township, and bears the reputa-
tion of being one of a family of extraordinarily
good farmers, as well as first-class citizens.
EORGE M. FISHER, formerly ac-
tively engaged in business at Colum-
bus, but now retired, is one of the
self-made and substantial men of
Cherokee County, and owns a fine farm of 320
acres in Crawford township. He was born in
Huron County. Ohio, November 12, 1S38, and
is the only son of Benjamin and Jane (Curran)
Fisher, natives of New York and Massachu-
setts, respectively. The parents of Mr. Fisher
died in Ohio in 1889, the mother, in January,
and the father, in October. They had two
daughters, one of whom is deceased, and the
other, Charlotte, is Mrs. Edward Lincoln, of
Sandusky, Ohio.
George M. Fisher received a good, com-
mon-school education. He left home at the
age of 18 years to seek his fortune, not wishing
to learn his father's trade of stone cutting and
bridge contracting. After working for the
American Express Company for a short time
at Richmond, Indiana, he went to Xenia, Ohio,
to work for the same company, and later was
located at Lafayette and Fort Wayne, Indiana.
He spent seven years as express messenger on
the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago Rail-
road. After leaving the express business, he
continued in railroad work, spending four
years with The Pullman Company, and four
years with The Central Transportation Com-
pany, on the sleeping car line, running first
from Crestline, Ohio, to Altoona, Pennsylvania,
and then from Crestline to Chicago: he was
later transferred to the run between New York
and Chicago. Following this service, he be-
came a freight conductor on the Pittsburg, Furl
Wayne & Chicago Railroad and remained with
this company until he went into business at Col-
lins, Ohio. There, with his brother-in-law, he
conducted a general store until 1884. when he
came to Cherokee County, Kansas.
On coming to this county, Mr. Fisher first
engaged in a meat business at Columbus, which
he sold when he was employed by Special Dis-
bursing Agent A. T. Lea, of Columbus, to as-
sist in enumerating all the Indians concerned in
the listing of the land sales of 1888-89, in Da-
kota. The list included 20,578 Indians, and
Mr. Fisher inscribed all the names in both the
English and Indian languages, — a task that re-
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUIs
quired for its completion a period of t
and inths. Mr. Fisher returned to Co-
lumbus when the work was accomplished, in
January, 1892.
Mr. Fisher was married at Galion, Craw-
ford Count}-. Ohio, to Jennie Neff, who was
born at Bucyrus, but reared at Galion. She is
a daughter of Henry and Isabelle (Bucking-
ham) Neff. Her father was born in Pennsyl-
vania, and died in Ohio, in 1884. and her
mother was born in Maryland, and died in
[882. Mrs. Fisher was one of eight children
and is the only survivor, except a brother,
James L. Xeff, who is now one of the best paid
and most efficient engineers on the Cleveland,
Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railway, with
which he has been connected for 35 years, his
home being at Galion, Ohio. James L. Xeff
enlisted in the Civil War at the age of 19 and
served through the whole struggle.
Mr. and Mrs. Fisher have three daughters
and two sons, namely: Carrie, Benjamin H.,
Georgia, Frederick and Kathryn. Carrie, who
resides in Kansas City, Missouri, with her two
children, Georgia and Louise, is the widow of
Sherry \Y. Marshall, who was receiving teller
of the National Bank of Commerce of Kansas
City, Missouri, at the time he was accidentally
killed by the cars, on December 8, 1901, at La
Cygne, Kansas. Benjamin H. Fisher, who is
a graduate dentist, has lived during recent
years in Portland, Oregon, but is now with a
party en route to Alaska on a prospecting tour.
Georgia married Asa Lea, and has one child, —
Sherry E. ;they reside in Kansas City, Missouri,
where Mr. Lea is manager of the Ancient Or-
der of Pyramids, of that city. Frederick, who
was a member of an Oregon battery in the
Spanish-American War, lives in Columbus,
Kansas, where he is a machinist and general
mechanic. Kathryn lives at home with her
nts. Mr-. Fisher is a member of the Pres-
byterian Church, to which Mr. Fisher gives a
liberal support. Politically, he is a Republican,
while his social connection is with the Order
of the Triple Tie. at Columbus, of which his.
wife is also a member.
ARON LYERLA. a former well
known farmer of Cherokee County,
whose farm was in sections 9 and 16,
Shawnee township, died April 3.
1892. He was born in Union County, Illinois.
February 28, 1850. and was a son of Solomon
and Delilah (Williams) Lyerla. The Lyerla
family were among the pioneer settlers in Illi-
nois, having moved to that State from North
Carolina at an early day. Aaron Lyerla's
grandfather moved to Jackson County, Illinois,
form the Old North State, bringing all he had
in a two- wheel ox cart.
Solomon Lyerla was born in Jackson Coun-
ty, Illinois, and remained on the home farm until
about the time of his marriage, when he entered
a tract of land and engaged in farming. He
continued adding to his property, which was
situated in Union County, until he became an
extensive land owner for those clays. This
property he sold about the year 1859. and
bought a 360-acre farm in Montgomery Coun-
ty. Illinois, where he lived until his death. He
was a justice of the peace for many years, in
Union and Montgomery counties. He was
married twice, and 11 children were bom to
his union with Delilah Williams, his second
wife. Of these, the following grew to matur-
ity: Jacob, a resident of Montgomery County.
Illinois; Calvin; William R.. who is engaged
in farming in Shawnee township. Cherokee
County ; Richard, of Montgomery County. Illi-
nois; Mary Jane, wife of P. W. Plyler. of
Montgomery County; Sarah Ann, deceased,
who was the wife of Frank Sellers; Margaret
E.. wife of William Redmond, of Montgomery
AXD REPRESENTATIVE CITIZE]
of Jai ksi m County, Illinois;
and Aaron. The parents of the subject of this
sketch were members of the Christian Church.
Aaron Lyerla spent the first nine years of
his life on his father's farm in Union County.
Illinois, and then moved with the family to the
Montgomery County farm, where he grew to
manhood, becoming familiar with all kinds of
farm work. There he remained, following the
occupation of farming, until 1883. when he
moved to Kansas, and located on a 160-acre
tract which he had purchased. Four years
afterward he returned to Illinois, and managed
his mother's farm until the time of his death.
A stanch Democrat, Mr. Lyerla always
voted the ticket as set forth by that party, yet
did not take a prominent part in political affairs.
Fraternally, he affiliated with the Masons, hav-
ing become a member of that order in his native
State. He was a consistent member of the
Christian Church, in which he was a faithful
worker.
In 1872 Mr. Lyerla was married to Sarah
Catherine Sellers, a daughter of Samuel Sellers,
of Montgomery County, Illinois. Four chil-
dren were born to this union, all of whom are
living. They are as follows : Adah Heletha
(Mrs. Fay Stone), of Villa Ridge, Illinois ; Eva
Delilah (Mrs. Earl Bray), of Joplin, Mis-
souri; Elsie Addie Euphemia (Mrs. Arthur
Gibson), now living at Messer, Kansas; and
Walter S., living on the old home place. Mrs.
Lyerla's father was born and reared near Day-
ton, Ohio. Although much of his time was
spent in doing farm work, he was a carpenter
by trade, and at intervals followed that occu-
pation. Although not a politician, he took some
interest in politics, always voting the Demo-
cratic ticket. He married Ruth Isaruah
Moniah Isabelle Buchanan Beck, a daugh-
ter of John Beck. Of the seven children
born to them, six are now living, name-
ly : Sarah Catherine, widow of the sub-
ject of this sketch; Euphemia Alice (1
William R. Lyerla), of Shawnee town
Cherokee County; Andrew Preston, of Deca-
tur, Illinois; Melvin Powell, living at Grand
Junction, Colorado; Amasa Erastus, of Illi-
nois; and Samuel Wesley, of Grand Junction.
Colorado. Mrs. Sellers was a member of the
Christian Chuch. Her death occurred during
the Civil War, in 1864. The father is still liv-
ing, hale and hearty, at the age of 77 years.
His home is in Coffeen, Montgomery County,
Illinois.
Mrs. Lyerla resides on the 160 acres origin-
ally purchased by her husband on his arrival
in Kansas. It is good, rich farm land, much of
it under cultivation, and with the assistance
and good management of her son, Walter S..
who lives on the farm, it brings forth all the
products of the average farm. As is the cus-
tom of large land holders in this part of the
country, a part of the farm is rented out.
L. F. WILLIAMS, county attorney of
Cherokee County, was born at Ap-
pleton City, St. Clair County, Mis-
souri, in 1876, and is a son of L. A.
and Jennie (Wylie) Williams.
The father of Mr. Williams, who was de-
scended from Irish and Welsh ancestors, was
born in Illinois, and reared near Cairo. He re-
moved to Missouri where he married, and fin-
ally located in Columbus, Kansas, where he was
engaged in the grocery business with his son-
in-law, C. W. Van Zandt. He continued thus
until about two years prior to his death, in May.
1901, at the age of 52 years. His wife still
survives, and is a resident of Columbus. She
has one daughter, Mrs. Edith Van Zandt, who
is a singer of note, and has taught and studied
music extensively. Mrs. Wan Zandt has had
the advantages of being a pupil of Madam
Clagett, wlur studied under Patti.
296
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
When our subject was a child, his parents
located at Lamar, Missouri, and there he grad-
uated from the high school and subsequently
taught a term of school in Barton County.
Then he went into the newspaper business at
Mountain Grove, Missouri, where in 1894, he
conducted a paper for seven months. He re-
turned to Lamar in 1895, and was on the edi-
torial staff of the Barton County Republican
for 12 months. He also spent some months in
the law office of Thurman & Wray at Lamar,
and later was in the office of C. D. Ashley, of
Columbus, Kansas. On October 10, 1896, he
located at Columbus, and was admitted to prac-
tice in 1897, in which year he was employed
in the offices of the county clerk and county
treasurer.
On May 2, 1898, Mr. Williams enlisted for
the Spanish-American War as 1st lieutenant
of Company F, 22nd Reg., Kansas Inf., U. S.
Vols., and accompanied the regiment to Topeka
and to Leavenworth, and to Camp Alger, Vir-
ginia. He crossed the mountains into Penn-
sylvania, returning six months later as regi-
mental quartermaster on the staff of Col. H.
C. Lindsay, of Topeka. He then began his
law practice at Columbus, and in April, 1899.
was elected city attorney, on the Republican
ticket. He was reelected in the spring of 1900.
Soon afterward he formed a law partnership
with C. A. McNeill, under the firm name of
McNeill & Williams, which continued until he
became county attorney of Cherokee County.
To this office he was elected on the Republican
ticket in November, T902, by a majority of 252,
indicating a change of more than a thousand
vi >tes, as compared with previous elections.
1 Ie is without doubt the youngest prosecuting
attorney in the State, and his county furnishes
more criminal litigation than any other in the
Suite, with the possible exception of two. In
July. 1902, "Mr. Williams ripened a branch
office at Weir City, which is now really his
home.
In addition to his successful practice of the
law, Mr. Williams has shown unusual business
ability and is one of the leading spirits in a
prosperous enterprise which has its headquar-
ters in Columbus. This is the Western Cigar
& Tobacco Company of Columbus, incorpo-
rated December 19, 1902, by C. A. McNeill,
Al. F. Williams and W. W. Bowers, with a
capital of $2,000. In January, 1904. the busi-
ness was reincorporated with a capital of
$5,000. While the controlling interest is held
by Mr. McNeill and Mr. Williams, there are
now about 40 stockholders, and its board of
officers is as follows : C. A. McNeill, president ;
Dr. C. S. Huffman, vice-president; Al. F. Wil-
liams, secretary and treasurer; and W. W.
Bowers, general manager. The traveling rep-
resentative is W. M. Frogue, who covers
Southeastern Kansas, Oklahoma and a part of
Missouri. The company employs 40 people
and turns out 125,000 cigars monthly, the lead-
ing brands being the "Hoo-hoo," a five-cent
cigar, and the "American Dignitaries," a 10-
cent cigar. The success of this business has
been almost phenomenal, and reflects the great-
est credit upon the foresight, energy and ability
of its founders. Fraternally, Mr. Williams
belongs to the Grand Lodge of Kansas Knights
of Pythias, the Odd Fellows. Elks, Eagles and
Woodmen of the World. Religiously, he fa-
vors the Methodist Episcopal Church.
HARLES H. BETTY, one of the later
settlers of Cherokee County, lives on
a farm of 160 acres, in section 19,
Shawnee township. He is a native
of Montgomery County, Illinois, where he was
born June 11, 1859. His parents were Isaac
and Louisa (Allen) Betty, both natives of
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
297
Smith County, Tennessee, where both grew to
maturity and were married.
Isaac Betty lived at home until his marriage,
when he rented a farm and engaged in farming
for himself for several years as a renter. In
1849 he removed to Montgomery County, Illi-
nois, and there remained until his death, which
occurred in 1891, at the age of 72. Before his
removal from Tennessee, he enlisted in the
army for the Mexican War, and served faith-
fully to the end, participating in many skir-
mishes and in the battle of Buena Vista. He
married Louisa Allen, a daughter of Archibald
Allen, of Tennessee, and granddaughter of Ar-
chibald Allen, a soldier of the War of 1812,
who participated in the battle of New Orleans.
They had eight children, seven of whom are
living, namely: Caroline, wife of Thomas
Gray, of Montgomery County, Illinois; Fran-
cis, who is married and lives in Shawnee town-
ship, Cherokee County ; Robert, of Oklahoma ;
William, who lives near Spokane Falls, Wash-
ington; Alonzo. of Illinois; Charles H. ; and
Amanda, who lives with our subject.
Charles H. Betty received such schooling
as the schools of his native county afforded.
He remained at home until the age of 2J, occu-
pying himself with the labors of the farm. In
1887 he came to Kansas, and purchased the
farm of 160 acres where he now resides. Four
years after taking up his residence in Kansas,
he married Mary Atkinson, who was born in
Columbus, Cherokee County, and is a daughter
of J. C. Atkinson. The children of Mr. and
Mrs. Betty are : Russell C, born July 2, 1893 ;
Irven, born February 17, 1895; Mirten, born
December 9, 1896; Alonzo J., born January
25, 1898; Willis R., born September 6, 1899;
Jesse N., born October 22, 1900; and Wilbert
D.. born May 26, 1903.
Mrs. Betty's father, J. C. Atkinson, was
born in Indiana in 1836, and came to Kansas
when very young, being numbered among the
State's early settlers. A farmer all his life,
he acquired enough of a competency to retire
from active work in later years. His wife
was a widow, whose maiden name was
Sarah Caldwell. The only child of her
first marriage was Eva (Mrs. Emanuel
Jenkins), of the Indian Territory. To the
marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Atkinson
seven children were born, five of whom are
living, as follows: Flora (Mrs. Young), of
Hillside, Indian Territory; Ada, wife of Joseph
Hampstan, of Shawnee township, Cherokee
County; Fannie, wife of William Mantonia of
Crestline, Cherokee County; Mary, wife of our
subject ; and Marena, wife of William Adams,
of Ralston, Oklahoma.
Mr. Atkinson was a member of the Society
of Friends, as is also his daughter. The Atkin-
son family is of English descent, the great-
grandfather having migrated from England to
America. The grandfather was Robert Atkin-
son, a native of Indiana. Mrs. Atkinson, the
mother of Mrs. Betty, died September 25, 188 1.
Mr. Betty has a fine farm for gardening
purposes, and raises large quantities of garden
produce. Of the small grains, corn is his prin-
cipal crop, most of which he feeds to the stock-
raised on the farm. Our subject prides him-
self on the fine melons he raises, large numbers
of which are placed on the market each year.
Several times, at the Old Settlers' Reunions, he
has exhibited his produce in competition for the
prizes offered, and the size and good quality
of his exhibit have won the prize each time.
Mr. Betty, though not taking an active in-
terest in politics, always votes a straight Repub-
lican ticket, and at all times stands for the prin-
ciples of his party. The family is well and
favorably known in the locality and are held
in the highest respect and esteem by all who
know them.
COUNTY
ll^ral
LKER, juni.
] er of tl firm of Skidmore &
Walker, of Columbus, \\ June
22, [873, in Cherokee County, Kan-
and is a son of Arcenith F. and Lucinda
A. (Le Grand) Walker.
Arcenith F. Walker and his wife were
reared in Illinois, the father in Bond County,
and the mother in St. Clair County, and they
came to Neosho township, Cherokee County.
Kansas, in 1867. Mr. Walker has followed
farming and stock-raising ever since. Of their
nine children, seven still survive, namely: John,
a stonecutter by trade, who is married and re-
sides on his farm in Lyon township; Edward,
also married, who lives on his farm in Lola
township; William, who also has a family, and
lives on his farm in Lyon township; Stephen
L., about whom we write; Daniel A., who is
a dentist in the town of McCune, Crawford
County, Kansas; Frederick A., who is an attor-
ney at Weir City; and Walter, who is a high
school student. Jennie married S. D. New-
ton, and was accidentally killed in 1896, at the
age of 28 years, leaving a family of four little
children. Myrtle died at the age of 18 months.
Mr. Walker was reared in Cherokee Coun-
ty, and is a product of her public schools. From
the Columbus High School he went to the Kan-
sas Normal College at Fort Scott, and then
took up teaching as a profession. This he fol-
lowed for eight years through Cherokee Coun-
ty, in the meantime preparing for the serious
study of the law. After two years spent with
C. D. Ashley, a prominent attorney of Colum-
bus, he was admitted to the bar on September
25. 1900. and practiced alone until January.
1903, when he formed his present partnership
with Judge A. H. Skidmore. He is considered
one of the most promising f the younger mem-
bers of the bar, and his past success may be
taken as an indication of his future. Lis quick-
ness an I al ed to Judge Skidmore's
learning' and! experience make a combination
of exceeding strength, and the firm handles a
large part of the important legal business of
this section.
During the late Spanish-American War.
Mr. Walker enlisted in Company F, 22nd Reg.,
Kansas Infantry, L T . S. Volunteers, and re-
mained six months in the service, being sta-
tioned at Camp Alger and other points in the
East, with the rank of sergeant.
