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HISTORY 


(  >F 


RENO   COUNTY 

KANSAS 

ITS  PEOPLE,  INDUSTRIES  AND  INSTITUTIONS 

By 

SHERIDAN  PLOUGHE 


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


VOLUME  I 


ILLUSTRATED 


1917 
B.  F.  BOWEN  &  COMPANY,  Inc. 

.Indianapolis,  Indiana. 


TEE  NEW  "5 
O  O  ^  I   i  O  i 

TILDEN 

R  1931 


L 


Copyright,    1917, 

by 

B.  F.  Bowen  &  Co. 


PUBLISHERS'  PREFACE 


All  life  and  achievement  is  evolution;  present  wisdom  comes  from  past 
experience,  and  present  commercial  prosperity  has  come  only  from  past  exer- 
tion and  sacrifice.  The  deeds  and  motives  of  the  men  who  have  gone  before 
have  been  instrumental  in  shaping"  the  destinies  of  later  communities  and 
states.  'The  development  of  a  new  country  was  at  once  a  task  and  a  privi- 
lege. It  required  great  courage,  sacrifice  and  privation.  Compare  the  pres- 
ent conditions  of  the  people  of  Reno  county,  Kansas,  with  what  they  were 
fifty  years  ago.  From  a  trackless  area  of  virgin  land,  the  comity 
has  come  to  be  a  center  of  prosperity  and  civilization,  with  millions  of  wealth, 
svstem  of  railways,  educational  and  religious  institutions,  varied  industries 
and  immense  agricultural  and  dairy  interests.  Can  any  thinking  person  be 
insensible  to  the  fascination  of  the  study  which  discloses  the  aspirations  and 
efforts  of  the  early  pioneers  who  so  strongly  laid  the  foundation  upon  which 
has  been  reared  the  magnificent  prosperity  of  later  days?  To  perpetuate  the 
storv  of  these  people  and  to  trace  and  record  the  social,  religious,  educational, 
political  and  industrial  progress  of  the  community  from  its  first  inception,  is 
the  function  of  the  local  historian.  A  sincere  purpose  to  preserve  facts  and 
personal  memoirs  that  are  deserving  of  perpetuation,  and  which  unite  the 
present  to  the  past,  is  the  motive  for  the  present  publication.     The  publishers 

^  desire  to  extend  their  thanks  to  those  who  have  so  faithfully  labored  to  this 
end.     Thanks  are  also  due  to  the  citizens  of  Reno  count}-   for  the  uniform 
"X^ kindness  with  which  they  have  regarded  this  undertaking,  and  for  their  many 

^services  rendered  in  the  gaining  of  necessary  information. 

In  placing  the  ''History  of  Reno  County,  Kansas,"  before  the  citizens, 

:  the  publishers  can  conscientiously  claim  that  they  have  carried  out  the  plan 

-  as  outlined  in  the  prospectus.     Every  biographical   sketch   in   the   work  has 
'been  submitted   to   the   party  interested,    for   correction,   and   therefore   any 
error  of  fact,  if  there  be  any,  is  solely  due  to  the  person  for  whom  the  sketch 
was  prepared.     Confident  that  our  effort  to  please  will  fully  meet  the  appro- 
^  bation  of  the  public,  we  are, 

Respectful  lv, 

THE  PUBLISHERS. 


1 


CONTENTS 


/ 

CHAPTER  1— EARLY  EXPLORATIONS  OF  THE  WEST 33 

Opposition  to  Louisiana  F'urchase — Lewis-Clark  Expedition — Major  Long's 
Expedition  and  Noteworthy  Incidents  Connected  with  it — Other  Explorers- 
Jacob  Fowler's  Explorations  and  His  "Journal  of  Travels" — Lieutenant  Wil- 
kinson. 

CHAPTER  II— PHYSICAL  APPEARANCE  AND  EARLY  CONDITIONS 4_> 

Conditions  in  Reno  County  Similar  to  Those  in  Other  States — Characteristics 
of  the  Early  Settlers — Lack  of  Transportation  Facilities — Wild  Geese — Wild 
Game — Buffalo  Grass,  a  Wonderful  Forage — Monotony  of  the  Scene  in  Early 
Days — A  Wonderful  Transformation. 

CHAPTER  III— THE  ARKANSAS  RIVER  AND  OTHER  STREAMS 45 

Coronado,  the  First  Explorer  of  the  West — Naming  the  Arkansas  River- 
Description  of  the  River — Explorations  of  Zebulon  Pike — Jacob  Fowler's 
Journeyings — Cow  Creek  and  Some  Queries  Concerning  It — Disastrous 
Floods — Flood  Prevention  Work — Straightening  of  the  Channel — The  Drain- 
age Canal — The  Ninnescah  and  Salt  Creek. 

CHAPTER  IV— THE  OSAGE   INDIANS 54 

Few  Indians  in  Kansas  After  the  Advent  of  the  White  Man — Osage  Indians, 
Original  Owners  of  Reno  County  Territory — Original  Indian  Claims  to  the 
Land — The  Osage  Treaties — The  Osage  Trust  Lands — Indian  Habits  and 
Customs. 

CHAPTER  V— THE  BUFFALO 60 

Physical  Pecularities  of  the  American  Buffalo,  or  Bison — The  Buffalo  Range 
— Probable  Age  of  the  Species — Immense  Size  of  Herds — The  Buffalo  Grass 
— Condition  of  the  Soil  After  the  Herds  Had  Passed  and  Its  Effect  on 
Drainage — Habits  of  the  Buffalo — Buffalo  as  Food — Disappearance  of  the 
Buffalo  a  Chief  Cause  of  the  Breaking  LTp  of  the  Tribal  Relations  of  the 
Indians — Extermination  of  the  Buffalo  in  the  Interest  of  Peace — Buffalo 
Bones — Hide  Hunters — Buffalo  Wrallows. 

CHAPTER  VI— EARLY  TRAILS  ACROSS  THE  COUNTRY 67 

The  Tide  of  Emigration  Westward  After  the  Civil  W'ar — The  Cattle  Busi- 
ness— Immense  Herds  of  Texas  Cattle  Driven  North — Some  of  the  Early 
Cattle  Men — The  Cattle  Trails — The  Romance  of  the  "Trail"  and  the 
"Round-up." 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VII— BOUNDARY  LINES  71 

Legislative  Acts  of  1855,  Creating  Counties — Only  Meager  Descriptions  Pos- 
sible— Descriptions  Simplified  by  Survey  of  1857 — Numerous  Changes  in 
County  Boundaries — Creation  of  Reno  County — C.  C.  Hutchinson  and  His 
Influence  on  Early  Development  of  the  Country — His  Choice  of  a  Townsite 
— Reno  Given  Its  Present  Form — Attempts  to  Divide  the  County. 

CHAPTER  VIII— THE   EARLY  SETTLERS  76 

First  Settler  in  Reno  Count}' — Other  Earliest  Settlements  and  Those  Who 
Immediately  Followed — First  Settlements  Along  Water  Courses— Earl}' 
Game — An  Indian  Scare — Early  Land  Surveys — Many  Inaccuracies — Official 
Record  of  the  Complete  Survey  of  Reno  County. 

CHAPTER   IN— SOME   FIRST   THINGS   S2 

First  Marriage — First  Birth — First  Threshing  Machine — First  Political  Con- 
vention— First  Death — First  Cemetery — First  "Joint"  Raid — First  Alfalfa — 
Building  of  the  First  Silo — The  Last  Buffalo — Building  of  the  Rock  Island 
Railroad — A  Big  Powder  Explosion — The  Water  and  Light  Plant  in  Sherman 
Street,  West. 

CHAPTER  X—  A  YEAR  OF  DISASTER 94 

The  Year  1874,  a  Dismal  One  for  the  Pioneers  of  Reno  County — A  Hot 
Year  and  Extended  Drought — The  Locust  Scourge — The  Kansas  Relief 
Fund — Pioneers  Refuse  to  Be  Discouraged,  and  Their  Ultimate  Triumph. 

CHAPTER  NI— ORGANIZING  THE  COUNTY  98 

Petition  for  Creation  of  Reno  Count}',  Its  Approval  By  the  Governor,  and 
His  Order  for  the  Organization  of  the  County — The  First  Election — C.  C. 
Hutchinson  the  First  Representative  in  the  Legislature — First  Election  for 
County  Officers — Some  of  These  Officers — Hutchinson  to  be  a  Temperance 
Town — The  Herd  Law  and  Its  Importance  to  the  Early  Settlers — Census 
Roll  of  Reno  County,  January  18,  1872. 

CHAPTER   XII— TOWNSHIP   ORGANIZATIONS  110 

Reno,  the  First  Township — Creation,  First  Officers  and  Other  Items  of  In- 
terest Concerning  the  Townships  of  Valley,  Little  River,  Haven,  Clay. 
Castleton,  Center,  Lincoln,  Nickerson  (Grant),  Salt  Creek.  Troy,  Langdon, 
Medford,  Miami.  Grove,  North  Hayes,  Yoder,  Grove,  Loda.  Hayes,  Bell, 
Albion,  Roscoe,  Enterprise,  Plevna.  Huntsville,  Walnut.  Sylvia.  Medora,  Ar- 
lington   and    Ninnescah. 

CHAPTER    XIII— POLITICAL   PARTIES  124 

Reno  County  Settled  Largely  by  Old  Soldiers — Republican  Party  Dominant 
Throughout  the  History  of  the  County — Relative  Party  Strength — The  Pro- 
hibition Question — Notable  Political  Contest — The  Largest  Political  Meet- 
ing Ever  Held  in  the  County — Management  of  Political  Parties — Protest 
Against  the  Convention  System,  Resulting  in  the  Primary  Law — Present 
Political   Independence  of  the  Voters. 


CONTENT?. 

CHAPTER  XIV— THE  COUNTY  COMMISSIONERS  „     12« 

Management  of  the  County's  Finances — Tin-  First  Board  of  Commissioner*— 

Commissioner  Districts — Notable  Political  Row  of  1873-  Personnel  of  the 
Board  During  the  Eighties— Change  in  the  Election   Laws    Pioneer  Officials 

Lacked  "Vision." 

CHAPTER  XV— PROBATE  JUDGES  OF  RENO  COUNTY  135 

An  Important  Office — Statistics  Showing  the  Growth  of  the  Office — Foreign 
Wills  and  Guardianships — Appointment  of  Administrators — Department  of 
Domestic  Wills — Adoption  Cases  and  Juvenile  Court  Work— Marriage  Li- 
censes— List  of  Probate  Judges. 

CHAPTER  XVI— CLERKS  OF  THE  DISTRICT  COURT 142 

Office  Noted  for  Long  Tenure  of  Officials — Women  Elected  to  Office— Fir-t 
Case   in   District  Court — Separation   of  the   Criminal  and   Civil   Cases. 

CHAPTER  XVII— COUNTY  CLERKS 14', 

The  First  County  Clerk  and  His  Successors — Growth  of  Office  in  Importance 
— Duties  of  the  Clerk — Conviction  for  Embezzlement — Present  Records  Com- 
plete and  Accurate. 

CHAPTER  XVIII— COUNTY  ATTORNEYS 151 

One  of  the  Most  Important  Offices  in  the  County — Incumbents  of  the  Office 
Since  Creation  of  Same — Influence  of  the  Populists — Vote  Indicates  Growth 
of  County. 

CHAPTER  XIX— REGISTER  OF  DEEDS  156 

The  First  Register  of  Deeds  and  Those  Who  Have  Followed  Him — Impor- 
tant Functions  of  the  Office — Statistics  for  1916. 

CHAPTER  XX— SURVEYORS  AND  CORONERS 160 

Strange  Grouping  of  These  Two  Offices — First  Surveyors  of  the  County 
— The  County  Coroner  and  His  Duties  and  Status — Those  Who  Have  Held 
the  Office. 

CHAPTER  XXI— REPRESENTATIVES  AND  STATE  SENATORS be 

C.  C.  Hutchinson,  Reno's  First  Representative  in  the  Lower  House — Re- 
sume of  the  Ensuing  Elections — Rivalry  Between  Country  and  Town — State 
Senators. 

CHAPTER  XXII— SOME  EARLY  BOND  ELECTIONS 172 

Absence  of  Money  in  Early  Days  an  Embarrassment — Small  List  of  Personal 
Property  Taxpayers — Unequality  of  the  Burden — Bonds  Necessary — First 
Bond  Election— The  Building  of  Bridges  and  of  a  Court  House— Road- 
making,  An  Important  Question — C.  C.  Hutchinson's  Vision  of  Future  Reno 
Countyr. 

CHAPTER  XXIII— BONDS  OF  THE  COUNTY  AND  ITS  SUBDIVISIONS..  177 
Early    Necessity    for    Public    Improvements — County    Compelled    to    Borrow 
Money  and  Issue  Bonds — Bonded  Indebtedness,  1916 — Bonded  Indebtedness 
of  the  Townships. 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXIV— RENO  COUNTY'S  FINANCIAL  MATTERS 181 

Trouble  in  Providing-  for  the  Early  Expenses  of  the  County — Necessity  for 
Bond  Issue — Little  Market  Demand  for  the  Bonds — The  Tax  Rolls  in  1872 
— Railroad  Injunction  Suit  Against  the  County  Against  Levying  Taxes — ■ 
Compromise  With  the  Railroad — Statistics  Concerning  the  Increase  in  the 
Value  of  Taxable  Property — County's  Bonded  Indebtedness — Office  of 
County  Assessor — The   County's   Progress. 

CHAPTER   XXV— BUILDING   THE    MISSOURI    PACIFIC    188 

Early  Rivalry  Between  Towns  for  Railroads — The  Wichita-Hutchinson  Con- 
tention— Final  Triumph  of  the  Hutchinson  Crowd  in  Their  Efforts  to  Bring 
the   Missouri   Pacific  Here. 

CHAPTER  XXVI— THE  HUTCHINSON  &  SOUTHERN  RAILROAD 193 

Originally  a  Union  Pacific  Project — Controversy  Among  the  Projectors  of 
the  Road  as  to  its  Route — Its  Eventual  Building  to  Reno  County — A  Profit- 
able Transaction  for  the  Promoters. 

CHAPTER  XX VII— EARLY  FARMING 199 

Crude  Methods  of  the  Pioneer  Farmer — Importance  of  the  Early  Hay  and 
Corn  Market — Favorable  Effect  of  the  Herd  Law — First  Grist-mills — Prairie 
Fires  and  Their  Effect  on  Timber  Growth — Diversity  in  Farming — Pioneer 
Orchards — Milk  and  Eggs. 

CHAPTER  XXVIII— RENO   COUNTY  FAIRS   206 

The  First  Reno  County  Fair — Splendid  Growth  of  Later  Fairs — Beginning 
of  the  Present  State  Fair  as  an  Institution — Its  Phenomenal  Success  and 
Present  Status. 

CHAPTER  XXIX— THE   GRAIN    BUSINESS    211 

First  Grain  Buyers  of  Reno  County — Board  of  Trade — Present  Vast  Propor- 
tions of  the  Traffic — Flouring  Mills. 

CHAPTER  XXX— POSTOFFICES  AND   MAIL  ROUTES 214 

First  Overland  Mail — Hutchinson  a  Mail  Distributing  Point — Star  Routes — 
Postmasters  in  Reno  County — Free  Delivery  in  Hutchinson — Postal  Receipts 
— Rural  Free  Delivery. 

CHAPTER  XXXI— SCHOOLS,  RENO  COUNTY  225 

Incomplete  Records  of  the  Early  Schools— Unpractical  Method  of  Forming 
lir^t  School  Districts- — First  District  Organized  in  1872 — Later  Ones — Bond- 
ed Indebtedness  of  School  Districts — Later  Bond  Issues — Consolidated  Rural 
Schools — Rural  High  Schools — The  Standardized  School — School  Statistics 
— County  Superintendents — Reno  County  High  School. 

CHAPTEE    XXX  1 1  -NEWSPAPERS  OF  THE   COUNTY 237 

Reno  County  Fortunate  in  an  Abundant  Supply  of  Newspapers — Zeno  Tharp, 
Optimist — First  Newspaper  in  the  County — A  "Boomer"  on  the  Job — Later 
Newspaper  Developments— Some  Short-lived  Papers — Other  Papers —  News- 
papers as  an  Asset  to  the  Community. 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXXIII— FIRST  CHURCHES  l\  THE  <  OUNTY  ..  24.; 

First  Public  Religious  Service  in  the  County— Early   Baptisl   and   Methodist 
Societies — Congregationalist    church — The    Presbyterian    Church     Christian 
Church — Catholic  Church — The  Uhiversalist  Society     Church  Growth   K> 
ing  Pace  With  the  Growth  of  the  County. 

CHAPTER  XXXIV— EARLY   DOCTORS   OF    RENO   COUNTY    ...  247 

Strenuous  Lives  of  the  Early  Doctors — First  Doctor  in  Hutchinson  Other 
Physicians  Who  Looked  After  the  Health  of  the  Pioneers — County  Medical 
Society — Hospitals — The  Red  Cross  Society. 

CHAPTER  XXXV— BANKS  OF  RENO  COUNTY  250 

The  First  Bank  and  Other  Early  Financial  Institutions — Other  Banks  Which 
Have  Been  Started  in  the  County — Financial  Standing  of  the    Banks. 

CHAPTER  XXXVI— THE  RENO   COUNTY   BAR   254 

Lawyers  of  Reno  County  Men  of  Ability  and  High  Character — Nature  of 
Early  Legal  Business — Early  Lawyers  of  Reno  County — Bachelors  Argue 
for  Woman  Suffrage — Some  Present  Members  of  the  Bar — Younger  Members 
of  the  Bar — Convicted  Lawyer  Disbarred. 

CHAPTER   XXXVII— THE  NINTH  JUDICIAL  DISTRICT   263 

Creation  of  the  Ninth  Judicial  District — Counties  in  the  Original  District 
and   Changes  in   the   District  Boundaries — Judges   of   the   District   Court. 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII— CIVIL  WAR  SOLDIERS  IN  RENO  COUNTY—.        .  269 
Complete   List  of  Union   Soldiers   Living  in   Reno   County   in    1890.   with   the 
Number   From   Each   State. 

CHAPTER    XXXIX— STATE    MILITIA— COMPANY    E 299 

First  Military  Company  in  Reno  County — Indian  Scare — Home  Guard  Com- 
pany— Organization  of  Company  E — Roster  of  the  Company  During  the 
Spanish-American  War  and  at  the  Time  of  its  Second  Call  to  Service,  in 
1916 — Machine   Gun    Company. 

CHAPTER    XL— COMMUNITY     MUSIC    306 

Social  Gatherings  Among  the  Pioneers — Music  One  of  the  Features  of  All 
Public  Occasions — Some  Pioneer  Singers — An  Early  Music  Teacher — First 
Public  Concert — State  Music  Teachers'  Association — The  Musical  Jubilee— 
The  Municipal  Band. 

CHAPTER  XLI— SMALLER  TOWNS  IN  RENO  COUNTY 310 

Brief  Description  of  Nickerson.  Arlington.  Castleton.  Haven.  Partridge.  Abby- 
ville,   Plevna,   Langdon,  Medora,   Buhler,  Elmer.  Turon. 

CHAPTER   XLII— FORTY-FIVE   YEARS   IN   RENO   316 

Phenomenal   Progress  of  the   County   Since    Its   Organization — Comparative 

Statistics — A  Brief  Contrast  of  Conditions — Growth  of  the  City  and  Villages 
—Public  Utilities. 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XLIII—  THE  BEGINNING  OF  HUTCHINSON  319 

C.  C.  Hutchinson's  Contract  With  the  Railroad  to  Build  a  Town — Obstacles — 
Hutchinson's  Preseverance  and  Untiring  Zeal — Beginning  of  the  Town — 
First  Buildings  and  Business  Concerns. 

CHAPTER  NLIV— HUTCHINSON,  A  CITY  OF  THE  THIRD  CLASS 324 

Incorporated  as  a  City — First  City  Election — First  City  Ordinance — First 
Boundaries — Protection  From  Prairie  Fires — Early  City  Ordinances — Hitch- 
ing-post  Questions — By  Way  of  Contrast — Various  City  Elections— The  Sa- 
loon Question — Promotion  of  Public  Improvements — Census  Taken — De- 
velopment of  Public  Utilities — Fire  Protection — City  Finances — Permanent 
Improvements. 

CHAPTER  XLV— HUTCHINSON,  A  CITY  OF  THE  SECOND  CLASS 336 

Governor  Marin  Proclaims  Hutchinson  a  City  of  the  Second  Class  in  1886 — 
City  Divided  Into  Wards — Street  Car  Line  Franchise — Aid  to  Railroads — City 
Elections — City  Boundary  Line  Extended — A  City  Boom — Construction  of  a 
Sewer  System — An  Enterprising  Editor — Council  and  Mayor  at  Outs — City 
Warrants  Discounted — More  Aid  Granted  Railroads — City  Building  Pur- 
chased— The  Coming  of  Natural  Gas — City  Finances — Carnegie  Library 
Offer  Accepted — Interesting  Financial  Expedients — Street  Paving — Drainage 
Ditch — Street   Car  Line   Franchise — Commission   Form  of  Government. 

CHAPTER  XLYI— HUTCHINSON  AS  A  CITY  OF  THE  FIRST   CLASS 350 

New  Form  of  City  Government — First  Meeting  of  the  Commissioners — 
Early  Acts  of  the  Board — Internal  Improvement  Bonds  Ordered  by  Popular 
Election — Street  Improvements — Move  to  Make  Hutchinson  a  City  of  the 
First  Class — The  Convention  Hall — Public  Band  Concerts — Recent  City 
Elections — Automobile  Parking — Sunda}r  Closing — Further  Improvements 
Ordered. 

(HATTER  XLYI  I— THE  SALT  INDUSTRY 356 

The  Rock  Salt  Deposit  in  Reno  County — First  Knowledge  and  Use  of  Native 
Salt — Later  Discovery  of  the  Rock  Salt  and  Quick  Development  of  Its 
Production — The  First  Salt  Plants — Expansion  of  the  Salt  Market — Yearly 
Output  of  the  Field — Consolidation  of  the  Industry — Log  of  the  Drill — 
Analysis   of  the   Brine. 

I  HAPTER  XLVIII— BUILDING  UP  THE  SALT  INDUSTRY 366 

Rebates  on  Freight  Shipments — Investigation  by  Interstate  Commerce  Com- 
mission— Judgment  of  the    Commission — Healthy   Growth  of  the    Salt  Busi- 
-.  which  is  now  an   Important  Factor  in  the  Business   Life  of  the  City. 

I  HAPTER   XL IX     LOCATING  THE  PACKING  HOUSE 372 

Subsistence  of  the  l5oom  Left  Hutchinson  in  a  Bad  Way — R.  M.  Easley 
Makes  ■Ten-strike"  in  Contracting  with  Packing  House  to  Come  to  Hutchin- 
son— Overcoming  Many  Obstacles — Tremendous  Efforts  of  Local  Commit- 
tee Finally  Rewarded  with  Success. 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   L— SODA-ASM    PLANT  AND  STRAWBOARD  WORKS- 377 

First  Soda-Ash  Plant  and  Its  Subsequent  Development  The  Strawboard 
Works — Other  Industries. 

CHAPTER  LX— THE  SCHOOLS  OF   HUTCHINSON 381 

First  School  in  Reno  County  and  the  First    I  eachers — School  District  No,   1 
Organized — Issue    of   Bonds    for    School    Purposes — Gradual    Growth    of   the 
Schools — Buildings — Complete    System    of     Records    -The    Alumni     Issocia 
tion — Superintendents  of  City  Schools — Notable  Record  of  Teaching  Service. 

CHAPTER  LI  1— THE  Y.  M.  C.  A.  AND  Y.  \V.  C.  A 486 

First  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  in  1X76 — Another  Attempt  in  1885 — 
Organization  of  the  Present  Association  in  1909 — Splendid  Work  of  the 
Organization  and  Its  Present  Healthy  Condition — The  Young  Women's 
Christian  Association. 

CHAPTER   LIII— THE   WEATHER 390 

Complete  Weather   Records  of  Reno   County   from   January,   1874. 


HISTORICAL  INDEX 


A 
Abbyville— 

Bank    252,  253 

Location    313 

Mail  Service 224 

Name    313 

Newspaper   241 

Postmasters 218 

Schools    230 

Railroad    313 

Albion  Township 120 

Alfalfa.    First    86 

Arkansas   River    45 

Arlington — 

Bank   251,  253 

Beginning  of 311 

Mail   Service    224 

Name    311 

Newspaper  240 

Postmasters    220,  312 

Schools    229,  312 

Townsite 311 

Arlington  Township 123 

Assessor,  County 186 

Assessor's  Valuations 181.   184 

B 

Bank  Statistics 253 

Banks 250 

Baptist  Church 243,  245 

Bar,    The    254 

Bench  and  Bar 254 

Birth,    First   82 

Bond    Elections,   Early    172 

Bonds  of  School  Districts 226 

Bonds  of  the   County 172,  184 

Bones,   Buffalo 65 

Booth    221 

Boundary  Lines 71 

Buffalo    60 


Buffalo  Bones 65 

Buffalo    Grass    43,  60 

Buffalo,  The   Last 88 

Buhler— 

Bank    252,  253 

Location    314 

Mail   Service    224 

Mill 213 

Newspaper   241 

Postmasters  219 

Townsite .. 314 

C 

Castleton 221,  224.  252.  312 

Castleton   Township 111.   113.  245 

Catholic  Church 245 

Cattle  Industry 67 

Cattle    Men    67 

Cemetery,    First   82 

Census   Roll,   1872   104 

Center   Township 111,   113.    179.  244 

Chisholm  Trail  68 

Christian    Church    245 

Churches,  First 243 

Civil   War   Soldiers   269 

Clay   Township    113,   180 

Clerks    of    County    9.   1 46 

Clerks  of  District   Court 99.   142 

Climatology    390 

Commissioner  Districts 12s> 

Commissioners,  County 98,  100.   129 

Community  Music 306 

Company  K.  State  Militia 299 

Congregational     Church     244.  245 

Consolidated  Rural  Schools 22^ 

Coronado    45 

Coroners    '__99,  162 

County  Assessor  186 

County   Attorneys    99,  151 

County  Clerks 99,  146 


HISTORICAL    INDEX. 


County   Commissioners 98.   100,129 

County  Expenditures 184 

County  Fairs 206 

County   Finances   181 

County   Medical   Society   249 

County   Officers.   First v9 

County    Organized    98 

County    Superintendents    100.  235 

County  Surveyor  99 

Court  House 174 

Cow  Creek 49.  201,  327,  329 

D 

Darlow  221.  224 

Death.  First 82 

Disaster.    Year   of    94 

District  Court Z03 

District    Court.    Clerks   of 99.  142 

District  Court.  First  Case  in 144 

District   Court.  Judges  of 259,  264 

Doctors.    Early    247 

Drainage  Canal 52 

E 

Early  Bond    Elections    172 

Early   Conditions  of  County 42 

Early  Explorations 33 

Early  Farming 199 

Early   Land    Surveys    79 

Early    Lawyers   of  Reno  County 255 

Early  Music    306 

Early  Settlers 76 

Early  Trails    67 

Easley.  Ralph  M. 189.  238.  339,  312 

Education     225 

Elections    124 

Elmer 314 

Enterprise  Township 121 

Explorations  of  the  West 33 

F 

Fairs    206 

Farming.    Early    199 

Farm   Statistics,  Early 316 

Finances  of  County l s I 

First  Churches 243 

First  Things   82 

Forty-five  Years  in  Reno 316 


Fowler.  Jacob   39,  47 

Frosts    397 

Fruit   Growing   204 

G 

Game.    Wild    43 

Geese,  Wild 42 

Grain   Business 211 

Grant  Township— 110,  114.  179,  202.  245 

Grasshopper    Plague    68,  94 

Grove    Township    : 117.  119 

H 

Hamburg    219 

Haven — 

Bank    251 

Beginning  of 312 

Incorporation    313 

Mail  Service 224,  312 

Mill    213 

Name   312 

Newspapers    240,  241 

Postmasters   219 

Railroads 312 

Haven   Township    111.   112 

Hayes    Township    120,  180 

Herd    Law    102,  200 

Hide  Hunters  65 

High   Schools,    Rural   __' 229 

Home    Guards    300 

Hospitals    249 

Huntsville  Township    121 

Hutchinson — 

A  City  of  the  Frst  Class 350 

A  City  of  the  Second   Class 336 

A  City  of  the  Third    Class    324 

Banks    250,  253 

Beginning  of 319 

Boom   Days   338 

Bonds    179 

Boundary  Lines 337 

Board  of  Trade 312 

Carnegie  Library 346 

Census  of  1880 331 

Churches,  Early 243 

City    Building   343 

Commission    Government 349,  351 

Convention   Hall    352 

Doctors.  Early 247 


HISTORICAL    INDEX. 


Hutchinson — 

Drainage    Canal    52 

Early  Conditions  327 

Early  Events    319 

Elections   324,  353 

Finances    333,  334 

Fire  Protection  332,  334 

Floods  51 

Free  City   Delivery 222 

Gas    Franchise    —  334 

Grain    Business    312 

Hitching   Post  Question 326 

Hospitals    249 

Incorporation   as   City   324 

Industries 339,  350,  366,  377,  379 

Improvements 329 

Lawyers    255 

Library   Started   o44 

License    Problem    328.  331 

Mail    Service    214,  224 

Mills    212 

Municipal    Bonds    309,  353 

Music    306 

Natural  Gas 343 

Newspapers    238,  242 

Ordinances,    First    324 

Packing   House   339,  372 

Postal  Receipts 223 

Postmasters 217 

Public  Utilities 331 

Public  Improvements 329 

Railroad  Aid 342 

Salt  Industry 356,  366 

School    Bonds    381 

Schools   381 

Sewer   Construction   346 

Sidewalks    Constructed    377 

Strawboard  Works 379 

Superintendents  of  Schools 384 

Temperance   Town    102 

Townsite 320 

Tree    Planting    330 

Water   Plant,   Early   92 

Waterworks     334 

Weather    390 

Y.  M.  C.  A.    386 

Y.  W.  C.  A.    388 

Hutchinson  &  Arkansas  River  R.  R.  367 
Hutchinson  &  Southern  Railroad —  193 
Hutchinson,  C.  C,  72,  74,  75,  77,  98 
102,    105,   165,    171.   176,  247,  250. 
319,  321. 


I 

Indebtedness,  Bonded,  of  County  178,   184 

Indebtedness  <>f  School   Districts 22<> 

Indian   Customs  58 

Indians 

Indian    Scares    78    299 


Judges  of   Probate  Court  ___99,   135,  260 
Juvenile  Court  Work 138 


K 
Kansas    State   Fair  Association 209 

L 

Land   Surveys,   Early   7'' 

Langdon — 

Bank   251.  2S3 

Incorporation    314 

Location   1-  314 

Mail  Service 224 

Newspaper  240 

Postmasters     22" 

Schools    23ii 

Langdon    Township    115 

Lawsuit,    First    11" 

Legal  Profession 2?4 

Lerado    222.  241 

Leslie  221 

Lewis-Clark   Expedition   34 

Lincoln  Township 114 

Little  River  Township  111,   112,   179,  180 

Loda    Township    119.  120 

Long   Expedition 34 

Louisiana    Purchase    34 

M 

Machine-gun   Company   303 

Mail   Routes .. 214 

Marriage,  First  — L 82 

Marriage  Licenses 139 

Medlord  Township 116 

Medical  Profession 247 

Medical  Society 249 

Medora    221.  314 

Methodist  Church 243.  245 

Miami  Township   117 

Military    Record   269.  299 


HISTORICAL    INDEX. 


Mills.    -__.     200.  212 

Missouri   Pacific  Railroad 188 

Music  306 

Musical   Jubilee    307 

N 

Netherland 222 

Newspapers   237 

Xickerson — 

Bank    252 

Beginning  of 310 

Bonds 179.  180 

Churches.    Early    245 

Incorporation    311 

Mail    Service    224.  311 

Newspapers    240,  311 

Postmasters 217 

Railroad  Interests 183 

Schools    311 

Townsite 310 

Xickerson  College 235 

Xickerson  Township,   See  Grant 
Township. 

Xinnescah   Creek   53 

Xinnescah   Township   123 

Ninth   Judicial   District   263 

Xorth    Hayes   Township   117 

O 

Olcott    241 

Orchards    204 

Organization  of  Townships  110 

Organizing  the  County 98 

Osage    Indians    54 

Osage    Trust  Lands 57 

P 
Cartridge — 

Location    313 

Mail    Service    224 

Xanie   313 

Xi  wspaper   241 

Postmasters 218 

Railroads    ol3 

Schools   230 

Physical  Appearance  of  County 42 

Physicians,  Early 247 

Pike.   Zebulon   46 

Political     Parties    


Press,  the 327 

Pretty  Prairie 221,  224,  241.  251,  253 

Plevna — 

Bank   252,  253 

Location   314 

Mail    Service    224 

Newspaper  241 

Postmasters     218 

Schools 230 

Plevna   Township    121 

Postmasters 216 

Postoffices    214 

Powder  Explosion 89 

Prairie  Dogs 43 

Prairie   Fires   202 

Precipitation    397 

Presbyterian  Church 244 

Primary    Law   127 

Probate  Judges 99.  135.  260 

Prohibition  Question   125 

R 

Railroads  ..72,,  88,  176,  182,  188,  193,  367 
Rainfall   397 

Rebate  Hearings _ 367 

Red  Cross  Society 249 

Register  of  Deeds  99.   156 

Reno   Center  218 

Reno  County  High  School 235 

Reno  County  Medical  Society 249 

Reno   Township    110,   181 

Representatives    165 

Roads 174 

Rock  Island  Railroad 88 

Roscoe  Township   121 

Rural    Free    Delivery   223 

Rural    High    Schools    229 

Rural  Schools -_--  228 

S 

Salt  Creek    53 

Salt  Creek  Township   115,  116 

Salt  Creek  Village 218 

Salt  Industry   356,  366 

School  Districts 225 

School  Statistics    231 

Schools    225 

Senators,  State 170 

Settlement  of  the  County 76 


IllSTOKICAI.    INDEX. 


Sheriff 99 

Silo,  First 87 

Spanish-American  War  301 

Standardized    Schools    230 

Star  Mail  Routes 214 

State  Fair 207 

State   Militia    299 

State  Senators    170 

State  Tax 184 

Streams  45 

Sumner  Township 119 

Superintendents    of    County    Schools 

110,   235 

Surveys,   Early   79 

Sylvia  City — 

Bank    251.  252,  253 

Bonds    180 

Mail   Service    __'_ 224 

Mill    213 

Newspapers    240,  241 

Postmasters 217 

Sylvia  Township 122 

T 

Temperature    390 

Tharp,  Zeno 115,  116,  237 

Threshing   Machine,    First    82 

Township  Organizations 110 

Towns  of  Reno  County 310 

Trails,    Early    67 

Treasurer    99 

Treaties  with  Indians 55 

Troy  Township 115,  116 


Turon — 

Hank     251 

Location    314 

Alail    Service    224 

Mill       213 

Name    315 

Postmasters  220 

Townsite    315 

U 

Universalis!   Church    246 

V 

Valley   Township   111.  202 

Valuations 181,  184 

Veterans  of  Civil  War  in  Reno 209 

W 

Walnut  Township _  122 

Water  and  Light  Plant.  Early 92 

Weather  Records 390 

Wild    Game    ___. 43 

Wild  Geese r 42 

Wilkinson,  Lieutenant 41 

World  War 303 

Y 

Voder 219 

Voder   Township   117 

Z 

Zenith    217 


BIOGRAPHICAL  INDEX 


A 

Abel,  Josiah   W 274 

Aelmore,   Martin   A 491 

Akin,    Rev.   Dudley   D.,   D.D 322 

Allmon,    Elbert    O 382 

Anderson,  Joel  M 208 

Armour,    Thomas    G 101 

Ash,    Fred    W 461 

Asher,   Arthur   E 62 

Astle,   George    252 

B 

Bailey,    J.    N 775 

Bailey,  Joe  F 457 

Bain,   Millard  F 661 

Ballard,    Benjamin    F 511 

Bangs,    Merwin    B 243 

Barr,   Walter   G 757 

Barrett,    George    232 

Barrett,  M.  L 623 

Barrett,   Nelson   T 183 

Barton,    Edward    E 760 

Bay,   C.    M 528 

Bay,    Clyde     740 

Bay,    Delmar    E 507 

Bear,   Arthur    M 439 

Beck,    Konrad   C 517 

Bennett,    Capt.    William    R 296 

Bigger,    Leander    A. ! 714 

Bixler,    Thurman    J 282 

Bloom,   Charles   144 

Boehm,   John    J 263 

Bonnet,    Lee 527 

Bowman,    Eli    196 

Bowser,   George   R 160 

Bowser,    Lemon   : 162 

Brainard,    Capt.   Jesse 192 

Branch,    Charles    M 55 

P.ranine,    Judge    Charles    E 36 

Brewer,    Elmer    I 271 


Brown,    Harlow    B 764 

Brown,    Morrison    H 291 

Brown,   William   A 303 

Buettner,  J.   II 550 

Burgess,    William    II .1*7 

Burris,    Martin    25<> 

Buser,  Atlee   M. 626 

Bush,    Charles    H 405 

Bush,  James  M 659 

Buskirk,  James   E 639 

Bussinger,    Martin    C 72 

Byers,    O.    P 697 

» 

C 

Cain,    Morris   R 614 

Calbert,    Robert    E.    L 747 

Campbell,   John    H 283 

Campbell,    John    W 378 

Cantwell,    George    W 674 

Carey,    Hon.    Emerson 33 

Carpenter,    Fred    H 275 

Carr,    William     E 217 

Carson,   William    F 121 

Catte,   Joseph    371 

Chamberlain,    Grant    486 

Chapin,     Cornelius     O 368 

Chubbuck,    Willis   J 530 

Citizens   Bank   of    Hutchinson,    The.     54 

Claybaugh,   C.   W 2,27 

Clothier,    J.    B 568 

Coffman,    Capt.   George   T 560 

Coleman,    Lewis    W.    429 

Coleman,    Monroe   389 

Collingwood.    J.    M 768 

Collingvvood,    John     A 681 

Collingwood,    Mrs.    Mary 748 

Comes,   John    W 384 

Cone,    William    R.,    D.D.S 203 

Conkling,    Charles    A 707 

Connelly.    William    M 470 


BIOGRAPHICAL    INDEX. 


Cook.    Fred    \\\.    D.V.S 52 

Cook.    J.    W 776 

Cooper,    S.     Leslie 774 

Cooler,   Fred    \Y 117 

Cootcr,    George    W 264 

Copeland,    Cornelius     B 418 

Cost,    Frank    H 684 

Crabbs,    Abraham    B 366 

Crawley,   William    P 720 

Crotts,    Samuel    M 588 

Crow,    Edward    G 719 

Crow,    George    L 277 

Crow.    William    K 320 

Curnutt,    Henry    G 151 

D 

Dade,    Arthur    174 

Dade,    Ernest    546 

Dade,    Richard    G 656 

Danford,    E.     F 632 

Danford,    Isaiah    221 

Danford,    Louis    P 72S 

Davies,    John    M 245 

Dean,    Albert    A 703 

Deatz,  A.  J 586 

Deck,   Peter  373 

Decker.   Thomas  J 670 

Dick.    James    L 478 

Dillon.  Franklin   E 267 

Dixon.    Albert    P 215 

Dunn,    George    W 493 

Dunn.    F.    M 489 

Dunsworth,   Buckner  W 383 

Dm  all.    Hunter  J..   M.D 562 

E 

Eastman.    Byron    A 723 

Eastman]  Wilbur  B 570 

Elliott,    Alpheus   E 272 

Ellis,    Peres    424 

Erker,   George    A 730 

Eskelson,    Swan    155 

Everett,    Elmer   5.V, 

F 

Fairchild,    William    <.. 85 

Fall,    George    T 624 

Farley,  Joseph    P 218 


harrell,    Rev.    William    M 286 

Farthing,  Peter  R 520 

Farthing,   Sylvester   261 

Fearl,    Frank    E 672 

Ferguson,  James   E 295 

Fernie,    George   K 450 

Field.    Hon.    F.    C 312 

Firebaugh,    Frank    F 495 

Fontron  Family,  The 134 

Forsha.   Fred   A 73i< 

Fountain,   Albert   S.,   M.D 552 

Fraser.  Thomas  J 494 

G 

Gantz.    George    R 622 

Gaston,    Samuel    D 112 

Gibson,    Charles    370 

Giles,    Benjamin    E 138 

Glass,    John    W 107 

Graham,    Robert   J 146 

Gray,    George   T 363 

Graybill,  Samuel  S 288 

Grayson,  John   W 512 

Green,  James 496 

Guymon,    Edward    T 64 

H 

Hadley,    Levi    P 104 

Hall.    Justus    O 437 

Hall.   Ross   E 299 

Hamilton,    Frank    D 226 

Handy,    Edward    S 185 

Harden,    Albert    E 178 

Hardy,    Noah    541 

Harms,    Henry    W 612 

Harris,    Walter    B 133 

Harsha,    John    P 82 

Hartford,    Col.    Henry 200 

Hartmann,    Henry    P 509 

Harvey.   Royal   M 655 

Haston,    James    780 

Haston,    Samuel    412 

1 1  od rick.    Capt.   John    M . 77 

Heir.  J.  Xcvon 57 

Herren,    Isaac    W 756 

Hershberger,   Randall   P 165 

Iliatt,     Charles     E 77(> 

Hickey,   John    650 

Hickman.    Overton    572 


BlOCk Al'llICAL    INDEX. 


Hickman,    William    II.    II.    631 

Hill.    Harrison  A 410 

Hinds,   David    H 667 

Hinman,    Milton    E 709 

Hinshaw,    William    11 584 

Hirst.    Frederick    119 

Hirst,    George   80 

Hirst.    William     90 

Hitchcock,    Charles    O 361 

Hoagland,    Ben    S 573 

Hoagland,    Lieut.    Martin , 396 

Hodge,    L.   D 503 

Hodgson,    Herbert    C 314 

Hodgson,    William    336 

Hodgson,    William     I 519 

Holaday,    Harry    E.,    D.V.S 734 

Holdeman,  A.    R 783 

Hornbaker,    Finley    D 504 

Hoskinson.   George   W 348 

Housingcr.    Nicholas    743 

Howell,  Ed.  G 40" 

Huckleberry,    Andrew    J.,    Jr 157 

Hudson.    William    L 380 

Hurd,  E.   R 630 

Hutton,    Emmett    259 

Hutton   &  Oswald 258 

Hutton,    Samuel    F 606 

J 

Jennings.    Thomas    583 

Jessup,    Barclay    L 319 

Jewell,    Warren    D 593 

Johnson,  Arthur  W 428 

Johnson,   Jesse    W 675 

Johnson,    William   H 451 

Jones,    Peter    C 182 

Jones,    Robert    S 596 

Jones,    Walter    F 543 

Justice,    Richard   581 

Justus,   J.    F 771 

K 

Kautzcr,    John    D . 342 

Kellams,   James    C 431 

Kelling,    Henry     415 

Kennedy,    Thomas    K 498 

King,    David    H 616 

King,    Joseph    W 646 

Klein,    Frank    F 712 


Koontz,    George    M 364 

Kroeker,   Georgi     I.    . 464 

L 

Lambert,  I  harles  A 315 

Larabee,    Frederick   I) 

Layman,    Roscoe    C 308 

Leatherman,  William  A 508 

Lee,    George    W 41'. 

Leighty,    Stephen    S 17'. 

Leonrod.    George   von,    M.D 640 

Leslie,    John     F 628 

Loe,    William    A 472 

Long,    William     I". 269 

Lovelace,    James    i\ 3oo 

Mr 

McCandless,    Archibald    W 598 

McC'owan,    Samuel    350 

McDermed.    Frank    M 213 

McDermed,    Robert    F 566 

Mcllrath.    James    H 688 

McKeown,    B.    '.77 

McKinstry.   James   553 

McLaughlin,    T.    R .  280 

McLeod,    Hector    K lid 

McMurry,  James   F 13'. 

M 

Mackay.   James    B.   54 

Magwire,     Frank    240 

Markham,    John    J 434 

Marshall,    Elmer    E 657 

Martin,   Edward  T 351 

Martin,    Frank    A 402 

Martin,    Hon.    Frank    I 331 

Mastellar.  D.  H 607 

Meyer,    Dietrich     488 

Meyer,   Eugene    1 39 

Miller.    Clark    C 7.^2 

Miller,   Eugene   T 732 

Miller,    William    H 249 

Mills.    James    317 

Mitchell.     Hon.     William     H 48 

Moore.     David     A 579 

Moore.    Rev.    Daniel    M..    D.D '.7 

Moore.    Marcellus   2?*h 

Morgan.    Hon.    William    Y 440 


BIOGRAPHICAL    INDEX. 


Mourn,    George    W 165 

Mueller,    William,    Jr 325 

Myers,    Dr.   James 188 

Myers,  John   A 224 

X 

inger,    John    532 

Nation,    Pel    76 

Neeley,    Hon.    George    A 44 

Nelson,    James    432 

Nelson,    John    W 604 

Nelson,   Peter  A 211 

Nettleton,   Adelbert    M 229 

Neuenschwander,   Henry  154 

Nicholson,    George    426 

O 

Obee,    Lonis    II 548 

Olmstead,    Oscar    W 175 

Oswald,    Charley    W 258 

P 

Parish,   James    W 375 

Payne,    Walter    W t>99 

Pearson,    William    14.S 

Peckhara,    Charles    W 3^2 

Peirce,  Walter  C 344 

Penney,    James    I 131 

Pennington,   William    R 544 

Peterson,   Arthur    F 339 

Peterson,    (harks    340 

Ploughe,  Sheridan  7^2 

•  r.  James   C (>17 

ter,    John    W.  678 

Potter,     Martin     H t>35 

Poulton,    Irvin    W .  44S 

sby,    Wilbur    F 634 

Price,   Rhys   R.     762 

Priddle,    Vincent    171 

Prigg,    Hon.    Frank   F 557 

Puterbaugh,  Samuel   G.    70 

R 

Rabe,    11.  m                                   620 

Ramsey,    Herbert    I". 22.1 

482 

m,  William   B.                        413 

d,   John    A                 02 


Reichenberger,    Nicholas   745 

Reynolds,   Melvin  J 140 

Kexroad,    William     W 310 

Rice,    Thomas    J , 376 

Richhart,    David    E 115 

Kickcnbrodc,    Harvey    J 460 

Roberts,   Pierce  C 126 

Rowland.   John    683 

Rowland.    Prof.    Stewart    P 86 

Rutherford,    Gordon    S 642 

Ryker,     Charles    A 60 

S 

Sallee,    Garrett    167 

Sanders,   John    R.    407 

Scales,    Herbert    L.,    M.D 559 

Schardein,     Fred     199 

Schardein,   John    181 

Scheble,    Alfred    R 515 

Schlaudt.    Arthur    H 447 

Schmitt,    E.    B.    294 

Schoonover,   John    U 608 

Seedle,   Charles  172 

Shafer.    Omaha   T 653 

Shea,   Patrick   456 

Shircliff,   Edward   E 592 

Shive,    Eads    E 741 

Short,   George    B.   164 

Shuler,   William  D 99 

Shuyler,   John    S 578 

Sidlinger.     Samuel     H..     M.D 41 

Siegrist,    Arthur    L 231 

Siegrist,    George    W 524 

Siegrist,   Jacob    L 328 

Simmons,    John     S 98 

Skeen.   Mrs.   Elizabeth   400 

Slavens,   Oscar   R.    576 

Smith,   Charles   H , 686 

Smith,    I-.    [',.,    A.M 706 

Smith,    Fay   467 

Smith,    Isaac    254 

Smith,    James    W 228 

Smith.     John     F..    ^^2 

Smith,     1'arke    292 

Smith.     Wilson     142 

Snyder,   Charles   M 539 

Specht,    Robert    T..   Jr 443 

Spencer,  <  >Hando 770 

Spencer,  <  Irnaldo  770 


i:i()(ii<  U'llH'AI.    [NDEX. 


Sponsler,    Alfred    I 3(14 

Sponsler,    William    .1 564 

Sprout,    John    772 

Sprout,    James     II 459 

Steelier.    Christian    480 

Stevens,    Nelson     P 701 

Stevens,    Rev.    William    B.   454 

Stewart,    Richard    A„    M.D 7<>7 

Streeter,   Ray   G 534 

Suter,    Arthur    II 123 

Swarens,    Albert     I 168 

Switzer,    Alexander    M 392 

T 

Taylor,    Carr    W 444 

Taylor,    Harry    H 124 

Teed.    Edson    L 465 

Thacher,   Mowry  S„   M.D 679 

Thompson,    Henry   S 669 

Thompson,    Will    S 479 

Thorp.   Fred  W 220 

Thurman,    J.    S 247 

Turbush,  George  159 

U 
Updegrove,  Jacob  B 347 

V 

Van    Eman,    William    J 234 

Vincent,   Hon.    Frank 500 


W 

Waddles,    Howard   7'^.^ 

Wagoner,    I  'harles    E.    128 

Wall,    David    L 690 

Wall.    Mrs.    Henrietta    BriggS 692 

Watson.    Lawson   . 663 

Weesner,    Fred    391 

Wells,    Charles    A 755 

Wespe,    Oscar    S 600 

Wheeler,   J.   O 143 

Whinery,    Lorenzo    V 648 

Whiteside,    Houston    205 

Wiley,   Francis  M 665 

Wiley,    Vernon    M 475 

Williams,    Judge    Charles    M 190 

Williams,    Walter    F 7?X 

Winchester,    Charles    S 513 

Winsor,    George   R 453 

W'ithroder,   John    638 

Wittorff,    John    643 

Wolcott,    Frank    D 704 

WTooddell,    Charles    X 652 

Woods,    Mrs.   Mary    M.    (Lippitt)—  736 

Y 

Yaggy,    Edward     E 88 

Young,    Jacob   A 118 

Yust,    George    H 420 

Z 

Zimmerman,    George    238 

Zimmerman,    John    S 4/4 


HISTORICAL 


CHAPTER  T. 
Early  Explorations  of  the  West. 

The  obtaining  from  France  of  the  land  known  as  the  Louisiana  Pur- 
chase, in  1803,  met  with  the  most  violent  opposition  in  the  New  England 
states.  Even  the  Revolutionary  War  had  failed  to  teach  those  who  lived 
along  the  Atlantic  coast  the  value  of  a  wider  national  policy  than  that  which 
they  had  been  following.  These  segregated  colonies  had  found  that  a  closer 
union  added  greatly  to  their  advantage — in  fact,  had  been  their  salvation  in 
their  early  struggle  with  England.  They  had  found  it  impossible  to  main- 
tain themselves  without  the  compact  under  which  they  obtained  their  inde- 
pendence. But  when  the  war  was  over,  the  advantages  of  uniting  to  build  a 
greater  nation  seemed  to  have  no  place  in  their  minds.  They  wanted  no 
larger  union.  They  wanted  no  more  states,  unless  it  be  by  division  of  the 
thirteen  original  states.  From  the  people  of  New  England,  particularly-, 
came  opposition  to  Jefferson  and  his  expansion  policy.  They  had  no  vision 
of  empire  such  as  had  inspired  France  when  she  explored  the  territorv  of  the 
West;  when  her  missionaries  were  among  the  Indians  with  the  Cross;  wdien 
her  frontiersmen  were  naming  the  streams  and  her  hunters  were  becoming 
opulent  in  their  fur  and  peltry  trade.  With  singular  shortsightedness,  the 
Americans  at  that  period  hugged  to  their  breasts  their  early  patrimony.  They 
had  no  desire  for  the  possession  of  any  land  west  of  the  Mississippi  river. 
To  the  French  their  giving  up  of  their  dream  of  an  empire  on  the  American 
continent,  that  had  inspired  their  statesmen,  was  one  that  only  the  exigencies 
could  end.  The  condition  of  affairs  in  France  made  the  sale  of  Louisiana  a 
war  necessity,  not  only  for  the  money  it  brought  to  their  treasury,  but  to 
keep  the  land  from  falling  into  the  hands  of  their  enemies  as  a  prize  of  war. 

(3) 


34  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

To  the  people  of  New  England,  the  purchase  of  Louisiana  seemed  a  use- 
less  squandering  of  money.  "The  sale  of  a  wilderness  has  not  usually  com- 
manded SO  high  a  price."  said  one  anti-Jefferson  Federalist  of  that  time. 
Another  recalled  that  Ferdinando  Gorges  received  but  twelve  hundred  and 
fifty  pounds  for  the  province  of  Maine,  and  that  William  Penn  gave  but 
teen  thousand  pounds  for  the  tract  that  bears  his  name.  "Weigh  it," 
adds  still  another,  "and  there  will  be  four  hundred  and  thirty-three  tons  of 
silver.  Load  it  into  wagons  and  there  will  be  eight  hundred  and  sixty-six 
6f  them.  Place  these  wagons  in  line,  giving  to  each  two  rods,  and  they  will 
cover  a  distance  <d  five  and  one-third  miles.'' 

While  the  purchase  of  Louisiana  met  with  this  violent  opposition,  yet 
this  was  but  a  small  matter  compared  to  the  feeling  that  was  stirred  up 
when  it  was  proposed  to  admit  to  the  Union  a  state  from  territory  outside 
of  tlu-  territory  of  the  thirteen  original  states.  One  of  the  distinguished 
representatives  from  Massachusetts,  Josiah  Quincy,  declared  that  if  Louis- 
iana was  admitted  to  the  Union  of  states,  that  "the  bonds  of  the  Union 
were,  virtually,  dissolved;  that  the  states  that  compose  it  are  free  from 
mora!  obligations,  and  that  as  it  will  be  the  right  of  all,  it  will  be  the  duty 
of  some,  to  prepare,  definitely,  for  a  separation,  amicably,  if  they  can,  vio- 
lently if  they  must." 

With  >uch  a  sentiment  against  the  West,  it  was  somewhat  remarkable 
that  Congress  could  be  induced  to  vote  any  money  for  any  expedition  that 
had  for  its  purpose  the  development  of  the  West.  Only  outside  dangers 
could  have  induced  the  narrow-minded  New  Englander  to  give  up  his  pre- 
judice and  join  with  others  in  authorizing  an  expedition  such  as  was  pro- 
posed  to  vend  into  the  West. 

Vmong  the  things  that  led  to  this  new  policy  was  the  disastrous  failure 
of  the  Missouri  Fur  Company,  and  the  similar  failure  of  the  Astor  project 
along  the  Columbia  river.  These  two  things,  and  the  activity  of  the  British 
among  the  Indians  in  the  north,  combined  to  make  the  proposed  expedition 
suddenly  a  very  popular  one.  But  to  overcome  the  criticism  against  further 
western  development,  Presidenl  Monroe  and  John  (\  Calhoun,  secretary  of 
state,  favored  a  strong  military  expedition  to  the  Northwest.  Some  of  the 
more  liberal  men  of  Congress  grew  enthusiastic  in  this  enterprise  and  wanted 
farther  and  make  a  formidable  showing  of  national  authority  along 
the  in  -i  the  Missouri  river,  and  t<>  restore  the  rights  the   United 

State-  hail  obtained  under  tin-  Treaty  of  Ghent  along  the  Columbia  river. 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  35 

To  carry  out  these  plans,  Major  Stephen   II.  Long  was  selected  to  head  the 
expedition. 

Major  Long  was  to  be  accompanied  by  a  corp  of  assistants  chosen  both 
from  civil  and  military  life.  A  very  pretentious  force  was  to  be  put  into 
the  field.  Major  Biddle  was  selected  to  keep  the  journal  of  the  expedition. 
There  was  also  added  to  the  party  Doctor  Baldwin,  botanist,  Doctor  Say, 
zoologist;  Doctor  Jessup,  geologist;  Mr.  Peale,  assistant  naturalist;  Mr. 
Seymour,  sketcher  and  painter,  also  Lieutenant  Graham  and  Cadet  Swift, 
topographical  assistants.  The  party,  including  soldiers,  numbered  between 
six  hundred  and  seven  hundred  people.  It  was  called  the  Yellowstone  ex- 
pedition. 

But  the  expedition  never  accomplished  any  of  the  purposes  for  which 
it  was  organized.  In  fact,  the  whole  enterprise  did  a  great  deal  more  damage 
than  it  ever  did  good.  It  demoralized  the  whole  matter  of  western  explora- 
tion and  development.  It  was  the  intention  of  the  promoters  of  the  Yellow- 
stone expedition  to  proceed  up  the  Missouri  river  in  vessels  from  St.  Louis. 
The  ship-building  proposition  fell  into  the  hands  of  an  unscrupulous  charac- 
ter, named  Johnson,  who  was  to  build  and  equip  the  vessel  needed  to  make 
the  trip.  Johnson  failed  to  keep  his  contract  and  a  large  percentage  of  the 
money  appropriated  for  the  purpose  was  squandered.  The  matter  was  later 
investigated  by  Congress  and  the  report,  which  was  against  Johnson,  recom- 
mended legal  proceeding  to  recover  the  money  he  had  wrongfully  obtained. 

This  gave  a  bad  name  to  the  whole  matter  of  opening  up  the  West  and 
Northwest.  The  absurd  extravagance  that  characterized  the  whole  matter 
disgusted  Congress.  It  was  shown  that  Long  could  have  kept  the  entire 
command  in  the  field  for  five  years  and  explored  the  whole  territory  west 
of  the  Mississippi  and  east  of  the  Rocky  mountains  on  the  money  that  hail 
been  wasted.  So  the  Yellowstone  expedition  was  abandoned  and  another 
one  planned,  that  was  only  a  small  part  of  the  original  project. 

According  to  the  new  plan,  the  "Western  Engineer,"  the  vessel  that 
caused  the  scandal,  started  from  St.  Louis  on  June  9,  181.9.  Tnc  uoat  xv:is 
seventy-five  feet  long,  with  a  thirteen-foot  beam,  drawing  nineteen  inches 
of  water.  The  vessel  carried  three  small  brass  cannon.  They  reached 
Ft.  Osage  on  July  19,  1819,  and  on  August  1  reached  Isle  de  Vache,  near 
where  Leavenworth  is  now.  The  party  stayed  there  until  August  25.  From 
that  point  they  divided  into  smaller  parties,  each  making  short  exploration 
trips  through  the  country,  near  the  Missouri  river.  They  resumed  their 
trip  on  August  25  and  reached  Ft.  Lisa,  where  they  went  into  winter  quar- 


7,6  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

ters.  Major  Long  remained  with  the  expedition  about  two  weeks, 
when  he  went  back  to  Washington  to  spend  the  winter.  He  was  severely 
criticized  for  his  inactivity  and  for  going  into  winter  quarters  in  Septem- 
ber, in  a  latitude  that  made  this  the  most  enjoyable  time  of  the  year  to  pursue 
his  plans.  During  the  time  his  party  were  to  remain  in  winter  quarters,  they 
were  to  make  short  excursions,  gathering  all  the  information  obtainable 
about  the  country  and  making  as  many  friends  with  the  Indians  as  pos- 
sible. 

While  .Major  Long  was  in  Washington,  the  shorter  trip  of  exploration 
was  arranged.  Long  returned  to  his  company  at  Ft.  Lisa  in  the  spring,  and 
on  June  6,  [820,  the  entire  party  left  their  winter  quarters.  They  reached 
the  Pawnee  village  on  the  Loup  fork  of  the  Platte  river  on  June  11,  1820. 
When  they  reached  the  village  of  the  Grand  Pawnee,  they  found  the  Indians 
t""  busy  hunting  to  see  them.  Very  little  was  accomplished  with  this  tribe 
of  Indian.-,  but  an  attempt  was  made  to  introduce  vaccination  among  the 
Indians.  Smallpox  had  broken  out  among  this,  as  well  as  many  other 
Indian  tribes,  and  had  greatly  reduced  their  numbers.  On  June  13,  1820, 
the  expedition  camped  on  the  Platte  river  about  where  Grand  Island  is  now. 

ntinuing  their  march  westward,  they  saw  the  Rocky  mountains  on  June 
30.  <  >n  July  5  they  camped  about  where  Denver  now  stands.  After  resting 
for  four  days,  the  party  resumed  its  march  and,  on  July  12,  camped  about 
t \vent\ -live  miles  from  Pike's  Peak.  They  measured  its  altitude  and  Doctor 
Jame-.  with  two  men.  made  the  ascent  of  the  peak,  the  first  white  man  to 

this  arriving  at  the  top  at  2  p.  m.,  July  14,  1820.  They  calculated  its 
height  at  about  eight  thousand  live  hundred  and  seven  feet  above  the  plains, 
which  was  probably  five  thousand  seven  hundred  above  the  sea  level.  They 
also  discovered  another  peak,  which  they  named  after  the  head  of  the  expe- 
dition. "Long's  Peak." 

The  party  continued  it-  march  southward  and  reached  the  Arkansas 
river,  about  where  Lajunta  i-  now.  on  Jul}-  21.  Here  they  divided  the  expe- 
dition. Captain  JBell,  Lieutenant  Swift,  three  Frenchmen  and  live  soldiers 
wen-  -rut  down  the  Arkansas  river,  while  the  balance  of  the  party  continued 
their  march  southward,  proceeding  to  the  source  of  the  Red  river,  intend- 
ing t>.  follow  it  till  it  flowed  into  the  Arkansas  at   Ft.  Smith.     Both  parties 

rted  on  their  trips,  July  24,  1820.  Captain  Roll  and  his  party  reached  the 
Greal  land  in  the  river  on   ^ugusl  9. 

\-  they  advanced,  they  kept  about  a  mile  from  the  stream  on  the  north 


RENO  CO l    \IY,    KANSAS.  37 

side  of  the  river,  in  order  to  avoid  the  sand  drift  along  the  river  banks,  that 
made  traveling  difficult.     Each  night  they  would  ramp  on  the  river  in  order 

to  have  water  and  also  because  the)  were  thus  able  to  find  driftwood  which 
they  could  use  for  firewood  for  cooking  their  meat.  They  lived  off  the 
land  as  far  as  possible  and  found  plenty  of  elk,  deer,  buffalo  and  other  wild 
game.  Their  description  of  the  country  at  that  time  is  interesting.  The 
weather  was  hot.  They  experienced  a  severe  storm  early  in  August,  a 
typical  northwest  rain,  with  which  the  early  settlers  of  this  country  were  so 
familiar.  It  was  an  exceedingly  hot  day.  Late  in  the  afternoon  a  heavy 
cloud  from  this  northwest  came  up  and  the  rain  fell  in  torrents.  The  light- 
ning was  terrible  and  the  wind  blew  down  their  tents.  Their  horses  wandered 
off  with  the  storm,  and  they  had  no  means  of  lighting  a  fire  that  night,  all  the 
wood  being  soaked 

Captain  Bell's  description  of  the  country  at  that  time  is  exceedingly 
interesting,  especially  in  view  of  the  report  made  by  Major  Long  as  to  the 
quality  of  the  land  he  traversed.  The  grass  was  described  as  luxuriant; 
along  the  river  the  sunflowers  were  abundant  and  very  long.  This  would 
seem  to  show  that  the  claim  of  the  Mormons  that  they  carried  the  >unilo\ver 
seed  with  them  when  they  went  to  Utah  is  unfounded,  as  Long's  trip  ante- 
dated the  Mormon  expeditions  west  more  than  a  score  of  years.  They 
reached  Cow  creek  about  sundown  on  August  12,  1820.  Whether  the 
point  where  they  crossed  Cow  creek  was  where  Hutchinson  now  stands,  or 
near  the  mouth  of  the  stream,  is  not  disclosed  in  the  description  of  these 
trips.  As  will  be  referred  to  later,  it  is  probable  at  that  time  Cow  creek 
did  not  run  in  the  same  channel  it  now  runs  in,  but  followed  the  low  ground 
at  the  foot  of  the  Sand  hills,  flowing  through  what  used  to  be  Brandy  lake 
and  then  on  south  to  the  river. 

Long's  men  continued  down  the  river  and  later  in  the  fall  they  were 
joined  at  Ft.  Smith  by  the  part  of  the  expedition  that  branched  oft*  at  Lajunta 
and  followed  the  Red  river.  The  Arkansas  party  reached  Ft.  Smith  much 
ahead  of  the  others,  and  remained  there  awaiting  the  arrival  of  Long. 
Together,  the  party  continued  down  the  Arkansas  to  St.  Louis,  and  from 
there  made  their  way  back  to  Washington,  where  Major  Long  made  his 
report  to  the  President  and  the  secretary  of  state. 

Long's  expedition  was  a  great  disappointment  to  the  President  and  to 
Congress.  It  was  eagerly  seized  on  by  all  those  opposed  to  the  expansion 
of  territorial  lines.     Outside  of  the  money  that  was  squandered  on  the  enter- 


;^  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

prise,  the  report  of  Long  was  such  that,  instead  of  promoting  the  develop- 
ment of  the  territory  covered  in  the  purchase  from  France,  it  really  retarded 
the  settlement  of  the  country.  In  his  report,  Long  fairly  stated  the  condi- 
tions as  lie  -aw  thing's.  He  spoke  of  the  vastness  of  the  plains,  of  the  great 
multitude  of  buffalo,  of  the  abundance  of  all  kinds  of  game,  and  of  the  fact 
that  the  entire  country  was  well  watered  and  well  drained.  He  reported 
very  little  about  the  Indians,  as  he  saw  but  fewr  of  them.  Long  had  the 
idea  that  so  generally  prevailed  of  the  West.  The  people  of  that  time  saw 
no  necessity  for  more  territory.  Their  vision  was  bounded  by  their  own 
small  interests.  The  vastness  of  the  West,  with  their  method  of  transpor- 
tation, blinded  them  to  the  possible  development  of  their  new  territory.  The 
nation  that  was  to  grow  up  and  settle  this  country  was  to  be  the  work  of 
a  generation  ahead  of  them.  It  was  in  great  contrast  with  the  view  the  French 
held  regarding  the  same  territory.  To  them  it  contained  a  new'  France. 
\  isions  of  an  empire  were  in  the  brains  of  her  chancellors.  They  saw7 
beyond  the  Mississippi  a  territory,  vast  and  fertile,  free  from  the  jealousies 
<»f  European  nations.  They  saw  the  vineyards  of  France  reproduced  in 
the  low  lands  of  the  Missouri  and  the  Kaw  and  the  Platte.  They  saw  a 
greal  empire  arise.  But  their  vision  faded  when  Napoleon,  under  the 
Mia--  of  war,  sold  the  empire  of  their  dreams,  lest  it  should  fall  as  a  prize 
of  war  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy. 

But  Long  saw  nothing  of  this.  To  him  it  was  a  territory  valuable  as 
a  protection  against  any  nation  attacking  the  United  States  on  the  west. 
Me  could  see  nothing  of  the  states  to  be  created  out  of  the  Louisiana  Pur- 
chase.  Me  could  see  the  Indian  tribes  and  the  buffalo  as  the  constant  occu- 
pant-  of  the  land.     To  him   it   had   nothing  of  promise,  nothing  of  added 

urce  to  the  handful  of  states  along  the  Atlantic  ocean.  To  him  it  had 
no  mine-  to  add  to  the  wealth  of  the  land;  no  land  to  be  subdued;  no  cities 
to  be  built.  Bui  our  thing  alone  he  saw — and  that,  the  negative  side  of  the 
whole  matter:  he  -aw  the  vast  areas  as  barriers  against  a  foreign  foe.  it 
was  a  matter  of  regrel  to  the  President  and  the  people  who  supported  the 
policy  of  Jefferson  in  tin-  purchase  of  Louisiana,  that  such  an  unsatisfac- 
tory report  was  brought  back.  The  spies  sent  out  to  view  the  land,  as  did 
those  of  Moses  of  ancient  story,  returned  ladened  with  the  riches  of  the 
land,  but  repeated  again,  as  of  old,  the  stories  of  the  giants  that  lived  in  the 
land. 

There  were  other  explorer-  in  the  valley.     One  of  the  most  interesting- 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  39 

oi  thoni  was  Jacob  Fowler.  Mis  biographer  has  published  his  records,  just 
as  they  were  written.  I  lis  spelling  i>  not  just  as  we  would  spell  the  words 
today — in  fact,  he  did  not  always  follow  his  own  style,  hut  varied  it  as  he 
desired.  It  is  interesting  on  this  account,  in  addition  to  the  fact  of  the  close 
observation  that  Fowler  made  and  the  accuracy  of  his  statement. 

Fowler  was  the  first  American  to  make  the  continuous  trip  from  It. 
Smith  to  the  present  site  of  Pueblo.  He  measured  the  whole  course  of  the 
Arkansas  river  between  two  places  named.  Lewis  Dawson,  one  of  his  men. 
was  probably  the  first  white  man  buried  in  Colorado.  Dawson  was  killed 
by  a  grizzly  hear,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Purgatory  river.  Fowler's  was 
doubtless  the  first  white  man's  house  built  in  Colorado,  it  being-  erected  on 
the  ground  where  Pueblo  now  stands. 

Fowler's  biographer  adopted  the  unique  idea  of  preserving  the  author's 
oddities  and  eccentricities.  He  describes  his  manuscript  as  being  almost 
undecipherable  until  he  found  out  the  peculiarities  of  the  author's  handwrit- 
ing. In  publishing  his  "Journal  of  Travels,"  the  author's  spelling,  punctua- 
tion and  capitalization  are  reproduced.  The  abbreviations  are  just  as  Fowler 
put  them  down.  The  part  of  his  journal  that  related  to  his  trip  through 
Reno  county  is  here  reproduced.  The  principal  part  of  his  records  cover  the 
land  lying  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  county.  'The  bold  stream  of  water." 
he  speaks  of  that  he  found  on  "15th  October  1821,"  was  Cow  creek.  Evi- 
dently it  followed  a  different  course  than  it  now  follows.  The  Indians  say 
that  it  originally  flowed  at  the  foot  of  the  Sand  hills,  through  Brandy  lake, 
thence  south  to  the  river.  Fowler's  journal  is  exceedingly  interesting  and  is 
as  follows : 

12  October  1821.  Cloudy  and  Rains  a  little  We  set  out  Early  North 
60  West  fifteen  miles  over  a  Rich  low  Ridge  there  is  Scarcely  a  tree  or  a 
Stone  to  be  Seen  and  Hole  land  Covered  with  tall  grass  there  is  all  allong 
Whight  River  and  on  this  Ridge  is  much  sign  of  Buffelow  but  the  Indeans 
have  drove  them  off.  We  camped  on  a  small  Branch  near  the  Arkensas 
River."     This  description  is  of  the  country  near  Mulvane. 

The  next  day — "13  Octover  1821" — they  reached  the  Little  river  where 
Wichita  is  now  located.  On  "14th  Oct.  1821,"  he  says,  "we  Set  out  Early 
Crossing  the  little  Arkansaw  and  steering  West  at  12  miles  Came  to  the 
Banks  of  the  Arkansaw  there  up  the  River  north  70  west  We  camped  on 
the  Bank  Without  trees" — this  was  about  on  the  line  between  Sedgwick 
and    Reno   counties.      "The    Cuntrv   Continu    tine   the   land    level   and    Rich 


40  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

the  timber  is  plenty  on  the  little  Arkansaw,  and  some  for  a  few  miles  up 

the  main  River  but  1 1  care  there  is  no  Timber  or  Willows  on  the  River. 
Buffalo  Bulls  still  appeer  But  no  Cows  and  we  are  now  satisfied  of  the  Cans 
of  the  Hunters  not  killing  any  of  that  Speces.  No  Sign  of  deer  tho  we 
seen  some  turkeys  last  evening."  The  next  day  the  party  was  in  Reno 
county,  and  the  journal  continues: 

"15th  October  1821  We  set  out  at  our  ushal  time  up  the  River  Xo. 
8  West  and  stoped  at  the  mouth  of  a  bold  stream  of  Watter,  came  from 
the  north,  about  70  feet  Wide  but  we  Ware  Soon  alarmed  by  the  Hunters 
coming  and  Haveing  some  Indians  on  Hors  Back  and  sopossed  to  be  in 
pursuit  <>f  them — we  gradually  move  up  the  River  Crossing  the  Crick  to  some 
Sand  Knobs  on  the  River  bank  about  400  yds.  above  the  mouth  of  the 
crick — there  being  no  timber  We  made  a  breast  works  of  our  Baggage  and 
Remained  the  balance  of  the  day  Waiting  the  arival  of  the  Indians — but 
none  appeared — some  Buftelow  Bulls  were  killed  today.  We  kept  the  horses 
tyed  up  all  night — yesterday  the  Sand  Knobs  appeer  at  about  ten  mile 
distance  on  our  Right  Hand  and  1'erellel  With  the  River.  Some  Scatering 
tree-  appear  on  the  Knobs." 

The  next  day  he  reached  about  where  the  city  of  Hutchinson  now 
stands.     His  journal  reads: 

"16th  October  [821.  We  set  out  Early  and  maid  ten  miles  up  the 
River  the  Sand  Knobs  still  on  the  Right  We  sent  out  Some  Hunters  to 
kill  a  Cow  but  they  Remained  out  all  night.  We  Ware  much  alarmed  for 
their  safety  no  meel  tor  Supper  or  Breckfast- — our  corse  Xo.  70  west  and 
Camped  on  the  River."  The  next  day  the  party  continued  up  the  river. 
I  li-    journal  reads  : 

■'17th  Octr  [82]  We  continued  up  the  River  North  65  west  15  miles 
and  camped  on  the  Bank.  Scarcely  a  tree  to  be  seen  We  this  day  passed 
the  I  lead  Spring  of  tin.-  Creek  at  the  month  of  Which  we  camped  on  the 
15th.  Tin-  i-  a  large  butiful  spring  about  three  miles  from  the  River  on 
the  north  side  and  is  a  leave!  Rich  Piranie.  the  Sand  Hills  all  along  on  the 
ltli  Side  and  near  the  crick  thav  are  not  more  than  60  or  70  feet  High 
and  tin-  Country  leavel  beyond  them  to  a  great  distance  those  on  the  north 
ab..ut  tlie  Same  Might  and  Several  miles  from  the  River."  Fowler  did  not 
pa—  the  Spring  thai  is  the  "head  spring"  of  Cow  creek,  but  the  spring  that 
form-  Bull  creek,  which  empties  into  Cow  creek,  as  the  springs  from  which 
ek  are   formed  are  up   farther  north  in   Russell  county. 


K'l   \u  COUNTY,    K  \.\>AS.  4  I 

Another  explorer,  the  earliest,  was  Lieutenant  Wilkinson,  who  left 
Pike's  at  Great  Bend,  where  they  reached  the  river  in  their  overland  trip 
of  exploration  in  [806.  Wilkinson  was  sick  and.  making  a  1  >< »at  out  ol 
cottonwood  logs,  made  his  way  down  the  river.  With  him,  however,  it  was 
simply  an  attempt  to  gel  back  to  St.  Louis  and  verj  little  oi  value  is  recorded 
of  his  trip  down  the  river.  These  three  parties  are  the  earliest  visits  oi 
Americans  on  the  soil  of  what  now  constitutes  Reno  countv. 


CHAPTER  II. 
Physical  Appearance  and  Early  Conditions. 

The  pioneers  of  Reno  county  found  conditions  very  similar  to  what  other 
pioneers  had  met  in  other  states.  The  early  settlers  of  Reno  county  were 
hardy,  industrious  people.  There  were  many  Union  soldiers  among  them, 
young  men  then  who  had  returned  from  the  army  and  were  ready  for  any  new 
adventure.  The  West  was  opening"  up.  and  with  cheap  lands  held  out  as  an 
inducement,  they  came  west  to  make  their  fortunes.  They  were  mostly  from 
-late-  of  a  similar  latitude. 

There  were  but  few  trees  in  sight  to  greet  the  pioneer.  The  prairie  was 
an  unbroken  sod  of  buffalo  green.  There  were  some  trees  in  the  sand  hills  and 
big  cottonwoods  in  the  bend  of  Cow  creek,  on  the  land  afterwards  owned  by 
Peter  Shafer,  in  Grant  township,  and  one  big-  cottonwood  on  Cow  creek  on 
Main  street. 

There  were  no  roads  and  no  bridges.  From  north  to  south  across  this 
county  were  the  trail  marks  of  the  thousands  of  cattle  that  had  been  driven 
across  the  country  to  Abilene  to  be  shipped  east.  These  tracks  bent  in  and  out 
as  the  cattle  would  sway  toward  each  other  in  their  drive;  would  separate  a 
few  inches,  jolt  another  beast  on  the  other  side,  forming  tracks  that  countless 
thousands  of  other  cattle  followed.  They  broke  the  sod:  this  loosened  ground 
was  blown  out  by  the  wind  and  the  "trail"  was  established.  Especially  marked 
were  there  trails  where  streams  were  reached.  There  cattle  would  crowd 
together  and  the-  trails  became  deeper  and  more  marked  than  in  the  open 
prairie. 

The  country  was  overrun  with  wild  geese.  Today  they  are  rarely  seen, 
:ep1  on  some  pond  of  water.  Then  they  were  a  real  pest  and  the  pioneers 
had  occasion  to  put  up  "scarecrows"'  to  frighten  off  the  geese.  Soon  they 
ustomed  to  these  and  other  mean-  had  to  be  used  to  frighten  away 
the  .  for  a  flock  of  these  strong-beaked  birds  would  soon  ruin  a  whole 

wheat  field,  pulling  the  wheat  up  by  the  roots  and  devouring  seed  and  blade 
alike.  Many  a  farm  boy  has  spenl  dreary  days,  in  the  fall  and  spring,  chasing 
the  wild  |  iff  of  a  wheat  field,  only  to  see  them  circle  around  a  while  and 

ttle  again  on  some  other  pari  of  the  same  field.     Killing  vvild'geese  was  not 


KKNO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  4,} 

only  a  sport,  but  an  occupation.  Many  and  many  a  load  of  wild  geese  were 
hauled  to  Hutchinson  to  be  shipped  East,  partly  for  the  flesh,  but  mostly  for 

their  feathers.  Down  in  Lincoln  township  was  one  noted  hunter,  J.  Q.  Rob- 
inson. He  killed  the  geese  systematically.  He  had  hiding  places  over  the 
field.  From  these  he  would  shoot,  often  till  the  flock  was  almost  wiped  out. 
These  he   would  haul   to    Hutchinson   by   the   wagon-load. 

There  was  an  abundance  of  smaller  game  in  the  county.  After  the  buf- 
falo disappeared  hunting  was  limited  to  ducks,  geese,  rabbits,  quail,  and  prairie 
chickens.  There  were  a  few  antelopes  hid  away  in  the  hills,  hut  they  soon 
were  driven  out.  Coyote  hunts  were  frequent,  and  afforded  sport  for  a  large 
number  of  hunters  with  their  dogs,  as  no  one  dog  had  much  of  a  show  with  a 
covote.  The  prairie  dog  was  a  pest  that  spoiled  considerable  land.  Xear  the 
Yaggy  plantation  was  a  "dog  town"  of  nearly  a  hundred  acres.  These  little 
creatures  lived  in  their  burrows.  The  body  of  a  prairie  dog  was  about  the  size 
of  a  mink;  eyes  and  head  rather  large,  resembling  that  of  a  rabbit;  body  the 
size  of  a  small  dog,  hair  short,  shining  and  smooth.  They  lived  in  immense 
numbers  on  the  prairies  in  dry  locations,  but  not  far  from  water.  Their  hole- 
were  deep  and  not  in  regular  order. 

BUFFALO   GRASS,    WONDERFUL   FORAGE    FEED. 

The  buffalo  grass  that  covered  all  the  land  from  the  limestone  hills  of 
the  central  part  of  the  state  to  the  western  border,  was  the  most  wonderful 
forage  feed,  except  alfalfa,  that  has  ever  been  found.  The  immense  herds 
of  buffalo  that  lived  off  of  it,  fattened  on  it,  multiplied  on  it,  was  evidence  of 
its  nutritious  quality.  In  the  summer  time  the  soft  curling  grass  was  dotted 
with  flowers,  the  more  conspicuous  because  of  the  sombre  background  of  grass. 
There  were  a  few  varieties  of  flowers  that  were  exceedingly  common.  Among 
these  was  the  "sensitive"  rose.  While  it  was  called  a  rose,  it  did  not  belong  to 
the  rose  family,  but  to  the  briar  family.  It  had  narrow,  very  fine  leaves  on  a 
vine  that  was  covered  with  small,  sharp  thorns.  The  leaves  were  sensitive, 
whence  the  plant  derived  its  name,  and  would  immediately  close  up  when 
touched.  The  blossom  was  a  beautiful  one,  oval-shaped  and  bright  red  in 
color,  and  the  stamens  visible,  otherwise  bare  on  the  top  a  yellow  stigma.  It 
was  a  very  fragrant  flower,  and  its  odor  permeated  the  air.  The  "false 
mallow"  grew  also  on  a  long  vine.  Some  of  them  would  cover  a  yard-square 
space  and  have  hundreds  of  bright  red  blossoms.  The  plant  grew  from  a  root 
that  resembled  the  carrot  in  shape  and  size.  This  plant  added  a  brilliance  to 
the  brownish-green  buffalo  grass   that   was  very   striking.      The  tall    "spider 


44  RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

wort."  with  ;i  sky-blue  blossom,  was  common.  It  bloomed  in  June,  when  most 
of  the  flowers  of  the  prairie  were  most  abundant. 

Outside  of  the  wild  grass  there  were  in  the  early  days  an  abundance  of 
other  kinds  of  game.  1  >eer  and  elk  were  in  abundance.  Feeding  on  the  buffalo 
grass,  they  would  seek  protection  in  the  scraggy  cottonwood  trees  that  grew 
in  the  sand  hills.  There  was  also  an  abundance  of  prairie  chickens,  and  these 
latter  were  not  wholly  driven  out  by  the  settlers  for  many  years.  All  old 
settlers  recall  the  early  morning  "booming-''  of  these  chickens,  also  their  even- 
ing- call  to  each  other.  They  were  a  hard  bird  to  shoot  because  they  flew  so 
fast  and  were  exceedingly  wild.  Quail  were  plentiful  and  a  few  antelope  hid 
themselves  in  the  hills.  The  buffalo,  of  course,  were  the  chief  game,  but  they 
disappeared  with  the  elk.  the  antelope  and  the  deer. 

Another  animal  found  in  abundance  on  the  prairie  was  the  coyote.  These 
were  the  skulking  scavangers  of  the  plains;  cowardly  and  cunning,  they  hung 
around  a  wounded  buffalo  or  deer,  waiting  for  a  chance  to  get  a  meal.  Their 
howl  was  one  of  the  most  distressing  noises  of  the  prairies. 

While  there  were  some  things  pleasant  about  the  prairies  in  the  days 
before  the  settlers  came,  yet  there  were  things  that  overshadowed  all  else.  The 
thing  that  made  the  prairies  so  lonesome  that  it  was  almost  terrifying,  was 
the  monotony  of  the  scene.  I  )ay  after  day  the  hunter  passed  across  new  land, 
but  the  same  at  morning,  noon  and  at  night.  The  same,  day  after  clay  and 
week  after  week, — one  seemingly  unending  stretch  of  buffalo  grass;  one  eter- 
nally blue  sky  above — nothing  the  hunter  could  see  that  would  look  like  a 
place  of  comfort;  no  boundary,  no  end  to  it.  It  took  more  than  courage  to 
conquer  the  prairies;  courage  alone  would  not  have  accomplished  the  wpn- 

<  change  of  a  half  ;\  century.  It  took  Faith,  that  saw  the  orchards  grow  up 
and  set  a  boundary  in  the  sod  and  furnished  a  resting  place  for  the  eves.  It 
t<  ol<  Faith  to  see  the  sod  yield  up  the  varied  grains  of  today.  It  took  Faith 
to  s(H-  tbr  buffalo  gr;is^  supplanted  by  the  alfalfa,  and  it  took  Faith  and  Cour- 
e  to  sustain  the  pioneer  in  the  lonesi  imeness  of  early  day  life  in  Reno  county  ; 
and  that  Faith  and  Courage  have  seen  their  reward,  and  the  land  of  the  buffalo 
yielded  it-  richness  to  the  pioneer  and  his  sons  and  his  son's  sons.  The  old 
settler  never  will  forget  the  appearance  of  the  land  in  the  early  seventies,  and 
to  rejojre  at  the  change  in  the  appearance  of  Reno  county  in  less  than  a  half 
centurv  of  tji 


CHAPTER   III. 
The  Arkansas  River  and  Other  Streams. 

The  first  white  man,  so  far  as  any  record  shows,  to  see  the  Arkansas 
river  was  Coronado.  He  was  the  first  explorer  of  the  West.  Mi-  journeys 
are  among  the  most  remarkable  recorded  in  the  annals  of  American  history. 
Seventy-four  years  before  the  English  made  their  settlement  on  the  Atlantic 
coast,  an  army  of  Spaniards  started  four  prosperous  colonies  in  Mexico 
and  explored  a  region  as  extensive  as  the  eastern  coast  line  of  the  United 
States  from  Maine  to  Florida.  Their  journey  from  Mexico  was  fraught 
with  dangers  and  difficulties,  which  they  only  mention,  apparently  hoping 
to  he  rememhered  by  the  things  they  accomplished. 

They  started  on  their  expedition  on  February  23,  1540.  They  sought 
the  "Seven  Cities  of  Cibola,"  of  which  they  had  heard  from  a  Franciscan 
friar,  Marcos  of  Nice,  who  accompanied  the  party  as  a  guide  and  chaplain. 
Coronado  marched  for  more  than  two  years  before  he  reached  the  Arkansas 
river.  He  crossed  this  stream  near  where  Dodge  City  is  located,  on  June 
28,  1542.  He  called  the  river  St.  Peter  and  .St.  Paul.  This  day  is  St. 
Peter  and  St.  Paul's  day  of  the  Catholic  church  and  Coronado  named  the 
stream  for  the  day  he  reached  it.  There  have  been  several  .reasons  assigned 
for  the  name  of  the  stream;  one  was  that  he  crossed  the  river  where  Wichita 
is  located  and  that  he  gave  to  the  ?>ig  Arkansas  river  the  name  of  St.  Peter 
and  that  of  the  Little  Arkansas  river  the  name  of  St.  Paul.  This  is  entirely 
fanciful.  Coronado's  description  of  the  country  through  which  he  passed 
shows  that  he  went  northward  after  he  crossed  the  Arkansas,  until  he  reached 
almost  the  northern  boundary  of  Kansas,  when  he  turned  back  toward 
Mexico. 

So  the  first  name  the  river  bore  was  given  it  bv  the  Spanish.  The 
name  bv  which  it  is  now  known  was  given  it  by  the  French.  They  named 
it  from  a  tribe  of  Indians,  the  "Akansa",  they  found  near  the  mouth  of  the 
stream  when  thev  first  reached  the  river.  Through  many  changes  in  spell- 
ing, largely  as  a  matter  of  pronunciation,  the  spelling  has  been  changed  to 
its  present  form. 

The  river  rises  in   the  mountains  of  central  Colorado,   near  Leadville, 


46  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

and  empties  into  the  Mississippi  river  at  Napoleon,  Arkansas.  It  is  more 
than  two  thousand  miles  long  and  drains  a  basin  of  one  hundred  and  eighty- 
live  thousand  square  miles.  It  is  the  greatest  western  affluent  of  the  Missis- 
sippi river.  It  starts  in  a  pocket  of  lofty  mountain  peaks  at  an  altitude  of 
over  ten  thousand  feet.  It  drops  four  thousand  six  hundred  and  twenty- 
live  feet  in  the  first  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  of  its  course,  over  one 
hundred  and  twenty  feet  to  the  mile.  At  Canyon  City  it  passes  out  of  the 
Rocky  mountains  through  the  Grand  canyon  of  the  Arkansas.  It  soon  is 
transformed  into  a  turbid,  shallow  stream,  depositing  its  mountain  debris  in 
the  valley.  It  meanders  across  eastern  Colorado,  Kansas,  Oklahoma  and 
Arkansas.  At  Dodge  City  it  shifts  its  direction  to  the  northeast  and  at 
Great  Bend  it  turns  it ^  course  toward  the  southeast.  It  has  a  fall  of  seven 
and  five-tenths  feet  per  mile  from  Canyon  City  to  Wichita,  a  distance  of 
live  hundred  and  one  miles,  and  one  and  hXe-tenths  feet  per  mile  from 
Wichita  to  Little  Rock,  this  being  reduced  to  sixty-five  hundredths  of  a  foot 
per  mile  from  Little  Rock  to  its  mouth.  It  is  constantly  changing  its  bed, 
dtie  t<»  heavy  rainfall  and  the  melting  snows  of  the  mountains,  as  well  as 
to  the  character  of  the  soil  through  which  it  flows.  Its  water  is  lowest  in 
the  channel  from  August  to  December.  The  depth  of  the  water  varies 
from  twenty-seven  feet  to  one  foot. 

The  Indians  called  the  Arkansas  the  "Xe  Shuta",  meaning  "Red  Water'. 
Win  it  was  given  this  name  is  not  known.  The}'  likewise  called  the  Little 
Arkansas,  "Xe  Shuta  ShinkaA  meaning  'The  Young  or  the  Little  Red 
Water".  This  river  was  a  highway  of  commerce  for  the  French,  as  thev 
made  their  way  to  the  mountains  in  search  of  hides  and  furs.  Their  expe- 
dition- usually  followed  the  river,  generally  on  the  north  side,  keeping  a 
half  mile  or  more  from  the  river  in  order  to  avoid  the  sand  along  the  banks, 
but  keeping  close  enough  to  reach  it  for  camping  purposes,  where  there  was 
water  and  driftwood.  They  generally  could  get  enough  driftwood  for 
their  campfin         The  exploration  of  the  Arkansas  by  the  Americans  in  the 

i\    days   was  largely   for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  the   nature  of  the 
country  and   to  find   the  number  and  character  of  the   Indians  that   were  to 

fi  >und  in  this  country. 
\mong  these   1    plorers   was    Zebulon    Tike.      In   July,    [806,   Pike   left 

Louis  on  his  second  expedition.  Me  ascended  the  Missouri  to  the  Osage, 
and  the  latter  to  the  villages  of  the  Indians  of  that  name.  Thence  he  con- 
tinued v  I  overland,  entered  Kansas,  and  proceeded  to  the  Pawnee 
village   on    the    Republican    river   near   the   present    Kansas-Nebraska    line. 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  47 

Turning  southward,  he  reached  the  Arkansas  river  at  the  present  site  of 
Great  Bend.  There  he  dispatched  his  junior  officer,  Lieutenant  Wilkinson, 
with  a  few  men,  to  descend  the  Arkansas,  while  with  the  rest  of  his  com- 
pany lie  ascended  the  same  river  into  Colorado,  as  tar  as  Pueblo.  Frofn 
this  point  he  made  an  unsuccessful  side-trip  which  had  for  its  object  the 
ascent  of  the  since  famous  peak  which  hears  his  name,  and  returned  to  his 
camp  at  Pueblo. 

Another  early  explorer   was  Jacob   Fowler.     Contrasting   the   work   of 
the  early  explorers,  the  biographer  of  howler,  says: 

'There  are  no  records  of  where  others  went  or  what  they  did.  Ezekiel 
Williams,  James  Workman,  Samuel  Spencer,  sole  and  shadowy  survivors 
of  Coyner's  'Lost  Trappers,'  are  only  uneasy  spirits,  flitting  from  the 
Missouri  to  Mexico  and  California  in  an  apocryphal  book,  never  materializing 
out  of  fable-land  into  historical  environment.  Wherever  other  American 
trappers  or  traders  may  have  gone  on  the  Arkansas  or  even  the  Rio  Grande 
in  those  days,  and  whatever  they  may  have  done,  Fowler  was  first  to  forge 
another  sound  link  in  the  chain  which  already  reached  from  Like  to  Long. 
The  hitter's  justly  celebrated  expedition  came  down  the  Arkansas  and  the 
Canadian  in  1820.  Like  ascended  the  main  river  from  its  great  bend  to  it*- 
source  in  1806,  the  same  year  that  his  lieutenant,  Wilkinson,  descended  this 
stream  from  the  point  where  he  parted  from  his  captain.  For  the  lower 
reaches  of  the  river  we  have  Thomas  Nuttall's  'Journal  of  Travels  into  the 
Arkansas  Territory,'  during  the  year  18 1 9,  and  various  other  accounts. 
But  I  know  of  no  record  earlier  in  date  than  Fowler's  of  continuous  ascent 
of  the  river  from  Ft.  Smith  to  the  present  position  of  Pueblo  in  Colorado. 
He  meandered  the  whole  course  of  the  Arkansas  between  the  points  named. 
except  his  cut-off  of  a  small  portion  of  the  Verdigris  trail.  One  of  his 
men,  Lewis  Dawson,  who  was  killed  by  a  grizzly  bear  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Purgatory — and  who,  let  us  hope,  left  that  place  for  happier  hunting-grounds 
—may  not  have  been  the  first  white  American  buried  in  Colorado  soil,  but 
the  record  of  a  prior  funeral  would  be  far  to  seek.  Whose  was  the  first  habit- 
able and  inhabited  house  on  the  spot  where  Pueblo  now  stands?  Fowler's, 
probably;  for  Pike's  stockade  was  hardly  a  house,  and  Jim  Leckwourth  came 
twenty  years  after  Fowler.  The  Taos  trail  from  Santa  Fe  through  the  Sangre 
de  Cristo  pass  to  the  Arkansas  at  I'ueblo  was  well  known  to  the  Spaniards 
when  Powder's  partv  traversed  it  in  the  opposite  direction:  but  we  have  no 
American  itinerary  of  that  passage  at  an  earlier  date  than  his.  When  Fowler 
ascended  the  Rio  Grande  to  Hot  Spring  creek  in  the  San  Juan  range,  he 
followed   a    Spanish   road:   but    never   before   had   an    American    expedition 


48  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

been  so  near  the  source  of  that  great  river  Del  Norte,  and  not  till  many 
years  afterward  did  any  such  prolong"  Fowler's  traces  upward.  The  greater 
part  of  Fowler's  homeward  journey  from  Taos  to  Ft.  Osage  will  doubtless 

prove  as  novel  to  his  readers  as  it  was  unexpected  by  his  editor.  South  of 
the  Arkansas,  his  trail  was  neither  by  the  way  he  had  gone  before,  nor  by 
either  of  those  mads  which  were  soon  to  be  established  and  become  well 
known,  for  he  came  neither  by  the  Cimarron  nor  the  Raton  route,  but  took 
a  straighter  course  than  either,  between  the  two,  over  Chico  Rico  Mesa 
and  thence  along  Two  Butte  creek  to  the  Arkansas  on  the  Kansas-Colorado 
border.  Again,  when  Fowler  left  the  Arkansas  to  strike  across  Kansas,  he 
did  not  take  up  the  direct  route  which  caravans  were  about  to  blaze  as 
the  Santa  Fe  trail  from  Missouri  through  Council  Grove  to  Great  Bend, 
but  went  a  roundabout  way,  looping  far  south  to  heads  of  the  Whitewater 
and  Verdigris  rivers  before  he  crossed  the  Neosho  to  make  for  the  Missouri 
below  the  mouth  of  the  Kansas." 

A  reproduction  of  Fowler's  journey,  as  far  as  it  refers  to  this  county, 
i>  given  in  chapter  III. 

Being  the  first  white  man  to  describe  the  earliest  days  of  Reno  county, 
the  first  to  describe  the  streams  and  soil,  something  more  of  Fowler  will 
be  of  interest,  something  of  his  life  as  told  by  his  biographer.  The  follow- 
ing is  from  the  introduction  of  "The  Journal  of  Jacob  Fowler"  : 

"'.Major  Fowler  was  born  in  Xew  York,  in  1 765,  and  came  to  Kentucky 
in  early  life,  a  tine  specimen  of  physical  manhood,  fully  equipped  for  the 
office  and  duties  of  a  surveyor.  His  surveying  instruments  were  the  best 
of  their  day.  ajid  elicited  no  little  envy  from  those  who  used  the  common 
Jacob's  staff  and  compass  and  chain  of  the  times.  He  had  the  reputation  of 
being  an  accomplished  surveyor,  and  did  much  in  this  line  for  the  United 
State-  government.  His  surveying  extended  to  the  great  plains  and  moun- 
tains of  the  far  West,  before  civilization  had  reached  these  distant  wilds, 
lie  was  there  when  wild  animals  and  wilder  savages  were  the  only  tenants 
of  tbe  wilderness. 

'Major  Fowler  married  tbe  widow  Esther  Sanders,  nee  de  Vie,  of  New- 
port. Kentucky.  Sin-  was  of  French  descent  and  a  lady  of  great  beautv 
and  accomplishments.  She  made  his  home  one  of  happiness  and  hospitality. 
She  sometimes  accompanied  him  on  his  surveying  expeditions  and  bore 
dome-tic  charms  to  the  tent  in  which  they  lived,  as  she  did  to  the  palatial  man- 
sion at  home.  She  was  a  woman  oi  line  business  capacity,  who,  when  her 
husband  was  nol  at  home,  attended  to  his  affairs  .and  especially  to  his  farm 
in   the   suburbs  of   Covington.      Here   fine   stock   and   abundant   crops  owed 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  4'j 

much  to  her  constant  care  and  supervision.     The  grapes  that  grew  on  the 

place  were  made  into  wine  and  the  apples  into  cider,  in  accordance  with  the 
knowledge  she  had  inherited  from  her  French  ancestors.  Her  great-grand- 
children of  today  tell  of  the  life  of  the  camp,  when  she  was  with  her  hus- 
band  in  his  surveying  expeditions.  The  tent  floor  was  nicely  carpeted;  a 
comfortable  bed  invited  repose  after  the  toil  of  the  day;  dainty  china,  bright 
cut  glass,  and  shining  silverware,  handsome  enough  to  he  preserved  as  family 
heirlooms  by  their  descendants,  were  used  on  the  camp  table.  It  was  some- 
thing of  Parisian  life  in  the  dreary  wilderness. 

"Major  Fowler  died  in  Covington  in  the  year  1850.  His  life  as  a 
surveyor  and  explorer  in  the  West  subjected  him  to  many  hardships,  hut 
a  constitution  naturally  vigorous  was  preserved  with  care  until  he  reached 
his  eighty-sixth  year.  He  has  numerous  descendants  in  Kentucky,  Ohio 
and  other  states,  some  of  whom  occupy  high  social  positions." 

Speaking  of  his  life,  his  biographer  says  of  him:  "If  we  turn  from 
the  substance  of  Fowler's  journal  and  ask  to  see  the  hill  of  lading,  curious 
to  know  what  useful  or  valuable  information  is  contained  in  so  singular  a 
conveyance,  it  may  be  composedly  said  that  this  "Prairie  Schooner"  is 
well  foresighted  for  a  "Voige"  on  the  highway  of  Americana ;  for  the 
cargo  is  a  novel  and  a  notable  contribution  to  our  knowledge  of  early  com- 
mercial and  pioneer  adventure  in  the  Great  West.  It  is  simple,  the  story  of 
the  trader  and  trapper,  unsupported  by  the  soldier,  unimpeded  by  the  priest 
and  in  no  danger  of  the  politician.  The  scene  is  set  in  the  wilderness;  the 
time  is  when  the  pack  animals  were  driven  across  the  stage,  before  the  fast 
wheels  rolled  over  the  plains  from  the  states  to  Santa  Fe,  and  the  actors 
have  real  parts  to  perform." 

With  his  interesting  story,  is  a  glimpse  of  what  the  country  was  in 
182 1. 

The  Arkansas  river  has  decreased  in  width  very  much  since  the  first 
settlers  came  to  Reno  county.  An  explanation  of  this  narrowing  of  the 
river  lied  is  given  in  another  chapter.  While  not  the  stream  of  former 
years,  yet  it  at  times  becomes  a  turbulent  one  and  carries  a  large  volume 
of  water.  It  has  nothing  of  the  importance  it  had  in  early  years,  as  changed 
methods  of  transportation  have  decreased  its  value. 

The  Little  Arkansas  cuts  off  a  part  of  the  county  in  the  northeast  corner. 
"While  an  interesting  stream,  it  only  touches  the  county  in  such  a  way  that 
it  becomes  a  stream  of  minor  importance  in  a  history  of  the  county. 

One  of  the  most  beautiful  streams  anywhere  to  be  found  is  Cow  creek, 
which  in  early  days  was  a  marvel  to  all  who  saw  it.     It  heads  up  in  the 

(4) 


50  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

hard  land  of  Rice  and  Russell  counties  and  threads  its  way  through  the  bot- 
tom lands — two  miles  of  creek  to  one  as  the  crow  Mies.  It  appears  on 
Sibley's  map  made  in  1824  as  "Cold  Water"  or  "Cow  Creek" — the  latter 
name  has  clung  to  the  stream. 

Who  named  Cow  creek  ?  What  a  name  for  such  a  stream.  The  water 
as  clear  as  crystal.  The  stones  in  the  bed  of  the  stream  as  plainly  visible 
as  if  no  water  ran  over  them.  Imagine  how  the  first  white  man  felt  as 
he  saw  that  stream.  Riding  over  the  hot,  short  buffalo  grass  of  the  prairie, 
his  horse  plunged  into  the  tall  blue  stem  that  grew  in  the  low  bottom  land 
that  bordered  the  bank  of  the  stream.  He  saw  no  water  until  within  ten  feet 
of  the  bank  of  the  creek.  A  little  way  ahead,  it  emerged  from  the  tall  grass 
as  it  came  around  a  bend,  and  a  little  way  below  it  disappeared  out  of  sight 
in  the  same  way.  It  was  an  original  discovery  to  every  stranger  who  crossed 
it.  Standing  fifty  feet  from  its  banks  in  the  rank  growth  of  blue  stem,  there 
was  nothing  to  indicate  the  existence  of  such  a  stream.  It  seemed  super- 
natural. It  came  from  the  Unknown  and  went  on  to  the  Unknown.  The 
traveler  hesitated  to  turn  away.  He  wanted  to  taste  of  the  stream.  He 
wanted  to  touch  his  hands  in  its  cooling  waters  and  let  his  feet  rest  on  its 
shining  sand  and  its  glistening  pebbles.  When  was  this  marvelous  creation 
planned?  How  long  has  it  been  moving  its  way  to  the  sea — along  the 
unknown  and  silent  pathway?  What  eons  has  it  carried  away  the  volcanic 
salts  and  alkalis  that  the  changing  seasons  have -leached  from  the  soil  to  pre- 
pare the  land  for  the  tillage  of  the  coming  man?  How  many  billion  tons 
of  granite,  quartz,  limestone  and  prophyry  have  the  summer  torrents  of  the 
Arkansas  brought  from  the  mountains  and  unloaded  along  its  route  till  its 
water  channel  was  seventeen  feet  above  the  waters  of  the  creek,  four  miles 
above  the  townsite?  How  long  since  this  beautiful  stream  began  its  mean- 
dering over  the  surface  of  the  canyon  filled  with  sand  and  water  which  we 
call  the  Arkansas  valley?  Who  named  Cow  creek?  If  it  were  possible 
to  see  into  the  future,  would  there  be  an  exercise  of  the  police  power  of 
the  city  to  prevent  the  contamination  of  the  stream  from  its  source  to  its 
nx .nth  that  there  might  be  for  all  time  a  stream  of  water  that  for  purity, 
for  the  health  of  the  city,  has  no  equal.      Who  named  Cow  creek? 

Cow  creek  has  had  three  disastrous  floods.  In  normal  times  it  does 
not  look  like  a  stream  thai  would  do  much  damage,  by  overflowing  its 
bank-.  It  has  it-  source  in  the  hard  lands  of  Rice  and  Kllsworth  counties 
and  when  the  heavy  rain-  fall  in  that  territory  the  channel  is  unable  to  carry 
away  the  excess  water-.  When  the  Santa  I'e  railroad  was  built  through 
this  county  their  engineers  knew  bill  little  of  the  country.     The  underlying 


R E  NO   COUN  T  Y ,    K  A  N  S A S .  5  I 

stratum  of  sand  and  water  makes  deep  channels  impossible.  To  the  first 
railroad  engineer  there  was  no  warning  of  any  danger  from  overflow. 
There  was  no  driftwood  because  of  the  entire  absence  of  timber  along  the 
stream  and  even  the  little  wash  of  grass  and  weeds  were  gone,  burned  by 
the  annual  prairie  lire  that  swept  the  country.  So  when  the  Santa  1  e  engi- 
neers built  their  bridge  across  Cow  creek,  west  of  town,  they  put  in  a  beam 
bridge,  with  abutments  built  of  stone  and  a  bridge  only  forty  feel  long. 
The  railroad  was  about  a  foot  above  the  level  of  the  ground,  just  as  little 
as  they  could  get  along  with.  When  the  first  flood  that  occurred  after  the 
settlers  came  into  the  county,  on  May  7,  1877,  the  water  soon  piled  up  around 
the  bridge  and  in  a  short  time  the  flood  had  undermined  the  stone  masonry 
abutment  and  the  east  abutment  rolled  over  into  the  water.  The  sand  had 
washed  from  under  the  stone  abutment  and  the  bridge  was  gone.  But  the 
volume  of  water  could  not  find  an  adequate  outlet  in  the  creek  channel  and 
it  spread  over  the  railroad  tracks.  It  followed  the  track  to  Main  street, 
ran  across  Main  street  to  First  avenue,  filling  all  the  low  places  and  finally 
made  its  way  back  to  the  channel  of  the  creek.  There  was  about  two  feet 
of  water  over  the  town,  the  deepest  place  being  on  Main  street  and  First 
avenue  east.  The  water  stayed  on  the  street  and  over  the  town  for  about 
two  weeks. 

In  an  effort  to  avoid  any  further  floods  the  city  at  once  began  to  raise 
thp  grade  of  Main  street.  This  was  done  by  hauling  dirt  and  other  material 
and  piling  it  in  the  street.  The  intention  was  to  raise  the  grade  of  the  street 
for  two  feet.  To  do  this  required  that  all  houses  be  raised  two  feet.  There 
were  no  brick  buildings  then,  only  frame  structures,  and  after  considerable 
time  all  of  the  buildings  were  stuck  up  on  stilts.  The  sidewalks  were  also 
put  up  and  the  city  had  its  first  damage  suit  as  the  result  of  these  elevated 
walks.  Taylor  Flick,  a  resident  of  Kinsley,  walked  off  of  one  of  these  stilted 
sidewalks  one  night  and  was  injured.  He  sued  the  city  for  five  thousand 
dollars  damages.     The  jury  gave  him  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars. 

The  railroad  likewise  had  to  raise  its  grade  to  make  sure  that  future 
floods  would  not  wash  out  its  tracks.  They  extended  the  bridge,  making 
it  more  than  double  the  length  of  the  first  one  and.  instead  of  using  masonry 
abutments,  they  drove  down  piling  and  built  the  bridge  on  them.  The  piling 
went  far  enough  into  the  ground  that  no  trouble  was  ever  experienced  after 
that  with  washed-out  bridges  in  Cow  creek. 

In  addition  to  raising  the  grade  of  Main  street,  the  city  did  another 
thing  that  greatly  helped  it,  not  only  in  later  floods,  but  in  times  when  there 
was  more  than  the  normal  amount  of  water  to  be  carried  down  the  chan- 


g2  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 


nel  of  the  stream.       ?hat  was  the  straightening:  of  Cow  creek  through  the 


town.  The  many  bends  in  the  creek  greatly  retarded  the  flow  of  water.  W. 
Hutchinson  made  a  proposition  to  the  city,  which  was  accepted.  He 
agreed  to  straighten  Cow  creek  through  the  city,  making  a  channel  that  was 
just  half  the  length  of  the  bed  of  Cow  creek  through  the  city.  The  city  paid 
ten  thousand  dollar-  for  this  work  and  in  the  subsequent  periods  of  high 
water  demonstrated  its  value.  It  not  only  cut  the  distance  the  water  had  to 
travel,  but  it  increased  the  velocity  of  the  water  so  that  the  creek's  carrying 
capacity  was  increased  four-fold.  There  have  been  several  occasions  when 
the  low  lands  above  town  were  covered  with  water  and  yet  the  creek  was 
able  to  carry  the  water  through  town  and  not  tax  the  channel  to  its  capacity 
to  carry  the  extra  volume  of  water  away. 

The  second  flood  of  Cow  creek  was  in  June,  1886.  The  water  was 
not  as  high  as  it  was  in  1877,  but  it  was  harder  to  get  off  of  the  town. 
because  Main  street,  having  been  raised,  held  back  the  water  and,  while  the 
west  part  of  town  suffered  more  than  it  did  at  the  first  flood,  the  eastern  part 
of  the  city  did  not  experience  nearly  the  loss  that  it  did  in  the  first  high 
water. 

The  principal  damage  in  all  of  the  floods  has  been  to  grass  and  lawns. 
No  property  loss  of  any  great  amount  has  ever  been  occasioned.  The  flood 
of  [903  did  perhaps  more  actual  damage  than  either  of  the  others,  as  it 
came  up  very  unexpectedly  and  merchants  were  not  able  to  get  their  stock 
of  goods  off  the  floors.  This  last  flood  occurred  on  May  30,  1903.  Heavv 
rain>  in  Rice  and  Ellsworth  counties  for  over  a  week  had  poured  a  volume 
of  water  into  Cow  creek  that  was  more  than  it  could  carrv.  The  water 
stood  about  two  feet  deep  over  Alain  street  and  covered  perhaps  two-thirds 
of  the  town  site.  There  was  considerable  damage  done  by  this  flood. 
Merchants  l<>st  goods  that  they  were  unable  to  get  off  the  floors  before  the 
water  reached  them.  Some  foundations  of  buildings  were  undermined  and 
me  buildings  that  were  made  of  soft  brick  were  damaged  by  the  water. 
rdens  and  lawns  were  covered  with  a  coating  of  mud  where  the  water 
Stood,  but  no  great  loss  occurred   from  the  flood. 

The  city,  shortly  after  the  flood,  du^  a  drainage  canal  from  Cow  creek 
to  the  river,  west  of  town.  Thi-  cost  over  thirty  thousand  dollars  and  into 
it  a  greater  portion  of  Cow  creek  water  i-  diverted.  Whether  it  will  pre- 
vent the  tlo.nK  from  getting  over  the  city  when  the  water  becomes  as  high 
a-  it  was  in  [903  i-  a  matter  of  conjecture.  Tt  doubtless  will  keep  off  a 
at  amount,  but  the  test  of  it.  capacity  i-  yet  to  be  made.  While  the  loss 
to  the  city  by  reason  of  the  high  water  in  Cow  creek  has  been  considerable. 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  53 

the  loss  to  the  fanners  above  town  and  likewise  those  In-low  town  has  been 
greater  than  the  loss  in  the  city.  Both  ol"  the  lasl  two  floods  have  occurred 
in  the  growing  months  of  the  year.  Crops  were  spoiled  and  in  some  pla< 
the  soil  was  washed  by  the  high  water.  These  losses,  however,  are  such 
as  come  to  the  low  lands,  the  best  land  being  of  course  in  the  bottoms.  Ian 
while  the  loss  of  crops  is  an  item  of  considerable  moment  to  those  affected, 
yet  it  is  not  always  a  complete  loss,  as  the  deposil  of  soil  left  on  the  land- 
is  worth  considerable   in  added   strength  to  the  soil. 

The  north  fork  of  the  Ninnescah  waters  the  western  and  southern  part 
of  the  county.  It  heads  in  the  eastern  part  of  Stafford  county,  but  ha-  its 
principal  feeders  from  the  western  and  northwestern  part  of  Reno  county. 
Its  name  means  "sweet  water."  On  the  early  maps  it  was  uniformly  spelled 
"Nenescah,"  but  the  later  spelling  changes  the  "e"  to  "i".  It  has  low  banks, 
seldom  ever  runs  dry  and  is  a  great  stream  for  watering  stock.  There  is 
line  bottom  land  on  both  sides  of  the  stream  and  in  the  early  days  of  cattle 
driving  the  Ninnescah  afforded  a  splendid  place  to  water  and  feed  the  cattle. 
There  were  several  camping  grounds  for  stock  on  the  stream  and  it  was 
a  source  of  great  pleasure  for  the  tired  and  thirsty  cattle  owners  to  reach 
this  rich  bottom  land  with  their  stock  in  the  long  drives  from  Texas  north- 
ward. The  Ninnescah  empties  into  the  Arkansas  river  at  Oxford  in  Sumner 
county. 

Salt  creek  heads  in  the  northwest  corner  of  Kiowa  county.  Its  old 
name  was  "Turkey  Creek."  It  probably  derives  its  present  name  from  the 
salty,  brackish  taste  of  the  water.  It  empties  into  the  Arkansas  river  six 
miles  west  of  Hutchinson.  It  was,  like  the  Ninnescah,  a  watering  point 
for  Texas  stock,  the  country  round  it  affording  good  pasturage  for  the  cattle. 

Looking  at  it  from  the  standpoint  of  its  value  to  the  stock  men,  it  is 
not  strange  now  that  they  fought  so  vigorously  the  attempt  to  shut  the  cattle 
business  out  of  the  county,  and  it  is  not  strange  the  cattle  men  resisted  so 
strenuously  the  effort  to  drive  them  farther  west,  as  the  natural  conditions 
favored  equally  the  raising  of  stock  or  the  growdng  of  grain.  The  abundance 
of  water  made  it  an  especially  valuable  field  for  stock  raising. 


CHAPTER  IV. 
The  Osage  Indians. 

The  early  settlers  of  Reno  county  never  had  any  experience  with  the 
Indians  of  any  consequence  outside  of  a  raid  on  some  cattle  in  an  early  day 
and  an  occasional  begging  band  of  Osages  that  drifted  into  the  country; 
with  these  exceptions,  the  settlers  of  this  county  never  saw  the  Indian.  Like 
the  buffalo,  he  had  passed  on  westward.  His  depredations  were  centered 
on  wagon  trains  along  the  Santa  Fe  trail  and  his  vengeance  was  taken  on 
hunters  who,  as  the  Indian  thought,  were  forcing  him  off  the  ground  he 
and  his  forefathers  had  held  for  centuries,  and  they  were  also  killing  off  the 
buffalo  and  depriving  him  of  his  means  of  support.  There  were  a  couple 
of  Indian  "scares,"  almost  entirely  without  foundation,  after  the  settlers 
came  to  Reno  county,  and  which  amounted  to  almost  a  frenzy  the  last  time 
in  1878.  But  the  Indian  never  was  a  source  of  annoyance  to  the  early 
settlers  in  this  county. 

The  territory  of  which  Reno  county  is  a  part  belonged  originally  to  the 
Osage  Indians.  Just  how  they  happened  to  possess  this  valley  and  this  part 
of  the  country  perhaps  cannot  be  known.  When  the  white  man  came  to 
this  country  he  found  various  tribes  of  Indians  scattered  over  the  land — 
whether  they  settled  their  boundary  lines  by  force  or  by  argument  cannot 
be  known,  but  they  lived  in  fairly  well  defined  areas.  According"  to  School- 
craft,  the  Osages,  in  an  early  day  lived  east  of  the  Mississippi  river.  Meet- 
ing severe  opposition  from  the  stronger  Eastern  and  Northern  tribes,  they 
came  west,  crossing  the  Mississippi  at  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri.  Here 
they  divided  into  two  bands,  the  Quawpaws  and  the  Ugmahaws.  The  Ouaw- 
paws,  or  the  older  of  the  Indians,  liked  the  softer  climate  of  that  region  and 
stayed  at  the  mouth  of  the  .Missouri.  The  Ugmahaws,  or  the  younger  or 
iin -re  vigorous  of  the  tribe,  pushed  up  northward  along  the  Missouri  river 
as  far  as  Omaha,  which  was  named  for  this  band  of  Osages,  their  name 
unifying  the  "Up  Stream"   Indian. 

The  Osages  laid  claim  to  all  the  country  north  of  the  Arkansas  river 
to  the  Meramac  river  in  Missouri  and  westward  to  an  indefinite  line,  that 
included  nearly  the  entire  >tate  <>i"  Kansa>.      \\'e>t  of  the  Osages,  the  Arapa- 


RENO  COUNTY",    KANSAS. 

hoes  and  Cheyennes  claimed  the  land.  Reno  count)  was  in  the  territory 
covered  by  the  treaties  of  the  <  )sages  with  the  United  States  government,  but 

lack  of  knowledge  of  the  country  caused  an  error  in  the  treaty,  by  which  the 
Osages  received  pay  for  some  land  claimed  by  the  Arapahoes  and  Cheyennes 
and  the  territory  immediately  in  the  vicinity  of  this  county  was  part  oi  the 
doubtful  territory  and  was  a  sort  of  neutral  ground  between  the  Osages  and 
Arapahoes  and  Cheyennes.  However,  as  the  treaties  for  this  territory  were 
made  with  the  Osages,  they  must  be  considered  as  the  original  holders  of 
the  soil. 

THE    OSAGE    TREATIES. 

The  lirst  treat}  with  the  Osages  by  the  United  States  was  made  on 
June  2,  1825,  at  St.  Louis,  This  treaty  was  the  result  of  the  report  by  Major 
Stephen  A.  Long,  who  made  a  trip  through  the  territory  in  182 1- 1822,  which 
will  be  referred  to  in  a  subsequent  chapter.  Major  Long's  report  covered 
the  questions  for  which  the  trip  was  organized,  namely,  to  ascertain  the  tribe 
of  Indians  that  held  possession  of  the  land  and  other  items  that  would  enable 
the  government  to  deal  intelligently  with  the  inhabitants  of  the  territory 
acquired  from  France  in  the  Louisiana  Purchase.-  At  this  time  the  govern- 
ment's policy  was  to  meet  the  chiefs  and  sub-chiefs  of  each  tribe  and  enter 
into  a  "treaty"  or  agreement  with  them  for  the  acquisition  of  their  land. 
While  the  government  had  bought  it  once  from  the  French,  yet  a  certain 
possessory  right  of  the  Indian  was  also  recognized.  The  "treaty"  that  was 
made  with  the  Indian  tribes  was  largely  in  the  nature  of  a  barter  and  trade 
rather  than  the  formal  method  that  is  used  in  the  dealings  of  one  sovereign 
nation  with  another.  These  treaties  were  effective  between  the  United  States 
and  the  Indian  tribes  only  after  they  had  been  approved  by  the  Senate  of  the 
United  States. 

There  were  present  at  the  forming  of  this  treaty  with  the  Osages  all 
the  chiefs  of  the  Great  and  Little  Osage  tribes.  The  government  recognized 
the  two  divisions  of  this  tribe  that  they  had  themselves  created.  By  the 
terms  of  this  treaty,  these  two  divisions  of  the  Osages  ceded  to  the  United 
States  "all  the  land  west  of  the  state  of  Missouri  and  the  territory  of  Arkan- 
sas, and  west  of  the  Red  river,  south  of  the  Kansas  river  and  west  to  a  line 
to  be  drawn  from  the  headwaters  of  the  Kansas  river  southwest  to  the  Rock 
Saline."  According  to  the  map  and  survey  of  J.  C.  McCoy,  the  "Rock 
Saline"  was  on  the  headwaters  of  Salt  creek  and  is  now  township  18  north, 
range  12  west,  near  the  north  fork  of  the  Canadian  river.  Owing  to  the  fact 
that  at  the  time  the  treatv  was  made  the  "headwaters  of  the  Kansas  river" 


56  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

were  not  accurately  known,  but  the  men  who  made  this  treaty  supposed  these 
'"headwaters"  to  be  much  farther  east  than  what  the  later  surveys  showed 
to  be  correct,  owing  to  the  misapprehension  of  the  western  boundary  of  the 
Osage  nation,  this  treaty  included  land  lying  in  the  western  part  of  the  terri- 
tory thought  to  be  conveyed  to  the  United  States  that  was  claimed  also  by 
the  Arapahoes  and  Cheyennes  and  this  is  the  explanation  of  the  "neutral 
strip"  referred  to  in  early  part  of  this  chapter. 

In  consideration,  the  United  States  agreed  to  pay  the  Osages  the  sum 
of  seven  thousand  dollars  a  year  for  twenty  years,  payment  to  be  made  at 
"the  village  of  St.  Louis."  In  addition  to  this  annual  payment,  the  United 
States  was  to  give  to  the  Osages  six  hundred  head  of  cattle,  six  hundred 
hogs,  one  thousand  domestic  fowls,  ten  yoke  of  oxen,  six  carts  and  such 
tanning  implements  as  the  agent  of  the  government  thought  was  necessarv : 
also  a  blacksmith  shop  to  repair  farm  implements  and  tools.  Likewise  the 
United  States  was  to  pay  the  Delaware  Indians  one  thousand  dollars,  which 
the  Osages  owed  them,  and  one  thousand  dollars  each  to  Pierre  Choteau, 
Paul  Balio  and  William  S.  Williams,  the  three  latter  being  Indian  agents  with 
whom  the  Indians  had  been  doing  business  and  who  had  helped  the  govern- 
ment to  negotiate  this  treaty. 

From  the  character  of  the  consideration  for  the  land,  the  purpose  of 
the  government  was  evident,  namely,  to  get  the  Indians  to  settle  down  to 
farming  and  quit  their  nomadic  life.  The  gift  of  oxen  and  plows  was  for 
the  purpose  of  seeing  if  the  Indian  could  not  be  made  self-supporting  and 
induced  to  quit  the  chase  as  his  only  method  of  making  a  living.  The  fact 
that  more  than  sixty  years  elapsed  before  the  Indian  gave  up  his  earlv 
habits,  took  his  land  in  severalty  and  began  to  farm,  is  evidence  of  the  deep- 
seated  love  the  Indian  had  for  his  old  habits.  While  it  is  doubtful  if  the 
six  hundred  hogs  and  the  thousand  chickens,  the  ten  yoke  of  oxen  and  the 
blacksmith  shop  had  much  effect  on  the  men  of  the  Osage  tribe  of  that  day, 
yet  it  was  the  beginning  of  the  end  of  Indian  occupancy  of  this  sort,  and 
marked  the  beginning  of  homesteads  and  the  "school  sections,"  the  timber 
claim,  tin-  pre-emption,  also  the  beginning  of  the  land  grant  to  railroads  and 
the  general  dispossession  of  these  lands  by  the  government. 

Tin-  second  treaty  with  the  Osages  was  made  on  August  io,  1825.  This 
treaty  was  also  an  "ingrowth  of  Long's  expedition  and  in  furtherance  of  the 
policy  of  Congress  to  promote  direct  commercial  relations  with  Mexico.  As 
a  part  of  this  policy,  Congress  authorized  the  President  to  cause  a  road  to 
he  marked  out  from  the  western  frontier  of  Missouri  to  New  Mexico.  This 
md  treaty  was  made  at  Council  Grove,  on  the  Neosho  river.     The  name 


V, 

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I— t 


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O 

O 
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i— i 

C 


RENO   COD  XTY,    KANSAS.  ^J 

of  the  place  was  derived  from  the  fact  that  the  meeting  place  was  held  in  a 
well-known  grove  and  the  word  "Council"  \;i>  added  to  the  "Grove"  to 
mark  the  place  where  the  treaty  was  made  It  is  the  name  of  the  present 
county  seat  of  Morris  county  and  was  a  stopping  place  for  traveler-  who 
later  went  over  the  trail  that  was  afterwards  established  across  the  state  and 
<»n  out  to  Santa  Fe,  New  Mexico.  By  this  treaty  the  (  )sages  agreed  t"  allow 
the  United  States  to  mark  out  the  contemplated  road  and  they  further  agreed 
to  he  friendly  with  all  who  traveled  over  that  road.  After  the  route  was 
established  and  travel  started,  hew  well  the  Indians  kept  their  faith  with 
the  government  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  it  became  necessary  to  establish 
two  forts  along  the  line,  one  at  I'd.  Zarah  and  one  at  Ft.  Dodge,  to  protect 
the  travelers  over  the  route.  Even  with  these  troops,  the  wagon  trains  were 
often  raided  and  robbed  and  the  teamsters  killed,  The  government  paid  the 
Osages  five  hundred  dollars  as  a  consideration  of  their  friendliness.  The 
result  of  the  treaty  was  the  establishment  of  the  Santa  Fe  trail.  This  was  a 
great  highway  of  travel  for  forty  years..  Its  purpose  was  purely  commer- 
cial. It  was  so  important  that  it  can  only  be  referred  to  here,  leaving  it  for 
a  subsequent  chapter.  It  was  the  first,  and  perhaps  the  most  important,  out- 
come of  this  second  treat}*  made  with  the  Osages. 

The  third  treatv  with  the  Osage  Indians  included  some  land  that  is  a 
part  of  Reno  county.  It  covered  the  territory  known  as  the  "Osage  trust 
lands."  It  was  a  strip  of  land  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  long  from  west 
to  east  and  twenty  miles  wide  from  north  to  south.  It  was  located  directly 
south  of  the  land  obtained  in  the  first  treaty  with  the  Indians.  Its  western 
boundary  extended  about  live  miles  west  of  Dodge  City  and  its  eastern 
boundary  was  about  fifteen  miles  east  of  Fredonia.  It  covered  about  three 
and  a  half  million  acres  of  land.  One  row  of  sections  is  in  Reno  county, 
extending  the  full  width  of  the  county  on  the  south  border.  This  treaty 
was  made  on  September  29,  1865.  General  Miles,  General  Sheridan  and 
others  represented  the  United  States  and  the  chiefs  and  sub-chiefs  of  the 
Osages  were  present.  As  payment  for  this  land,  the  United  States  agreed 
to  pay  the  Osages  three  hundred  thousand  dollars.  The  government  was  to 
sell  the  land  at  one  dollar  and  twenty-five  cents  per  acre  and  after  the  pur- 
chase price  had  been  paid  by  the  sale  <>i  the  land,  with  live  per  cent,  interest, 
the  balance  of  the  fund  was  to  be  placed  in  a  fund  to  be  called  "The  Civili- 
zation Fund."  This  treaty  had  a  clause  in  it  that  looked  like  a  joker  when 
the  treaty  was  made,  but  which  subsequently  had  a  far-reaching  effect  on  the 
history  and  development,  not  only  of  Reno  county,  but  of  the  entire  South- 


58  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

west.     This  matter  will  be  spoken  of  later,  as  it  affected  the  building  of  the 
Santa  Fe  railroad  and  the  locating  of  the  city  of  Hutchinson. 

INDIAN     HABITS    AND   CUSTOMS. 

In  appearance,  the  Osages  were  mainly  good  looking,  stout  of  limb,  and 
erratic  in  their  mode  of  life,  living  part  of  the  year  in  fixed  villages  and 
roving  with  their  families  in  search  of  game  the  remainder  of  the  time.  The 
squaws  cultivated  the  soil  in  a  small  way  and  perhaps  it  was  to  meet  the 
demands  of  the  squaws  that  the  provision  for  the  hogs  and  chickens  and 
farm  implements  was  inserted  in  the  first  treaty  they  made  with  the  govern- 
ment. Major  Hudson  found  at  the  mouth  of  the  Little  river,  when  he 
reached  that  place  in  his  trip  down  the  Arkansas  river  in  1821,  a  deserted 
Indian  camp.  It  was  the  middle  of  August  and  all  of  the  Indians  were  out 
on  the  hunt  preparing  their  winter's  meat.  At  the  camp  was  a  small  field 
of  corn,  poorly  tended,  weed}-  and  neglected,  also  some  watermelons 
"although  the  melons  were  not  ripe."  Said  the  Major  in  his  description  of 
this  place.  "We  ate  them  nevertheless  and  the  green  corn  was  greatly  appre- 
ciated by  the  part}',  which  had  lived  principally  on  meat  for  months."  The 
•  Isages  showed  much  skill  in  their  negotiations  with  the  United  States  agents, 
not  only  in  the  making  of  their  treaties,  but  in  their  subsequent  dealings 
with  the  Indian  agents.  They  had  a  bold,  direct  manner  and  used  large 
phrases  and  forms  of  thought,  apparently  for  the  purpose  of  impressing 
their  opponents  with  their  mental  ability.  Their  lodges  were  arranged  in 
a  symmetrical  manner.  Their  wigwams  were  built  in  a  circle,  one  line  within 
another,  with  the  chief's  tent  conspicuously  located  at  the  head  of  each 
encampment.  In  the  center  of  their  camp  they  erected  their  scaffolds  for 
drying  their  meat.  Schoolcraft  says  that  their  name  is  of  French  origin,  a 
corruption  of  "Ossingiguis,"  or  "Bone  Indian."  They  called  themselves 
"Wabeshaus."  They  had  the  reputation  with  the  other  Indian  tribes  of  being 
thieves  and  plunderer-.  Perhaps,  realizing  their  reputation,  they  proceeded 
to  realize  on  it.  When  they  agreed  to  be  friendly  with  the  white  man,  it 
was  for  the  consideration  that  was  always  a  part  ol  the  contract. 


CHAPTER   V. 
The  Buffalo. 

The  buffalo,  or  bison,  differs  somewhat  from  the  animal  that  bears  that 

name  found  in  other  countries.  lie  has  one  pair  of  ribs  more  than  the 
buffalo  of  other  countries  and  two  pairs  of  ribs  more  than  the  domestic  ox. 
The  first  description  of  the  American  buffalo  is  to  he  found  in  the  records 
of  the  early  Spanish  explorers,  who  saw  the  buffalo  first  in  the  southwestern 
part  of  the  United  States,  as  the  expedition  of  Coronado  was  marching  north- 
ward in  search  of  the  "Seven  Cities  of  Gold."  The  Spanish  knew  not  what 
name  to  give  to  the  big  shaggy  animals  that  crossed  the  plains  and,  for  want 
of  a  better  name,  they  called  them  "the  crooked  backed  oxen." 

The  buffalo  range  was  a  very  extensive  one  before  he  was  disturbed  by 
the  white  man.  He  was  found  all  the  way  from  the  Columbia  river  to  the 
Rio  Grande,  from  Saskatchewan  to  Ottawa  in  the  northern  ranges,  He  was 
also  an  inhabitant  of  the  regions  about  the  Great  Lakes.  He  was  found  in 
Alabama  and  down  on  the  Brazos.  He  was  as  familiar  a  sight  on  the  Atlan- 
tic as  he  was  on  the  Pacific  seaboard.  Catesby,  the  early  historian  of  South 
Carolina,  says  that  in  1712  the  buffalo  were  abundant  within  thirty  miles  of 
Charleston,  South  Carolina.  However,  the  principal  range  of  the  buffalo, 
the  ground  on  which  he  finally  made  his  last  stand,  his  last  fight  for  his 
existence,  was  in  Kansas,  between  the  Arkansas  and  the  Republican  rivers. 

It  is,  of  course,  impossible  to  tell  how  long  the  buffalo  occupied  the  land 
of  the  great  Southwest.  He  was  driven  west  of  the  Mississippi  after  the 
white  man  landed  on  the  eastern  shores  of  the  United  States.  His  existence 
east  of  the  Mississippi  doubtless  extended  over  a  long  period  of  time.  The 
vastness  of  the  numbers  that  were  found  even  a  half  century  ago,  after  he 
had  been  reduced  to  a  range  less  than  one-tenth  of  what  he  once  grazed  on. 
would  indicate  that  for  centuries  he  had  thrived.  Various  estimates  have 
been  made  of  the  number  of  buffalo  that  occupied  the  range.  They  were 
only  estimates,  and  the  wide  variance  in  the  figures  indicate  this  more  than 
anything  else.  R.  M.  Wright,  an  old  settler  and  hunter,  author  of  "Dodge 
City  in  Cowboy  Days,"  quotes  a  conversation  between  General  Sheridan  and 
Major  Inman.     Both  of  them  had  traveled  through  the  buffalo  country  many 


60  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

times  and  both  were  close  observers  and  men  of  good  judgment.  The  two 
had  mack-  the  trip  from  IT.  Supply  to  IT.  Dodge  during  the  days  following 
the  Civil  War.  Inman  placed  the  number  of  buffalo  in  the  countrv  through 
which  they  had  passed  at  ten  billion  and  General  Sheridan  objected  to  this 
as  too  high  an  estimate.  After  outlining  how  he  arrived  at  that  number, 
namely,  by  so  many  buffalo  to  the  acre,  stretched  out  over  the  long  distance 
they  had  traveled,  Inman  reduced  his  estimate  to  one  billion.  General  Sheri- 
dan objected  again  as  too  large  an  estimate  and,  after  various  methods  of 
estimation  were  considered,  they  both  agreed  that  there  were  at  least  one 
hundred  million  buffalo  on  the  range  at  that  time,  in  a  radius  of  one  hun- 
dred miles  from  Dodge  City.  At  a  later  date,  Horace  Greeley  made  the 
trip  overland  in  a  stage  coach,  through  the  buffalo  range,  and  placed  the 
number  of  buffalo  he  had  seen  along  the  line  through  which  the  stagecoach 
traveled,  at  four  million  buffalo.  Air.  Wright  quotes  Brick  Pond,  an  old 
experienced  hunter,  a  man  of  good  judgment  and  thoroughly  reliable,  as 
placing  the  number  of  buffalo  on  the  range  within  a  hundred  miles  of  Dodge 
(  itv  at  twelve  million.  Air.  Wright's  own  figures,  made  at  a  later  date,  when 
the  vividness  of  this  sight  had  somewhat  faded  from  his  memory,  was 
twenty- four  million.  He  adds,  "However,  I  think  Pond  was  more  nearly 
correct  in  his  estimate  than  I  was  in  mine,  when  it  is  remembered  that  the 
buffalo  lived  from  twenty-five  to  forty  years,  that  he  was  a  powerful  animal 
and  capable  of  self-defense  against  all  his  natural  enemies."  The  immensity 
of  these  figures  make  the  estimates  of  these  men  more  credible.  All 
of  the  estimates  of  the  vastness  of  these  herds,  indicates  at  once  the  fertility 
of  a  soil  that  would  support  so  main-  animals,  whose  sole  subsistence  was  the 

ss  thai  grew  on  the  prairies,  and  of  the  abundance  of  streams  that  would 
water  so  many  animals.  These  considerations  are  heightened  when  it  is 
remembered  that  the  buffalo  lived  through  the  rigors  of  winter  on  the  plains 
with  no  shelter  except  the  ravines  and  small  canyons  that  marked  the  course 
of  some  of  the  streams.  Into  this  range  have  come  in  later  days  the  cowmen 
with  their  herds,  and  they,  in  turn,  have  given  way  to  the  settlers  who  have 
1  roken  up  the  range  and  cultivated  the  soil.  Out  of  the  immensity  of  the 
herd-  of  buffalo  and  of  the  untold  centuries  these  animals  lived  in  this  land,* 

vv  a  condition  of  soil  that  made  possible  a  peculiar  grass  that  was  named 
for  the  animal,  which  lived  and  thrived  on  it.  How  closely  associated  is 
this  fact:  how  the  grass  and  tin-  buffalo  grew  together  ,and  disappeared 
together;  how-  the  habit-  of  the  one  produced  a  condition  of  soil  that  made 
s;  how  it  was  that  the  va-t  areas  of  country  that  the  buffalo 
1  rowsed  ■  rew  tlii-  humble  grass,  which  was  followed,  on  the  disappear- 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  6] 

ance  of  the  buffalo,  by  the  innumerable  varieties  of  other  grasses :  how  nature 
adapted  the  product  of  the  soil  to  the  necessity  of  the  animal,  are  perhaps 
some  of  the  most  interesting  facts  in  natural  history.  This  grass  is 
nutritious  that  on  it  alone  the  buffalo  grew  and  fattened.  This  grass  was 
green  in  the  spring,  like  other  grasses.  It  never  grew  more  than  six  or 
seven  inches  long  and  hung  so  close  to  the  ground  that  it  was  impossible  to 
cut  it  with  a  mowing  machine.  In  tin-  summer  and  fall  it  would  turn  brown, 
hut  if  the  outside  layer  of  the  grass  was  peeled  oil',  it  would  still  he  found 
green  and  fresh  on  the  inside.  This  condition  existed  even  in  the  late  fall 
and  winter.  It  "cured"  itself,  even  while  growing.  It  needed  not  the  mower 
and  rake  of  the  farmer  to  save  it  for  the  winter.  All  the  nutrition  the  heat 
of  summer  stored  in  its  silky  form  was  wrapped  under  the  brown  covering. 
It  was  prepared  for  winter  feed  in  nature's  "silo."  .Ml  the  buffalo  had  to 
do  to  get  as  good  feed  in  winter  as  in  summer,  was  to  push  aside  the  snow 
and  there  was  his  food,  as  nutritious,  as  juicy,  as  palatahle  as  when  he  ate 
it  in  the  spring  or  fattened  on  it  in  the  fall— the  most  wonderful  grass 
that  ever  grew. 

This  grass  grew  only  in  hard  land  and  was  the  only  kind  of  grass  found 
on  the  plains  in  the  early  days.  The  ground  had  been  pounded  for  thousands 
of  years  by  the  hoofs  of  the  innumerable  herds  that  lived  in  this  range  and 
was  as  hard  as  the  traveled  road.  The  roots  of  this  grass  were  very  line. 
and  when  the  ground  was  broken  up  and  the  air  allowed  to  get  to  the  roots, 
the  buffalo  grass  disappeared  and  in  its  place  grew,  the  first  year,  the  tall 
blue  stem,  that  grew  as  high  as  a  horse's  hack,  and  this  was  followed  by  a 
large  number  of  other  varieties  of  grasses. 

The  buffalo  grass  and  the  hardened  soil  afford,  perhaps,  the  best  idea 
of  the  extent  and  time  the  buffalo  lived  on  the  range,  that  it  is  possible  now 
to  form,  not  as  counted  by  thousands,  or  tens  of  thousands,  hut  in  a  manner 
that  shows  vividly  the  extent  of  the  herds. 

The  vast  numbers  given  of  the  size  of  the  herds,  are  meaningless.  The 
soil  condition  indicates  more  clearly  to  us  the  numbers  ami  extent  of  time 
the  buffalo  lived  here  on  the  prairies  than  the  statement  of  those  numbers  in 
concrete  figures.  How  long  the  buffalo  lived  here  and  fed  on  these  plains, 
how  long  a  period  must  have  passed  to  make  possible  the  hardened  soil  and 
how  much  longer  still  must  have  been  the  time  it  would  take  to  develop  a 
grass  so  peculiarlv  adapted  to  the  needs  and  conditions  of  the  life  that  it 
sustained — the  grass  and  the  soil  tell  more  vividly  than  figures  of  the  life 
of  this,  the  earliest  inhabitant  of  the  great  Southwest. 

The  hardened  soil  produced  a  condition  in  all  the  streams  that  drain  the 


(>_'  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

plains.  In  order  to  carry  off  the  water  of  the  streams  in  flood  times,  that 
would  run  off  the  ground  as  it  would  off  a  roof,  it  was  necessary  for  the 
streams  to  have  much  wider  channels  than  was  required  in  later  days,  after 
the  settlers  had  broken  up  the  soil,  which  allowed  the  rains  to  seep  into  the 
soil,  instead  of  rushing  off  in  torrents  to  the  streams.  Consequently,  as  soon 
as  the  land  was  broken,  the  Arkansas  river,  the  ultimate  drainage  canal  of 
thi>  territory,  began  to  decrease  in  width.  Islands  began  to  form  in  what 
formerly  was  the  channel.  The  necessity  for  a  wide  channel  had  disappeared. 
In  [874,  when  the  first  bridge  was  built  over  the  Arkansas  river  at  Hutchin- 
son, it  was  sixteen  hundred  and  twenty-live  feet  long.  The  bridge  that  now 
>pans  the  river  at  the  same  point  is  but  five  hundred  and  forty  feet  long. 