Mr. Walker's family consists of a wife and
son, the latter a bright lad bearing the name of
Maurice Andrew. Mrs. Walker was formerly
Minnie Mayhew. whose mother, Mrs. Sarah
Mayhew, resides in Columbus. The Mayhew
family came to Cherokee County in 1880, and
here Mrs. Walker was a successful teacher for
about nine years. She is a member of the
Methodist Episcopal Church.
Politically, Mr. Walker is a Republican.
Like his father, who is a veteran of the Civil
War, he is patriotically devoted to his country
while at the same time he is fully awake to the
needs and the opportunities of his county and
city. Possessing a winning address and ster-
ling traits of character, many are found to pre-
dict a bright future for this able young at-
torney.
E WITT C. SEIBERT, deceased, was
one of the early settlers of Cherokee
County, and for many years was
identified with its important affairs.
He was born in Washington County, Mary-
land, July 11, 1846, and died in Cherokee
County, February 10, 1902. His parents were
Henry and Elizabeth (Martin) Seibert.
Henry Seibert was ' born November _;<>.
1815, in Washington County. Maryland, and
died July 26, 1871, in Carroll County, Indiana.
His wife, Elizabeth Martin, was born April
7, 1822, in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, and
AND REPRESENTATIVE i
died October 26, 1867. The Seiberts haw all
I ecu Democrats in politics, and Presbyterians
in religion, and both they and the Martins were
prominent men and women in their day. Wil-
liam Martin, a brother of the late Mr. Seibert's
mother, as one of the responsible men of his
locality, was selected as one of the jury called
in the case of John Brown, the agitator. Mr.
Martin still survives and lives at Harper*s
Ferry, being an old man now. The late Mr.
Seibert was one of a family of eight children,
viz : Mrs. Catherine Mullendore, who died at
Dodge City, Kansas ; Mrs. Rachel Barnes, who
died at Delphi, Indiana ; Mrs. Susan E. Barnes,
of Danville, Illinois ; De Witt C. ; Emma, who
died in Illinois: David, who died on his farm
in Indiana ; Abram, who died in Indiana ; and
Lewis, who died in boyhood.
The late Mr. Seibert removed with his par-
ents to Carroll County, Indiana, when five years
of age, and remained there until the fall of
1876, when he came to Cherokee County, and
settled on a farm about four miles from Co-
lumbus, in Crawford township. Here he pros-
pered, and the farm is still owned by his widow,
who leases and oversees it personally. In De-
cember, 1901, he removed to Columbus, but
enjoyed his pleasant home there but a short
time, his death occurring in the following Feb-
ruary. He was active in politics, and fre-
quently served in township offices. He joined
the organization of Odd Fellows while a resi-
dent of Indiana.
On February 8. 1870, in Indiana, Mr. Sei-
bert was married to Belle F. Wharton, who was
born September 17, 1852, in Carroll County,
Indiana, and is a daughter of John and Ann A.
(Montgomery) Wharton. John Wharton was
born July 12, 1812. in what was then Mifflin,
but is now included in Juniata County, Penn-
sylvania, of Scotch-Irish parentage. At the
time of his death he had been a ruling elder of
the Rock Creek Presbyterian Church for over
50 years, having joined this , ; body in
1832. On February 2, 1866, Mr. Whai
was initiated into Rockfield Lodge, I. O. O. F.,
No. 301, and as long as he lived he took an
active part in the workings of the order. On
March jt,. 1837, Mr. Wharton married Ann A.
Montgomery, who was born at Lewistown,
Mifflin County. Pennsylvania, February 23.
1819, and died at Logansport. Cass Count v.
Indiana, July 29, 1901. Her parents came to
America from County Tyrone, Ireland, accom-
panying their parents to Mifflin County, Penn-
sylvania, where they settled down to farming
in the fertile Tuscarora Valley. Great-grand-
father Wharton served seven years in the Rev-
olutionary War, and was taken prisoner by the
Indians. Mr. Wharton survived until June 6,
1900, dying on his farm in Carroll Count}-.
Indiana, after a residence there of 62 years.
In early life a Whig, he later adopted the prin-
ciples of the Republican party.
Mrs. Seibert was the youngest of seven
children who arrived at maturity, namely : Wil-
liam W., a farmer near Logansport, Indiana,
and a veteran of the Civil War; Mrs. Lizzie J.
Anderson, who died at Mattox, Virginia, in
June, 1899; James, a very successful farmer
near Bringhurst, Indiana, who was 1st lieuten-
ant of Company A, 9th Reg. Indiana Vol. Int..
and served through four years of the Civil
War; S. Edward, also a veteran of the Civil
War, who is now engaged in the grocery busi-
ness in Chicago; Mrs. Mattie Jordan, who re-
sides at Lake Cicott. Indiana; Robert,
who is in the employ of the Chicago
& Alton Railway Company at Bloom-
ington, Illinois; and Mrs. Seibert. The
last named was reared and educated in
Indiana and there met and married the hue
De Witt C. Seibert. They had three children,
namely: Leila, Lewis and Harry. Leila,
who is now the wife of Dr. I'. R. Sayer,
a prominent dentist of Columbus, was
3°°
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
born December 5. 1870, in Carroll Count}-,
Indiana. Lewis, who was also born in Car-
roll County, March 17. 1874, is interested in
farming in Cherokee County; he was married
on .March 19, 1899, to May Overholser, and
has one son, — Clinton. Harry, who was born
in Cherokee County, February 2, 1877, ' s en ~
gaged with S. \V. Hough, in the undertaking
business at Columbus, and on December 28,
1898, was married to Margaret Gaither.
As before stated, Mrs. Seibert finds pleas-
ure and occupation in personally overseeing the
homestead farm of 160 acres, and she also owns
the handsome family home in Columbus. She
has been a member of, and an active worker in,
the Presbyterian Church since her childhood.
About the time of his marriage, Mr. Seibert
became a member of the same denomination,
and from 1877 until his death he served as an
elder in the Columbus Presbyterian Church.
He was a man of upright life and Christian
spirit. He commanded the respect of all who
knew him, and his death was a distinct loss to
Cherokee County.
A. LaRUE, cashier of the First Na-
tional Bank of Columbus, the oldest
financial institution in Cherokee
County, was born in 1868 in Ben-
ton County, Iowa, and is a son of T. P. LaRue,
the well known capitalist of this section.
Mr. LaRue was a pupil in the public schools
of Iowa, and was 18 years of age when he came
to Cherokee County, Kansas. Two years later
he entered the banking institution of which his
father was president, and in 1891 was made
cashier. This bank was founded in 1882 by
I 'wight & Schott; it passed into the hands of
Jarvis, Conklin & Company and was then
bought by T. A. LaRue in the fall of 1887.
The change in name was accomplished in 1902.
Its capitalization is $50,000, and its undivided
profits are about $5,000. Its officers are: T.
P. LaRue, president; Isaac Wright, vice-presi-
dent; H. A. LaRue, cashier; and A. M. Albin.
assistant cashier. Mr. LaRue's time is devoted
to the business of the bank, and to looking after
his extensive real estate investments.
Mr. LaRue married Ella H. Hughes, who
came to Kansas in 1880 with her parents. Her
father is deceased, but her mother resides in
Columbus. Mr. and Mrs. LaRue have one
son, Robert H., who was bom in Columbus.
Mrs. LaRue is a member of the Methodist
Episcopal Church.
Politically, Mr. LaRue is identified with
the Republican party. At present he is serving
as treasurer of the Columbns Board of Educa-
tion. His fraternal associations include the
Masonic Blue Lodge and Royal Arch Chapter
at Columbus; and the Knights of Pythias.
Modern Woodmen of America and the Ancient
Order of United Workmen, all of Columbus.
OMMODORE F. COOL, one of the
substantial citizens of Columbus, a
member of the Logan Abstract &
Loan Company of this city, was
born in McLean County, Illinois, and is a son
of H. and Esther (Haner) Cool.
The father of Mr. Cool was born in West
Virginia and moved in 1856 to Illinois, where
he followed farming until 1870. Then he
moved to Cherokee County, Kansas, and se-
cured a farm in Lyon township. He died in
the fall of 1896. He had served as justice of
the peace and on school boards, and had been
active in political affairs. The mother of Mr.
Cool was born in Illinois, and died in Cherokee
County, Kansas, in 18S4. The children, be-
sides the subject of this sketch, are, — J. W., a
farmer in Lyon township, Cherokee County ;
Mrs. R. D. Oliver, of Webb City, Missouri;
Mrs. Tom Murphy, of Meade County, Kansas;
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
?oi
J. E., of Salida, Colorado; and Clarence, of
San Francisco, California.
Commodore F. Cool remained at home until
he attained his majority. His early life, from
the age of seven years until that of 22, was
mainly devoted to maintaining himself and lay-
ing a foundation for a very liberal education.
At the age of 22 years he attended the Quaker
Academy for a month, and was a pupil later
at Fort Scott, teaching in the meantime, and
thus providing himself with funds, so that in
1889 he was graduated with the degrees of B.
A., and B. O., at the Kansas State Normal
School at Fort Scott, and in 1893 at Emporia
he secured a life certificate. The accomplish-
ment of this desire meant a great deal, for it
was secured entirely through his own unas-
sisted efforts, and indicated a perseverance and
concentration which will be winning factors
through his later life in the business world. He
continued in the educational field, serving as
principal of the Humboldt High School, then
as superintendent of the Scammon schools and
then from 1897 to 1901, as county superin-
tendent of schools. In the fall of the latter
year he resigned the position to become a
teacher of elocution, oratory and English in
the Cherokee County High School. In June,
1903, Mr. Cool entered into partnership with
J. Wilbur Logan, forming the Logan Abstract
& Loan Company, an enterprise which is a lead-
ing business institution of the city.
Mr. Cool married Catherine Vincent, who
for 12 years previously had been a teacher in
the Columbus schools. They have three chil-
dren, — Christine, Victor Vincent and Court-
ney Franklin.
The parents of Mrs. Cool, David and
Rachel Vincent, were early settlers at Colum-
bus, where Mr. Vincent conducted a hotel and
restaurant for a number of years. His death
occurred some years since, but Mrs. Vincent
still survives and is a member of Mr. Cool's
family.
Mr. Cool has been identified with educa-
tional matters ever since he has resided in Co-
lumbus. He was president of the board of
trustees of the Cherokee County high school,
and had much to do with securing its location
and getting it into operation. Formerly he was
a Republican, but is now a Populist, having
been elected county superintendent on the Fu-
sion ticket. Since the age of 17 years, he has
been a member of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, and is an active worker in the church,
Sunday-school, and Junior League, of which
he is now superintendent.
J. SLEASE, who has been engaged in
mercantile pursuits at Columbus
since 1886, and is now one of its
leading citizens, was born in Arm-
strong County, Pennsylvania, in 1858, and is
a son of Jacob and Mary (Baker nee Lucas)
Slease.
Jacob Slease was a farmer all his life and
owned a fine property in Pennsylvania, where
his death occurred in 1898, at the age of 70
years, after two visits made to Cherokee Coun-
ty, Kansas. In politics, he was an old-line
Democrat. The mother died on the home farm
in 1895. They reared six children to maturity,
namely : John and Harvey, farmers in Penn-
sylvania; L. J., our subject; George M., who,
with Harvey, owns the old homestead ; and
Emma Jane, who lives on the old homestead
with her brothers.
Mr. Slease was 21 years of age when he
came to Cherokee County, in 1879, after com-
pleting a good, common-school education and
teaching about three years. After coming to
this section, he taught school three years near
\02
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
Weir City. I it removed llien to Columbus and
accepted a clerkship in the Branin Brothers'
1 kstore, where he remained for three years.
until the building- was burned. He then en-
tered into partnership with W. J. Branin, and
about five years was engaged in book sell-
ing, in tlie front of the post office, moving as the
post office was moved. He then sold his in-
terest, to engage in his present successful en-
terprise.
Mr. Slease is proprietor of the "Fair" which
he opened up in what was known as the Branin
Building, where he continued two years. Then
he removed to the Scammon Building, on the
easl side of the square. In April, 1896, he
1) oved to the Opera House Building, in which
he is interested as a stockholder. This is one
le finest locations in the city. Here the bus-
iness has been developed into a dry goods,
ling, boot, shoe and notion emporium. Mr.
Slease carrying a very heavy stock which is
accommodated in a building 110 feet deep by
40 feet in width, modernly equipped. The
services of four courteous ladies and the same
number of gentlemen, on opposite sides of the
building, are required, in addition to the assist-
ance rendered by Mr. and Mrs. Slease and their
son, Charles M. They have devoted close at-
tention to the upbuilding of this enterprise for
the past 12 years, and have met with gratifying-
success. Mr. Slease is one of the city's capi-
talists ; he is one of the heaviest stockholders in
the Columbus Vitrified Brick & Tile Company,
and is also interested in the Cherokee County
Lumber Company, both successful organi-
zations.
Mr. Slease was married in Platte City, Mis-
souri, to Maggie Slease, who was born in Penn-
sylvania, and who had been prior to her mar-
riage a successful teacher in Northern Kansas.
They have two intelligent, capable children, —
Charles M. and Helen Mary. The former is
bis father's bookkeeper and cashier. He at-
tended school at Columbus, beginning at the
;ix years, and never missing a day until
he graduated at the County High School in
1902. This perseverance and attention to duty
have accompanied him into business life, and he
is laying the foundation for a future prosperous
career. The daughter is a student in the Coun-
ty High School, and although but 16 years of
age is already a valued instructor in instrumen-
tal music. She has been the organist for the
Methodist Episcopal Sunday-school for some
years, and is the assistant church organist. Her
talents promise to bring her into prominence in
the musical world. The finely improved home
of the Slease family is situated in the northern
portion of Columbus, and is one of the most
valuable residence properties in the city.
Politically. Mr. Slease is a Democrat. In
1 901 he was elected mayor of the city, on the
Citizens' ticket, and served from 1901 to 1903.
His fraternal relations are with the Camp of the
Modern Woodmen of America, at Columbus.
The family belong to the Methodist Episcopal
Church.
OL. W. S. NORTON, who for the
past five years has been a valued cit-
izen of Columbus, is one of Chero-
kee County's most prominent and
wealthy residents, a large mine and land owner,
a political leader and a sociable, whole-souled
gentleman. He was born in July. 1845, at
Paris, Illinois, and is a son of Amos and Eliza-
beth (Frasier) Norton.
Amos Norton was born in 1826 in Cincin-
nati, Ohio, and was a nephew of "Little Ben"
Norton, the noted territorial Senator from
Ohio, who was also the first Senator elected
from that commonwealth when it became a
State. In 1854 Amos Norton visited Kansas
but did not locate here, settling at Buffalo. Mis-
souri. In 1855 he purchased land south of
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
303
Buffalo, in Dallas County, Missouri, and was
engaged in farming and stock-raising until the
1 outbreak of the Civil War. He enlisted as
quartermaster of the 14th Regiment, Missouri
State Militia, and was captured and killed by
Turner's band of guerrillas, on April 2. 1863.
His widow, who was a daughter of William
Frasier, of Kentucky, died at the home of the
subject of this sketch in Columbus, in 1901,
in advanced age. Of their three sons, only
Colonel Norton ever became prominent in this
section.
The adventurous and interesting career of
Colonel Norton dates from liis 15th year,
when he left his home at Buffalo (where his
father had located, bringing the family from
Edgar County, Illinois, when our subject was
nine years old) and enlisted in the Missouri
State Guards. This took place May 4, 1861,
and for 10 months he served in Company A of
this organization and then for 90 days, in the
Home Guards, and later, in the 8th Regiment,
Missouri Vol. Cav., from which he was honor-
ably discharged in September, 1865, with a
commission. The close of the war found him,
like many others, in doubt as to his future, dif-
ferent localities presenting their claims, but
many having serious drawbacks attached. Thus
his venture into Old Mexico only resulted in
a breakdown of health, and January, 1866,
found him back at work on the home farm. In
the following summer he first came to Chero-
kee County, Kansas, a section in which he is
now so well known and so highly valued.
At this time, on account of a heavy fire
loss. Colonel Norton was some thousands of
dollars in debt ; all his obligations have long
since been discharged, dollar for dollar. He
located one and a half miles west of the present
site of Galena on government land which had
been transferred to James F. Joy, the pro-
moter and builder of the Kansas City, Fort
Scott & Gulf Railroad. Settlers who had lo-
cated were exempt and could keep their lands.
Colonel Norton purchased from the heirs of
John Ross. In three years he broke out and
seeded a portion of the tract, made improve-
ments, secured the location of a post office at
the crossroads town of Checo, served as its
first postmaster and then sold out to Rev. Mr.
Stephens, whose son is now a business man of
Galena. Mr. Stephens succeeded as postmas-
ter, and served as such until the organization
of the town of Galena.
In 1869 Colonel Norton began school teach-
ing near Carthage, Missouri, and lived there
until February, 1871, engaging also in freight-
ing between Granby and Sedalia. He then
settled in Joplin, where he began his mercantile
career and his mining operations. His earlier
mining ventures were in lead and zinc, but his
present operations are confined mainly to coal
mining and are extensive and successful. He
owns over 2,000 acres of land in Cherokee
County, 600 of which are included in two
stock ranches, one located south of Lowell, and
the other, northwest of Columbus, the rest of
the property being coal and farming land.
For 15 years he had given his attention closely
to his coal and mercantile enterprises, but in
the fall of 1903 he closed out the latter, which
had been conducted at Scammon.
Colonel Norton is a lawyer by profession,
and was in active practice from 1881 to 1900.
having been admitted to the bars of Missouri,
Arkansas and Kansas. It is not remarkable that
a man so identified with such large business in-
terests, should be also prominent politically. He
was reared in the traditions of the Democratic
party, but has long been affiliated with the Re-
publican party, and served as State Senator
from Cherokee County, from 1S88 to 1892. He
served for six years as mayor of Baxter
Springs, and has been a leading factor in almosl
all of the public affairs of this section for the
past 30 years.
304
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
On April n, 1883, Colonel Norton was
married to Mary A. Stall, who was probably
the first female infant born at Fort Leaven-
worth, Kansas, her father being a lieutenant
of United States Dragoons, who subsequently
met death from wounds, during the Civil War,
at Andersonville Prison. Mrs. Stall died in
California. Colonel and Mrs. Norton have two
children, — Maude, who is yet a student at col-
lege, and Claude, who is a student in the Mis-
souri Military Academy, at Mexico, Missouri.