The  buffalo  varied  in  height  from  four  to  five  and  a  half  feet  and 
differed  from  the  domestic  ox  in  being  longer-legged  and  shorter-bodied  and 
in  having  a  large  hump  on  its  hack,  a  long  mane  and  much  longer  hair  on  its 
hack  and  shoulders.  Its  greatest  girth  was  just  back  of  the  forelegs,  from 
which  its  body  gradually  tapered  and  also  diminished  in  height.  Its  head 
and  eyes  were  small.  Its  whole  structure  was  calculated  for  speed  and  its 
general  aspect  was  tierce  and  terrible,  although  it  was  not  so  unless  it  wras 
closely  pressed.  Under  ordinary  circumstances,  it  was  harmless  and  timid. 
Its  sense  of  smell  was  exceedingly  acute  and  it  depended  largely  on  this 
faculty  for  its  safety.  It  was  a  migratory  animal,  although  a  few  buffalo 
could  be  found  in  the  northern  climates  at  all  seasons  of  the  year. 

When  the  buffalo  moved,  it  was  in  immense  herds,  but  the  larger  herds 
would  break  up  into  .smaller  hands  of  a  few  thousand  each.  The  buffalo 
never  was  alone  except  by  accident.  The  males  and  females  herded  sepa- 
rately, except  in  the  breeding  season,  which  was  in  June  and  July.  This  was 
the  time  when  the  hulls  contended  for  mastery.  Old  hunters  tell  of  seeing 
hundreds  of  these  animals  lighting  at  the  same  time.  When  one  of  the  old 
hulls  was  defeated  by  one  of  the  younger  and  stronger  ones,  the  defeated 
bull  never  again  got  in  with  the  successful  ones,  lie  was  out  and  he  staved 
"nt.  The  result  was  that  the  older  and  defeated  bulls  kept  to  themselves. 
The  cows  broughl  forth  their  voting  in  March  and  April.  They  were  notable 
for  their  attention  to  their  young.  At  night  the  cows  would  form  a  circle, 
with  the  calves  in  the  center.  The  cows  would  lie  down,  with  their  heads 
outward,  forming  a  barricade  against  the  wolves  and  coyotes  that  infested 
the  plains  and  that  hung  around  every  sick  or  wounded  animal,  ready  to 
fall  on  and  devour  it.  The  helpless  calves  were  eagerly  sought  by  the  hungry 
wolves  and  the  cue  and  attention  the  COWS  gave  their  young,  until  they  were 
able  to  care  for  themselves,  was  one  of  the  characteristics  of  the  buffalo. 


RENO  COU  NTY,    K  \.\s.\s.  <  >  \ 

The  calves  were  oi  a  very  light  color,  bul  the}  would  turn  a  rich  brown  color 
by  winter.     The  young  buffalo's  hair  would  shed   from  it-  Bank  and  sides 

the  second  summer  and  in  the  tall  of  its  second  \car  it-  hair  would  grow 
darker  and  thicker  than  it  was  the  first  year.  After  a  buffalo  had  passed  tin 
prime  of  life  the  hair  became  a  rusty-brown  color.  The  buffalo  would  always 
face  a  storm  instead  of  turning  from  it,  as  a  domestic  animal  does.  It  was 
more  thinly  clad  behind  than  in  front  and  could  best  protect  itsell  by  facing 
the  storm. 

The  buffalo  was  the  chief  source  of  the  living  of  the  Indian,  affording 
him  the  principal  part  of  his  food.  The  Indians  did  very  little  in  the  way 
of  cultivating  the  soil,  in  raising  grain  or  vegetables.  Occasionally  the 
squaws  had  small  patches  of  corn,  a  few  watermelons  and  pumpkins.  They 
also  gathered  some  of  the  wild  grapes  and  plums  when  they  found  them 
along  the  streams,  but  beyond  this  they  ate  few  vegetables.  The  bucks  were 
too  lazy  and  indolent  to  work  and  all  that  was  raised  was  done  by  the 
squaws.  They  had  only  the  rudest  sort  of  farm  implements  with  which  to 
tend  their  crops.  So  the  buffalo  was  their  chief  reliance  for  food.  While 
they  had  other  kinds  of  meat  occasionally,  deer,  antelope,  wild  geese  and 
wild  turkey,  vet  they  relied  mainly  on  the  buffalo  for  the  greatest  part  of 
their  living. 

The  hides  of  the  buffalo  furnished  the  Indian  with  their  clothing",  their 
saddles  and  their  tents.  The  sinews  of  the  buffalo  were  used  for  bowstring-. 
There  was  not  any  part  of  the  carcass  that  did  not  find  some  use.  Without 
the  buffalo,  the  savage  could  not  have  lived.  The  squaws  would  dry  strips 
of  buffalo  meat  by  hanging  them  up  in  the  sun.  They  would  then  grind 
this  dried  meat  up,  mix  it  with  choke  berry,  add  to  it  some  of  the  fat  of  the 
buffalo  they  had  fried  out  of  his  hump,  put  the  mixture  in  a  leather  bag  and 
it  became  the  food  of  the  tribe  when  they  were  on  the  march  or  when  they 
were  where  they  could  not  get  fresh  meat.  This  was  exceedingly  nutritious 
and  enabled  the  Indians  to  carry  their  sustenance  in  a  very  condensed  form. 

The  disappearance  of  the  buffalo  was  the  cause  of  the  breaking  up  ol 
the  tribal  relations  of  the  Indians,  the  first  step  that  was  necessary  to  pre- 
pare this  land  of  the  buffalo  range  for  settlement.  While  the  mere  slaughter 
of  the  buffalo  for  its  hide  and  meat  cannot  be  looked  upon  with  any  great 
degree  of  approval,  there  is  another  side  to  the  controversy  that  must  not  be 
overlooked.  If  the  vast  territory  the  buffalo  ranged  over  was  to  be  left  for 
a  range,  if  the  interests  of  the  settler  were  to  be  subordinated  to  that  of  the 
Indian,  then  there  was  no  justification  in  the  slaughter  of  the  buffalo.  If,  on 
the  other   hand,    the   demands  of   civilization,    the   pushing   onward   of   the 


64  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

pioneer,  were  to  be  considered,  then  the  view  as  expressed  by  General  Sheri- 
dan was  the  proper  one.  The  only  thing  that  led  to  the  settling  of  the  Indian 
on  his  allotment  was  the  fact  that  he  could  no  longer  live  by  the  chase.  The 
Indian  resented  die  encroachments  of  the  white  man  and  made  raids  into 
his  camps;  along  the  traveled  routes,  in  companies  or  alone,  the  Indian 
murdered  the  pioneer.  There  was  no  such  thing  as  settlement  until  the 
Indian  raids  were  things  of  the  past.  Their  depredations  must  be  stopped. 
A  bill  was  introduced  in  the  Texas  Legislature,  shortly  after  the  Civil  War, 
that  was  intended  to  protect  the  buffalo  from  the  hunters.  Against  this  bill 
(  ienera!  Sheridan  made  a  vigorous  protest.  The  General  knew  the  Indians, 
perhaps  better  than  any  other  of  the  regular  army  officers  of  those  times. 
He  knew  also  of  the  futility  of  trying  to  defend  the  whole  frontier  of  the 
nation  against  the  attacks  of  the  savages  and,  referring  to  the  proposed  Texas 
law,  he  said:  "Instead  of  stopping  the  hunters,  you  ought  to  encourage 
them  bv  a  unanimous  vote  of  thanks,  and  add  a  medal  of  bronze,  with  a 
■  lead  buffalo  on  one  side  and  a  discouraged  Indian  on  the  other.  Those  men 
have  done  more  to  settle  the  vexed  'Indian  question'  than  the  entire  regular 
army  has  done  in  the  last  thirty  years.  They  are  destroying  the  Indian's 
commi>>ary,  and  it  is  a  well-known  fact  in  military  tactics  that  an  army  cut 
off  from  its  base  of  supplies  is  in  a  precarious  condition.  Send  the  hunters 
powder  and  lead,  if  you  will,  and  for  the  sake  of  peace  let  them  kill,  skin 
and  sell  until  the  buffalo  are  exterminated.  Then  your  prairies  can  lie 
covered  with  cattle  and  cowboys,  who  will  follow  the  hunter  as  the  fore- 
runners of  civilization." 

What  General  Sheridan  predicted  has  come  true.  After  the  buffalo  and 
tin-  Indian  disappeared,  after  the  hunters  were  gone,  the  pioneers  came  and 
with  them  came  the  long-horned  cattle.  The  latter  have  likewise  passed  on 
and  in  Reno  county,  particularly,  the  longhorn  was  replaced  bv  the  shorthorn. 
The  buffalo  grass  has  been  turned  under  and  has  rotted,  and  the  alfalfa,  the 
lArage  food  ever  known,  has  taken  the  place  of  the  humble  buffalo 
grass.  (  >nc  acre  now  renders  more  service  than  a  quarter  section  did  under 
tbe  * •  1  <  1  "cow"  system,  .and  more  than  a  whole  township  did  when  the  buffalo 
roamed  over  it.  It  is  but  a  half  century  ("nun  bison  to  shorthorn,  from  the 
untamed  herds  on  the  plains  to  the  silos  of  modern  farming.  But  back  of  it 
all  was  the  displacing  of  the  tenants  of  the  -oil  of  a  thousand  years,  to  make 
plait-  tor  those  ot  today.  While  the  process  of  making  the  change  seemed 
harsh,  the  justification  comes  in  rendering  the  earth  more  productive,  paving 
the  way  for  the  growth  ol  a  country  of  contented  and  prosperous  people. 


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OLD    SANTA    FE    STATION   AT    STERLING,    SHOWING    TILL    OF 

BUFFALO    BONKS. 


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FUST    WHITE    MANS    DWELLING    IN    RENO    COUNTY. 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  65 

In  the  early  days  of  the  pioneers,  buffalo  bone  hauling  was  the  chief 
occupation  and  the  principal  source  of  revenue.  Indeed,  it  was  about  the 
only  thing  the  early  settlers  could  do,  to  make  money.  At  that  time  there  was 
but  little  work  to  do  in  the  country,  little  6r  no  building  being  done,  no  fac- 
tories or  shops  to  furnish  work.  The  farmer  did  all  of  his  own  work  in 
the  field,  and  had  plenty  of  time  on  his  hands,  and  his  greatest  occupation 
was  that  ol  hauling  buffalo  hones  to  town.  There  was  hut  little  money  in 
the  country.  By  gathering  up  these  hones,  that  lay  strewn  tor  hundreds  of 
miles,  the  early  settlers  were  not  only  able  to  make  a  living,  hut  lay  aside  a 
little  for  later  use.  "Buffalo  bones"  were  legal  tender  in  those  days.  Th 
hones  were  hauled  to  the  railroad,  to  he  shipped  from  this  part  of  the  buffalo 
range.  Carloads  of  hones  were  shipped  East  to  he  transformed  into  fer- 
tilizer. In  this  city  the  "hone  yard"  was  in  the  exact  spot  where  the  Bisonte 
hotel  now  stands.  It  would  have  been  impossible  to  have  chosen  a  more 
appropriate  name  for  this  hotel,  as  the  word  "hisonte''  is  the  Spanish  for 
"bull  buffalo."  But  no  more  striking  is  the  change  that  has  transformed  a 
hone  yard  into  a  magnificent  hotel,  than  that  which  has  occurred  in  other 
lines  of  industry  in  Reno  count}-. 

The  hide  hunters  were  also  numerous,  though  thev  did  not  do  much  in 
Reno  county,  for  the  huffalo  had  moved  farther  West  hefore  the  early  set- 
tler came  to  this  county.  There  was  a  trail  that  ran  across  the  southern  part 
of  the  country  called  the  "Northup  Trail,"  that  was  used  by  hunters  going 
farther  west  to  secure  not  only  the  hides,  hut  the  huffalo  meat.  This  meat 
was  hauled  to  the  nearest  railroad  station  and  shipped  east,  where  it  was 
considered  a  great  delicacy.  In  the  winter,  they  hauled  the  raw'  meat,  frozen 
by  exposure,  to  the  cars.  In  the  summer  the  meat  was  dried.  Part  of  the 
husiness  of  the  Northup  trail  was  hauling  buffalo  hides  from  the  hunting 
ground.  These  hides  were  dried  and  baled  and  their  skins  were  sold  to  two 
firms,  Charles  Bales,  of  St.  Louis,  and  a  man  by  the  name  of  Durfree,  of 
Leavenworth.  Buffalo  robes  were  sold  in  St.  Louis  from  sixteen  dollars  a 
piece  for  the  big,  fine,  full-haired  bull  buffalo,  to  eight  dollars  and  fifty  cents 
for  the  smaller  skins,  of  older  animals  that  did  not  have  so  much  hair  on 
them.  It  is  estimated  by  a  writer  of  that  time  that  Bales  did  at  least  a  half 
million  dollars  worth  of  business  annually  for  several  years,  while  Durfree 
did  half  that  much  in  the  sale  of  hides  at  Leavenworth. 

The  early  settler  found  some  peculiar  markings  on  the  creek  hanks  and 
some  peculiar  round  depressions  in  the  ground.  The  marks  on  the  creek 
hanks  were  V  shaped  and  were  cuts  in  the  higher  hanks  of  the  stream.    These 

(5) 


66  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

were  made  by  the  buffalo  going  down  to  the  stream  for  water.  They  did 
not  hunt  the  low  lands,  but  clambered  out  over  the  higher  banks,  urged  on 
by  the  buffalo  behind,  and  this  caused  the  peculiar  V  shapes  in  the  banks. 
The  round  depressions  were  "wallows,"  made  by  buffalo  pawing  up  the 
U'round  for  the  salt  in  the  alkali  soil,  and  also  for  the  buffalo  to  "wallow" 
in.  to  loosen  up  the  old  hair.  But  the  erosion  of  streams  has  washed  out  all 
the  V  shaped  cuts  in  the  creek  banks  and  the  rains  have  filled  up  the  wallows 
with  the  washings  of  the  soil,  so  that  nothing  now  remains  of  grass  or  bone 
or  depression  to  show  that  the  buffalo  ever  lived  in  this  country. 


CHAPTER  VI. 
Early  Trails  Across  the  Country. 

The  Texas  cattle  business  was  not  a  profitable  one  to  those  engaged 

in  it  before  the  Civil  War.  I 'ait  after  that  struggle  ended,  the  tide  of  emi- 
gration started  westward  and  as  one  of  the  results  of  that  shifting  of  the 
population  of  the  country  the  cattle  industry  was  greatly  stimulated.  The 
cattle  men  of  the  country  explained  this  increased  activity  by  saying  that 
before  the  war  their  industry  was  a  business,  after  the  war  it  became  a 
craze.  The  settlement  of  the  Northern  and  Central  states  called  for  more 
cattle.  To  supply  the  demand,  numerous  herds  of  the  Texas  range  stock 
were  driven  northward  every  year.  In  the  early  days  before  the  wagon  train 
of  the  "Forty-niner,"  before  the  laying  out  of  the  Santa  Fe  trail,  there  were 
millions  of  buffalo  on  the  range  from  Texas  northward.  Literally,  these 
millions  of  "crooked  backed  oxen''  were  supplanted  by  the  Texas  long-horn 
range  cattle,  and  millions  of  them  were  driven  north  to  market. 

The  driving  might  more  properly  be  called  "drifting."  The  cattle  were 
not  forced  along  except  to  reach  a  watering  place  and  were  allowed  to  graze. 
The  cattle  men  started  them  northward  in  Texas  early  in  April  and  as  the 
grass  grew  long-  enough  in  the  north  to  sustain  the  stock  they  crowded  the 
cattle. 

The  earliest  of  these  cattle  men  were  the  Bent  Brothers.  They  built 
a  trading  post  in  eastern  Colorado  in  1829  and  there  they  had  a  strong  cor- 
ral to  hold  the  stock,  also  a  store.  The  price  of  cattle  in  that  time  was 
very  low.  One  sale  is  spoken  of  as  a  sample  of  prices  made  in  1866.  Out 
of  a  herd  of  thirty-five  thousand  head,  the  purchaser  was  allowed  to  take 
his  choice.  For  the  first  six  hundred  head  he  paid  six  dollars  per  head,  for 
the  next  six  hundred  head  he  paid  three  dollars  a  head.  This  bunch  of 
twelve  hundred  head  of  cattle  cost  him  on  an  average  of  four  dollars  and 
fifty  cents  a  head,  or  about  forty  cents  a  hundred  pounds  gross  weight. 

In  1868  there  were  seventy-five  thousand  head  of  cattle  marketed  in 
Abilene.  This  supply  was  cleaned  up  so  rapidly  that  the  next  year  two 
hundred  thousand  head  were  sold  on  this  same  market.  At  the  beginning 
there  was  great  aversion  to  the  Texas  cattle  because  of  the  Texas  fever,  but 


68  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

this  gradually  was  overcome  and  the  shipping-  of  Texas  cattle  northward 
was  for  many  years  a  great  industry. 

In  1 87 1  there  were  six  hundred  thousand  head  of  cattle  driven  north- 
ward. As  a  result  of  this  great  increase  in  the  supply,  prices  shrunk  greatly 
and  this  was  one  of  the  bad  years  for  the  cattle  drivers.  A  very  large 
per  cent,  nearly  half  of  the  drive  of  this  year,  remained  unsold  and  were 
driven  to  points  in  eastern  Kansas  and  fed  through  the  following  fall  and 
winter.  They  were  largely  yearling  steers,  thin  cows  and  long,  lanky  steers 
that  were  fattened  up  in  the  corn  fields  of  eastern  Kansas.  It  was  a  mutually 
profitable  business  for  both  the  owners  of  the  stock  and  for  the  farmers. 
The  latter  found  a  ready  market  for  his  corn  stalks  and  his  hav,  articles  that 
before  this  year  had  produced  but  little  revenue,  and  he  also  sold  his  grass 
in  a  home  market  to  a  fine  advantage.  The  cattle  men  also  profited,  as 
their  long,  lanky  steers  fattened  upon  northern  corn  and  hay,  and  his  yearlings 
and  "thin"  cows  showed  big  gains  and  were  ready  for  the  market  long- 
before  the  range  cattle  got  onto  the  market. 

The  year  1874  was  a  year  of  disaster  for  stock  men  as  well  as  everyone 
else.  It  was  the  grasshopper  year.  The  "drive''  that  year  was  four  hundred 
thousand  head.  They  not  only  met  the  competition  of  the  cattle  left  over 
the  year  before  and  which  had  been  greatly  improved  by  wintering  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  state,  but  the  shortage  of  feed  because  of  the  grass- 
hopper plague  made  the  sale  of  cattle  almost  impossible.  As  a  result  of 
these  conditions,  over  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  head  of  stock  sold 
for  two  dollars  per  head. 

Among  the  most  famous  of  the  Texas  cattle  men  was  John  Chisholm. 
lie  began  the  raising  of  cattle  in  1854.  Shortly  after  the  war  he  laid  out 
the  long  cattle  trail  from  Texas  to  the  North.  That  trail  crossed  Reno 
county  and  had  various  paths  through  the  county.  In  the  early  days,  before 
there  were  any  settlers  to  bother,  he  drove  across  the  eastern  part  of  the 
count}'.  Later,  his  cattle  trail  entered  the  county  in  the  southeastern  part. 
Me  would  follow  the  Ninnescah  river  up  till  he  reached  a  point  about  where 
Sylvia  is  now,  then  drive  directly  north.  The  plan  of  these  cattle  men  was 
{(<  reach  a  stream  of  water  every  day.  After  leaving  the  Ninnescah  the 
drive  was  north  \<>  Cow  creek,  reaching  it  close  to  where  Lyons  is  now. 
Sylvia  was  a  camping  spot.  There  was  plenty  of  good  grass  and  water  and 
die  stock  were  herded  there  over  night  and  the  drive  the  next  day  put  them 
1 111  Cow  creek,  where  there  was  an  abundance  of  water.  It  is  said  the  cattle 
men  gave  this  name  to  the  stream  because  they  never  knew  a  time  when 
there  wasn't  plenty  of  water   for  the  cows.     Some  of  the  streams  would  go 


RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS.  69 

dry  in  the  exceedingly  long  drouthy  periods,  but  Cow  creek  always  had 
plenty  of  water  for  the  largest  herds. 

Another  trail  crossed  the  southern  part  of  the  county.  It  was  called 
the  Goodnight  trail.  Goodnight  was  a  cattleman  of  Texas.  I  fe  followed 
the  Chisholm  trail  part  of  the  way,  hut  was  one  of  the  later  stock  men 
to  drive  cattle  north.  When  the  Legislature  of  Kansas  fixed  the  line  over 
which  cattle  might  he  driven  through  the  state,  and  that  line  was  the  western 
boundary  of  Reno  county,  this  stopped  the  driving  to  Abilene  and  stock  was 
shipped  from  Ellinwood  when  the  Santa  Fe  reached  that  point.  To  reach 
this  shipping  point.  Goodnight  established  a  new  trail  that  was  along  the 
southern  border  of  Reno  county,  and  thence  in  a  northwesterly  direction  to 
Ellinwood. 

There  was  another  trail,  called  the  "Northup"  trail,  along  the  northern 
border  of  the  county.  However,  this  was  not  a  cattle  trail,  hut  a  road 
established  by  a  trader  by  the  name  of  Northup.  I  le  had  a  government 
contract  for  buffalo  meat,  and  also  did  a  big  business  in  buffalo  hide-.  Ik- 
had  several  camps  along  the  line  from  Emporia,  Northup's  headquarters, 
to  the  buffalo  range.  Northup  did  a  big  business  and  had  many  team-  haul- 
ing meat  and  hides.  His  teams  made  a  good  beaten  track  and  it  was  so 
direct  that  it  took  the  name  of  the  "Northup  trail."  Very  little  is  known  of 
Northup.  The  old  settlers  remember  his  sleek,  well-fed  mules,  his  strong 
wagons,  his  big  loads  of  hides  and  meat  that  he  hauled,  hut  of  Northup  him- 
self they  know  but  little. 

Around  the  cattle  business  as  it  was  conducted  in  the  days  before  rail- 
roads broke  up  this  method  of  reaching  the  market — around  the  "old"  cat- 
tle business  clings  the  romance  of  the  "trail,''  the  "round-up,"  and  of  the 
features  of  a  business  that  has  passed  away  and  can  never  exist  again.  All 
of  the  hardships  and  roughness  is  forgotten.  It  had  no  competition  in  any 
occupation.  It  stood  out  alone.  Its  reproduction  is  attempted  in  circus  and 
"wild  west"  shows,  but  the  original  cannot  be  reproduced  in  the  limited 
area  now  afforded  for  exhibition  purposes.  Its  operations  covered  half  a 
continent.  Its  season  of  work  embraced  all  times  of  the  year.  It  required 
a  combination  of  military  and  commercial  qualities  to  develop  the  trail 
and  the  cattle  business.  The  herd  on  the  trail  had  to  be  handled  much  as 
an  army.  It  had  its  time  of  danger,  in  the  early  years,  from  Indian  attacks. 
Water  and  pasturage  had  to  he  looked  for  as  carefully  as  any  army  look- 
after  its  supply  trains.  It  had  its  ambulance  attachment.  The  young  calves 
and  the  weaker  cows  had   to  have  especial  care. 

Upon  the  Western  cattle  business  now  has  settled  the  haze  of  Indian 


70  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

summer.  Tt  is  impossible  now  to  estimate  properly  its  dangers  and  hard- 
ships. It  is  impossible  now  to  properly  understand  the  sagacity  and  knowl- 
edge, of  the  early  cattle  man — the  kind  not  learned  in  books  or  from  others, 
but  a  knowledge  gained  only  from  the  "round-up"  and  "trail."  Like  all 
pioneers,  he  is  entitled  to  have  all  his  virtues  recorded  and  all  his  faults 
softened  for  the  sake  of  what  he  accomplished,  for  his  development  of  the 
cattle  industry.  The  cattle  man's  life  was  a  hard  life,  unromantically  labo- 
riously and  wearisome.  Death  lurked  in  every  canyon,  in  every  stampede, 
in  every  "round-up."  There  was  one  feature  that  was  always  dread  by  the 
cowboy,  namely,  the  intense  heat  developed  in  a  stampede.  Heat 
would  blister  the  side  of  the  face  and  hands  of  the  cowboy  who  happened 
to  he  on  the  windward  side  of  the  moving  herd.  The  herds  were  generally 
driven  in  hunches  of  from  three  thousand  to  five  thousand.  In  1872  Chisholm 
broke  the  record  by  driving  six  thousand  head  in  one  herd  over  the  trail 
he  laid  out  from  the  Red  river  to  Kansas.  The  track  or  the  trail  would  be 
a  half  mile  wide  and  as  close  together  as  the  animals  could  walk.  The 
tracks  were  parallel  to  each  other,  bending  in  and  out  as  the  cattle  swayed 
from  one  side  to  the  other.  The  outfit  required  to  handle  a  herd  of  three 
thousand  cattle  would  be  a  cook,  a  "horse  wrangler,"  who  looked  after  the 
herd  of  horses  that  were  driven  along  to  afford  changes  of  mounts  for  the 
cowboys,  and  one  cowboy  to  every  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  head  of 
stock.  The  herds  were  difficult  to  start  for  the  first  day.  The  cattle  did 
not  want  to  leave  their  native  ground  and  it  was  always  a  hard  matter  to 
get  them  to  take  to  the  trail.  After  a  few  days,  leaders  would  be  developed 
who  would  go  ahead  and  the  halance  of  the  herd  would  drop  in  after  them. 
These  leaders  would  hold  their  places  until  footsore  or  some  weakness  would 
develop,  when  they  would  drop  hack  and  other  cattle  would  take  the  lead. 

The  Chisholm  trail  has  disappeared.  The  steam  tractor  or  the  riding 
plow  Has  cut  it-  worn  tracks  and  its  identity  has  passed  away.  The  header 
reaps  where  the  cowboy  once  rode  to  urge  his  herd.  The  cowbov  days  exist 
in  romance  and  are  reproduced  in  puny  form  in  the  circus  of  the  "iot  Ranch" 
But  they  did  their  work  well.  They  pioneered  the  way.  They 
1  re  the  connecting  link  between  the  buffalo  and  the  shorthorn.  Their 
glory  i-  gone,  hut  the  good  the  "cow  system"  developed  is  with  us  yet. 


CHAPTER   VII. 
Bound. \  uv   Lines. 

The  Legislature  of  Kansas  that  met  in  [855  passed  three  acts  estab- 
lishing counties  in  the  territory  of  Kansas.  The  first  of  these  fixed  the 
boundary  lines  of  thirty-three  counties  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  state.  The 
government  survey  at  that  time  had  not  progressed  sufficiently  to  describe 
these  counties  by  metes  and  bounds,  so  the  only  description  given  in  that  act 
was  one  of  distances.  The  starting  point  was  the  middle  of  the  channel 
of  the  Kaw  river  where  it  crossed  the  Missouri  state  line. 

The  second  act  of  this  Legislature  created  two  new  counties.  The 
first,  Marion,  was  cut  out  of  a  tract  of  land  one  hundred  miles  long  and 
eighteen  miles  wide,  west  of  what  is  now  Morris,  Chase  and  Butler  counties 
and  also  the  territory  that  is  now  called  Marion.  The  second  county  created 
by  this  act  was  called  Washington  county  and  included  all  that  part  of  the 
territory  west  of  what  was  Marion  county  in  1855  and  east  of  a  line  drawn 
north  from  the  northeast  corner  of  New  Mexico,  virtually  what  is  now  the 
southwest  third  of  Kansas. 

The  third  act  of  the  Legislature  created  Arapahoe  county  out  of  all 
that  territory  west  of  the  line  running  north  from  the  northeast  corner  of 
New  Mexico.  Commissioners  were  appointed  for  this  county,  but  the  organi- 
zation of  the  county  was  not  completed,  for  the  Legislature  at  the  same  ses- 
sion provided  for  an  annual  election  of  delegates  to  the  Territorial  Assembly 
and  attached  all  of  the  newly  created  counties  to  Marshall  county.  This  act 
further  provided  that  all  of  the  territory  west  of  Marshall  county  and  east 
of  Arapahoe  county  should  be  attached  to  Marshall  county  for  judicial 
purposes  and  all  of  the  territory  west  of  Riley  and  east  of  Arapahoe  county 
should  be  attached  for  all  civil  purposes  to  Riley  county. 

Bv  1857  the  survey  of  the  eastern  counties  of  the  territory  had  proceeded 
so  that  it  was  possible  to  definitely  bound  the  eastern  counties  of  the  terri- 
tory by  township  and  section  lines.  An  act  was  passed  by  the  territorial 
Legislature  on  February  20,  1857,  correcting  the  boundary  lines  of  all  of 
the  counties,  except  Marion,  Washington  and  Arapahoe  counties.  Wash- 
ington county  was  also  created  with  the  boundary  lines  it  has  now  and  as  a 


~2  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

matter  of  necessity  the  territory  formerly  called  "Washington"  county,  the 
southwest  third  of  the  state,  was  left  without  a  name.  The  Legislature 
either  did  not  think  the  land  to  which  they  had  formerly  given  the  name  of 
Washington,  worth  a  name  or  forgot  they  had  taken  this  name  from  that 
portion  of  the  territory  ami  given  it  to  another  county.  So  that  the  land 
that  now  embraces  the  seventh  and  eighth  congressional  district  was  nameless 
for  five  years.  When  the  Legislature  of  i860  met,  the  slight  that  had  heen 
given  the  Great  Southwest  was  corrected  and  the  land  that  once  bore  the 
name  of  the  Father  of  his  Country  was  given  the  name  of  "Peketon." 
Whether  this  name  was  intended  as  a  salve  for  the  omission  of  nameless- 
ness  by  the  former  Legislature  or  as  an  irritant  because  it  seemed  necessary 
i"  give  this  territory  some  name,  is  not  disclosed  in  the  records.  But  "Peke- 
ton" it  was  and  "Peketon"'  it  remained  until  another  Legislature  met.  The 
name  was  of  Indian  origin;  what  it  meant,  what  its  significance  was,  is 
not  known.  There  are  but  few  documents  left  from  "Peketon  count}." 
only  one  being  in  the  state  historical  collection.  It  is  a  letter  to  a  Kansas 
man.  notorious  in  southwestern  Kansas  in  later  years,  Brigadier-General 
Samuel  X.  Wood.  It  was  dated  "Kiowa,  Peketon  county.  May  10th,  1864." 
and  was  signed  by  John  F.  Dodds. 

In  1865  another  change  was  made  by  the  map  makers  of  Kansas.  By 
an  act  of  the  Legislature  of  that  year  Marion  county  was  enlarged  to 
include  all  of  the  territory  embraced  in  Peketon  county  and  two  years  later 
the  last  general  step  toward  putting  Reno  count}-  on  the  map  was  made. 
(  Kit  of  Marion  count}'  were  made  thirty-four  counties  that  now  compose 
the  seventh  and  eighth  congressional  districts,  with  the  exception  of  Mont- 
gomery and  Howard  counties,  which  were  once  also  a  part  of  Peketon 
county,   but   are   not   in  either  of  the  two  congressional   districts  named. 

I  hit  the  boundary  changes  of  Reno  count}-  were  not  yet  completed.  By 
this  act  of  tin  Legislature  in  1868,  Butler,  Sedgwick  and  Reno  counties  were 
all  the  same  size,  forty-eight  miles  long  from  north  to  south  and  forty-two 
miles  wide  from  east  to  west.  The  changes  that  were  afterward  made  were 
due  to  the  location  of  tin-  city  of  Hutchinson  and  showed  the  foresight  of 
the  founder  oi  that  city,  C.  C.  Hutchinson.  To  appreciate  the  reasons  for 
the  change-  that  were  afterwards  made  in  the  count}'  lines,  it  will  be  neces- 
sary t"  relate  some  "i  the  things  that  led  to  the  selection  of  the  presenl  site 
as  the  count}  -eat  <>f  Reno  county. 

1  .  Hutchinson  founded  the  town  of  Ottawa,  Kansas.  By  profes- 
sion he  was  a  preacher,  belonging  to  the  Baptist  church.  lie  was  well 
known   to  the   builders  of  the   Santa    be   railroad  as  a   man   of   inteeritv   and 


s  ■ 


RENI  i  C01    NTY,    KANSAS.  7  } 

foresight.  Hutchinson  made  a  contract  with  the  head  of  the  land  department 
oi  that  road  to  locate  a  town  on  their  road  somewhere  west  <<i  Newton. 
Hutchinson  held  to  the  idea  that  a  town  should  he  built  on  a  watercourse, 
partially   because  of   the  drainage   and   also   because   the   easy    way   of   get 

ting  water  now  known  was  not  known  to  the  pioneer.  Hutchinson  drove 
along  the  line  on  which  it  was  proposed  to  build  the  railroad.  He  crossed 
the  Little  Arkansas  river  where  Halstead  now  stands.  This  place  was 
ottered  as  a  location  tor  the  new  town.  For  sonic  reason  it  did  not  appeal 
to  him,  although  today  it  has  one  of  the  finest  natural  parks  in  central 
Kansas.  The  Santa  IT  road  at  that  time  was  surveyed  to  the  Arkansas 
river  south  from  Halstead.  It  was  the  intention  of  the  railroad  officials 
to  extend  this  line  to  San  Antonio,  Texas.  Hutchinson  selected  a  section  of 
land  on  the  Little  Arkansas  river  where  Sedgwick  now  stands  as  a  place 
to  build  his  town. 

However,  the  contract  was  newer  carried  out  by  either  party.  A  dis- 
covery was  made  by  the  railroad  officials  that  completely  changed  their  plans. 
When  it  is  remembered  that  the  original  builders  of  the  Santa  Fe  railroad 
were  Boston  men,  who  built  the  road  solelv  out  of  the  sale  of  the  land  given 
them  by  the  government,  the  importance  of  this  discovery  will  be  realized 
and  the  reason  they  changed  their  plans  of  building  their  road  south  to 
San  Antonio,  Texas,  to  the  place  it  was  afterwards  built,  westward,  along 
the  Arkansas  river  into  Colorado,  and  later  to  the  Pacific  coast,  will  be 
made  plain.  That  discovery  was  made  by  Mr.  Hutchinson.  From  the 
beginning  he  had  urged  the  railroad  officials  to  build  westward  along  the 
river.  lie  told  them  that  in  his  judgment,  it  would  be  a  generation  before 
the  uplands  would  be  settled;  that  the  settlers  would  locate  in  the  river  bot- 
toms and  that  they  could  not  sell  the  uplands  and  that  their  source  of  reve- 
nue would  be  cut  off.  but  that  they  could  sell  the  river  bottom  lands.  These 
arguments  did  not  convince  the  railroad  men.  They  were  determined  to 
build  011  south  from  Halstead  into  Texas.  Hutchinson  accidentally  obtained 
a  copy  of  the  treat)'  made  with  the  Osage  Indians  in  1865.  This  treaty 
had  not  been  acted  on  by  the  LTnited  States  Senate  until  1867.  Even  then 
it  was  not  published,  but  Hutchinson  obtained  a  copy  of  the  treaty  made 
with  the  Osage  Indians  and  found  it  impossible  for  the  railroad  to  get  every 
Other  section  for  a  distance  of  live  miles  on  each  side  of  the  road,  and  not 
only  this,  but  by  the  terms  of  the  treaty  they  would  have  to  pay  for  their 
right  of  way  at  the  rate  of  a  dollar  and  twenty-five  cents  an  acre.  This  pro- 
vision regarding  the  building  of  railroads  across  the  land  purchased  from 
the   Indians  in  the  treaty  of   1865  was  suggested  by  a  St.  Louis  newspaper 


74  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

man.  who  was  with  the  party  representing"  the  government.  This  man  was 
Henry  M.  Stanley,  afterward  known  to  the  world  as  the  great  African 
explorer.  It  is  said  that  Stanley,  in  a  mockingly  serious  manner,  when  the 
commissioners  had  about  concluded  the  work  of  making  the  treaty,  sug- 
gested to  them  that  they  made  a  serious  omission  in  the  treaty,  that  they 
had  made  no  provisions  for  building  railroads  across  the  land!  It  was 
regarded  as  a  joke  and  the  provision  inserted  that  not  only  would  bar  Con- 
gress from  making  the  usual  land  grant  to  railroads,  but  would  require 
the  railroads  even  to  pay  for  their  right  of  way. 

When  the  Santa  Fe  officials  had  this  pointed  out  to  them,  they  con- 
cluded to  act  on  Hutchinson's  suggestion  and  follow  the  Arkansas  river 
westward.  Suppose,  however,  this  joker  had  not  been  in  the  treaty,  what 
would  have  been  the  results?  Hutchinson  would  be  located  where  Sedgwick 
now  is.  Dodge  City  would  be  without  a  railroad,  perhaps  be  simply  "Ft. 
Dodge."  Garden  City  and  Kinsley  and  Syracuse  would  be  waiting  yet 
for  a  railroad — in  fact,  the  whole  of  southwestern  Kansas  history  would 
have  been  changed,  all  due  to  a  joker  in  an  Indian  treaty  in  1865. 

Following  his  idea  of  town  building,  Hutchinson  came  on  west,  after 
it  was  decided  to  build  the  main  line  of  the  road  westward,  and  picked  the 
section  on  which  the  city  was  to  be  built.  However,  there  were  some  things 
which  disturbed  Hutchinson  in  his  selection  of  a  townsite  and  made  him 
realize  he  had  chosen  an  undesirable  location  for  his  town.  Hutchinson 
thought  he  could  remedy  part  of  these  things  by  action  of  the  Legislature. 
Reno  count}-  at  that  time  was  unorganized.  It  required  six  hundred  inhabit- 
ant- at  that  time  to  organize  a  count)".  So  a  petition  was  prepared  and 
the  necessary  six  hundred  names  attached.  The  petition  was  presented  to 
the  governor,  who  appointed  temporary  county  commissioners.  Hutchin- 
son explained  his  anxiety  regarding  the  location  of  the  county  seat  to  the 
people  here  then  and  it  was  thoughl  that  the  Legislature  would  help  remedy 
matter^.  An  election  was  called  and  Hutchinson  was  unanimously  elected 
representative.  This  election  was  held  on  January  6,  1872.  The  regular 
election  for  members  of  the  Legislature  was  held  in  the  tall,  but,  recognizing 
the  emergency,  the  Legislature  seated  Hutchinson,  lie  began  at  once  to  pro- 
tect the  city  he  had  located  from  a  possible  county-seat  contest.  As  was  stated. 
Cutler.  Sedgwick-  and  Reno  counties  were  all  the  same  size,  made  so  by 
action  of  the  Legislature  in  1X07.  \  bill  was  introduced  creating  Kingman 
county.  The  northern  end  of  I  [arper  county  was  cut  ofl  and  a  row  of  town- 
ship- taken  from  the  southern  pari  of  Reno  county  and  the  new  territory 
called   Kingman  county.      In   the  same  way    Harvey  county  was  put  on  the 


RENO    COl    \TY,    KANSAS.  J^ 

map.     The  northern  end  of    Sedgwick  county  was  taken  and  the  new  county 

called  Harvey.  Also  a  row  of  townships  was  taken  from  Sedgwick  county. 
as  it  was  laid  out  in  [867,  and  added  to  Reno  county,  lint  these  changes 
did  not  take  away  all  the  chances  tor  a  count)  seat  contest.  It  was  only 
two  miles  from  Hutchinson  to  the  north  line  of  the  county  and  the  Legis 
lature  very  accommodatingly  cut  a  row  of  townships  from  Rice  and  McPher- 
son  counties  and  added  them  to  Reno  count)'.  This  made  Hutchinson  more 
nearly  the  geographical  center  of  the  county  and  Hutchinson  was  relieved 
from  his  fear  of  a  rival  for  county  seat.  In  these  changes  Hutchinson  had 
the  help  of  the  representatives  of  Sedgwick  and  McPherson  counties.  Hut- 
chinson had  some  personal  friends  in  the  Legislature,  men  whom  he  helped 
in  some  of  the  enterprises  in  which  they  were  interested.  Notably  among 
them  was  "Oklahoma  Payne,"  the  man  who  kept  up  the  agitation  for  the 
opening  of  the  Cherokee  Indian  lands  and  who  was  among  the  pioneers 
of  Oklahoma  when  Congress  finally  opened  the  land  for  settlement. 

So,  after  years  of  planning  and  scheming.  Reno  county  got  it-  present 
form.  What  we  are  now  familiar  with  as  the  county  lines,  will  doubtless 
remain.  An  attempt  was  made  to  divide  the  county  in  1887.  The  pro- 
posed dividing  line  was  to  he  run  north  and  south,  with  the  line  of  Salt 
Creek  township,  the  eastern  boundary  line  of  the  new  county,  jogging  east 
to  include  Troy  and  Center  in  the  new  county.  The  enterprise  had  consid- 
erable strength,  partially  due  to  the  claim  among  those  politically  interested 
that  Hutchinson  had  all  the  best  of  the  county  offices  and  left  the  country  with 
small  representation  in  the  court  house.  At  that  time  there  were  a  number 
of  western  counties  that  were  being  divided  and  those  interested  in  that  enter- 
prise had  to  make  their  alliance  in  the  Legislature  with  the  representati\  es 
of  the  eastern  counties,  especially  in  the  state  Senate,  where  the  eastern  pari 
of  the  state  was  much  stronger  than  the  western  portion.  So  hut  little 
headway  was  made  by  the  advocates  of  making  two  counties  out  of  Reno. 

However,  had  this  agitation  started  in  1S75  or  even  a  few  years  later, 
it  would  have  gained  much  more  headway.  It  was  the  one  great  thing  that 
C.  C.  Hutchinson  feared,  and  one  he  did  more  to  guard  against  than  any- 
thing else.  But  the  city  had  gained  much  and  many  of  the  early  reasons 
for  division  had  been  removed,  among  them  the  lack  of  roads  and  the 
absence  of  bridges  over  the  Arkansas  river.  This  was  not  a  formidable 
proposition  in  1887,  hut  would  have  been  a  serious  matter  to  Hutchinson 
and  to  Reno  count)-  had  the  agitation  been  begun  ten  or  twelve  years  earlier. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
The   Early  Settlers. 

The  first  man  to  settle  in  what  is  now  Reno  county  was  Lewis  M. 
Thomas,  of  towa.  Early  in  January,  1870.  he  left  Iowa  and  drove  his  cov- 
ered wagon  southward,  crossing  the  Solomon  and  Smoky  Hill  rivers,  intend- 
ing to  strike  the  Santa  Fe  trail,  then  the  only  traveled  road  to  the  west. 
through  Kansas,  lie  started  for  California,  but  when  he  reached  the  rich 
valley  of  Cow  creek  he  was  so  fascinated  with  it  that  he  abandoned  his 
California  trip.  lie  camped  at  the  Stone  Corral,  which  was  one  of  the 
stopping  places  on  the  trail.  This  corral  was  located  in  Rice  county,  close 
to  the  northern  boundary  of  Reno  county.  Mr.  Thomas  first 
visited  a  small  settlement  called  Atlanta.  He  started  down  Cow  creek 
in  a  southeasterly  direction,  looking  for  a  suitable  location.  He  picked  out 
a  part  <<\  section  8.  township  22,  range  5,  and  bled  on  this  claim  in  Novem- 
ber. \Xjo.  Shortly  after  filing  on  this  land  Thomas  drove  to  Lawrence, 
Kansas,  purchased  some  stock  and  some  provisions,  and  returned  to  his 
claim  in  December.  On  his  return  from  Lawrence,  he  was  accompanied  by 
an  Englishman  named  Hunt,  who  unfortunately  bled  on  an  odd-numbered 
section  thai  had  previously  been  granted  t<i  the  Santa  l7e  Railroad  Company 
he  Congress.  ilnnt  was  disappointed  in  his  failure  to  get  government  land 
and  did  i  1  <  •  t  remain  there  long,  lie  never  tried  to  get  another  piece  of  land 
and  disappeared  from  the  country. 

In  January,  iNji.  there  were  two  different  settlements  made  in  Reno 
county,  "ia-  day  by  J.  M.  I).  Rozan  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  county 
and  "in-  |>v  Luther  Dodge  and  others  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the  county, 
jusl  below  the  mouth  of  Cow  creek.  Neither  of  these  settlements  were  then 
in  Reno  county.  Rozan's  claim  was  then  in  Rice  count)'  and  Dodge  and  bis 
party  were  in  Sedgwick  county,  but  the  boundary  lines  of  Reno  county  were 
changed  b\  the  Legislature  that  met  in  January,  iXjj.  and  both  of  these 
settlements  arc  within  the  present   boundary  lines  of  this  county. 

settlement  preceded  Dodge!s.  It  was  sonic  time  be- 
fore either  knew  of  the  other's  settlement.  I  hint's  claim  was  also 
in    Rice    county,    which    soon    became    a    part    of    Reno    county.     They   are 


KIJNO   i'i  )l    N  I  V,    K.\  \S.\S.  ~j~ 

entitled  to  the  distinction  of  being  "the  first  >ettlers  oi  Reno  county."  On 
February  9,  [871,  A.  S.  Dimmock  filed  on  a  quarter  oi  land  that  was  ] i  1  < 
wise  then  in  Rice  county.  The  first  filing  in  what  was  then  Reno  county 
was  made  by  Luther  Dodge,  on  February  10.  [871.  John  Shahan  followed 
closely  after  Dodge,  riling  on  his  land  on  March  20,  [871.  Later  in  the 
\ear  \Y.  1!.  ('adwel!  settled  on  some  land  southeast  of  Hutchinson.  Later 
in  the  year  Charles  Collins  took  his  claim  north  oi  town.  Shortly  after 
Collins  filed  on  his  claim,  1).  i'>.  Miller,  with  his  father-in-law  and  brother- 
in-law,  also  Amasa  Smith,  with  his  two  sons,  filed  claims.  On  August  8, 
[871,  L.  S.  Shields  with  his  two  sons,  Samuel  and  George,  reached  Reno 
county.  A  few  days  later  Peter  Shafer  came  to  the  county  and  filed  on  a 
claim  northwest  of  town  in  what  is  now  Grant  township.  A  few  days  after 
Shafer  hied  on  his  land,  Lewis  Swarens  tiled  on  a  claim  that  lies  directl) 
northwest  of  town  on  Cow  creek.  Here,  within  a  hundred  yards  of  the 
spot,  on  which  he  camped  the  first  night  he  reached  Reno  county,  Mr. 
Swarens  built  his  home.  There  he  lived  a  long  and  useful  life.  In  March, 
igo^.  he  passed  away.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  w.as  the  only  man  in 
Reno  county  who  had  lived  continuously  on  the  land  on  which  he  camped 
the  first  night  he  was  in  the  count)-.  Later  in  the  month  of  August,  1871. 
l'>.  F.  1  warts  and  (decree  Lafertv  came  to  the  county.  Miller  and  his  smis 
hied  on  land  that  is  now  a  part  of  Hutchinson,  being  platted  as  Miller  & 
Smith's  addition.  This  land  was  subjected  later  to  much  litigation.  It  is 
now  covered  by  houses  and  one  of  the  recent  school  buildings,  the  North 
Side  building',  is  located  on  this  land.  In  the  latter  part  of  the  year  A.  K. 
Burrel,  T.  J.  Decker,  a  Air.  Parker,  Mrs.  Mead  and  her  sons,  filed  on  land 
northwest  of  town  in  the  Cow  creek  bottoms. 

There  was  another  settlement  made  about  the  same  time  at  the  mouth 
of  Cow  creek,  some  of  the  claims  being  below  the  mouth  of  the  stream. 
These  settlers  thought  they  were  getting  their  land  close  to  the  railroad.  As 
is  mentioned  in  another  chapter,  it  was  understood  then  that  the  Santa  Fe 
road  would  be  built  south  from  Halstead  to  San  Antonio,  Texas,  but  the 
discovery  of  the  fact  that  no  land  could  be  obtained  as  a  bonus  and  the  rail- 
roads would  even  have  to  pay  for  their  right  of  way,  induced  the  builders 
of  that  road  to  change  their  route  and  build  up  the  Arkansas  river.  Conse- 
quently, the  settlers  who  had  filed  on  land  southeast  of  where  Hutchinson 
was  finally  located  were  greatly  disappointed,  as  it  left  them  several  miles 
farther  from  the  railroad  than  they  expected  to  be.  Some  of  the  early  set- 
tlers alwavs  blamed  C.  (A  Hutchinson   for  making  the  change,  when,  in  fact. 


y8  RENO   COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

it  was  an  Indian  treaty  made  years  before  that  was  the  cause  of  the  change 
in  the  route  of  the  mad.  Among  those  who  thought  they  were  locating 
near  the  railroad  wen.-.  J.  I".  Shalian,  William  Bell,  Robert  Bell,  W.  H.  Cad- 
well, a  Mr.  I  lavelin,  John  Butcher,  P.  Welch,  William  Lacy,  a  Mr.  Folly, 
Isaac  [jams  and  wife,  William  Shoat  and  wife.  James  Freese,  Hanna  and 
Mary   tVeese  and  James  Scaw. 

These  two  settlements,  the  one  below  Hutchinson,  the  other  above  the 
citv,  all  on  Cow  creek,  shows  how  closely  the  early  settlers  clung  to  the 
water  courses.  At  that  time  they  knew  but  little  of  the  underflow,  but 
found  the  good  rich  soil  of  this  bottom  land  and  sought  here  to  make  their 
homes. 

On  the  claim  below  town,  W.  H.  Cadwell  built  a  sod  house.  He  was 
more  nearly  the  center  of  the  settlement  than  any  of  the  others,  so  he  was 
appointed  postmaster.  Perhaps  this  is  the  only  postoffice  ever  located  with 
a  due  regard  for  the  wishes  of  the  patrons,  and  it  is  doubtful  if  congres- 
sional patronage  was  necessary  to  secure  his  appointment  as  postmaster.  The 
postoffice,  the  first  in  the  county,  was  called  "Queen  Yallev."  The  settlers 
agreed  to  haul  the  mail  without  cost  to  the  government,  in  consideration  of 
its  establishment.  In  addition  to  his  duties  as  postmaster,  Cadwell  ran  a 
hotel  and  on  the  side  of  his  dug-out  he  had  a  big  canvas  on  which  he  had 
-crawled  in  big.  awkward  letters  the  inscription  "Pro  Bono  Publico.*'' 

These  early  settlers  found  an  abundance  of  game.  In  the  sand  hills 
there  were  elk,  deer  and  antelope  and  an  occasional  buffalo.  There  was 
considerable  timber,  cottonwood  and  box  elder  in  the  hills.  An  abundance 
of  sand  hill  plums,  most  delicious  fruit,  equalling  anything  the  horticul- 
turist of  today  can  produce,  provided  the  jellies  and  butter.  So  the  earlv 
settler  was  not  without  the  things  that  were  necessities  then,  but  would  be 
th.e  rarest  luxuries  now.  They  lived  well  as  long  as  these  things  lasted.  Thev 
had  to  haul  their  flour  and  corn  meal  some  distance,  but  their  meat  was  in 
abundance. 

In  March,  [871,  I.  II.  I).  Rozan  and  his  brother,  Charles  Rozan.  drove 
tlu-  first  herd  of  Texas  cattle  into  Reno  county.  The  pasturage  of  the  buffalo 
gras-  was  fine  and  the  creek  bottom  in  the  northern  part  of  Reno  and  the 
southern  part  of  Rice  counties  afforded  exceptionally  good  grazing.  In  April. 
1871,  a  bunch  of  Kaw  Indians  camped  on  the  north  side  of  the  Arkansas 
river  and  a  similar  band  of  Sac  and  box  Indians  camped  on  the  south  side 
of  the  river.  A  careful  watch  was  kept  on  both  of  these  Indian  bands. 
although  apparently  there  was  no  danger  from  either  of  the  tribes.     In  lulv 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  71/ 

a  report  came  in   from  the   West   thai   a   war  part)   of  the  Cheyennes   was 
headed  eastward   to  make   war  on   both   of   these   tribes.     The   Cheyennes 

claimed  the  land  as  their  own,  as  their  territory  la\  to  the  west  of  the  Osaj 
and  they  were  dissatisfied  with  the  treaty  the  government  had  made  that 
dispossessed  them  of  this  land  and  gave  the  proceeds  of  the  sale  to  their 
ancient  enemies.  Some  of  the  settlers  left  their  claim-  and  went  to  Sedg- 
wick City.  Most  oi  the  settlers,  however,  remained  on  their  claims.  The 
Cheyennes  came,  as  was  expected,  hut  did  hut  little  damage.  However,  they 
drove  off  a  goodly  portion  of  Rozan's  stock.  The  settlers  would  not  stand 
for  this  They  organized  into  a  little  hand,  armed  themselves  and  pursued 
the  Indians.  They  caught  them  off  their  guard,  scattered  the  band  and 
recovered  most  of  the  cattle.  There  were  about  fifty  herders  and  frontier- 
men  hi  the  party.  Xo  lives  were  lost  in  the  little  skirmish  that  occurred 
when  the  settlers  reached  the  herds.  The  Indians  vanished  and  never  again 
visited  Reno  county  in  a  hostile  manner.  There  were  rumors  at  later  times 
of  Indian  raids,  and  there  was  a  company  of  militia  organized  in  Langdon 
township  at  a  later  date  to  fight  the  Indians  in  southern  Kansas. 

EARLY  LAND  SURVEYS. 

During  this  early  period  considerable  trouble  and  dissatisfaction  arose 
over  the  land  survey.  The  government  ran  part  of  the  township  lines  in 
i860,  but  the  section  lines  were  run  at  a  later  date.  Townships  22,  23,  24 
and  25,  range  4.  were  run  in  1 860.  as  were  also  the  same  numbered  town- 
ships in  ranges  5,  6,  7  and  8.  But  in  the  north  part  of  township  26  in 
range  4,  the  township  lines  were  not  run  until  1867,  while  in  the  southern 
part  of  this  township  the  survey  was  not  made  until  1871.  At  the  same 
time,  township  5,  range  5,  was  surveyed,  as  was  also  township  26,  ranges 
6,  7.  8  and  9.  While  townships  22,  23,  24  and  2$,  range  9,  were  run  in 
1870  and  townships  22,  23,  24  and  2^  and  the  northern  part  of  26,  in  range 
10,  were  run  in  1871,  the  southern  part  of  township  26.  range  10.  was  run 
in   1867. 

Xot  only  were  the  section  lines  not  run,  but  the  township  lines  were 
so  inaccurate  that  much  trouble  was  experienced  in  locating  lands,  due  to 
the  careless  way  in  which  the  surveys  were  made.  Judge  M.  P.  Simpson, 
presiding  over  the  trial  of  a  case  in  the  district  court  in  later  years,  which 
involved  an  early  survey,  commented  on  the  way  these  surveys  were  made, 
fudge  Simpson  was  in  his  early  manhood  a  government  surveyor  and  made 


80  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

surveys  in  various  parts  of  the  country — nunc,  however,  in  Reno  county, 
lie  remarked  that  at  the  time  the  first  township  lines  were  run.  it  was 
thought  a  great  joke  t<>  survey  these  lands,  as  they  would  probably  never  be 
settled.  I  lie  surveyors  would  tie  a  rag  to  the  stake  of  a  wagon  wheel, 
drive  as  nearly  straight  as  they  could,  count  the  number  of  revolutions  of 
the  wheel,  and  when  a  sufficient  number  oil  revolutions  had  keen  made,  a 
stone  was  pitched  overboard  and  that  became  the  marker  for  the  township 
or  range  corner.  It  was  the  knowledge  <>!  such  careless  work  that  led 
I.  II.  I).  Rozan  to  drive  to  Salina  to  get  a  surveyor  who  came  to  Reno 
county  to  he!])  the  settlers  locate  their  land.  When  C.  C.  Hutchinson  wanted 
to  locate  Main  street  of  this  city,  he  concluded  not  to  rely  on  the  govern- 
ment held  notes,  !mt  obtained  the  variation  of  the  magnetic  needle  and  then 
the  surveyor's  transit  was  set  up  and  Main  street  located  by  the  observation 
of  the  Xorth  star. 

As  a  complete  record  of  the  surveys  of  Reno  county  will  be  a  matter  of 
interest,  there  is  added  to  this  chapter  a  record  of  the  official  survey  of  Reno 
county,  by  whom  and  when  surveyed  and  approved.  This  was  furnished 
by  the  interior  department  of  the  government.  There  is  also  added  a  dia- 
gram showing  the  time  of  the  running  of  the  section  lines,  with  the  names 
of  the  men  who  did  the  work.  This  was  also  furnished  by  the  same  depart- 
ment. 


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(6) 


CHAPTER  IX. 
Some  "First  Things." 

The  first  marriage  performed  in  Reno  county  was  celebrated  on  Septem- 
ber 3,  1872,  by  Rev.  Frances  S.  McCabe.  The  groom  was  John  P.  Watson, 
of  Shawnee  county,  and  the  bride  was  Miss  Henrietta  Thompson,  of  Reno 
county.  The  groom  was  thirty  years  old  and  the  bride  twenty-five  years  of 
age.  W.  W.  Updegraff  was  the  probate  judge  and  granted  the  license — Xo. 
1 — on  September  2,  1872. 

The  first  birth  was  that  of  a  son  born  to  Air.  and  Mrs.  Johnson.  That 
boy  is  now  a  member  of  the  police  force  at  Omaha,  Nebraska. 

The  first  threshing  machine  was  brought  to  Reno  county  by  J.  X.  Shahan. 
It  was  such  an  event  that  even  the  weight  of  the  machine  was  recorded — 6,585 
pounds.  During  the  fall  of  1873,  John  Shahan  and  William  Bell  did  the 
threshing  for  the  community.  The  spring  wheat  yielded  from  ten  to  eighteen 
bushels  per  acre.     The  oats  yielded  from  seventeen  to  forty  bushels  per  acre. 

The  first  political  convention  was  held  on  February  1,  1872,  to  nominate 
candidates  for  county  offices.  It  was  perhaps  more  in  the  nature  of  the  old- 
fashioned  "caucus,"  as  there  were  no  contests  either  in  the  "convention"  or  at 
the  election  that  was  held  a  few  days  later. 

The  "first"  of  everything  in  the  county  is  of  interest.  J.  W.  Kanaga 
brought  the  first  "dropper"  to  Reno  county.  W.  J.  Van  Sickle  claims  that  he 
brought  the  first  mowing-machine.  There  is  considerable  controversy  over 
who  brought  the  first  buggy  to  the  county.  In  all  lines  the  pioneer  is  proud 
of  his  deeds,  he  is  anxious  to  be  numbered  as  the  "first"  to  do  certain  things 
or  to  have  brought  the  first  of  a  certain  article  of  usefulness  to  the  county. 

Ill  I".   FIRST   CEMETERY. 

The  first  death  in  Reno  county  was  accidental  and  with  this  came  the 
establishment  of  the  first  cemetery.  There  is  an  old  joke,  started  in  California 
and  used  in  every  new  community  eastward  to  the  Mississippi  river,  that  the 
climate  was  SO  healthful  that  it  was  necessary  for  some  one  to  die  a  violent 
death   t<>  -tart   a  graveyard.      While  no  such   "motive"  as  that  animated   the 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  83 

early  settlers  of  Reno  county,  it  is  a  fact  that  the  firsl  graveyard  was  started 
by  the  burial  of  a  man  accidentally  killed.     The  man's  name  cannot  be  remem- 
bered by  any  who  live  now.     Derrick  Updegraff     the  father-in-law  of  *  'harles 
Collins,  Reno  county's  first  sheriff,  had  the  contract  of  grading  railroads  in 
Reno  county.     They  had  their  camp  on  the  banks  of  Cow  creek,  near  where 
.Main  street  now  crosses  this  stream.     In  the  latter  part  of  December.    1X71, 
and  January,   1 872,  the  ground  was  frozen  so  hard  that  the  grading   work 
could  not  be  carried  on.    Updegraff  had  a  small  board  building  put  up  on  I 
southeast  corner  of  Main  and  Sherman  streets,  where  he  kept  his  harne 
shovels  and  other  equipment  in  one  part  of  the  building  and  in  another  he  had 
a  stove  and  table  where  the  men  cooked  and  ate  their  meals.     The  floor  of 
part  of  this  room  was  covered  with  hay,  and  on  this  were  laid  the  blank' 
and  buffalo  .robes  that  constituted  the  beds  of  the   workmen. 

Updegraff,  himself  an  interesting  character,  had  in  his  employ  a  bunch 
of  men  who  were  the  real  pioneers  of  the  times,  men  that  the  present  genera- 
tion cannot  appreciate.  It  was  such  men  as  these  that  showed  to  the  less  hardy 
what  the  county  would  produce.  It  was  this  class  of  men  who  demonstrated 
to  the  hidebound  Easterner  that  this  land  west  of  the  Mississippi  river  was 
worth  more  than  simply  to  provide  a  barrier  to  keep  off  a  foreign  foe  from  the 
West,  that  would  render  their  settlements  on  the  Atlantic  coast  free  from 
attack.  It  was  such  men  as  Updegraff  had  that  put  at  naught  the  prejudice 
of  those  who  would  limit  the  boundary  of  the  United  States  to  original  thir- 
teen states  or  states  to  be  cut  out  of  that  territory. 

There  also  lived  in  the  sand  hills  another  man  called  "Dutch  Pete."  I  le 
made  his  living  by  hunting.  He  talked  very  broken  English  and  was  a  woolly. 
sandy-haired,  black-eyed  old  buffalo  hunter.  "Dutch  Pete"  drove  his  wagon 
and  a  team  of  small  mules  to  Updegraff's  camp  and  wanted  some  of  the  men 
to  go  hunting  with  him.  There  was  an  abundance  of  deer  in  the  hills.  Some 
of  the  men  agreed  to  go  with  "Dutch  Pete."  Some  supplies  were  being  put 
into  the  wagon,  some  hay,  horse  feed,  blankets,  some  food  and  an  outfit  with 
which  to  do  some  cooking.  These  articles  had  been  put  in  the  wagon,  when 
"Dutch  Pete"  started  to  put  a  shotgun,  muzzle  foremost,  heavily  loaded  with 
buckshot,  into  the  wagon.  One  of  Updegraff's  men  was  standing  at  the  end 
of  the  wagon  as  "Dutch  Pete"  raised  the  gun  over  the  side  of  the  wagon,  the 
hammer  caught  and  the  full  load  of  buckshot  struck  the  breast  of  the  man  at 
the  end  of  the  wagon.  He  did  not  fall,  but  walked  into  the  building,  laid  down 
on  a  blanket  and  in  a  few  minutes  was  dead. 

That  afternoon  a  box  of  rough  boards  was  made  by  Updegraff's  men  and 


84  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

without  any  burial  ceremony  the  body  was  put  into  a  grave  on  a  little  sandy 
knoll  in  the  block  at  the  corner  of  Avenue  B  and  Adams  street.  A  few  wild 
plum  bushes  surrounded  the  grave.  It  was  dug  deeper  than  usual,  because  of 
the  fear  that  the  coyotes  might  uncover  the  corpse.  This  was  the  first  death; 
this  was  the  first  burial;  here  was  the  first  graveyard  of  Reno  count}'.  The 
name  of  the  dead  cannot  be  recalled  now.  Later  two  other  graves  were  dug 
out  i  in  that  lonesome  spot.  A  little  fence,  painted  white,  for  a  while  sur- 
rounded it.  but  the  prairie  fires  charred  it  and  it  soon  fell  away.  Many  years 
afterward  a  grader  was  being  pulled  along  Adams  street  and  the  bodies  were 
uncovered.  They  were  all  taken  up,  placed  in  new  coffins  and  buried  in  the 
Eastside  cemetery.  Their  names  are  all  unknown.  They  were  the  sole  occu- 
pants of  the  first  graveyard  of  Reno  county. 

The  second  graveyard  in  this  county  was  laid  out  in  1873  at  tne  north- 
east corner  of  what  is  now  Monroe  and  Seventeenth  streets.  It  was  then  so 
far  out  that  it  was  considered  a  sufficient  distance  from  town.  This  was 
abandoned  in  1 881,  and  many  of  the  bodies  removed  to  the  Eastside  cemetery 
when  it  was  located.  There  are  man}-  bodies  still  entombed  in  that  old  grave- 
ward.  Many  persons  are  buried  there.  There  is  no  record  now  that  would 
identify  them.  This  graveyard  contained  several  graves  of  persons  who  died 
here  while  looking  for  a  cure  for  their  consumption.  This  location  was  bad 
from  a  sanitary  standpoint,  being  above  the  city.  The  Eastside  cemetery  was 
laid  out  by  W.  E.  Kellogg  in  1881.  The  first  tract  of  ground  purchased  was 
fifteen  acres.  It  contained  fourteen  hundred  and  fifty-six  lots  and  each  lot 
was  large  enough  for  twelve  graves.  W.  R.  Brown  was  the  first  president 
of  the  company  that  had  charge  of  this  cemetery.  E.  L.  Meyer  was  secretary 
and  treasurer,  and  L.  A.  Bigger  and  W.  E.  Kellogg  were  directors.  Later 
fifteen  acres  more  of  ground  was  purchased  and  added  to  the  cemetery.  It  is 
probable  that  there  are  from  twelve  to  fifteen  thousand  persons  buried  in  this 
cemetery,  and  while  nearly  all  of  the  lots  are  sold,  yet  there  remain  a  great 
many  parts  of  lots  still  unfilled.  On  June  9,  T914,  the  cemetery  was  taken  over 
by  the  lotowners  and  John  H.  Campbell  was  elected  president  of  the  associa- 
tion; A.  M.  Jewell,  vice-president,  and  1).  A.  Moore,  secretary  and  treasurer. 

There  have  been  many  other  cemeteries  established  in  Reno  count},  bul 
lack  ^f  compulsory  registration  until  recent  years,  has  rendered  a  complete 
record  of  them  impossible.  Many  of  the  graveyards  are  now  abandoned;  some 
have  a  few  graves  in  them,  while  many  of  them  are  carefully  kept  and  tended. 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  85 

THE   FIRST  "JOINT"   RAID. 

The  first  "joint"  raid  was  made  before  there  were  courts  and  before  this 
county  was  organized.  It  was  made  by  a  man  who  afterwards  became  the  firsl 
sheriff  of  Reno  county — Charles  Collins. 

Collins  was  never  known  as  a  temperance  sympathizer,  but  on  the  con 
trary,  when  the  prohibitory  law  first  went  into  force  and  the  dealers  in  the  for- 
bidden liquor  were  arrested  and  required  to  put  up  a  bond  for  their  appear- 
ance in  court,  Charles  Collins  was  the  man  who  generally  went  on  the  bond  for 
their  appearances.  Collins  did  this  so  generally  that  Judge  Honk  grew  uneasy 
over  Collins's  liability,  and  one  day  summoned  him  into  court  and  showed  him 
the  extent  of  his  suretyship.  At  that  time  Collins  was  liable  for  $175,000. 
Judge  Honk  questioned  him  closely  as  to  his  financial  responsibility.  Collins 
showed  his  resources,  thousands  of  head  of  cattle;  and  while  he  did  not  state 
it  on  the  stand,  he  practically  told  Judge  Honk  that  he  was  indemnified  by  the 
brewers'  organization,  which  was  not  only  behind  him  on  the  financial  part  of 
the  obligation,  but  was  paying  him  liberally  to  go  on  the  bonds  of  the  men 
who  were  being  tried,  the  brewers  hoping-  to  break  the  prosecution  of  the  pro- 
hibitory law  by  this  means.  Judge  Honk  warned  Collins  to  be  careful  and 
suggested  that  inasmuch  as  he,  Collins,  carried  a  deputy  United  States  mar- 
shal's commission,  that  it  was  hardly  the  proper  thing  for  him  to  be  oh  the 
bond  of  the  men  who  had  been  arrested  for  law  violation.  Collins  soon  ceased 
to  go  on  the  bond  of  the  men  arrested  and  they  had  to  look  elsewhere  for  help 
to  keep  them  out  of  jail  until  they  could  have  their  trial. 

But  Collins  made  the  first  raid  on  a  joint  ever  made  in  this  county. 
'An  enterprising  citizen  of  Newton  had  driven  over  from  his  town.  He 
had  two  barrels  of  whisky,  two  frowzy-headed  women  and  a  tent  and  his 
wagon.  He  camped  on  Cow  creek  and  without  anyone's  consent  began  selling 
his  whisky.  C.  C.  Hutchinson  was  very  much  disturbed  by  this,  as  he  was  a 
prohibitionist  and  wanted  to  cut  whisky  out  of  his  town  entirely.  There 
were  no  county  or  township  officers  to  appeal  to,  as  the  county  had  not  yet 
been  organized.  He  thought  of  Charles  Collins,  who  had  a  homestead  four 
miles  north  of  town.  Collins  was  a  son-in-law  of  Derrick  Updegraff,  a  rail- 
road contractor,  who  had  the  contract  of  grading  the  Santa  Fe  railroad 
across  Reno  county. 

Collins,  in  his  younger  days,  was  a  striking  looking  man:  tall,  straight  as 
an  arrow,  with  long,  wavy  black  hair  and  an  eye  as  black  as  his  hair  and  a 
commandine  manner  that  he  never  lost  even   in   his   old   age.      Hutchinson 


86  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

appealed  to  Collins  for  help  to  get  rid  of  the  man  with  the  two  barrels  of 
whisky  and  two  frowzy-headed  women.  "I'll  take  care  of  them,"  was  all  he 
said  to  Hutchinson.  Early  the  next  morning,  Collins  drove  up  to  the  tent 
where  the  man  had  located  his  joint  and  without  getting  out  of  his  wagon, 
called  to  him.  The  man  stuck  his  head  out  of  his  tent  and  Collins  showed 
him  his  United  States  marshal's  star  and  ordered  him  to  get  dressed,  he  and 
his  women,  that  thev  were  all  under  arrest  for  selling  whisky  in  an  unorgan- 
ized  county.  The  old  man  and  his  women  were  frightened  into  obedience. 
Collins  helped  them  load  their  whisky  and  tent  and  other  belongings  into  the 
wagon,  and  drove  them  to  Newton  and  unloaded  them  and  told  them  to  stay 
out  of  Reno  county  and  to  tell  all  their  friends  that  the  next  booze  seller  who 
struck  that  county  out  west  would  he  tried  for  the  offense.  So  the  first  whisky 
raid  ever  made  in  Reno  county  was  made  by  Charles  Collins,  without  deputies 
or  assistance,  and  the  confiscated  outfit  was  hauled  by  a  mule  team  thirty-five 
miles  to  jail. 

THE  FIRST  ALFALFA. 

With  alfalfa  so  abundant,  the  people  of  Reno  county  seldom  inquire  how 
l<-ng  it  has  been  grown  in  the  county.  They  assume  that  it  was  a  grass  found 
here,  but  that  is  not  the  case.  Strangely  in  contrast  with  the  humble  buffalo 
grass  that  covered  everything  when  the  first  settler  came  to  Reno  countv,  was 
the  alfalfa  that  soon  began  to  be  raised.  The  alfalfa  is  tall  and  dark  green: 
the  buffalo  grass  a  light  green  in  the  early  spring  and  summer  and  turning 
brown  in  the  fall  and  winter.  The  one  so  short  that  it  could  not  be  cut  with  a 
mowing  machine,  the  other  yielding  four  and  five  crops  a  year  with  stalks  up 
to  the  sides  of  the  horses;  the  one  natural,  arising  out  of  the  condition  of  the 
soil,  the  other  growing  only  when  the  soil  has  been  broken  and  loosened  up 
by  tilling.  The  buffalo  grass,  the  most  wonderful  natural  grass  ever  known; 
the  other  the  most  prolific  and  valuable  forage  crop  ever  sown.  The  two  are 
opposites  in  all  respects,  yet  they  grew  alike  in  the  soil  of  Reno  county,  when 
the  conditions  of  their  growth  were  met. 

The  first  alfalfa  was  raised  by  G.  B.  Chapin,  in  Valley  township.  From 
the  small  star!  made  by  Mr.  Chapin  lias  come  the  20,266  acres  of  alfalfa  in 
Reno  county.  It  is  a  forage  plant  that  will  fatten  hogs  almost  as  well  as 
n.  when  they  are  allowed  to  run  on  it.  When  cut  and  fed  to  cattle  it  will 
add  fat  almosl  as  fasl  n.     Horses  will  work  hard  and  thrive  on  nothing 

but  alfalfa.  Fed  to  cows,  it  makes  the  besl  i(.-v*\  obtainable  for  milk  and  butter 
fat.  Even  the  chickens  like  the  leaves  that  may  have  shattered  off  in  making 
hay.     It  has  a  bloom  that  is  a  delicate  bine  and  a  fragrance  to  that  bloom  that 


RENO  COUNTY,    K  VNSAS.  8>J 

mocks  (he  art  of  any  chemisl  to  prepare  a  perfume  thai  equals  the  fragrance 

of  an  alfalfa  field  in  bloom.  Sonic  day  some  one  will  invent  a  method  of 
extracting  the  perfume  Erom  the  bloom  and  he  will  have  an  article  of  com- 
merce tlial  will  richly  reward  his  labors. 

The  seed  of  this  wonderful  plant  is  not  lost,  for  the  fastesl  of  dyes  are 
made  from  the  little  yellowish-brown,  oblong  seed  of  the  alfalfa.  Generally 
the  second  crop  of  alfalfa  is  allowed  to  go  to  seed,  as  this  is  usually  the  driest 
time  of  the  summer,  when  the  seed  pods  form  the  best. 

Not  only  is  it  a  iced  that  all  the  heasts  of  the  field  eat  with  avidity,  hut 
alfalfa  meal,  made  by  grinding  the  cured  alfalfa  hay,  makes  a  bread  that  i- 
sweet  and  nourishing.  So  when  Mr.  Chapin  sowed  the  first  small  field  of 
alfalfa,  down  in  Valley  township,  he  little  dreamed  that  he  was  pioneering-  the 
most  valuable  forage  crop  ever  riased  in  any  county.  Not  only  does  it  pro- 
duce heavily,  but  it  also  enriches  the  soil  in  which  it  grows.  '  Its  roots  sink- 
down  deep  into  the  soil.  From  the  air  the  alfalfa  plant  takes  the  nitrogen  and 
stores  it  into  rings  around  the  roots  of  the  plant  and  this  stored  fertilizer,  the 
best  nature  affords,  builds  up  the  soil,  while  the  plant  does  its  service  for  man 
in  its  growth.  The  biggest  wheat  yield  ever  recorded  in  Reno  county,  sixtv- 
seven  bushels  to  the  acre,  was  raised  in  an  old  alfalfa  field  that  was  plowed  up 
in  the  summer  of  1916  and  produced  the  biggest  yield  in  iqi~. 

THE  BUILDING  OF  THE   FIRST  SILO. 

The  storing  of  feed  for  the  winter  months  was  not  much  considered  in 
the  early  days.  It  was  not  necessary  as  long  as  the  buffalo  grass  lasted,  as 
this  was  as  good  a  feed  in  January  as  it  was  in  June.  This  grass  cured  itself 
in  the  fall  and  cattle  would  push  the  snow  from  this  grass  in  January  and  eat 
it  as  readily  as  they  did  on  the  ranges  in  June.  It  was  cured  naturally  and  was 
a  great  natural  feed.  After  the  disappearance  of  the  buffalo  came  the  consid- 
eration of  feed  preparation  for  the  winter.  The  building  of  silos  was  the 
method  of  "canning"  the  cattle  feed.  Perhaps  the  first  silo  in  Kansas  was 
built  at  the  Agricultural  College  at  Manhattan.  Shortly  after  this  one  was 
constructed  one  was  erected  in  Douglas  county,  and  a  couple  of  silos  in  Leav- 
enworth county.  The  first  one  in  Reno  count}-  was  erected  by  W.  E.  Hutch- 
inson, in  the  spring  of  i8S_\  This  silo  was  a  square  one,  sixteen  by  twenty- 
four  feet,  and  twenty-four  feet  high.  It  was  filled  with  Kaffir  corn  and  cane. 
Mr.  Hutchinson  fattened  a  big  bunch  of  steers  in  the  fall  and  winter  of  187-'. 
and  sold  them  to  Frank  Wolcott  and  W.  E.  Burns.  They  were  without  doubt 
the  first  fat  steers  fed  on  ensilage  to  go  to  the  markets  in  Reno  county. 


88  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

THE   LAST  BUFFALO. 

Like  the  first,  the  last  is  always  the  most  noticed. 

There  have  been  many  persons  who  have  claimed  to  have  killed  buffalo  on 
the  Hutchinson  townsite.  A.  F.  Horner,  who  built  the  first  house  in  Hutch- 
inson, says  he  never  saw  a  buffalo  on  the  townsite.  He  says  that  he  and  two 
companions,  on  their  way  to  Hutchinson  early  in  January,  1872,  ran  across  a 
buffalo  as  they  came  to  the  place  where  the  town  was  afterwards  located ;  that 
they  were  down  on  the  Arkansas  river  below  the  town,  probably  south  of  the 
reformatory,  when  a  buffalo  ran  out  onto  the  sandbed  of  the  river.  All  three 
of  the  men  in  the  party  shot  at  him.  They  never  knew  which  one  actually 
killed  him ;  but  that  he,  Horner,  never  saw  a  buffalo  near  the  town  after  that 
one.  Other  old  settlers  claim  to  have  killed  a  buffalo,  generally  near  some 
prominent  place  in  town,  one  near  where  the  postoffice  now  stands,  one  where 
the  waterworks  plant  is  located  and  another  where  Convention  Hall  now 
stands,  but  it  is  probable  that  the  memory  of  Horner  and  others  is  correct 
that  the  buffalo  had  moved  westward  before  the  town  was  located:  and  that 
if  any  buffalo  were  left  it  would  be  some  old  beaten  bull  that  had  been  horned 
out  of  the  herd  and  had  concealed  himself  in  the  hills.  There  is  a  record  that 
one  such  decrepit  bull  was  killed  on  July  6,  1874,  on  the  farm  of  E.  S.  Webster, 
south  of  town,  but  that  he  was  so  poor  and  old  as  to  have  been  of  no  value. 
The  buffalo  had  moved  westward  before  the  settlers  came  here,  and  few 
of  them  ever  saw  a  buffalo  in  this  part  of  the  country. 

THE  BUILDING  OF  THE  ROCK  ISLAND  RAILROAD. 

One  of  the  first  things  the  Rock  Island  Railroad  Company  did  was  to 
run  a  survey  through  the  country  north  of  Hutchinson,  crossing  the  Santa 
IT  at  Sterling,  and  the  people  of  Sterling  thought  they  were  going  to  get  the 
road.  .M.  A,  Low.  an  attorney  from  some  town  in  Missouri,  did  the  negotia- 
ting for  the  railroad  company.  It  is  practically  certain  that  they  had  no 
thought  of  going  by  way  of  Sterling,  but  they  wanted  to  skin  the  county  of 
Reno  for  the  biggest  sum  possible,  in  the  shape  oi  a  subsidy.  At  that  time 
there  was  a  law  in  Kansas  allowing  counties  and  other  municipalities  to  sub- 
scribe stock  in  a  railroad  company,  and  pay  For  the  same  by  issuing  its  bonds. 
and  they  could  go  as  high  as  $4,000  a  mile.  The  road  wanted  a  class  of  bonds 
that  would  sell  for  the  mosl  money  and  munt\  bonds  were  much  the  best  at 
that  time,  whereas  township  bonds  were  not  so  much  sought.  The  railroad 
company  had  to  gel  its  line  southwest,  and  if  the  road  had  crossed  at  Sterling- 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  89 

they  would  have  had  a  long  run  through  the  western  part  of  Reno  county,  and 
of  course  could  have  got  nothing  but  township  bonds,  missing  Hutchinson 
and  the  heaviest  settlement.  The  matter  of  carrying  county  bonds  was  can- 
vassed and  it  was  decided  to  offer  the  company  $4,000  a  mile  clear  across  the 
county  in  a  diagonal  course,  which  meant  about  $170,000.  A  strong  argu- 
ment was  made  that  we  were  getting  stock,  and  that  if  the  road  was  worth 
anything  for  the  company  it  would  he  a  good  investment  for  the  county  to 
take  the  $170,000  of  stock.  Every  detail  had  been  perfected  by  the  railroad 
company  to  steal  the  $170,000  and  they  did  so  very  easily.  The  proposition 
to  build  this  road  was  not  made  by  the  Rock  Island  Road  at  all.  The  bonds 
were  not  voted  to  take  stock  in  the  Rock  Island  Road,  and  the  county  never 
got  any  stock  in  that  road.  The  first  move  that  the  Ruck  Island  made  when 
they  decided  to  build  west  of  the  Missouri  river  was  to  form  a  new  company 
called  the  Chicago,  Kansas  and  Nebraska  railroad,  all  Rock  Island  interests. 
The  bonds. were  voted  to  this  new  company,  and  the  road  was  built,  and  the 
stock  in  the  new  company  was  issued  to  the  count)-  of  Reno.  One  of  the  early 
things  that  the  Rock  Island  attended  to  was  to  place  a  first  mortgage  on  the 
Chicago,  Kansas  &  Nebraska  Road  and  sell  these  first  mortgage  bonds.  Six 
months  after  the  issue  of  these  bonds  an  installment  of  interest  fell  due.  and 
was  not  paid.  A  foreclosure  suit  was  commenced  at  once,  and  the  Chicago, 
Kansas  &  Nebraska  railroad  was  sold  under  the  foreclosure,  and  all  the  assets 
were  bought  in  by  the  Rock  Island  Railroad  Company,  and  there  was  not  a 
thing  left  in  the  shape  of  property  for  the  stockholders  of  the  Chicago,  Kan- 
sas &  Nebraska  railroad,  one  of  which  was  the  county  of  Reno.  There  was 
never  a  cleaner  steal  perpetrated  in  the  state,  but  it  was  all  done  within  the 
law. 

THE    POWDER   EXPLOSION. 

The  first  live,  successful,  broad-guaged  business  firm  that  did  business 
in  Hutchinson,  was  the  firm  of  Allison,  Devier  &  Blackburn.  The  individual 
names  of  the  partners  were  M.  E.  Allison.  \V.  C.  Devier  and  John  Blackburn. 
Allison  and  Blackburn  were  both  professional  druggists  before  uniting  in  this 
firm.  Devier  was  known  as  "Bill}"  Devier,  a  greater  distance  from  the  town 
than  any  other  man  living  here  at  the  time.  Allison  looked  after  the  business 
methods  and  svstem  of  the  concern;  Devier  was  the  "business  getter",  and 
Blackburn  grave  his  time  to  the  attention  of  customers,  and  was  a  much-liked 
man.  The  business  started  in  a  store  eighty  feet  deep  and  soon  filled  a  room 
one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  deep.  Allison  was  the  man  who  saw  the  oppor- 
tunities to  enlarge.     He  conceived  the  plan  of  buying  his  goods  cheaper  by 


<)<  i  RENO  COUN.TY,    KANSAS. 

establishing  a  wholesale  grocery  store,  and  getting  the  benefit  of  the  prices 

lo  wholesale  dealers.  West  &  Bloom,  brothers-in-law,  had  a  small  livery 
stable  "ii  the  corner  of  Second  avenue  and  Main  street,  where  the  Whiteside 
building  now  stands.  W.  E.  Hutchinson,  two  years  before,  had  formed  a  com- 
pany to  pay  off  the  debts  of  the  water-mill  built  by  C.  C.  Hutchinson  &  Co. 
It  only  required  about  twelve  thousand  dollars  to  make  the  deal.  West  & 
Bloom  had  a  little  money,  Allison  &  Devier  had  some  money,  and  J  I.  White- 
side also  had  a  balance  in  the  bank.  West  «S:  Bloom  were  given  an  interest 
in  the  mill  as  were  Allison  &  Devier  and  Whiteside.  Hutchinson  reserved 
an  interest  for  himself.  There  were  four  interests.  The  name  taken  for  the 
mill  company  was  West,  Allison  &  Co.  West  and  Hutchinson  operated  the 
mill.  Bloom  remained  in  the  stable  and  Allison  &  Devier  continued  to  confine 
themselves  to  the  store.  On  account  of  this  association,  Allison  proposed  to 
I  .loom  to  let  them  use  his  name  as  the  proprietor  of  a  wholesale  grocery  store 
and  a  room  for  a  store  room  was  obtained  and  a  sign  put  "C.  Bloom"  on  the 
outside  of  the  building".  Bloom  did  not  have  a  dollar  in  the  business;  did  not 
have  a  thins:  to  do  with  the  business,  and  never  had  any  connection  with  a 
business  of  that  sort.  The  scheme  planned  by  Allison  worked  all  right,  how- 
ever. At -this  stage  of  their  business  a  powder  company  proposed  to  make  the 
grocery  firm  their  agents  for  the  sale  of  powder.  There  were  hundreds  of 
hunter^  in  the  country  and  the  consumption  of  powder  was  no  small  item. 
There  were  no  waterworks  in  the  town  at  that  time.  Cow  creek  crossed 
Sherman  street  where  the  water  and  light  plant  now  stands,  but  a  little  north 
it  swung  into  and  across  Adams  street  and  cut  the  ndi^e  of  First  avenue  half 
way  between  Washington  and  Adams  streets.  The  back  end  of  the  lot  lying 
along  Adams  street,  on  the  west  side,  and  fronting  on  Sherman  street,  was 
some  little  distance  west  of  Cow  creek  and  was  considered  a  safe  distance 
from  the  business  part  of  the  town.  Here  the  powder  company  purchased  a 
-mall  tract  of  ground,  about  twenty-five  feet  square,  and  on  this  spot  erected 
a  -tone  and  cement  building,  probably  ten  feet  square,  with  thick  walls  and 
with  an  iron  roof  and  an  iron  door.  Swung  from  one  end  was  a  heavy  iron 
bar,  three  inches  wide,  a  half-inch  thick-  and  about  three  feet  long.  The  other 
end  fitted  over  a  staple,  and  was  fastened  with  the  strongest  padlock  made. 
Few  people  ever  wandered  so  far  in  this  direction  from  the  business  portion 
ot  the  t<>wn.  There  was  no  way  to  get  there  except  to  cross  the  creek  over 
the  bridge  on  Main  street,  and  then  follow  up  the  west  side  of  the  creek  to  the 
po  der house.  The  building  was  so  far  away  that  probably  not  a  dozen  people 
in  the  town  knew  of  it-  existence.  There  was  nothing  (M1  the  building  to 
indicate  what  was  in  it  or  what  it  was   for.     A  considerable  excavation  was 


RENO  COUNTY,    K  WSAS.  9] 

made  in  the  ground,  and  mosl  of  t lie  contents  were  stored  below  the  surf; 
of  the  ground.  It  was  built  to  hold  a  carload  of  powder,  bul  at  the  time  we 
are  referring  to  there  was  not  a  half  ear  in  storage.  The  building  did  not 
stand  over  ten  feet  high  above  the  surface  of  the  ground.  Less  than  a  year 
after  the  powder  was  stored  in  this  place,  and  during  a  thunder  storm  in  the 
night,  a  bolt  of  lightning  struck  the  powder  house  and  exploded  the  powder. 
There  probably  never  was  a  more  astonished  lot  of  people  than  the  resident- 
of  Hutchinson.  The  nearest  business  house  to  the  powder  house  was  about 
eight  hundred  feet,  and  the  farthest  was  perhaps  twelve  hundred  feet.  The 
buildings  were  the  "square  front"  type  of  wo., den  stores,  with  as  large  window 
glass  as  could  be  put  in.  There  were  no  watchmen  or  police,  and  no  one- 
knew  what  was  the  matter  till  morning  came,  except  Allison  and  Devier. 
When  business  men  went  to  their  business  in  the  morning  they  found  their 
front  window  glass  lying  on  the  sidewalk  in  front  in  bits  of  pieces,  hardly  a 
piece  being  left  in  the  sash  where  it  belonged.  Every  store  was  wide  open 
of  course,  and  in  some  of  them  the  rain  had  done  some  damage,  but  not  much. 
It  was  such  a  sight  as  is  seldom  seen  in  a  lifetime.  There  was  not  a  claim 
that  the  powder  house  had  been  built  too  near  the  town,  and  that  the  grocery 
men  were  at  fault.  It  is  likely  that  if  the  creek  had  not  been  between  the 
town  and  the  store  house  it  would  not  have  seemed  so  far  away;  would  have 
been  known  about  by  people  more  generally,  and  that  the  public  would  have 
taken  an  entirely  different  view  of  the  accident.  Xo  person  was  hurt,  but 
there  was  one  remarkable  escape. 

Mrs.  J.  C.  Beem  at  that  time  lived  in  a  small  wooden  house  on  hirst 
avenue  and  on  the  north  side  of  the  street,  and  also  directly  north  of  the 
powder  house.  The  construction  of  the  house  was  simply  weather-boarding 
on  the  outside  of  studding,  and  lathing  and  plastering  011  the  inside  of  the 
studding.  In  Mrs.  Beem's  sleeping  room  her  bed  set  with  the  head  to  the 
west  and  the  foot  to  the  east,  making  the  side  of  the  bed  fare  toward  the 
direction  of  the  powder  house.  The  house  was  about  five  hundred  feet  from 
the  powder  building.  A  rock  as  large  as  a  man's  head  went  through  this  house. 
going  in  on  the  south  side  and  out  on  the  north,  and  was  lying  a  few  rods 
north  of  the  house  in  the  morning.  The  rock  passed  directly  over  Mrs. 
Beem's  bed,  where  she  was  sleeping,  and  barely  high  enough  to  avoid  hit- 
ting her  as  it  passed  over.  Xo  one  was  hurt  in  the  house.  There  was  hardly 
a  thing  to  show  that  there  had  ever  been  a  building  on  the  spot  where  the 
powder  house  stood,  in  fact,  it  would  not  have  hardly  been  suspected  bv  a 
stranger  that  a  building-  had  been  there,     ddie  large  iron  bar  referred  to,  which 


9-  RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

held  the  door  closed,  was  afterward  found  on  the  farm  of  Judge  Houk  about 
a  halt  mile  away.  There  was  never  another  powder  storehouse  built  on 
the  townsite. 

THE    WATER    AND    LIGHT    PLANT    IN    SHERMAN    STREET,    WEST. 

Unquestionably  many  things  pass  into  history  as  mysterious,  and  for- 
ever remain  s<»:  when,  if  at  the  right  time,  the.  right  source  had  been  appealed 
to,   the  mystery  would  dissolve  into  the  most  commonplace  matter.     Hun- 
dreds of  people  have  asked  why  was  Sherman  street  obstructed  by  the  build- 
ing" "of  the  water  plant   where  it  is.  and  the  people  on  the  west  end  of  the 
street  will   always  suffer  a  depreciation  of  their  property  by  the   fact  that 
the  access  to  it  is  permanently  wrecked.     Legally  and  morally  these  people 
are  estopped  from  making  complaint,  for  the  reason  that  they  acquired  their 
property  with  a  full  knowledge  of  the  conditions;  but  such  circumstances  do 
not  always  have  the  effect  to  hush  the  lamentations  of  the  helpless,  nor  sup- 
press the  questions  of  the  querulous.     Others,  wondering  will  go  about  their 
daily  work,  comforted  with  the  conceit,  that  if  they  had  been  the  original 
promoters  of  this  utility,  they  would  have  located  it  on  the  spur  track  of 
nne  of  the  railroads,  where  the  coal  for  fuel  could  have  been  shoveled  from 
the  car  into  the   bin   at   the  boiler  house,   instead  of  being  shoveled  into  a 
wagon,  and  hauled  a  half  a  mile,  and  then  all  shoveled  again.     The  answer 
for  the  city,  and  the  answer  for  the  promoters  are  two  words  which  seem 
to  sound  louder  and  sound  oftener  in  the  anxious  public  ear  as  the  years  go 
round — "personal   privilege."      West    and    northwest   of   the   present   site   of 
the  plant  was  once  the  storage  reservoir  or  pond  of  the  Water  Power  Com- 
pany and  the  dam  and  waste  gates  which  impounded  the  waters  were  situated 
at  a  point  on  the  creek'  which  was  the  intersection  of  Sherman  street.    These 
gates   were  unsightly   large   wooden   affairs   which   were  an   eyesore  to  every 
passer  on  Main  street.     The  pond  should  never  have  been  put  there  and  the 
gates   should  have  been   in  another  place,  if  they  were  to  eNist  at  all.       The 
town  was  making  complaint  occasionally,  and  it  was  evident  that  there  would 
be    trouble    in    time.       Drake    and    Orton,    from    Chicago,    came    into    town 
unannounced  one  day   and   introduced   themselves   to  the  city  authorities  and 
proposed  t<>  ask  for  a  franchise  for  waterworks.     S.  \\  .  Campbell  was  mayor 
and   \\  .   !■"..    Hutchinson   was  city  attorney.      The  people  were  flattered  with 
the  thoughl  of  getting  a  goocj  service  plant  of  this  nature  without  a  donation 
and  the  requesl  of  the  applicants  was  readily  granted.     The  interest  of  Drake 
and  Orton  was  not  t<»  build  and  operate  a  plant,  but  to  sell  the  bonds  which 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  93 

they  would  put  on  the  property.  They  did  not  care  to  retain  the  ownership  ol 
the  property,  and  they  insisted  thai  citizens  of  the  town  should  lake  a  major 
itv  of  the  stock  as  a  gift.  Stock  was  offered  to  Campbell,  Hutchinson  and 
L.  A.  Bigger,  but  none  of  them  took  any  of  it.  'Then  the  city  made  the  stipu 
lation  that  the  plant  should  he  located  where  it  now  i->.  hut  at  thai  time  ii 
was  the  center  of  the  creek  channel  and  a  difficult  ami  expensive  place  "ii 
which  to  locate  a  building.  The  purpose  of  the  requirement  on  the  pari  of 
the  city  was  to  have  the  building  hide  the  unsightly  structure  of  the  Water 
Power  Company  so  it  could  not  he  seen  from  .Main  street.  Drake  and  (  >rton 
hurried  the  building  of  the  plant,  and  quickly  sold  $450,000  of  first-mortgage 
bonds  and  got  their  money,  and  undoubtedly  they  made  such  profits  that 
the  matter  of  whether  the  plant  was  located  in  the  middle  of  Cow  creek  or 
at  a  desirable  place  on  the  railroad  was  altogether  a  minor  item.  In  a  few 
years  the  purchasers  of  the  bonds  found  that  they  had  made  a  very  had  invest- 
ment, and  one-half  of  the  bonds  were  cancelled,  thus  netting  a  loss  to  them 
of  $225,000.  Drake  and  Orton  were  in  the  city  hut  a  few  times  after  the  con- 
struction of  the  plant.  The  water  power  proved  of  little  value,  and  the  growth 
of  the  town  made  the  area  valuable,  and  the  dam  and  the  gates  were  cleared 
away  and  the  ground  sold  off  according  to  the  original  plat,  hut  the  water 
works  plant  could  not  he  moved,  and  it  still  stands  at  a  location  unfortunate 
to  all  concerned. 


CHAPTER   X. 
A  Year  i  >f  Disaster. 

The  year  i  S74  was  a  dismal  one  for  the  pioneers  of  Reno  county.  The 
author  of  this  history  has  had  many  suggestions  made  to  him  to  omit  any 
reference  to  this  year,  urging  that  only  the  brighter  and  the  more  attractive 
things  should  be  recorded,  and  that  a  period  of  such  disaster  as  that  year 
presented  should  be  passed  over  with  but  little  reference  to  it.  But,  his- 
torically, [874  was  one  of  the  marked  years  of  Reno  county's  history.  It 
was  not  one  of  prosperity,  but  it  was  a  year  unlike  other  years  in  the  atten- 
tion that  it  brought  to  the  county,  and  illustrates  one  of  the  strange  char- 
acteristics of  human  nature  in  a  most  striking  way.  It  shows  how  things 
that  happened  may  produce  results  in  ways  that  cannot  be  seen  at  the  time 
and  which  only  the  years  that  have  passed  away  reveal.  So  it  would  be 
unfair  to  omit  the  hardships  of  pioneer  life,  that  those  who  live  now  in 
comfort  and  contentment  may  realize  as  best  they  can  from  the  description 
the  old  settlers  leave,  of  what  trials  and  privations  their  comforts  cost,  that 
they  may  more  thoroughly  appreciate  the  heritage  of  the  present. 

The  summer  of  1874  was  dry  and  hot.  There  is  no  detailed  weather 
record  of  temperature  or  rainfall,  but  the  old  settlers  speak  of  the  intensity 
of  the  heat  and  the  length  of  the  drought.  Xed  Webster's  monthly  records, 
a-  shown  in  another  chapter,  makes  this  the  hottest  year  of  his  observations. 
There  was  approximately  four  thousand  acres  of  corn  in  cultivation  that 
year.  Some  of  jt  was  sod  corn,  but  there  was  considerable  ground,  over 
three  thousand  acre-,  that  had  been  broken  in  i8~_\  and  in  the  sandy  region, 
a  part  of  which  had  been  broken  up  in  187,},  was  ground  that  could  be  culti- 
vated. <  )f  course  there  was  no  cultivation  for  the  sod  corn,  no  chance  to 
^tir  the  ground  and  in  this  way  minimize  the  injury  of  the  dry  weather.  A 
year  like  this  would  be  particularly  bard  on  sod  corn.  The  heat  of  )ulv 
doomed  the  torn.  It  withered  up  and  would  not  have  made  good  food  if 
it  had  1  een  left.  But  a  short  time  after  the  28th  of  July  there  was  not  even 
a  semblance  of  the  corn  -tails  left,  for  it  was  in  these  days  the  first  grass- 
appeared  in  the  sky.  One  of  the  old  settlers  of  that  day  found  a 
description    that    he    said    exactly    described    this    visitation    of   the    winged 


RENO   COl    NTY,    KANSAS.  95 

plague:  "For  they  covered  the  face  of  the  whole  earth,  so  that  the  land 
was  darkened;  and  they  did  eat  every  herb  of  the  land,  and  all  the  fruit  of 
the  trees  which  the  hail  had  left;  and  there  remained  nol  any  green  thi 
in  the  trees,  or  in  the  herbs  of  the  field,  throughoul  all  the  land  of  Egypt." 
Exodus  10:15.  They  came  in  one  continual  stream,  that  was  hours  in  p; 
ing,  flying  high  in  the  air,  obscuring  the  sun  and  having  the  appearance  of 
a  heavy  snow.  The  locusts  were  of  a  dark  brown  line,  hut  in  flying  they 
show  the  underside  of  their  body,  which  is  white  and  gave  their  flight  the 
appearance  of  a  snow  storm.  Beneath  this  mighty  stream  was  another  one, 
which  was  continually  detaching  itself  from  the  main  body,  coming  t"  the 
ground.  They  kept  this  up  for  seven  days.  This  flight  swept  through  the 
>tate  from  west  to  east.  It  almost  produced  a  panic.  Those  that  stopped 
were  hut  a  small  part  of  the  wast  number  that  filled  the  air.  Where  they 
came  from  or  where  they  went,  no  one  knows.  What  conditions  brought 
them  forth  never  has  been  ascertained,  but  the  destruction  thev  wrought 
was  complete.  They  came  again  in  1876 — but  not  in  any  such  number-  as 
in  1874.  Even  in  1876,  late  in  September,  they  ate  all  the  leaves  from  the 
trees.  Some  were  sowing  wheat  when  they  came,  but  the  "hoppers"  ate 
the  hard  grains  as  fast  as  the  sower  would  put  them  on  the  ground. 
Chickens  fled  from  them  as  from  a  hawk.  The  "crunch"  of  the  insects  as 
a  person  walked  on  the  ground  was  a  sensation  not  soon   forgotten. 

The  destruction  of  1874  was  complete.  There  was  absolutely  nothing- 
left,  no  feed  for  horses  or  cattle,  no  wheat  nor  corn.  The  early  settlers 
could  not  go  through  the  winter  without  help,  so,  early  in  the  fall,  a  meet- 
ing was  called  in  the  court  house  to  provide  some  means  for  the  relief  that 
was  necessary.  A  "central  committee"  was  appointed  to  have  charge  of 
the  matter  for  Reno  county.  This  committee  was  William  Ingham,  T.  F. 
I.eidigh  and  L.  Houk.  They  immediately  appointed  sub-committees  for 
each  of  the  townships  into  which  the  county  was  then  divided. 

The  grasshopper  plague  was  not  confined  to  Reno  county,  the  whole 
state  having  been  visited.  No  one  was  exempt,  so  a  similar  organization 
existed  in  all  of  the  settled  counties  of  Kansas  and  a  central  body,  located  at 
Topeka,  to  handle  the  matter  in  a  general  way.  Agents  were  sent  to  Eastern 
cities  to  solicit  aid.  The  railroads  of  the  county  "deadheaded"  all  of  the 
things  that  were  shipped  to  the  state.  Reno  county  had  an  agent  and  his 
assistants  in  New  York  City.  All  the  donations  boxed  and  shipped  to  Kan- 
sas were  designated  for  the  "Kansas  Relief  Fund.'-'  Considerable  money 
was   donated.      It   was   estimated   early   in   the   winter   that    there   were   one 


96  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

thousand  persons  in  Reno  county  who  were  dependent  on  outside  help  to  get 
through  the  winter.  The  entire  population  of  this  county  that  year  was  six 
thousand  four  hundred  and  seventy-six. 

There  were  a  few  who  left  the  county,  but  nearly  all  of  the  people 
stayed  through  the  winter.  They  knew  that  in  all  Kansas  such  a  catastrophe 
could  not  occur  often.  They  had  seen  the  prosperity  of  1873  and  had  seen 
the  soil'yield  bountifully,  even  after  only  two  years  of  cultivation,  so  they 
concluded  to  remain  in  the  count}-  and  fight  it  out. 

It  is  impossible  to  tell  how  many  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  goods  and 
money  were  sent  into  Kansas.  The  records  that  were  turned  over  to  the 
State  Historical  Society  show  that  Reno  county  received  considerable  aid. 
(  >ne  such  receipt  aside  from  individual  instances  of  aid,  shows  that  twenty- 
four  carloads  of  grain  and  feed  and  flour  were  received  bv  Reno  countv. 
There  are  numerous  personal  receipts  on  hie  there  for  boxes  and  barrels  of 

g 1<  shipped  to  individuals  and  which  were  not  handled  by  the  committee. 

At  a  distance  of  more  than  forty  years,  some  things  are  plainly  apparent  in 
this  relief  work.  One  of  the  most  noticeable  of  them  is  the  greed  dis- 
played by  some  of  the  people  who  were  recipients  of  that  aid.  Some  of 
them  receipted  for  enough  goods  to  keep  their  family  and  feed  their  stock 
for  more  than  a  year.  Perhaps  it  would  be  impossible  to  have  handled  the 
matter  so  that  the  charge  of  graft  would  not  have  been  sustained.  But  the 
greed  displayed  by  some  was  plainly  evident.  The  Eastern  part  of  the 
United  States  was  interested  in  helping  the,  "starving  people  out  in  Kansas." 
Their  generosity  was  not  stinted.  Some  of  the  agents  sent  out  by  the  vari- 
"ii-  counties  took  advantage  of  the  desire  of  the  East  to  see  that  the  dis- 
tress  was  removed  and  exaggerated  that  distress,  sometimes  to  their  own 
gain.  So  that  the  ''grasshopper  relief"  extended  far  beyond  the  necessity 
of  the  times. 

So,  in  the  sense  of  having  comfort  added  that  could  not  have  been 
enjoyed  without  die  relief  work.  Reno  county  and,  in  fact,  the  whole  of 
Kansas,  did  not  suffer  in  the  least  from  the  grasshoppers.  In  fact,  it  was 
a  great  blessing  to  the  county.  The  hot  winds  and  the  dry  weather  had 
ruined  the  crops.  I  lad  not  the  "hoppers"  visited  the  country  there  would 
have  been  almost  as  much  distress  as  there  was  after  they  had  stripped  the 
land  of  all  that  they  could  eat.  Bui  when  the  destitution  was  referred  to. 
when  the  "hand  of  Providence,"  as  one  of  the  agents  reverently  referred  to 
tlie  grasshopper  plague  whenever  he  spoke  of  conditions  in  the  state,  was 
hard   on   tin-  land,   it    called    forth   the   unstinted   aid   that   nothing  else   would 


MAJOR-GEN.  JESSE  LEE  RENO 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  ( >J 

have  done.  The  grasshoppers,  instead  of  being  a  curse,  were  a  blessing  to 
Reno  county. 

There  was  another  feature  to  this  disaster  thai  is  really  one  of  the 
difficult  things  to  understand.  There  is  on  file  in  the  State  Historical 
Society  a  list  of  donors  of  the  "Howard  County,  Indiana,  Reno  County. 
Kansas,  Relief  Fund/'  On  this  list  is  the  name  of  the  father  of  the  editor 
of  this  history.  The  following  year  this  father  came  to  Reno  county  and 
bought  land  in  the  very  county  which  the  year  before  he  had  helped  in  it- 
distress.  What  was  the  attraction  that  drew  to  Reno  county  the  men  who 
had,  a  year  before,  helped  to  support  those  that  the  plague  had  vexed? 

L.  A.  Bigger  was  in  the  land  business  in  Hutchinson  for  many  years. 
He  has  told  of  many  similar  experiences.  He  said  that  in  October,  1874. 
there  came  to  his  office  many  persons  attracted  by  the  crowd  that  had 
congregated  around  it,  supposing  them  to  be  land  seekers,  only  to  find  that 
they  were  farmers  of  Reno  county  getting  wheat  that  had  been  donated  to 
this  county  for  seed.  Mr.  Bigger  always  secured  the  names  of  his  visitors, 
to  send  them  advertising  matter,  and  he  remarked  that  he  was  astonished 
to  learn  how  many  of  those  men  came  to  Reno  county  in  the  years  of  1875 
to  1878,  who  had  seen  the  county  in  her  distress,  when  seed  for  the  next 
crop  was  largely  donated.  This  to  him,  was  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
things  in  all  his  experience.  Who  can  understand  that  trait  of  human  nature? 
Who  is  able  to  tell  why  they  came  to  Kansas  to  make  their  homes  in  1875 
and  1876  when  "Droughty  Kansas"  was  a  by-word  the  land  over,  because 
of  the  distressing  days  of  the  year  1874. 

The  people  of  Reno  county  were  not  discouraged  by  the  grasshopper 
visitation.  More  sod  was  broken  out  and  all  of  the  sod  ground  that  had 
been  corn  in  the  summer  was  plowed  under  and  sowed  to  wheat.  The 
drought  was  broken  early  in  the  fall,  the  rain  fell  in  abundance,  the  ground 
was  in  hue  shape  and  when  the  seed  arrived  the  sowing  was  done.  A  very 
large  percentage  of  the  ground  that  had  been  broken  was  sowed  to  wheal, 
which  got  a  good  start  and  furnished  pasturage  in  the  winter  and  earlv 
spring.  The  evidences  of  the  drought  and  the  grasshoppers  soon  vanished. 
The  courage  of  the  pioneer  was  tried  and  was  found  sufficient  and,  while 
the  winter  of  1874  was  ^iot  an  enjoyable  one,  it  was  not  as  bleak  as  it 
appeared  on  the  July  morning  after  the  grasshoppers  had  darkened  the  sun 
of  the  previous  day. 

(7) 


CHAPTER  XL 
Organizing  the  County. 

At  the  time  Reno  county  was  organized,  the  statutes  required  six  hun- 
dred inhabitants  as  a  necessary  number  to  entitle  a  county  to  obtain  self- 
government.  Counties  having  a  less  number  of  inhabitants  were  attached  to 
other  counties  for  municipal  and  judicial  purposes.  Late  in  December,  1871, 
a  petition  was  circulated  in  Reno  county  and  the  requisite  number  of  signers 
was  obtained.  It  is  evident  from  looking  at  the  list  now,  that  some  signa- 
tures were  placed  on  the  roll  by  proxy,  for  some  of  the  inhabitants,  still 
residents  of  Reno  county,  were  entirely  too  small  at  that  time  to  take  any 
interest  in  any  of  the  affairs  of  state.  As  soon  as  the  petition  was  completed 
it  was  taken  to  Topeka  by  C.  C.  Hutchinson  and  was  approved  by  Governor 
Harvey.  He  then  issued  an  order  for  the  organization  of  the  count}-.  He 
likewise  appointed  a  special  board  of  county  commissioners,  consisting  of 
C.  O.  Bemis,  'William  H.  Bell  and  Thomas  Allen,  to  have  charge  of  the  busi- 
ness of  the  new  county  until  an  election  could  be  held.  This  board  held  its 
first  meeting  on  January  4.  1872.  Bemis  was  not  present  at  this  meeting, 
but  the  other  two  members  met  and  elected  Bemis  chairman  of  the  board. 
Who  presided  at  this  meeting  is  not  disclosed  by  the  record.  The  entire 
county  was  placed  in  one  township,  which  was  given  the  name  of  "Reno." 
From  this  one  township  all  of  the  other  townships  have  been  taken  and  the 
territory  now  called  Reno  township  is  what  remains  after  the  organization 
of  the  other  thirty-one  subdivisions  of  the  county.  An  election  was  called 
to  select  a  county  seat  and  notices  were  posted  in  "three  most  conspicuous 
place.-,"  notifying  the  voters  of' the  election.  The  date  was  fixed  for  Satur- 
day. February  3,  1872. 

At  the  same  meeting  of  the  board  of  commissioners,  "a  special  election'' 
was  called  for  January  6,  1872,  ten  days  only  to  elapse  before  the  election 
alter  the  calling  oi  the  election.  The  reason  for  this  haste  was  the  anxiety 
of  the  promoters  of  the  new  county,  and  more  particularly  the  owners  of 
the  townsite  of  Hutchinson,  to  get  a  representative  in  the  Legislature  who 
could  make  some  changes  in  the  boundary  lines  of  the  county  that  would 
lessen  the  danger-  oi  another  town  being  established  nearer  the  center  of  the 
county  that  would  contest  with   Hutchinson   for  t lie*  county  seat. 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

So  this  hurried  election  was  held  on  Saturday,    |anuar\   6,   [872.     There 
was  but  one  candidate,  C.  ( '.  Hutchinson,  who  received  all  the  votes  that  were 
east.     The  hoard  of  county  commissioners  did  not  delay  long  to  canvass  th< 
vote,    lor  as  soon  as  the  polls   were  closed  and   the   votes  counted,   the  hoard 
immediately  began  to  canvass  the  votes  and  issued  to  Mr.   Hutchinson  his 
certificate  of  election  within  a  half  hour  after  the  polls  were  closed,      lie  left 
that  night    for  Newton  in  a  wagon,  traveling  overland,  and  there  took  the 
train  the  next  morning   for  Topeka.     On  Monday  morning,   following  his 
election  on  Saturday,  Air.  Hutchinson  presented  his  certificate  of  election  and 
was  sworn  in  as  a  member  of  the  Legislature.     It  is  doubtful  if  such  a  cer- 
tificate, secured  in  such  a  manner,  was  ever  presented  to  a  legislative  body 
before.     Certainly  it  would  attract  attention  now,   for  this  "special  board  of 
commissioners"  that  had  been  appointed  by  Governor  Harvey  had  not  form- 
ally organized  when  the  election  of  representative  was  held.     In  fact,  only 
two  members  of  that  board  had  acted,  for  the  commissioners'  records  declare- 
that  the  "special  board"  did  not  formally  organize  until  February  10,   1872. 
when  the  "minutes  of  the  last  meeting"  were  read  and  approved  and  then 
the  "board"  proceeded  to  "organize."     Just  what  was  the  condition  of  the 
hoard   when   they  called  this   "special  election"    for   representative,   and   then 
canvassed  the  vote  and  issued  the  certificate  of  election  to  Hutchinson  as 
representative,  cannot  be  determined  from  the  records  they  have  left  of  their 
acts.     But  the  records  show  affirmatively  that  the  "minutes  of  the  previous 
meeting"   were  read  and  approved  and  that  the  ''board  then   proceeded  to 
organize."     Prior  to  this  meeting  just  referred  to,  the  board  also  met  and 
canvassed  the  votes  of  the  election  called  to  select  the  county  seat.     All  of  the 
votes  cast  were  for  the  "City  of  Hutchinson."     So,  on  February  3.   1872, 
Hutchinson  became  the  county  seat  of  the  county  of  Reno. 

The  board  of  commissioners  waited  four  days  before  it  met  again,  and 
it  is  recorded  that,  "pursuant  to  law,"  they  ordered  an  election  to  be  held  in 
Hutchinson  to  "elect  officers  for  the  county  of  Reno."  They  specified  the 
following  offices  to  be  filled :  Three  county  commissioners,  county  treas- 
urer, county  clerk,  sheriff,  county  surveyor,  register  of.  deeds,  county  attor- 
ney, coroner,  probate  judge,  clerk  of  the  district  court  and  superintendent 
of  public  instruction.  This  election  was  held  on  March  12.  1872,  and  the 
following  were  unanimously  selected  for  the  various  offices,  there  being  only 
one  candidate  for  each  office:  Sheriff,  Charles  Collins;  treasurer.  Fdward 
Wilcox;  county  clerk,  A.  C.  Kies :  county  attorney,  Lysander  Houk;  reg- 
ister of  deeds,  S.  H.  Hammond;  clerk  of  district  court,  Harry  Hodson; 
probate  judge,  W.  W.  Updegraff ;  county  surveyor.  Luther  Dodge;  coroner, 


562773A 


IOO  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

C.  S.  Martin;  superintendent  of  public  instruction,  W.  E.  Hutchinson;  county 
commissioners,  C.  C.  Bemis,  W.  H.  Bell  and  W.  J.  VanSickle. 

Most  of  the  men  chosen  at  the  first  election  were  representative  men. 
Seven  of  them  remained  in  the  county  and  helped  develop  it.  These  men 
were.  Charles  Collins,  Edward  Wilcox,  L.  Houk,  Harry  Hodson,  W.  S.  Van- 
Sickle.  \Y.  E.  Hutchins<»n  and  AY.  W.  Updegraff.  Of  this  number,  only  one, 
VV.  E.  Hutchinson,  is  living  at  the  time  of  the  writing  of  this  history.  Some 
of  the  others  who  Filled  these  offices  were  adventurers,  without  an  abiding 
faith  in  the  community.  Of  those  who  remained,  probably  Judge  Houk 
and  W.  E.  Hutchinson  had  the  most  prominent  part  in  shaping  the  affairs 
of  the  county,  and  if  any  one  man  were  singled  out  above  the  others  as  having 
had  the  most  to  do  with  the  shaping  and  developing  of  the  earlier  affairs  of 
the  count}-  and,  later,  in  promoting  the  enterprises  that  helped  the  growth 
of  town  and  county,  that  one  would  be  W.  E.  Hutchinson.  C.  C.  Hutchin- 
son did  a  great  work  in  arranging  the  boundary  lines  of  the  county  and  in 
fixing  the  character  of  the  town  by  his  activities  while  in  the  state  Legisla- 
ture, but  he  did  not  remain  long  in  the  county.  His  cousin,  W.  E.  Hutchin- 
son, remained  through  all  of  the  early  years,  when  even  an  existence  was  a 
struggle,  through  the  boom  days  that  followed  the  trying  pioneer  times  and 
through  the  dismal  days  that  followed  the  collapse  of  the  boom,  when  prop- 
erty values  shrunk  to  almost  no  value  at  all.  Through  it  all.  prosperity  and 
adversitv,  he  was  a  most  active  man.  As  will  be  seen  later  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  county,  he  was  "the  man  behind  the  gun"  in  so  many  enter- 
prises that  he  was  unquestionably  the  most  constant  factor  in  the  early  growth 
and  development  of  Hutchinson  and  Reno  county. 

Judge  Houk  was  not  only  the  leader  of  the  Reno  county  bar,  but  one 
of  the  great  lawyers  of  the  state.  He  was  a  man  of  wide  learning  and  was 
constantly  in  demand  for  public  addresses  on  all  lines  of  work.  He  was 
greatly  interested  in  horticulture,  and  was  a  life  member  of  the  State  Horti- 
cultural Society.  Some  of  the  older  members  of  the  Reno  County  Bar 
Association  have  said  that  the  early  lawyers  "went  to  school"  to  Judge  Houk 
■ — such  was  their  high  regard  for  his  ability  as  a  lawyer  and  judge. 

Harry  Hodson  remained  in  Reno  county  for  many  years  and  was  a 
successful  fanner  and  business  man.  He  remained  in  the  county  about 
twenty-five  years  and  led  an  active  business  life. 

!•"..  Wilcox  also  was  actively  engaged  in  the  hardware  business,  erecting 
a  brick  building  on  South  Main  street,  lie  remained  in  the  county  for  main- 
year-  and  helped  develop  its  resources. 

Charles  Collins  was  likewise  a  well-known  and  active  figure  in  develop- 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  [01 

ing  the  count).  Of  Mr.  Collins'  carl)-  life,  but  little  is  known.  There  was 
a  wall  of  secretiveness  about  him  that  no  one  ever  broke  down.  Tie  v. 
physically  a  line  specimen  of  the  Western  frontiersman  and  in  lii ^  early  life 
he  wore  bis  hair  long.  He  carried  nearly  all  his  life  a  United  State-  deputy 
marshal's  commission,  lie  was  greatly  interested  in  the  cattle  business  and, 
although  it  was  not  generally  known,  was  a  representative  of  Senator  Plumb 
in  bis  dealings  with  the  cattle  men  of  the  Southwest.  ITe  lived  nearly  all  bis 
life  in  this  county.  At  one  time  he  was  a  wealthy  man,  but  in  his  later  life, 
through  the  shrinkage  in  cattle  values,  he  was  not  in  such  comfortable  cir- 
cumstances. 

Meanwhile,  C.  C.  Hutchinson  was  active  in  the  Legislature  in  carrying 
out  his  ideas  of  a  town  that  be  could  advertise  as  a  "home  town,"  free  from 
the  "wild  w;est"  influences  that  were  so  conspicuous  in  other  towns.  He  saw 
the  class  of  people  who  were  attracted  by  the  cattle  traders.  He  saw  other 
towns  bidding  for  this  business.  He  saw  the  shamelessness,  the  debaucherv, 
that  characterized  the  cowboy  of  that  day.  All  sorts  of  criminals  made  up 
the  larger  portion  of  the  crowd.  He  saw  how  they  had  changed  the  peace- 
able community  of  Abilene  into  a  hotbed  of  disorder,  gambling,  liquor 
drinking,  prostitution  and  every  other  vice  that  was  ever  invented  to  tak< 
money  out  of  one  man's  pocket  and  put  it  into  another  without  consideration. 
When  the  Santa  Fe  reached  Newton,  Hutchinson  saw  that  the  scenes  of 
Abilene  would  be  re-enacted  in  this  place,  as  the  building  of  the  Santa  Fe 
westward  would  cut  off  a  seventy-five  mile  drive  for  the  cattlemen.  There 
was  scarcely  a  redeeming  feature  to  the  cattle  business,  so  Hutchinson  deter- 
mined to  have  none  of  that  element  in  the  town  he  bad  laid  out  and  which 
bore  his  name. 

"What  is  to  be  the  next  cattle  town?"  was  the  query.  Naturallv  they 
expected  it  would  be  Hutchinson.  It  was  nearer  the  range  and  farther  from 
the  farmer,  with  his  small  tract  of  cultivated  land,  that  interfered  with  the 
great  herds  that  were  driven  north  from  Texas.  It  was  closer  to  the  Xinne- 
scab.  Cow  creek,  the  Little  river,  the  Arkansas  and  the  Chicaskia,  a  territory 
of  a  million  acres  of  the  best  grass  land,  watered  with  streams  that  never 
dried  up.  The  new  railroad  bent  off  to  the  northward  from  Hutchinxm.  as 
if  to  leave  the  rich  pasture  to  the  cattlemen,  undisturbed  and  unbroken.  Here 
the  cattle  could  be  driven  farther  west,  so  that  they  would  not  run  into  the 
farms  that  were  being  settled  in  Sumner  and  Cowley  counties.  To  the  south- 
ward were  the  hills  of  the  Medicine  Lodge  country,  where  cattle  would  drift 
for  protection  whenever  a  "norther"'  swooped  down  on  them.  Hutchinson 
was  to  be  the  next  "cow  town."     The  restaurant  man  with  bis  meager  equip- 


102  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

ment,  his  material  for  his  shanty,  with  his  trailers,  the  saloon  keeper  and 
lewd  woman;  the  gambler  with  his  faro  and  poker,  his  ready  six-shooter 
strapped  to  his  side,  the  aristocrat  of  this  bunch  of  outlaws  who  lived  off  the 
cowboys — all  were  getting  ready  to  come  to  Hutchinson.  They  all  stopped. 
The  startling  news  reached  them  that  Hutchinson  was  to  be  a  "temperance 
town."  In  every  deed  of  conveyance  of  real  estate  in  the  new  town  there 
was  a  provision  that  the  sale  of  liquor  on  that  lot  within  three  years  from 
the  date  of  sale  would  forfeit  the  lot.  To  the  bunch  of  outlaws  that  infor- 
mation was  a  great  joke.  Perhaps  they  would  have  been  able  to  make  a 
joke  out  of  it  and  all  the  plans  for  making  Hutchinson  a  home  town  would 
have  failed,  had  it  been  necessary  to  have  had  a  direct  fight  with  this  class 
of  outlaws.  But  they  soon  found  out  how  it  was  to  be  accomplished.  They 
wouldn't  be  allowed  to  drive  their  herds  through  Reno  county! 

As  soon  as  C.  C.  Hutchinson  was  sworn  in  as  a  member  of  the  Legis- 
lature he  began  actively  to  get  some  laws  on  the  statute  books.  He  had  the 
help  of  his  associates,  in  adjoining  counties  in  getting  the  boundary  lines 
changed  as  referred  to  in  another  chapter.  He  likewise  had  the  help  of  the 
same  men  in  the  passage  of  the  "herd  law,"  that  was  intended  to  protect 
the  farmer's  crop  from  stock  that  was  allowed  to  run  loose.  But  so  far 
as  making  Hutchinson  a  temperance  town,  this  bit  of  legislation  that  was 
-lipped  through  the  Legislature,  with  but  little  notice  and  less  noise,  was  the 
one  that  allowed  Texas  cattle  to  be  driven  northward  through  the  state  from 
Texas,  but  fixed  the  eastern  limit  of  the  boundary  through  which  they  could 
be  driven  on  a  line  that  is  the  western  boundarv  of  Reno  county.  So  the 
itaurant  man,  the  saloon-keeper,  the  gambler  and  the  rest  of  the  crowd 
moved,  but  they  never  stopped  at  Hutchinson.  Their  business  was  not  here, 
and  would  not  be  here.  The}-  went  on  westward,  for  without  the  cattle 
business  they  would  be  out  of  a  job.  They  drifted  farther  west,  at  Ellin- 
w<"id  for  a  while,  but  later  they  made  Dodge  City  their  headquarters.  This 
was  their  last  stand.  This  was  the  cowboy's  outpost.  This  was  their  last 
capital.  The  story  of  Dodge  City  has  been  told  ever  and  over  again.  "Dodge 
City,  the  Cowboys'  Capital,"  has  been  glorified  and  dignified  in  a  most  in- 
teresting volume,  written  by  W.  M.  Wright,  of  Dodge  City.  Thus  Hutch- 
inson escaped  tin-  tame  that  went  to  Dodge  City. 

The  passage  of  the  "herd  law"  by  the  Legislature  was  bitterly  fought 
by  the  rattle  men.  Hutchinson  took  the  position  in  the  Legislature  that  the 
driving  out  of  the  buffalo,  50  that  the  big  herds  of  cattle  could  graze  on  this 
land  was  only  a  step  in  the  development  of  that  land.  He  insisted  that  the 
substituting  of  the  long  horned  Texas  steers   for  the  "crooked  back  oxen." 


RENO  COUNTY.    KANSAS.  IO 


5 


as  the  Spanish  called  the  buffalo  when  they  firsl  saw  them,  was  limiting  the 
development  of  the  county.  That  the  big  herds,  taking  whole  townships  for 
their  support,  were  no  more  the  ultimate  use  to  which  the  land  should  be 
put,  than  to  allow  the  buffalo  to  roam  undisturbed  in  the  rich  green  lands; 
but  that  real  development  of  this  valley,  that  which  the  Legislature  should 
foster,  lay  in  the  breaking  up  of  the  sod  and  in  the  cutting  up  of  the  range 
into  small  farms. 

This  idea  of  the  use  of  the  soil  was  bitterly  contested  by  the  cattle  men. 
The  land,  according  to  their  view,  was  only  intended  for  range  purposes; 
that  if  anyone  wanted  to  use  it  for  other  purposes  they  could  do  so,  but  the 
primary  purpose  of  the  Legislature  should  be  to  protect  the  cattle  industry 
and  let  the  land  be  used  for  grazing  purposes.  The  "herd  bill"  was  passed 
bv  a  small  majority,  but  modified  so  that  it  would  have  to  be  ratified  by  the 
voters  of  each  county  before  it  would  be  effective.  This  law  provided  that 
stock  should  be  kept  up  by  the  owner  or  if  any  stock  broke  loose  and  did 
anv  damasre  the  owner  was  liable  for  such  damage. 

The  passing  of  the  law  allowing  Texas  cattle  to  be  driven  north  through 
the  state,  but  fixing  the  eastern  boundary  line  along  which  they  could  be 
driven  was  a  most  important  thing  in  the  settling  up  of  the  county.  Prior 
to  the  passage  of  this  law,  great  herds  of  cattle  were  driven  over  Reno  county, 
over  the  Chisholm  trail.  They  were  first  driven  to  Abilene,  to  be  shipped 
eastward  over  the  Kansas  Pacific;  later  were  driven  to  Newton,  and  later 
still  to  Ellinwood.  The  law  was  not  rigidly  enforced  for  a  couple  of  years, 
until  the  settlers  began  to  take  the  land  for  farming  purposes,  and  until 
1874  great  herds  were  driven  in  through  southern  Kansas,  crossed  the  south- 
ern part  of  the  county,  reached  the  Ninnescah  river,  followed  it  up  on  the 
south  side  until  they  got  to  where  Smooths  creek  flowed  into  the  Ninnescah, 
then  drove  northward  east  of  Arlington  to  the  north  fork  of  the  Ninnescah 
to  about  where  Sylvia  now  stands,  thence  directly  north  across  the  sand  hills 
and  on  to  Ellinwood.  Early  in  1875  tne.v  were  compelled  to  drive  directly- 
west  along  the  Northup  trail,  which  was  on  the  southern  border  of  the  county, 
their  destination  being  Dodge  City. 

To  finish  the  work  of  making  Reno  county  a  safe  place  for  farmers,  a 
petition  was  filed  011  February  29,  1872,  asking  for  an  election  to  vote  on 
the  "herd  law."  This  election  was  held  on  March  26,  1872.  The  notices 
posted  set  out  the  proposed  law :  "No  person  owning,  using  or  in  anyway 
controlling  any  horse,  mule,  ass,  cattle,  sheep,  swine  or  goat  within  the 
bounds  of  Reno  county,  shall  at  any  time  permit  such  animal  to  go  at  large 
within  said  county.55     Also  providing  a  penalty  for  the  violating  of  said  law. 


104 


RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 


The  election  resulted  in  almost  a  unanimous  vote  in  favor  of  the  law  and 
became  effective  on  May  4,  J872.  As  a  result  of  the  passage  of  this  law- 
there  was  much  increased  acreage  of  corn  planted  that  year.  Sod  was 
broken  after  the  Legislature  passed  the  law  and  corn  planted.  The  early 
settlers  saw  their  crop  would  be  protected  and  greatly  increased  the  amount 
of  ground  planted  to  corn. 

Keeping  in  view  the  purpose  that  suggested  the  writing  of  this  history 
of  Reno  county,  to  record  the  deeds  of  the  men  and  women  who  pioneered 
the  way  and  made  possible  the  abundant  prosperity  of  the  people  who  now 
live  within  the  borders  of  the  count)-,  at  the  end  of  this  preliminary  view  of 
the  organization  of  the  county,  is  recorded  the  names  of  the  men  and  women 
who  signed  the  petition  asking  for  the  organization  of  the  county.  Many 
of  their  children  and  children's  children  are  living  in  this  county.  But  few 
of  the  signers  are  still  alive.  Some  of  the  names,  perhaps,  are  not  correct, 
f(  >r  the  hands  that  signed  them  were  unused  to  the  pen.  The  ink  is  faded 
and  the  paper  upon  which  that  petition  was  written  is  yellow,  making  identi- 
fication in  some  cases  impossible.  It  is  an  honor  roll,  worthy  to  be  written 
on  any  monument  and,  in  the  absence  of  any  other  record,  their  names  are 
here  recorded: 


CENSUS  ROLL  OF  RENO  COUNTY,  KANSAS,  JANUARY   iS,    lS'/2. 


I).    B.  Miller 
Louise  Miller 
Sidney  D.  Miller 
I  lenry  Miller 
Amasa  J.   Smith 
Elisabeth  Smith 
<  )live  Miller 
(  !ora  Smith 
Jeremiah  Rhoades 
Annie   Rhoades 
William  E.  Rhoades 
Frank   I'.   Rhoades 
lame-    I'..    l\hoade> 
'  Hive  M.   Rhoades 
Alice  A.   Khoades 
Lillie  1).  Rhoades 
Xellie  J.  Rhoades 
1.  \Y.  I  jams 


Isaac  I  jams 
B.  V.  I  jams 
Sallie  Ijams 
John  W.  Ijams 
William  Ijams 
William  Casey 
Bridget  Casey 
George  Casey 
Willie  Casey 
Harrie  Casey 
Susan  Casey 
Frederick  Walker 
John  Anderson 
John  P.  Talbert 
X.  J.  Patrick 
lames  Patrick 
Sarah  Patrick 
Newton   Parker 


M.  J.  Parker 
Prank  Parker 
Harry  Parker 
Edward   Parker 
Charles  Parker 
Robert  Bell 
Lucy  Bell 
William  Bell 
L.'L.  Bell 
(  arrie  Bell 
Joseph  Bell 
Jacob  Eisenberg 
Julia  Eisenberg 
Catharine   Eisenberg 
John   Eisenberg 
( Ihristine  Eisenberg 
James  Frees 
Marv  Frees 


RJENO   COl    N  I  Y.    KANSAS. 


10' 


I  [annah  Frees 
Benjamin   \Y.   Goodhue 
Louisa  Goodhue 
( rilbert   1 1.  Goodhue 
( Charlotte  Goodhue 
B.  W.  Goodhue,  Jr. 
Artemas   ( roodhue 
Amy  Smith 
Julia  Smith 
James  Sellenz 
I  ,ouise  ( i.  Sellenz 
James  L.   Sellens 
Edna  L.  Sellens 
Talmadge  W.   Colburn 
Eva  L.  Colburn 
H.  D.  Colburn 
Ezra  V.   Brown 
Dora  I.  Brown 

Bell 

C  C.  Hutchinson 
Arthur  H.   Hutchinson 
Carrie  M.  Hutchinson 
John  A.  Clapp 
George  R.  Tucker 
Mathew  Dopp 

Dopp 

Thomas  Foley 
Thomas  B.  Campbell 
M.   C.  Campbell 
H.  H.  Campbell 
Emily  Campbell 
Elisabeth  Campbell 
Ulysses  Campbell 
William  J.  Easter 
Wm.   E.  Hutchinson 
Albert  H.  Hutchinson 
James  Mulligin 
H.   Milligin 
Tames  McPhilbinv 


James  Preston 

James    '  ><  i  »nor 

Ji  ihn    1  )i  >rs<  hi 

Lewis   1 1<  dse) 

[.    1  )<  >rs<  mi 

H.    McCarty 

T.   Dorson 

W.  S.   Pierce 

James  Nolan 

(  '.    Met  nrwine 

Luther   Dodge 

Davis  ( i<  »rgan 

Ann  Dodge 

1  'luTie  ( rorgan 

Mary  Dodge 

C.  M.  G<  »rgan 

William    Dodge 

(  ).   ( rorgan 

Martha  Dodee 

1 ).   ( rorgan 

1  tariet   Dodge 

Go  r  g;  1 1 1 

Kitty   Dodge 

•  Gorgan 

Luther    Dodge 

Gorgan 

B.  Hess 

B.  J.  Miller 

(  arrie  Shields 

M.  Sholtz 

Daniel    Shields 

J.  G.  Rolf 

( ireen  Shields 

Mastin   Spich 

Minnie   Shields 

B.  F.  Miller 

Magg  Shields 

W.  Chestnut 

Sarah  Shields 

R.   II.  Ryan 

( )scar  Sturgies 

Andrew   Palmer 

Harriet    Sturgies 

G.   Anderson 

Hariet  E.  Sturgies 

J.  C.  Talbot 

Charles  Sturgies 

W.   Wiling 

Jennie  Williams 

L.  G.  Patrick 

Albert  Cravens 

1 '.   Xerlinger 

Sarah  Cravens 

S.  Liffering 

William  Hull 

John  Swan  son 

M.  Hull 

P.  Swanson 

Oliver  Wall 

John  Laer 

N.  Wall 

James    I  luntsinger 

Peter  Drinnigan 

C.  Lass 

John   Odonnell 

S.   Esklison 

Jesse  Brainard 

M.  Esklison 

B.  Woodley 

C.   Esklison 

J.  M.  Fife 

Robert   Clark 

John  Craddock 

M.   Shehan 

B.   W.   Pan- 

G.  McCoy 

Peter  Lafferty 

T.  Crolv 

io6 


RENO   COUNTY.    KANSAS. 


S.  Croly 

I '.  i  roly 

I  '.unc  (  'roly 

<  r.   t  'anady 
.\  I .  (  'anady 
I  I .  (,  anady 
James  Canady 
Patric  Canady 
M.   McMahon 
Peter  Brady 
A.  Jones 

I'.   Carroll 
James  Milligan 
John   Richileau 
William  Smith 
William    R.    Smith 
Thomas  Smith 
Daniel  Shean 
Daniel   Shean.  Jr. 
lames  Shean 
Mary  Shean 
Sarah   Shean 
Thomas  Brown 
John  Jones 

-  Allen 
Michael  Sullivan 
Patrick    Madden 
Lewis  Swarens 
Sylvia  Swarens 
A.    1 ..   Swarens 
Leander  Swarens 
W.    1-ovel 

<  !harles   Boyles 

Benjamin  <  'arson 
I"..  Shaffer 
( i.    I  lamil 
G    Shields 

nder  Shield- 
Max-  Shields 


W.  G.  Shields 
Alice   Shields 
Daniel  Shields 
Florence  Shields 
.Mice  Shields 
Simon   Shields 
Malon  Taylor 
Fanny  Taylor 
K.   Taylor 
W.    II.  Holcanst 
Jennie  Holcanst 
Mollie  Holcanst 
ITattie  Holcanst 
S.   Shields 
T.    E.   Henly 
1 1.  Ersklim 
L.    Ersklim 
John  Piercesons 
W.   Shoaf 
Shoaf 

—  Shoaf 
J.    Parker 

W.   Casev 
B.  Casev 

J 

G.  Casey 
W.   Casey 
V.    Casey 
U.  Casey 
I'.   Brady 
P.  Tnlly 
P.   McMahon 
VV.    Doyl 
E.   Butcher 
T.    Butcher 
J.   <  ireen 

—  ( ireen 

—  (ireen 

Green 

Green 


Thomas  Faley 

Faley 

Faley 

M.  Thomas 
H.   Michael 
John  Chatthan 
M.  Mehan 
C.  Cathamer 
S.   Cathamer 
J.  Cathamer 
Thomas  Delanv 
John  Morris 
James   Colony 
Alex.   Beam 
Andrew  Johnson 
Thomas  Watt 
J.    C.   Adams 
E.  C.  Whipple 
Michael  Dolin 
John  Mehan 
Martin  Gregory 
Thomas  Slater 
John  Thomas 
James  Per  sail 
Whieman  Rogers 
Thomas  White 
John  GafTany 
Patrick  Doyl 
(  )ly  Davidson 
William    Kelley 
John  Carroll 
T.  F.  Byren 
Thomas    Rayl 
Albert  Tobin 
John   Sullivan 
James  Williamson 
Thomas  Carroll 
James  Sweeny 
William    Fallev 


RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 


IO7 


A.  C.  Jeff 
W.   E.  Jeff 
II.  A.  Jeff 
( r.  A.  Jeff 

E.  N.  Jeff 

I'.  J.  Jeff 
Lewis  Jeff 
Justin  Jeff 
Erastus  Pierce 
Minus  Pierce 
Marz.  J.   Pierce 
J .   W.  Upperman 
Frank   Foster 

F.  U.  Smith 
John  S.  Malsbury 
San  ford   Malsbury 
Alice    Malsbury 
Lucy  Malsbury 
Sena  Malsbury 
Leigh  Malsbury 
Amsae  Kies 

—  Bond 
A.  C.  Kies 
Kies 

—  Reed 
George  Boyd 
Martin  '  Updegraff 
Manin  Fletcher 
■  Fay 

■  Fay 

■  Fay 

G.  S.  Miles 
M.   Sanders 
Levica  Miles 
J.  D.  Reid 
S.  A.  Reid 
Charles  Reid 
Katie  Reid 
M.  Fay 


J.    Williams 
William    Williams 

—  Williams 

William    Walters 
James   I  'arker 
May  Parker 
(  harlcs    I  'arker 
James   Parker 
Lizzie    I 'arker 
Johny   Parker 
May  Parker 
Moses   Parker 
Sarah   Parker 
Susie  Parker 
Katie   Parker 
Thomas  Hodgson 
I  letherington  Hodgson 
Jennie  Hodgson 
May  Hodgson 
E.  Uleson 
John   West 
Henry  Brown 
Henry  Hilton 
J.  Fletcher 
M.  Hitchcock 
H.  Burns 
Charles   Ostracon 
Emma  Ostracon 
Eliza  Ostracon 
Joan  ( )stracon 
Katie  Ostracon 
James    Hallowell 
James  Johnson 
S.   Williamson 
E.  Smithson 
William    Smith 
Andrew  Henson 
E.   P.    Hubbard 
Charles    Burke 


J.  W.  Bagley 

Andrew    (  )K,  ,11 
William   Messenhelter 
<  ,r<  irge  Sw  inehart 
Alfred   Hubbard 
I  lenry  Kenzart 
Henry  We  s  sen 
H.  C.  Prentice 
W.   R.   Prentice 
Asa  Spencer 
Robt.    Murphy 
(  barles  Crosby 
( reorge  Crosby 
Ellen  ( !rosby 
Freeman  ( Irosby 
Emmet  Crosby 
Lorenzo  Crosby 
I  liram  ( lolgrove 
Edwin  Colgrove 
William  Colgrove 
Samuel    Dennis 
S.    F.    Dennis 
Mary  Dennis 
Sarah  Dennis 
Jonathan  Schenck 
Sophia  Schenck 
Albert   Schenck 
Burton   Schenck 
Earle  Stone 
Emily  Stone 
Prentice  Stone 
Martha  Stone 
I  .uther  Ordwav 
Sarah   (  )rdway 
Smith   Ordwav 
Elvira  Ordwav 
Jane   Ordwav 
(  )liver  Whiting 
Jonathan  Whiting 


eo8 


KKXo  COl'N  IV,    KANSAS. 