Mrs. Norton and her daughter are members
of the Presbyterian Church. The Colonel has
liberal views, but they never take him very tar
from orthodoxy.
His social and fraternal associations are
with the Columbus G. A. R. Post, in which he
has filled chairs at Baxter and Galena, and with
the Masonic Blue Lodge and Royal Arch Chap-
ter of Columbus.
R. SAYER, D. D. S., secretary and
treasurer of the Saytr & Puttkamer
Mining Company, of Cherokee
County, and one of the leading den-
tal practitioners of Columbus, was born in 1872
near Des Moines, Iowa, and is a son of G. W.
and Margaret (Malone) Sayer.
The parents of Dr. Sayer moved from Iowa
to Kansas in 1876 and settled near Manhattan,
where they were engaged in farming until the
spring of 1889, when they came to Cherokee
County, and now reside in the vicinity of Crest-
line. They had the 'following children : P. R. ;
William and Roy, of Cherokee County; T. V.,
formerly a dental practitioner, but now inter-
ested in mining ; and Charles.
P. R. Sayer was reared in Kansas and was
a pupil in the common schools of Cherokee
County. In 1896 he entered the office of Dr.
J. O. Houx, for the study of dentistry, and also
took a literary course in the State Normal
School at Fort Scott. He remained two years
with Dr. Houx and in 1899 opened an office
of his own at Columbus, where he has met with
the most satisfactory success. He has a finely
equipped suite of rooms in the LaRue Building.
Dr. Sayer has been quite extensively inter-
ested in mining operations for some years, giv-
ing attention to lead and zinc working in the
Galena district and, as stated, is an official of
the Sayer & Puttkamer Mining Company, the
president and general superintendent of which
is John Puttkamer, and the vice-president, T.
V. Sayer. The property is considered very val-
uable, and the developing work now in pro-
gress gives every promise of rich returns.
At Columbus, Dr. Sayer married a daugh-
ter of DeWitt C. Seibert, who was an early set-
tler of Cherokee County. They have two chil-
dren, — Constance Annabel and Grace Emeliue.
They enjoy a pleasant home with beautiful sur-
roundings, in the southwestern part of the city.
Dr. and Mrs. Sayer are members of the Pres-
byterian Church.
Fraternally, Dr. Sayer is a member of the
Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodmen of
America, and he belongs also to the State Den-
tal Association of Kansas. Politically, he is
identified with the Democratic party.
P. LaRUE, president of the First
National Bank of Columbus, and
one of the leading capitalists of
Cherokee County, was born in 1844
in Morrow County, Ohio, and is a son of Aaron
LaRue.
The LaRue family is of French extraction,
and the American branch was instituted by
Huguenot refugees who became prominent in
the State of Virginia and, later, in Ohio. Aaron
LaRue was born in Virginia in 1800, and died
in Iowa in 1885. He took his family to Iowa
&
ANDREW SHEARER
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
30/
in 1856, and settled on a farm in the vicinity
of Vinton, in Benton County.
T. P. LaRue was reared on his father*s
farm in Iowa. He possessed the business ca-
pacity which led him to invest his small capital
to the best advantage, and to turn it over until
he had secured enough to establish himself in
a private banking business. This he accom-
plished in 1877 with means he had earned him-
self, for Mr. LaRue is an example of a self-
made man. He continued in the private bank-
ing business at Scranton, Iowa, until 1886,
when he moved to Cherokee County, Kansas,
subsequently purchasing the Columbus Bank, a
private institution, of which Jarvis, Conklin
& Company were the owners. This bank,
which was founded in 1882 by D wight &
Schott, had been disposed of to Jarvis, Conklin
& Company, and was sold to Mr. LaRue in the
fall of 1887.
In 1902 the institution became the First
National Bank of Columbus, which is capi-
talized at $50,000, and has about $5,000 in un-
divided profits. Mr. LaRue is now in active
charge of the bank as its president, and the
other officers are, — Isaac Wright, vice-presi-
dent; H. A. LaRue, cashier; and A. M. Albin,
assistant cashier. The success of the institu-
tion has been assured ever since Mr. LaRue
took charge, and the business has continued to
expand until now it is rated, not only as one
of the safest, but also as one of the most im-
portant financial concerns of the State.
When Mr. LaRue came to Cherokee Coun-
ty, he brought considerable capital with him,
which, under his good management, has many
times increased. He owns between 4,000 and
5,000 acres of land in Cherokee County and is
the largest tax payer. He also has property
located in other states, and owns stock in several
other banks. His farming land he rents, de-
voting the greater part of his time to the man-
agement of his numerous investments.
17
Mr. LaRue married Elizabeth Hutton, who
was born in Ohio, and taken to Iowa when a
child by her parents. Six children were born
to them, four in Iowa, and two (twins) in
Kansas. Mrs. LaRue and the younger children
are enjoying the comforts of the beautiful win-
ter home at Los Angeles, California.
During the Civil War, Mr. LaRue served
for 18 months as a non-commissioned officer
in Company G, 2nd Reg., Iowa Vol. Inf., and
saw active service during his time, but returned
uninjured. Politically, he has always been a
strong supporter of the Republican party, but
has never accepted preferment of any kind.
Fraternally, he is a Royal Arch Mason, and
belongs also to the Grand Army of the Repub-
lic. In religious views, he favors Catholic in-
stitutions.
Without doubt, Mr. LaRue is one of the
most widely known men in business and finan-
cial circles in this section of Kansas, and he
fills a prominent position as the president of
oldest banking institution in Cherokee County.
XDREW SHEARER, a prominent
resident of Columbus, and one of the
most substantial citizens and largest
land owners of Cherokee County,
whose portrait accompanies this sketch, was
born in Scotland, and is a son of Robert and
Elizabeth (Chambers) Shearer.
Robert Shearer was born in Scotland. His
wife, while of Scotch parents, was born in
White Haven, England. She died in Illinois,
in the winter of 1902, but Robert Shearer still
survives, residing near Keelville, Lyon town-
ship, Cherokee County, and, although almost
87 years of age, still takes an active interest in
agricultural affairs. The subject of this sketch-
is the eldest of his family of six children. A
brother and sister still reside in Illinois, and
3 o8
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
two brothers, Hugh and John, settled in Lyon
township, where the former died in April, 1902.
Andrew Shearer was reared in Will
County, Illinois, and attended the public
>ols. His business has always been of an
agricultural nature and he has been highly suc-
cessful. He located in Cherokee County, Kan-
sas, in February, 1881, having purchased a
farm of 160 acres from the railroad company
in the previous year. To this first purchase he
lias added until he now owns over 1,000 acres
in Cherokee County, including one entire sec-
tion. When he came here he brought with him
some fine Clydesdale stock, and has continued
to raise this breed ever since. He has done an
immense amount of feeding, buying and sell-
ing cattle. In 1900 Mr. Shearer purchased his
present home site in the northwest portion of
the city. He improved it greatly and now en-
joys one of the really fine homes of Columbus.
Prior to coming to Cherokee County, Mr.
Shearer had married, in Illinois, Kate Kassa-
baum, who was born in Pennsylvania, but was
rc.red in Illinois. They have three children,
namely: Mrs. Addie Mcintosh, born in Illi-
nois, and now residing on the old homestead
in Lyon township, who has one son, — Arthur,
— born there; Mrs. Maggie Deem, born in
Illinois, who also resides in Lyon township,
.and has one son, — Harry; and Oliver, born in
Cherokee County, who is still at home.
Politically, Mr. Shearer is a Republican.
and has been a very prominent factor in county
politics. From 1893 to 1896 he served as
county commissioner, and from 1897 to 1898
as county treasurer. Prior to this he had
served in various township offices, and has al-
ways done his full duty as a public-spirited
citizen.
The family is connected with the United
Brethren Church, although Mr. Shearer was
reared in the Presbyterian faith, his father hav-
ing prepared for the Presbyterian ministry.
While still a resident of Illinois, Mr. Shearer
became identified with the Masonic fraternitv.
and since coming to Kansas he has become a
member of the Odd Fellows. He is one of the
highly respected and widely known citizens of
this section.
AMES W. LAMASTER. The name
of Lamaster has long been an hon-
ored one in Lola township, four mem-
bers of this family having been among
the early settlers. The gentleman mentioned
above was the first to come to the county, mak-
ing the trip from Knox County, Missouri, in
May, 1870. He located on the farm in sec-
tion 27, township 33. range 22, which now con-
stitutes his home, — being part of what were
called the "Joy lands." Mr. Lamaster was born
in Garrard County, Kentucky, November 6,
1844.
The father of the subject of this sketch was
Alexander W. Lamaster, a native of Kentucky,
who lived out his 60 years of life there and in
Missouri, dying in Knox County, Missouri, in
1865. He was a cooper by trade and also fol-
lowed farming. He married Nancy Lear, also
of the "Blue Grass State," who died in Knox
County in i860 at the age of 48 years. She
was the mother of the following children : Mrs.
Elizabeth Haden. who came with her husband
to Cherokee County and is now deceased ; Mrs.
Sallie Starks, of Montana; James W., the sub-
ject of this review; Mrs. Zarelda Lewis, of
Pony, Montana; Mrs. Edna Earl, of Lola
township; William A., elsewhere mentioned
in this volume; Mrs. Katherine Lightfoot, of
Deer Lodge, Montana ; Mrs. Nancy Bradshaw,
of LaBelle, Missouri; and Joel Garwood, of
Butte City, Montana.
James W. Lamaster was 13 years old when
his parents removed from the "Blue Grass
State" to Knox Countv. Missouri. He re-
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
309
ceived a fair common-school education, and
learned lessons in thrift and economy in the
rigorous farm life of his early manhood. His
youth was passed amid the exciting events of
the Civil War, but he was too young to enter the
service. He remained at home until 1869, and
then resolved to take advantage of the cheap
lands then obtainable in Southeastern Kansas.
Arriving in Cherokee County in May, he soon
found a suitable location, as noted above, and
began the arduous task of building a home in a
new country. His first entry was a quarter
section of the "Joy lands," to which he later
added 150 acres of "treaty-right" land in sec-
tion 29, 40 acres in section 21 and 40 acres in
section 27, adjoining his home place, making
in all 390 acres, all in township 33, range 22.
As he looks out upon his broad acres at the
present time, his mind reverts to the period
when the surrounding country was nothing
but unimproved prairie, with neighbors many
miles away, the nearest trading points being
Columbus, Chetopa and Oswego, — the first
named place having at that time only a few
small houses or huts. But strong in the faith
that out of these seemingly desert lands would
come fertile and productive farms (for it was
at one time thought that the Western prairies
were barren), he worked away, breaking land
for his neighbors as well as for himself, plant-
ing fruit and shade trees and adding one im-
provement after another as he had the means,
and finding himself a little in advance every
year. When he came to the county he had only
a team and about $200. His first habitation
was a frame box-house one story high, and 12
by 14 feet in size, with two doors and one
window. This continued to be his home until
19 years ago, when he built his present commo-
dious and substantial frame dwelling. For a
good many years Mr. Lamaster kept bachelor's
hall in the primitive house mentioned. For
six years he ran a prairie team, making trips
to and from Columbus with oxen. At first he
had very poor crops, the failures being caused
by severe droughts and grasshopper raids.
Probably the most discouraging year was when
myriads of grasshoppers attacked his 40-acre
wheat field, and destroyed every blade, as well
as nearly everything green on the farm.
Mr. Lamaster married rather late in life,
waiting until he had accumulated considerable
property and was well established in business.
In 1 88 1 he was united in marriage with Elzada
Thompson, who was born near Indianapolis,
Indiana, September 18, 1859, and is a daugh-
ter of Adam and Zella Agnes (Bursott)
Thompson, natives of Kentucky and Indiana,
respectively. One daughter, Zella May, was
born to this marrige, December 28, 1882. Mr.
Lamaster has been a great worker in the Chris-
tian Church, and a fast friend of education.
He has at various times served on the School
Board. He votes with the Populist party, al-
though he cares little for politics. Mr. Lamas-
ter has been a member of the A. H. T. A. and
the Land League of the settlers. He is a gen-
tleman whom all unite in greeting with warm
expressions of esteem.
AMES N. DODSON, city treasurer of
Weir City, and one of its prominent
citizens and substantial business men.
was born in Johnson County, Mis-
souri, in 1855, and is a son of William and
Sarah (Farris) Dodson.
William Dodson was born in 1813 on the
site of the city of St. Louis, Missouri, when it
was but a little collection of log houses, inhab-
ited chiefly by French traders. He learned the
carpenter's trade, which he followed in connec-
tion with farming all his active life. His first
removal was to Howard County. Missouri,
thence to Johnson County and later, in 1859,
3io
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
to Henry County, where he located in the vicin-
ity of Calhoun. His death took place at Lewis
Station, Henry County, September 20, 1879,
at the age of 66 years. In political views, he
was in accord with the Republican party. Wil-
liam Dodson was twice married, the two chil-
dren of his first union being, — Mary, who is
a resident of Joplin, Missouri; and Henry, who
resides at Bartlesville, Indian Territory. Henry
Dodson enlisted in the Civil War in 1861, en-
tering the 7th Regiment, Missouri Vol. Cav.,
as a private, and rose successively to the rank
of 2nd lieutenant, 1st lieutenant and captain.
He has been a prominent figure in political life,
and served two years as sheriff of Henry
County, Missouri, and two years as sheriff of
Butler County, Kansas. The second marriage
of William Dodson was to Sarah Farris, who
was born in Missouri in 1828, and died Sep-
tember 5, 1893. Their surviving children are
as follows: John T., of Joplin, Missouri;
Martin F., of Seattle, Washington; James N. ;
Nealia, of Lowry City, Missouri; Charles J.,
of Pittsburg, Kansas ; Jennie, of Weir City,
Kansas ; and Robert, of Lowry City, Missouri.
James N. Dodson was four years old when
his parents moved to Henry County, Missouri,
and settled on a farm, and he assisted in its
cultivation until he was 22 years of age. Then
he began to work in the coal mines of Henry
Count}', where he continued for 10 years. In
1880 he married and six years later moved with
his family to Butler County, Kansas, and em-
barked in mercantile pursuits at Leon. Two
years later he moved his family and stock of
goods to Bennetts, Arkansas. Mr. Dodson car-
ried on his store in connection with the butch-
ering business, from November, 1887, to May,
1888, when he moved to Huntington, Arkansas.
There he remained from May to August 1,
1 888, and then settled at Weir City. Mr. Dod-
son worked in the coal mines at Weir City, that
being the leading industry, until 1890, when he
accepted a position in the general store of the
Kansas & Texas Coal Company, at Weir City,
beginning as a grocery clerk and through effi-
ciency rising to the position of grocery mana-
ger. He continued there until 1900, when he
bought a half interest in the general store of
the J. R. Crowe Coal & Mining Company at
Columbus.
After this purchase, the stock was moved
from Columbus to Stippville, Cherokee County,
and the firm style became J. N. Dodson &
Company, which was continued for two years.
Then Mr. Dodson sold his interest in the busi-
ness at Stippville to the J. R. Crowe Coal Com-
pany, and entered into a mercantile venture at
Weir City. In 1902 he purchased the store of
B. S. Abbott. This store is one of the leading
business establishments in the city, its manage-
ment and operation reflecting great credit upon
Mr. Dodson.
In 1880 Mr. Dodson was married, at Mont-
rose, Missouri, to Mary Mahon, who was born
in 1857 at Peoria, Illinois. They have a fam-
ily of eight children, viz : John W., born at
Lewis Station, Henry County, Missouri, who
married Eva Pollock, of Scammon, Kansas, and
has one child, — John James, born at Weir City,
Kansas ; Winnie and Mary, born at Lewis Sta-
tion ; Raymond, born in Butler County, Kan-
sas; and Ella, William, Joseph and Irene, born
at Weir City. The family attend the Catholic
Church.
Mr. Dodson has been closely identified with
the business interests and political affairs of
Weir City for a number of years, and has fre-
quently been honored by the Republican party,
of which he is a stanch member, by election to
responsible offices. He has been a very useful
member of the School Board and the City
Council, and at present is the city's capable
treasurer. His fraternal associations are with
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
3ii
the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the
Modern Woodmen of America. Mr. Dodson
is a man who commands universal respect, and
is a worthy representative of the city.
ON. W. R. COWLEY, general attor-
ney of The Long-Bell Lumber Com-
pany, which has its headquarters in
Kansas City, Missouri, has been
identified with this corporation since its incep-
tion at Columbus, Kansas, in 1875. Mr. Cow-
ley was born in Lincolnshire, England, in 1843,
and was eight years old when he came to Amer-
ica, accompanying his parents, who located at
Hudson, Ohio, where both subsequently died.
Mr. Cowley attended the schools of Hud-
son and Akron, Ohio, until the age of 16 years,
when he entered the Christian College at Oska-
loosa, Iowa, where he completed the literary
course in 1868. His entrance into business was
as a surveyor at Montezuma, Iowa, where he
spent one year as surveyor of Poweshiek
County, and then engaged, for two years, with
the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad
Company, platting and appraising lands for
them in Western Iowa. He afterwards com-
menced the study of law at Montezuma, and
was admitted to the bar. Thereupon he located
at once in Columbus, Kansas, where he entered
into practice.
Prior to this, Mr. Cowley had made a fine
war record for himself, first, as a member of
the 84th Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., under Col. Wil-
liam Lawrence, who afterwards became Comp-
troller of the United States Treasury. With
this regiment he served four months on guard
duty, along the Potomac River. He then re-
turned to Iowa and enlisted in the 15th Reg.,
Iowa Vol. Inf., under Col. W. W. Belknap,
and served for two years, being honorably dis-
charged without having suffered either wounds
or imprisonment.
After locating in Columbus, Mr. Cowley
went into partnership with the late Boyd
Hutchinson, and later the firm of Cowley &
Hampdon was formed ; still later, he was asso-
ciated with M. V. B. Bennett. From January,
1879, to January, 1883, he served as county
attorney for Cherokee County, but since 1883
he has given practically his whole time and at-
tention to the affairs of The Long-Bell Lumber
Company, traveling in their interests about
2,500 miles per month. He still retains his
pleasant home in Columbus, where he and fam-
ily have many agreeable social connections.