Sarah  Whiting 
Cynthya  Whiting 
Edwin  Whiting 

Davis 

1  tastings 

Putnam 


S.   Fairchild 
Edward   Fairchild 
F.  Chase 
Maria  Chase 
Matilda  Chase  * 

i  ie<  »rge   I  )ouglass 
William   Douglass 
I".  M.  Wyatt 
R.    S.   Wyatt 
Thomas  Ellis 
James  Ellis 
(  !athrine  Walters 
William   Walters 
Hubert  Rose 
Lewis  Rose 
Amanda  Rose 
Eliza  Rose 
'  le<  >rge    \iclv  »ls 
Sarah  Nichols 
<  Hiver  Van  <  >rman 
Elizabeth  Van  <  )rman 
Isaac   Van  <  )rman 
I  [arvy  Van  <  )rman 
I  >emaris  Van  <  )rman 
Wallace-   Hadley 

Adelaide   1  ladley 
'  lharles  1  [adley 
( '.  W.  <  >xelcon 
Martha  <  )xelc<  >n 
Xally  <  >xelcon 
F.  1  [ultkvans 

[.  Sadevstion 

M.    '  la]>'  >ul 


I..  Janson 
C.  Olson 
P.    Poison 

I.   Anderson 

Everett 

Broadhead 


John  Rowley 
Nancy   Rowley 
James  Rowley 
George  Rowley 
Martin  Rowley 
Emeline  Rowley 
James  Stuyvessant 
Mary  Stuyvessant 
Sylvester  Lawson 
(  alvin  Lawson 
Arthur  Lawson 
John  Talbot 
Martha  Talbot 
Delphene  Talbot 
Willard  Talbot 
William  Clark 
Sarah  Clark 
Julia  (  lark- 
Alex  Moore 
Met il< la   Moore 
James   Moore 
John  Sharpe 
Wesley  Sharpe 
William  Purdy 
Jane  Purdy 
Andrew    Purdy 
Mary   A.    Purdy 
Eliza  Purdy 
William   Purdy,  Jr. 
John   (  'ase 
Mary   <  a-< 
James  Belmont 
( 'larence  Belmont 


1  'eter  Wilson 
James  Wilson 
Charles  Wilson 
Sarah  Wilson 
John   Hubbard 
James  Hubbard 
Sarah  Hubbard 
Mar}-  Hubbard 
Kattie  Hubbard 
Harry  Wendell 
Abbie  Wendell 
Moses  Winsor 
Charles  Winsor 
Carrie  Winsor 
Martha  (Wiseman) 
James  York 
Sarah  York 
Elias  York 
Betsv  York 
James  Cumming 
Sarah  Cumming 
Charles  Cumming 
Alfred  Cumming 
Edward  Marsh 
James  Marsh 
Eber  Hatch 
1  'hoebe  Hatch 
Sarah  Hatch 
Edgar  Rawson 
Hubbard  Rawson 
Martha  Rawson 
Hiram  J.  Colgrove 
Susan  Colgrove 
Elias  June 
Moses  M.  June 
Mira  June 
Elizabeth  June 
( harles   Hardy 
Simon  Hardv 


RENO   C(il    N  IV.    KANSAS. 


[O9 


Moses  A.  Hardy 
Kattic  Hardy 
Betsy  Hardy 
John  Segar 
ECathrine  Segar 
I  [enrick  Zimmerman 
I  iunidiart  Zimmerman 
Gertrude  Zimmerman 
David  Zimmerman 
(.  arolinda  Zimmerman 
Martha  Zimmerman 
Charles   Zimmerman 
I..   I).   Hastings 
J.  M.  Crane 
James  Larson 
Joseph  Larson 
James  Wheeler 
Grattan  Wheeler 
O.  H.  Seymour 
Edwin  Seymour 
Eliza  Seymour 
Augusta  Seymour 
Allen  Drake 
Avres  Drake 
Moses  Whitemore 
Samuel  Whitemore 
Marshall  Whitemore 
Betsy  Whitemore 
Joseph  Marsh 
Edward  Marsh 
James  Marsh 
S.  P.  Marsh 


Abraham   \  an   Scovier 
I  )avid   Van  Scovier 
Jonathan  Van  Scovier 

W.  C.  Caldwell 
M.  A.  Caldwell 
A.   B.  Caldwell 
Tila   (  'aldwell 
C.   A.    I  laislane 
Mariah   1  laislane 
J.  A.  Green 
Elizabeth  Green 
(.  'harles   Green 
Caroline  Green 
Fitz  Winslow 
Martha  Winslow 
Resa  Winslow 
Thomas  Butcher 
Edriah  Butcher 
William  Gaston 
Mary  Gaston 
Charles  Gaston 
A.  E.  Gaston 
(  ah  Cork 
Mary  Cook 
I  lenry  Cook 
William  Cook 
S.  C.  Huddle 
John  Hafrrin 
John  Walker 
John  Robinson 
James  Paster 


(  harles  Foster 

C.  W.  Mccali 
James  Van  <  >rsdale 
( !harles  Van  < )rsdale 
I  lenry  Van  <  )rsdale 
( '.  W.  J< ihns< 'ii 
Ransom    fohnson 
Martha  Johns*  >n 
Thomas  Sheffield 
Sarah  Sheffield 
James  Sheffield 
Richard  Sheffield 
E.  1).  Baker 
James  Butler 
Sarah  Butler 
Clark  Butler 
Erastus   Kent 
Martha   Kent 
Rhoderick   Kent 
Elizabeth   Kent 
William   Kent 
Sarah  Kent 
Eliza  Kent 
Judson   Prentice 
Martha   Prentice 
Sarah  Prentice 
Willia   Prentice 
Jacob   Woodward 
Martha    Woodward 
Sarah  Woodward 
C.  C.   Hutchinson 


CHAPTER  XII. 

T<>\\\  SI  I  I  I'    (  )UC.A  X1ZATIONS. 


RENO    TOWNSHIP. 

When  Reno  count}"  was  first  organized  it  was  put  into  one  township, 
and  called  "Reno  Township."  When  other  townships  were  founded  they 
were  taken  from  Reno  township  and  that  part  of  the  sub-division  now  bear- 
in-'  that  name  is  what  is  left  of  this  organization.  Little  by  little  this  terri- 
tory has  been  sliced  off  and  in  later  years,  for  different  causes — in  one  case 
convenience  for  election  purposes, — the  chunks  taken  from  the  once  big 
township  leaves  now  only  a  whittling.  So  sliced  and  whittled  has  Reno 
township  been  that  it  lies  now  partly  on  the  north  side  of  the  Arkansas  river, 
partly  on  the  south  side  and  is  very  irregular  in  its  outlines. 

The  first  township  election  in  Reno  township  was  held  shortly  after  the 
first  county  election.  Peter  Shafer  was  the  first  trustee  elected.  Mr.  Shafer 
lived  up  on  Cow  creek,  in  what  is  now  Grant  township.  D.  B.  Miller  was 
the  first  township  treasurer.  He  lived  then  north  of  town,  but  his  addition 
t<>  Hutchinson,  under  the  name  of  Miller  &  Smith's,  is  now  covered  with 
houses  and  the  city  limits  extend  a  mile  north  of  Miller's  old  place.  S.  N. 
Parker  was  the  first  township  clerk.  J.  Rhoades  and  1).  I).  Olmstead  were 
the  first  justices  of  the  peace,  in  both  township  and  county,  and  John 
McMurry  and  J.  Brown  were  the  first  constables.  The  date  of  their  elec- 
tion was  April  t6,  [872.  The  first  lawsuit  in  the  county  was  held  before 
"Squire"  Olmstead,  as  he  was  called.  It  was  hied  on  the  23rd  day  of  April. 
[872.  The  case  was  an  action  in  replevin  to  recover  the  possession  of  a 
gray  pony  of  the  value  of  thirty-five  dollars.  Lewis  Josephine  was  the 
plaintiff  against  Jacob  Eisenbarger.  The  result  01  the  suit  is  not  recorded. 
Eisenbarger  has  the  further  distinction  of  starting  the  firsl  graveyard  in 
the  county,  lie  accidentally  killed  a  man  called  "Mountain  back."  as  spoken 
of  in  another  chapter. 

Among  these  first  township  officers,  S.  \.  Parker  and  Peter  Shafer 
were  the  one-  that   became  the  besl    known   in   later   years.      Mr.    Parker  lived 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  I  I  I 

in  town  and  was  highly  regarded.  Peter  Shafer  was  a  whole-souled,  com- 
panionable man.  lie  made  his  home  in  Grant  township  through  all  his  life. 
There  were  three  very  large  cottonwood  tires  on  his  place,  the  first  trees  the 

<»ld  settlers  remember  in  the  valley.  I  lis  sons  and  one  daughter  still  live  in 
Reno  count)-.  While  the  land  he  settled  on  has  passed  into  other  hands,  it  is 
generally  known  as  "the   Pete  Shafer  place." 

Olmstead  lived  in  the  county  for  many  years.  Me  was  a  fanner  and 
was  generally  elected  justice  of  the  peace  tor  his  township.  Me  was  a  man 
of  good  judgment  and  a  good  main  eases  were  tried  before  him  in  the  town- 
ship court. 

VALLEY     TOWNSH  1 1'. 

The  first  township  to  he  cut  off  of  Reno  was  Valley  township.  Martin 
Hoagland  "and  56  others"  presented  a  petition  to  the  county  commissioner-. 
The  election  was  to  have  been  held  on  December  7,  [872,  hut  the  county  com- 
missioners' record  has  an  entry  "because  of  a  disastrous  prairie  tire  in  the 
count}',  the  election  was  not  held  on  the  date  set,  hut  will  he  held  on  [anuarv 
8.  1873."  The  first  township  officers  selected  were:  Trustee.  Martin  Hoag- 
land; township  clerk,  H.  Lyman;  justice  of  the  peace.  J.  II.  Lawson,  and 
eonstables,  William  Rallinger  and  J.  A.  Reid.  Of  these  officers.  Martin  Hoag- 
land and  his  wife  are  both  still  living  in  Hutchinson.  They  reared  a  large  fam- 
ily of  boys  and  girls.  Two  of  the  hoys,  Arthur  and  Walter,  are  in  the  clothing 
business  in  Hutchinson.  Mr.  Hoagland  has  been  a  very  active  man  in  Hutch- 
inson and  Reno  county.  He  is  one  of  the  few  of  the  original  members  of  the 
local  post  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  left,  and  has  perhaps  helped  in 
times  of  distress  in  more  homes  than  any  other  of  the  old  settlers  in  this  county. 
J.  H.  Lawson  died  several  years  ago.  He  was  interested  in  politics  and  was  a 
member  of  the  Legislature  from  the  eastern  district  one  term.  William  Bal- 
linger  was  a  stalwart  character,  who  lived  in  Valley  township  main  years 
and  later  moved  to  Hutchinson  and  engaged  in  the  machinery  business.  Me 
died  out  on  the  Pacific  coast,  where  he  lived  the  latter  days  of  his  life. 

OTHER    TOWNSHIP    ORGANIZATIONS. 

There  were  four  other  townships  organized  shortly  after  V alley  town- 
ship was  cut  off  of  the  original  territory.  These  were:  Little  River,  Haven, 
Castleton  and  Center  townships.  Petitions  for  the  organization  of  these  town- 
ships were  all  presented  to  the  hoard  of  county  commissioners  on  the  same 
day,  May  14,  187 2. 


[12  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 


LITTLE    RIVER    TOWNSHIP. 


The  petition  for  the  laying  out  of  Little  River  township  was  presented 
by  S.  X.  Riggs  "and  sixty  others."  The  township  got  its  name  from  the 
stream  that  runs  through  it — the  Little  Arkansas.  The  election  resulted  in  the 
-election  of  the  first  officers  as  follows:  Trustee,  II.  P.  Thomas:  clerk.  H.  \\  . 
McKinney;  treasurer,  J.  P.  Cassiday;  Henry  Hartford  and  J.  F.  Black,  con- 
stables. Of  these,  two  afterwards  were  elected  to  county  offices.  J.  P.  Cassi- 
day was  county  superintendent  in  1875  and  1876.  He  left  Reno  county 
years  ago.  Henry  Hartford  is  still  living  in  Hutchinson,  having  retired 
from  farming.  Mr.  Hartford  was  sheriff  of  Reno  county  from  [872  to  1877. 
He  is  an  old  soldier  and  an  active  member  of  Joe  Hooker  Post,  Grand  Army 
of  the  Republic,  at  Hutchinson.  Mr.  Hartford  through  all  of  his  years  has 
been  an  exceedingly  active  man.  He  was  generally  a  delegate  for  his  town- 
ship. Medora,  when  the  old  political  system  of  conventions  was  in  vogue.  He 
has  been  one  of  the  staunchest  men  in  the  development  of  the  county.  He  kept 
in  touch  with  the  progressive  men  of  the  county  and  is  one  of  the  "boomers" 
worthy  of  the  highest  praise,  a  man  who  believed  in  the  county  and  followed  his 
beliefs  with  his  actions. 

HAVEN    TOWNSHIP. 

1  iaven  township  was  organized  on  a  petition  presented  by  "J.  U.  Schoon- 
over  and  57  others."  The  first  election  in  that  township  resulted  as  follows : 
Trustee,  C.  W.  Peckham ;  clerk.  David  Hess;  treasurer.  1).  McArthur;  jus- 
tice of  the  peace,  Richard  Astle.  I.  N.  Gray  and  Henry  Chalcomb  were  chos- 
en constables.  Mr.  Schoonover,  Mr.  Peckham,  Mr.  Astle  and  Mr.  Gray 
were  among  the  most  conspicuous  of  the  early  figures  in  township  and  in 
county  affairs.  Mr.  Schoonover  was  one  of  the  farmers  of  Haven  town- 
ship and  spent  his  last  days  in  that  township.  He  was  a  public-spirited  man 
and  took  an  active  interest  in  all  public  matters.  C.  W.  Peckham,  the  first 
township  trustee,  has  been  identified  with  the  business  and  political  inter? 
the  county  from  the  time  of  his  settlement  in  Reno  county  until  the 
presenl  time.  He  was  a  leader  among  the  farmers  in  the  Grange  move- 
ment. Me  is  still  actively  engaged  and  enjoys  a  competence  of  worldly 
ids  as  well  as  the  highest  regard  of  neighbors  and  friends.  Mr.  Astle 
was  a  -\hcv-*^\\]}  farmer  and  spent  his  last  days  in  Haven  townhsip.  He  was 
identified  with  the  schools  of  bis  (-itv — Haven — and  took  a  wide  interest  all 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  I  E3 

his  life  in  public  matters.     I.  X.  Gray  was  elected  representative  in  the  I.' 
islature  and  was  a  man  who  had  the  highest  interest  and  enjoyed  the  con 
fidence  of  his  neighbors. 

CLAY    TOWNSHIP. 

The  petition  for  cutting  the  territory  of  Clay  township  from  the  orig- 
inal Reno  township  was  presented  by  "J.  R.  Lindsey  and  55  others,"  as  the 
records  of  the  county  commissioners  show.  The  township's  first  election 
resulted  in  the  selection  of  S.  N.  1 'raker  as  trustee;  Thomas  Butcher,  clerk: 
Frank  Maguire,  treasurer,  and  J.  P.  Lindsey  as  justice  of  the  peace,  with 
M.  O.  Sullivan  and  John  Talbott  as  constables.  Of  these  men  only  two  are 
now  living,  Frank  Maguire  and  Mr.  O'Sullivan.  Both  remained  on  their 
farms  until  the  infirmities  of  age  required  that  they  cease  their  activities. 
Mr.  Maguire  was  a  man  of  keen  intellect,  possessed  of  one  of  the  best  mem- 
ories of  any  man  in  the  county,  one  on  which  he  relied  for  correct  restate- 
ment of  facts  years  after  their  happening.  Mr.  O'Sullivan's  home  is  still 
in  Reno  county,  but  he  spends  the  greater  part  of  his  time  with  his  son,  who 
is  a  Catholic  priest  in  another  county.  John  Lindsey  moved  to  Hutchinson 
and   was  engaged  in  the  real  estate  business   for  many  years,   dying  years 


ago. 


CASTLETON    TOWNSHIP. 


Castleton  township  was  another  of  the  townships  whose  petitions  were 
presented  to  the  commissioners  on  May  14,  1872,  "A.  B.  Smith  and  62 
others"  signing  it.  The  township  was  named  in  honor  of  the 
home  of  the  lady  whom  C.  C.  Hutchinson  expected  to  wed,  he  being  a  wid- 
ower at  the  time  he  came  to  Reno  county.  That  place  was  Castleton,  Ver- 
mont. Both  the  township  and  the  town  were  named  for  that  place.  The 
first  officers  of  this  township  were:  Trustee,  John  H.  Medbury ;  clerk, 
T.  A.  Fuller;  treasurer,  John  Walker;  justice  of  the  peace,  A.  B.  Smith, 
with  John  P.  Walker  and  John  H.  Shore  as  constables.  None  of  these  men 
ever  became  prominent  in   Reno  county. 

CENTER    TOWNSHIP. 

Center  township  was  organized  on  October  2,  1873,  "W.  L.  Teeter 
and  ^2  others"  signing  the  petition.  The  first  officers  chosen  were:  Trus- 
tee.  William  Teeter;  clerk,   W.   H.  Faris ;  treasurer,   R.   S.    King.     William 

(8) 


114  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

Cecil  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace  and  H.  H.  Crampton,  constable.  This 
name  was  chosen  because  the  township  is  in  the  geographical  center  of  the 
county. 

NAMED    IX    PRESIDENT    LINCOLN'S    HONOR. 

Lincoln  township  was  named  after  President  Lincoln.  The  date  of  its 
first  election  was  fixed  for  October  2,  1873,  Du*  lne  failure  to  receive  the 
election  ballots  caused  the  election  to  be  held  on  November  II,  1873.  '^ne 
petition  for  its  organization  was  presented  by  "M.  L.  Reading  and  fifty 
others."  The  first  officers  elected  were:  Trustee.  W.  R.  Marshall;  clerk. 
J.  L.  Smith;  treasurer,  A.  D.  Deffenbaugh ;  justices  of  the  peace,  C.  C. 
Chapin  and  E.  G.  Handey;  constables,  J.  A.  Grayson  and  E.  H.  Cooper. 
This  list  of  names  included  the  names  of  three  men  who  afterward  became 
county  officers  and  two  of  the  men  on  this  township  board  are  still  living 
in  Hutchinson,  J.  L.  Smith  and  C.  C.  Chapin.  The  trustee,  W.  R.  Mar- 
shall, was  county  clerk  of  Reno  county  from  1883  to  1887.  J-  L.  Smith, 
or  as  he  is  generally  known,  "Fay"  Smith,  has  held  more  offices  in  Reno 
county  than  any  other  man  in  the  county.  He  has  been  county  commis- 
sioner, sheriff,  register  of  deeds  and  clerk  of  the  district  court  and  has  the 
reputation  of  being  the  best  "vote  getter"  that  ever  lived  in  Reno  county. 
He  is  a  genial  man,  is  well  acquainted  and  moves  alo'hg  the  line  of  the  least 
resistance.  E.  S.  Handy  was  clerk  of  the  district  court  for  three  terms.  He 
moved  to  Hutchinson  from  Lincoln  township  after  his  election  and  lived 
in  that  city  until  the  time  of  his  death.  He  was  a  successful  business  man 
and  was  highly  regarded  by  people  who  knew  him.  J.  A.  Grayson,  the  first 
constable,  soon  moved  to  Hutchinson  and  engaged  in  the  coal  business.  He 
was  interested  in  western  Kansas  land  and  was  one  of  the  men  who  founded 
Hartland,  in  Kearney  count)".  C.  C.  Chapin  still  lives  in  Hutchinson  and 
i>  a  stout  and  vigorous  man. 

NICKERSON     (GRANT)     TOWNSHIP. 

"Nickerson"  township  was  cut  off  from  Reno  township  on  April  28, 
[872.  It  was  named  for  11.  R.  Nickerson,  superintendent  of  the  Santa  IT 
railroad  at  that  time,  but  its  name  was  changed  to  Grant  township  by  a 
petition  on  May  20,  [873.  Its  offices  were  at  that  time  officers  of  Reno 
township  except  I\.  L.  Foster  and  have  been  referred  to  under  the  organi- 
zation  of   Reno  township.      It   was  necessary,   because  the  officers  chosen    in 


RENO  COT   \l  Y.    KANS  \S.  1  I  5 

the  organization  of  Nickerson  township  were  tiol  residents  of  Reno  town- 
ship, to  elect  other  officers  for  Reno  township.  S.  I).  Mum  was  appointed 
to  serve  as  trustee  for  the  township  until  the  general  election  in  Novem- 
ber,  1873. 

SALT    CREEK    TOW  NSHIP. 

In  the  early  part  of  [874,  the  balance  of  the  county  was  districted  ofl 
into  townships,  and  the  petition  for  the  organization  of  Langdon,  Medford, 
Salt  Creek  and  Troy  townships  were  presented  at  one  time — March  24, 
1S74.  Salt  Creek's  petition  was  headed  by  F.  W.  Calais  and  had  fifty  other 
signers.  The  first  officers  elected  for  that  township  were:  Trustee.  I.  |. 
Carey;  clerk,  C.  H.  Phillips;  treasurer,  J.  V.  Xelson ;  justice  of  the  peace, 
T.  B.  Hand,  and  1).  H.  Holliday,  constable.  None  of  these  men  ever  held 
anv  county  office.  D.  H.  Holliday  lived  in  Hutchinson  the  latter  days  of 
his  life,  running  a  grocery  store  on  South  Main  street. 

TROY   TOWNSHIP. 

Troy  township's  petition  bore  Zeno  Tharp's  name  as  the  first  one  to 
ask  for  a  new  township.  Mr.  Tharp  was  the  leader  in  his  township  in  his 
day,  a  man  shrewd  and  energetic.  In  the  election  of  the  township's  first 
officers,  M.  J.  Trembly  was  chosen  for  trustee ;  Israel  Slack,  clerk  :  James 
Shanley,  treasurer;  Sam  Slack  and  Zeno  Tharp,  justices  of  the  peace; 
James  Ray,  constable.  Of  these,  Tharp  was  the  best  known.  Both  Israel 
and  Sam  Slack  were  also  men  of  high  character  and  important  factors  in 
their  township  history. 

LANGDON   TOWNSHIP. 

Langdon  was  the  last  of  the  four  townships  to  he  cut  out  of  the  orig- 
inal territory  of  Reno  township.  Its  first  officers  were:  Trustee.  J.  S. 
Ulmer;  clerk,  G.  W.  Brown;  treasurer.  J.  Elliott:  justice  of  the  peace.  \\  . 
H.   Collins;  constable,  Isaac  Jordan. 

These  twelve  townships  cut  from  the  original  township  of  Ren',  made 
the  thirteen  townships  that  first  constituted  the  sub-division  of  Reno  county. 
All  of  the  present  townships  of  the  county,  other  than  these  thirteen  original 
townships,  into  which  all  of  the  land  of  Reno  county  was  originally  cut. 
have  been  taken  from  the  territory  of  those  thirteen  original  townships. 
From  time  to  time,   for  the  convenience  of  the    citizens,    other    townships 


1  I  6  RENO   COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

have  been  created  by  the  dividing  up  of  these  original  townships.  The 
principal  reason  for  organizing  other  townships  has  been  to  have  a  more 
convenient  place  for  voting-,  a  place  closer  than  would  be  possible  with  the 
larger  township;  second,  the  task  of  working-  the  roads  could  not  be  handled 
as  satisfactorily  as  in  a  smaller  and  more  compact  body,  and  third,  at  assess- 
ing time,  it  became  impossible  for  one  man  to  cover  the  large  territory  as 
it  became  more  thickly  settled.  These  reasons  were  the  ones  urged  when 
peitions  were  presented  for  decreasing  the  size  of  the  townships  of  the 
early  day. 

The  origin  of  all  of  the  names  of  these  original  townships  can  not  now 
be  determined.  Some  of  them  have  already  been  given.  Troy  township 
was  named  by  Zeno  Tharp  and  in  all  of  his  writings  to  the  newspapers  of 
that  day,  he  constantly  referred  to  "Beautiful  Troy."  It  was  named  by  Mr. 
Tharp  after  ancient  Troy,   in   Troas,  the  scene  of  Homer's   "Iliad." 

Salt  Creek  township  got  its  name  from  a  stream  that  runs  through  the 
territory  of  the  township  and  the  stream's  name  originated  from  the  brack- 
ish, salty  taste  of  the  water.  On  some  of  the  earlier  maps  its  name  was  put 
down  as  "Clear  creek,"  but  on  all  recent  maps  it  has  had  the  name  of  Salt 
creek.  Neither  the  origin  of  the  names  of  Langdon  or  Medford  townships 
can  now  be  ascertained.  The  other  townships  of  the  count)' — nineteen  in 
number — will  be  treated  of  in  a  subsequent  chapter. 

MEDFORD    TOWNSHIP. 

The  petition  for  the  organization  of  Medford  township  was  presented  to 
the  board  of  county  commissioners  on  March  24,  1874.  It  was  signed  by  X. 
Dixon  and  fifty- four  others.  The  new  township  as  described  on  the  petition 
states  that  its  boundary  lines  should  be  as  follows :  "Beginning  at  the  south- 
east corner  of  township  23,  range  8  west,  running  west  to  the  west  boundary 
line  of  Reno  county,  thence  north  to  the  northwest  corner  of  Reno  county, 
thence  east  to  the  southern  banks  of  the  Arkansas  river,  following  the  river 
in  a  southeasterly  direction  till  it  should  strike  the  east  line  of  range  8,  them/ 
south  to  the  place  nf  beginning.  The  first  officers  chosen  at  the  election  held 
on  April  1  _\  1X74,  were:  Trustee,  C.  Littlefield :  treasurer,  U.  S.  Ilelm: 
clerk,  W.  J.  Eliot.  The  origin  of  the  name  Medford  is  not  known,  nor  why 
this  township  \\a>  given  this  name.  Other  early  officers  of  Medford  township 
we-  Trustee,  W.  I\.  Hoffman;  clerk.  F.  S.  McDermet;  treasurer,  C.  B. 
justice  of  the  peace,   I.  <  >.  Wheeler:  constable,  John  A.  Given. 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  I  I  7 

M  l  AM  I    TOWNSH  EP. 

Of  the  organization  of  Miami  township  nothing  is  to  be  found  in  the 
county  records  except  the  date  of  the  election  of  the-  first  officers.  The  peti- 
tion for  its  organization  was  hied  on  April  4,  [875.  The  first  officers  elected 
were:    Trustee,  Noah  Ballew ;  clerk,  H.  Geezling;  treasurer,  J.  A.  Campton; 

justice  of  the  peace,  J.  F.  Graham ;  constable,  G.  J.  Lamont. 

GROVE    TOWNSHIP. 

Grove  township  was  the  next  to  be  organized.  It  was  cut  out  of  Lang 
don  township.  It  consists  of  township  25,  range  10,  and  township  26,  ranges 
9  and  10.  The  petition  for  the  organization  of  this  township  was  filed  on 
October  3,  1876.  The  first  election  in  the  township  resulted  in  the  election  of 
W.  J.  Van  Eman,  trustee;  A.  H.  Myers,  clerk;  F.  H.  Hickman,  treasurer: 
R.  O.  Van  Eman  and  O.  L.  Ely,  constables,  and  Noah  Ballew,  justice  of  the 
peace. 

NORTH    HAYES  TOWNSHIP. 

North  Hayes  township  was  made  by  cutting  Hayes  township  in  two  and 
the  northern  part  of  the  township  given  the  name  'of  North  Hayes.  The 
petition  for  its  organization  was  filed  by  "T.  V.  Starr  and  fifty  others."  It 
consists  of  sections  1  and  36  in  township  22,  range  10.  The  first  election  was 
held  on  April  7,  1874,  and  resulted  in  the  selection  of  W.  R.  Hoffman,  trus- 
tee; S.  W.  McDermed,  clerk;  C.  B.  Brooks,  treasurer,  J.  O.  Wheeler,  justice 
of  the  peace,  and  H.  Dixon,  constable. 

YODER    TOWNSHIP. 

Yoder  township  was  the  last  township  organized.  It  was  cut  out  of 
Lincoln  township.  The  agitation  for  the  organization  of  this  new  township 
was  kept  up  for  many  years.  One  board  of  county  commissioners  refused 
to  create  the  new  township,  but  A.  M.  Switzer  and  others  kept  up  the  agita- 
tion until  it  was  finally  granted  by  the  county  commissioners.  Its  description 
is  as  follows:  Commencing  at  the  southwest  corner  of  section  31.  township 
24,  range  5  west,  thence  north  to  a  point  where  the  Arkansas  river  cuts  the 
west  line  of  section  30,  township  23,  range  5  west,  said  part  being  the  most 
northern  part  of  Lincoln  township,  thence  in  a  southeasterly  direction  along 


Il8  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

the  south  bank  of  the  Arkansas  river  to  a  place  where  said  river  touches  the 
east  line  of  Haven  township,  thence  south  to  place  of  beginning.  The  petition 
asking  for  the  creation  of  .this  township  was  filed  on  June  9,  1911,  and  was 
finally  granted  on  March  4,  191 5. 

The  Reno  county  commissioners  organized  townships  outside  of  Reno 
county  by  virtue  of  a  law  passed  in  1873,  by  which  unorganized  counties  were 
attached  to  organized  counties,  with  a  further  provision  that  the  townships 
of  the  unorganized  counties  might  petition  the  county  commissioners  of 
organized  counties  to  organize  their  township.  Under  this  law  Harper  town- 
ship, which  at  that  time  consisted  of  all  of  what  is  now  Harper  county,  was 
organized.  This  petition  was  signed  by  C.  W.  Johns  "and  fifty  others."  It 
is  probable  that  but  a  very  small  part  of  these  petitioners  ever  were  in  Harper 
county,  but  that  Harper  county  was  organized  by  Reno  county  men ;  for  a 
close  scrutiny  of  the  names  of  these  petitioners  shows  that  most  of  them  were 
carpenters  and  others  working  on  the  iron  bridge  that  was  being  built  across 
the  Arkansas  river,  as  shown  by  receipts  on  file  with  the  clerk  of  Reno  county. 
The  date  of  this  petition  for  the  organization  of  Harper  township  was  Sep- 
tember 1,  1873. 

In  like  manner  Kingman  township.  Kingman  county,  was  organized  by 
the  county  commissioners.  A  petition  was  presented  to  the  county  commis- 
sioners of  Reno  county  on  May  24,  1873,  signed  by  J.  K.  Fical  "and  thirty- 
five  others."  It  was  named  "Kingman  township"  and  embraced  the  entire 
county  of  Kingman.  The  election  was  held  on  the  1st  day  of  June,  1873. 
The  vote  was  canvassed  by  the  Reno  county  commissioners  on  June  15,  1873. 
and  the  result  of  the  election  was  published. 

LATER   ORGANIZED    TOWN  SI  UPS. 

In  a  former  chapter  relating  to  the  organization  of  the  original  town- 
ships, the  ones  that  were  first  created  out  of  the  one  township  into  which 
Reno  county  was  placed,  at  the  organization  of  the  county,  something  has 
been  said  ( where  known)  of  the  origin  of  the  names  of  these  townships,  and 
the  names  of  the  first  officers  of  those  townships  were  given.  Since  that  time 
there  have  been  nineteen  other  townships  created  by  the  taking  of  territory 
from  the  older  townships.  These  subdivisions  were  made  largely  as  a  matter 
of  convenience  for  the  people.  Tn  the  beginning  the  commissioners  laid  down 
a  rule  governing  of  tin-  making  of  new  townships.  That  rule  was  that  no 
vnship  should  be  created  with   less  than  thirty  square  miles  of  territory. 


RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS.  I IO, 

They  considered  this  size  as  a  minimum,  as  it  would  be  possible  to  locate  the 
voting  precincts  so  that  it  would  not  be  far  for  any  voter  in  the  township  to 
go  for  election  purposes,  and  For  the  further  reason  that  such  a  sized  town- 
ship would  be  all  that  could  he  conveniently  and  expeditiously  assessed  by  one 
man,  within  the  time  prescribed  by  the  statutes.  The)  adopted  another  rule, 
that  the  township  should  have  at  least  fifty  electors,  and,  using  as  a  basis  five 
persons  to  a  family,  they  insisted  that  the  proposed  township  should  have  at 
least  three  hundred  and  fifty  bona  fide  residents  before  the  petition  for  a  sep- 
aration from  other  organized  townships  would  he  considered;  when  petitions 
for  such  organizations  should  thereafter  be  made,  the  petitioners  should, 
show  affirmatively  that  the  three  conditions  laid  down  had  been  met. 

GROVE    TOWNS II II-. 

The  first  township  to  be  formed  under  this  rule  was  Grove  township.  It 
was  taken  from  the  territory  formerly  in  Langdon  township.  The  petition 
was  presented  to  the  county  commissioners  on  October  3,  1876.  The  terri- 
tory to  be  cut  off  from  Langdon  was  township  25,  range  to  west,  and  town- 
ship 26,  ranges  9  and  10  west.  The  first  election  was  held  at  the  regular 
election  time,  November  7,  1876.  The  next  townships  to  be  organized  were 
Sumner  and  Loda.  The  petitions  for  the  creation  of  these  two  townships 
were  presented  on  the  same  day,  July  3,  1877.  Sumner  township  was  named 
for  Charles  Sumner.  The  territory  of  the  new  township  was  located  in  the 
extreme  southeastern  corner  of  the  county.  It  was  described  in  the  petition 
as  follows:  "Beginning  at  the  northeast  corner  of  section  36,  town  25,  range 
4 ;  thence  running  west  nine  miles  to  the  northwest  corner  of  section  34,  town 
2^,  range  5;  thence  south  on  the  section  line  to  the  south  line  of  the  county: 
thence  east  to  the  southeast  corner  of  said  county  of  Reno  to  the  place  of 
beginning":"  The  first  election  resulted  in  the  selection  of  the  following  offi- 
cers :  Trustee,  J.  N.  Phillips ;  clerk,  S.  Morris ;  treasurer,  N.  E.  Vandeman  : 
justices  of  the  peace,  R.  Alexander  and  J.  Adams:  constable,  F.  Nichols  and 
George  Brown. 

LODA  TOWNSHIP. 

Loda  was  the  township  organized  at  the  same  time  Sumner  township 
was  created.  It  was  taken  from  Langdon  township  by  cutting  off  township 
26,  range  8,  from  Langdon.  The  first  election  was  held  at  the  time  of  the 
general  election  and  resulted  in  the  selection  of  the  following  officers :    Trus- 


I  JO  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

tee,  \Y.  H.  Warner;  clerk,  J.  C.  Layman:  treasurer,  \V.  A.  Watkins;  justice 
of  the  peace.  William  Potter;  constable,  J.  M.  Jones. 

HAYES   TOWNS!  III'. 

Hayes  township  was  the  next  one  created.  It  was  cut  off  from  what  was 
originally  Medford  township.  The  date  of  the  petition  for  the  creation  of 
this  new  township  was  October  6,  1877.  The  boundary  lines  set  out  in  the 
petition  describes  the  territory  of  the  new  township  to  be,  "All  that  part  of 
Medford  township  lying  west  of  a  line  running  from  the  northeast  corner  of 
section  3,  township  22,  range  9,  west  to  the  southeast  corner  of  section  34. 
township  23,  range  9,  to  be  set  off  and  called  Hayes  township."  The  election 
for  the  first  officers  of  the  new  township  was  held  at  the  residence  of  Harry 
Mill.  Mr.  Hill  having  been  named  trustee  of  the  township  until  the  election 
was  held.  This  election  resulted  as  follows:  Trustee.  S.  R.  Boyd;  clerk,  \Y. 
VV.  Osborn :  treasurer,  H.  A.  Hill:  justices  of  the  peace,  Jonathan  Duer  and 
S.  J.  Caldwell ;  constables,  Mitchell  Hunt  and  John  Pool. 

BELL  TOWNSHIP. 

Bell  township  was  the  next  one  cut  off  from  the  original  thirteen  town- 
ships into  which  Reno  county  was  first  organized.  This  township  was  named 
for  Airs.  Bell  Van  Emmon,  one  of  the  pioneer  women  of  that  township.  The 
petition  for  its  organization  was  presented  to  the  county  commissioners  on 
October  7,  1878.  The  territory  for  the  new  township  was  taken  from  Grove 
township  by  cutting  off  all  of  township  26,  range  9.  The  election  for  officers 
was  held  at  the  time  of  the  regular  election  and  resulted  in  the  selection  of 
the  following  as  officers  of  the  township  for  the  first  year :  Trustee.  B. 
Oeweese;  clerk.  J.  R.  Brown;  treasurer,  J.  Barnett :  justice  of  the  peace.  W. 
Ileaton:  constable,  C.  E.  Doty. 

ALBION    TOWNSHIP. 

The  petition  for  the  creation  of  Albion  township  was  presented  to  the 
commissioners,  the  day  after  the  Bell  township  petition  was  granted.  October 
s.  [878.  This  township  was  formed  by  cutting  off  the  south  half  of  Castle- 
ton  township.  The  election  for  the  first  township  officers  was  held  at  the  time 
of  the  regular  annual  election.  The  first  officers  chosen  for  the  new  town- 
ship were:  Trustee,  W.  IT.  Marks;  clerk.  G.  W.  Frank;  treasurer.  James 
Fay;  justice  of  the  peace,  V.  O.  Burns;  constable.  J.  H.  Shore. 


RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 


NAMED   FOR   ROSCOE   CONKLING. 


Roscoe  township  was  the  next  to  be  created.  The  petition  for  the  crea- 
tion of  the  same  was  presented  to  the  county  commissioners  on  August  23, 
[879.  The  township  was  named  for  Roscoe  Conkling,  then  a  United  States 
Senator  from  New  York  and  one  of  the  leading  Republicans  of  the  country. 
The  territory  for  this  new  township  was  taken  from  Tro)  township,  town- 
ship 26,  range  4  west.  The  election  of  the  first  township  officers  was  held 
on  August  23,  1879,  but  there  is  no  record  of  the  officers  chosen  at  this 
election. 

ENTERPRISE    TOWNSHIP. 

Enterprise  township  was  organized  by  the  presentation  of  a  petition  on 

April  9,  1879.  to  the  count)-  commissioners.  The  territory  for  the  new  town- 
ship was  formerly  Medford  township.  To  make  the  new  township,  all  of 
township  23,  range  8,  and  two  miles  off  of  the  west  side  of  township  23,  range 
9,  were  set  off  and  given  the  name  of  Enterprise  township.  The  first  election 
was  held  on  May  2y,  1879.*  No  record  is  available  of  the  result  of  this  elec- 
tion, as  the  county  clerk  of  the  period  found  it  a  great  deal  easier  to  "tile" 
the  report  of  the  election  in  some  pigeon-hole  rather  than  take  the  trouble  to 
put  it  in  permanent  form  in  the  records  of  the  county  commissioners,  where 
such  records  should  be  kept. 

PLEVNA    TOWNSHIP. 

Plevna  township  was  created  on  August  2.  1879,  by  a  petition  to  the 
board  of  commissioners.  This  new  township  was  taken  from  Westminster, 
township  24.  ranges  9  and  to.  being  sliced  off  of  Westminster  to  make  the 
land  of  the  new  township.  The  first  election  resulted  in  choosing  the  follow- 
ing for  township  officers:  Trustee,  J.  B.  Russell;  clerk.  J.  YV.  Campbell: 
treasurer.  Richard  Kinnaman  :  justice  of  the  peace,  X.  P.  Gregg;  constable. 
John  Berry. 

HUNTSVILLE    TOW  XS  If  IP. 

Huntsville  township's  petition  was  signed  by  'T.  B.  Totten  and  fifty- 
two  others."  asking  for  the  creation  of  a  new  township,  and  was  tiled  with 
the  county  commissioners  on  May  i<),  1885.  It  was  found  to  conform  to  all 
the  things  required  to  form  a  new  township  and  its  creation  was  authorized 
and  the  first  election  held.     This  township  was  taken  from  both  Hayes  and 


[22  fcENO   COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

Enterprise  townships,  and  consists  of  all  of  township  23,  range  9  west.     The 
election  resulted  as  follows:     Trustee,  George  McKeoun;  clerk,  A.  L.  Minter, 

Sr.,    treasurer.    William    Holmes;   justice   of   the   peace.    S.    P>.    Rogers:   con- 
stable, II.  H.  Van  Liber. 

WALNUT   TOWXSI I II'. 

Walnut  township  was  also  created  by  the  board  of  commissioners  at 
tlie  same  time  the  petition  was  presented  for  the  creation  of  Hnntsville  town- 
ship. This  township  was  taken  from  a  part  of  Hayes  and  a  part  of  Meclford 
townships.  The  first  election  was  held  on  May  28,  1885,  ai*d  resulted  in  the 
selection  of  the  township  officers  who  should  hold  until  the  election  in  the 
fall.  But  no  record  is  to  be  found  of  these  first  officers,  the  same  no  doubt 
having  been  duly  "filed"  instead  of  being  recorded. 

SYLVIA    TOWNSHIP. 

The  petition  for  the  creation  of  Sylvia  township  was  presented  to  the 
board  of  commissioners  on  October  7,  1886.  It  was  signed  by  B.  B.  \\  Tlson 
"'and  fifty-two  others."  It  was  taken  from  the  municipal  township  of  Plevna, 
the  west  half,  consisting  of  township  24,  range  10  west.  The  first  election 
took  place  on  November  2,  1886,  and  resulted  in  the  selection  of  B.  B.  Wil- 
son for  trustee;  Charles  A.  Payton  for  clerk;  T.  J.  Hanley  for  treasurer:  J.  S. 
Curra  and  J.  M.  Talbbtt,  justices  of  the  peace,  and  \V.  H.  S.  Benedict  and 
Cicero  Williamson,  constables. 

MED0RA    TOWNSHIP. 

On  December  3,  1888,  Henry  Hartford  headed  a  petition  and  eighty- 
eight  others  likewise  signed  it,  asking  for  the  creation  of  Medora  township. 
It  was  to  be  taken  from  Little  River  and  a  part  of  Clay  townships.  It  was 
irregular  in  its  form  and  the  description  of  the  township  was  as  follows; 
"Commencing  at  the  northeast  corner  of  section  6,  township  22,  range  4. 
wot:  thence  running  east  to  the  southeast  corner  of  section  31.  township  -'_'. 
range  4  west;  thence  wesl  to  the  southwest  corner  of  section  36,  township 
22.  range  5  west;  thence  north  to  the  northwest  corner  oi  section  25,  town- 
ship _'_'.  range  5;  thence  west  to  the  southwest  corner  of  section  [<).  township 
_'-'.  range  5  wot;  thence  north  to  the  northwesl  corner  of  section  0,  town- 
ship _'_'.  range  5,  west:  thence  east  to  the  place  of  beginning." 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  I  -' 


ARM  NGTON    TOWNSH  1 1' 


5 


On  January  4,  [881,  Roberl  Burling  and  "fifty-six  others"  presented  a 
petition  for  the  creation  of  a  new  municipal  township,  which  they  wanted 
named  Arlington,  after  the  famous  "Arlington  Heights."  The  territory  was 
to  be  obtained  by  taking  the  east  half  of  what  was  then  Langdon  township. 
The  geographical  description  of  the  new  township  was  as  follows:  Town- 
ship 25,  range  8  west.  The  election  of  the  first  officers  of  the  new  township 
was  fixed  for  February  5,  [881.  The  commissioners  granted  the  petition  for 
the  new  township  and  the  election  was  held  on  the  date  fixed,  hut  here  again 
it  evidently  was  found  easier  by  the  clerk  of  that  day  to  file  the  results  of 
the  election  in  some  pigeon-hole  rather  than  to  record  it.  so  no  names  are 
available    for  the  first  officers  of   Arlington    township. 

NINNESCAH    TOWNS  II  IP. 

Ninnescah  township  was  organized  on  July   1,   [889.     Samuel  Adamson 

headed  a  petition  of  the  residents  of  what  is  now  Ninnescah  township  to  cut 
off  part  of  Albion  and  Sumner  townships  and  make  the  new  township  that 
was  to  be  named  after  the  stream  that  flowed  through  that  part  of  Reno 
county.  The  new  township  was  to  be  composed  of  all  of  township  26,  south 
of  range  5.  west  of  the  sixth  principal  meridian  and  section  34.  35  and  36  in 
township  25,  south  of  range  6.  The  board  of  county  commissioners  granted 
the  petition  and  fixed  the  date  of  the  first  election  for  August  5,  1887. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 
1  •olitical  Parties. 

Reno  county  was  settled  in  the  earliest  days  largely  by  old  soldiers. 
They  had  returned  from  the  war  and  found  conditions  in  their  former 
homes  unsatisfactory.  With  many  of  them  the  spirit  of  independence  and 
adventure  had  been  stimulated  by  the  war.  The  free  homestead  lands  in 
the  west  were  an  attraction  to  them.  As  a  natural  result  of  this,  the  Repub- 
lican party  became  the  dominant  one  here  and  has  remained  such  through 
all  the  vears  since  the  organization  of  the  county. 

There  was  another  thing  which  tended  to  strengthen  this  party.  The 
countv  was  settled  by  people  from  Ohio,  Indiana  and  Illinois,  states  of  a 
similar  climate,  which  were  Republican,  and  the  early  settler  brought  his 
politics  with  him  when  he  came  west.  There  were  few  people  from  the 
Southern  state-,  but  they  were  equally  as  strong  in  their  lielief  in  Demo- 
cratic principles  as  the  Northern  emigrant  was  in  the  Republican  faith. 

RELATIVE    PARTY    STRENGTH. 

The  first  election  in  Reno  county  where  national  political  lines  were 
drawn  and  which  would  give  an  indication  of  how  the  two  political  parties 
stood,  was  in  [873.  That  year,  T.  1.  Ryan,  candidate  for  Congress  on  the 
Republican  ticket,  received  [,105  votes  and  S.  J.  Crawford.  Democrat, 
received  356  votes.  In  local  matters,  the  personality  of  the  candidate  often 
was  a  factor  and  cannot  he  used  to  indicate  the  party  preferences  of  the 
ters.  In  the  general  election  of  [876,  George  T.  Anthony.  Republican 
candidate  for  governor  of  Kansas,  received  1  ,072  votes  and  John  Martin, 
the  Democratic  nominee,  received  590  votes.  The  presidential  electors  of 
die  two  parties  varied  hut  little  from  the  votes  cast  for  each  political  party 
for  tlu-ir  candidate  for  governor  and  at  this  time  it  would  indicate  that 
Reno  county  was  Republican  in  a  general  wav.  by  a  ratio  of  three  to  one. 
In  [877  the  average  strength  "\  each  of  the  parties  was  found  in  the 
vote  for  count)  clerk-.  That  year.  \V.  II.  I'eaty  received  1,082  votes  and 
'■(.-.  »rgc  I )    Barclav,   200  However,  this  was  an  "off"  year,  a  vear 


1EN0  COUN'J  V,    KANSAS.  I  25 

in  which  only  local  matters  were  issues  and  the  minority  party  in  those 
years  seldom  cast  its  proportionate  pari  of  the  vote.  In  [878  the  vote  on 
governor  showed  a  new  element  in  the  party.  John  P.  St.  Min  was  the 
Republican  candidate  for  governor,  I.  R.  Goodin,  the  Democratic  candi- 
date, and  for  the  first  time  the  Greenback  party  had  a  candidate.  I).  P. 
Mitchell  was  his  name.  St.  John  received  [,477  votes,  Goodin,  462,  and 
Mitchell,  149.  This  vote  was  the  first  indication  of  what  has  been  our  of 
the  marked  characteristics  of  the  county— a  tendency  toward  independent 
voting,  that  some  years  is  intensified  and  has  resulted  in  reducing  the 
Republican  majority  and  in  some  instances  resulting  in  making  this  dominant 
party  temporarily  a  minority  party.  This  independence  in  voting  in  1878 
resulted  in  giving  J.  T.  Cox,  then  a  resident  of  Hutchinson,  Democratic 
candidate  for  attorney-general,  904  votes,  while  his  Republican  opponent 
received  1,108  votes.  In  this  case  (ox's  vote  was  more  than  one-third 
above  Ins  party  vote  Tn  this  election.  Thomas  Ryan,  Republican  candidate 
for  Congress  from  the  third  congressional  district,  of  which  Reno  county 
was  then  a  part,  received  1.404  votes;  Frank  Doster,  Greenback  candidate. 
received  403  votes  and  J.  B.  Fugate,  Democratic  candidate,  received  166 
votes.  J.  R.  Hallowell,  candidate  for  congressman-at-large  on  the  Repub- 
lican ticket,  received  1,367  votes  and  S.  J.  Crawford,  Democratic  candi- 
date received  683  votes. 

THE    PROHIBITION    QUESTION. 

At  this  election  the  prohibitory  amendment  to  the  state  Constitution 
was  voted  on.  A  vigorous  campaign  was  made  in  behalf  of  prohibition 
and  a  bitter  fight  made  on  it.  In  a  general  way  the  Republicans  voted  for 
it  and  the  Democrats  opposed  it.  This  was  due  largely  to  the  fact  that  the 
Republican  platform  declared  for  prohibition.  The  result  in  the  county 
over  this  question  was  that  the  prohibitory  amendment  received  1,006  votes 
and  there  were  932  votes  against  the  amendment.  This  vote  indicate-  that 
about  300  Republicans  must  have  voted  against  the  prohibitory  amendment. 
The  facts,  as  now  recalled  by  those  who  participated  in  that  election,  were 
that  probably  450  Republicans,  or  about  one-third  of  the  party,  voted  against 
the  prohibitory  amendment,  while  probably  one-fifth  of  the  Democrats  voted 
for  the  amendment.  The  sentiment  oi  the  county  was  for  the  prohibition 
of  the  liquor  traffic. 

Reno  county  has  ever  since  that  vote  been  a  staunch  supporter  of  prohi- 
bition.     There  have  been   times,   many  of   them,   when   saloons  were   run    in 


126  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

Hutchinson  and  in  some  of  the  other  towns  of  the  county.  This  has  been 
due  to  two  factors — one.  that  a  large  percentage  of  the  people  were  opposed  to 
the  law  originally,  which  has  had  its  effect  on  the  political  parties  in  mak- 
ing their  nominations  for  the  executive  officers  of  the  county,  they  looking 
for  candidate^  who  would  not  show  too  severe  an  opposition  to  the  saloon 
business.  Another  factor,  and  perhaps  the  one  that  had  the  most  to  do 
with  the  violation  of  the  law.  was  die  substitution  of  a  fine  system  under 
some  of  the  city  administrations,  which  practically  meant  high  license  instead 
of  prohibition.  This  condition  existed  under  several  of  the  city  adminis- 
trations and  was  only  ended  by  the  passage  of  a  law  that  put  city  and 
county  officers  in  danger  of  impeachment  and  ouster  from  their  office  by 
tin'  attorney-general  of  the  state  for  a  failure  to  enforce  the  prohibitory 
law.  Tlie  argument  used  by  the  city  officials  was  that  whiskey  would  be 
sold  anyhow  and  the  city  should  derive  some  revenue  from  its  sale.  This 
argument  was  dispelled  as  soon  as  the  ouster  law  became  effective  and 
showed  the  weakness  of  the  statement  which  had  been  an  excuse  for  failure 
to  enforce  tiie  law.  This  law  has  likewise  been  misused  to  boom  some 
weal;  candidates  for  office,  men  who  could  not  appeal  to  the  people  on  their 
qualifications,  but  used  it  as  a  slogan  to  obtain  votes.  But  in  a  general  way. 
the  prohibitory  law  has  been  enforced  about  as  well  as  any  other  criminal 
statute. 

(>ne  of  the  most  notable  political  contests  in  Reno  county  was  that 
between  Chester  I  Long  and  Jerry  Simpson  for  congressman.  Reno  county 
was  the  largesl  county  in  the  district  and  became  the  center  of  the  contest 
in  each  of  four  political  campaigns  in  which,  these  two  men  were  candidates. 
Perhaps  the  greatest  local  meeting  ever  held  in  Reno  county,  one  in  which 
partizanship  was  at  its  height,  was  at  the  joint  debate  held  in  the  old  audi- 
torium at  Riverside  park.  Part)-  feeling  was  bitter.  The  debate  was 
largely  over  the  monetary  question,  whether  it  was  better  for  the  country  to 
have  the  gold  standard  or  the  "double  standard,"  the  latter  being  contended 
f<  »r  by  Simpson. 

The  largest  political  meeting  and.  for  that  matter,  the  largest  crowd  ever 
assembled  in  Hutchinson  was  on  October  3,  [894,  when  William  McKin- 
ley,  then  chairman  oi  the  ways  and  means  committee  of  the  house  of  repre- 
sentatives, spoke  in  this  city.  The  railroads  granted  a  one-cent-a-mile  rate 
from  all  points  within  three  hundred  miles  of  Hutchinson.  Every  avail- 
able bit  of  equipment  was  used  by  the  railroads,  some  of  them  being  forced 
to  use  freight  cars  to  accommodate  the  people  desiring  to  come  to  Hutchin- 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  ]  JJ 

son.  It  was  estimated  that  there  were  over  one  hundred  thousand  people 
in   Hutchinson,  only   a    small   portion   of   these   people   being  able   to   heat 

Mckinley  speak.  All  of  the  chairs  were  taken  otll  of  the  building  and 
everybody  stood  up.  Not  only  was  the  floor  packed  t<>  suffocation,  but  the 
ratters  <»!  the  unfinished  auditorium  became  perches  for  men  who  wanted 
to  hear  the  man  who  then  was  making  a  campaign  tor  nomination  for  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States. 

Another  great  gathering  of  a  political  nature  was  in  [912,  when  Will- 
iam II.  Taft,  then  President  of  the  United  States,  visited  Hutchinson,  lay- 
ing the  corner  stone  ot  the  convention  hall  in  Hutchinson  and  addressing 
the  crowd  at  the  state  fair  grounds.  It  was  an  immense  crowd,  hut  strangely 
different  from  the  McKinley  meeting,  which  was  marked  by  the  highest 
enthusiasm,  while  the  Taft  meeting  was  very  noticeable  for  the  absence  of 
any  demonstrations  of  favor  toward  the  speaker. 

Prior  to  the  establishment  of  the  state  primary  system,  all  of  the  political 
parties  made  nominations  by  delegate  conventions.  The  foundation  of  this 
system  rested  with  the  party  caucus,  at  which  time  delegates  were  selected 
to  the  county  convention,  where  county  candidates  were  selected.  In  state 
matters,  this  county  convention  selected  delegates  to  the  state  convention, 
which  nominated  the  party  candidates  for  state  offices.  AYhen  delegates  to 
the  national  convention  were  to  lie  selected,  the  state  convention  -elected 
the  men  to  represent  the  state.  Frequently  those  delegates  were  instructed 
how  thew  were  to  vote  in  the  convention  to  which  they  had  been  sent.  This 
system  developed  what  were  called  "bosses",  party  leaders  who  selected  the 
delegates  and  candidates  and  then  sought  to  get  the  delegates  to  ratify  their 
choice.  In  many  ways  this  system  was  very  satisfactory,  but  its  abuses 
were  in  the  spirit  of  the  leaders,  who  grew  arrogant  in  the  power  they 
wielded  in  practically  having  the  control  of  the  offices.  Their  choice  was 
generally  wise,  and  competent  men  were  put  in  office,  but  it  frequentlv  hap- 
pened that  the  party  "bosses"  thwarted  the  choice  of  the  people  and  named 
subservient  candidates  who  would  devote  the  political  energies  of  their 
officers  to  the  continuing  of  the  "machine",  as  the  organization  was  generally 
called.  All  political  parties  were  managed  in  the  same  way  and  it  was  the 
abuse  of  the  power  of  naming  the  candidates  that  led  to  the  changing  of 
the   system. 

The  protest  against  the  convention  system  became  so  vigorous  that  the 
Legislature  passed  the  "primary"  law,  which  is  in  force  at  the  present  time. 
It  reallv  amounts  to  two  elections      The  state  controls  every  feature  of  the 


128  RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

matter.  It  prescribes  the  method  by  which  persons  may  become  candidates, 
furnishes  all  the  ballots,  controls  the  election  boards  and  pays  all  the  expenses 
of  selecting  the  candidates  of  all  parties  for  all  offices.  Tt  limits  the  amount 
of  money  a  candidate  can  spend  to  secure  either  the  nomination  or  the  elec- 
tion. Fn  a  general  way,  the  primary  law  has  given  satisfaction,  but  the 
abuses  which  can  arise  under  it  are  becoming  more  apparent  each  year  and 
it  is  becoming  more  evident  that  some  additional  features  must  be  added 
to  the  law  or  it  will  become  as  distasteful  as  the  old  convention  system. 
In  a  general  way,  the  question  of  publicity  is  becoming  a  serious  one.  The 
best  known  man  necessarilv  wins  and  the  unknown  candidate  receives  but 
small  consideration.  Newspaper  advertising  in  a  state-wide  campaign  is 
necessary  and  in  some  manner  this  must  be  obtained;  therefore  there  is  a 
great  deal  of  truth,  in  the  statement  frequently  made  that  running  for  a 
state  or  national  office  is  a  rich  man's  game.  Perhaps  this  feature  is  the 
must  objectionable  one.  Another  feature  is  that  incompetent  persons  are 
sometimes  named  for  office.  While  some  conspicuous  instances  of  this  have 
occurred  in  Reno  county,  perhaps  there  have  been  no  more  than  there  were 
under  the  convention  system. 

fn  a  general  way,  Reno  count)-  has  been  Republican  in  politics.  The 
first  breaking  from  the  rule  was  in  1890,  when  the  Populist  party  was  organ- 
ized. At  that  time  nearly  all  of  the  county  outside  of  Hutchinson  went 
against  the  Republicans  and  the  town  majority  was  greatly  reduced.  The 
county  offices  were  all  filled  with  Populists.  Gradually  this  party  has  dis- 
appeared, many  of  its  members  returning  to  the  Republican  party.  How- 
ever, there  was  a  large  percentage  who.  while  nominally  Republican,  took 
almost  anv  occasion  to  break  away  from  the  party.  This  was  noticeable  in 
[912,  when  the  "Bull  Moose"  party  arose  in  protest  against  the  methods  of 
the  Republicans  in  the  national  convention  that  nominated  Taft  for  the 
Presidency.  This  was  a  revolt  equal  in  extent  to  the  one  in  this  state  that 
created  the   Populist  party,  which  was  over  the   financial,  question. 

As  a  result  of  all  these  political  moves,  there  has  grown  up  in  Kansas — 
and  thi<  applies  to  Reno  count}-  as  well- —a  political  independence  that  will 
not  tok-rate  abuse  of  power  by  any  party.  It  is  the  best  possible  guarantee 
of  the  better  element  of  society  controlling  in  political  matters.  With  this 
independence,  1 1. >  party  rules  by  reason  of  it-  former  work".  It  must  meet 
the  demands  of  the  da)  or  the  people  will  go  to  the  other  political  party  or, 
if  need  be.  create  .1  new  one.  With  this  sentiment,  popular  rule  is  assured. 
the  highesl  integrity  obtained  in  public  officials  and  the  best  possible  service 
from  the  servants  of  the  people — the  ones  who  hold  the  offices. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

Ihk   County   Commissioners. 

Reno  county,  under  the  statutes  of  Kansas,  leaves  her  financial  matters 
in  the  hands  of  three  commissioners,  who  are  chosen  from  three  separate 
districts  of  the  count}'.  The  boundary  lines  of  these  districts  have  been 
changed  at  various  times,  the  general  purpose  being  to  get  the  population 
of  the  county  divided  up  into  as  nearly  equal  parts  as  possible.  Several 
changes  have  been  made  in  years  past  for  political  purposes — a  township 
or  ward  of  a  town  shifted  from  one  district  to  another  because  of  its  vote 
but  in  general  the  idea  of  dividing  the  county  as  equally  as  possible  accord- 
ing to  population  has  controlled  the  county  commissioners,  who  make  and 
change  the  boundary  lines  of  the  districts. 

The  members  of  the  first  board  of  commissioners,  appointed  by  the 
governor  of  Kansas,  were  C.  C.  Bemis,  W.  J.  Van  Sickle  and  W.  H.  Bell, 
and  they  were  to  have  charge  of  county  matters  until  an  election  could  be 
held.  They  called  an  election  for  county  officers  for  Saturday,  February  3, 
1872.  At  this  election  these  three  men  were  chosen  for  commissioners,  to 
serve  until  the  regular  election  in  the  fall  of  1872,  when  they  were  all 
re-elected. 

On  August  13,  1874,  the  county  was  first  divided  into  commissioner 
districts.  The  first  district  consisted  of  the  townships  of  Clay,  Grant,  Little 
River,  Valley  and  Reno.  At  that  time  Hutchinson  was  a  part  of  Reno 
township.  The  second  district  consisted  of  the  townships  of  Castleton. 
Lincoln  and  Haven,  and  the  third  district,  the  balance  of  the  county. 

These  township  lines  have  been  changed  in  many  ways  since  1874,  but 
cover  about  the  same  territory  that  is  now  comprised  in  the  townships  that 
compose  the  three  commissioner  districts.  In  1916  these  districts  stood  as 
follows:  First  district,  the  city  of  Hutchinson;  second  district,  the  town- 
ships of  Albion,  Castleton,  Center,  Ninnescah,  Reno,  Roscoe,  Lincoln,  Little 
River,  Medora,  Salt  Creek.  Sumner,  Troy,  Valley,  Voder  and  Haven;  third 
district,  the  balance  of  the  county,  seventeen  townships  in  number. 

(9> 


130  RENO   COUNTY.    KANSAS. 

NOTABLE    POLITICAL    ROW     OF     I  S 7  3 . 

The  election  of  1873  started  in  a  row  and  ended  in  a  law  suit.  The 
contest  was  nominally  the  country  against  the  town,  but  in  reality,  it  was  the 
'"outs"  against  the  "ins."  The  result  of  the  election  went  to  the  district 
court  and  on  to  the  supreme  court.  The  result  was  not  announced  until 
February  5.  1875.  The  contest  was  on  county  surveyor  and  the  three 
county  commissioners.  Henry  Hartford  was  continued  as  sheriff  of  the 
county;  George  W.  Hardy,  county  treasurer;  R.  A.  Super,  surveyor,  with 
M.  A.  Sayles,  J.  S.  Houser  and  William  Astle  as  county  commissioners. 
In  their  contest  and  anxiety  to  get  their  offices  thev  lost  the  records  of  their 
opponents,  of  the  men  who  won,  and  the  vote  is  also  missing. 

In  1874  there  were  no  county  commissioners  elected,  the  old  ones  hold- 
ing over  until  the  contest  of  1873  was  settled.  In  1875  the  entire  board  of 
commissioners  were  voted  on.  In  the  first  district.  J.  M.  Beam  received 
303  votes  and  E.  J.  Russell  122  votes.  In  the  second  district.  J.  VV.  Cook 
polled  n()  votes,  William  Astle  no,  and  George  Bishop  26  votes.  Astle 
waited  a  year  and  went  into  the  board  the  following  year  after  the  supreme 
court's  decision.  P.  C.  Branch  won  in  the  third  district,  receiving  147  votes, 
J,  Elliott  112  votes,  and  T.  J.  Anderson  62  votes.  There  was  no  election 
in  1876.  In  1877  all  three  commissioner  districts  held  elections.  In  the 
first  district  J.  B.  Potter  got  409  votes  and  G.  M.  Zinn  j  t  7  votes.  In  the 
second  district  J.  A.  Moore  received  207  and  M.  Sharp  63  votes.  In  the 
third  district  Elmer  Everett  polled  281  votes  and  his  opponent,  T.  J.  Ander- 
son, ro2  votes.  The  only  man  of  this  board  re-elected  was  Elmer  Rverett. 
Both  Moore  and  Sharp  dropped  out  of  sight  politically.  Mr.  Anderson, 
being  a  Democrat,  was  on  the  minority  side.  He  was  a  candidate  for  other 
offices  later,  but  was  not  successful  in  politics.  However,  he  was  a  success 
in  business,  being  later  one  of  the  most  substanti.nl  cattle  men  of  the  early 
days.  He  lived  a  long  and  useful  life  in  Hutchinson,  honored  and  respected 
by  all.  Mr.  Everett  still  lives  in  Center  township.  lie  has  been  one  of 
the  strong  men  in  the  county,  a  man  of  good,  clear  judgment,  his  word  as 
good  a-  a  bond,  successful  in  business,  a  good  clean  man.  a  pioneer  of  the 
highesl   order  and  a  man   whom   his  neighbors   t rust   and   honor. 

In  187S  John  Gilleland  ran  for  commissioner  from  the  first  district. 
receiving  403  votes  and  1).  I).  Olmstead  305  votes.  This  was  a  race 
between  two  excellent  men.  Olmstead  was  a  pioneer  of  Grant  township,  a 
justice   of   the   peace   and    a    worthy   citizen.      Gilleland    lived    in    Valley   town- 


RENO   COIN  TV,    KANSAS.  |}| 

ship,  and  was  equally  as  highly  regarded.  Gilleland  served  '>n  the  board  for 
three  years. 

In  [879;  A.  Al.  Switzer  was  a  candidate  in  the  second  district  againsl 
S.  Smith.  Ik-  received  329  votes  to  Smith's  54  votes.  Mr.  Switzer  at  that 
tune  lived  in  Lincoln  township,  being  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  in  that 
part  of  the  county.  He  is  still  vigorous  and  healthy,  living  now  in  the  last 
township  organized,  Voder  township,  whose  organization  was  due  to  Mr. 
Switzer's  persistence  and  good  standing  in  the  count  v. 

In  1880,  Air.  Everett  was  chosen  for  ;i  second  term  from  the  third  dis- 
trict. His  opponent  was  O.  S.  Jenks,  of  Turon.  The  vote  stood— Everett, 
856;  Jenks.   682.      There  was  no  election  in    1881. 

PERSONNEL     OF    THE     BOARD    DURING     THE     EIGHTIES. 

In  1882,  in  the  second  district,  there  were  three  candidates  for  the 
office,  A.  M.  Switzer  receiving'  223  votes,  R.  Laughlin,  13CS  votes  and  W. 
H.  "Northcutt,  146  votes.  Mr.  Switzer  served  one  term.  In  1883,  in  tin 
third  district.  W.  A.  Watkins  and  R.  T.  Cassidy  were  the  candidates.  Air. 
Watkins  polled  488  votes  and  Mr.  Cassidy.  200  votes.  Mr.  Watkins  served 
one  term  of  three  years.  In  1884  the  first  district  elected  commissioner-. 
W.  P.  D.  Fleming  was  elected  over  F.  M.  Wiley,  he  receiving  937  votes 
and  Mr.  Wiley,  576  votes.  Mr.  Fleming  was  re-elected  in  1887.  polling 
1,040  votes.  In  this  second  race  he  had  two  competitors,  G.  W.  Hardy, 
who  received  202  votes,  and  J.  P.  Theabold,  who  received  22  votes.  Tn 
1885  there  were  elections  in  both  the  second  and  third  districts.  In  the  sec- 
ond district  Frank  Maguire  beat  George  H.  Benson,  he  receiving  426  and 
his  competitor  297  votes.  In  the  third  district  J.  M.  Anderson  was  elected 
by  a  vote  of  573  to  R.  T.  Cassidy's  301  votes.  Mr.  Anderson  was  re-elected 
in  1886,  L.  M.  Hall,  running  against  him,  getting  488  votes,  and  C.  M. 
Gray  getting  84  votes,  while  Anderson  received  666  votes.  Air.  Maguire 
failed  to  secure  a  second  term,  clue  to  a  divided  vote.  He  received  788 
votes,  while  G.  M.  Zimmerman  received  949  votes.  W.  F.  Carson  was  also 
a  candidate  in  this  race,  receiving  59  votes,  and  Minor  Crippen  received 
169  votes.  By  reason  of  the  four  candidates,  elected  on  local  issues,  the 
votes  that  were  received  by  the  two  lowest  candidates  were  taken  largel) 
from  Maguire.  In  1890  \\*.  P.  I).  Fleming  was  elected  from  the  first  dis- 
trict for  the  third  time.  He  received  641  votes  and  \\".  I».  Holmes,  his 
competitor,  got  356. 

In  1891  J.  H.  Fountain  received  742  votes  from  the  second  district  for 


1 32  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

commissioner,  (i.  M.  Zimmennan,  00G  and  John  Parker,  304  votes.  Air. 
Fountain  served  one  term.  In  1892  the  raee  was  a  very  close  one  between 
\V.  K.  Noland  and  William  Patten.  Noland  received  1,150  votes  and 
Patten  1.135  votes.  Noland  served  but  one  term.  He  was  elected  as  a 
Populist,  but  turned  Republican  'while  on  the  board.  At  that  time  the 
county  printing  was  a  prize  much  sought  for.  The  Populist  paper  had  the 
patronage  for  the  first  year  of  Xoland's  incumbency.  But  the  Republican 
paper  induced  Noland  to  change  and  vote  for  them.  Noland  likewise,  dur- 
ing his  official  term,  changed  his  vote  on  the  Haven  Angling  road  case.  At 
the  first  presentation  of  the  case,  Noland  held  the  balance  of  power  on  the 
board  of  commissioners  and  voted  then  to  keep  the  Angling  road  open. 
Later  when  the  road  case  came  up  again,  Noland  voted  to  close  the  road. 
Noland  did  not  ask  for  re-election,  but  shortly  after  his  term  of  office 
expired  he  left  the  county. 

In  1893  W.  P.  D.  Fleming  was  elected  for  the  fourth  term  as  commis- 
sioner from  the  first  district.  He  received  817  votes  and  his  competitor, 
CM.  Mulkey,  556  votes.  In  1894  D.  M.  McElwain  was  elected  from  the 
second  district,  receiving  1,008  votes,  as  against  963  votes  for  VV.  D.  Ken- 
nedy. In  1895  I.  Rutledge,  of  Arlington,  was  chosen  commissioner  from 
the  third  district.  Pie  received  904  votes,  M.  G.  Hackler  748  votes,  and 
E.  S.  Ping,  61  votes.  Rutledge  was  re-elected  in  1898  by  the  small  majority 
of  3  votes,  Rutledge  got  892  votes  and  his  Democratic  competitor,  Leeds,  889 
votes.  In  1896  H.  Miskimen  was  elected  over  J.  M.  Brehm,  the  former 
receiving  1,100,  the  latter  760  votes.  In  1897,  in  the  second  district,  J.  F. 
AIcMurray  got  753  votes  and  John  Myers,  919  votes.  Air.  Myers  was  re- 
elected in  1900,  receiving  1,180  votes  to  1,089  that  his  competitor,  A.  J. 
Tyler,  of  Haven,  received.  In  1899  T.  F.  Leidigh  was  chosen  commis- 
sioner from  the  first  district.  In  1901  M.  F.  Bain  received  899  votes  in 
the  third,  or  "west"'  district,  to  660  cast  for  Henry  Thompson.  Air.  Bain 
was  re-elected  in  1  <;04-  '"  1902  there  were  four  candidates  for  commis- 
sioner in  Hutchinson,  II.  C.  Barrett  getting  1,115  votes;  J.  E.  Fowler  487 
N.  Parker  37  votes  and  A.  S.  Lech,  89  votes.  Mr.  Barrett  was 
a  candidate  again  in  [906,  but  he  was  beaten  by  Fay  Smith,  the  vote  stand- 
ing.   Smith,    1.014:    Barrett,   089. 

(HANOI-     IX    THE    ELECTION     LAWS. 

About    that   time    the   election    laws   were   changed   by    the   Legislature, 
and  by  reason  of  this  change  the  election  of  part  of  the  county  officers  took 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  1  33 

place  each  year,  so  that  the  elections  would  be  held  every  two  years.  Tin- 
makes  two  county  commissioners'  election  in  one  year,  instead  of  one  being 
elected  each  year.  As  a  result,  in  [908,  there  were  commissioners  to  el< 
in  the  second  and  third  districts.  In  the  second  district  the  two  candidate- 
were  J.  M.  Bush  and  J.  F.  McMurray,  the  former  receiving  [,312 
and  the  latter.  1,019  votes.  In  the  third  district  M.  F.  Bain  received  1 . 1  o: 
votes  as  against  L.  G.  Bradshaw's  t.ioo  votes.  In  [910  the  city  district 
\o.  1,  had  a  close  race  between  J.  Q.  Patten  and  Fay  Smith,  the  latter 
being  elected,  receiving  1,335  votes  to  Patten's  [,246  votes,  j.  \1.  Bush 
and  A.  J.  Mill  were  candidates  from  the  second  district.  J.  Al.  Bush  was 
continued  in  office,  getting  [,182  votes  and  Hill  1.051  votes.  Tn  the  wesl 
district  Peter  Deck  received  1,086  votes  and  J.  F.  Justice.  1.050  vote-. 
Deck  was  re-elected  in  1916,  receiving  1,720  votes  to  1,694  votes  for  C.  L. 
Dodd.  At  the  last  election  for  county  commissioners  in  Hutchinson  in 
1914  there  were  three  candidates.  J.  L.  Ball  received  2.398  votes;  Fay 
Smith,  1,967.  and  H.  M.  Payne,  925.  In  1916  the  election  in  the  second 
district  was  an  interesting-  race,  there  being  an  "independent'"  candidate — • 
Rodney  Elward.  The  successful  candidate  was  IT.  J.  Astle.  of  Haven,  who 
received  1,383  votes.  Elward  received  1,189  v°tes  and  T.  C.  Potter.  1,007; 
so  the  board  of  county  commissioners  at  the  present  time  stand:  J.  P. 
Ball,  first  district;  H.  J.  Astle,  second  district,  and  Peter  Deck,  third  dis- 
trict. 

PIONEER   OFFICIALS   LACKED    "VISION." 

In  a  general  way  the  county  commissioners,  as  the  financial  agents  of  Reno 
county,  have  exercised  average  business  judgment  in  the  conduct  of  the  affairs 
of  the  county.  In  the  earl}'  days  it  was  a  question  of  getting  the  money 
with  which  to  do  the  business  of  the  county,  but  the  men  who  transacted 
the  business  of  the  county  should  not  be  judged  by  the  standard  of  today. 
by  the  development  of  the  present  time.  They  were  doing  the  county's 
business  for  the  average  man,  who  less,  perhaps  than  the  commissioner  of 
his  day,  saw  in  the  future  the  great  development  of  the  county's  resources; 
men  who  never  dreamed  that  farm  values  would  double  time  and  time 
again:  who  thought  that  the  villages  of  that  day  would  never  be  more  than 
villages,  and  who  thought  that  cities  would  never  take  the  place  of  those 
county  villages.  With  no  dream  of  the  future,  they  planned  accordingly. 
They  built  as  the  average  man  would  have  built.  For  instance,  when  the 
present  court  house  was  built,  it  was  thought  that  it  would  meet  the  demands 
of  the  countv   for  generations.      Less   than   twentv   years    have    come    and 


134  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

gone;  some  of  the  men  holding  offices  of  the  county  at  that  time  are  still 
running  for  office,  and  the  court  house  is  even  now  far  below  the  require- 
ments of  the  time.  They  considered  then  that  the  county  superintendent 
public  instruction  needed  but  one  small  room  for  an  office.  They  never 
thought  in  their  life  time  that  a  larger  one  would  ever  be  needed.  Now. 
when  anything  more  than  an  average  day  brings  people  to  that  office  on 
school  business,  they  must  stand  around  in  the  corridors  of  the  building  and 
await  their  turn.  One  small  office  then  was  considered  all  that  would  be 
needed  for  generations  to  come.  The  county  clerk's  vault  room  is  filled  and 
books  of  record  of  the  greatest  value  must  be  put  down  in  the  basement 
for  lack  of  vault  room.  All  over  the  court  house,  the  inadequateness  of 
the  building,  for  even  the  present,  testifies  to  the  smallness  of  the  vision  of 
the  men  who  voted  the  taxes  for  the  building. 

In  1,  ridge  building,  temporal')-  structures  were  considered  ample. 
Wooden  culverts  were  put  in.  to  rot  and  be  replaced  a  half  dozen  times ; 
wooden  bridges  built,  to  be  torn  down  and  cement  structures  erected  in 
their  place,  the  kind  that  should  have  been  constructed  in  the  beginning. 
Temporary  work  done  on  roads,  ample  for  that  day,  but  absolutely  inade- 
quate for  the  tonnage  of  today,  when  the  demand  for  better  highways  is 
incessant.  No  man  of  commanding  force  opposed  them  to  show  the  peo- 
ple that  a  corporation  like  Reno  county,  one  that  would  last  for  hundreds 
of  years,  one  that  in  fact  has  a  perpetual  existence,  should  not  build  as 
individuals  build,  should  not  put  up  temporary  structures,  but  should  build 
with  a  view  of  the  demands  of  the  future.  They  need  not  have  paid  for 
their  improvements — they  should  have  extended  that  indebtedness  over  long 
years  of  time — that  those  of  the  future  might  help  pay  for  the  development 
of  the  county. 

Instead  of  that  the  temporal')'  means  were  adopted,  and  Reno  county 
will  soon  be  compelled  to  rebuild  her  court  house,  some  of  her  bridges  and 
her  road-  and  the  man  who  will  arise  and  show  the  taxpayer  the  wisdom 
of  the  greater  view,  the  economy  of  permanent  improvements,  will  be  the 
man  the  future  taxpayer  of  Reno  county  will  want  to  do  honor  to. 

The  selection  of  II.  J.  Astle,  of  Haven  township,  is  one  of  two  instances 

ceeding  to  the  work  of  his   father.      In   1873  William   Astle, 

the   father  of   II.  J.     \-tle.  was  chosen  county  commissioner  of   Reno  count)'. 

He    resided    in    Haven    township   and    from    this     township     forty-two    years 

son  as  county  commissioner.     The  only  other  similar  instance 

Reno  count)    history   is  the  election  of   Harry   Ragland   to  the  office  of 

-  of  deeds,   which  office  had  been   held  by   his    father. 


CHAPTER   XV. 
Probate  Judges  of    Reno   County. 

In  many  respects  the  office  of  probate  judge  is  the  most  important  office 
in  the  county.  So  far  as  the  title  to  real  estate  is  concerned  alone,  it  is  a 
most  important  office;  for,  sooner  or  later,  the  title  to  every  piece  of  real 
estate  will  have  to  go  through  the  probate  court.  In  addition,  the  care  oi 
estates  of  minors  requires  this  office  to  be  held  in  the  highest  regard,  that 
the  rights  of  these  minors,  who  are  nnable  to  protect  themselves,  may  receive 
the  greatest  degree  of  care  from  this  court. 

In  recent  years  an  added  burden  has  been  placed  on  this  court,  the  care 
of  the  delinquents  and  juveniles  who  have  no  proper  care  at  their  homes. 
This  calls  for  a  degree  of  patience  and  insight  into  the  ways  of  these  weaker 
members  of  society  that  requires  the  highest  intelligence  and  discernment. 

In  order  to  show  the  growth  of  this  office  and  to  indicate  its  import- 
ance, a  comparison  will  be  made  of  the  eight  principal  activities  of  the  pro- 
bate judge's  office,  namely :  Insane  cases,  foreign  wills,  domestic  wills, 
adoption  proceedings,  administrator  appointments,  juvenile  cases,  marriage 
licenses  and  foreign  and  resident  guardian's  appointments. 

There  have  been  two  hundred  and  seventy-two  insane  cases  tried  in 
the  probate  court  since  the  establishment  of  the  court.  For  convenience,  the 
comparisons  will  be  made  in  ten-year  periods,  which  gives  four  periods, 
with  the  balance  of  the  four  years  which  covers  the  time  of  the  present 
probate  judge,  Charles  S.  Fulton.  These  ten-year  periods  show  the  extent 
of  the  working  of  the  office  and  the  growth  that  has  taken  place  in  the  last 
four  years. 

For  the  period  of  187-2  to  [882,  there  were  thirty-one  cases  of  insanity 
hearings  recorded  in  the  probate  judge's  office.  The  files  are  incomplete 
for  the  last  eight  years,  and  no  files  are  found  in  the  records  of  any  nature 
for  the  first  two  years  of  the  office,  consequently  for  the  first  two  years  no 
estimate  can  be  made  of  the  insane  cases  tried  in  this  county,  if  there  were 
any.  For  the  period  of  ten  years  from  1883  to  1892,  inclusive,  there  were 
fifty-five  insane  hearings  in  the  probate  court.  In  the  period  from  1892  to 
[902,  inclusive,  there  were  forty  such  cases  tried  in  this  court.      From   1903 


I36  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

to  1912,  inclusive,  the  number  of  such  cases  tried  numbered  eighty-seven. 
For  the  last  four  years,  from  1912  to  1916,  fifty-nine  cases  of  insanity  have 
been  heard  and  disposed  of  by  this  court.  In  the  ten-year  period  prior  to 
the  last  four-year  period,  the  average  has  been  a  little  less  than  six  cases 
of  insanity  a  year  for  the  court's  consideration,  while  during  the  past  four 
years  the  average  has  been  almost  twenty  cases  per  year. 

FOREIGN    WILLS    AND    GUARDIANSHIPS. 

During  the  county's  existence  there  have  been  filed  with  the  probate 
court  two  hundred  and  fifty-eight  foreign  wills.  There  has  not  been  much 
of  a  variance  from  one  period  of  ten  years  with  another  similar  period.  The 
foreign  wills  filed  have  averaged  slightly  over  six  wills  of  this  kind  a  year. 
In  the  period  from  1893  to  1902,  inclusive,  a  somewhat  larger  number  of 
foreign  wills  were  probated  in  Reno  county.  The  record  of  this  class  of 
business  is  as  follows : 

From  1874  to  1880,  no  foreign  will  files  found  in  the  court  records: 
from  1880  to  1882,  inclusive,  eleven  foreign  wills  filed:  from  1883  to  1893, 
inclusive,  sixty-two  foreign  wills  filed;  from  1893  to  r902-  inclusive,  eighty- 
one  foreign  wills  filed;  from  1903  to  1912,  inclusive,  seventy-four  foreign 
wills  filed;  from   1913  to   1916,   inclusive,  twenty-nine  foreign  wills  filed. 

It  is  impossible  to  give  the  amount  of  property  involved  in  these  cases, 
because  the  probate  court  of  this  county  had  but  little  knowledge  of  the 
estates  involved,  the  instruments  being  filed  in  this  count}'  because  of  the 
existence  of  some  property  in  this  county  that  was  covered  by  the  wills 
filed.  In  man}'  cases  the  probate  court  has  no  means  of  knowing  what  the 
value  of  the  property  is.  as  no  inventor}'  is  filed  with  the  will.  Whether 
there  were  any  foreign  wills  filed  in  this  county  from  1874  to  1880  can  not 
now   be  determined,  as  there  is  no  record  of  any  such  wills,  if  any  were  tiled. 

During  the  history  of  this  county  there  have  been  one  thousand  and 
sixty-four  foreign  and  resident  guardians  appointed  by  the  probate  court. 
In  this,  as  well  as  other  departments  of  this  office,  the  earl\-  records  are 
very  deficient.  The  case  files  are  so  deficient  that  about  all  thai  can  now 
be  ascertained  is  the  number  of  guardians  appointed.  The  records  that 
now  exist  show  that  there  were  ninety-one  guardians  appointed  from  1S74 
[882. 

From    [883   to    [892,   inclusive,   there   were   two   hundred   and   twenty- 
en  appointments  of  guardians  made.      From    [893    to    1902.    inclusive, 
there  were  two  hundred  and  seventy-four  guardians  appointed.     From    1^03 


RENO  COl   \  I  Y,    K  VNSAS.  I  37 

to   191-,  inclusive,  there  were  three  hundred  and  twenty  such  appointments 
made.     In  this  latter  period  there  were  a  few  more  than  thirty-five  appoinl 
ments,  on  an  average,  made  per  year.     In  the  last   four  years,  from   [913  to 
[916,  there  were  one  hundred  and   forty-two  guardians  appointed,   increas- 
ing the  average  to  aboul  thirty-seven  appointments  a  year. 

APPOINTM  K XT    OF    ADM]  NISTRATORS. 

During  the  forty-four  years  of  Reno  county's  organization  there  have 
been  nine  hundred  and  twenty-six  administrators  appointed  by  the  probate 
court.  The  early  records  disclose  sixty-eighl  appointments,  with  very 
deficient  files  from  1S74 to  [882.  From  [883  to  [892,  inclusive  there  were  one 
hundred  and  ninety-nine  appointments  made.  From  [893  to  [902  the  court 
appointed  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  administrators.  From  [903  to  nj-i-'. 
inclusive,  there  were  three  hundred  and  five  appointments  made.  From 
1913  to  1916,  inclusive,  there  were  one  hundred  and  twenty-nine  adminis- 
trators appointed.  The  increase  has  been,  in  the  last  four  years,  about  three 
more  administrators  of  estates  by  this  court  per  year  than  in  the  ten-year 
period  previous. 

DEPARTMENT    OF    DOMESTIC    WILLS. 

The  probate  court  of  this  county  has  acted  on  four  hundred  and  thirty- 
three  domestic  wills  during  the  existence  of  the  court.  The  records  prior 
to  1884  are  found  to  be  in  such  a  shape,  so  indefinite  and  incomplete  as  to 
the  number  of  wills  probated,  scattering  and  without  dates  as  to  filing,  so 
that  it  is  impossible  to  give  the  number  of  wills  filed  in  this  court  during 
that  period. 

From  1884  to  1892,  inclusive,  a  period  of  nine  years,  fifty-six  wills 
were  filed  for  probation.  From  [893  to  1902.  inclusive,  there  were  seventy 
wills  probated.  From  1903  to  [912,  inclusive,  there  were  one  hundred  and 
ninety-two  wills  probated.  From  [913  to  [916,  inclusive,  one  hundred  and 
fifteen  wills  were  probated.  The  number  of  wills  tiled  in  the  last  four  years 
averages  twenty-nine  wills  a  year.  For  the  ten-year  period  previous  the 
number  averaged  nineteen.  For  the  ten  years  from  1893  to  1902  the  aver- 
age number  of  wills  filed  each  year  was  seven,  and  for  the  nine-year  period 
of  which  the  records  are  obtainable  there  were  six  wills  filed  annually.  The 
number  of  wills  filed  has  gradually  increased  as  property  values  have 
increased,  and  there  will  be  a  gradual  increase  as  the  county  develops  and 


[38  RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

larger  estates  are  to  be  distributed.     The  value  of  the  property  that  passes 

tinder  the  care  of  this  court  has  been  estimated  by  the  officers  of  the  court 
for  the  last  four  years.  It* has  been  computed  that  at  least  one  million  dol- 
lars of  value  in  real  estate  a  year  for  the  last  four  years  is  covered  by  the 
wills  filed  for  probate.  The  valuation  will  increase  year  by  year,  as  the  prop- 
erty  value  of  the  county  increases.  Not  only  the  property  covered  by  the 
new  wills  tiled  will  increase  in  value,  but  wills  riled  in  former  years  that  have 
not  been  closed  up.  show  great  increase  of  property  values. 

There  is  in  this  court  one  case  of  a  guardianship  that  covered  a  period 
<n"  seventeen  years.  The  property  left  to  the  minor  heirs  was  of  compara- 
tively small  value  when  the  guardian  was  appointed,  but  by  constant  care 
the  estate  left  to  the  heir  at  the  end  of  the  seventeen  years  of  guardianship. 
was  a  very  valuable  one. 

ADOPTION     CASES    AND    JUVENILE    COURT    WORK. 

There  have  been  a  total  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-two  adoption  pro- 
ceedings hied  in  the  probate  court  of  Reno  county.  Prior  to  [887  no  regu- 
lar records  were  kept  of  the  juvenile  cases  tried  before  this  court.  In  some 
of  the  cases  there  is  no  record  other  than  the  name,  so  no  accurate  record 
] trior  to  1887  can  be  given. 

From  1887  to  1893,  inclusive,  a  period  of  seven  years,  there  were 
thirty-four  adoption  cases  handled  by  this  court.  From  1893  to  1902.  a 
period  of  ten  years,  there  were  thirty-six  adoption  cases.  From  1903  to 
1013.  there  were  fifty-one  such  cases,  and  from  [913  to  [916  there  were 
forty-one  adoptions.  It  will  be  seen  that  the  adoptions  at  the  present  time 
maintain  an  average  of  ten  a  year;  for  the  previous  ten  years,  five  adoptions 
a  year,  and  a  similar  proportion  in  the  years  preceding,  since  the  records  of 
this  part  of  the  probate  court's  work-  has  been  kept. 

1  >ne  of  the  most  exacting  duties,  one  that  calls  for  patience,  judgment, 
sympathy  and  kindness,  is  dealing  with  the  juvenile  court  work.  This  work 
i-  the  care  of  the  boys  and  girls  who  for  various  causes  have  been  consid- 
ered incorrigible  by  the  schools,  or  boys  ami  girls  whom  their  parents  are 
unable  to  control,  the  latter  thus  appealing  to  the  probate  court  for  assist- 
ance. It  embraces  likewise  the  attention  of  the  youthful  criminals,  and  the 
•'t'il  oi  cases  filed  indicates  only  a  small  per  cent,  of  this  work  thai  the 
nrl  has  to  do.  Hundreds  of  cases  are  handled  by  the  probation  officer. 
under  the  direction  of  the  court,  and  settled  satisfactorily  out  of  court  with- 
out expense  to  the  county  tor  court  costs  or  witness  fees.     Fully  ninety  per 


RENO   COl    \  IV,    KANSAS.  i   in 

cent,  of  the  juvenile  rases  are  nol   recorded.     This  court   kept    no    regular 
docket  for  juvenile  cases  prior  to   [904.     From    [904   to   [912,  inclusive,  a 
period  of  nine  years,  one  hundred  and  fifty  five   juvenile  cases  were  consid 
ered  by  the  probate  court  of  Reno  county,  while  one  hundred  and  forty-two 
cases  have  been  handled  in  the  last   hair  years,  making  a  total  of  two  hun-  • 
dred  and  ninety-seven  cast's  <>\  this  kind  on  the  records  of  the  probate  court. 

COMPLETE    RECORD    OF    MARRIAGE    LICENSES. 

There  is  one  record  of  the  probate  court  that  is  complete  through  all 
of  the  terms  of  the  various  probate  judges.  This  is  the  record  of  marriage 
licenses  issued.  From  [872  to  [882  there  were  eight  hundred  and  eighty- 
nine  licenses  issued;  from  [883  to  1892,  2,318  licenses  were  issued;  from 
1893  to  1902,  2,660  licenses  were  issued;  from  [903  to  [912,  3,910  licenses 
were  issued,  and  from  1913  to  1916,  [,853  licenses  were  issued,  or  a  total 
since  the  organization  of  the  county  of  11,630  licenses. 

LIST    OF    PROBATE    JUDGES. 

There  have  been  ten  different  men  elected  as  probate  judge  of  Reno 
county.  One  of  them  served  one  term,  another  only  a  part  of  a  term,  two  of 
them  served  two  terms  each,  three  of  them  served  three  terms  each,  one  of 
the  latter  serving  one  additional  term  at  a  later  priod.  One  of  them,  Har- 
vey Eisminger,  -served  only  a  part  of  the  term  for  which  lie  was  elected, 
resigning  his  office  before  he  had  served  a  year.  YV.  \Y.  Ipdegraff  was  the 
first  probate  judge  of  the  count}-.  He  was  elected  without  opposition,  lie 
was  not  a  candidate  for  re-election.  In  1874  G.  V.  Ricksecker  was  a  can- 
didate, and  likewise  L.  S.  Shields.  Ricksecker  received  374  votes  and 
Shields  304  votes.  Ricksecker  was  a  candidate  again  in  [876.  His  oppon- 
ent was  W.  B.  Brown.  Ricksecker  received  235  votes  and  Brown  110  votes. 
Ricksecker  was  a  candidate  for  a  third  term,  receiving  1  .-45  votes,  and  C. 
W.  Peckham,  his  opponent,  received  430  votes.  In  1SS0  S.  B.  Zimmerman 
was  the  Republican  candidate  and  W.  L.  Rose  his  opponent.  In  1882  Zim- 
merman was  again  a  candidate.  He  had  two  opponents,  I.  \.  Phillips  and 
L.  S.  Shields.  In  the  contest  Zimmerman  polled  [,262  votes,  Phillips  818 
votes  and  Shields  132  votes.  In  [884  Zimmerman  was  a  candidate  again. 
Geore'e  Barclav  was  a  candidate  on  the  Democratic  ticket.  Zimmerman 
received  1,937  votes'and  Barclay  [,493  votes.  In  [886  S.  A.  Atwood  was 
the   successful  candidate.      He  polled    [,899   votes,     George     Barclay     1.114 


I_|.0  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

votes  ami  F.  R.  Chrisman  338  votes.  Atwood  was  elected  again  for  the 
term   beginning   in    [888,   he   receiving   3,562   votes,    Thomas   Smith   polling 

705  votes  and  S.  B.  Presby  221  votes.  In  1X90  a  revolution  in  politics  put 
the  Republican  party  out  of  power.  R.  A.  Campbell,  the  Republican  candi- 
date for  probate  judge,  was  beaten  by  Harvey  Eisminger.  Campbell 
received  _'. 411  votes  ami  Eisminger  2,975.  Eisminger  served  hut  a  short 
time,  resigning.  I-  A.  Fontron  was  appointed  to  till  the  unexpired  term. 
In  [892  there  were  four  candidates.  J.  A.  Fontron,  T.  J.  Bowser.  W.  M. 
Ingham  and  <  1.  V.  Ricksecker.  J.  A.  Fontron  was  elected,  receiving  2,281 
votes,   Bowser  2,066  votes,  Ingham  425  votes  and  Ricksecker  231  votes. 

In  1894  Fontron  was  re-elected.  His  Democratic  opponent  was  R.  J. 
Cannell.  Fontron  polled  3,266  votes  and  Cannell  2.440  votes.  In  1896 
lames  M.  Stewart  was  the  Republican  nominee  and  C.  W.  Oswald  the  Dem- 
ocratic candidate.  Stewart  received  ^.2^2  votes  and  Oswald  3.085  votes. 
Stewart  was  re-elected  in  1898.  His  opponent  that  year  was  Fred  Thorp. 
of  Haven.  Stewart  polled  2.97c)  votes  and  Thorp  2.450  votes.  In  1900 
R.  A.  Campbell  was  the  Republican  nominee  and  B.  E.  Kaufman  the  Demo- 
cratic nominee.  Campbell  was  elected,  receiving"  3.738  votes  and  Kaufman 
2.x 2j  votes.  Campbell  was  re-elected  in  1002.  He  had  three  opponents. 
\V.  J.  Olmstead,  Henry  Wilson  and  T.  J.  Anderson.  Campbell  received 
3,29]   votes,  <  Hnistead  1,840  votes,  Wilson  68  votes  and  Anderson  130  votes. 

In  [906  '  ..  V.  Ricksecker  received  3.318  votes  and  J.  H.  Gresham  2,326 
votes.  In  [908  R.  A.  Campbell,  a  Republican,  was  defeated  by  J.  M.  Jor- 
dan, a  Democrat.  Campbell  polled  3.404  votes  and  Jordan  4.210  votes. 
Jordan  was  re-elected  in  1910.  His  Republican  opponent  was  Ed.  L.  Teed. 
Jordan  received  3,846  votes  and  Teed  2,858  votes.  In  1912  Charles  S. 
Fultor.  was  the  Republican  candidate  and  J.  R.  Beeching  the  Democratic 
nominee.  Fulton  received  4,298  votes  and  Beeching  3,027  votes.  Mr.  Ful- 
ton was  re-elected  in  1014  without  opposition,  receiving  9,271  votes.  He 
was  a  candidate  again  in  [916.  lie  had  two  opponents.  \Y.  C.  Hutchinson 
and  O.  I'..  Burkett.  Fulton  received  8,905  votes,  Hutchinson  4.745  votes 
and   Burketl  570  votes. 

IM     PR(  (PERLY    eo.\l  PL]  M  ENTED. 

During  the  administration  of  Judge  Fulton,  the  office  of  probate  judge 
ha-  been  brought  up  to  the  highesl  degree  of  accuracy  and  completeness. 
Lawyers  from  other  states  practicing  in  the  court  comment  on  the  orderly 
condition  in  which  they  find  all  of  the  records  anil  on  the  pleasure  they  find 


RENO  COl   N  I  \  ,    KANSAS.  I  4  I 

in  practicing  in  this  court.  Judge  Fulton  has  an  able  assistant  in  A.  L. 
Lander,  who  has  cjiarge  of  the  juvenile  work,  and  the  painstaking  care  with 
which  Judge  Fulton  and  Mr.  Lander  handle  this  office  is  shown  in  the  order- 
ly condition  of  all  the  records  of  thai  office.  Judge  Fulton  is  recognized  as 
one  of  the  ablest  probate  judges  in  the  state  and  real  estate  titles  that  haw- 
passed  through  his  office  receive  no  criticism  from  attorneys  who  pass  on 
such  titles   for  loan  companies. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Clerks  of  the  District  Court. 

Reno  county  has  had  eleven  different  clerks  of  the  district  court.  For 
some  reason  that  cannot  now  be  ascertained,  the  tenure  of  service  of  this 
office  lias  been  longer  than  in  other  offices.  Some  of  the  county  offices  are 
limited  by  statute  to  two  terms.  No  such  limitation  is  imposed  by  law  on 
this  office,  and  it  has  escaped  the  popular  limit  of  time  set  for  one  man  to 
hold  the  office  to  two  terms.  Four  years  has  heen  the  accustomed  limit  of 
the  holding  of  a  county  office,  but  the  office  of  clerk  of  the  court  has  had 
two  exceptions.  The  first  was  Edward  S.  Handy,  who  was  first  elected  in 
[876  to  this  office.  He  served  six  years.  He  was  not  a  candidate  for  the 
fourth  term.  His  successor  was  John  B.  Vincent,  who  was  elected  for  three 
-nccessive  terms;  but  he  look  his  pitcher  to  the  well  once  too  often  and  the 
fourth  time  he  was  a  candidate  he  was  beaten  and  that,  too,  by  a  compara- 
tively unknown  man.  and  by  a  majority  half  as  large  as  he  was  accustomed 
t"  receive  in  his  campaigns. 

RECEIVED  ALL  VOTES  CAST. 

The  first  clerk  of  the  district  court  was  Harry  Hodson.  He,  with  the 
oilier  candidates,  received  all  the  votes  cast,  as  there  was  but  one  ticket  in 
the  field  at  this  election.  In  [876  E.  S.  Handy  was  the  Republican  candi- 
date for  this  office.  F.  Iv.  Chrisman  was  the  Democratic  candidate.  Handy 
received  238  votes  and  Chrisman  117.  In  [878  Mr.  Handy  was  the  Repub- 
lican candidate  again,  receiving  [,242  votes  and  J.  F.  Dunkin,  the  Demo- 
cratic nominee,  got  431  votes.  This  vote  indicates  a  large  increase  in  Re- 
publican votes.  There  were  a  great  many  Union  soldiers  settled  in  Reno 
county  from  1S74  to  [880.  They  were  generally  Republicans  in  politics. 
While  the  Democratic  party  increased  its  vote,  the  increase  was  not  as  rapid 
a-  the  Republican  vote.  Another  matter  that  helped  increase  .Mr.  Handy's 
vote  was  his  personal  popularitv.  Me  was  a  very  pleasant  man  to  deal  with 
ami  persons  dealing  with  his  office,  although  of  opposite  political  faith,  were 
constrained  to  vote   for  Mr.   Ilandv.      While  the  "two-term"'  idea  had  started 


RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS.  14} 

with  the  idea  of  limiting  the  length  of  service,  yet  Mr.  Handy's  personal 
popularity  gave  him  a  third  term  over  his  opponent,  \V.  I).  Woodson,  a 
Democrat,  by  a  vote  of  i  .444  for  Handy  to  588  votes  for  Woodson,  and 
Handy  was  the  Republican  candidate  again  in  [882,  receiving  [,36]  votes, 
Allen  Shafer  yX^  votes  and  C.    Bishop  88  votes. 

In  [884  the  Republican  candidate  for  clerk  of  the  court  was  [ohn  I!. 
Vincent.  He  received  2,040  votes.  J.  T.  Burtch,  his  Democratic  oppo- 
nent, received  [,363  votes.  For  the  second  term  in  [886,  Mr.  Vincent  had 
two  opponents,  J.  IT.  Kinkaid,  who  received  [,274  votes,  and  W.  E.  Fosnot, 
who  polled  [64  votes.     The  Republican  candidate  polled  1.073  votes. 

In  the  race  for  the  third  term  of  clerk  of  the  court.  Mr.  Vincent  had 
two  opponents  again.  He  received  3,369  votes.  Jesse  Reynolds  got  [,812 
votes  and  II.   B.  McMullen   151    votes. 

In  fXtjo  Mr.  Vincent  made  the  race  for  clerk  of  the  district  court  for 
the  fourth  time.  His  opponent  was  F.  P:  Adams,  a  comparatively  unknown 
man  in  politics,  and  one  who  made  hut  one  race  for  office  and  then  left  the 
county.      Mr.   Vincent  polled  2,321    votes  and   Adams's  vote  was  3.047. 

In  1892  the  Republican  candidate  for  clerk  01  the  court  was  '/..  W. 
Whinnery.  He  had  two  opponents,  John  II.  Kinkaid  and  Richard  McDaid. 
This  race  was  a  close  one.  Whinnery  got  3,126  votes,  Kinkaid  3,063  votes 
and  McDaid  88  votes.  In  the  campaign  for  re-election  in  [894  Mr.  Whin- 
nery had  A.  R.  Dodge  for  an  opponent.  This  time  he  had  a  few  less  than 
a  thousand  majority,  he  receiving  3,356   votes  and    Dodge   2.364  votes. 

GOOD    "VOTE   GETTER"    TURNS    TABLES. 

In  1890  the  Republican  candidate  was  defeated.  This  was  due  par- 
tially to  the  ill  feeling  developed  in  the  Republican  convention  of  that  year, 
and  partially  to  the  candidate  opposing  Walter  Payne — Fay  Smith,  who 
perhaps  is  the  best  "vote  getter"  that  ever  ran  for  office  in  Reno  county. 
The  vote  this  year  stood:      Payne.   3,082  votes;   Smith,   3,322. 

In  1898  the  Republicans  nominated  E.  Edwards  and  the  Democrats 
renominated  Smith.  Edwards  polled  2,650  votes'  and  Smith  J.^^i)  votes. 
Smith  ran  again  in  1900  against  John  M.  Wyman.  The  prejudice  against 
a  "third  term"  was  revived  and  used  in  the  campaign  and  Smith's  "vote- 
getting"  qualities  were  unable  to  pull  him  through.  Wyman  got  3,422  votes 
and  Smith,  3.189  votes. 

Tn  1902.  Wyman  was  the  Republican  candidate  for  re-election.  Me  had 
as    opponents    George    Sain,    of    Xickerson.    Democrat,     who     polled      [,938 


144  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

votes;  C.  I).  Wood,  Prohibitionist,  67  votes,  and  George  Bishop,  Socialist^ 
1  24  votes.     Wyman  had  a  good  clear  majority  over  all,  his  vote  being  3,231. 

In  1904  there  were  three  candidates  for  clerk  of  the  court — -R.  II. 
Flynn,  O.  S.  Coffin  and  G.  S.  Bishop.  Flynn  received  3,692  votes.  Coffin 
1.044  votes  and  Bishop  2.060  votes. 

In  1906  the  Republicans  re-nominated  1\.  II.  Flynn  tor  a  second  term. 
He  had  J.  P.  Hendrixson  as  an  apponent.  Flynn's  vote  was  3,395  and 
Hendrixson  got  2,242  votes. 

WOMEN    ELECTED    TO    OFFICE. 

In  1908  .Miss  Amy  Alexander  was  nominated  for  clerk  of  the  court. 
Her  father  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Hutchinson.  Miss  Alexander  had 
the  enthusiastic  support  of  a  large  number  of  the  old  friends  of  her  father 
and  polled  4,314  votes.  Her  opponent,  \Y.  L.  Stroup,  received  3,295  votes. 
In  1910  Miss  Alexander  was  renominated  and  re-elected,  receiving  ^^J^ 
votes.     Her  opponent,  A.  J.  Coleman,  received  2,797  votes. 

In  1912  the  Republican  candidate  was  Carl  Richardson  and  the  Demo- 
cratic candidate  was  Airs.  Florence  Hutchinson.  Mr.  Richardson  polled 
2.944  votes  and  Airs.  Hutchinson  4,611  votes. 

In  i<;i4  Airs.  Hutchinson  was  renominated  for  clerk  of  the  court  and 
the  Republicans  made  no  nominations  against  her.  The  result  was  that 
Mrs.   Hutchinson  polled  9,248  votes. 

In  rQ r 6  there  .were  three  candidates.  Carl  Richardson,  the  Republican 
nominee:  Aliss  Alargaret  Kessler,  the  Democratic  candidate,  and  C.  E. 
Anderson.  Socialist.  Richardson  won.  getting  7,301  votes;  Miss  Kessler. 
5,589,  and   Anderson,   j^^. 

FIRST    CASE    IX    DISTRICT    COCK'!'. 

'he  first  session  of  district  court  for  Reno  county  was  held  in  August, 
[872.  Judge  W.  I\.  Brown  opened  court,  with  Lvsander  I  louk  as  county 
attorney:  Harry  Hodson,  as  clerk  of  the  court:  Charles  Collins,  sheriff,  and 
John  M< Alurrav.  under-sheriff.  The  first  case  called  for  trial  was  that  of 
Robert  Ross  against  Pat  Riley.  The  action  was  for  the  replevin  of  a  horse 
and  wagon.  Riley  was  an  Irishman,  who  had  a  little  shack  out  west  of 
town,  just  across  I  o\>  creek.  A  careful  search  of  the  records,  among  all 
die  tile-  thai  are  left  of  that  case,  together  with  the  journal  entries,  which 
were  kept   on   paper  ;it    that   time,   until    the  books  of  the  clerk's  oflfice   could 


KKNO   COUNTY,    KANSAS.  145 

be  procured,  fail  to  disclose  how  the  case  was  decided.  Bui  it  was  "No.  [" 
and  regardless  of  its  importance  or  its  decision,  it  is  a  case  of  the  first  import- 
ance. The  first  criminal  case  was  that  of  the  state  against  John  Callahan. 
It,  too,  has  lost  all  importance  except  that  it  was  the  first  criminal  case  filed 
in  Reno  county.  The  civil  and  criminal  cases  were  docketed  together  until 
November  25,  1901,  when  the  criminal  docket  was  separated  from  the  civil 
docket.  At  the  present  time  the  criminal  docket  is  disposed  of  before  the 
civil  docket  is  commenced.  Since  the  establishment  of  the  separate  dock- 
ets, until  the  beginning  of  the  December  term  of  the  court  in  1916,  there 
had  been  1,159  criminal  cases  entered  on  the  docket.  The  total  number  of 
cases  filed  up  to  this  same  date  was  12,504. 

While  no  effort  has  ever  been  made  to  separate  the  cases — the  crim- 
inal from  the  civil  docket,  while  they  were  kept  together — it  is  estimated 
that  about  sixty  per  cent,  of  the  criminal  cases  have  been  cases  arising  out 
of  the  violation  of  the  prohibitory  law. 


(  10) 


CHAPTER   XVII. 
The  County  Clerks. 

Reno  county  has  had  twelve  different  clerks.  Seven  of  them  served 
two  terms,  or  four  years;  four  of  them  served  one  term'  of  two  years  each 
and  one.  W.  R.  Marshall,  broke  not  only  the  record  of  the  county  clerk's 
office,  but  all  cither  records  of  continuous  office  holding-  of  the  same  office 
in  Reno  county.     He  served  four  terms  of  two  years  each. 

The  first  county  clerk,  A.  C.  Ivies,  was  elected  on  March  15.  1872, 
when  the  first  county  election  was  held.  He  had  no  opposition.  He  was 
111  it  a  candidate  for  a  second  term.  Some  irregularities  were  found  in  the 
court  house.  The  hooks  of  the  county  clerk  and  the  county  treasurer  did 
not  agree.  There  were  charges  of  wrong  doing  by  friends  of  both  of  the 
county  officials  and  Kies  was  not  a  candidate  for  re-election  after  he  had 
served  his  first  term. 

In  1  £74  the  second  election  was  held.  Harry  Hodson  was  the  suc- 
—  ful  candidate.  His  opponent  was  H.  W.  Beatty.  Hodson  received  479 
votes  and  Beatty,  264  votes.  Hodson  was  riot  a  candidate  for  re-election, 
lie  doubtless  could  have  had  a  second  term,  for  he  was  a  popular  clerk,  a 
man  of  good  ability.  He  left  Reno  county  shortly  after  his  term  of  office 
expired. 

In  [876  the  election  for  county  clerk  called  nut  three  candidates,  II. 
W.  Beatty,  who  was  a  candidate  against  Hodson  in  [874;  S.  B.  Zimmerman, 
win  1  had  taught  in  the  public  schools  for  one  year,  and  E.  J.  Russell.  Beatty 
polled  531  votes:  Zimmerman.  421  votes  and  Russell,  122  votes.  Beatty 
was  re-elected  in  the  fall  of  1877.  His  opponent  was  a  Democrat.  George 
I'.arclay,  who  served  as  justice  of  the  peace  for  several  terms  later.  Bar- 
clay was  .1  stanch  Democrat.  He  received  211  votes,  while  Beatty  gol  1.05-* 
votes.  Beatty  was  a  candidate  for  a  third  term  in  1  <^7<)  for  the  term  begin- 
ning in  January.  [880.  Me  was  opposed  on  the  third-term  platform  by  \V. 
K'.  Marshall  and  W.  I).  Woodson.  Both  Beatty  and  Marshall  were  Repub- 
licans, but  the  "anti-third-term"  talk  won  for  Marshall,  who  received  1,000 
v<>te-.  I'. catty  pulling  87]  votes  and  Woodson,  140  \ « »tes.  Marshall  ran 
.tin   in    [882.      lie  was  re-elected  and  despite  his  anti-third-term  talk   when 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  I  47 

he  was  a  candidate  the  first  time,  he  was  a  candidate  for  a  third  term  in 
1885.  He  was  opposed  by  Martin  O'Sullivan,  of  Clay  township.  Mar- 
shall polled  1,716  votes  and  O'Sullivan,  654  votes.  In  [887  Marshall  was 
a  candidate  for  the  fourth  term  and  he  won  it  over  C.  W.  Peckham.  but 
by  a  much  decreased  majority.  Me  received  [,716  votes  and  Peckham,  916 
votes. 

NEWSPAPER    MAX     ENTERS    THE    LIST. 

In  1888  S.  J.  Morris  was  a  candidate  for  the  office  on  the  Repub- 
lican ticket  for  the  term  beginning  in  1889.  His  Democratic  opponent  was 
Sims  Ely,  a  Democratic  newspaper  man,  who  years  afterward  moved  to 
Phoenix,  Arizona,  where  he  became  prominent  in  Democratic  political 
circles.  Morris  received  2,136  votes;  Ely,  1,750  votes  and  E.  Eaton,  run- 
ning on  an  independent  ticket,  59  votes.  Morris  was  re-elected  in  [889  and 
served  out  his  second  term. 

In  the  election  of  1892  J.  E.  Eaton,  of  Arlington,  was  the  Republican 
candidate.  W.  F.  Williams,  of  Nickerson,  was  his  Democratic  opponenl 
and  Jackson  Fryar  the  candidate  on  the  Greenback  ticket.  Eaton  polled 
2,458  votes,  Williams  received  2,152  votes  and  Fryar,  406  votes.  Eaton 
was  re-elected  in  1894.  His  opponent  that  year  was  E.  D.  Hornbaker.  Eaton 
received  2,699  v°tes  and  Hornbaker,  2,006  votes. 

In  1896  \Y.  S.  Yeager  was  elected  county  clerk.  He  had  two  opponents, 
J.  W.  Turkle  and  J.  J.  Campbell.  "Yeager  received  2,825  votes;  Turkic. 
1,827  votes  and  J.  J.  Campbell,  211  votes.  Yeager  was  re-elected  in  [898 
for  the  term  of  two  years,  beginning  in  1899,  P.  L.  Campbell  was 
his  opponent.     Yeager  received  2,825  votes  and  Campbell,  2,220  votes. 

In  the  election  held  in  1900  there  were  four  candidates  for  county 
clerk,  William  Newlin,  Mack  Ross,  O.  C.  Borger  and  J.  Leutv.  Newlin 
was  elected,  receiving  3,553  votes.  Ross  got  1,784  votes,  Borger,  68  votes, 
and  Leuty,  127  votes.  Newlin  was  a  candidate  for  re-election  in  1902.  He 
received  3,474  votes  and  his  opponent,  J.  W.  Likens,  2,170  votes. 

In  1904  F.  S.  Lang  was  the  successful  candidate.  He  received  3.(>44 
votes.  B.  McKeown,  one  of  his  opponents,  polled  2,141  votes,  and  Lem 
Bowser,  a  third  candidate,  received  T97  votes.  Lang  was  a  candidate  for 
a  second  term.  J.  D.  Likens  was  his  opponent.  Lang  polled  3.474  votes 
and  Likens,  2,170  votes.  Lang,  sought  a  third  term,  but  was  defeated  by 
A.  R.  Hamma,  wdio  secured  3,928  votes,  while  Lang  polled  3,699  votes. 
Hamma  was  not  a  candidate  for  re-election.     He  was  the  representative  of 


I48  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

the  minority  party  and  knew  that  he  would  not  have  a  third-term  candi- 
date to  run  against,  and  that  he  would  probably  be  defeated. 

There   were   three  candidates   at   the  election  of    1910,   H.    M.    Payne, 

Walter  Brown  and  John  Collins.     Payne  polled  3,807  votes;  Brown,  2,912 

otes,  and  Collins,  285  votes.     Payne  was  re-elected  in  1912.     His  opponent 

was   J.    E.    Burgess,    of   Clay   township.      Payne    received    4,046   votes    and 

Burgess,  3,398  votes. 

In  19 14  there  were  three  candidates,  A.  E.  Noonan,  C.  Brice  Xash  and 
George  W.  Lee.  Lee  was  elected,  receiving  4,338  votes ;  Noonan,  3,367 
and  Xash.  3,926.  Lee  had  been  county  assessor  for  two  terms  prior  to 
his  election.  He  was  re-elected  in  1916.  He  had  two  opponents,  Edward 
A.  King  and  C.  E.  Anderson.  Lee  polled  more  votes  than  both  of  his 
competitors,  he  receiving  7,848  votes;  King,  5,146  votes,  and  Anderson, 
852  votes. 

OFFICE  GROWING  IN   IMPORTANCE. 

The  office  of  county  clerk  has  grown  in  importance  greatly  since  the 
earl)-  days  of  the  county.  Today  its  records  are  of  the  highest  importance, 
as  it  is  the  office  of  original  records.  It  deals  with  the  questions  of  taxa- 
tion more  largely  than  any  of  the  other  offices  of  the  county.  The  office 
of  county  assessor  was  once  an  independent  office,  but  the  Legislature  com- 
bined the  duties  of  the  county  assessor  and  the  county  clerk.  So  now  the 
clerk  has  all  of  the  various  phases  of  taxation  to  deal  with  as  a  part  of 
the  duties  of  his  office.  All  of  the  assessment  rolls  are  prepared  in  this 
office  of  all  the  property,  personal  and  real,  and  also  all  public  utilities.  The 
work  of  getting  the  assessment  rolls  for  each  piece  of  property  in  Reno 
county  has  grown  to  be  an  immense  job.  After  the  assessors  are  through 
with  their  work,  the  office  is  required  to  make  an  abstract  of  each  township 
so  that  tin-  board  of  equalization  that  was  created  to  adjust  any  irregulari- 
ties in  the  work  of  the  various  county  assessors  may  proceed  intelligently. 
After  the  board  of  equalization  is  through  with  its  work  another  abstract 
is  made  of  the  various  assessors'  reports  and  sent  to  the  state  tax  com- 
missioners iu  order  that  they  may  compare  this  county's  assessments  with  other 
nt\  assessments,  in  the  same  manner  that  the  county  board  of  equaliza- 
tion compares  township  and  individual  assessments. 

The  clerk  also  makes  all  school  levies.       The  school  directors  indicate  in 

ir  annual  report  just  how  much  money  they  will  need  to  meet  their  wants 

tor    tin     following   year.      The   county    clerk    prepares    the    levy    and    reports 

to  the  county  commissioners,  who  order  the  levy  made.     This  is  an  immense 


RENO   COIN  IN'.    KANSAS.  I  4/ , 

task,  when  it  is  known  that  there  are  six  state  and  county  levies,  seventeen 
general  levies  and  twenty  special  levies  for  Hutchinson;  aboul  half  as  many 
special  levies  for  South  Hutchinson,  and.  at  the  presenl  time,  two  hundred 
and  sixteen  different  levies  for  the  various  school  districts  of  the  county. 

OTHER    DUTIES    [NCUMBENT    ON    THIS    OFFICE. 

The  county  clerk's  office  records  the  transfer  of  all  deeds  that  are  filed 
with  the  register  of  deeds  and  all  land  contracts.  In  addition  to  these  mat- 
ters and  other  matters  arising  out  of  the  same,  the  county  clerk  keeps  a  daily 
balance  of  accounts  with  the  county  treasurer.  He  records,  also,  every 
warrant  filed  with  the  county  commissioners  and  has  a  duplicate  of  every 
check  for  the  payment  of  money.  He  keeps  a  record  of  all  the  changes  in 
the  roads  of  the  county.  He  keeps  a  record  of  all  physicians  and  nurses 
and  of  all  dentists,  likewise  a  record  of  all  undertakers  of  the  county.  Me 
keeps  a  record  of  all  marks  and  brands  of  cattle  and  a  record  of  all  names 
given  to  farms.  He  issues  all  hunting  licenses  and  all  venders'  licenses 
He  keeps  a  complete  record  of  all  townsite  vacations  and  of  additions  to  the 
cities. 

Likewise  the  county  clerk  has  full  charge  of  all  election  matters,  both 
primary  and  general.  He  prepares  and  has  printed  the  ballots.  He  keeps 
a  record  of  all  the  results  of  elections  of  all  kinds  and  issues  to  the  suc- 
cessful candidate  a  certificate  of  nomination  and  also  a  certificate  of  election 
after  the  election  is  held.  He  issues  all  election  notices  and  approves  the 
bonds  of  successful  candidates.  The  county  clerk-  also  attends  all  of  the 
meeting's  of  the  county  commissioners  and  keeps  a  complete  record  of  all 
of  their  acts.  This  one  record  is  the  only  one  consecutive  and  complete 
record  in  Reno  county.  Tt  affords  the  only  means  of  supplementing  the 
incomplete  records  of  other  offices  of  Reno  county.  The  clerk  prepares 
a  final  statement  that  is  intended  for  the  use  of  the  governor  of  the  state 
and  of  the  Legislature,  upon  which  much  of  the  action  in  local  legislative 
matters  is  based;  including  a  large  variety  of  matters,  among  them  the 
total  valuation  of  all  property  in  the  county,  the  amount  paid  the  state 
directly,  the  amount  -collected  for  the  general  and  all  the  special  funds, 
including  the  road  fund,  both  county  and  township;  the  amount  on  hand  in 
the  sinking  fund  with  which  to  pay  the  bonds  of  the  county  when  they 
become  due;  the  amount  of  money  paid  out  for  interest:  the  amount  spent 
to  support  the  poor  of  the  county;  the  amount  for  each  school  district  and 
the  average  rate  of  taxation  for  each  dollar  of  valuation.     There  is  a  vast 


150  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

amount  of  work  for  this  office.  This  work  is  close  and  technical  in  char- 
acter and  must  he  correct  and  it  therefore  has  required  a  peculiar  ability  to 
handle  the  affairs  of  this  office. 

CLERK    CONVICTED   OF   EMBEZZLEMENT. 

Of  the  twelve  men  who  have  held  this  office,  two  of  them  have  had 
suspicion  cast  on  their  integrity.  One  of  these  was  A.  C.  Kies,  the  first 
county  clerk.  There  was  a  shortage  in  the  finances  of  the  county.  The 
poor  system  of  bookkeeping  of  that  time  makes  it  impossible  now  to  locate 
the  blame.  E.  Wilcox  was  the  treasurer  of  the  county  at  the  time  Kies 
was  county  clerk.  Wilcox  was  charged  with  shortage  in  county  funds. 
After  months  of  discussion,  with  a  hoard  of  county  commissioners  that 
were  unfriendly  to  Wilcox  he  was  able  to  clear  up  all  the  matters  charged 
against  him  and  the  account  with  him  settled.  Kies  was  accused  of  irregu- 
larities in  office,  but  no  suit  was  ever  filed  against  him.  Whether  the  com- 
missioners of  that  day  were  more  unfriendly  to  Wilcox  than  to  Kies  can  not 
now  be  determined,  but  no  criminal  suits  were  ever  filed  against  either  Wil- 
cox or  Kies.  However,  one  county  clerk  was  checked  up  short.  Howard 
\l.  Payne  was  found  guilty  of  embezzlement  and  sentenced  to  the  peni- 
tentiary for  an  indeterminate  sentence.  The  total  amount  of  his  shortage 
amounted  to  $5,540.18,  of  which  $3,609.82  was  paid  by  his  bondsmen,  leav- 
ing a  loss  to  Reno  county  of  $1,930.35. 

The  result  of  Payne's  shortage  led  to  a  checking  up  of  all  of  the  offices 
of  the  count\-  and  the  installing  of  some  checking  systems  that  would  make 
detection  of  irregularities  easier.  This  is  the  only  defalcation  ever  found 
.■gainst  any  officer  in   Reno  county. 

PRESEN1     RECORDS    COMPLETE    AND    ACCURATE. 

The  records  of  the  county  clerk's  office  at  the  present  time  are  com- 
plete and  information  is  easily  obtained.  In  the  early  days,  either  through 
lack  of  requirement  of  the  law  or  lack  of  disposition  on  the  part  of  the 
clerk-,  the  records  weir  carelessly  kept  and  in  many  instances  were  placed 
in  a  tiling  case  instead  of  being  recorded  in  a  permanent  form.  There  is 
a  l:  vault  room   for  the  records  of  the  county  clerks,  and  many  of  the 

old  records  arc  stored  in  the  basement  of  the  court  house  for  lack  of  room 
in  the  vault,  hut  the  records  thai  arc  being  made  at  the  present  time  are  com- 
plete and  accurate. 


CHAPTER   \\  III. 

The  County  Attorneys. 

This  office  has  come  to  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  must  important  in  the 
county.     Not  only  has  the  occupant  of  the  office  been  obliged  to  represent 

the  state  in  all  criminal  proceedings,  but  the  civil  business  of  the  county 
has  become  so  important  that  the  taxpayer  is  disposed  to  look  carefully  to 
the  qualifications  of  the  candidate. 

Reno  county  is  practicall)  a  one-hundred-million-dollar  corporation.  Its 
business  interests  have  grown  to  such  proportions  as  to  require  the 
best  advice  obtainable.  Likewise  the  wide  range  of  subjects  that  must  be 
handled  also  requires  the  greatest  care  and  diligence  of  the  county  attorney. 
All  of  the  contracts  made  by  the  county  commissioners  on  behalf  of  the 
county  must  be  drawn  by  the  county  attorney.  Reno  county  in  the  year 
1916  let  bridge  contracts  for  over  one  hundred  thousand  .dollars.  These 
contracts  must  be  prepared  by  the  county  attorney  and  he  must  meet  the 
competition  of  the  best  legal  minds  the  bridge  contractors  can  command, 
that  the  county's  rights  may  be  protected  and  the  contractors'  obligations 
kept  within  the  terms  of  the  agreement  with  the  county  commissioners. 

The  county  attorney  must  likewise  advise  with  the  commissioners  on 
all  tax  levies — their  extent,  when  they  can  be  levied  and  their  limitations. 
He  must  advise  them  against  illegal  levies,  that  no  injunction  suits  be  brought 
against  the  collection  of  these  taxes  by  some  taxpayer.  In  this  he  competes 
likewise  with  the  tax  commissioners  of  the  various  railroad  companies,  who 
are  constantly  on  the  watch  for  levies  that  are  not  authorized  by  the  statute. 
Likewise  the  county  attorney  must  be  the  legal  adviser  of  all  township  offi- 
cers. In  taxation  matters  there  are  continually  arising  questions  as  to  the 
construction  of  statutes,  which  the  county  attorney  must  decide  for  the  town- 
ship commissioners.  He  also  is  the  legal  advisor  of  the  various  county 
officers  as  to  matters  arising  out  of  their  offices. 

AN  OFFICE  OF    MUCH    [MPORTANCE. 

The  countv  attorney  also  becomes  the  legal  adviser  of  the  various 
justices  of  the  peace,  especially   in  criminal  cases.      There  are   many  cases. 


152  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

perhaps  five  hundred  a  year,  that  might  he  brought,  that  arc  trivial,  neighbor- 
hood disputes  that  some  would  perhaps  like  to  get  into  the  courts,  that  the 
county  attorney  directly  dismisses,  advising  against  bringing;  then  settles 
them  when  he  can.  out  of  court,  and  uses  his  discretion  in  other  cases  to 
the  end  that  trivial  matters  may  not  burden  the  courts.  So  the  county 
attorney's  office  has  grown  to  be  an  1  >ffice  of  great  importance. 

In  the  earl}-  days  the  office  was  not  so  seriously  regarded.  The  county 
attorney's  office  was  regarded  then  as  a  place  for  the  prosecution  of 
criminals,  the  civil  side  of  the  office  not  being  much  regarded.  So  much  so  was 
this  the  case  that  the  principal  qualification  of  a  candidate  was  his  announced 
desire  to  prosecute  violators  of  the  prohibitory  law.  In  many  Reno  county 
elections  this  has  been  the  issue  in  the  election  of  both  county  attorney  and 
sheriff.  But  the  growth  of  public  sentiment  against  the  liquor  business, 
whether  it  be  sold  by  a  "joint"  or  a  "boot-legger"  or  a  saloon,  together  witli 
the  throwing  down  of  nearly  all  the  limitations  of  the  criminal  law  in  liquor 
cases,  has  rendered  this  clamor  at  election  time  for  the  enforcement  of  the 
prohibitory  law  a  minor  quantity.  The  community  insists  on  the  enforce- 
ment of  the  liquor  law,  just  as  it  demands  the  enforcement  of  any  other 
criminal  statute.  It,  however,  has  a  just  regard  for  the  civil  side  of  the 
county  attorney's  business  and,  as  this  business  increases,  the  importance  of 
the  county  attorney's  office  is  more  highly  regarded. 

INCUMBENTS    IN    OFFICE    SINCE    CREATION    OF    SAME. 

There  have  been  fourteen  different  county  attorneys  elected  in  Reno 
county.  The  first  attorney  was  Lysander  Houk.  He  was  elected  at  the 
first  election  held  on  March  12.  1872.  There  was  only  one  ticket  nomi- 
nated and  Judge  Houk  was  unanimously  elected.  He  served  as  county 
attorney  until  1874.  In  this  third  election,  November  (>,  1 S74,  there  were 
two  candidates  for  the  office  of  count)'  attorney,  II.  Whiteside  receiving 
454  votes  and  J.  II.  Stevenson,  276  votes.  Mr.  Whiteside  is  still  a  resident 
of  Hutchinson,  but  there  is  no  further  record  of  Stevenson  in  the  court  affairs. 
If  he  remained  in  Reno  county  long  lie  never  attained  any  prominence  in 
county  affair-.      Whiteside  served  as  count)'  attorney    for  two  years. 

The  third  attorney  for  the  count)'  was  W.  II.  Lewis.  In  the  race  for 
count)  attorne)  in  [876  Mr.  Lewis  received  1.050  votes.  In  1 878  the 
contesl  for  this  office  was  between  Mr.  Lewis,  who  was  running  for  a 
second  term,  and  W.  M.  Whitelaw.  Mr.  Lewis  polled  1 .050  votes  and  Mr. 
Whitelaw,  057  votes      In  1X80  L.  Houk  was  the  Republican  candidate,  receiv- 


REN<  I  COU  XTV,    K  A  NSAS.  I  5  ■; 

ing  2,090  votes.  In  [882  Judge  Houk  was  a  candidate  for  re-election.  He 
received  at  this  time  1.177  Vl,|^'s.  while  his  opponent,  W.  II.  Lewis,  received 
995  votes.  Judge  Houk  resigned  the  county  attorneyship  on  being  elected 
judge  of  the  ninth  judicial  district  and  in  the  election  in  [883  for  the  balance 
oi  the  term  there  were  two  candidates.  The  contest  was  an  exceedingly 
interesting  one  and  resulted  in  the  election  of  R.  A.  Campbell,  who  received 
[,203  votes  to  [,173  received  by  his  opponent,  <i.  A.  Vandeveer.  Mr.  \  ande 
veer  was  a  Democrat,  a  tine  lawyer  and  a  popular  man,  and  he  cut  the  Repub- 
lican majority  to  a  close  margin  in  the  election.  In  [884  Mr.  Campbell  was 
re-elected  without  opposition,  receiving  2,224   votes. 

In  [886  there  were  three  candidates.  The  Republican  candidate  was 
Douglas  Kirkling.  lie  received  [,842  votes.  I\  P.  Hettinger,  the  Demo- 
cratic candidate,  received  [,360  votes  and  an  independent  candidate.  E.  L. 
Jewell,  polled  [60  votes.  Mr.  Kirkling  was  an  indifferent  lawyer.  He  served 
but  one  term,  lie  was  very  deliberate  in  his  manner  in  the  trial  of  a  case, 
and  the  old  settlers  recall  how  Judge  Houk,  in  a  criminal  case  would  take 
the  preliminary  examination  of  the  jurors  out  of  the  hands  of  the  county 
attorney  because  of  his  slow  manner  and  examine  them  himself.  The  courl 
would  loose  his  patience  with  Kirkling's  manner  and  would  act  as  county 
attorney  as  well  as  judge  to  expedite  business. 

INFLUENCE   OF   THE    POPULISTS. 

In  1888  W.  EL  Lewis  was  the  Republican  candidate  and  1).  \\  .  Kent 
was  the  Democratic  candidate.  Lewis  received  3,369  votes  and  Kent,  2,382 
votes.  Mr.  Lewis  served  two  years.  In  1890  the  Republican  party  became 
a  minority  part)'  in  both  comity  and  state.  In  this  election  Mr.  Lewis  received 
2,263  votes  and  C.  M.  Williams.  3.1  10  votes.  Mr.  Wliliams  resigned  after 
serving-  about  a  year.  In  180,1  there  were  three  candidates,  X.  L.  Wise, 
Republican,  receiving  2,269  votes;  J.  \V.  Quick,  Populist,  2,093  v°tes  and 
W.  M.  Whitelaw,  Democrat,  650  votes.  Here  still  the  Republican  party  was 
in  the  minority,  but  the  three  party  candidates  divided  the  votes  so  that  Mr. 
Wise  was  elected.  The  election  this  year  was  to  I  ill  the  balance  of  the  term 
for  which  Mr.  Williams  was  originally  elected,  and  this  made  an  election  in 
[892  necessary.  There  were  three  candidates  this  year.  .also,  but  the  Repub- 
lican candidate  was  J.  W.  Jones.  He  was  a  good  lawyer,  but  not  popular. 
His  opponents  were  James  McKinstry,  an  old-time  Democrat,  who.  how- 
ever, had  associated  with  the  Populists  in  their  "fusion"  with  the  Demo- 
crats in  their  joint  effort  to  beat   the    Republicans.      James   Hettinger    was 


j  3_|  KK\o   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

the  regular  Democratic  candidate.  At  this  time  the  Democrats  saw  that 
the  Populist  party  was  not  long-lived  and  there  arose  an  element  that  wanted 
to  keep  up  the  party  organization,  knowing  that  in  the  break-up  of  politics. 
the  majority  of  the  Populist  party  would  return  to  the  Democratic  party 
rather  than  go  into  the  Republican  party.  In  this  election  McKinstry's  per- 
sonal popularity  with  the  Democrats  got  him  enough  votes  in  addition  to  the 
Populist  votes  to  elect  him.  He  received  3.037  votes.  J.  \Y.  Jones,  the 
Republican  candidate,  got  3.031  and  James  Hettinger,  the  Democratic  nomi- 
nee, got  204  votes. 

In  1894  there  were  two  candidates.  L.  M.  Fall,  the  Republican  candi- 
date, got  3,063  votes  and  Williams,  2,075  votes.  In  this  election  Mr.  William- 
ran  more  than  700  votes  ahead  of  his  ticket.  Party  lines  were  settling  down 
and  under  ordinary  circumstances  Fall  should  have  received  a  thousand 
majority  over  his  opponent,  but  Mr.  Williams  was  regarded  as  a  far  supe- 
rior lawyer  to  his  opponent  and  cut  his  majority  Aery  much. 

In  1896  Fall  had  another  close  race  with  H.  Fierce,  he  receiving  3,213 
votes  and  Fierce,  3.137  votes.  Shortly  after  his  term  of  office  expired  Fall 
moved  to  California. 

In  1898  the  contest  for  this  office  was  between  Carr  W.  Taylor  and 
Willis  E.  Vincent.  Taylor  received  3,008  votes  and  Vincent  2,450  votes. 
Taylor  was  re-elected  in  1900.  W.  M.  Whitelaw  was  his  Democratic  oppo- 
nent, receiving  2,877  votes  while  Taylor's  vote  was  3,655. 

In  [902  there  were  four  candidates  for  count}'  attorney.  J.  U.  Brown, 
Republican,  polling  ^.^2^  votes;  fames  McKihstry,  1,800  votes;  G.  VV.  Mor- 
gan. Prohibitionist,  73  votes,  and  Frank  I  fogan.  Socialist,  129  votes.  In 
[904  Mr.  Brown  was  re-elected,  receiving  3.342  votes  against  2.473  1or  \- 
\V.  Tyler,  and  for  A.  C.   Humphries.  192  votes. 

In  [906  W.  II.  Lewis  was  the  Republican  candidate  and  Willis  I.. 
Vincent,  the  Democratic  nominee.  Lewis  receiving  3.027  votes  and  Vin- 
cent 2.077  votes.  In  r<;o8  Mr.  Lewis  was  a  candidate  again,  but  was 
defeated  by  James  Hettinger,  who  received  4.210  votes,  while  Lewis  polled 
3,430  votes. 

In  the  election  in  [910  Walter  F.  Jones  was  the  Republican  candidate. 
The  Democratic  candidate  was  Ed  T.  Foote.  Jones  received  3.370  votes 
successful  candidate  got  3.410  votes.  Mr.  Foote  was  re-elected  in 
[912.  Ili^  Republican  opponent  was  R.  B.  P.  Wilson.  Foote  polled  4.518 
votes  and  Wilson  2,885  votes.  The  (.'lection  of  1014  for  county  attorney 
was  another  three-cornered  fight.  Warren  II.  While  was  the  "Bull  Moose" 
candidate;  Herberl  Ramsey,  the  Democratic  representative  and  Eustace  Smith, 


RENO  COUNTY,    K  VNS  VS.  I  55 

the  Republican  nominee.     Ramsey  won,  receiving  5>°59  votes.     Smith  w; 
second,   with  4,160   votes,   and    White   received    2,526   vot<  This   was   an 

exceedingly  interesting  race.  It  indicates  the  comparative  strength  of  tin- 
political  parties  of  that  year.  The  candidates  were  all  young  men.  clean 
and  capable,  and  each  pulled  the  full  strength  of  his  organization.  In  [916 
Mr.  Ramsey  was  re-elected,  receiving  7,326  votes  and  his  Republican  oppo- 
nent, C.  G.  Deming,  polled  6,003  v°tes. 

VOTE   [NDICATES  GROWTH    OF  COUNTY. 

Of  the  fourteen  men  who  have  represented  Reno  count)  in  legal  matter-, 
eiidit  of  them  are  still  living  in  this  city  at  the  time  ^\  the  writing  of  this 
history  in  1916.  They  are  II.  Whiteside,  W.  II.  Lewis,  R.  A.  Campbell, 
C.  W.  Williams,  C.  W  Taylor,  James  Hettinger,   K.  T.   Foote,  and  Herbert 

Ramsey.  Four  are  dead,  L.  Houk,  '/■..  L.  Wise,  James  McKinstry  and  J.  V . 
Brown.  D.  Kirkling  left  this  county  shortly  after  his  term  of  office  expired 
and  L.  M.  Fall  lives  in  California.  The  average  length  of  service  of  these 
men  has  been  three  years  and  three  months.  W.  II.  Lewis  has  served 
the  countv  the  longest  time — ten  years,  and  C.  M.  Williams  the  shortest 
time,  serving  but  one  year  of  the  term  for  which  he  was  elected,  and  resign 
in<>-  at  the  end  of  one  year.  The  number  of  votes  cast  in  the  various  years 
accurately  indicates  the  growth  of  the  county.  In  [874  there  were  043 
votes  cast,  and  even-  effort  was  made  in  the  early  days  to  get  out  as  large  a 
vote  as  possible.  Party  lines  were  more  strictly  drawn  than  they  are  now 
and  an  additional  effort  was  made  to  get  out  all  of  the  votes  possible  in 
order  to  make  as  big  a  showing  as  possible.  At  some  of  the  early  elections 
it  is  recorded  that  the  judges  and  clerks  left  the  polls  in  order  to  go  out 
in  the  town  and  townships  to  get  the  voters  to  get  out  and  vote. 

In  1884  the  number  of  votes  had  increased  the  2._'->_]  votes  in  the  county. 
Dunne  the  later  years  a  Presidential  year  brought  out  a  larger  vote  than 
the  "off"  years.  In  1894  the  vote  had  more  than  doubled — increasing  to 
5.768.  Ten  years  later,  in  T904,  that  being  a  year  when  only  local  matters 
were  up  for  consideration,  there  was  only  a  slightly  larger  vote  than 
in  the  ten-years-previous  year,  which  was  a  year  when  I 'residential  candi- 
dates were  voted  on.  In  1014  the  vote  cast  amounted  to  [1,745-  The 
women  voting  added  to  the  vote  very  largely,  as  they  cast  almost  as  large 
a  vote,  proportionately,  as  the  men.  The  vote  in  [916  totaled  14.018  on  count) 
attorney.  It  was  the  largest  vote  ever  cast  in  the  county,  a  I 'residential 
election  calling  out  a  large  per  cent,  of  the  voting  population  of  the  count)'. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 
The  Register  of  Deeds. 

Reno  county  has  had  twelve  different  men  in  charge  of  the  office  of  regis- 
ter of  deeds  of  the  county  in  the  forty-five  years  of  its  existence.     Nine  of 
hese  have  held  the  office  for  two  consecutive  terms.     One  had  it  two  terms 
but  another  held  for  two  years  intervening  between  the  first  and  second  terms. 
One  held  it  for  three  years,  and  one  for  one  term  of  two  years. 

The  first  register  of  deeds  of  Reno  count)"  was  S.  H.  Hammond,  who 
was  appointed  to  the  office  by  Governor  Harvey  when  the  county  was  organ- 
ized in  1872.  He  was  a  candidate  in  1873,  but  his  election  was  contested,  and 
Hammond  held  the  office  during  the  time  the  election  was  in  the  courts,  the 
decision  <m  the  election  being  announced  on  February  5,  1875.  In  the  election 
of  [875  Hammond  was  a  candidate.  S.  A.  Atwood  was  also  a  candidate,  as 
was  I.  A.  Ijams.  In  this  election  the  contest  was  a  bitter  one.  The  court 
proceedings  had  intensified  the  feeling  against  Hammond,  who  insisted  on 
holding  on  to  the  office  until  a  final  decision  in  the  Supreme  Court  was  rend- 
ered. In  the  election  of  T875  Atwood  polled  706  votes  for  register  of  deeds; 
I  [ammond  only  got  T97,  and  Ijams.  160.  Atwood  was  a  candidate  for  re-elec- 
tion  in  1877.  His  Democratic  opponent  was  J.  M.  Beam.  Atwood  received 
t,oi2  votes  and  Beam  322  votes. 

In  1871)  John  Paine  was  the  leading  candidate.  He  had  two  opponents. 
I'at  Holland  and  W.  H.  Jordan.  Xo  record  of  the  vote  any  of  the  candidates 
received  can  be  found.  And  the  only  record  showing  that  Paine  was  the 
successful  candidate  i^  that  his  name  is  signed  to  the  records  of  the  register  of 
deeds  during  the  term  fur  which  he  was  a  candidate.  Paine  received  the  nom- 
ination and  election  in  [88l.  The  records  show  thai  he  received  1,243  votes; 
T.  J.  McMurray,  440  votes,  and  Simeon  Cooper,  another  competitor,  1  10. 

In  (883,  I.  S.  May  was  the  Republican  nominee  For  tln'^  office.  E.  Plan- 
pied  was  hi-  Democratic  opponenl  in  this  race,  and  he  was  also  Air.  Max's 
competitor  in  the  race  for  the-  second  term.  In  the  first  race.  May  polled  T.391 
votes,  and  Blanpied,  073.  In  [885  in  the  election  May  increased  his  vote  to 
1.733  votes,  while   Blanpied's  votes   fell  off  to  962. 