Mr. Cowley married Florence J. Smith,
who was born at Oskaloosa, Iowa, and was one
of his classmates at the Christian College. They
have three sons and one daughter, viz : Fred-
erick, Minnie, Lawrence L., and Clare J.
Frederick, who was born in Iowa, is a fanner
and stock-raiser of Cherokee County ; he served
three years as a member of the State Sanitary
Live Stock Commission, being the youngest
member ever elected. Minnie is the wife of C.
S. Huffman, of Columbus; Lawrence L.. who
is a graduate of the Lawrence High School,
the State University and the State Law School,
is now an attorney at Perry, Oklahoma, and
holds the position of territorial attorney for
The Long-Bell Lumber Company, and general
attorney for the Minnetonka Lumber Company.
Clare J. graduated from the State University
in June, 1904, just before coming of age, and
will enter the lumber business, both he and his
brother, Lawrence, being stockholders in the
Minnetonka Lumber Company. All three of
these young men possess the qualities and edu-
cation which insure their future prominence.
Politically, Mr. Cowley is a Republican.
Fraternally, he is connected with a number of
the local orders, and formerly was active in G.
A. R. affairs. He is a member of the Christian
Church. On account of his being a represen-
tative man of the section, and an orator of more
31-2
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
than usual eloquence, he has frequently been
chosen as the speaker for public occasions, and
has made addresses at the Old Settlers' Reun-
ions. His notable efforts were his Garfield and
Sherman memorial addresses and his address
at the first Decoration Day celebration at Co-
lumbus.
ILLIAM ALEXANDER LAMAS-
TER. In the subject of this sketch
we have one of the pioneers of the
county, who came here in the days
when Cherokee County was a lusty infant, and
who was present at many of the "first" events
now related at the meetings of old settlers. Mr.
Lamaster came to the county in 1870, and im-
mediately located on the south half of the north-
east quarter of section 28, township 33. range
22, in Lola township, a portion of the 440-acre
tract he now owns. He is a native of the "Blue
Grass State," born April 8, 1852, in Garrard
County.
The early childhood of Mr. Lamaster was
passed in his native county. When he was five
years old. his parents moved to Knox Comity,
Missouri, where he lived until he was 17 years
old. There his father, Alexander W. Lamaster,
who was a cooper by trade, and also a farmer by
vocation, died in 1865, and there his mother,
Mrs. Nancy (Lear) Lamaster, passed away at
the age of 4S years. Nine children resulted
from their union, as follows: Mrs. Elizabeth
Haden. who came with her husband to Chero-
kee County, and is now deceased ; Mrs. Sallie
Starks, of Montana; James W., one of the
prominent citizens and well-to-do farmers of
Lola township ; Mrs. Zarelda Lewis, of Pony,
Montana; Mrs. Edna Earl, of Lola township;
William Alexander; Mrs. Katherine Lightfoot,
of Deer Lodge, Montana ; Mrs. Nancy Brad-
shaw, of LaBelle, Missouri; and Joel Garwood,
of Butte Citv, Montana.
Mr. Lamaster came to Cherokee County in
1870, with a brother-in-law and sister, riding
a horse the whole distance, and driving the cow
behind the wagon ; his brother-in-law drove the
team and Mr. Lamaster had to help the wagon
up nearly all the hills. They were four weeks
making the trip, and arrived here in October.
It is unnecessary to go into details concerning
the hardships encountered during those first
years. No wonder the old settler looks with
contemptuous pity on the farmer of this day,
who complains of the difficulties encountered
in improving the farm from its wild state.
Surrounded with all the comforts of civiliza-
tion, and with modern machinery to aid him
in his work, there is a world of difference be-
tween his condition and that of the farmer in
the days when the county was first settled.
Mr. Lemaster joined his brother, James W.,
who had arrived here in the preceding May.
and "bached" with him for some time. He
located a claim in the "Joy lands." taking 160
acres in section 28, Lola township, where he
has ever since lived. Later, he acquired the
northeast quarter of section 22 and 120 acres
in section 26, township 33. range 22. After
living with his brother for one year. Mr. La-
master built, on his 160-acre tract in section
28, a box house, one story high and 14 by 24
feet in size, divided into two rooms. This was
the home to which he took his bride in 1875.
and this continued to be his residence until
about 1884, when he erected his present fine,
frame house.
Mr. Lamaster and his brother entered vig-
orously upon the work of preparing their land
for cultivation, and broke all their own land,
besides a good deal for their neighbors, at the
same time exchanging work to a considerable
extent with their fellow settlers. In the first
winter he was here. Mr. Lamaster killed the
first white prairie chicken he ever saw ; he never
saw any after that winter. There were a few
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
3 «3
turkeys to be seen. The district abounded in
deer, and at one time Mr. Lamaster saw 38
antelope in one drove. Chetopa, 12 miles
away, was his trading point.
The subject of this sketch, immediately
upon locating in Lola township, identified him-
self with the interests of the section. He joined
the Land League of the settlers, and was active
in making it an effective organization. When
the A. H. T. A. sprang into existence, he gave
it hearty support. Of the township society of
this association he has been president for the
last 15 years. So faithful has he been, that last
spring he was voted a gold badge for his long
service. This association has been of great
service to the citizens of the county in recover-
ing stolen horses, and has sent many horse
thieves to prison. In the days of the Farmers'
Alliance, Mr. Lamaster was one of its enthu-
siastic members. The promoters of schools
and churches have always found him a ready
helper. He helped to build the first log school
house in Lola township, at Faulkner, and has
served on the School Board in Lola township
for 17 years, being now its treasurer. He for-
merly supported the Democratic party, but of
late years has voted the Populist ticket. For
two years, he served as township treasurer. A
member of the Christian Church, holding the
office of deacon, that organization has found
him a tower of strength not only in the early
days, but also at the present time. He was one
of the building committee, in company with
William McKee and Rev. William King, on
which fell the burden of building the present
fine edifice of the Christian Church in Hallo-
well.
On December jo, 1874, Mr. Lamaster was
married to Susan Dunbar, who was born in
Illinois, and is a daughter of Warder D. and
Louisa (Narden) Dunbar. To them were born
a son and a daughter, namely : Ernest, who
lives at home ; and Tennie May, who is the wife
of Philip Oglesby, of Lola township, and the
mother of two daughters, — Letha and an in-
fant.
N. DUNBAR, an attorney-at-law of
Columbus, and the owner of a finely-
improved farm of 80 acres in Chero-
kee County, adjoining the city, was
Lorn in 1866, near Prairie City, McDonough
County, Illinois, and is a son of Warder D.
and Louisa (Narden) Dunbar.
Warder D. Dunbar was born in Kentucky,
but went to Illinois in young manhood. His
death occurred about 26 years ago, in Cherokee
County, Kansas, whither he had removed in
1869; his widow died about 18 years ago. He
was twice married and the children of his first
marriage, all now deceased, were : Elihu and
William, who lived for a time in Cherokee
County, and Cynthia and Geneva, both of
whom left families. The subject of this sketch
is one of six children born to the second mar-
riage, all of whom came to Cherokee County,
and one, Lucy, died at the age of 16 years,
the others, exclusive of J. N., are: Waller
C, who is a farmer in the Indian Territory;
Susan, a twin of Waller C, who is the wife of
William A. Lamaster, of Cherokee County;
Joanna L., who is the widow of Edward Braer-
ton, of Parsons, Kansas; and David, who is a
farmer on the home farm in Lola township.
J. N. Dunbar was an infant when he was
brought into Cherokee County, and has never
found any other section more attractive. He
attended the public schools and the graded
schools at Columbus, and also took a business
course at Sedalia, Missouri. He then taught
for a season, preparatory to settling down to
the study of the law. He remained in the office
of Frederick Basom, at Columbus, for five
months, and then went to Galena and entered
the office of W. F. Sapp. In April, 1892, he
3M
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
was admitted to the bar. He began the prac-
tice of his profession at Columbus, being asso-
ciated with C. A. McNeill for about two years,
and was then put forward as the Populist candi-
date for county attorney. His opponent was
Mr. McNeill, and their partnership was dis-
v >hed when they were nominated. Mr. Mc-
Neill was elected to the office. From 1896 to
1898 Mr. Dunbar was in partnership with W.
J. Moore. After practicing alone with much
success for two years, he again became a candi-
date for county attorney. He was elected in
1900 on the Fusion ticket, and after serving
through 1901 and 1902. refused a nomination
for further, honors. He has well located offices
in the Opera House Block. His reputation is
that of an able advocate and wise counsellor.
On April 23, 1893. Mr. Dunbar was mar-
ried, in the Indian Territory, to Dradie Mc-
Phail, originally from Tennessee, and they have
three children, — Noel, Clara E. and J. Owen.
Politically, Mr. Dunbar is in sympathy with
the Populist party, and is one of its influential
leaders. Fraternally, he is a member of the
Knights of Pythias of Columbus, and the A.
H. T. A. In religious views he is liberal, but
was reared in the Adventist Church. His wife
is a Methodist.
WILBUR LOGAN, of the Logan Ab-
stract & Loan Company, a leading
loan, real estate, abstract and insur-
ance institution of Columbus, was
born in Washington County, Illinois, in 1863,
and is a son of the late A. A. and Lucinda
(Brakebill) Logan.
The parents of Mr. Logan removed in 1866
to Labette County, Kansas, where the father
bought a farm in the vicinity of Oswego, and
there both parents died in 1873, aged 45 and
41 years, respectively. They had six children,
of whom but the subject of this sketch and two
sisters, who reside at Wichita, Kansas, are the
only survivors.
Mr. Logan attended the public schools, and
spent three years in the Fort Scott Normal
School, having borrowed funds in order to com-
plete his education. When about 19 years of
age he served an apprenticeship in a grocery
store at Fort Scott, and later engaged in the
grocery business at Wichita, where he located
in 1887. In 1890 he came to Columbus and en-
gaged in the abstract, loan and real estate busi-
ness, in which he has met with the greatest suc-
cess, his profits enabling him first to clear off a
previous indebtedness of $1,000, and then to
invest in land which has proven rich in gas and
oil. In 1903 the Logan Abstract & Loan Com-
pany was formed, the partners being J. Wilbur
Logan and Commodore F. Cool. In 1900 Mr.
Logan built the structure in which this business
is now located, — a commodious building front-
ing on Maple avenue. It is partly occupied by
a grocer)' store and the remainder is given up
to offices, all of which have been fitted up in
modern style. Mr. Logan has prospered
greatly since establishing himself at Columbus,
and must be reckoned with the substantial men
of Cherokee County.
Mr. Logan owns 160 acres near Chanute,
in the celebrated oil and gas region, and is presi-
dent of the Inter-State Mineral. Oil & Gas
Company, of Columbus and Chanute, Kansas.
The stock of this company is owned mainly by
Columbus men. The company was organized
February 14, 1904, and was incorporated under
the laws of Arizona, with a capital of $500,000.
divided into 500,000 shares, at a par value of
$1 each.
The officers of the Inter-State Mineral, Oil
& Gas Company are: J. Wilbur Logan, presi-
dent ; George W. Rains, a mine operator at
Galena, vice-president ; J. M. McNay, of Co-
lumbus, secretary and general manager; W. M.
Barbee, of Chanute. Kansas, treasurer; A. A.
JOHN T. FUDGE
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
V7
Goddard, ex-attorney general of Kansas and a
prominent banker of Topeka, attorney; and J.
W. Clayton, of Wichita, director. The land
which this company controls, under lease from
Mr. Logan, the owner, is situated in the heart
of what is known as the "west field," near Cha-
nute. Every indication points to the immediate
success of this enterprise, the field being rich
and the capital and brains of its promoters
being plentiful.
Mr. Logan married May Nichols, who was
born in Illinois and accompanied her parents
to Labette County, Kansas, in the early "sev-
enties." They have five children, namely:
John, born in Wichita, a graduate of the city
schools ; Combs ; Carmin ; Carl ; and a baby
girl. All were born at Columbus. The family
belong to the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Politically, Mr. Logan is a Republican. He
has served six years as a member of the Board
of Education and has taken a public spirited
interest in civic affairs. Fraternally, he belongs
to the Masons. Knights of Pythias, Modern
Woodmen of America, Anti-Horse Thief Asso-
ciation and the Sons and Daughters of Justice.
OHN T. FUDGE, senior member of
the milling firm of Fudge & Thomas,
of Columbus, Kansas, whose portrait
is shown on the opposite page, may
justly claim to be one of the pioneer settlers of
this region, having first located here in 1870.
Mr. Fudge was born March 30, 1837, near
Abingdon, Virginia, and is a son of Jacob and
Jane (See) Fudge.
Jacob Fudge and his wife were born in
Washington County, Virginia. The father
lived there until he reached the age of 40 years,
when he moved to Iowa. He was engaged in
farming throughout his active life, and died
in Nebraska, aged 87 years. His wife died in
Iowa, aged -,■/ years. Of their five children,
John T. is the eldest, the others being James,
of Iowa; Elizabeth, deceased; Mrs. Eliza
Stinson, of Montana; and Mrs. Ella Markey,
of Iowa.
John T. Fudge was 10 years old when his
parents moved to Jasper County, Iowa, and he
first gazed on the beautiful rolling prairies of
the West. He continued to assist on the home
farm until he was 20 years of age, and then
decided to learn the milling business. He re-
mained four years with Miller Dix, and then
determined to locate in Kansas. He conveyed
his family and household possessions with a
single team, a journey which probably none of
the family will ever forget. He secured work
with Macon, Krell & Crowell, at Columbus,
where there were half a dozen houses, and con-
tinued as miller in that mill, under several
managements, until 1875. He then purchased
a sawmill three miles above Oswego. This he
operated for two years, when he sold it and
went to Carthage, Missouri, where he was en-
gaged in milling for a year. After about four
years, during which he worked for different
parties, he went to Smithfield, Missouri, where
conducted a mill two years for a Mr. Smith,
and then removed to Columbus. After being
in the employ of W. B. Eddy for a short time,
he purchased a mill and operated it alone until
he admitted his son-in-law, W. H. Thomas,
into partnership; the firm name now is Fudge
& Thomas. This firm now owns the largest
and best equipped mill in the county, and the
largest elevator. Its members have a fine out-
look, and have been in the business so long that
they have the full confidence of the public in
the excellent quality of their output.
In 1857 Mr. Fudge was married, in Town,
to Mary K. Henderson, who was born June
30, 1842, and is a daughter of William and
Martha (Patterson) Henderson, who were
born in Ohio. The only daughter of this mar-
3 i8
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
riage, Martha Jane, married W. H. Thomas,
and they have three children, — Esther, Eugene
and Robert. Mr. Fudge is a Presbyterian, and
one of the trustees of the church at Columbus.
Politically, he is an active member of the Dem-
ocratic party, and still holds his position on the
Democratic County Central Committee, as he
has done for the past 10 years.
Mr. Fudge is a self-made man, and his suc-
cess is but another example of the value of
industry, sobriety and sterling honesty. His
ample fortune has been made legitimately, but
not easily, and it is very probable that the bit
of advice he would give a seeker after his secret
would be, "find out what you are best fitted for,
and then keep right at it."
LMORE ROBERT PATTYSON,
register of deeds for Cherokee
County, and one of the valued resi-
dents of Columbus, was born June
13, 1850, in Cattaraugus County, New York,
and is a son of Philonas and Orilla (Markham)
Pattyson.
Philonas Pattyson died at Columbus, Kan-
sas, March 21, 1904, aged 81 years, two
months and 15 days. His wife passed away in
1887, aged 62 years. Both were natives of
Allegany County, New York. During his
earlier years Philonas Pattyson had been a
teacher, and through his entire life he was more
or less interested in educational matters, serv-
ing in the office of the superintendent of pub-
lic instruction in New York, and during 1869
and 1870 he was a member of the hoard of
examiners for teachers in Cherokee County.
For some years be was successfully engaged in
the oil business in Pennsylvania. In October,
1867. he came to Kansas to establish a perma-
nent home. He bought a "treaty-right" farm
in Pleasant View township, and resided upon it
until within a year of his death. His family
consisted of three sons : Elmore Robert ; El-
bridge W., who died in 1859, aged 15 months;
and Maynard I., born April 26, 1846, who died
November 15, 1864.
The subject of this sketch was 17 years old
when he accompanied his parents to Cherokee
County, Kansas, and followed farming and
school teaching after completing his education.
He has since been a continuous resident of the
county, and during the past 20 years has been
in the abstract business, and much of the time
connected with the office of register of deeds.
For four years he was a resident of Scammon.
employed as bookkeeper, and interested in the
coal mines there. In November, 1902, he was
elected register of deeds by the Republican
party, of which he has been a very active member
for years. His long connection with this office
as deputy made him so intimately acquainted
with the demands of the situation that scarcely
any one could be found better qualified.
On June 20, 1868, Mr. Pattyson married
Addie M. Scott, of Pleasant View township.
Cherokee County, Kansas, formerly of New
York. They have four children, namely : May.
Maynard A., Arthur E., and Roscoe H. May.
born May 27, 1869, is the wife of George H.
Hurst ; she has two children, — Robert and
Addie, — and resides at Scammon, where Mr.
Hurst is interested in the mines. Maynard A.,
born November 15, 1871, resides at Scammon,
where he is interested in mining and is also
proprietor of the "Racket" store; he married
Agnes Gore and has a daughter, Irene, aged
three years. Arthur E., deputy register of
deeds in his father's office, was born September
2 3- 1 &79- and resides at home. Roscoe H..
born June 27, 1886, is a student in the Colum-
bus schools.
Mr. Pattyson's fraternal associations in-
clude Masonry in its higher branches, — the
Blue Lodge and Royal Arch Chapters at
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
3i9
Columbus ; Galena Commandery, No. 46,
Knights Templar, and 33d degree Scottish
Rite, Fort Scott Consistory, Wichita Council,
and Shrine at Leavenworth. He is also a mem-
ber of the Odd Fellows Lodge and Encamp-
ment at Columbus; the Knights of Pythias, of
Columbus; and the Sons and Daughters of
Justice, also of Columbus. Mr. Pattyson is
now president of the Old Settlers' Association
of Cherokee County, after serving some
years as its secretary. In religious life he is
a Baptist.