In  18X7.  I.  \\  Woodell  was  the  Republican  nominee  for  register  of  deeds. 


RENO  COl    N  CY,    KANSAS.  I 


3/ 


He  received  1,979  votes,  while  his  Democratic  competitor,  J.  I ..  Reger,  polled 
1,815.  Woodell  was  renominated  and  was  re-elected  in  [889,  but  there  1-  no 
record  of  who  was  his  competitor,  nor  oi  the  number  of  votes  either  candi- 
date received. 

Woodell  was  succeeded  in  this  office  in  [896  by  I  I.  ('.  Barrett,  who  polled 
2,469  votes,  while  his  Democratic  opponent,  L.  I).  Pollock,  received  2,083 
votes,  and  D.  W.  Stull,  a  third  candidate,  polled  443  votes.  The  Republican 
candidate  that  year  failed  to  poll  a  majority  of  all  the  votes  cast,  partly  because 
of  Barrett's  lack  of  popularity,  and  partly  because  his  Democratic  opponent. 
Pollock,  was  a  very  popular  man,  and  good  vote-getter.  In  his.  second  race- 
Barrett  did  better  than  he  did  in  the  first  race,  receiving  a  majority  of  489 
votes  over  Hugh  N.  Johnson,  his  Democratic  competitor,  Barrett  receiving 
2,589  votes,  and  Johnson,  2,100. 

In  1895  B.  J.  Ragland  was  the  Republican  nominee  and  the  successful 
candidate  at  the  election.  He  was  opposed  by  Fay  Smith  and  J.  E.  Wood. 
Ragland  received  2,484  votes;  Smith,  2,231,  and  Wood,  179.  Ragland  was 
renominated  and  was  re-elected  in  1897.  The  Democratic  nominee  against 
him  in  this  race  was  Sam  S.  Graybill.  Ragland  received  -'.045  votes  in  this 
election,  and  Graybill,  2,430. 

In  1899  Fred  S.  Scoresby  was  the  Republican  candidate  for  register  of 
deeds.  He  had  three  opponents,  Joseph  Hawes,  T.  B.  Lehman  and  ().  C. 
Miner.  Scoresby  polled  3,227  votes;  Hawes,  1,516;  Lehman,  67,  and  Miner. 
135.  Scoresby  was  re-elected  in  1902,  but  no  record  of  the  vote  of  this  elec- 
tion is  on  file.  In  1904  J.  G.  Lamont  was  the  successful  candidate  on  the 
Republican  ticket.  He  was  elected,  but  the  records  fail  to  show  who  his 
opponent  was,  or  the  vote  cast  for  either  of  them. 

In  1906  Lamont  was  renominated  by  the  Republican  parte  and  was 
re-elected,  receiving  3,110  votes,  while  his  Democratic  opponent,  Sam  Gallup, 
polled  2,602  votes.  In  1908,  Charles  W.  Ragland  was  elected  register  of  deeds 
over  W.  L.  Stroup,  he  receiving  4.422  votes,  and  Stroup,  3,^)^  votes.  Rag- 
land's  case  was  one  of  the  two  cases  in  Reno  county  of  the  son  succeeding  to 
the  office  his  father  had  held.  The  other  instance  was  in  the  office  of  county 
commissioner,  where  William  Astle,  the  father,  held  the  office  of  county  com- 
missioner in  the  early  days  of  the  county,  and  forty  years  later  his  son.  Harry 
Astle,  was  chosen  for  the  same  office,  (diaries  Ragland  was  given  a  second 
term  in  19 10. 

In  1912  there  were  two  candidates,  Man  B.  Parks  and  J.  A.  Schardein. 
Miss  Parks  received  3.242  votes,  and  her  opponent   polled  4.050  votes.      In 


I  58  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

1014.  Schardein  was  renominated,  but  was  defeated  by  E.  M.  Garman,  who 
polled  5,772  votes,  while  Schardein  received  5.507  votes.  Schardein  was 
renominated  in  [916,  as  was  also  Garman.  In  this  latter  race.  Schardein  was 
successful,  polling  6,578  votes,  while  Garman  received  6.455,  anfl  F.  O.  Swan- 
son,  704. 

IMPORTANT    FUNCTIONS   OF   THE   OFFICE. 

The  work  of  the  register  of  deeds  has  grown  from  a  few  instruments 
tiled  in  the  course  of  a  day  to  many  hundred  instruments  of  various  nature.  In 
the  early  days  of  the  county  the  register  of  deeds  had  hut  little  business  to 
transact,  as  there  was  not  much  property  being  sold.  As  the  county  developed, 
subdivisions  of  land  were  made,  and  the  business  greatly  increased,  especiallv 
during  the  boom  period  of  Hutchinson's  growth,  as  there  were  many  new  addi- 
ti<  >ns  t<  >  the  city  platted  and  the  lots  sold.  Likewise  in  the  days  of  "hard  times" 
there  were  a  great  man}"  chattel  mortgages  hied.  But  at  the  present  time  the 
number  of  releases,  both  of  chattel  and  real-estate  mortgages,  average  about 
the  same.  Some  seasons  of  the  year  there  will  he  more  mortgages  recorded 
than  released,  but  when  the  crops  have  been  harvested  and  marketed,  the 
release  will  greatly  exceed  the  new  instruments  hied:  but  throughout  the  year, 
the  average  will  be  about  the  same  for  new  mortgages  filed  and  old  mortgages 
released,  they  having  been  paid  off. 

This  office  is  an  important  one,  as  the  title  to  every  piece  of  property  has 
t<>  he  recorded  here.  The  men  who  have  held  the  office  have  been  careful  in 
the  discharge  of  their  duties,  and  no  instance  has  ever  come  to  light  where  the 
negligence  of  any  register  of  deeds  has  caused  a  loss  to  any  patron  of  the 
office  of  the  twelve  men  who  have  held  this  office.  Half  of  them  are  living 
and  half  of  them  are  dead.  Hammond,  At  wood,  Paine,  May,  Woodell  and 
Barrett  being  dead,  while  l'>.  J.  Ragland,  Scoresby,  Lamont,  Charles  W.  Rag- 
land.  Schardein  and  Garman  are  living".  It  is  unusual  for  such  a  large  per  cent. 
"i  the  men  \\h<>  have  held  this  office,  running  hack  almost  half  a  century,  to 
In-  Mill  living.  AH  hut  one  of  those  living  are  residents  of  Reno  county — that 
one  i-  Fred  S.  Scoresby,  who  lives  in  Rice  count}',  Kansas. 

In  the  earl_\-  days  oi  the  county  there  were  more  instruments  filed  than 
then-  were  releases.  This  was  especially  true  id"  mortgages,  on  real  estate,  as 
will  a-  chattel-.  The  times  of  the  year  of  the  filing  of  the  largest  number  of 
mortgage-  vary-  in  the  spring  there  are  more  chattel  mortgages,  and  in  the 
fall  and  winter,  more  real-estate  mortgages.  The  reason  for  this  difference 
1-  that  in  the  spring  and  summer  money  is  borrowed  on  chattels  to  conduct 
the  business  of  the  year—  among  farmers  to  get  the  immediate  money  to  carry 


RENO   COU  NTY,    KANSAS.  I  59 

mi  the  farming  until  they  can  sell  some  of  their  crops,     but  the  largest  loans 
arc  the  ones  made  in  the  handling  of  real  estate,  and  a  large  per  cent,  of  real 
estate  mortgages  are  made  in  the  fall  and  winter. 

I  lie  i\vvd  records  will  run  aboul   two  volumes  a  year,  or  about  thirteen 
hundred  deeds  filed  annually. 

As  a  sample  oi  the  aim  unit  of  business  done  in  tlii>  office,  winch  is  a 
record  of  the  activities  of  this  line  in  the  county:  In  [916  there  were  filed 
on  an  average  one  hundred  and  twenty  deeds  a  month  ;  one  hundred  mortgages 
a  month:  one  hundred  and  fifty  chattel  mortgages  a  month,  and  one  hundred 
and  fifty  releases  a  month,  there  being  hut  little  variation  in  the  number  of 
mortgages  and  releases,  both  running  about  the  same  number,  also  about 
eighteen  assignments  a  month.  There  are  likewise  about  one-third  more 
mortgages  filed  during  the  year  than  there  are  deeds  filed. 


CHAPTER  XX. 
Surveyors  and  Coroners. 

There  can  he  no  reason  given  for  grouping  two  county  offices  such 
as  surveyors  and  coroners  in  one  chapter  in  a  history  of  the  county,  except 
that  one  of  the  offices  has  not  been  of  enough  importance  to  make  a  chapter 
of  itself  and  there  never  was  much  reason  for  the  existence  of  the  other 
office.  The  surveyor's  office  was  always  one  of  the  last  offices  to  be  filled 
by  a  nominating-  convention,  when  that  system  was  in  use  for  placing-  men 
as  candidates  for  office.  There  never  were  more  than  two  or  three  men 
in  the  county  that  were  qualified  to  fill  the  office,  men  who  had  the  techni- 
cal knowledge  required.  This,  however,  was  not  always  recognized  by  the 
convention  that  made  up  the  party  ticket.  There  was  one  convention  in 
the  latter  days  of  the  convention  system  of  nomination  that  was  stampeded. 
The  convention  had  hung  on  all  afternoon ;  bitter  contests  arose  over  each 
office,  and  when  the  office  of  count\-  surveyor  was  reached  half  the  delegates 
had  gone  home.  Fred  Carpenter  had  been  the  county  surveyor  for  years, 
lie  was  a  man  of  experience  and  ability  and  made,  a  very  competent  county 
surveyor,  but  he  had  been  surveyor  for  several  terms  and  some  young  men 
from  one  of  the  wards  of  Hutchinson  concluded  to  make  a  change  in  that 
office.  As  soon  as  Mr.  Carpenter  had  been  nominated  the  name  of  another 
was  sprung  in  the  convention  by  a  group  of  band  boys  of  Hutchinson.  The 
man  they  wanted  could  toot  a  horn  and  had  made  a  living  by  running  a  news- 
paper in  a  small  town  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  county,  but  the  few- 
ness of  the  delegates  and  the  anti-fourth-term  sentiment  resulted  in  the  nomi- 
nation of  I  .  G.  Elbury.  Being  on  the  Republican  ticket  he  was  elected,  and 
Reno  county  and  Hutchinson  today  have  the  "errors  of  Elbury"  to  contend 
w  ith  in  his  surveys. 

There  wa>  no  surveyor  elected  at  the  organization  of  the  county.  A 
surveyor  by  the  name  of  D.  M.  Lewis  was  appointed  by  the  board  of  com- 
missioners to  do  -Mine  of  the  early  surveying.  The  first  election  for  sur- 
veyor was  in  the  fall  of  [873.  There  were  two  candidates,  E.  A.  Smith  and 
Sam  Slack.  In  the  election  Smith  received  238  votes  and  Slack.  [02  votes. 
'flu-  same  men  wer<-  candidates  two  years  later.  At  this  time  Smith's  vote 
increased  to  538  and  Slack's  vote  increased  in  proportion,  he  receiving  402 


RENO   COl    \  TV.    KANSAS.  \6\ 

votes.  In  1879  J.  M.  Harsha,  Sam  Slack  and  E.  Pratl  were  candidates  for 
sheriff.  Harsha  was  elected,  receiving  127  votes,  Slack  polling  439  and 
Pratt,  223  votes.  In  [88]  there  was  hut  one  candidate.  J.  M.  Marsha,  who 
received   1,025  votes. 

In  1883  a  change  was  made  in  county  surveyors.  \\  .  II.  Dunkin  became 
a  candidate  against  Harsha.  who  had  held  the  office  for  three  consecutive 
terms.  As  a  result  of  the  election  Dunkin  polled  1,215  votes  and  Harsha, 
1,161  votes.  In  1885  Fred  Carpenter  became  county  surveyor.  He  had  grad- 
uated from  the  State  University,  was  a  thoroughly  competent  man  and 
gave  the  county  fine  service.  His  opponent  in  1885  was  the  man  who  held 
the  office  at  that  time,  \V.  H.  Dunkin.  Carpenter  polled  1,648  votes  and 
Dunkin,  1,040  votes.  In  1887  Carpenter  was  again  a  candidate.  J.  M.  Talbotl 
was  his  opponent.  Carpenter  received  2,376  votes  and  Talhott,  1,512  vote-. 
There  is  no  record  of  the  election  of  1889,  the  minutes  of  the  county  com- 
missioners for  that  year  merely  showing  the  list  of  the  successful  candi- 
dates. It  was  the  custom  of  all  the  preceding  county  clerks  to  record  the 
votes  for  each  candidate  as  well  as  those  county  clerks  who  succeeded.  S.  J. 
Morris,  the  county  clerk  of  that  time,  and  to  place  in  the  hook  in  which  the 
commissioners'  proceedings  are  recorded  the  list  of  the  votes  by  townships 
for  each  candidate.  The  record  for  this  year  simply  records  the  success- 
ful candidates,  among  shown  was  Fred  Carpenter,  who  was  elected  sur- 
veyor, and  refers  to  the  abstract  of  this  election  on  file  for  "further  informa- 
tion", and  the  county  commissioners  solemnly  certify,  and  have  it  recorded 
in  their  journal,  that  "they  have  canvassed  the  vote  and  found  the  result 
recorded  herewith  to  be  correct".  Whatever  became  of  the  abstract,  if  it 
were  ever  prepared,  can  not  now  be  known.  A  search  in  the  court  house, 
in  office  filing-cases,  in  the  vault  where  records  are  kept  and  even  in  the 
basement,  where  valuable  records  are  "dumped"  because  of  lack  of  place 
for  them   in  the  vault,   fails  to  show  any  trace  of  this  abstract. 

In    [891    there  were  three  candidates    for  county   surveyor,   Fred   Car- 
penter, W.  H.  Dunkin  and  T.  H.  Robbins.  "Carpenter  received  2,390  votes: 
Dunkin.  2,176  votes  and  Robbins,  447  votes.     In  1893  there  were  two  candi 
dates  for  surveyor,  Fred  Carpenter  and  E.  M.  Garrett.     Carpenter  received 
2,66]    votes  and  Garrett  994  votes. 

STAMPEDED    THE    CONVENTION". 

It  was  the  convention  of  [894  that  was  referred  to  in  the  early  part 
of  this  chapter,  when  the  convention  was  stampeded  for  T.  G.  Elbury  against 

(11) 


l62  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

Fred  Carpenter.  In  the  Republican  convention  that  nominated  Elburv  no 
one  knew  him,  but  he  received  the  nomination  over  Fred  Carpenter.  In  the 
election  Elburv  received  2,588  votes  and  Carpenter.  2,220  votes.  Elbury 
was  nominated  again  in  1897  by  the  Republicans.  The  democrats  nomi- 
nated E.  L.  Allen.  Elbury  polled  2,690  votes  and  Allen  2,311  votes.  In 
1899  Elbury  ran  again.  His  opponent  was  Aha  O'Hara.  Elbury  polled 
3.01 1  votes  and  O'Hara  2,y=)2.  Elbury  was  chosen  for  the  fourth  term 
in  1 901.  He  had  two  opponents,  .Viva  O'Hara  and  Frank  Lang.  Elbury 
received  3.278  votes  in  the  election,  O'Hara  1,868  votes  and  Lang  131  votes. 

In  1903  there  was  a  complete  change  in  candidates  for  this  office.  G. 
L.  McLane  and  C.  P.  Rathburn  were  the  candidates.  McLane  is  a  high- 
grade  civil  engineer  and  his  work  has  been  eminently  satisfactory.  In  this 
election  he  received  4,070  votes  and  Rathburn  272  votes.  In  1906  McLane 
was  renominated  and  was  elected  without  opposition,  receiving  3,586  votes 
at  this  election.  In  1908  McLane  was  a  candidate  again  and  the  opponent 
was  W.  H.  Dunkin.  McLane  polled  4,178  votes  and  Dunkin,  3,395  votes. 
In  1910  the  same  candidates  were  before  the  people.  McLane  received 
in  this  election  3,600  votes  and  Dunkin,  2,985  votes.  In  191 2  McLane 
had  no  opposition,  polling  3,836  votes,  and  by  successive  re-elections  is 
>lill  serving  as  county  surveyor. 

In  tin's  forty-five  years  of  the  organization  of  Reno  county  there  have 
been  but  six  men  who  have  held  the  office  of  count}-  surveyor.  G.  L. 
McLane  has  held  the  office  for  seven  terms,  or  fourteen  years;  T.  G.  Elbury, 
four  terms,  or  eight  years;  Fred  Carpenter,  five  terms,  or  ten  years;  J.  M. 
Marsha,  three  terms,  or  six  years;  E.  A.  Smith,  two  terms,  or  four  years, 
and  W.  H.  Dunkin.  one  term,  or  two  years.  Of  these,  W.  H.  Dunkin, 
Fred  Carpenter  and  G.  L.  McLane  still  live  in  Reno  county.  Mr.  Carpenter 
is  roadmaster  on  the  Santa  Fe  railroad :  Mr.  McLane  is  a  member  of 
Company  G  of  the  National  Guard,  in  the  service  of  the  country,  and  W. 
II.    Dunkin  has   retired    from   active  business  because  of  his  age. 

CORONERS   OK   RENO    COUNTV. 

If  one  were  looking  for  an  anatomical  analysis  of  the  count}'  offices,  if 
lie  were  seeking  to  locate  in  the  "body  politic"  the  various  offices  of  the 
county,  lie  would  have  no  trouble  in  properly  placing  the  office  of  coroner. 
It  is  die  vermiform  appendix  of  the  political  body.  It  has  but  little  use. 
Tn  1  of  persons   found  dead  the  coroner  "sits"  on  the  corpse  to  ascer- 

tain whether  the  deceased  came  to  his  death   from  natural  causes  or  whether 


RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS.  .         [63 

his  death  was  caused  by  the  acl  of  some  other  person  and,  it  so,  who  the 
person  was,  if  there  is  any  evidence  to  disclose  the  identity  of  such  a  person, 
or  whether  the  death  was  accidental  or  not.  lie  has  bul  little  authority  and 
the  courts  act  entirely   independently  of  the  findings   of  a  coroner's  jury. 

The  coroner's  office  has  one  dignity  attached  to  it:  Thai  official  becomes 
sheriff  of  the  county  where  there  shall  be  no  sheriff  in  the  county  or  where 
the  sheriff  for  any  cause  shall  be  committed  to  the  jail  of  the  county  of 
which  he  is  sheriff.  This  dignity  has  never  yet  come  to  any  coroner  of 
Reno  county.  However,  Reno  county  has  always  elected  a  coroner,  and  a 
history  of  this  county  would  be  incomplete  if  it  did  not  mention  this  consti- 
tutional office. 

The  hrst  coroner  was  elected  in  1873.  A.  Diffenbaugh  and  A.  R. 
Blodgett  were  the  candidates.  Diffenbaugh  polled  311  votes  and  Blodgett, 
246  votes.  In  1875  there  was  but  one  candidate,  Dr.  A.  W.  McKinney, 
who  received  865  votes.  In  1877  there  were  two  candidates,  C.  L.  Eggert 
and  Dr.  N.  T.  P.  Robertson.  Eggert  polled  1,044  votes  and  Robertson. 
279  votes.  Doctor  Robertson  was  one  of  the  best  known  of  the  early 
doctors,  tall,  thin  and  awkward.  He  was  always  smooth  shaven,  even  in 
those  days  when  beards  were  popular.  Doctor  Robertson  never  was  able 
to  poll  many  votes  for  coroner.  He  was  a  candidate,  perhaps  against  his 
will;  his  name  put  on  to  fill  up  the  ticket,  but  he  never  was  able  to  com- 
mand many  votes.  This,  coupled  with  the  fact  that  he  was  a  Democrat, 
the  kind  of  a  Democrat  that  always  asserted  his  Democracy,  perhaps  accounted 
for  his  light  vote. 

In  1879  A.  H.  Moffat,  W.  L.  Ross  and  L.  Diffenbaugh  were  candi- 
dates for  coroner.  Moffat  was  at  that  time  agent  for  the  Santa  Fe  railroad 
in  Hutchinson.  He  afterwards  became  one  of  the  road's  general  passenger 
agents.  In  this  election  he  polled  1,272  votes.  Rose  received  439  votes 
and  Diffenbausrh,  22^  votes.  It  is  said  that  this  election  for  the  office  of 
coroner  was  very  much  like  the  contest  sometimes  conducted  to  find  out 
who  is  the  most  popular  lady  in  the  city.  Moffat's  friends  got  him  on  the 
ticket  as  a  joke,  but  he  did  not  want  any  candidate  on  his  ticket  to  get 
more  votes  in  the  election,  so  he  stirred  up  his  friends  to  see  if  he  could 
not  "lead"  the  ticket  and  he  did  it.  But,  having  received  the  prize.  Moffat 
declined  this  honor,  never  qualified  and  Reno  county  was  without  a  coroner 
for  one  Year.  In  1880  there  were  two  candidates  to  fill  the  vacancy  of 
one  year,  Dr.  A.  W.  McKinney  and  D.  D.  Olmstead.  McKinney  got 
353  votes  and  Olmstead  222.  In  i88t  there  were  three  candidates  for  coroner. 
O.  S.  Jenks,  Dr.  N.  P.  T.  Robertson  and  John  Payne.     Payne  won,  receiv- 


164  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

itig  878  votes;  Robertson  ran  second,  polling  690  votes,  while  Jenks  polled 
138  votes.  In  1883  S.  H.  Parks  and  Dr.  A.  W.  McKinney  were  candidates 
for  this  office.  Parks  polled  1,305  votes  and  McKinney  1,266  votes.  In 
[885  the  contest  was  between  two  doctors,  Dr.  A.  W.  McKinney  and  Dr. 
N.  T.  P.  Robertson.  McKinney  won,  polling  1,752  votes,  and  Robertson, 
93S  votes.  The  same  candidate,  with  J.  Hanan,  made  the  race  in  1887. 
McKinney  polled  2,333  votes;  Robertson,  1,425  votes  and  Hanan,  187  votes. 

Because  of  the  failure  of  S.  J.  Morris,  county  clerk,  to  keep  the  result 
of  the  vote,  there  is  no  record  of  the  election  of  1889,  except  that  "A.  W. 
McKinney  was  elected  coroner".  In  1891  A.  W.  McKinney,  R.  B.  Wil- 
son and  John  Parke  were  candidates  for  this  office.  McKinney  polled  2,409 
votes,  Wilson,  2,183  votes  and  Parke,  428  votes.  In  1893  there  were  two 
candidates,  Dr.  S.  M.  Colladay  and  J.  C.  Stratton.  Colladay  polled  2.555 
votes  and  Stratton,  960  votes. 

In  1895  Dr.  E.  A.  Taylor,  J.  W.  Hutton  and  J.  F.  Ives  were  the  nomi- 
nees for  coroner.  Taylor  polled  2,801  votes  in  the  election;  Hutton,  1,802 
votes  and  Ives,  214  votes.  In  1897  Taylor  and  Ives  were  candidates  again. 
This  time  Taylor  received  2,789  votes  and  Ives  2,223  votes.  In  1899  Taylor 
was  again  a  candidate.  His  opponent  was  J.  B.  Julian.  Taylor's  vote  in 
this  election  was  3,154  and  Julian's,  2,126.  In  1901  Doctor  Taylor  was 
again  a  candidate.  He  had  three  competitors,  J.  F.  Ives,  of  1895  and  1897, 
also  A.  L.  Hollowell  and  Bartholomew  Carrington.  Taylor  received  3,223 
votes,  Ives,  1,823;  Hollowell,  75,  and  Carrington,  125.  In  1903  Dr.  H. 
\l.  Stewart  was  a  candidate  with  E.  A.  Richardson  and  W.  S.  Richardson 
as  his  opponent.  Stewart  polled  3.903  votes;  E.  A.  Richardson,  1,702 
and  W.  S.  Richardson,  217.  In  1905  Dr.  W.  F.  Schoor  and  Dr.  F.  D. 
Forney  were  candidates.  Schoor  polled  3,336  votes  and  Forney  2,266 
votes.  In  1907  Schoor  was  a  candidate  again,  with  Warren  H.  Miner  as 
his  opponent.  Schoor  polled  4,209  votes  and  Miner  3.356  votes.  In  1909 
there  was  but  one  candidate.  Dr.  W.  H.  Williamson,  who  polled  3,776  votes. 
In  101  1  Williamson  was  a  candidate  again,  polling  3,725  votes  to  3,269  for 
his  opponent,  C.  F.  McNair. 


C.  C.  HUTCHINSON 


CHAPTER  XXI. 
Representatives  and  State  Senators. 

Reno  county's  first  representative  in  the  lower  house  of  the  Legisla- 
ture was  ('.  C.  Hutchinson.  His  election  was  very  irregular,  and  it  is  very 
doubtful  if  he  would  be  admitted  to  any  present-day  Legislature  with  cre- 
dentials such  as  he  had;  for  the  county  had  not  been  organized  when  he  was 
elected,  a  temporary  board  of  county  commissioners  having  been  appointed 
by  the  governor  to  hold  the  first  election.  The  commissioners  of  Reno  coun- 
ty had  not  made  an  organization  when  two  of  them  called  the  election  for 
representatives  one  day,  held  the  election  the  next  day,  canvassed  the  vote 
and  issued  the  certificate  of  election  before  sundown  of  election  day,  and 
within  a  half  hour  after  the  certificate  of  election  was  finished  Hutchinson 
was  on  his  way  overland  in  a  covered  wagon  to  Newton,  then  the  western 
terminus  of  the  Santa  Fe  railroad,  which  he  "took"  to  Topeka  early  the  next 
morning,  and  on  the  following  morning  presented  his  certificate  of  election 
to  the  Mouse  of  Representatives  then  in  session,  was  admitted  as  a  member 
and  began  his  work  as  such  at  once.  This  was  called  the  ninety-fourth  dis- 
trict at  that  time.  In  the  election  held  in  1873,  for  the  legislative  session  that 
was  held  in  1874,  there  were  two  candidates,  C.  C.  Hutchinson  and  J.  \\  . 
Kanaga.  Hutchinson  received  341  votes  and  Kanaga,  221.  Hutchinson 
served  as  a  member  of  the  House  for  the  session  held  in   1874. 

The  third  election  for  representative  brought  out  three  candidates:  T. 
T.  Taylor,  W.  J.  Ross  and  Fletcher  Meredith.  Roth  Taylor  and  Meredith 
were  Republicans,  and  Ross  was  a  Democrat.  The  two  candidates  of  the 
Republican  party  divided  the  vote,  Taylor  receiving  447  votes:  Ross,  278, 
and  Meredith,  248.  In  the  election  held  in  November.  1874.  Taylor  had  no 
opposition  for  re-election  and  received  742  votes  as  representative  from  the 
ninety- fourth  district. 

In  0X76  there  were  two  candidates  for  representative,  J.  V.  Clymer, 
a  Republican,  and  \Y.  |.  Ross  was  candidate  against  Clymer.  The  latter 
received  589  votes,  and  Ross,  412.  Considering  that  Reno  county  was  s<  > 
strongly  Republican,  the  vote  Ross  received  was  a  high  compliment  to  him. 
Ordinarily  the  Democrats,  at  that  time,  received  but  a  small  per  cent  of  the 


l66  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

votes,  the  county  being  settled  largely  by  Union  soldiers,  who  were  nearly 
all  Republicans.  During  the  session  of  the  Legislature  the  district  which 
was  composed  ol  Reno  county  had  its  number  changed  from  ninety-fourth 
t<>  one  hundred  and  fifteenth.  The  settling  up  of  the  western  part  of  the 
state  led  to  the  organization  of  new  counties  and  the  new  number  of  one  hun- 
dred and  tit  teen  was  given  to  Reno  county. 

RIVALRY   BETWEEN    COUNTRY   AND   TOWN. 

In  [878  the  election  brought  out  four  candidates,  W.  R.  Brown,  a  law- 
yer of  Hutchinson,  and  a  Republican;  W.  J.  Ross,  a  Democrat;  A.  J.  Cole, 
a  Greenbacker,  and  J.  11.  Lawson,  a  Republican.  In  that  election  politics 
played  only  a  small  part.  There  had  grown  up  in  Reno  county  a  fight  of  the 
country  against  the  town.  The  contest  started  over  who  should  hold  the 
offices,  the  country  claiming  that  the  town  monopolized  the  county  and  leg"- 
islative  offices.  There  was  but  little  virtue  to  the  claim,  hut  it  was  made  by 
some  men  in  the  county  in  order  to  get  votes,  by  appealing  to  the  prejudices 
of  the  farmer.  In  this  election  Brown  polled  479  votes:  Ross,  507;  Cole, 
103.  and  Lawson.  630.  Lawson  won  on  his  "country  against  the  town"  cam- 
paign. Ross  received  a  great  many  Republican  votes,  and  while  Cole's  vote. 
added  to  those  Ross  received,  would  not  have  been  enough  to  have  elected 
him:  had  not  Cole  been  a  candidate,  Ross  would  undoubtedly  have  been 
elected,  for  there  were  many  men  in  Hutchinson  who  voted  for  Brown  who 
would  have  voted  for  Ross,  had  they  not  thought  that  Cole  would  take 
enough  votes  from  Ross  to  insure  his  defeat.  Had  the  vote  been  between 
Ross  and  Lawson.  Ross  would  have  been  elected  by  a  large  majority. 

In    1880    Laws<  in    was    re-elected.      His    opponents    then    were    William 
II.  Ingham  and  Henry  llegwer.     Lawson  received  1,017  votes;  Ingham,  826, 
nd    llegwer.   204.       This    Legislature   divided    Reno   county   into   two   legis- 
lative districts.     The  eastern  part  of  the  county,  including    Hutchinson,   was 
the    ninety-seventh    district,    and    the    western    and    southern    part    of 
•unty    was    put    into   another   district    and    numbered    the   ninety-eighth 
;trict.     In  the  election  held  on  November   10,   1882,  in  the  ninety-seventh 
rid   there   were  three  candidates,   T.   T.   Taylor.   A.    R.   Scheble   and    II. 
Taylor  lived  in   Little   River  township  at   thai   time,   where  he 
lomesteading  a  quarter  section  of  land.     LTe  was  also  practicing  law    in 
Scheble  was  a  lawyer  living  in  Hutchinson,  and  Freeman  lived 
"In  township.     \->  a  resull  of  this  election.  Taylor  received  482  votes; 
t>le.  560,  and  Freeman,  236.     In  the  wesl  district,  there  were  two  can- 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  I ' '7 

didates,  J.  W.  Claypool  and  T.  B.  I  land.  Claypool  was  elected,  receiving 
5  i  5    votes,   and    I  land,   439. 

In  1SS4,  in  the  ninety-seventh  district,  then-  were  three  candidates, 
W.  H.  Northcntt,  Sanders  Cochran  and  I.  \.  Gray.  The  election  resulted 
in  Gray's  election,  he  receiving  i,o(>7  votes;  Northcutt,  685,  and  Cochran, 
640.  In  the  ninety-eighth  district  there  were  two  candidates,  A.  I'-,  'aid- 
well  and  O.  S.  Jenks.     Caldwell  received  899  votes  and  Jenks,  637. 

Another  change  in  the  numbers  of  the  district  was  made  by  the  Legis- 
lature. The  territory  remained  the  same  in  each  district,  but  the  numbers 
\\ere  changed  to  ninety-two  and  ninety-three.  The  ninety-second  district 
was  the  eastern,  or  "town"  district,  as  it  was  called. 

MADE    IT    PRACTICALLY    UNANIMOUS. 

In  the  election  of  1886,  T.  T.  Taylor  had  but  little  opposition  in  the 
election.  His  opponent  was  C.  Bishir.  Bishir  was  a  peculiar  man,  honest, 
but  very  narrow  and  very  selfish.  He  was  a  Greenbacker  and  opposed  bonds 
of  any  and  all  kinds,  opposing  the  issuing  of  bonds  for  any  purpose.  In 
this  election,  Taylor  made  no  campaign  and  the  universal  dislike  of  Bishir 
made  it  evident  that  the  latter  would  receive  but  few  votes.  The  result  of 
this  election  justified  the  lack  of  effort  on  Taylor's  part,  as  he  received  1.009 
votes  and  Bishir,  84. 

In  the  west  district  there  were  three  candidates,  W.  A.  Watkins,  E.  J. 
Arnold  and  W.  J.  Presby.  Watkins  received  778  votes;  Arnold,  827.  and 
Presby,  107.  Arnold  served  one  term  in  the  Legislature  and  was  never  a 
candidate  again  and  soon  moved  from  the  county. 

In  1888  H.  M.  Whistler,  F.  P.  Hettinger,  C.  W.  Peckham  and  Charles 
Purely  were  candidates  in  the  ninety-second  district.  Whistler  was  elected, 
receiving  twelve  hundred  and  sixty  votes.  Hettinger  polled  1,197  votes; 
Peckham,  yS,  and  Pnrdy,  107.  In  the  ninety-third  district  there  were  four 
candidates  for  the  office  in  1888,  J.  N.  High,,  A.  S.  Kent,  J.  H.  Fry  and  D. 
Tanner.  High  was  elected,  receiving  1,385  votes;  Kent,  819;  Fry,  Si.  and 
Tanner,   162. 

In  1890  there  were  two  candidates  in  each  district.  In  the  east  district 
J.  A.  Meyers  and  H.  S.  Freeman  contested  for  the  office.  Freeman  was 
elected,  receiving  1,570  votes  to  1,413  for  Meyers.  In  the  west  district, 
Enos  Dutton,  the  Republican  candidate,  was  beaten  by  W.  H.  Mitchell,  a 
Populist,  Dutton  receiving  9,740  votes  and  Mitchell,  i,44°-  This  Legis- 
lature again  changed  the  numbers  of  the  two  Reno  county  districts,   nnm- 


l68  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

bering  them  seventy-six  and  seventy-seven.  In  the  election  of  1892,  in  the 
seventy-sixth  district.  J.  F.  Greenlee  was  the  Republican  candidate  and 
received  1.715  votes.  In  the  west  district  there  were  three  candidates,  J. 
\V.  l)ix.  W.  H.  Mitchell  and  W.  E.  Roach.  Dix  received  1,535  votes; 
Mitchell,  1,511.  and  Roach.  M>.  In  1894  Dix  was  again  a  candidate  from 
this  district  and  beat  his  opponent,  George  Thompson,  Dix  receiving  1.508 
votes  and  Thompson,  [,245.  In  this  election  in  the  east  district,  Fletcher 
Meredith  beat  Frank  Bowser.  Meredith  polling  1.729  votes  and  Bowser, 
[,230.  Meredith  was  a  newspaper  man.  a  fighter  and  an  uncompromising 
protectionist.  He  was  not  a  good  candidate,  as  he  never  left  a  matter  like 
getting  votes  interfere  with  what  he  had  to  say  in  his  newspaper.  He  was 
a  candidate  before  the  convention  several  times  for  different  offices,  but  was 
seldom  successful.  In  this  race  he  had  the  better  of  Bowser,  who  was  a 
farmer  in  Lincoln  township  and  very  little  known  at  that  time. 

OVERCOME    VIGOROUS    OPPOSITION. 

In  [896  Theo.  Botkin  was  the  Republican  nominee  from  the  seventy- 
sixth  district  and  M.  Watson  the  Democratic  candidate.  Botkin  came  to 
Hutchinson  from  southwestern  Kansas,  where  he  was  judge  of  the  district 
court.  He  had  a  stormy  time  as  judge,  and  was  impeached  by  the  state 
Senate.  Botkin  was  a  man  of  great  force  of  character  and  a  good  speaker, 
but  a  man  who  had  an  unusually  active  group  of  enemies.  The  light  was 
continued  on  him  here  in  this  race,  but  he  won,  receiving  1,703  votes  to 
Watson's  1.673.  Botkin  was  a  good  representative,  but  moved  away  Erom 
Hutchinson  shortly  after  he  had  finished  his  term  of  service  in  the  Legis- 
lature. 

In  the  west  district,  Thomas  Iveddie  was  the  Republican  candidate,  and 
I.  A.  DeBard,  the  Democratic  nominee.  Keddie  heat  DeBard  ninety-nine 
votes,  he  receiving  1.543  votes  to  DeBard's  1.444.  In  1898  DeBard  was 
a  candidate  in  this  district  again,  being  elected  over  E.  R.  Watkins,  by  a 
■'  '  -3,s3  to  1.357.  This  district  number  was  changed  by  the  Legis- 
lature of  [896  to  the  seventy-ninth  district,  and  the  east  district  was  num- 
bered eighty.  In  the  election  of  1898,  in  the  eightieth  district.  Z.  L.  Wise. 
of  Hutchinson,  heat  M.  Watson,  Wise  receiving  [,605  votes  and  Watson, 
1.0X4.  I"  [900  Wise  was  again  a  candidate  and  was  re-elected.  He  had 
a-  an  opponent  C.  Bishir,  who  had  made  the  race  against  T.  T.  Taylor  in 
[886,  and  wh<»m  Taylor  beat  50  badly.  Bishir  had  grown  more  popular  than 
he   was   in   the   early   days,   talked    less   against    "bonds",   and    made   a    very 


RE  NO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  I '  >•  I 

respectable,  showing,  (Wise  receiving  2,132  votes  to  Bishir's  [,138.  In 
the  seventy-ninth  district,  K.  I\.  Watkins  made  a  second  campaign  for  rep- 
resentative, beating  his  opponent,  J.  A.  DeBard,  by  twentj  one  votes,  he 
receiving    [,642  votes  to   DeBard's    [,621. 

In  [902  in  the  Hutchinson,  or  east  district,  there  were  four  candidates, 
John  M.  Kinkel,  C.  W.  Oswald.  T.  I ).  Talmadge  and  J.  P.  Stratum.  Kinkel 
was  the  Republican  nominee,  and  received  [,653  votes;  Oswald,  the  Demo- 
cratic candidate,  polling  [,215  votes;  Talmadge,  the  Prohibition  candidate. 
65   votes,   and    Stratum,    the   Socialist   candidate,    [II,       In    the    west    district, 

E.  I\.  Watkins  was  re-elected  over  Joseph  Sherrow  and  J.  \Y.  Brown, 
Watkins  receiving  1,424  votes;  Sherrow,  854,  and  Brown,  -'4.  In  [904 
in  the  eightieth  district,  W.  Y.  Morgan  was  elected,  receiving  [,850  votes. 
A.  P.  Johnson,  his  Democratic  opponent,  got  1,443  V(lt,-'s.  and  J.  W.  St'rat- 
ton,  the  Socialist  candidate,  polled  [43  votes.  In  the  eighty-first  district, 
|.  \V.  [ones  was  the  Republican  candidate.  Me  had  been  sheriff  of  Reno 
county  for  tour  years.  He  was  beaten  by  Henry  S.  Thompson,  Jones 
receiving  [,214  votes  and  Thompson,  [,230.  In  [906,  in  the  east  district, 
Morgan  was  re-elected  over  John  A.  Myers,  receiving  [,663  votes  to  Myers' 
[,566.  In  the  eighty-first  district  the  same  candidates  were  chosen  by  each 
party,  Thompson  winning  over  his  opponent  by  a  vote  oi    1.351   to  1,165. 

In  [908  Morgan  was  a  candidate  for  the  third  time  in  the  east  district, 
and  W.  E.  Vincent  was  his  opponent.  Morgan  polled  -'.5^4  votes,  and 
Vincent,  2,098  votes.  In  the  west  district  C.  Fred  Fehr  received  1,567 
votes  to  [,419  received  by  his  Democratic  opponent,  W.  A.  Austin,  of 
Sylvia.  In  19 to  \Y.  Y.  Morgan  was  the  Republican  candidate  again  and 
Frank  Fields,  of  Pretty  Prairie,  was  the  Democratic  nominee,  and  was  elected. 
Morgan  received  1,820  votes,  and  Fields  2,218.  In  the  west  district,  Fehr 
and  Thompson  were  candidates.  Thompson  winning  by  a  vote  of  1,295  to 
Fehr's  1,-73.  In  191 2  ].  S.  Simmons  was  the  Republican  nominee  tor  rep- 
resentative for  the  seventy-fifth  district,  and  J.  I'.  ( ).  Graber  his  Demo- 
cratic opponent.  Simmons  received  2,099  votes  and  Graber,  -',410.  In  the 
west  district    E.   E.    Blaisdell  heat    Henry  Thompson  by  a   vote  of    1,414  to 

En  [914  there  were  three  candidates  in  the  east  district  for  representative. 

F.  L.  Martin,  R.  C.  Layman  and  C.  II.  Bacon.  Martin  was  the  Republican 
candidate,  Lavman  the  Democratic  nominee,  and  Bacon  ran  on  the  "Bull 
Moose"  Republican  ticket.  Martin  received  3.387  votes:  Layman.  2.769  votes, 
and  Bacon,  1,351.  In  the  west  district  Jake  Edwards,  the  Republican  nomi- 
nee, defeated  Henry  S.  Thompson  by  a  vote  of  2^63  to  1.748. 


1JO  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

In  ic)ih  l\  L.  Martin  was  re-elected  representative  from  the  east  dis- 
trict over  Eugene  Hippie,  Martin  polling  4,483  votes  and  Hippie,  3,960.  In 
the  west  district,  Edwards  was  elected  for  a  second  term,  receiving"  2,369 
votes  to    [,960  votes  cast   for  J.   A.    Lyons. 

There  have  been  thirty-one  different  men  elected  to  the  office  of  rep- 
resentative from  Reno  county,  four  of  them  representing  the  entire  county 
in  the  early  days  when  Reno  county  constituted  one  representative  district, 
and  thirteen  different  men  have  been  elected  from  each  of  the  two  districts 
after  the  comity  was  divided.  There  have  been  seven  men  who  held  the 
office  two  terms.  C.  C.  Hutchinson.  John  Lawson  and  T.  T.  Taylor  (although 
<me  of  the  latter's  terms  was  tilled  after  the  count}'  was  divided,  when  there 
was  one  district  in  the  count}').  Wise  and  Martin,  in  the  east  district,  and 
Watkins  and  Edwards  in  the  west  district.  There  have  been  two  men,  one 
in  each  district,  who  have  held  the  office  three  terms,  \Y.  V.  Morgan,  in  the 
east  district,  and  Henry  S.  Thompson,  in  the  west  district. 

1  »f  the^e  representatives,  none  is  living  who  represented  the  entire 
mtv.  Of  those  who  represented  the  east  district,  five  are  still  living,  and 
all  of  them  are  still  residents  of  Reno  county.  fn  the  west  district,  seven 
are  still  living:  and  are  likewise  still  residents  of  the  county.  One  of  them, 
\Y.  V.  Morgan,  was  afterwards  elected  lieutenant-governor,  and  another,  T. 
T.  Taylor,  was  counted  ont  by  a  corrupt  group  of  politicians  in  the  con- 
vention, he  ha\ing  had  a  majority  of  the  votes  for  lieutenant-governor,  but  by 
juggling  the  ballots  in  the  box  his  opponent  was  nominated  and  elected.  A 
third.  John  M.  Kinkel,  is  at  the  time  of  writing  this  history  a  member  of  the 
board  of  public  utilities  of  Kansas.  Another,  H.  S.  Thompson,  one  of  the 
former  representatives  of  Reno  count}-,  is  president  of  the  State  Fair  Asso- 
ciation, which  position  he  has  held  for  many  years.  They  have  all  been 
representative  men  and  have  served  their  county  and  their  districts  in  a  calla- 
ble manner. 

STATE  SENATORS. 

There  have  been  twelve  elections  for  state  senators  since  Reno  county 
was  .mixed.      The   district    has    undergone   man}    changes.       In    the   early 

days  it  embraced  many  counties.      Reno  county  has  been  a  controlling   factor 
in  the  district   in  recent  years.     The  district  is  now  composed  of  Reno,   King- 
man and   Pratt  counties.      It   is  a  compact  district,  with  similar  interests  and 
from  this  district  have  but  few   conflicting  interests  to  serve. 

In   1K7J  Reno  county's  vote  si 1  on  the  two  candidate-  for  state  sena- 

-M.    M.    Murdock,   258    votes;    I).    S.    Payne,   02   votes.      At   that   time 


RENO  COUNTY;    KANSAS.  \J\ 

Sedgwick  county  was  the  most  populous  county  in  the  district,  and  the  sena- 
tor elected  was  then  a  resident  of  thai  county  and  editor  and  owner  of  the 
Wichita  Eagle.  In  [876  Reno's  vote  stood,  on  state  senator,  T.  I.  Taylor, 
593,  and  C.  C.  Hutchinson,  480.  In  [880  George  \\  .  Nmimocks,  of  Greal 
Bend,  received  the  largesl  vote  of  Reno,  he  polling  560  votes  to  722  for 
his  competitor,  Ira  1).  Busick.  In  [884  the  vote  of  this  county  was  divided 
between  two  Reno  county  men,  A.  M.  Switzer  receiving  838  votes,  and  A. 
I\.  Scheble,  1,358.  A  third  candidate  from  another  county,  \V.  Al.  Condan, 
received   1,223  votes. 

Jn  1888  Reno's  vote  on  state  senator  was  east  as  follows:  F.  E.  Gil- 
lett,  of  Kingman  county,  3,321  votes;  R.  S.  Gates,  of  Barton  county.  [,912. 
Reno's  vote  was  largely  the  one  that  decided  the  contest  in  favor  of  Gillett, 
who  was  the  successful  candidate  in  the  district.  In  [892  Reno  count}'  had 
a  candidate  for  state  senator,  J.  M.  Leeds,  of  Turon.  who  was  elected. 
James  Kelley,  of  Pratt  county,  was  his  opponent,  Reno's  votes  stood,  Leed-, 
3,019:  Kelley.  3.215.  In  1896  A.  M.  Switzer  and  Frank  Fields,  both  from 
Reno  county,  received  the  nomination  from  their  part}'.  Switzer  polled 
3,336  votes  and  Fields,  3,029.  Fields  received  a  majority  of  the  votes  in 
the  other  counties  and  was  elected. 

In  1900  Frank  Vincent,  of  Reno  county,  and  D.  B.  Craw  ford,  of  Pratt 
county,  were  the  candidates.  In  Reno  county  Vincent  polled  3.<>43  votes,  and 
Crawford,  2,865.  Vincent  was  elected.  The  other  two  counties  then  com- 
posing' the  district,  Kingman  and  Pratt,  about  "broke  even"  with  the  candi- 
dates, and  Reno's  majority  for  Vincent  was  enough  to  elect  him.  In  [904, 
F.  C.  Carver,  of  Pratt  county,  was  elected  state  senator.  In  Reno  county 
he  polled  3,562  votes,  while  C.  W.  Peckham,  of  Haven,  the  Democratic  can- 
didate, received  1,975  votes  and  J.  F.  West  held,  of  Kingman  county,  received 
105   votes. 

In  1908  Emerson  Carey,  of  Hutchinson,  was  elected  senator,  Henry 
S.  Thompson,  of  Sylvia,  and  J.  A.  Carlisle  also  being  candidates.  In  Reno 
county,  Carey  received  3,926;  Thompson,  3,528,  and  Carlisle.  [36.  In  101  2 
Carev  was  re-elected  state  senator,  receiving  3.744  votes  in  this  count}-  to 
3,501   for  his  opponent,  Frank  Fields. 

In  1916  Will  S.  Thompson,  of  Reno  count}',  was  elected  senator.  Sis 
opponent  was  Frank  C.  Fields,  also  of  Reno  count}'.  In  this  county 
Thompson  received  7,510  votes  and  Fields,  ^,222.  Thompson's  term  of  office 
expires  in    1920. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 
Some  Early  Bond  Elections. 

rhe  organization  of  the  county  and  the  election  ol  its  officers  were  but 
the  beginning  of  activity  both  in  the  town  and  county.  There  were  no  roads 
laid  out.  There  were  some  trails  over  the  count}",  being  the  routes  traveled 
by  the  early  settlers.  There  were  no  bridges  and  the  freshets  made  travel 
very  difficult,  in  some  cases  stopping  communication  entirely.  The  Arkansas 
river  was  a  barrier  that  would  divide  the  county- unless  bridges  were  built, 
mil  only  owing  to  the  amount  of  water  in  the  channel,  but  also  the  treacher- 
ous  nature  of  the  sand. 

The  count}'  was  likewise  without  any  place  in  which  to  transact  its 
business.  All  of  the  early  elections  took  place  at  "The  office  of  C.  C.  Hutch- 
inson/' It  was  necessary  to  build  a  court  house  as  well  as  to  build  bridges 
and  establish  roads,  so  the  office  of  the  county  commissioners  was  the  center 
of  the  comity's  activity  during  the  years   1872  and   1873. 

Another  matter  that  was  equally  as  serious  as  the  absence  of  roads. 
bridges  and  buildings,  was  the  absence  of  money  to  pay  for  these  necessary 
things.  Equally  serious  was  the  absence  of  any  great  amount  of  prop- 
erty. All  of  the  homestead  land  yielded  no  taxes  and  was  not  taxed  until 
proved  upon.  The  fact  that  it  was  exempt  from  taxes  until  the  title  passed 
from  the  government  to  the  individual  was  an  inducement  to  the  earlv  set- 
tler to  pu1  off  "proving  up"  on  his  claim  as  long  as  possible.  There  was 
very  little  personal  property  and  very  few  persons  besides  the  merchants 
had  personal  property  above  what  would  be  covered  by  the  two-hundred- 
dollar  exemption  for  the  head  of  each  family.  Especially  was  this  true 
when  property  was  valued  at  from  one-fourth  to  one-sixth  of  its  real  value 
for  taxation  purposes.  Consequently  the  Hsl  of  personal  property  taxpay- 
ers was  noticeably  small  in  the  early  years  oi  the  county's  history. 

So  the  burden  of  the  taxes  fell  on  the  settlers  who  had  bought  railroad 
land  and  upon  the  railroad,  alter  it  was  built  into  the  county.  These  two 
classes  burnished  what  money  went  into  the  count}-  treasury.  As  an  indi- 
cation ''i  how  largely  these  two  classes  had  to  pay  in  the  way  of  taxation, 
it   may   be  added   that   in    [872   there   were    fourteen   personal   taxpayers  on 


RKNO   COl'XTY,    KANSAS.  \J\ 

the   rolls   of    Reno   county,    and    tin.-    total    amounl    the\    paid    in    taxation 
amounted  to  one  hundred   forty-one  dollars  and  twenty-five  cents. 

The  only  method  oi  providing  tor  the  necessities  of  the  county  was 
the  issuing  oi  bonds.  Not  only  was  it  necessarv  to  issue  the  bonds  to  pro 
vide  for  the  carrying  on  of  the  internal  improvements  needed,  but  it  was 
equally  necessary  to  provide  for  the  first  year's  interest  on  those  bonds.  So 
when- the  first  issue  oi  bonds  was  voted,  another  series  of  bonds  was  voted 
to  pay  the  interest  on  the  first  issue. 

The  tirst  election  took  place  on  April  25,  [872.  The  petition  asking  the 
commissioners  to  call  the  election  was  signed  by  C.  C.  Hutchinson,  E.  Wil 
co.x  and  sixty-five  others.  The  matters  covered  in  their  petition  to  be  sub- 
mitted to  the  voters  ni  the  county  were:  First,  shall  the  county  issue  thirty- 
five  thousand  dollars  of  bonds  to  build  bridges  across  the  Arkansas  river, 
across  Cow  creek,  on  Main  street  in  Hutchinson,  also  a  bridge  across  Cow 
creek  in  township  22,  range  6  west,  also  a  bridge  across  the  Little  Arkansas 
river,  northwest  of  Hutchinson.  The  second  proposition  which  the  petition- 
ers desired  to  have  submitted  to  the  voters  was  the  issuance  of  bonds  for 
fifteen  thousand  dollars  to  build  a  brick  building  on  lots  55  and  57  South 
Main  street  for  a  court  house  and  jail  for  the  county.  The  third  matter 
on  which  a  vote  was  asked  was  the  one  referred  to,  namely,  the  voting  of 
ten  thousand  dollars  in  bonds  to  pay  the  interest  for  the  first  year  on  the 
bonds  voted.     The  result  of  this  election  was  as  follows: 

Bridge  bonds   For,    152  \gainst,  64 

County  building For,    155  \gainst.  60 

County  loan  For   151  Against,  64 

An  old  settler  who  was  present  at  the  election  and  voted,  made  the 
remark,  that  it  was  possible  to  see  the  proportion  of  voters  who  had  obtained 
government  land  as  opposed  to  those  who  had  bought  railroad  land;  thus, 
while  it  is  possible  that  there  were  other  considerations  that  influenced  the 
individual  voter,  yet,  in  tin's  election  as  well  as  other  bond  elections  that 
have  been  held  since,  it  is  not  always  the  man  who  pays  the  taxes  who  votes 
for  a  bond  proposition.  But  those  bonds  carried  and  the  next  matter  that 
concerned  the  county  officials  was  the  selling  of  their  bonds. 

After  the  voting  of  these  bonds,  bids  were  called  for  the  building  of 
the  bridges.  There  was  not  much  competition,  first,  because  there  were  but 
few  bridge-building  concerns  in  the  state  and,  second,  it  was  known  that 
the  concern  that  obtained  the  contract  would  have  to  take  their  pay  in  county 


IJ4  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

bonds  and  dispose  of  them  as  best  they  could.  The  firm  that  secured  the 
contract  was  the  King  Wrought  Iron  Bridge  Company.  They  evidently 
looked  at  the  amount  of  money  the  county  had  set  apart  for  the  building  of 
these  bridges,  for  their  bid  was  thirty-three  thousand  seven  hundred  and 
thirty-two  dollars.  'This  contract  was  let  on  June  7.  1872.  The  bridge  was 
eighteen  hundred  and  sixty-two  feet  long. 

The  county  commissioners  had  also  advertised  for  bids  for  building  the 
court  house.  The  contract  was  awarded  to  \Y.  E.  Hutchinson  for  eighteen 
thousand  dollar-.  The  specifications  were  changed  several  times,  additions 
made,  and,  later,  a  jail  was  added  in  the  basement  of  the  court  house.  It 
was  found  that  there  had  not  been  enough  money  voted  to  put  up  such  a 
building  as  was  contracted  for.  The  lowest  bid.  outside  the  jail  and  changes 
that  were  made  before  the  contract  was  let,  was  three  thousand  dollars  in 
excess  of  the  amount  of  bonds  voted,  even  if  the  bonds  could  be  sold  at 
par.  It  was  agreed  that  the  work  should  be  pushed  as  far  as  possible.  Let 
the  question  of  finding  the  money  with  which  to  finish  the  building  be  pro- 
vided later.  There  was  no  building  suitable  for  the  county  officers  nor  for 
their  records,  and  the  commissioners  were  exceedingly  anxious  to  get  their 
building  completed  as  fast  as  possible. 

Everything  possible  was  done  to  crowd  the  building  of  the  bridges, 
especially  the  river  bridges  across  the  Arkansas.  The  founders  oi  the  town 
saw  that  even  with  the  changes  in  the  boundaries,  by  which  a  row  of  town- 
ships was  added  on  the  north  and  east  sides  of  the  county  and  a  part  of  the 
southern  end  of  Reno  cut  off  and  Kingman  county  created  bv  the  Legis- 
lature  of  [872 — that  even  with  these  changes,  that  put  Hutchinson  nearer 
the  center  of  the  county,  there  was  growing  in  the  countv  a  disposition  to 
test  Hutchinson's  claim  for  a  county  seat  at  a  later  date.  So  they  were 
anxious  to  have  the  river  bridge  completed  as  soon  as  possible,  so  as  to  offer 
an  opportunity  for  the  people  living  on  the  south  side  of  the  river  to  get  to 
With  the  completion  of  the  railroad  to  Hutchinson  in  Tub-, 
[872,  a  profitable  business  grew  up  in  the  hauling  of  the  buffalo  bones  to 
Hutchinson  to  be  shipped  east.  Tor  these  reasons  nothing  was  allowed  to 
interfere  with  the  building  of  the  "big  bridge."  as  it  was  called. 

\nother  matter  that  received  the  attention  of  the  county  commission- 
er- at  this  time  was  the  question  of  roads.  Prior  to  this  time  there  were 
no  regularly  laid-out  public  roads.  There  were  no  fences  and  but  few  farms 
and  the  traveler  was  guided  by  the  axiom  that  the  shortest  distance  between 
two  point-  would  be  a  straight  line;  there  was  but  little  to  stop  anyone  from 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  I  75 

going  the  shortest  route.  But  as  farms  began  to  be  settled,  it  became  nec< 
sary  to  have  regularly  Iaid-out  paths  of  travel.  There  were  some  roads 
that  had  been  used  until  they,  became  fairly  good  to  follow,  especially  over 
the  star  routes,  but  they  were  so  few  that  they  would  not  answer  generally 
for  n>ads.  On  July  (>,  [872,  Judge  I..  Eiouk  and  nineteen  others  presented 
a  petition  to  the  county  commissioners  to  declare  all  section  lines  public 
mads,  except  the  lines  of  section  [3,  township  23,  range  6,  where  Hutchin- 
son was  located  and  which  would  provide  itself  with  streets.  The  Legis- 
lature of  [872  passed  a  law  making  all  section  lines  public  roads,  hut  it  was 
necessary  under  the  act  to  have  a  petition  presented  to  the  county  commis 
sioners  and  have  them  declare  the  establishment  of  the  roads.  This,  in  a 
general  way,  was  the  beginning  of  the  public  roads  of  the  county.  But  it 
did  not  meet  the  immediate  needs  of  the  people  of  that  time.  There  were  a 
good  many  roads  that  did  not  follow  section  lines.  Among'  the  more  notable 
of  these  roads  was  one  that  in  later  years  caused  a  great  deal  of  discussion 
and  litigation.  Tt  was  called  the  "Haven  angling  road."  The  people  liv- 
ing southeast  of  Hutchinson  did  not  want  to  follow  the  square-cornered 
road  system,  hut  preferred  to  "cut  across  lot,"  on  their  way  to  town.  At 
that  time  there  was  hut  little  objection  to  such  a  road.  Travelers  wire 
scarce  and  people  were  more  sociable  than  they  were  in  later  years.  The 
land  was  net  so  valuable  and  but  little  inconvenience  was  experienced  by  the 
owners  of  the  land  in  having  a  road  run  diagonally  through  their  land. 
So.  at  the  meeting  of  the  hoard  of  county  commissioners  in  January.  187-.. 
the  "Haven  angling  road"  was  authorized.  There  was  no  "viewing"'  of 
the  road,  no  damages  awarded  and  no  benefit  assessed  by  the  commission- 
ers in  taking  this  action ;  but  it  met  no  opposition,  for  the  people  to  the  south- 
east of  Hutchinson  wanted  it  and  the  owners  through  whose  land  the  road 
passed  made  no  objection,  so  the  road  was  established. 

Twenty  years  passed.  The  ''Angling  road"  was  a  highway  of  com- 
merce and  a  big  change  had  been  made  in  the  farms  lying  between  Haven 
and  Hutchinson.  Many  of  these  were  fenced,  all  of  the  land  farmed  and 
the  owners  of  the  land  there  wanted  the  road  changd  to  the  section  lines. 
The  contention  lasted  four  years.  Attorneys  were  retained  by  both  those 
who  wanted  the  road  ept  open  and  by  the  landowners  who  wanted  the 
road  closed.  Two  different  hoards  ot  county  commissioners  heard  the  case. 
The  first  one  refused  to  close  the  road.  The  vote  stood  two  to  one  to  keep 
the  road  open.  Another  petition  was  filed,  another  hearing  held  and  the 
controversy  was  one  that  divided  the  neighborhood  along  the  road.     To  cnA 


\ 


I  -i ,  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

it  all.  another  vote  was  taken  and  VV.  K.  Noland,  one  of  the  commissioners. 
changed  his  position  in  the  matter  and  the  "Haven  angling  road"  was  a. 
thing  of  the  past.  The  policy  of  closing  the  "angling  roads"  was  adopted 
and.  a-  but  few  of  the  "short  cuts"  of  the  old  settler  remained,  the  so-called 
section  line  roads  serve  the  people   for  their  highways. 

Early  in  [873  C.  C.  Hutchinson  issued  a  circular  that  contained  a 
-real  ileal  of  descriptive  matter  of  Reno  county,  also  a  map.  But  it  was 
more  than  a  map.  It  was  his  vision  of  the  Reno  county  in  the  years  to 
come.  At  that  time  there  was  but  one  railroad  in  the  county,  the  Santa 
Fe,  and  there  were  no  other  railroads  looking  towards  Hutchinson.  There 
wa>  scant  husiness  for  that  one — there  was  little,  in  fact,  to  haul  out  of  the 
iinty  except  buffalo  hones  and  nothing  to  haul  in  except  the  settlers'  goods 
and  rattle.  But  in  this  dream— and  C.  C.  Hutchinson  was  a  dreamer,  and 
one  whose  dream  this  time  came  true — he  saw7  other  railroads  built  into  this 
vallev.  Mow  well  he  dreamed,  how  his  dream  came  true,  can  be  seen  by 
looking  at  this  map.  Put  it  down  beside  a  map  of  Reno  county  of  today 
and  one  would  have  to  look  closely  to  see  wdierein  the  railroad  he  dreamed 
of  did  not  appear  in  the  map  of  today.  The  "Hutchinson  &  Nettleton 
railroad"  is  hut  a  short  distance  out  of  the  line  of  the  present  Kinsley  branch 
of  the  Santa  Fe.  The  "Hutchinson  &  Memphis"  could  hardly  be  distin- 
guished in  its  route  from  the  Missouri  Pacific  that  was  built  many  years 
after  the  map  was  made.  The  "Southwestern  railroad"  of  1873  follows 
almost  exactly  the  line  the  Rock  Island  built  into  Hutchinson  years  latei 
and  the  "E.  L.  L.  &  Southwestern"  leaves  Reno  county  on  almost  the  same 
ground  that  the  Missouri  Pacific  takes  as  it  bends  toward  the  main  line  of 
that  road  that  runs  into  Colorado.  This  map  is  published  to  show  the  con- 
ceptions the  founder  of  this  city  had  of  its  future  and  his  idea  of  the  way 
railroads  would  be  built   into  this  territory. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Bonds  of  the  County  and  its  Subdivisions. 

As  soon  as  Reno  county  was  organized  in  January,  1S72,  one  thing 
was  very  apparent  to  the  men  who  were  managing  the  county's  affairs,  and 
that  was  that  improvements  of  various  kinds  would  be  necessary.  A  court 
house  had  to  be  built,  bridges  had  to  be  built,  and  the  running  expenses  of 
the  county  had  to  be  met.  Another  thing-  was  apparent,  and  that  was  thai 
the  countv  would  have  to  borrow  money  to  make  these  improvements.  S<  1 
the  early  bond  issues  were  voted.  Ever  since  that  time  Reno  count)  lias 
had  a  bonded  indebtedness. 

Another  feature  of  these  bonds  was  that  they  were  refunded,  most  of 
them,  before  they  were  due.  The  early  bond  issues  generally  bore  seven 
per  cent.  When  the  county's  credit  was  strengthend  and  bonds  could  be  sold 
at  a  low  rate,  these  bonds  were  called  in  and  paid  off  and  in  their  place 
other  bonds  were  issued  at  a  lower  rate  of  interest.  To  pay  the  commis- 
sions for  making  the  change  in  these  bonds,  the  money  in  the  sinking  fund, 
that  was  for  the  payment  of  those  bonds  when  they  became  due  was  used  to 
pay  these  commissions.  Considerable  criticism  of  the  county  commissioners 
was  made  at  the  time,  but  they  justified  their  action  by  saying  that  the 
interest  on  the  bonds  was  as  much  a  part  of  the  debt  as  the  principal,  and 
that  a  reduction  in  the  rate  of  interest  of  the  bonds  was  such  a  reduction 
of  the  indebtedness  as  would  justify  them  in  using  the  sinking  fund  under 
the  limitation  of  the  statute  that  required  that  the  sinking  fund  could  be 
used  for  no  purpose  other  than  the  payment  of  the  bonds.  They  further 
insisted  that  it  was  only  the  part  of  wisdom  to  extend  the  time  of  the  pay- 
ment of  the  bonds,  beyond  that  contemplated  at  the  time  of  the  issuance  of 
the  bonds  so  that  the  burden  of  the  internal  improvements  of  the  county 
should  be  distributed,  and  that  the  generations  of  the  future  that  would  use 
these  improvements  should  help  pay  for  them,  and  the  county  at  that  period 
of  its  development  should  not  undertake  to  pay  more  than  the  interest,  and 
that  they  were  wiselv  acting  in  the  best  interests  of  the  people  of  that  day 
when  they  were  reducing  the  interest  rates  on  their  bonded  indebtedness,  and 
likewise  decreasing  their  taxes. 

(12) 


1/8  RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

While  considerable  money  was  paid  in  commissions  for  the  refunding 
of  these  bonds,  from  the  standpoint  of  the  present,  the  objections  to  extend- 
ing the  time  of  payment  of  the  bonds  of  the  county  seem  to  be  of  little  force. 
Considering  the  comfort  and  benefit  the  present  generation  has  inherited  in 
the  way  of  municipal  improvements,  no  criticism  of  any  great  force  can 
be  urged  against  the  action  of  the  county  commissioners  of  that  day;  and 
while  Reno  county  would  be  out  of  debt  now  if  that  policy  had  not  been 
adopted,  yet  the  burden  left  to  the  present  generation  is  so  small  compared 
to  the  changed  conditions  and  improved  conditions  of  the  present  over  that 
of  twenty-five  years  ago,  that  no  legitimate  criticism  can  be  now  urged 
against  the  policy  they  adopted.  Reno  county  has  always  been  prompt  in 
the  payment  of  all  her  obligations.  There  never  has  been  a  default  on  inter- 
est payments.  Bonds  were  promptly  re-issued  when  due,  and  the  credit  of 
the  county  has  always  been   carefully  guarded. 

TOTAL    BONDED    INDEBTEDNESS. 

On  January  i,  1916,  Reno  county  had  a  total  bonded  indebtedness  of 
$209,000  that  was  outstanding  and  not  due.  The  county  treasurer  had 
Si 8,640  on  hands  to  apply  on  these  bonds  at  the  date  of  their  maturity,  as 
the  bonds  of  the  count}-  are  investments  which  the  holders  do  not  desire 
to  have  paid  until  maturity.  These  bonds,  together  with  the  date  of  issue, 
purpose  of  issuance  of  the  bonds,  the  date  of  the  bonds,  the  date  of  their 
maturity,  and  the  interest  the  bonds  bear : 

Amount,  $40,000;  date  of  issue.  February  1,  189S:  purpose,  refunding; 
due   February   1,   1918;  interest  rate.  4j4%- 

Amount,  $15,000;  date  of  issue,  January  1,  1898;  purpose,  C.  K.  &  N. ; 
due  February  1,  1919:  interest  rate,  41//2%. 

Amount.  $44,000;  date  of  issue,  January  r.  1889:  purpose.  C.  K.  &  X. ; 
due  January   1.    1919;  interest  rate,  5^%. 

Amount.  $6,000;  date  of  issue,  January  1,  1899;  purpose,  C.  EC.  *x  X.  ; 
due  January    1,    1919;  interest  rate,   5^/2  %. 

Amount.  $39,000;  date  of  issue,  December  I,  1898;  purpose,  refunding 
county  bond-:  due  January   1,   1929;  interest  rate,  4' 0. 

Amount.  $24,000;  date  of  issue.  June  1.  1800:  purpose,  refunding 
county  bonds;  due  June    1.    [929;  interest   rate.  4%. 

\niount.  $32,000;  date  of  issue,  June  1.  [899;  purpose,  refunding  county 
bonds;  due  June  1.   [929;  interest  rate.  4%. 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  I  J') 

Amount,  $9,000;  date  of  issue,  June  1,  [900;  purpose,  refunding  count) 

bonds;  due  June  I,  1930;  interest  rale,  5$ 

Nickerson  has  83,900  of  sewer  bonds.  Hutchinson  had  on  January 
I,  [916,  $243,220  of  bonded  indebtedness,  all  for  internal  improvements — 
pavements,  sewers,  parks,  etc.  Grant  township  had  outstanding  bonds  i" 
the  amount  of  $7,000,  and  had  Sg.ooo  on  hands  with  which  to  pay  the  bond-. 
No  explanation  is  available  as  t<  1  why  the  bonds  are  unpaid  or  why  there 
should  have  been  levies  made  and  money  collected  in  excess  of  that  amount 
of  their  indebtedness.  Little  River  township  had  $8,700  of  outstanding 
bonds  and  $2,000  in  the  treasury  to  their  credit  to  pay  on  their  bonds,  (en- 
ter township  had  $1,000  of  outstanding  bonds  on  January  1,  1916. 

The  total  school  district  bonds  on  the  date  given  was  $84,900.  these 
bonds  being  issued  for  the  erection  of  new  school  buildings  and  grounds 
and  other  improvements  since  January  1,  1916.  Eight  districts  have  voted 
bonds  for  new  school  buildings. 

The  bonded  indebtedness  of  the  county  has  been  decreased  since  1892, 
when  the  county  had  $412,000  of  this  kind  of  debts.  The  $60,000  of  bonds 
voted  in  1872  for  a  proportion  to  the  taxable  property  in  the  county  of  that, 
time,  is  far  beyond  the  rate  of  the  bonded  indebtedness  of  1916.  The 
amount  of  bonds  of  the  county  in  1916,  is  almost  negligible.  Of  the  $210,000 
bonds,  as  shown  by  the  table  in  this  chapter,  $50,000  will  be  due  on  Janu- 
ary 1,  1919;  $15,000  will  be  due  ten  years  later,  and  the  balance,  $9,000,  due 
(in  January  r,  T930.  The  bonds  of  the  county  in  1873  covered  fourteen 
per  cent,  of  the  assessed  valuation  of  the  county,  while  the  bonded  indebted- 
ness of  1916  is  less  than  one-fourth  of  one  per  cent,  of  the  assessed  valua- 
tion of  the  county.  In  other  words,  from  a  bond  standpoint  alone,  the  county's 
financial  responsibility  is  more  than  sixty-five  times  as  great  as  it  was  in  1872. 
In  fact,  this  is  a  small  measure  of  the  difference.  Then,  the  county  was 
an  experiment;  now.  a  realization;  then,  a  few  settlers  with  no  financial 
resources;  now,  a  population  close  to  fifty  thousand,  and  a  wealth  of  diversi- 
fied industries  and  a  county  development  that  the  most  ardent  financier  among 
the  pioneers  never  dreamed  of.  Then  a  land  of  buffalo  and  Indians  and 
buffalo  grass;  now,  the  homes  of  contented  and  industrious  people,  and  with 
alfalfa  fields  that  produce  as  much  wealth  to  an  acre  as  the  early-day  grass 
did  to  a  section. 