RCENITH F. WALKER, one of the
prominent retired farmers of Neosho
township, Cherokee County, who
owns a well improved farm of 80
acres in section 12, township 34, range 22, was
born in Madison County, Illinois, January n,
1845, an d > s a son of Elijah and Charity
(Dove) Walker.
The father of our subject was a farmer in
Illinois for, a number of years. During the
gold excitement in California, in 1850, he made
the overland trip to the mining regions, but
never returned, his death taking place there
when our subject was six years old. The
mother of Arcenith F. Walker was born in
Virginia, went then to Tennessee and from there
to Illinois, and her death took place at Colum-
bus, Kansas, when in her 74th year. The
children of Elijah and Charity (Dove) Walker
were: Mrs. Mary Morrisey, of Illinois; Cleo-
patra, of California; John, of Wichita, Kan-
sas; Arcenith F., of this sketch; Mrs. Lucetta
Burke, of Columbus; and Mrs. Zanetta Ells-
worth, of Columbus.
Mr, Walker remained on the home farm in
Illinois until he was 16 years of age and then
enlisted for service in the Civil War, one of the
youngest soldiers to offer his loyal services to
his country at that unhappy time. He entered
Company K, 10th Reg., Illinois Vol. Inf.,
under Col. James D. Morgan, served three
years and received an honorable discharge on
August 24, 1864. He participated in many
severe battles and served in the Atlanta cam-
paign and in the Army of the Cumberland un-
der General Thomas.
After his return from the army, Mr.
Walker resumed farming in Madison County,
Illinois, and after a short residence in Mis-
souri and Michigan, came in 1867 to Chero-
kee County, Kansas, driving the whole dis-
tance. Here he secured 160 acres of wild land
on which he erected a box house 12 by 14 feet
in dimensions and lived there until he had
broken 50 acres, when he sold the property to
advantage and removed to his present farm in
Neosho township. As there was no house here,
the family camped out until one was built. Mr.
Walker worked, very hard on this place, which
shows the results in its good improvements,
fine cultivation and general air of comfort and
thrift. With his own hands he set out the
beautiful walnut grove and made all the other
improvements which converted it into a com-
fortable home. This property he now rents,
having retired from active farming operations.
On November 15, 1864, Mr. Walker was
married to Lucinda A. LeGrand, who was born
in St. Clair County, Illinois, June 19, 1847.
and they had nine children : John, of Lyon
township; Mrs. Jennie Newton, deceased; Ed-
ward, of Lola township ; William, of Lyon
township; Stephen L., an attorney at Colum-
bus, who is represented in this volume; Daniel
A., a dentist at McCune, Crawford County;
Frederick A., an attorney at Weir City; Rich-
ard, a student in the County High School; and
Myrtle, who died at the age of one and a half
years.
Politically Mr. Walker is a Republican. He
is a valued member of the Grand Army of the
Republic. He is one of the men of whom their
320
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
fellow citizens speak with respect and esteem.
While his life in this section has been one of
much toil, he has accumulated a competency
which permits him, while little past middle life,
to enjoy its fruits.
OBERT ALEXANDER LONG, a
prominent figure in the lumber circles
of the West, is an esteemed resident
of Kansas City, Missouri, to which
city he removed from Columbus. Cherokee
County, Kansas, when the general offices of
The Long-Bell Lumber Company, of which he
is president, were moved from Columbus to
Kansas City. He was born in Shelby County.
Kentucky, in 1850. That was the beginning
of a life which has grown into strength, uni-
formly but surely, until the man is a marvel
tu those who have watched him through the
successive stages of his progress. Endowed by
nature with a noble heart and a keen insight
into the relation of his environment, he has
passed in the achievement of his purposes from
point to point so quietly and so unobservedly as
to excite but little notice outside of the business
circles in which he has moved.
Thirty years ago Mr. Long came to Kansas,
a young man possessing no capital but his
indomitable courage, his unvarying uprightness
of purpose and his disposition always kindly to
consider the rights and interests of others. He
began as a retail lumber merchant, in a very
humble and always unpretentious way, in the
town of Columbus, then a mere village.
Through industry and fair dealing he rose
gradually in the business and early brought
about the necessity for its enlargement. It was
in these years that he laid the foundation for
one of the greatest enterprises that the business
community of the whole country now knows.
The Long-Bell Lumber Company, of which
Mr. Long is the president, had its beginning 29
years ago in the town of Columbus, where
the headquarters were located until about 13
years ago, when the general offices were moved
to Kansas City, Missouri, on account of the
greatly enlarged business. The company now
owns property valued as follows : Timber
lands. $2,353,529.82; coal lands, $236,232.47;
milling plants, $786,777.65 ; coal mining plants,
$101,821.22; retail yard plants, $147,827.34;
railway equipments, $490,498.00; lumber,
$964,010.95; general merchandise stores,
$102,943.24; houses and improvements, $204,-
443.21 ; accounts receivable, $937,010.41 ; cash
and sundry investments. $521,148.46, all ag-
gregating $6,845,242.77. The average daily
sales of the company amount to $23,000.75 ;
and the total sales for the year 1903 were
$7,199,237.25. Besides being president of The
Long-Bell Lumber Company, Mr. Long is
president of The Rapides Lumber Company, of
Woodworth, Louisiana ; The King-Ryder
Lumber Company, of Bonami, Louisiana; The
Hudson River Company, of DeRidder, Louis-
iana ; The Globe Lumber Company, of Yellow
Pine, Louisiana ; The Minnetonka Lumber
Company ; The Fidelity Land & Improvement
Company, and the Fidelity Fuel Company, as
also of the Long-Bell railway system. He is as
well a large stockholder in The Weed Lumber
Company, of Weed, California, and also owns
large interests in coal lands in Cherokee
County, Kansas.
Mr. Long, although a man whose business
takes almost his entire attention, ever finds time
to consider the appeals of the poor and the
needy ; he is identified in many efforts to better
the moral and religious, as well as the physical,
conditions of those about him. He has given
largely to the Christian Church, of which he is
an active member. Mr. Long's family consists
of himself, his wife and two grown daughters.
They live on Independence avenue, Kansas
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
321
City, Missouri, where they have one of the
most comfortable homes in the city.
The sketch of Mr. Long's character and
achievements is given here for the reason that
he was so long and so earnestly identified with
the city of Columbus and Cherokee County.
It is felt by the editor that a history of the
county, if Mr. Long were not given prominent
mention, would be, to the extent of the omis-
sion, neglectful of much that entered into the
material and moral upbuilding of the com-
munity ; and the fitness of the sketch is further
considered from the fact that Mr. Long is yet
largely interested in the county and always
feels concerned for the welfare of the people.
S. BOWMAN. The subject of this
sketch was born in McDonough
County, Illinois, August 6, 1864.
Both his parents died before he
was four years old. When he grew to proper
age, he attended the country school two or three
months in the winter season of each year, and
worked on a farm the rest of the time. At the
age of 16, the boy started out into the world,
wholly dependent upon his own exertions for a
living. He had no money and only about a
sixth-grade education, but he went to work on
a farm, saved up his meager earnings and went
to school at Champaign, Illinois. After being
there a year, he found it necessary to go back
to the farm to earn money enough to enable
him to attend the school through another yearly
term. He did so, and at the end of the term he
secured a teacher's certificate. After that he
taught school and attended school, alternately.
Mr. Bowman came to Kansas in 1884, and
the following year to Cherokee County, where
he has been connected with educational work-
ever since, with one or two brief intervals. He
taught a number of terms in the country dis-
tricts, the first being in District No. 84. Fn mi
the country schools he went to the city schools
of Galena, then to Lowell, and afterward to
Baxter Springs. He also taught in the schools
at Weir City; and when the Cherokee County
High School was established, in 1900, the board
of trustees elected him to take charge of it.
The building was not yet completed. He organ-
ized the school in one of the buildings of the
city schools of Columbus, which was used for
about three months, when the school was moved
into the County High School Building. He has
continued as the principal of the County High
School ever since it was first opened, and at
the last meeting of the board he was elected
for the coming year.
Considering the hardships through which
he passed in childhood and the struggles he
had during his early manhood, and that he se-
cured his education wholly through his own
efforts, Mr. Bowman may be considered a
self-made man. He overcame many obstacles
which would have discouraged nearly any one
of a less determined nature.
In 1886 Mr. Bowman was married to Dora
E. Adams, daughter of A. H. Adams, of Cher-
okee County.
ENJAMIN SUIT ABBOTT, a coal
operator and merchant at Weir City,
and one of the ex-mayors of the city,
was torn in 1S55 in Indiana, and is
a son of Benjamin and Catherine ( Suit )
Abbott.
The parents of Mr. Abbott were born in
what is now West Virginia, the father in 1S03,
and the mother in 1813, and both died in In-
diana, the former in 1865, and the latter in
1876. The subject of this sketch is the young-
est of their four children, the only other sur-
vivor being Virginia, who was born in Indiana,
where she married Dr. T. W. Curry, and has
322
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
one child, Idelle. Benjamin Abbott was a son
of Benjamin Abbott, who was born in Scot-
land, and was a son of Thomas Abbott. Both
the grandfather and the great-grandfather of
our subject were Presbyterian preachers and
spent their lives in what is now West Virginia.
Benjamin Suit Abbott grew to manhood
on a farm in Indiana, where he remained until
1877, when the home was broken up by the
death of his mother, and he went to Arkansas.
There he worked on a railroad until 1879, when
he came to Columbus, Kansas. Here he was
engaged in clerking for four years in a hard-
ware store, and then went into a venture of his
own. at McCune, Crawford County, under the
firm name of Crewsen & Abbott. This con-
tinued until 1886, when he settled at Weir City
and embarked in the general mercantile busi-
ness, giving his establishment the name of the
"Blue Front." Here Mr. Abbott, through his
energy and enterprise, prospered greatly for
some years, in the meantime building a number
of business houses and taking an active part
in promoting the prosperity and good name of
the city. In 1888 he formed the firm of Abbott
& Crowe, hardware merchants. He later sold
his interest in this business and in 1893 estab-
lished a hardware store at Scammon, which he
conducted until 1896, when he sold out there.
He continued his general merchandise store in
Weir City until 1903, when he disposed of his
interest in that. He is one of the city's large
and successful coal operators, a wholesale dealer
and owns a number of coal shafts and a large
amount of land through Cherokee township and
the county, having fully 50 men in his employ.
In 1883 Mr. Abbott was married to Mary
C. Crowe, who is a daughter of David Crowe,
and they have two children : Nellie, born at
McCune, Kansas; and Vida, born at Weir City.
Mr. Abbott is a prominent politician of this
section and has been honored by his party on
numerous occasions. He has served in the City
Council, and has twice been mayor of Weir
City. He is a member of the Knights of Py-
thias and the Ancient Order of United Work-
men, and has held official positions in both
bodies. He holds a place among the represen-
tative men of Weir City and Cherokee County.
EORGE W. CANFIELD. The name
which we are here permitted to pre-
sent will probably be recognized by
more people in Cherokee County than
most others mentioned in this volume, owing to
the fact that Mr. Canfield has been a resident
of the county continuously since the year 1 866.
In that year he located on 160 acres in section
8, township 33, range 22, in Lola township,
which now comprises a part of the splendid
farm which he has developed from the wild
prairie. Mr. Canfield is a New Yorker, having
been born at Willetstown (now Willet), Cort-
land County, December 8, 1842.
Mr. Canfield' s parents removed to French
Creek, Chautauqua County, New York, when
he was two years of age, and there he passed
the time until he attained his majority. At the
age of 23 years he left home, and after spend-
ing the winter of 1865 in Winnebago County,
Illinois, came to Cherokee County, Kansas.
He arrived in the county before the ratification
of the treaty with the Indians and, of course,
before there was any county organization. It
is not easy at this date to realize the wild state
of the County at that time, with Kansas City
the nearest railroad point, and Fort Scott the
nearest trading center. Wild game was abund-
ant, Indians were all about, and the country
was full of vicious white men, who had been
members of guerrilla bands during the war.
Mr. Canfield had come to stay, however,
and although without means he started to build
himself a home. He purchased a log cabin
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
323
built by the Osage Indians, and moved it onto
his claim, and that was his home until he built
a better one. A team, a few household goods,
$5 in money and a good wife at this time con-
stituted his possessions. With the aid of his
team, he got a start by hauling goods from
Kansas City to Fort Scott during the summer,
receiving $10 for each load. He also brought
cattle from Missouri, being paid for his time
at the rate of $1 per day. In the meanwhile, at
odd times he broke several acres of his land,
an area not much larger than a good-sized
garden spot, but enough to raise a few necessa-
ries, and these, together with wild game, and
the few groceries he secured by hauling, carried
the family through the first winter. Fortune
began to shine on him, however, and it was not
many years until he was looked upon as one of
the solid men of the county. In time he added
another 80 acres to his farm, and he now has
240 acres in sections 7 and 8 under cultivation
and well fenced. There is a fine orchard of
10 acres, and there are many fine shade trees
on the farm, all of his planting. An addition
was made to the old Indian cabin, which was
finally replaced by a large farm house. Mr.
Canfield is well equipped for general farming,
having one of the largest barns in the county,
and every necessary piece of machinery.
George W. Canfield is a son of Lewis D. and
Harriet (Hiding) Canfield. The father was a
native of Otsego County, New York, and was
born in 1812. He was a farmer and miller, and
spent his life in his native State, engaged in
these occupations. He was successful in busi-
ness, and was prominent and influential in the
affairs of his day. He was a Whig in politics,
and an Abolitionist, on the slavery question.
His religious views were those of the Free Will
Baptist Church. He spent a long and useful
life, dying at the age of 72 years. The Can-
fields are of English descent. George W. Can-
field's grandfather, Abraham Canfield, removed
from New England, and settled on a farm
of 640 acres in Willet, where he reared a fam-
ily of three sons and as many daughters. He
was a Universalist in religion, and a Whig in
politics.
Lewis D. Canfield's wife was born in New
York in 181 6, and was a daughter of Rev.
Daniel Hiding, who was for 35 years a minister
of the Free Will Baptist Church in Western
New York. The latter part of his ministry
was in Chautauqua County. His wife, Eliza-
beth, survived him a long time, dying at the
remarkable age of 102 years.
To Lewis D. Canfield and wife four chil-
dren were born, namely : Mrs. Lydia Peet,
who died when 36 years of age ; Julia, who died
at the age of 20 years ; George W. ; and Harris
A., who become a physician, and is residing in
Bradford, Pennsylvania. There was one child
by a second marriage of the father, namely :
William, a lecturer by occupation, who lives
in Oil City, Pennsylvania.
The wife of George W. Canfield's youth,
whom lie married in Illinois, was Theressa
Hiding. She died in Cherokee County, at the
age of 30 years, leaving two children, — Lewis
D. and Harris. Lewis D., born August 31,
1866, is a farmer of Lola township and has
two children, — Theressa and Margaret. Harris
resides with his father. Their mother was a
daughter of Rev. Louis and Olive Hiding, the
former an early pioneer. It is said that Rev.
Mr. Hiding preached one of the first sermons
in the county, at River Bottom, in the spring ot
1866. Mr. Canfield's present wife was Amanda
A. Bowman. She is a native of Indiana, born
in 1857, and is a daughter of Henry and Eliza-
beth Bowman. All of her nine children are
living at home. They are as follows : Madella,
Mamie, George, Jay, Clair, Edward, Edna,
Alba and Marvin.
As before stated, Mr. Canfield has always
been prominent in the affairs of Cherokee
3 -'4
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
County. He was active in the organization of
the county and township, and served in differ-
ent minor offices. He was for 17 years a jus-
tice of the peace in Lola township. Formerly
a Republican, he cast his last vote in that party
for James G. Blaine. In the breaking up of
party lines which followed this contest, Mr.
Canfield espoused the Populist cause, and has
since been prominently identified with its his-
tory. He was a delegate to the recent national
convention at Cincinnati, and to the Topeka
convention. He is a member of, and helped to
organize, the A. H. T. A. In educational mat-
ters he has ever been helpful, aiding in the
building of the first school house in the county.
The foregoing sketch will serve to acquaint
the reader with the salient facts in the career
of one of Cherokee County's best citizens, a
gentleman whose life has been wholly honor-
able, and whom all hold in the highest esteem.
OHN EISENHART, deceased, an old
settler of Mineral township and well
known contractor of Scammon, was
born in 1835 in Pennsylvania, where
he lived until he grew to manhood. Before
taking up the trade of a stone-mason, he learned
that of a tanner, which he followed for three
years.
He was married in 1859 to Catherine Rus-
seller, a daughter of Samuel and Mary (Kah-
ler) Russeller, of Pennsylvania, and thereafter
went to Ohio, where he was engaged in mining
in the coal fields for seven years. About this
time he decided to go West and try his fortunes
in the new country, and with his family he
moved to Texas, and there followed his trade
of stone-mason. Three years later, 1880, found
him settled in a place called Stillson, near Scam-
mon, Cherokee County, Kansas, this being some
time before Scammon was laid out.
During the period of his residence in Kan-
sas, Mr. Eisenhart worked at his trade, and in
his later years finished many ' ~ts,
employing at one time as many < u. ^ie
also invested in town property *us invest-
ments each time turned out succes rr ully.
Mr. Eisenhart came to Scamnion without
a dollar, but his perseverance and honesty
brought him not only esteem, but prosperity,
and an income which yielded many comforts,
not the least of which was a nice home. He
died August 16, 1904, and was buried under
the auspices of the I. O. O. F. lodge of
Scammon. A wife and four children are left
to mourn his loss. Mary, the eldest of the
children, was born in Pennsylvania, and mar-
ried Amos Vieweg; she has six children, —
Kate, Bessie, Anna, Mary, Novella and John
A. John, the second child, born in Pennsyl-
vania, married Nettie Young, and has two chil-
dren, — Vera and John. Ellsworth, born in
Ohio, married Nellie Horn, and has one child, —
Beatrice. Charles, born in Ohio, is unmarried.
Two children died in infancy, viz : William
Henry and Ulysses Grant.
Mr. Eisenhart's parents were natives of
Pennsylvania. The father, Jonas Eisenhart.
a farmer, died there at the age of y2 years, and
the mother, Polly (Geist) Eisenhart, died at
the age of 58 years. They were the parents
of an unusually large family, which consisted
of nine boys and nine girls. Fourteen of them
lived to a marriageable age. Six only are now
living, namely: William, Daniel, Gabriel,
Lewis, Emanuel and Mary.
Mr. Eisenhart was independent, in politics,
his vote being given to the best man. The
esteem in which he was held by his friends and
neighbors is shown by the fact that, for years,
he was trustee of Mineral township and was
serving his second term as city treasurer of
Scammon, at the time of his death.
Although a volunteer, in 1861, in the Penn-
E. M. TRACEWELL
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
3-'7
sylvania State Militia, he saw no active service.
He was, however, a stanch Union man, and
during the war served the cause in many ways.
Scammon and Cherokee County owe much
to the solid, industrious class represented by
Mr. Eisenhart. No drought has been so severe
as to dry up their enthusiasm for their, section,
and their faith in it, nor has any season been
so wet as to dampen their ardor.
The subject of this sketch has gone to his
reward, following many of his early associates
in this region, but others are coming forward to
take up their unfinished tasks, and emulate the
worthy example shining forth from Mr. Eisen-
hart's civic career, and from the lives of his de-
parted colaborers in promoting the prosperity
of their community
M. TRACEWELL, senior, member
of the well known law firm of Trace-
well & Moore, at Columbus, whose
portrait is presented on the opposite
page, has been a resident of Cherokee County
since the spring of 1882. He was born at Park-
ersburg, Virginia, now West Virginia, in 1847,
and is a son of W. N. and L. V. (Brown)
Tracewell.
W. N. Tracewell was also born at Parkers-
burg, where for some years he was an attorney.
In 1853 he removed to Indiana, and was en-
gaged there in the practice of his profession
until shortly before his death, which took place
while on a visit in Washington, D. C, April
19, 1898. E. M. Tracewell's only brother,
Robert J. Tracewell, has been Comptroller of
the United States Treasury, at Washington,
D. C, since 1897.
E. M. Tracewell was reared in Indiana, and
studied law at the State University at Bloom-
ington during 1866-67-68. He was admitted
to the bar at Corydon, Indiana, in March, 1869.
After 12 years of active practice at Leaven-
18
worth, Indiana, Mr. Tracewell came to Colum-
bus, Cherokee County, in 1882, where he has
continued in his profession ever since. He was
first associated with the late Colonel Hallowed,
United States District Attorney, later, with T.
P. Anderson, now of Kansas City, and since
February, 1901, he has been a partner of W. J.
Moore. Mr. Tracewell has quietly and indus-
triously pursued his profession, taking part in
much of the county's important litigation, and
meeting with the success which results from
honest effort and a profound knowledge of the
law. He commands the respect of the officers
of the court, and entertains cordial relations
with other members of the Cherokee County
Bar.
Mr. Tracewell was first married, in Indiana,
to Laura E. Lane, who died there in 1878,
leaving three children, namely: W. N., who is
employed in the Post Office Department at
Washington, D. C. ; John E., who has been in
a clerical position at Denver for the past four
years; and Nellie, who is at home. In 1887
Mr. Tracewell was married, in Kansas, to
Alice M. Greene, of Newport, Ohio, and they
have a family of four daughters and two sons,
namely: Grace G., Vallie G., Katherine,
Thane, Edward M. and Lucy. The children
have been reared in the faith of the Baptist
Church, of which Mrs. Tracewell is a consis-
tent member.
Mr. Tracewell is fraternally associated with
the Knights of Pythias, Independent Order of
Odd Fellows, Modern Woodmen of America,
Knights and Ladies of Security, and Sons and
Daughters of Justice.
ILTON R. STEWARD, president of
the Columbus Vitrified Brick &
Tile Company, vice-president of
the Columbus State Bank, and
identified with many of the successful business
!2*
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
enterprises of Cherokee County, was born in
Salem County, New Jersey, in 1853.
Mr. Steward comes of an agricultural line
of ancestors, of Irish and Welsh extraction,
and on the maternal side they were Quakers.
In 1855 hi s P<i rents moved to Macoupin County,
Illinois, settled on a farm and passed the re-
mainder of their lives there, the mother dying
in 1894, and the father passing away about
two years later. The three survivors of their
family of children are: Milton R. ; B. F., of
Columbus; and W. H., an attorney living at
Carlinville, Illinois.
The subject of this sketch remained at home
until 1868, when he went to Neosho, Missouri,
where he was engaged in clerking until 1873.
when he returned to Macoupin County, Illinois,
and engaged in business for himself. Later, he
and his brother established a store at Red Oak,
Iowa, which they removed to Columbus, Kan-
sas, in 1883. Here for 20 years Mr. Steward
was interested in a large dry goods, boot, shoe
and clothing concern, which was conducted
ler the firm style of Steward Brothers.
The Columbus Vitrified Brick & Tile Com-
1 • was incorporated in February, 1903, with
t e following officers: Milton R. Steward,
president; William Hoffmire, vice-president;
Philip C. Metzler, manager; E. D. Whiteside,
secretary ; and L. J. Slease, treasurer, the board
of directors being the above named capitalists,
with the addition of Judge A. H. Skidmore.
The business of the company is the manufacture
of paving and building brick. It is the only
brick plant in the county, and is located just
north of the city limits of Columbus, where the
company owns 22 acres. Its shale beds run
from 10 to 18 feet deep, there being practically
an unlimited supply. The company is working
with a capital of $30,000, employs from 18 to
20 men and produces from 12,000 to 20,000
bricks a day. It has a ready market for all the
i can produce. This has proven one of
the most successful business enterprises in
which Columbus capital has been invested. In
addition to his interests in the brick company,
Mr. Steward is vice-president, and one of the
directors, of the Columbus State Bank, and is
interested in coal lands at Mineral.
Mr. Steward was married in Illinois to Lou-
ise H. Hillier, a daughter of Edwin Hillier, a
large stock dealer in that State. They have one
daughter, Mabelle, who resides at home. The
family belong to the Methodist Episcopal
Church.
Politically, Mr. Steward is a Republican,
and fraternally he is a Mason and is connected
with the Blue Lodge and Royal Arch Chapter
at Columbus. By a long and honorable busi-
ness career, and by his many genial social quali-
ties, Mr. Steward has well earned the esteem of
his fellow citizens.
F. RIKER, a well known and repre-
sentative farmer of Cherokee Coun-
ty, who owns a farm of 280 acres
in section 1. Crawford township,
was born in Menard County, Illinois, 18 miles
northwest of Springfield, in i860; he is a son
of Frederick Risckley and Susan (Yardley)
Riker.
Frederick Risckley Riker followed the trade
of harness-maker all his active life, and died
at White Hall, Greene County, Illinois, in 1874,
aged about 50 years. His widow, who still
survives, at the age of 79 years, lives in Menard
County, Illinois. She has a daughter, Mrs.
Kate Swan, residing at Fort Madison, Iowa.
The subject of this sketch was reared in
Illinois, and attended the common schools.
Since he reached the age of 16 years, he has
been entirely dependent upon his own resources.
He has always provided well for his necessities,
has made friends in all directions and now, in
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
329
the prime of life, enjoys the satisfaction of
being considered one of Cherokee County's
substantial men. For about seven years prior
to coming to Kansas, Mr. Riker lived in Mis-
souri, his residence in this county dating from
1883. He settled first in Pleasant View town-
ship, but one year later sold his farm there, and
bought the excellent one he now occupies. His
farm is devoted to general farming and to
stock-raising. He has made practically all of
the improvements upon it, which include a com-
fortable home, commodious farm buildings and
all necessary structures, fences and other con-
veniences.
In 1886, Mr. Riker was married, in Chero-
kee County, to Hattie Ridenour, a daughter of
Layman Ridenour, who came to Cherokee
County in 1867. Mrs. Riker died in 1894, leav-
ing three children, — Carl, Pearl and Ray, the
two last named being now deceased.
In March, 1897, Mr. Riker married Etta
Lansdon, who was born in Linn County, Kan-
sas, in 1865, and is a daughter of Henry and
Atalanta (Ewing) Lansdon. Mrs. Lansdon
resides now at Columbus, aged 62 years. Mr.
Lansdon was born in 1830, near Lexington,
Kentucky, and about six years later accompa-
nied the parental family to Schuyler County,
Illinois, whence he came to Kansas in 1861.
He engaged in farming in Linn County, and
thence in 1873, came to Mineral township,
Cherokee County. There he continued to farm
until 1 90 1 when he moved to Columbus, where
he died October 5, 1903. His widow was born
in Illinois, and was the mother of five children,
namely : Mary F., who died, aged four
months; W. C, superintendent of the city
schools of Fort Scott, Kansas; Etta (Mrs.
Riker) ; Laura J., wife of Lee N. Wallace, who
resides at Anadarko, Oklahoma ; and Charles
H, who died, aged eight years. Mr. Lansdon
crossed the plains to California in 1850, being
one of eight brothers who, at various times,
made the same trip. He served in the State
militia of Kansas during the early days of the
Civil War. In politics, he was a Republican.
Mrs. Riker was educated in Cherokee Coun-
ty and taught school about six years in Oregon,
at Le Grande and Union, in the northeastern
part of the State. Before going to Oregon,
she taught seven years in Kansas. Mr. and
Mrs. Riker have three children, — Henry Perry,
born December 12, 1897; Earl George, born
February 17, 1899; and John Sampson, born
September 8, 1903. Politically, Mr. Riker is
identified with the Republican party. Frater-
anlly, he is associated with the lodge of Odd
Fellows at Crestline. He is a man of sterling
character, who enjoys the esteem of all with
whom he has business or social relations.
ACOB HARRY BOSS, M. D., coro-
ner of Cherokee County, and a very
highly esteemed physician and sur-
geon at Weir City, was born in 1871
in Indiana, and is a son of John and Mary
(Conrad) Boss.
John Boss was born in Switzerland in 1837,
and was 12 years old when he came to America
with his parents, who settled in Indiana, and
there Mr. Boss followed an agricultural life
until a few years ago, when he retired from
active pursuits. He married Mary Conrad,
who was born in Indiana, and they had seven
children, namely: Rosa, Laura Alice, Mary
Helen, Lizzie, Jacob Harry, William Franklin
and Carrie.
Dr. Boss grew up on his father's farm, and
attended the local schools until he began to
study the science of medicine. He prepared
for the College of Physicians and Surgeons,
at Chicago, an institution which deserves its
great reputation, and was there graduated in
1 901. He went through his hospital training,
33Q
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
and then began practice at North Liberty, In-
diana. There he remained until February,
1902, when he removed to Weir City, Kansas.
Finding a suitable field, he has built up a lucra-
tive practice, and is rapidly nearing the front
rank among the skilled practitioners of this
county. He is now serving as coroner of the
county.
In 1901, Dr. Boss was united in marriage
with Edith Clark, an accomplished lady, who
was born at Carlinville, Illinois. They have a
very pleasant home at Weir City, and the Doc-
tor has well appointed and conveniently loca-
ted offices. Both personally and professionally,
he is held in high esteem. In politics, he is
identified with the Republican party, but takes
no very active interest, devoting his attention
closely to his profession. He was, however,
nominated on the Republican ticket for coroner
in 1902. and was elected by a handsome ma-
jority.
RNST C. HOHNSBEEN. Of the
many sons of the "Fatherland" who
came to the United States during the
"fifties" in search of freedom and
fortune, the career of none has been more hon-
orable than that of the gentleman whose bio-
graphical record is here presented. It was in
1857 that Mr. Hohnsbeen disembarked from a
sailing vessel, the "Sir Robert Peel," in New
York City, having come from Hamburg, Ger-
many, where he had taken ship about six weeks
previously. He was a young man of 22 years,
having been born April 30, 1835, in Holstein,
Germany.
Mr. Hohnsbeen did not remain in the East,
but came on to the then frontier State of Iowa,
where he secured work on a farm near Daven-
port, at a monthly wage of $12. He remained
thereabouts for a period of three years, and
then took a trip across the plains to Pike's
Peak, in which vicinity he worked in the mines
for about 15 months. He made this journey
with the intention of going on to California, but
after his experience in the mines concluded to
return to farm work in Iowa, where he spent
the period of the Civil War. In the spring of
1866 he came to Cherokee County, Kansas,
where he took a "treaty right" for 160 acres
of land. This he improved for 10 years, when
he sold it and purchased his present place of
120 acres in section 21, township 33, range 22,
in Lola township. Mr. Hohnsbeen went
through all the hardships of pioneer life at that
early time. He lost, by fire, the first house he
built, and suffered other drawbacks, but by pa-
tient and industrious efforts made such pro-
gress that he was possessed of considerable
property at the end of the first 10 years. On
his new place he built a commodious farm
house, and since that time has added many valu-
able improvements. Some of the prices of
provisions in the early days in Cherokee Coun-
ty would seem exceedingly high at this time,
Mr. Hohnsbeen having on one occasion paid
$1.50 a bushel for corn, which he had to husk
himself, and which he afterward had to shell
by hand.
The character of Mr. Hohnsbeen during
the entire period of his residence in Cherokee
County is that of an honest, upright, industri-
ous farmer. He has never aspired to leader-
ship in any line, but has gone about his affairs
in a quiet, persistent way, which has won the
respect and esteem of all who know him. He
early joined the Land League of the settlers.
He is included in the membership of the First
Day Adventist Church. Formerly a Republi-
can, he has voted with the Populist party since
its organization. In the office of school trustee
he served about four years, and was for three
years treasurer of the township.
Frederick Hohnsbeen, the father of Ernst
C, spent his life in the "Fatherland," where he
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
33i
died in 1848, at die age of 48 years. By occu-
pation he was a grain boss and overseer. In
his earlier manhood, he had served about four
years in the army. He married Fredericka
Erig, who was born in 1804, and died in 1852.
Of their nine children, four of the sons are citi-
zens of the United States.
It was in 1867 that Mr. Hohnsbeen took
unto himself a wife in the person of Elizabeth
Kessler, a native of Prussia, who died in Cher-
okee County, Kansas, in 1885, at the age of
42 years. She left one son, Fred D., a train
dispatcher who, with his two boys, Ernst and
John, reside in Houston, Texas. Mr. Hohns-
been married again, his second wife being Mrs.
Zella Thompson, a widow lady with seven chil-
dren. She died two years later. The third
manage of Mr. Hohnsbeen occurred July 12,
1894, on which date he was united to Mrs.
Jane A. Carter, the lady who now presides
over his home. She was born in England in
1843, anc ^ came to the United States when five
years of age, with her parents. Her father,
William Moore, came to Cherokee County,
Kansas, in 1867, living, the first summer, with
the subject of this sketch in the original log
house. By her first husband, Mrs. Hohnsbeen
had two boys, who lost their lives as the result
of overexertion in fighting a prairie fire. She
now owns 156 acres of fine farm land near
Hallowell, left by Mr. Carter.
Mr. and Mrs. Hohnsbeen, being old settlers,
are very generally known throughout Cherokee
County, and are most highly regarded by all.
AMUEL C. HOWARD, an extensive
farmer of Sheridan township, is a
native of Douglas County, Illinois,
and a son of Rev. Wesley and Martha
Ann (Lowe) Howard, the former a native of
Ohio and the latter of Indiana.
Rev. Wesley Howard went to Douglas
County, Illinois, when a young man, was mar-
ried there, and continued to live in that countv
until 1866. In that year the Howard family,
in company with several other families, trav-
eled by wagon to Cherokee County, Kansas,
and located in Sheridan township, in sections
35 and 36, township 31, range 21. The cara-
van of 16 wagons was only five weeks making
the journey, all arriving at their destination
without serious accident. Rev. Mr. Howard
first purchased 160 acres of wild land, the only
building on it being the usual log house of the
pioneer. Later, he added to this farm 80 acres
of land in Labette County, and at the time of
his death, in September, 1879, owned 240 acres
of good farm land. His wife died June 22,
1904. For many years he was a Methodist
minister, first preaching in Illinois, and later
becoming well known as a minister of that de-
nomination in Cherokee County. Always in-
terested in the best welfare of the community,
his influence was toward the right. In politics
he was a Republican, always voting the straight
ticket. His family consisted of nine children,
as follows: William A., pastor of the Metho-
dist Episcopal Church at Weir City, formerly
pastor of the charge at Mound City, Kansas;
Samuel C, subject of this review; Clarence
W., a farmer of Sheridan township; Mary Eve-
line, wife of C. R. Mumaw, residing in South
McAlester, Indian Territory; Henry Allen, de-
ceased at the age of 23 years; Laura J., de-
ceased, who was the wife of James Howard ;
Hattie E., wife of Christopher Johnson, of
Carterville, Missouri ; Francis Wilson, living
at Hot Springs, Arkansas; and Robert B., a
painter and paperhanger of Krebs, Indian Ter-
ritory.
Samuel C. Howard was educated in the
home schools, and grew to maturity on the
homestead in Sheridan township, where he re-
mained, taking care of the father and mother,
until death claimed the father, when he took
33^
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
full charge of the farm. Here he still resides
and manages the work of the farm, bringing
to his assistance the experience acquired by long
residence on the place. The land produces all
of the small grains, besides quantities of hay.
Along with his general farming, Mr. Howard
raises a great deal of stock.
In politics our subject votes the Republican
ticket, always standing for the principles of his
party, and religiously he is a consistent member
of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. How-
ard has never married but devoted his whole
life to his parents, showing a degree of filial
love seldom equaled. He is well known in the
county and held in the highest esteem by all.
ENRY HANNON, a successful farmer
(i f Cherokee County, whose fine home,
with its beautiful surroundings and
well cultivated farm, is located in
the northwest quarter of section 14, Crawford
township, was born in the Province of Ontario,
Canada, near the city of Hamilton, November
3, 1 83 1, and is a son of Andrew and Sarah
(Hildreth) Hannon.
The paternal grandparents of the subject
of this sketch were born in Germany, the grand-
lather being a sea-going man in young man-
hood. He married Mary Valentine, and they
moved to Canada prior to 1820, after the birth
of Andrew Hannon, Henry's father. The
mother was born in the State of New York, but
was married in Canada, where she died in 1895,
aged 75 years ; the father died in 1893, at nearly
the same age. They had 1 1 children, and the
survivors are located in widely separated parts
of the country. Mr. Hannon has one brother.
Daniel, in the State of Washington, and an-
other. Joseph, in Detroit, Michigan. Another,
Adam, when last heard from, was in Northern
Michigan.
Henry Hannon was reared in Canada, and
during his boyhood had rather meager educa-
tional opportunities. This lack he has remedied
by later study and reading. Until the winter
of 1864-65 he remained in Canada, and then
removed with his family to Cass County, Mich-
igan, where he engaged in farming and con-
ducted a sawmill and lumber concern until
1880. In the spring of 1882 he went to South
Dakota, took up government land, and made
a farm in Day County.
Mr. Hannon first came to Cherokee County,
Kansas, in 1870, on a prospecting trip, and
made two other trips before leaving South Da-
kota and locating here, in 1890. Mr. Hannon's
finely improved farm has all been made by
himself. He set out the shade and orchard
trees, and with infinite care and great industry
has developed one of the most attractive and
valuable homes in the locality.
In Canada, in 1 851, Mr. Hannon married
Nancy D. Hannon, who was born there April
6, 1830. They have had eight children, name-
ly : Eliza, who married D. F. McAuliffe, re-
sides in Crawford township, and has two chil-
dren, — Henry, aged 22 years, now in Califor-
nia ; and Nannie, aged 1 7 years, who is at
home; Philander, residing in Day County.
South Dakota, who is a farmer and thresher,
and has a wife and six children ; Samuel James,
now of Salt Lake, Utah, who owns 400 acres in
Crawford township, and 200 acres in Chero-
kee township, and has a family ; Mahala,
who married R. O. Johnson, a successful
farmer of Day County, South Dakota, and
has six children: Minnie N., who mar-
ried E. N. Knight, resides at Butler, South
Dakota, and has a farm near Pierpont; Rachel,
who married A. S. McCall, of Cripple Creek,
Colorado, and died in 1888, leaving three chil-
dren, — Mabel G.. Rolla E. and Franklin E., of
whom the last named makes his home with his
grandfather; Mrs. Angeline Crosby, who died
in Michigan ; and one who died in infancv.
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
000
In politics, Mr. Harmon is a Republican; he
has taken an active part in politics, and has
served as township treasurer. He is a well
known citizen, and is held in universal esteem.
ATHANIEL THOMPSON ALLI-
SON was born in Cooper County,
Missouri, January 24, 1846. His
father was a native of Kentucky.
His mother, who was born in St. Charles, Mis-
souri, was the daughter of Elisha Goodrich, a
teacher, of Hartford, Connecticut. Her mother,
whose maiden name was Greene, was a native
of Virginia.
In his boyhood years he was under the tui-
tion of excellent New England teachers ; and
through them, in addition to the training which
a cultured mother gave, he gained a fairly good
education, before the coming on of the Civil
War, in 1861. When the schools were closed,
on account of the war, he was put to an appren-
ticeship in a printing office; but the condition
of the country becoming more unsettled, he
left the printing office, without the knowl-
edge of his parents, went to Peoria, Illinois,
and enlisted in the 28th Regiment, Illinois Vol.
Inf. After the war, he entered school again,
teaching and going to school, alternately, for
several years. He taught four years in the
Southwest Baptist College, Bolivar, Missouri,
and while there he was secretary of the faculty.
He holds the degrees of A. B. and A. M. from
this school. He came to Columbus in October,
1888, and bought a half interest in the Star-
Courier, the leading Democratic paper in Chero-
kee County, and he continued as its editor until
January, 1895. He was a delegate from Kan-
sas, in the Democratic National Convention at
Chicago, in 1892. In March, 1894, he was
appointed postmaster at Columbus. Kansas, by
President Cleveland, and he held the office
from April 1, 1894, to July 1, 1898, since which
time he has practiced law and dealt in real
estate.
In 1868, Mr. Allison was married to Nannie
Morton, a cultured, well educated woman. She
died in 1879, leaving him two daughters, — ■
Olive, now Mrs. Emmett Rea, of Vinita, Indian
Territory; and Hortense, yet at home. In
June, 1882, he was married to Mrs. Nannette
Martien Cook, of Clinton, Missouri, one of the
leading teachers of the State. By this mar-
riage two step-sons were taken into his family ;
Homer Martien Cook, now pastor of the South-
side Baptist Church, Chicago, Illinois ; and
Joseph Norman Cook, a commercial traveler,
now living in that city. Mr. and Mrs. Allison
live in Columbus, where they have a quiet, com-
fortable home.
EORGE J. KNIGHTON, one of the
prosperous business men of Weir
City, who carries on a large general
grocery business, was born in Cam-
bridgeshire, England, in 1870. and is a son of
George Knighton.
The subject of this sketch came to America
with his father in 1886. He is one of a family
of seven children, all of whom live in the United
States, viz. : Lizzie, wife of Frank Baker, located
near Weir City; George J. ; H. T. ; Mary, wife
of James Hope, living near Weir City; Sarah,
wife of Archie Brown, a resident of the same
vicinity ; William ; and Ernest.
On coming to America, George J. Knighton
and his father settled near Scranton, Pennsyl-
vania, where they worked in the coal mines, and
later in the mines at Midway, near Pittsburg,
Kansas. In 1891 they came to Weir City,
where they worked in the mines, and where
the father is still employed. From 1891 to
1897, the subject of this sketch was engaged
334
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
in the mines and in other occupations. In the
latter year he started an oil wagon, and fol-
ic .wed that business for about three years, visit-
ing customers at Weir City, Scammon and
throughout the county. In 1900 he bought
two lots on West Main street, Weir City, on
which he erected his present commodious store
building, and then went into the general gro-
cery business. Mr. Knighton has met with the
success his energy and industry deserve, and he
is held in the highest esteem by his fellow citi-
zens. He has always taken an interest in the
general advancement of Weir City's interests,
having served one year on the city's School
Board, and five years on the board of District
No. 59.
In politics, Mr. Knighton is independent.
Fraternally, he belongs to Encampment No.
60, I. O. O. F., at Weir City. He is one of the
active, earnest, working members of the Meth-
odist Church in the city.
inniiv.
REDERICK HILLER. a worthy and
respected farmer of Ross township,
of German descent, was born Sep-
tember 2, 1853, in Wurtemberg, Ger-
He is at present residing on a farm in
section 25, township 32, range 23. Mr. Hiller
owns considerable property in different parts
of the county, and has of late years become in-
terested in the coal industry, Mine No. 5 hav-
ing been sunk on his home farm. He is what
might be termed a self-made man, having ac-
cumulated the property now in his possession
by his own efforts.
Frederick Hiller was his father, and Marie
( (iarbroeck) his mother, and both were natives
of the same place in the "Fatherland." They
grew up together and were married there, and
until 1863 were engaged in farming in their
native country. In that year they embarked
with their family for America, and after a four-
weeks voyage landed at the port of New York.
From this gateway to the New World they pro-
ceeded to Butler County, Ohio, and thence,
after a short period, to Livingston County,
Illinois. On February 7, 1872, they arrived
after an overland trip, in Ross township, Chero-
kee County, Kansas, where they purchased 160
acres of wild land in section 24, township 32,
range 23. They erected an 18 by 24-foot house,
and further improved the place. About 1893
Mr. Hiller sold out and thereafter lived with
his children. The mother died in March, 1892.
at the age of 66 years, — the father surviving
until March 4, 1903. They were consistent
and worthy members of the Evangelical
Church. The father was a man of sturdy
character, industrious and of a quiet disposi-
tion. His political affiliations were with the
Democratic party. A family of eight children
were born to these parents, as follows : Fred-
erick; John and George, of Crawford County,
Kansas ; an infant boy deceased ; Kate, who
married Fred Budde, and resides in Weir City,
Kansas; Mary, deceased, who was the wife of
J. E. Best, a farmer of Ross township; Emma,
now Mrs. George Bergman, of Crawford
County; and Rose, who married George Rea-
ser, and resides in Crawford County.
Although but 10 years of age when the
family came to this country, the subject of this
sketch had received some mental training in
the schools of his native land, which was sup-
plemented by school attendance in the different
places in this country where his parents lived.
He even attended school after coming to Cher-
okee County, although he had nearly reached
his majority. He remained dutifully at home
until he was of age, and then began branching
out for himself. He, however, was an inmate
of the home until his marriage, which occurred
January 11, 1876, Mrs. Hiller having been
Kate Buergin, of Woodford County, Illinois.
She is a daughter of Frederick and Gertrude
CHARLES A. GIBBS
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
337
(Ecker) Buergin. the father being a native of
Baden, and the mother, of Prussia. After their
marriage Mr. and Mrs. Buergin came to Amer-
ica, and first settled in Woodford County, Illi-
nois. They came, in 1871, to Ross township,
Cherokee County, Kansas, where they pur-
chased 160 acres of wild land in section 26,
township 32, range 23, which they continued to
cultivate the remainder of their lives, the father
dying in 1897, and the mother in November,
1903. There are seven children in the Hiller
family, as follows: Charles W., who married
Mamie Mills, is bookkeeper for The Central
Coal & Coke Company, and has one son, —
Vivian Louis; John E., weigh boss for the
Fleming Coal Company; Frank; Lena; Roy;
Arthur; and Gertrude. All but Charles W.
live at home.
Upon his marriage Mr. Hiller located on
his present farm, which at that time was wild
land. All the improvements which are seen
upon it now are the work of Mr. Hiller and his
good wife. As he prospered, he put his savings
into other lands, and now owns 240 acres in
sections 25 and 26, township ^2, range 2^, in
Ross township, and 160 acres in section 3.
township ^^, range 2^, in Salamanca township.
The discovery of coal on his home farm has,
in later years, greatly increased its value.
Mr. Hiller is a companionable, social spirit,
and is popular among his neighbors. He has
served as treasurer of the School Board for the
past 15 years, and has held other offices in the
township. He supports the Democratic ticket,
and is a member of the I. O. O. F., and the A.
O. U. W., both at Columbus.
HARLES A. GIBBS, a prominent
citizen of Cherokee County, whose
portrait is herewith shown, is en-
gaged in mercantile pursuits at Hal-
lowell, in Lola township. He was born Jan-
uary 5, 1852, in Oneida County, New York,
and is a son of John and Sarah J. (Dunn)
Gibbs.
John Gibbs was born in Connecticut, but
became a resident of New York in early man-
hood. He was engaged in manufacturing lum-
ber for a number of years in the "Empire
State," but came to Kansas in 1879, and died
in Cherokee County in 1891, aged 67 years.
He married Sarah J. Dunn, also of Oneida
County, New York, who died in Cherokee
County in 1898, at the age of 75 years. They
had three children, — Charles A., Ida P. and
Fred W.
Charles A. Gibbs enjoyed excellent educa-
tional advantages and is a graduate of Cornell
University, Ithaca, New York, of the class of
1874. He was engaged in the study of law for
the three succeeding years, and was admitted
to the bar in 1876. He entered upon the prac-
tice of his profession at Ithaca, New York,
but did not settle down permanently until 1878,
when he came to Cherokee County, after spend-
ing one year in Grayson County, Texas. Since
making his home at Hallowell, Mr. Gibbs has
become interested in business enterprises, and
now conducts the leading mercantile establish-
ment of the town. He does not closely apply
himself to his profession, although he accepts
cases to accommodate those who have more
reliance upon his ability than on that of other
practitioners. Politically a Democrat, he has
received many honors at the hands of the party.
During the administration of President Cleve-
land, he was postmaster at Hallowell, and has
frequently been selected as a candidate for high
positions, meeting defeat only when the party
has been unsuccessful. He served three years
as a trustee of the Cherokee County High
School, being one of the first appointees on that
board. He was also a member of the special
committee appointed by the Grand Jury, and
worked six months as county auditor.
338
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
Mr. Gibbs was first married in 1873 to Eva
Shade, who was bom at Ithaca, New York, and
died in Cherokee County, aged 34 years, leav-
ing three children, — Ernest, Nellie and Edith.
In 1889 Mr. Gibbs married Mary Higgins, who
was born at Carbondale, Pennsylvania, and
they have two children, — Dorothea and Joseph.
Mr. Gibbs is one of the leading members,
and most liberal supporters, of the Methodist
Episcopal Church at Hallowell. Fraternally,
he is an Odd Fellow. He is one of the promi-
nent citizens of the community, and an active
promoter of all movements which promise to
be of substantial benefit to the locality.
LAUDE A. HESS, the accommodat-
ing agent for The Central Coal &
Coke Company at Weir City, was
born in 1877 ' n Ohio, and is a son
of David and Nancy (Landis) Hess.
David Hess, who is a native of Ohio, is
now a resident of Deepwater, Missouri, having
been an invalid for some years. The mother
has passed away. The family consisted of
eight children, viz : Lizzie, Joseph, Emma, Let-
tie, Mary, Ira, Myrtle and Claude A. Ira is a
resident of Crawford County, Kansas, and is
also in the employ of The Central Coal & Coke
Company.
Claude A. Hess was educated at Deepwater,
Missouri, and began his business life as a clerk
with The Central Coal & Coke Company. He
was rapidly advanced to the position of chief
clerk, then to that of bookkeeper, and then was
placed in charge of the store at Nelson, Craw-
ford County, Kansas. He continued in the
employ of the company in these capacities from
November 1, 1898, until 1900, when he was
transferred to Weir City, and was bookkeeper
at this point until 1902. Then he was appointed
agent for the company, — a responsible position
which he still fills. Air. Hess also has charge
of the payment of the miners at the shafts, a
position of the greatest trust.
Air. Hess is very highly appreciated by the
company, and his long continuance with it
speaks for itself as to his ability and efficiency.
He owes his success in life to his own efforts,
to his fidelity to the interests of his employers,
and to a pleasing personality which easily wins
friendly regard.
ENJAMIN THOMAS DUGGER.
who owns one of the best farms of
Cherokee County, consisting of 160
acres, and situated in section 23.
township 32, range 24, in Alineral township,
and also has a fine trade as a blacksmith, was
born in 1859 in Johnson County, Tennessee,
and is a son of William H. and Nancy (Cable )
Dugger.
The paternal grandfather of the subject of
this sketch was Thomas Dugger, who was born
in North Carolina, but in early life removed to
Tennessee, and later to Indiana. There he died
before the Civil War, at the age of 84 years.
He married Hannah Pierce, who was born in
Virginia, and they reared a family which re-
flected credit upon the training they received.
William H. Dugger was born in Johnson
County, Tennessee, where he married, and in
1867 came to Cherokee County, Kansas. He
settled first in Pleasant View township, where
he lived four years, and then removed to a loca-
tion on the old "Military Road." There he
built a blacksmith shop, and worked at his
trade until 1871. Moving at that period to
Alineral township, he took up a government
claim of 160 acres, where he continued to farm
and also to work at his trade. William H.
Dugger was very well known and highly es-
teemed. One of the first settlers in this locality,
he was also one of the most intelligent and re-
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
339
liable and exerted a great influence. His death
took place June 7, 1902, at the age of 76 years.
He is survived by his widow, who finds a wel-
come home with her five children, the subject
of this sketch being the only son. The daugh-
ters are, — Lizzie, Jane, Sarah and Nancy.
The farm upon which his father settled in
Mineral township is now owned by the subject
of this sketch, and he also carries on the black-
smith business, which he learned under his
father's instruction. Mr. Dugger is one of the
very busy men of the township, and but few
have made more material progress than he has,
in the same time. He is both a good farmer
and a first-class blacksmith, and besides is a
pleasant, genial man, who has hosts of friends
in the neighborhood.
On January 6, 1897, Mr. Dugger was mar-
ried to Julia Anna Granson, who was born at
Elba, Nebraska, April 6, 1879. They have a
happy little family of four children, namely :
Clara May, Hazel Fay, Zada Florence, and
Anna Elizabeth.
As one of the intelligent and well informed
men of his township, Mr. Dugger takes a lively
interest in public matters, and politically he is
identified with the Republican party.
ILLIAM T. FERGUSON. Kansas
is the "old soldier" State. Of all
the pages of American history,
none breathe the true American
spirit with greater fervor than those devoted to
the story of her rise and progress, and in every
stage of her marvelous development the "old
soldier" appears. As a youth he listened to
the fireside tales of the Indian and buffalo. In
the "fifties" these gave place to even more ex-
citing incidents, in which men of his own race
appeared as factors. As the years passed, he
himself was frequently found among the actors,
so that when the flame of war swept over the
nation, superinduced by the same causes that
gave birth to the State, there sprang from her
prairies a greater proportionate number of de-
fenders of the Union than from any other
State. And when the verdict of war had been
given, what so natural as that the man, who
had offered his life for the same principle which
caused the State's birth, should seek to establish
his home upon her broad area. There are
many of these "old soldiers" in Cherokee
County, and we are here privileged to mention
one of the most worthy. William T. Ferguson
is a farmer, residing in section 12, township 32,
range 24, in Cherokee township, where he set-
tled in 1887, coming from Jefferson County,
Pennsylvania, where he was torn July 24,
1838.
Mr. Ferguson developed a strong physical
frame on a farm in Jefferson County, of the
old "Keystone State," and among her hills im-
bibed a spirit of patriotism which early carried
him into the struggle for the defense of the
Union. He enlisted in 1861 as a private in
Company E, 62d Reg. Pennsylvania Vol. Inf.,
in which he passed three years of strenuous
warfare. He was discharged July 17, 1864,
at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, with the rank of
fifth sergeant. One needs only to turn to the
history of the old 62c! Regiment to read the
story of Mr. Ferguson's army life. Besides
many minor skirmishes and sharp fights, he
was at the siege of Yorktown, at Hanover
Court House, in the Seven Days' Battle, the
Second Bull Run, Antietam, bloody Freder-
icksburg and "stick-in-the-mud" Chancellors-
ville. at the immortal Gettysburg, "the high
water mark of the Confederacy," and closed his
army life with Grant in the operations before
Petersburg. Through all this strenuous life,
the subject of this sketch passed without a
single day away from his company, although
he was slightly wounded several times. He re-
340
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
ceived a flesli wound in the left leg at Malvern
Hill: in the left hand. July 2, 1862, in the
second day's fighting at Gettysburg; and in the
right arm, at Laurel Hill, in May, 1864. On
June 18 of the same year, he received his last
I federate "love touch," a scalp wound, in
front of Petersburg.
Mr, Ferguson took up the routine of civil
life gladly enough after his experience in the
anii\-. resuming his trade of carpenter, at which
he served an apprenticeship prior to the war.
He continued to reside in his native county
until 1887, and then resolved to change his oc-
cupation to that of a farmer. His farm here in
Cherokee County consists of 80 acres of fine
land, on which are a comfortable farmhouse
and all the necessary outbuildings, the whole
making a very nice farm property. For the
first seven years after coming to the county,
Mr. Ferguson worked at his trade in connection
with farming, but of late he has devoted his
entire attention to the latter.
The marriage of Mr. Ferguson took place
on August 25, 1864. His wife's maiden name
was Sarah J. Myers. She is a native of Bed-
ford County. Pennsylvania, and a sister of
John Lane Myers, a sketch of whom appearing
elsewhere in this volume contains the history of
her family. Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson have no
children.
William T. Ferguson is the son of William
l-'erguson and Margaret (Summerville) Fer-
guson. The former was born at Gettysburg,
Pennsylvania, in 1812; the latter was born in
Armstrong County, of the same State, in 181 1.
There they passed their lives in farming, the
father dying in 1852, the mother, in 1883. They
had 12 children, of whom the following are
still living: William T. ; Sarah A. (Mrs. D.
I!. Mortimer), of Clarion County, Pennsylva-
nia: Samuel M., who married Margaret Morti-
mer, and resides in Clarion County; Azel F.,
who married Nancy Cochran, and lives in But-
ler County, Pennsylvania; and Josiah S., who
married Mary Bates, and Hamilton E., who
married Annie Law-son, both of whom reside
in Clarion County, Pennsylvania.
Having been baptized in the Republican
font by casting his first vote for the immortal
Lincoln, Mr. Ferguson has always taken pleas-
ure in supporting the principles of that party.
He is a member, of the A. H. T. A. and of the
Grand Army of the Republic. His character
in Cherokee County is that of an industrious,
upright and patriotic citizen, and he enjoys the
respect of all with whom he is acquainted, or
with whom he may have business relations.
RANCIS O. PARGEN, a leading citi-
zen and prominent farmer of Lola
township, has been connected with
affairs in Cherokee County since his
early childhood, his parents having moved
here about 26 years ago. He was born in
Livingston County, Missouri, June 16, 1864,
and now resides on a farm of 320 acres in sec-
tion 32, township 33, range 22, in Lola town-
ship, and section 5, township 34, range 22, in
Neosho township.
Owen Pargen, father of the subject of this
sketch, was born in County Roscommon, Ire-
land, December 23, 1843. He came to the
United States as an orphan boy and settled in
Cleveland. Ohio, where he remained until after
his marriage, when he removed to Livingston
County, Missouri. Here he became connected
with the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad sys-
tem as section foreman, being one of the first
on the system. In 1871 he moved into the
Indian Territory, about the same time making
a purchase of 280 acres of "Joy land" in Chero-
kee County, this being a part of the farm which
the subject of this sketch now owns. After
eight years' residence in the Indian Territory,
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
34i
he moved with his family to his land in Chero-
kee County and continued its cultivation until
his death, which occurred in Chetopa in 1896.
Mr. Pargen was an industrious, hardworking
man, and left a considerable estate as the result
of his good management. He was a devout
Catholic, as are also the family which he reared.
As before stated, he was married in Cleveland,
being wedded to Bridget O'Dowd, also a native
of County Roscommon, her birth having oc-
curred December 28, 1831. After the terrible
famine which afflicted Ireland in the early "fif-
ties" she and her only brother came to America
and located in Cleveland. The brother, John
O'Dowd, now resides in Missouri, at the age of
80 years. The subject of this sketch was the
eldest of the five sons born to these parents,
the others being as follows: Thomas O., yard
foreman for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe
Railway, at Cleburne, Texas ; John, a railroad
conductor living at Osawatomie, Kansas;
George P., also a conductor and a resident of
the same place ; and James S., a twin brother of
George P., who is a railroad brakeman residing
at San Miguel, New Mexico. The mother of
this family died in Cherokee County, Kansas,
on her J2& birthday. She was a woman of
many superior qualities, and a devout com-
municant of the Catholic Church.
Francis O. Pargen is the only member of
the family who is not in the railroad business.
On the death of his father, he came into the
management of the home farm, and later into
possession of it, by satisfying the claims of
the other heirs. It consists of the original pur-
chase of 280 acres, and a later one of 40 acres
made by his mother. Of the 320 acres, 120
are in section 32, township 33, range 22, in
Lola township, and the remainder in section 5,
township 34, range 22, in Neosho township.
Upon settling on the place, 26 years ago, the
father built a large two-story frame house, 26
by 26 feet in dimensions, bringing the lumber
from the Indian Territory. For years this
was one of the largest farm houses in the
county. It was burned to the ground in April,
1896, after which Mr. Pargen erected the pres-
ent fine residence. The farm itself is one of the
best in the county. All of the land but 60 acres
is under cultivation, there is a good orchard on
it, and it is all well fenced. A large barn, to-
gether with other necessary buildings for stock,
puts on the finishing touch to a splendid farm
property.
Mr. Pargen's family consists of four chil-
dren, — Owen, Leo, John and James. His wife
died September 2^, 1901. Her maiden name
was Ellen Johnson. She was a daughter of
Michael and Katherine Johnson, and was born
May 10, 1866, in County Roscommon, Ireland.
Mr. Pargen is well thought of in his com-
munity and throughout Cherokee County. He
has always interested himself in the welfare of
his neighborhood, and has served at different
times in the unsalaried offices. He has
been a member of the School Board for the
past 15 years, and has served as justice of the
peace two terms. He is a Republican, with
a strong leaning towards the union labor idea,
having been that party's candidate for county
recorder in its first fight in the county. His
standing is unquestioned, and he deserves the
large measure of respect accorded him.
AMILTON BEEBE LATHROP.
One of the beautiful homes in the en-
virons of Columbus is that of Hamil-
ton B. Lathrop, who owns a farm of
80 acres in section 33, Salamanca township.
Mr. Lathrop was born in March, 1834, in
Chautauqua County, New York, and is a son of
Anson E. and Mary (Beebe) Lathrop.
This family is an old and distinguished one
in New England, its founders in America hav-
34-2
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
ing come to those bleak shores on the "May-
flower." Two brothers of this name settled in
Connecticut; later the family branches scat-
tered into New York, thence into Iowa and still
farther West, and now it is well and honorably
represented in Kansas.
Anson E. Lathrop was born in New York,
and was engaged there in farming and stock-
raising until 1850. Then he moved to Iowa
and located in Dubuque County, where he con-
tinued to farm until the fall of 1865. At that
period he sold out there, and bought a farm
and other property at what is now r Humboldt,
in the Des Moines River Valley. There he died
in February, 1870, aged 65 years. He first
married Mary Beebe, who died in 1848, leav-
ing four children, — Catherine, Edwin A.,
Hamilton Beebe and Francis Marion. Of
these, Catherine, born in April, 1828, married
Sylvester Dean, and is now a widow, residing
at Mitchell, South Dakota. Edwin A., born
in September, 1831, accompanied the family to
[o\\ a, then went on to California and to Oregon,
where he became principal of the schools of
Empire City, Oregon. Later, he entered into
political life, serving as county clerk for a long
time. He accumulated considerable property,
and became interested in mining at Baker City.
At the time of his death, which occurred sud-
denly in his office at Baker City, he was mana-
ger of one of the large mining companies of
that section. During the Indian disturbances in
his early life there, he did a soldier's duty and
was thoroughly identified with that part of the
try. His two children also are deceased.
Francis Marion, born in March, 1842, attended
college at Hopkinston, Iowa, and on the out-
break of the Civil War enlisted in Company
I, 1 2th Reg., Iowa Volunteer Inf., under Lieu-
tenant Fowler. He held the rank of sergeant.
At Pittsburg Landing, he was taken prisoner,
and was first incarcarated at Atlanta, and later
at Macon, Georgia, where he succumbed to
the entailed hardships, and died in June, 1862.
The second marriage of Anson E. Lathrop
was in the fall of 1849 to the widow of Dr.
Averill, a prominent physician who lived near
Syracuse, New York. One daughter was born
to this second marriage.
The subject of this sketch scarcely remem-
bers his birthplace, as he w r as but a small child
when his parents removed from the vicinity of
Jamestown to Wayne County, New York,
where he grew to manhood. He accompanied
the family in 1850, when it removed to Cas-
cade township, Dubuque County, Iowa, and re-
mained there until 1865. In 1863 he enlisted
with the unattached men who were subject to
call in case of emergency, the demands of a
growing family making it inexpedient for him
to enter into active service at that time. In
1865 he settled on a wild tract in Buchanan
County, Iowa, which he developed into a fine
farm, and remained on it until the spring of
1880, when he decided to take up a tree claim
in Spink County, South Dakota. He also ac-
quired a homestead here, upon which he re-
mained long enough to make it a fine farm, al-
though, in order to do so, he and his family
were obliged to endure the many hardships of
pioneer settlers. In 1894 Mr. Lathrop traded
this farm for 255 acres in Union County, South
Dakota, and again entered upon the develop-
ment of an agricultural property out of a wild
prairie. This he succeeded in doing, and in
March, 1898, he sold this third farm and re-
moved to Cherokee County, Kansas, purchas-
ing his present home and farm. He is now
retired from active pursuits, in the enjoyment
of ample means, and surrounded by all that
makes his declining years peaceful and con-
tented.
Mr. Lathrop was married in 1856, at Cas-
cade, Dubuque County, Iowa, to Mary Elliott,
who was reared in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
whence she had removed to Iowa. Three
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
343
daughters and one son were born to them,
namely: Minnie Beebe; Viva E. ; Frances
Marian, and William Anson. Minnie Beebe
married a Mr. Andrus, who is a resident of
Pueblo, Colorado, where he has been a promi-
nent business man for a number of years, and
where she has buried her three children. Viva
E. is Mrs. Hickman; she was married in Buch-
anan County, Iowa, and now resides in Colum-
bus, Kansas, her two children being: Myrtle,
a teacher at Empire City, and Byrl, a youth of
10 years. Frances Marian, wife of Frank C.
Andrus, a prominent grocer of Spokane, Wash-
ington, has one son, Clyde, a high school grad-
uate, aged 19 years, and has lost a little daugh-
ter. William Anson, who is now a resident of
Minneapolis, Minnesota, is an express messen-
ger running between Minneapolis and Chicago.
His two daughters are deceased, but he has one
son, Fred, to still perpetuate an honored name.
Politically, Mr. Lathrop has always been a
zealous supporter of the Republican party, since
he cast his first presidential vote for Abraham
Lincoln, in i860. Mr. Lathrop was reared a
Congregationalist, but is now connected with
the Presbyterian Church at Columbus. His
long and useful life has been replete with in-
terest, and as he is a man of most retentive
memory and gentle courtesy, a visitor feels that
he has been abundantly entertained during a
few hours' conversation with the subject of
this sketch. He is well known in Columbus
and vicinity, and is universally esteemed.
ILLIAM D. BROWN, who proba-
bly owns the best home in Neosho
township, Cherokee County, and
for many years has enjoyed easy
circumstances, has seen many trials and hard-
ships since he first came to this locality. He
was born in Montgomery County, Indiana,
September 19, 1846, and is a son of Matthew
and James (Graves) Brown.
Matthew Brown was born in Kentucky,
July 3, 1812, and died in Kansas at the age of
74 years. He accompanied his parents when 15
years old, to Indiana, where he followed mer-
chandising and stock dealing, and continued
this after moving to Marion County, Iowa. He
was very successful and possessed considerable
capital, which he invested in property in Chero-
kee County, Kansas, in 1871. He was a Re-
publican in politics, and fraternally was a Ma-
son. He married Jane Graves, who was born
in Randolph County, North Carolina, October
29, 1819, and still survives, making her home
with the subject of this sketch. This venerable
lady is probably one of the oldest residents of
the county. She was the mother of 10 chil-
dren, William D. being the only surviving son.
Two of his sisters were killed in a cyclone, soon
after the family settled in Kansas.
Mr. Brown remained with his parents in
Iowa until he enlisted for service in the Civil
War. In the spring of 1864, he entered Com-
pany A, 33rd Reg. Iowa Vol. Inf., and served
under Captain Price and Colonel Mackey, par-
ticipating in the battles of Saline River, Arkan-
sas ; and Mobile, Alabama. The rest of his
term was taken up in scouting expeditions, in
which he took part in a great deal of skirmish-
ing. On two occasions he was sent to the hos-
pital, spending about six months there in all,
and was finally honorably discharged on Sep-
tember 19, 1865, from the 34th Iowa Regi-
ment, to which he had been transferred.
In 1871 Mr. Brown accompanied his par-
ents from Marion County, Iowa, where he had
lived since he was six years old, to Cherokee
County, Kansas, driving the whole distance,
which consumed four weeks. The father took
the large family, plenty of household goods
and seven of his fine horses with him, one of
the latter being valued in Iowa at $500. A
344
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY
small frame house was hastily built on the tract
of 1 60 acres of government land first secured,
and for a time prospects seemed encouraging.
Then came the grasshoppers and the chinch-
bugs, and all the growing crops were totally
destroyed; five of the fine Iowa horses died,
and, worse than all, a terrific cyclone blew
down the house and in its wreck killed two of
the children. It required courage, indeed, to
retrieve these losses, and to discern any hope
in the future.
Mr. Brown has made all the improvements
on his present farm in section 1, township 34,
range 22, which he operates as a stock farm,
and on which he keeps 60 head of fine grade
cattle. This place is well known and univer-
sally admired. Mr. Brown has set out orchards
and shade trees of all kinds and, under changed
climatic conditions, it is but remotely possible
that the disasters of the past could be repeated
here.
On March 6, 1890, Mr. Brown was mar-
ried to Nora Tetrick, who was born in Kansas.
They have one son, — William Lloyd. Mr.
Brown is one of the leading members of the
Republican party in his township, and is now
serving his fifth term as trustee. For the past
29 years, he has been a member of the School
Board, and takes an interest in all public affairs.
He belongs to the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, the Grand
Army of the Republic and the Anti-Horse
Thief Association.
I HARLES M. HORD, a retired farmer
of Cherokee County, and a promi-
nent resident of Columbus, where he
has built a beautiful residence, was
born in 1862 at Marion, Marion County, Ohio,
and is a son of Peyton and Mary J. (Hutch-
inson) Hord, natives of Rockingham County,
Virginia, and Franklin County, Ohio, respect-
ively.
Peyton Hord died in 1875, leaving seven
children, namely : Charles M., Thomas B.,
Addie, Bailey, Laura H, Amaziah and Jennie
M. Thomas B. Hord is a very prominent busi-
ness man of Central City, Nebraska. He owns
about 20,000 acres of land, and is a large, inde-
pendent feeder of cattle and raiser of stock.
He is also the president of a bank. Addie,
deceased, was the wife of Rev. D. M. Harris,
who was formerly located in Crawford County,
Kansas. Bailey is deceased. Laura H. is the
wife of Charles D. Juvinal, and lives in Spring-
field, Ohio. Amaziah is deceased. Jennie M.
is the wife of James B. Guthrey, a capitalist of
Marion, Ohio.
The subject of this sketch remained in Ohio
until he was 20 years of age, and his life has
been mainly devoted, until his retirement, to
handling stock and to other agricultural pur-
suits. He spent two years on cattle ranges in
Wyoming and three years in Nebraska, and
came to Cherokee County in 1888. He re-
mained upon his farm, situated within a mile
of Columbus, until 1902, since which time he
has enjoyed the comforts of his city home.
In 1887 Mr. Hord was married, in Ohio,
to Millie Johnston, who was born in that State,
and is a daughter of the late Dr,. Johnston, ot
Bucyrus, who conducted a drug store there for
more than 50 years. The business is continued
by Mrs. Hord's brother, the father having died
in 1900.
Mr. Hord is a Mason, having membership
in the Blue Lodge at Columbus, while his wife
is with him a member, of the affiliated organiza-
tion, — the Order of the Eastern Star. He is
also a member of the Modern Woodmen of
America. In religious connection, Mr. Hord
is a Baptist, while Mrs. Hord is a Presbyterian.
She is a member of the Topeka Chapter.
Daughters of the American Revolution, being
JrZ
UK, <
t ' • ) 'CM
<
03
c5
a
o
03
Q
03
2
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
347'
the only lady from Columbus that enjoys that
distinction. Her brother is a member of the
Sons of the Revolution.
gl OHN GRAY, one of the prosperous and
highly respected farmers of Mineral
township, where he owns a well culti-
vated farm of 160 acres, was born in
1845, at Tewksbury, Massachusetts. He is a
son of Jonathan and Phcebe (Batchelder)
Gray.
Jonathan Gray died August 15, 1845, when
his son, John, the youngest of the family of
nine children, now the only surviving member
of the family, was less than a year old. The
mother was born at Reading, Massachusetts,
and died at Tewksbury, aged 52 years. After
the death of Jonathan Gray, the State of Mas-
sachusetts bought his property, which was ad-
vantageously located for public purposes, and
thereon erected the State Alms House, where
it still stands.
John Gray continued to farm in his native
locality until 1863, when he enlisted for service
in the Civil War, entering the 15th Massachu-
setts Battery. He was mustered out when the
war closed, in 1865, at Readville, Massachu-
setts. In 1867 he went to Illinois, and there
rented land for seven years, during which
period he married. In 1873 he made a visit to
Kansas, and finally purchased his present farm
of 160 acres, in section 28, township 32, range
24, in Mineral township. In the following year
he brought his family and has resided here
ever 