This  bond  matter  is  of  small  importance  to  the  county,  hut  it  affords  a 
method  of  ascertaining  the  progress  of  less  than  a  half  century,  which 
enables  us,  in  commercial  terms,  to  measure  the  advance  of  the  county  in 
the  lifetime  of  the  earliest  settler. 


l8o  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

In  addition  to  the  bonds  of  the  county,  a  few  townships  and  cities  still 
have  a  small  bonded  indebtedness.  Sylvia  City  has  $6,ooo,  due  January  I, 
1921.  The  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  these  bonds  were  used  by  the  city  for 
the.  erection  of  an  eLectric-light  plant.  Turon  also  put  in  a  municipal  elec- 
tric-light plant  at  a  cost  of  $10,000,  for  which  they  issued  bonds.  They 
have  $3,500  on  hand  in  their  sinking  fund  to  retire  these  bonds  when  due. 
Xickerson  issued  $5,000  in  city  bonds,  the  proceeds  of  which  they  put  in 
a  complete  sewer  system.  South  Hutchinson  has  still  outstanding  $2,800 
of  bonded  indebtedness.  This  issue  of  bonds  was  used  to  refund  an  old 
bonded  indebtedness. 

There  are  some  townships  that  have  voted  bonds  for  road  improve- 
ments. Clay  township  has  an  issue  of  $1,500  used  on  the  roads  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  township,  which  is  an  extension  of  the  pavement  put 
down  on  Fourth  avenue,  east,  Hutchinson.  Little  River  township  voted 
Sj.ooo  with  which  to  build  the  "Buhler"  road.  Hayes  township  was  the 
last  of  the  townships  to  vote  bonds  for  road  improvements,  their  issue 
being  for  $1,000  that  was  used  on  some  of  the  ''sand  hill"  roads  of  that 
township. 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 
Reno  County's  Financial  Matters. 

In  1872,  when  Reno  count)-  was  organized,  the  question  of  raising 
money  with  which  to  run  the  county  was  one  that  puzzled  the  early  settlers. 
'The  county  had  to  have  a  building  in  which  to  transact  its  business,  to  house 
its  records  and  to  hold  its  courts.  It  had' to  provide  for  the  expense  of  main- 
taining order.  It  had  to  build  bridges  across  the  Arkansas  river.  Little  river 
and  Cow  creek.  It  had  no  taxable  property 'and  no  machinery  for  collecting 
taxes.  So,  amOng  the  first  activities  of  the  county  commissioners  was  t<< 
call  an  election  to  vote  bonds  with  which  to  obtain  the  necessary  finances. 
Nor  was  it  as  easy  then  as  now  to  sell  bonds.  There  was  no  such  market 
as  there  exists  now  for  the  sale  of  county  or  municipal  bonds.  Capital 
was  afraid  to  invest  in  the  uncertainty  of  a  county  as  far  west  as  Reno. 
When  it  is  recalled  that  there  were  no  railroads  in  the  county,  and  that  even 
the  railroad  builders,  supposedly  composed- of  men  of  ability  and  men  who 
had  confidence  in  the  land  into  which  they  were  building,  openly  declared 
they  never  expected  to  sell  any  land  west  of  Great.  Bend,  and  that,  in  their 
opinion,  it  would  be  fifty  years  before  any  land  in  Reno  county  outside  of 
the  bottom,  would  be  settled  ;  it  is  not  strange  that  there  was  no  demand 
for  bonds  of  such  a  community,  so  the  first  financial  action  taken  in  Reno 
county  was  the  voting  of  bonds  to  build  a  court  house,  then  an  additional 
series  of  bonds  to  pay  the  first  year's  interest  on  those  bonds,  and  also  for 
the  maintenance  of  the  county. 

In  1872  the  assessor  reported  five  hundred  and  sixty-eight  dollars  in 
valuation  in  personal  property  in  Reno  township,  the  only  township  then 
organized.  There  was  no  railroad  property  assessed  that  year,  for  the  Santa 
Fe  did  not  have  any  of  its  road  in  Reno  county  at  the  tax  assessment  time. 
So  the  only  property  that  was  on  the  tax  rolls  in  [872  was  the  meager 
belongings  of  the  early  settlers.  There  was  no  land  available  for  taxing 
purposes,  for  no  one  had  title  to  his  land,  it  either  being  homesteaded  or 
pre-empted,  so  the  property  valuation  of  Reno  county  in  [872  was  very- 
small. 

Among  the  earlv  financial  troubles  of   Reno  county  was  an  injunction 


[82  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

suit,  tiled  by  the  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railway  Company  against 

the  l><>ard  of  county  commissioners  and  also  against  the  treasurer  of  the 
county,  enjoining"  the  board  of  county  commissioners  from  levying  any  taxes 
for  that  year,  and  also  enjoining  the  county  treasurer  from  receiving  any 
money  from  any  taxes  for  the  year.  This  suit  was  filed  on  March  2^, 
1S74.  C.  G.  Foster  and  Joseph  Waters  representing  the  railroad.  The  case 
was  brought  in  the  name  of  Joseph  Nickerson,  then  president  of  the  Santa 
Fe  railroad.  This  injunction  suit  paralyzed  the  activities  of  the  county.  The 
railroad  was  the  heaviest  taxpayer  in  the  county,  and  if  the  county  was  not 
allowed  to  levy  any  taxes,  financial  ruin  faced  the  county.  The  purpose  of 
the  road  was  to  discourage  all  internal  improvement.  They  said  the  county 
didn't  need  any  improvement.  They  were  particularly  adverse  to  building 
any  school  houses.  District  No.  2,  in  Grant  township,  wanted  a  school 
house.  The  railroad  officials  said  they  didn't  need  one.  They  likew-ise 
refused  to  pay  any  interest  on  the  bonds  voted  the  previous  year  by  dis- 
trict No.  19.  Likewise  they  refused  to  pay  any  interest  on  the  school  bonds 
voted  in  districts  27,  28  and  30.  They  especially  objected  to  paying  any 
interest  on  the  school  bonds  of  district  No.  30  because  these  bonds  were 
voted  one  day  too  late,  according  to  a  strict  interpretation  of  the  law,  to  be 
taxed  in  1874.  So  the  company  found  an  especial  objection  to  district  30's 
bonds.  In  the  other  districts  the}'  gave  as  the  reason  that  the  district  didn't 
need  school  houses.  These  districts  had  no  school  houses  of  any  kind,  and 
it  was  simply  the  attempt  of  the  road  to  keep  the  taxes  down  as  low  as 
possible. 

COMPROMISES    MADE    WITH    RAILROAD. 

Considering  that  Congress  had  given  the  road  every  other  section  of 
land  in  the  countv  for  a  distance  of  five  miles  wide  on  each  side  of  the  track, 
a  bonus  to  build  the  road,  and  considering  the  fact  that  the  men  who 
built  the  road  originally,  a  bunch  of  young  men  from  Boston  who  put  up  no 
moiic\  to  help  build  the  road,  for  a  very  apparent  reason — they  had  no 
money  to  put  into  the  enterprise — and  considering  that  they  mortgaged  the 
land  for  money  with  which  to  build  and  equip  the  road,  the  consideration 
of  these  fact-  was  the  occasion  of  deep  resentment  on  the  part  of  the  early 
ttlers.  The  road  did  not  continue  this  policy  very  long,  as  the  resentment 
led  to  a  practical  boycotl  of  land  agents  of  the  Santa  Fe.  The  settlers  would 
not  buy  the  Santa  Fe  land.  As  soon  as  the  effect  of  the  company's  small 
policy   began   to  develop,   and   the   railroad   officials   realized   the  effect  it   was 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  [83 

having  on  immigrants,  they  dismissed  the  suit,  but  nol  until  the  count)  com- 
missioners had  compromised  with  the  road  on  many  levies  of  ta   i 

The  commissioners  were  severely  criticized  for  compromising  with  the 
railroad,  but  a  condition  laced  them  thai  they  dared  not  allow.  There  was 
very  little  money  in  the  county.  The  county  had  no  credit.  It  found  the 
sale  of  its  bonds  a  difficull  matter  and  the  commissioners  of  the  county  were 
forced  to  provide  for  the  running  of  the  county  and  to  raise  money  to  meet 
the  interest  on  the  bonded  indebtedness  of  the  county.  So  they  compro- 
mised with  the  railroad  and  some  of  the  school  districts  suffered  heavily  by 
the  refusal  of  the  company  to  allow  the  improvements  to  be  made.  At 
another  time,  in  later  years,  the  Santa  Fe  showed  its  disposition  to  dictate 
to  the  settlers,  when  it  moved  its  shops  from  Nickerson  to  Newton.  This 
action  was  largely  because  of  the  effect  of  an  election  held  in  Nickerson, 
when  the  company's  small  local  official  resented  the  action  of  the  voters 
of  Nickerson,  and  the  company  declared  they  would  make  the  grass  grow- 
on  the  streets  of  Nickerson.  They  never  succeeded  in  their  attempt.  They 
spent  a  good  sized  sum  of  money  in  moving  their  shops,  hoping  to  carry 
out  their  threat.  At  a  later  period,  one  of  the  smaller  division  officials  made 
a  threat  of  what  the  road  would  do  to  Hutchinson,  if  the  city  of  Hutchinson 
enforced  some  of  the  ordinances  that  affected  the  railroad,  but  the  higher 
officials  of  the  road  soon  sought  to  assure  the  city  officials  that  the  threat 
was  not  that  of  anyone  who  could  make  it  good,  and  assured  the  city  com- 
missioners they  would  seek  to  obey  all  ordinances  governing  the  city.  The 
time  has  passed  now  when  any  railroad  can  hold  up  Reno  county's  progress. 
They  are  all  too  dependent  on  the  county  for  an  immense  revenue,  and  if 
any  one  of  them  would  undertake  to  "double-cross"  either  the  city  or  the 
county,  the  other  roads  would  become  the  beneficiaries,  and  only  the  road 
doing  the  "double-crossing1"  would  suffer. 

SOME   INTERESTING   STATISTICS. 

The  following  table  shows  the  constant  increase  in  the  valuation  of  tax- 
able property  in  the  county.  It  shows  also  the  entire  indebtedness  for  each 
of  the  years  since  the  county  was  organized,  the  total  expenditures  for  all 
purposes  and  the  rate  of  taxation  for  each  year  since  the  county  was  organ- 
ized in  1872,  and  closing  with  the  financial  condition  of  the  county  at  the 
end  of   1916: 


1 84 


RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 


Aint. 

County 

State 

County 

State 

County  Ex- 

Levy 

Tax 

Total 

Amount 

Year 

Valuation 

Tax 

penditures 

in  Mills 

in  Mills 

in  Mills 

Bonds 

1^72 

14,625 

32 

8.5 

40.5 

60,000 

S0,0<  M  > 

is?:: 

596,S20 

5,410 

22,100 

30 

0 

42 

1^71 

602,125 

6,000 

24,000 

30 

6 

30 

91,500 

i  875 

605,000 

6,100 

25,000 

27 

0 

33 

01.50(1 

L876 

926,0<>O 

7,250 

23,150 

25.5 

5.5 

31 

105,000 

ls77 

1,642,094 

9,031 

41,873 

27 

5.5 

32.5 

110,000 

L878 

1,522,413 

s,3S3 

41,105 

24.5 

5.5 

30 

130,000 

1879 

1,619,283 

8,904 

39,672 

1S.5 

5.5 

24 

130.<  M  10 

ISMi 

1,843,850 

10,141 

37,111 

17 

5.5 

"'■'  5 

144.0S2 

1.S81 

1,920,091 

10,560 

32,641 

16.5 

5 

21.5 

144,000 

18S2 

2,124,915 

10,644 

35,051 

15 

4.5 

19.5 

144.000 

18S3 

3,911,159 

17,600 

58,067 

14.5 

4.3 

18.8 

141,500 

l^l 

3,09S,370 

13,2SS 

44,810 

13.5 

4.5 

IS 

1 44.O0O 

18S5 

3.777,289 

14,027 

44,543 

14 

4.0 

18.6 

143,500 

1SMJ 

3,911,159 

17,991 

52.s<  M  i 

13.5 

4.1 

17.0 

141.500 

1887 

5,399,041 

22,136 

S0,985 

15 

4.1 

19.1 

141. 5oo 

1S8S 

0,089,733 

24.727 

77,349 

12.7 

4.1 

10.S 

141,500 

1SS9 

6,431,526 

26,374 

135,062 

21.1 

4.2 

25.:j 

309,500 

1MHI 

0.149,269 

26.5S0 

86,089 

14 

4.25 

18.25 

401,500 

IS')] 

5,962,230 

24,139 

81,265 

13.6 

3.95 

17.55 

412,000 

IS!  12 

5,S16,353 

26,992 

S3,173 

14.3 

3.9 

18.2 

412,006 

iv.:: 

6,148,092 

27.097 

81,769 

13.3 

3.8 

17.1 

412.00O 

1894 

5,795,142 

24,079 

70,5S0 

15.0 

3.9 

19.5 

411,000 

|s!C, 

5,780,537 

30,441 

83,S17 

14.5 

4.25 

is.:; 

411. ooo 

1S9G 

5,952,5S3 

28,272 

83,336 

14 

4.24 

1 8.25 

383,000 

L897 

6,133,480 

27,600 

07,468 

11 

4.1 

15.1 

382,000 

ISOS 

6,009,873 

21,034 

S4.138 

14 

8.5 

22.5 

362,000 

L899 

0,340,490 

::.:.445 

88,346 

14 

5.5 

19.5 

360,000 

L900 

6,754,987 

30,774 

81,059 

12 

5.5 

1  7.5 

360,000 

1903 

6,667,971 

36,673 

00.079 

10 

5.5 

1  5.5 

360,000 

L902 

7,450,205 

32,026 

74,562 

LO 

5.5 

15.5 

343,000 

1!M« 

7,605,4'  >5 

53.23N 

00.970 

9.2 

6.4 

15.6 

333.000 

1904 

7,631,433 

41,972 

80,130 

10.5 

5.4 

15.7 

333,000 

L905 

7,883,560 

13,359 

82,777 

L0.5 

5.7 

10.2 

333,000 

1906 

8,937,564 

1 1 .996 

L32.934 

.1445 

.47 

.619 

306,000 

L907 

9,366,468 

58,072 

102.07.". 

.163 

.62 

.783 

292,000 

L908 

61,544,407 

55309 

1  .",2.020 

.24S 

.'.i 

1.10 

2ss.i  ii  ii  i 

L909 

64,469,817 

81  >,587 

21  ( ».502 

.325 

.  1 25 

.45 

2!»2,000 

1910 

S2.07l.nr,  I 

B6.507 

246,757 

.29 

.135 

.395 

259,000 

1913 

77,800,000 

s:;.:;i;o 

247.900 

.:'.2 

.12 

.44 

270,000 

1912 

77,588,860 

93,106 

L76.026 

.227 

.12 

.349 

207,900 

L913 

78,849,635 

94,619 

L77.987 

.268 

.12 

.588 

269.000 

1914 

76,750,505 

02.  H  M" 

204,274 

.27i' 

.12 

.39 

252,000 

L915 

79,769,903 

99,712 

299,108 

..">75 

.  1 25 

.5 

233,570 

1916 

79,769,903 

L03.7O0 

215,376 

.21 

.13 

.4 

217,020 

Hie  above  table  shows  some  interesting  points  regarding  Reno  county's 
finances.     The  property  valuations  given  prior  to   1908  are  supposed   to  be 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  1K5 

on  a  basis  of  one-third  the  actual  value  <>f  the  property.  How  Ear  from  that 
standard,  was  shown  when  the  first  effort  was  made,  under  a  law  passed  in 
i<)()/  requiring  all  property  to  be  listed  at  its  full  value,  when  the-  valuation 
tit"  the  county  increased  from  nine  million  to  sixty-one  million  dollar-,  nearly 
seven  times  what  it  was  under  the  old  system  of  valuation,  instead  of  three 
times  the  real  value,  as  was  supposed  to  be  the  basis  of  assessment,  lint  even 
in  1908  the  value  was  not  within  ten  million  dollars  of  what  the  property 
assessed  was  really  worth.  There  was  a  determined  effort  on  the  part  of 
some  of  the  assessors  to  keep  the  valuation  in  their  respective  townships 
or  his  wards  down,  so  that  his  unit  of  assessment  would  not  have  to  pay 
more  than  its  proportion  of  the  expense  of  the  count).  In  the  townships, 
the  assessor  chosen  was  generally  the  township  trustee.  This  is  an  elective 
office  and  each  assessor  was  anxious  to  retain  the  good  will  of  his  neighbors, 
and  the  valuation  he  put  on  property,  both  real  .and  personal,  was  as  low  as 
he  could  put  it  and  be  able  to  have  his  work  approved  by  the  county  com- 
missioners, who  are  the  equalization  board  under  the  law  for  the  county.  And 
they,  the  county  commissioners,  were  in  the  same  position  with  respect  to 
the  state  equalization  board  as  the  individual  assessor  was  with  respect  to 
them,  as  each  county  was  trying  to  keep  its  valuation  as  low  as  possible, 
so  that  the  county  should  not  have  to  pay  more  than  its  proportion  of  the 
taxes  to  support  the  state  government.  So  it  is  very  probable  that  the  valua- 
tion fixed  on  property  under  the  old  system  was  nearer  a  tenth  of  its  real 
valuation  than  a  third,  the  basis  on  which  it  was  supposed  to  be  assessed. 
Then  the  head  of  each  household  was  allowed  an  exemption  of  two  hundred 
dollars  on  personal  property.  The  result  was  a  further  decrease  of  the 
assessed  valuation  of  the  county. 

When  the  law  requiring  all  property  to  be  assessed  at  its  full  value  went 
into  effect,  it  was  supposed  that  the  full  valuation  would  be  fixed  on  property, 
but  it  didn't  have  that  effect.  Nor  has  the  change  in  the  law,  requiring 
assessments  to  be  made  on  basis  of  full  valuation,  been  much  more  suc- 
cessful in  getting  all  the  property  on  the  tax  rolls  of  the  county.  There  are 
so  many  discrepancies  in  values  fixed  by  the  assessor  as  compared  to  what 
the  property  sold  for  that  it  is  probable  that,  if  any  actual  cash  valuation 
could  be  obtained,  at  the  end  of  1916  the  real  value  of  the  taxable  property 
of  Reno  county  reallv  was  one  hundred  and  fifty  million  dollars,  rather  than 
the  approximately  eighty  million  dollars  fixed  by  the  assessors. 


iNO  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 


COUNTY  S    BONDED    [NDEBTEDNESS. 


A  large  per  cent,  of  the  bonds  which  have  been  voted  by  the  county 
have  been  donated  to  railroads.  It  will  be  but  a  few  years  until  these  bonds 
will  be  paid  off.  It  is  very  probable  that  before  main-  years  the  bonded  indebt- 
edness of  the  count)"  will  be  increased.  The  old  bonds  were  for  transporta- 
tion purposes,  and  the  new  bonds  that  will  be  issued  will  be  for  transpor- 
tation purpose-  also;  not,  liowever,  for  the  use  of  the  railroad,  but  for  the 
use  of  the  people.  It  is  very  probable  that  the  paving  of  county  roads  will 
soon  be  adopted,  as  the  almost  universal  use  of  the  automobile  requires  bet- 
ter roads  than  the  old  dirt  roads  of  the  present  time.  It  is  very  likely  also 
that  Reno  count}-  will  within  a  few  years  build  a  new  court  house,  as  the 
old  one  is  wholly  inadequate  to  the  needs  of  the  county  and  its  vault  is  over- 
crowded, necessitating-  the  storing  of  valuable  records  in  the  basement  of 
the  court  house.  The  present  court  house  is  not  a  fire-proof  building,  and 
Reno  county  risks  its  records  of  immense  value  in  a  building  that  no  cor- 
poration of  one-tenth  the  capital  of  the  property  of  Reno  county  would  risk 
over  night.  The  probate  court  records,  involving  the  record  of  estates,  the 
register  of  deeds'  records,  involving  the  title  to  every  piece  of  property  in 
Reno  county  are  SO  inadequately  protected  in  the  old  building  that  common 
prudence  alone  will  require  a  fire-proof  structure  for  the  housing  of  these 
records. 

So  it  is  probable  that  it  will  be  many  years  before  the  bonded  indebted- 
ness of  the  county  will  he  much  lower  than  it  is  at  the  present  time.  Values 
will  increase,  farm  values  particularly  will  grow,  and  internal  improvements 
be  carried  on   on  an  extensive  scale. 

OFFICE    OF    COUNTY    ASSESSOR. 

Reno  county  has  had  three  county  tax  assessors.  Then  the  law  was 
changed  and  the  duties  <>\  the  assessor  were  added  to  those  of  the  count)' 
This  change  was  made  in  the  interests  of  economy,  bill  it  is  very 
doubtful  if  the  change  has  been  a  wise  one.  Three  men  have  held  the 
office  of  count\  assessor,  J.  E.  Conklin,  John  A.  Myers  and  George  Lee. 
It  is  very  probable  that  far  more  property  was  added  to  the  tax  rolls  by  the 
activities  of  these  men,  on  which  the  taxes  would  more  than  pay  all  the 
penditures  caused  by  the  continuing  of  the  office  of  county  assessor. 
The  first  one  of  these  assessors,    I.   K.  Conklin,   found  enough  canned  goods 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  I  S7 

stored  in  Hutchinson,  that  had  never  been  listed  before  for  taxation,  to  more 
than  pay  the  entire  expense  of  his  office,  the  assessor's  salary,  and  all  the 
clerical  help  required  in  that  office.     These  goods  were  owned  by  firms  in 

other  cities  stored  in  Hutchinson  for  shipment,  subjeel  to  taxation  in  Reno 
county.  They  were  not  listed  at  the  place  of  business  of  the  firms,  storing 
them  here  for  reshipnient  to  their  customers,  lint  a  wave  of  economy  swept 
over  the  Legislature  and  it  discontinued  the  office  of  county  assessor,  and 
added  the  work  to  the  already  heavily  burdened  office  of  the  county  clerk, 
who  cannot  devote  his  time  to  hunting  up  property  missed  by  the  assessor. 

SOMETHING    REGARDING   COUNTY'S    PROGRESS. 

The  annual  expenditures  of  the  county  for  county  purposes  have  grad- 
ually increased  from  $14,625  in  1872  to  $215,376  in  [916.  But  these  expenses 
have  not  increased,  either  in  proportion  to  the  increase  in  the  population  of 
the  county,  or  in  proportion  to  the  increase  in  the  assessed  valuation  of  the 
countv.  They  will  increase  as  the  years  go  by.  The  big  increase  in  the  busi- 
ness of  the  county  will  make  the  expenditures  for  county  purposes  heavier 
year  by  year.  The  increased  road  expenditures  caused  by  the  demand  for 
better  highways  to  accommodate  the  greater  amount  of  travel  will  be  greater 
each  year.  It  will  cost  more  to  maintain  the  poor  for  the  assurance  of  old 
that  they  will  abide  with  us  always,  cannot  fail  of  fulfillment,  even  in  a 
county  as  prosperous  as  Reno. 

The  progress  of  the  county  of  less  than  a  half  century  is  marvelous.  It 
has  surpassed  the  dreams  of  the  early  settler.  He,  more  than  those  who 
have  become  residents  of  the  county  in  more  recent  years,  is  astonished  at  the 
great  development  of  the  county's  resources.  He  realizes  also  better  than 
the  newcomer,  that  this  development  has  scarcely  begun.  The  resources 
of  the  countv  have  hardly  been  touched.  Crops  more  productive  by  many 
fold  than  those  the  old  settler  planted  are  grown,  and  ground  neglected  has 
been  brought  into  cultivation,  and  better  farming  has  doubled  the  products 
of  the  soil.  Hutchinson  has  developed  into  a  commercial  center  in  a  wax- 
that  has  greatly  added  to  land  values,  and  the  richness  of  Reno  is  but  begun 
to  be  developed. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 
Building  the  Missouri  Pacific. 

In  the  days  before  railroads  were  generally  built,  when  transportation 
matters  were  in  their  formative  period,  there  was  great  rivalry  between  towns 
for  railroads.  The  laws  were  exceedingly  generous  as  to  the  amount  of 
financial  aid  to  railroads  that  was  allowed  to  be  voted  by  a  community. 
Both  county  and  township  bonds  were  permitted  to  the  extent  of  four  thou- 
sand dollars  per  mile,  which  was  given  for  "stock  subscription",  the  town- 
ship or  county  taking  so  much  stock  and  the  railroads  getting  the  bonds  of 
the  county  or  township  and  converting  them  into  cash,  with  which  they  built 
the  road.  As  soon  as  the  road  was  completed,  the  property  was  sold  to  the 
real  owners  of  the  road,  the  bonds  and  other  donations  having  been  made  to 
a  "construction  company".  This  was  a  method  of  getting  rid  of  the  muni- 
cipal  stockholders  used  by  .some  roads. 

'Hie  Missouri  Pacific  road  through  Reno  county  was  built  under  the 
name  of  The  Wichita  &  Colorado  railroad.  Tt  was  first  agitated  bv  some 
Wichita  people.  Their  plan  was  to  build  in  a  northwesterly  direction  until 
they  struck  the  southern  boundary  of  Reno  county.  They  proposed  then  to 
run  west,  along  the  southern  line  of  the  county  and  then  go  to  Kinsley. 
They  obtained  their  charter  on  July  27.  1885.  The  main  purpose  of  this 
road  was  probably  to  help  Wichita  and.  in  the  second  place,  to  kill  Hutchin- 
son. They  thought  they  would  run  through  the  southern  part  of  the  countv. 
establish  towns  along  the  road,  build  the  road  to  the  center  of  the  countv. 
then  called  Reno  ("enter  (now  Partridge),  and  make  a  light  for  that  town  as 
the  countv  seat.  The  Santa  Fe  railroad  was  largely  interested  in  the  suc- 
cess of  Wichita,  as  at  that  time  it  was  one  of  their  principal  stopping  points 
in  the  state.  The  Hutchinson  people  did  not  oppose  the  Santa  Fe  crowd 
directly.  The  plan  they  adopted  was  to  beat  the  Wichita  people  at  their 
own  game  and  not  let  them  know  what  they  were  doing.  L.  A.  Bigger 
visited  the  general  offices  of  the  Santa  Fe  and  urged  them  to  build  a  line 
from  Hutchinson  to  Kinsley.  The  Wichita  project  was  not  being  pushed 
very  rapidly.  So,  on  August  4,  1885.  a  charter  was  obtained  for  the 
Arkansas    River  &   Western   road,   now  known  as  the  "Kinsley  cut-off"   of 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  I  X< , 

the  Santa  Fe.  The  construction  of  this  road  was  pushed  as  fast  as  possible 
over  the  identical  route  from  "Reno  Center  to  Kinsley"  that  the  Wichita 
people  intended  to  build  their  line,  and  was  well  under  way  when  the  Wichita 
people,  whose  road  was  being  financed  by  Jay  Gould,  reached  the  eastern 
border  of  Reno  county. 

At  this  point  another  turn  was  made  in  affairs.  Mr,  Bigger,  \\  .  F, 
Mulkey,  Hiram  Raff  and  S.  W.  (  ampbell  were  sent  to  New  York  to  see 
Gould  and  see  if  the  Wichita  road  could  not  he  Drought  to  Hutchinson. 
They  met  Gould  and  he  informed  them  that  there  would  be  no  more  rail- 
road building  into  Hutchinson  or  any  place  else  in  Kansas  unless  the  railroad 
could  have  its  property  protected  from  strikers.  At  that  time  there  was  a 
big-  strike  on  the  Missouri  Pacific  and  its  railroad  property  had  been  burned 
at  Atchison  and  Parsons.  Gould  had  appealed  to  the  county  authorities  to 
protect  his  property,  but  the  politicians  in  the  local  offices  were  more  afraid 
of  losing  some  votes  at  the  election  if  they  used  force  in  stopping  the  strike 
than  they  wrere  anxious  to  protect  the  property  of  a  corporation  that  had  no 
votes.  Air.  Bigger,  for  the  Hutchinson  committee,  suggested  to  Gould  that 
perhaps  they  could  help  him.  "You  are  the  men  I  want,"  replied  Gould. 
"You  get  my  property  protected  from  the  strikers  and  you  can  have  what- 
ever you  want  from  me." 

Raff,  who  was  the  politician  of  that  committee,  suggested  a  plan.  They 
would  wire  R.  AT.  Easley,  then  editor  of  the  Hutchinson  News,  to  go  to 
Topeka  and  await  word  from  Xew  York.  Before  he  left  Hutchinson,  how- 
ever, he  was  to  wire  all  of  the  politicians  of  western  Kansas  who  had  any 
influence  with  the  governor  to  meet  him  in  Topeka  at  once  as  matters  of 
highest  importance  to  them  were  at  stake.  They  hurried  to  Topeka.  Easley 
was  adroit  and  able  to  handle  the  Topeka  end  of  the  proposition.  A  lean- 
while,  the  Western  Union  wire  had  been  turned  over  to  the  committee  in 
Xew  York  for  their  use  to  any  extent  desired,  without  charge.  The  Xew 
York  committee  wired  Easley  in  Topeka  freely  about  the  things  that  it 
would  take  to  get  the  road  built  to  Hutchinson.  The  real  purpose  of  all  this 
was  not  divulged  by  Easley  to  the  men  whom  lie  had  wired  to  meet  him  in 
Topeka.  but  the  threat  of  Gould  to  stop  all  railroad  building  in  Kansas 
unless  the  strike  was  stopped  was  told  them.  Gould  also  added  that  no  road 
would  build  into  a  state  where  strikers  were  allowed  to  burn  and  pillage 
property  without  any  attempt  on  the  part  of  the  authorities  to  stop  them. 

All  of  the  men  Easley  had  wired  were  friends  of  Governor  Martin. 
They  likewise  had   contracts    for  townsites   with   various   railroads   and   the 


Ilj)0  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

prospects  of  the  stopping  of  railroad  building  in  Kansas  was  an  appalling 
one  to  them.  When  Easley  had  them  all  worked  up  to  the  right  point  where 
the)  would  ask  how  they  could  help,  Easley  would  tell  them  that  there  was 
only  one  way  and  that  was  to  get  Governor  Martin  thoroughly  aroused  by 
their  own  anxiety  over  prospective  losses;  that  they  could  overcome  his 
opposition  to  the  calling  out  of  the  militia,  if  necessary,  to  stop  the  riots. 
Martin  was  verv  anxious  to  avoid  anything  of  this  sort.  He  wanted  as 
little  of  this  as  possible  in  his  administration,  but  all  day,  one  at  a  time, 
these  political  friends  called  on  him,  properly  coached  by  Easley,  and  talked 
to  the  governor,  each  on  a  different  phase  of  the  subject.  There  was  one 
thing  that  influenced  him  most.  They  made  it  very  plain  to  the  governor 
that  future  relations  between  them  would  depend  on  the  governor  helping 
them  to  save  the  fortunes  they  had  invested  in  the  prospective  townsites 
that  were  threatened.  All  day  long,  they  drilled  up  to  the  governor's  office 
at  the  state  house.  At  supper  time  he  was  still  undecided  and  still  besieged. 
Xew  arguments  were  constantly  being  brought  up  to  force  the  governor  to 
action.  Late  at  night  he  surrendered.  He  told  his  besiegers  that  he  would 
issue  the  proclamation  they  wanted.  Easley  soon  appeared  at  the  state  house, 
accidentally  of  course,  dropped  in  on  the  private  secretary  of  the  governor 
and  began  talking  about  the  necessity  of  prompt  action.  The  private  secre- 
tary asked  Easley  if  he  would  write  the  proclamation,  as  that  was  something 
new  for  him  to  get  up.  Easley  agreed  to  this,  retired  to  an  adjoining  room 
and.  after  a  proper  length  of  time,  produced  a  proclamation  that  had  been 
wired  him  from  Xew  York.  When  the  method  of  handling  the  strike  had 
been  agreed  on,  Gould  called  in  his  attorney.  Judge  Dillon,  and  had  him  pre- 
pare the  proclamation  that  was  desired.  Tn  this  proclamation  the  governor 
called  on  the  strikers  to  desist  from  all  violence  and  he  threatened  to  send 
the  militia  to  the  various  points  in  the  state  unless  order  was  immediately 
restored.  It  called  on  all  sheriffs  to  enforce  order  and  to  co-operate  with 
die  militia  in  case  it  was  necessary  t<i  have  them  to  suppress  lawlessness. 
Thi-  proclamation  was  wired  to  Easley  and  it  was  this  copy  which  Easle) 
handed  to  the  Governor's  private  secretary.  The  Governor  signed  the  proc- 
lamation. It  was  sent  out  to  the  various  sheriffs  in  the  counties  where  the 
strikers  were  creating  trouble  and  published  the  next  morning  in  the  Topcka 
mvwmvcaltll,  then   the  official   paper  of  the   state. 

The  new-  <>\  Easley's  success  was  wired  to  the  Hutchinson  committee 
in  New  York,  who  immediately  went  to  Gould's  residence  and  told  him  of 
their  success.     Gould  was  greatly  pleased  with  the  work-  of  the  Hutchinson 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  Hjl 

men  and  told  them  to  come  to  his  office  nexl  morning  and  he  would  carry 
out  his  part  oi   the  agreement. 

In  the  meantime  the  Hutchinson  committee  in  New  York  had  had  a 
big  map  made  of  the  Missouri  Pacific  as  it  was  then  constructed.  After 
leaving  West  Wichita,  the  road  was  built  in  an  almosl  northwesterly  course 
to  the  point  where  the  town  of  Maize  is  now  located.  It  continued  to  where 
Colwich  is  now  located  and  then,  instead  of  continuing  in  that  course,  it 
bent  southward  and  ran  almost  due  west  to  where  Andale  is  now  located. 
Here  the  course  was  changed  again  and  the  road  ran  almosl  due  north  to 
where  Mt.  I  lope  is  located.  There  was  no  reason  why  the  road  could  nol 
have  been  built  directly  northwest,  as  it  was  started  from  Wichita.  With 
this  enlarged  map,  the  big  crooks  showed  up  very  plainly.  At  this  interview 
the  fact  that  the  Santa  Fe  had  occupied  the  territory  from  Reno  Center 
west  and  had  beaten  the  Wichita  people  to  that  territory  was  fir>t  made 
known  to  Gould,  lie  had  been  financing-  the  proposition,  supposing  thai 
there  was  no  road  contemplated  in  that  territory,  and  was  very  angry  that 
he  had  been  imposed  on  by  the  Wichita  promoters.  He  was  in  a  proper 
mood  to  give  the  Hutchinson  committee  what  they  wanted. 

A  big  map  of  Kansas  was  consulted.  Tt  showed  the  Missouri  Pacific 
main  line  was  then  completed  to  a  point  northwest  of  Hutchinson.  Gould 
then  drew  a  line  from  where  the  road  being  built  by  the  Wichita  promoters 
reached  Reno  county.  Pie  traced  the  road  to  Hutchinson  and  to  have  an 
outlet  he  continued  his  drawing  of  the  road  as  it  should  be  built,  northwest 
from  Hutchinson,  up  through  Nickerson  to  Sterling,  north  to  Lyons  and  on 
northwest  to  a  point  where  it  would  join  the  main  line  of  the  Missouri 
Pacific,  now  where  Hoisington  is  situated. 

As  soon  as  the  Wichita  promoters  found  that  the  finances  had  been 
withdrawn,  they  hurried  to  Xew  York  to  see  Gould.  But  he  had  made  his 
promises  to  the  Hutchinson  committee  and  told  them  they  would  have  to 
stand.  However,  when  the  road  reached  the  Arkansas  river,  Gould  tried  to 
keep  from  building  into  Hutchinson,  in  order  to  appease  the  Wichita  pro- 
moters. He  notified  the  Hutchinson  committee  that  they  could  not  cross 
the  river,  as  there  was  no  bottom  to  the  sand  and  that  it  would  cost  ton 
much  to  cross  the  river.  The  Hutchinson  committee  told  him  that  was  only 
a  bluff;  that  the  Santa  Fe  had  built  a  bridge  across  it  a  couple  of  miles 
higher  up  and  that  Reno  county's  bridge,  less  than  a  mile  above  where  he 
proposed  to  cross  the  river,  was  not  an  expensive  one,  and  insisted  that  he 
keen  his  contract  and  build  into  Hutchinson  as  he  had  agreed  to.     As  soon 


ig2  RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

as  he  saw  the  determination  of  the  Hutchinson  committee,  he  ordered  the 
road  1  milt  as  was  originally  agreed  on.  Thus  another  road  was  built  into  the 
city. 

The  present  size  of  Hutchinson  would  never  have  been  attained,  its 
trade  would  have  been  diverted  to  Wichita  and  a  number  of  small  towns 
would  have  been  built  along"  the  southern  border  of  Reno  county  had  it  not 
been  for  the  incessant  activity  of  the  men  who  lived  in  this  city  then,  who 
were  always  alert  for  opportunities  of  helping  the  growth  of  the  city.  These 
'"old-timers"  were  constantly  on  the  outlook  for  the  things  that  would  help 
build  up  this  community. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 
The   Hutchinson  &  Southern    Railroad. 

As  it  was  originally  planned,  the  Hutchinson  &  Southern  railroad  was 
a  Union  Pacific  project.  The  Santa  le  was  then  extending  its  track  south- 
ward: the  Rock  Island  was  also  arranging  to  build  a  line  to  the  southern 
coast  of  the  United  States  and  the  Union  Pacific  wanted,  to  be  on  equal 
terms  with  its  competitors  and  get  through  the  rich  lands  of  southern  Kan- 
sas and  into  the  land  then  called  the  Indian  Territory  and  on  to  Texas  and 
the  southern  markets.  The  originator  of  the  plan  to  build  what  is  now  the 
Hutchinson  &  Southern  railroad  was  John  I'.  Usher,  of  Lawrence,  Kansas. 
Pie  was  at  one  time  general  attorney  for  the  Union  Pacific  railroad.  Mr. 
Usher  was  a  man  of  broad  vision  and  saw  the  advantage  that  would  accrue 
to  the  Union  Pacific  in  having  such  a  southern  feeder  to  its  east  and  west 
main  line.  Usher  had  a  prominent  place  in  the  political  world.  He  had 
been  secretary  of  the  interior  in  President  Lincoln's  cabinet,  which  position 
he  left  after  the  assassination  of  Lincoln  and  became  general  attorney  of 
the  Kansas  Pacific  railroad.  Later  he  became  general  attorney  for  the 
Union  Pacific  railroad.  His  plan  was  to  extend  the  Union  Pacific  branch, 
then  built  from  Salina  to  McPherson,  southward  through  Hutchinson,  con- 
tinuing through  Kingman  and  Harper  counties  and  on  to  the  Gulf.  The 
general  plan  for  the  building  of  this  road  was  outlined,  but,  before  it  could 
be  carried  into  effect,  Mr.  Usher  died.  A  preliminary  survey  was  made  in 
i88^  and  a  charter  for  the  road  obtained  the  next  year. 

The  road  was  organized  under  the  name  of  the  McPherson,  Texas  & 
Gulf  railroad.  The  original  incorporators  were  A.  L.  Williams,  H.  P. 
Dillon,  Charles  Monroe,  N.  H.  Loomis,  of  Topeka;  G.  A.  A.  Deane,  of 
Lincoln.  Kansas;  W.  H.  (lark  and  George  I).  Thompson,  of  Harper,  Kan- 
sas; W.  P.  Olmstead  and  J.  B.  Forbes,  of  Anthony,  Kansas.  The  first 
board  of  directors  consisted  of  A.  L.  Williams,  H.  P.  Dillon,  Charles  Mon- 
roe, X.  H.  Loomis  and  G.  A.  A.  Deane.  A.  L.  Williams  was  the  first  presi- 
dent of  the  new  road  and  the  entire  project  was  conducted  in  the  interests 
o\   the  Union  Pacific  railroad. 

(13) 


194  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

Prior  to  this  survey,  there  was  a  great  controversy  in  the  board  of 
directors  of  the  Union  Pacific  railroad.  The  "New  York  side  of  the 
directors  was  represented  by  Sidney  Dillon  and  the  Boston  interests  of  the 
road  were  represented  by  Charles  Francis  Adams.  Dillon  was  an  advocate 
of  continuing  the  westward  line  and  Adams  wanted  to  build  to  the  Gulf. 
\\  believer  the  Dillon  interests  controlled,  the  westward  plans  were  pushed, 
but,  when  the  Adams  side  of  the  controversy  controlled  the  stock  in  the 
Union  Pacific  road  the  southern  extension  advanced.  The  Dillon  conting- 
ent made  a  contract  with  the  Rock  Island  for  a  joint  use  of  the  bridge 
over  the  .Missouri  river  at  Omaha.  This  contract  included  a  joint  use  of 
the  track  of  the  Rock  [sland  from  Kansas  City  to  Topeka,  from  McPherson 
to  Hutchinson  and  from  Limon  to  Denver.  The  Adams  interests  were 
opposed  to  the  contract,  they  urging  separate  tracks  and  a  separate  bridge 
over  the  Missouri  river.  When  the  Adams  interests  got  control  of  the 
directorate  of  the  Union  Pacific  they  tried  to  repudiate  the  contract  with 
the  Rock  [sland.  The  case  was  tried  through  all  of  the  courts  and  resulted 
in  the  upholding  of  the  contract. 

The  making  of  this  contract  rendered  necessary  the  building  of  a  road 
from  McPherson  to  Hutchinson,  as  a  part  of  the  plan  of  the  incorporators 
of  the  McPherson,    Texas  &  Gulf  railroad.     The  Rock  Island  was  consider- 
ing building  to  El  Paso  and  the  Union  Pacific  began  to  move  trains   from 
.McPherson  to  Hutchinson  in  Ala)",   1890,  over  the  Rock  [sland  tracks  from 
McPherson,  which  continued  for  several  months.      When  the  Dillon  interests 
gained   control   of  the   Union    Pacific,   the   train    service   between   these   two 
points  ceased.      But  the  time   for  the  building  of  the  road  southward   from 
Hutchinson,  in  order  to  get  the  bonds  voted  by  Hutchinson,  South  Hutchin- 
son and   Kingman   for  "terminal   facilities",  likewise  the  bonds  voted  by  the 
various  townships   through    which   the   road   was   to   run.    were   expiring  by 
limitation,  when  G.   A.   Walkup,  a  real  estate  man  of   Hutchinson,  undertook 
to  build   the  road   as   was  contemplated  and   get   the  bonds  voted   by  these 
municipalities.      Me   interested   two   other   Hutchinson    men,    Charles    Collins 
and  A..  J    Lusk.     Collins  was  an  old-timer  in  Hutchinson,  the  first  sheriff  of 
Reno  county,  and  Lusk  was  president  of  a  bank  that  went  to  pieces  during 
the   bard   time-   of  a    few  years  later.      Walkup.   Collins   and   Taisk   went    to 
Chicago  ami  induced  three  (  hicagO  men  to  join  with   them   in  the  enterprise 
of  building  the  road,     These  men  were  Everitte  St.  John,  then  general  man- 
ager of  the  Rock  Claud.  E.   E.  Wise,  who  vyas  a  brother-in-law  of  Major- 
Gen,  lohn  M.  Schofield,  of  the  United  States  army,  and  H,  A.  Christy. 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  I'^5 

The  Dillon  management  of  the  Union  Pacific,  then  in  control  oi  this 
road,  were  glad  of  an  opportunity  to  stop  the  ^.dams  management  that  th< 
had  just  succeeded  in  putting  out  of  control  of  the  Union  Pacific,  and  gave 
the  franchise  of  the  McPherson,  Texas  &  Gulf  to  the  new  company,  with 
the  stipulation  that  it  was  to  be  constructed  under  another  name.  Accord- 
ing to  this  agreement,  the  road's  name  was  changed  to  the  Hutchinson, 
Oklahoma  &  Gulf  railroad.  The  hoard  of  directors  chosen  then  were  II.  A. 
Christy,  E.  E.  Wise  and  E.  St.  John,  of  Chicago,  and  Charles  Collins  and 
G.  A.  Walkup,  of  Hutchinson.  Christy  was  elected  president  of  the  new- 
road.  Wise,  general  superintendent,  and  O.  P.  Byers,  superintendent  of  con- 
struction. The  articles  of  incorporation  of  the  road  were  filed  with  the 
secretary  of  state  of  Kansas  on  October  7,   1889. 

The  territory  over  which  it  was  -planned  to  build  this  road  had  no  rail- 
road facilities.  The  people  were  anxious  to  have  the  road  built.  Bonds 
were  voted  and  right-of-way  given  freely.  When  the  company  found  a 
man  who  would  not  give  the  right  of  way,  they  would  seek  to  get  him  by 
the  promise  of  a  life  pass  on  the  road;  if  this  did  not  succeed  in  getting  the 
right  of  way.  they  would  build  around  his  place.  It  made  little  difference 
to  these  men  about  the  curvature  in  the  road.  They  were  building  it  to  sell 
and  their  bonds  were  voted  on  a  mileage  basis.  No  money  was  ever  paid 
out,  for  the  promoter  had  none  with  which  to  pay.  Neither  did  they  have 
any  money  with  which  to  build  the  road.  All  grading  was  paid  out  of  the 
subsidies  voted  the  road.  The  rails  were  purchased  on  time  from  the  Illi- 
nois Steel  Company  through  the  influence  of  St.  John.  The  ties  were  like- 
wise  purchased  on  time.  Engines  and  cars  for  construction  purposes  were 
loaned;  the  freight  on  material  was  to  be  paid  out  of  the  proceeds  of  the 
bonds,  after  they  were  earned.  The  road  was  built  without  a  dollar  of 
money  being  put  up  by  the  men  building  it.  It  was  built  on  the  credit  of 
the  towns  and  townships  through  which  it  was  constructed. 

The  new  company  found  they  had  but  sixty  days  to  build  the  twenty- 
three  miles  of  road  to  the  southern  boundary  of  Reno  county.  All  the 
material  had  to  be  hauled  hundreds  of  miles.  Weather  conditions  became 
very  bad,  for  it  rained  continually.  One  fortunate  feature  for  the  company. 
however,  was  that  the  rain  fell  during  the  night,  the  days  being  nice  and 
bright,  and  no  work  was  stopped  because  of  the  weather.  The  track  was 
laid  on  the  road  at  the  rate  of  a  mile  a  day.  It  was  completed  to  within  a 
mile  of  the  county  line  and  only  one  day  remained  of  the  time  to  earn  the 
bonds.      Then  it   was  discovered  that  there  was  no  more  material   on  hand- 


I96  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

to  finish  to  the  Kingman  line.  So  the  only  thing-  left  to  do  was  to  tear  up  all 
of  the  sidings  and  put  them  down  as  part  of  the  main  line.  This  was  done 
and  the  county  commissioners  of  Reno  county  accepted  the  road  and  ordered 
the  bonds  paid. 

The  mad  was  built  on  to  Kingman.  There  was  plenty  of  time,  how- 
ever, to  reach  that  city,  as  the  time  limit  did  not  expire  as  soon  as  it  did  in 
Reno  county,  and  the  company  proceeded  in  a  more  leisurely  way  to  build 
that  portion  of  the  road. 

When  it  came  to  selling  the  bonds  of  the  road  and  paying  for  the 
material,  some  difficulty  was  found  in  disposing  of  the  bonds.  There  had 
been  a  series  of  short  crops  in  Kansas.  Political  agitations,  arising  out  of 
the  inflation  of  values  and  the  over-mortgaging  of  the  lands,  had  sent  the 
credit  of  the  West  down  and  it  was  found  difficult  to  market  the  bonds. 
They  were  finally  sold  to  the  state  school  fund  at  a  discount. 

A  difficulty  arose  over  the  division  of  the  proceeds  of  these  bonds. 
\\  ise  and  Christy  undertook  to  squeeze  out  Lusk  and  Collins.  They  had 
eliminated  St.  John  at  an  earlier  period  and  thought  they  could  in  a  similar 
manner  get  Lusk  and  Collins  out  of  the  deal  and  have  the  entire  proceeds 
for  themselves.  Lusk  met  Christy  and  Wise  in  a  bank  in  Hutchinson  to 
talk  over  the  matter,  ft  became  apparent  that  the  Chicago  men  were 
anxious  to  get  all  of  the  bonds  for  their  own  use.  Lusk  knocked  Christy 
down,  then  had  both  Christ}'  and  Wise  arrested,  and  they  would  have  spent 
the  night  in  jail  had  not  a  Iitttchinson  citizen  gone  on  their  bonds.  That 
night  Collins  went  to  the  hotel  where  Wise  and  Christy  were  stopping  and, 
after  getting  into  their  room,  he  locked  the  door  and  put  the  key  in  his 
cket.  Tie  told  them  in  very  forcible  language  that  they  could  not  freeze 
him  out  in  the  manner  they  proposed  and  that  he  was  there  to  get  what  was 
coming  to  bin;.  They  both  knew  Collins  and  knew  he  would  make  good 
his  threat.  Collins  left  the  room  satisfied.  Just  what  they  paid  him,  how 
they  settled  with  him.  neither  they  nor  Collins  would  say.  All  that  Collins 
ever  -aid  about  it  was  that  he  got  what  he  went  after.  Later,  a  suit  was 
broughl  over  the  issuance  of  the  bonds  Hutchinson  had  voted.  While  the 
"terminal  facilities"  promised  were  never  built,  the  city  council  thought 
that,  even  though  the  bonds  were  never  earned,  yet  it  enabled  the  road  to 
be  built  and  Hutchinson  to  have  the  trade  it  brought  to  the  city.  Wise  and 
Christy  had,  after  completing  the  road  to  Kingman,  a  railroad  thirtv-two 
mile-  long,  built  out   of  the  subsidies,   with  no  bonded  indebtedness. 

While  this  road  was  being  built,  another  change  took  place  in  the  man- 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  K)J 

agemenl  of  the  Union  Pacific.  The  old  idea  of  building  to  the  Gulf  again 
animated  the  officers  and  a  new  company  was  organized,  called  the  Omaha, 
Hutchinson  &  Gulf  railroad.  A  survey  was  made  from  the  city  of  King- 
man to  the  south  line  of  the  state.     Elections  were  held  and  bonds  voted. 

The  subsidies  allowed  by  law  had  been  reduced  from  four  thousand  doll. 
to  two  thousand  dollars  a  mile  and  the  "terminal  facility"  bonds  from  King- 
man, Harper  and  Anthony  were  also  voted.  The  proposition  to  continue 
the  building  of  the  road  was  presented  to  the  new  management  of  the  Union 
Pacific,  with  the  provision  that  when  the  fifty  additional  miles  that  would 
be  necessary  to  reach  the  state  line  were  built,  that  all  the  subsidies  should 
be  the  property  of  the  promoters  and  the  entire  eighty-two  miles  of  road 
should  be  bonded  for  twelve  thousand  five  hundred  dollars  a  mile,  the  Union 
Pacific  to  advance  seventy-five  per  cent  of  this  value  of  the  bonds  when  the 
road  was  built -and  in  operation  from  Hutchinson  to  the  Indian  Territorv 
line.  The  Union  Pacific  was  to  have  the  privilege  of  taking  over  the  road 
upon  the  payment  of  the  other  twenty-five  per  cent  of  the  bonds.  This 
proposition  was  accepted  and  the  road  completed  to  the  state  line  on  June 
2,  t8qo.  The  road  was  then  reincorporated  and  was  known  as  the  Hutchin- 
son &  Southern  railroad.  The  entire  amount  of  the  bonds  issued  was  seven 
hundred  sixty-eight  thousand  live  hundred  dollars.  The  stock  was  put  up 
with  the  bonds  and  the  control  of  the  road  passed  to  the  bondholders.  The 
net  profits  to  the  builders  of  this  eighty-two  miles  of  railroad  was  over  a 
quarter  of  a  million  dollars.  It  was  the  intention  to  continue  the  building 
of  the  road  to  Denison,  Texas.  Oklahoma  had  been  opened  for  settlement. 
Townsites  were  available  and  bonds  were  as  easily  secured  as  in  the  early 
days  of  Kansas.  Indian  contracts  of  great  value  could  be  secured  and  the 
prospects  for  the  road  for  building  farther  south  were  bright.  An  applica- 
tion had  been  made  to  Congress  for  a  right-of-way  across  this  territory. 
when  another  convulsion  took  place  in  the  management  of  the  Union  Pacific. 
The  Dillon  interests  had  again  crowded  out  the  Adams  interests.  They 
were  antagonistic  to  the  entire  southern  proposition  and  promptly  repudiated 
the  contract  that  had  been  made  for  building  the  road  southward.  They 
refused,  further,  to  take  possession  of  the  newly-built  railroad  and  left  itJn 
the  hands  of  the  builders.  These  builders  sought  money  elsewhere,  when 
it  became  apparent  that  no  further  aid  could  be  expected  from  the  Union 
Pacific.  But  it  was  hard  work  at  that  time  to  get  any  money  for  railroad 
construction.  Nearly  all  of  the  western  roads  were  in  the  hands  of  receivers 
and  a  receiver  was  appointed   for  the  Hutchinson    &   Southern.     The   man 


I98  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

sent  to  Hutchinson  to  have  charge  of  the  road  was  L.  E.  Walker.  His 
appointment  was  the  payment  of  a  political  debt  of  Senator  Thurston,  who 
was  then  attorney  for  the  Union  Pacific.  Walker  came  to  Hutchinson  and 
took  charge  of  the  road.  Soon  afterward  he  selected  W.  A.  Bradford,  a 
Boston  man.  as  general  manager  of  the  road.  The  idea  of  extending  the 
road  appealed  to  them  and  they  undertook  to  duplicate  the  job  of  build- 
ing the  road  from  Hutchinson  to  Kingman,  from  the  terminus  then  at 
Cameron.  on  the  state  line,  to  Blackwell,  Oklahoma.  Thev  eot  bonds 
wherever  possible.  They  took  the  receipts  of  the  road  and  used  them. 
They  had  receiver's  certificates  issued  by  the  United  States  court  to  pay 
taxes  and  other  expenses  and  they  left  the  taxes  unpaid,  using  the  monev 
to  continue  the  building-  of  the  road.  Thev  succeeded  in  getting1  to  Black- 
veil  and  the  road  was  becoming  an  exceedingly  valuable  one.  They  started 
t<  build  a  depot  in  Hutchinson,  now  the  Missouri  Pacific  passenger  depot. 
They  built  a  bridge  across  the  Arkansas  river,  so  they  would  not  have  to 
use  the  tracks  of  the  Rock  Island  road.  They  were  getting  along  nicely. 
They  had  an  offer  of  a  million  dollars  for  the  road  from  the  Choctaw  rail- 
road, which  was  anxious  to  get  a  line  northward.  Their  success  turned 
their  heads.  Instead  of  accepting  the  Choctaw  proposition,  that  would  have 
made  them  a  big  profit,  they  held  on  to  their  road,  expecting  to  make  a 
great  system  out  of  it.  However,  the  Santa  Fe  looked  at  the  road  with 
longing  eyes  and  bought  the  bonds  of  the  Company.  The  stock  was  up  as 
additional  security,  which  stock  carried  with  it  the  control  of  the  road,  and 
on  December  20.  t$8>(),  the  Hutchinson  &  Southern  became  the  propertv  of 
the  Santa  Fe.  Bradford  and  Walker  made  but  little  out  of  the  sale.  They 
had  put  nothing  in.  They  sold  the  depot  to  the  Missouri  Pacific  for  ten 
thousand  dollars  and  the  track  from  the  river  to  the  depot  and  the  bridge 
across  the  Arkansas  river,  that  were  not  covered  by  the  bonds  of  the  road. 
This  was  all  they  had  when  the  Santa  Fe  took  control  of  the  road. 

So  the  Hutchinson  &  Southern  was  built.  The  earl)-  promoters  made 
a  fortune  out  of  it,  but  none  of  them  made  much  ol  their  profits.  Thev 
all  died  poor.  None  of  the  early  builders  .are  living.  Some  of  the  men 
who  helped  build  the  road  are  still  in  Hutchinson.  Among  them.  O.  .P. 
I'.vers.  who  was  superintendent  of  the  road  until  it  was  built  to  Kingman. 
lie  ii"\\  i>  presidenl  of  the  Anthony  &  Northern  railroad.  Fred  Carpenter, 
of  Hutchinson,  was  road  master  for  many  years  and  is  still  road  master  of 
this  road.  It  is  a  great  feeder  for  the  Santa  Fe.  It  rims  through  a  rich 
territon  and  is  a  great  help  in  the  development  of  the  Great  Southwest. 


CHAPTER   XXVII. 
Early   Farming. 

Perhaps  those  who  live  in  Reno  county  fifty  years  hence  will  look  upon 
farming  as  it  is  done  today  with  the  same  view  that  the  farmers  of  today 
look  at  the  methods  of  the  pioneers  of  Reno  county,  the  men  who  broke  the 
sod  and  drove  the  wildness  out  of  the  soil.  From  the  standpoint  rjf  farm- 
ing as  it  is  done  today,  the  pioneer  was  exceedingly  crude  in  his  methods 
and  small  in  his  attainments.  Perhaps  the  reason  for  the  smallness  of  the 
acreage  was  the  lack  of  a  market,  although  in  1878  and  for  a  few  years 
thereafter  there  was  a  hay  and  corn  market  in  Reno  county  that  was  very 
heavy.  The  volume  of  the  hay  business  exceeded  that  of  the  present  day. 
It  was  in  the  mining  days  of  Colorado,  that  created  such  an  immense  hay 
business.  C.  B.  Myton  was  the  manager  of  the  company  that  shipped  much 
hay  from  Hutchinson.  It  was  prairie  hay  and  the  general  price  paid  was 
three  dollars  a  ton.  Myton  baled  the  hay  and  shipped  it  to  Colorado  min- 
ing towns.  His  hay  stacks  were  built  on  Second  avenue  west,  about  where 
the  gas  plant  is  now  located.  Much  of  the  grass  that  was  hauled  to  market 
was  blue  stem  from  the  bottoms  and  a  fuzzy  topped  grass  that  grew  in  the 
uplands.  As  was  shown  in  another  chapter,  as  soon  as  the  buffalo  quit  graz- 
ing on  the  grass,  the  buffalo  grass  disappeared  and  the  tall  -blue  stem  and 
other  varieties  of  grass  followed  it. 

The  farmer  of  today  wonders  at  the  wastefulness  of  getting  a  ton  of 
grass  to  the  acre,  when  his  alfalfa  fields  now  yield  him  four  to  five  cuttings 
that  will  average  more  for  each  cutting  than  he  got  for  his  entire  hay  crop 
for  a  season.  The  price  of  the  alfalfa  is  three  to  four  times  as  much  as  he 
received  for  his  prairie  hay  when  Myton  was  shipping  it  west. 

The  year  1872  developed  twenty- four  farmers  in  Reno  county  who  put 
out  corn,  the  total  number  of  acres  planted  that  year  being  two  hundred 
fifty  and  one-half.  The  I  jams  family  were  the  big  corn  raisers  that  year, 
the  family  altogether  having  in  fifty-five  acres  of  corn.  The  family  arc- 
still  among  the  enterprising  fanners  of  Reno  county  and  still  raise  corn. 
That  crop  the  entire  family  put  out  in  1872  would  hardly  be  a  start  now 
for  some  of  the  younger  members  of  the  family.     Isaac  Ijams  was  easilv 


200  RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

the  king  of  corn  raisers  in  1872,  for  he  alone  had  thirty-five  acres  of  corn  in 
cultivation.  The  crop  that  year  averaged  from  twelve  to  fifteen  bushels 
per  acre.  This,  of  course,  was  all  sod  corn  and  had  no  cultivation.  About 
all  that  was  done  to  raise  the  crop  was  the  plowing  of  the  ground  and  the 
planting  by  hand  of  the  corn,  and  then,  in  the  fall,  the  harvesting.  Corn 
sold  in  the  fall  of  1872  and  spring  of  1873  from  a  dollar  to  a  dollar  and  a 
quarter  a  bushel,  the  latter  price  being  generally  paid  for  seed  corn. 

One  of  the  chief  encouragements  to  farming  was  the  passage  of  the 
Herd  law.  Prior  to  the  enactment  of  this  statute  there  was  no  protection 
from  stock  and  none  of  the  farmers  had  money  enough  to  fence  their  land. 
But  farming  developed  rapidly  as  soon  as  the  law  became  effective.  There 
was  also  one  other  thing  that  hindered  the  development  of  farming,  except 
close  to  Hutchinson,  and  that  was  the  driving  of  immense  herds  of  Texas 
cattle  northward  to  Abilene  and,  later,  to  Ellinwood.  Until  the  passage  of 
the  law  governing  the  driving  of  herds,  which  allowed  Texas  cattle  to  be 
driven  across  the  state,  but  fixed  as  the  eastern  boundary  a  line  that  was  the 
western  boundary  line  of  Reno  county,  no  one  risked  planting  much  in  their 
fields.  Some  gardens  were  planted  and  some  families  that  lived  in  the 
Ninnescah  bottoms,  near  where  Arlington  now  stands,  did  a  thriving  busi- 
ness  in  selling  green  vegetables.  Lettuce,  onions  and  everything  they  could 
grow  were  readily  sold  to  the  cattle  men  who  were  driving  their  herds  north- 
ward. Anything  in  the  fresh  vegetable  line  found  a  ready  sale  with  the 
cattlemen.  AYhile  the  law  fixing  the  boundary  line  for  driving  cattle  north 
was  passed  in  187-'.  it  was  not  rigidly  enforced,  as  there  were  but  few 
-ettlers  outside  the  bottom  lands.  Realizing  the  fact  that  while  the  statutes 
prohibited  the  driving  of  cattle  across  Reno  county,  on  their  way  from  the 
Texas  ranges  to  shipping  points  on  the  Santa  Fe,  the  county  commissioners 
modified  the  order  to  a  certain  extent  in  allowing  cattle  men  to  make  a 
shorl  cut  across  the  southwest  portion  of  the  county,  as  there  were  lint 
few  fanner-  in  that  section  of  the  county.  So  they  authorized  a  route  to 
be  laid  out  along  which  cattle  could  be  driven.  This,  however,  was  not  used 
long.  V-  soon  as  the  Santa  be  railroad  was  built  to  Dodge  City,  another 
and  more  southwesterly  route  was  used  by  the  cattlemen  and  the  driving  of 

as  rattle  through   Reno  county  ceased  entirely. 

The  growing  of  wheat  in  1873  started  the  agitation  for  a  grist-mill 
from  water  power  obtained  from  Cow  creek.  Obtaining  Hour  was  a  bard 
task  then.  The  nearesl  grist-mill  in  1872  was  operated  by  a  man  by  the 
name  of  hick,  at  Cedar   Point,  on  the  Cottonwood  river,  nearly  a  hundred 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  2(  >l 

miles  cast  of  Hutchinson,  li  took  a  week  to  make  the  trip  with  a  load  '-I 
wheat,  returning  with  a  load  of  flour.  The  firsl  wheat  in  Reno  count)  v 
raised  by  J.  VV.  ECanaga  on  his  farm  southeast  of  town.  Charles  Phillips 
took  the  first  load  of  wheat  from  Reno  county  to  the  mill  at  Cedar  Point. 
A  short  time  later  a  steam  mill  was  started  at  Conesburg,  now  Peabody,  and 
this  materially  shortened  the  distance  to  mill.  The  Kanagas  had  an  old 
fashioned  "dropper'',  which  they  had  brought  with  them  to  Reno  county. 
In  the  summer  ECanaga  sold  ice  and  he  took  his  pay  for  cutting  his  neighbors' 
wheat  in  the  labor  of  those  neighbors  in  putting  up  ice  in  the  winter.  Jt  is 
recorded  that  the  ice  of  the  winter  of  [873-1874  was  "very  good",  as  good 
perhaps  as  the  wheat  crop  harvested  the  summer  before. 

The  long  distance  to  mill  was  a  great  incentive  to  the  establishment 
of  a  mill  in  Hutchinson.  In  the  summer  of  1874  C.  B.  Myton  built  a  grisl 
mill  alongside  the  Santa  he  tracks  about  where  the  passenger  depot  now 
stands.  He  ground  wheat  and  corn,  but  the  flour  was  of  an  inferior  quality. 
At  this  time  the  nearest  mill  to  Hutchinson  was  at  Wichita.  Myton  had  all 
of  the  trade  of  the  territory  adjoining  Hutchinson.  Mis  charges  were 
excessive.  At  that  time  wheat  was  very  low  in  price  and  it  was  very  much 
to  the  advantage  of  the  farmer  to  exchange  part  of  his  wheat  rather  than 
sell  the  wheat  and  buy  flour.  Myton' s  charges  were  fixed  on  the  basis  oi 
"all  the  traffic  would  stand."  Farmers  complained  of  the  excessive  tolls 
taken  by  him  for  grinding.  Some  of  the  men  took  their  wheat  to  Wichita 
rather  than  pay  the  excessive  tolls  Myton  exacted.  So  strong  was  the  pro- 
test against  these  high  charges,  that  in  1875  a  mill  was  projected,  to  he  run 
with  water  power.  A  mill  that  would  he  of  any  capacity  worth  considering 
would  require  one  hundred  horse-power  to  operate.  To  obtain  this  power 
it  was  found  necessary  to  have  more  water  than  Cow  creek  naturally  fur- 
nished and  it  was  found  necessary  to  raise  the  water  eight  teet  above  the 
surface  of  the  ground  at  Avenue  C  and  Alain  street,  where  the  mill  was  to 
be  located.  It  was  further  found  necessary  to  get  as  much  water  from  the 
Arkansas  river  as  Cow  creek  afforded.  It  was  found  after  the  mill  was  con- 
structed that  whenever  the  river  failed  to  supply  this  extra  amount  of  water, 
it  was  necessary  to  shut  down  the  mill.  To  get  this  extra  water  a  ditch  was 
dug  from  the  river  to  Cow  creek  four  miles  northwest  of  town.  It  was 
found  that  the  water  in  the  river  was  seventeen  feet  higher  at  a  point 
directly  west  of  Cow-  creek  than  the  water  in  the  creek.  By  bringing  the 
water  from  the  river  to  the  creek,  enough  power  was  obtained  to  run  the 
mill.     The  two  vears   following  the  completion  of  the  mill   were  wet   one- 


202  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

and  it  was  found  then  that  had  the  banks  of  the  head  race  been  raised  another 
foot,  there  would  have  been  enough  water  in  the  creek  to  run  the  mill.  It 
was  found  in  the  winter  time,  when  the  water  was  most  needed  to  supple- 
ment that  of  Cow  creek,  that  the  water  would  be  low,  the  river  sometimes 
ffoing  almost  dry.  It  was  found  also  that  in  the  winter  ice  would  form  on 
the  river  much  sooner  than  on  Cow  creek;  that  Cow  creek,  being  fed  by 
spring-,  never  ceased  flowing  until  zero  weather  was  reached,  and  then  the 
ice  would  soon  disappear  after  a  few  warm  days.  This  mill  was  started  in 
the  fall  of  1876  and  for  a  few  months  did  a  very  successful,  business,  grind- 
ing grists  for  farmers  who  had  driven  long  distances  to  get  a  chance  to 
exchange  their  wheat  for  flour.  It  was  no  uncommon  thing  for  the  mill  to 
receive  as  much  as  one  thousand  bushels  of  wheat  a  day  to  grind. 

The  mill  greatly  helped  the  merchant.  Tt  brought  men  to  town  for 
flour  who  became  customers  of  the  stores  of  the  city,  and  when  the  water 
failure,  a  few  years  afterward,  caused  the  mill  to  shut  down  it  was  a  hard 
blow  to  the  merchants,  who  had  profited  greatly  by  this  new  business.  It 
was  likewise  a  hard  blow  for  the  farmers,  who  had  had  fair  treatment  from 
the  mill  company. 

Another  thing"  which  made  farming  uncertain  in  the  early  days  was  the 
frequent  prairie  fires.  There  was  little  plowed  ground,  most  of  the  country 
remaining 'grass  land,  and  a  fire,  fanned  by  a  high  wind,  was  something  to 
be  greatly  dreaded.  One  of  these  swept  over  the  state  in  the  fall  of  1872. 
It  started  in  northern  Kansas  and  was  not  stopped  even  by  the  rivers,  as  the 
high  wind  carried  burning  tumble  weeds  over  the  water  and  started  fires  on 
the  opposite  bank  of  the  stream.  These  great:  fires  were  of  yearly  occurrence. 
They  were  not  all  as  extensive  as  the  one  referred  to,  but  they  would  often 
-weep  over  a  space  as  large  as  a  county  before  a  changed  wind,  a  rain  or 
some  natural  obstacle  like  a  stream  would  intervene.  One  of  these  big  fires 
is  spoken  of  in  the  county  records.  An  election  was  called  in  Valley  town- 
ship for  November  12,  1872,  but  the  election  was  not  held,  for  a  memor- 
andum on  the  commissioners'  records  states  that,  "owing  to  a  very  destruc- 
tive prairie  fire  sweeping  over  Valley  township,  no  election  was  held." 

Another  such  fire  occurred  in  Grant  township  in  the  fall  of  1876.  A 
funeral  procession  bad  started  to  the  cemetery  then  located  at  the  corner  of 
enteenth  and  Monroe  street,  when  a  man  in  one  ol  the  wagons  of  the 
procession  dropped  a  lighted  match  in  the  grass.  In  a  moment  the  prairie 
was  burning.  Difficulty  was  experienced  in  getting  the  procession  out  of 
danger  ><\  fire.      Learns  were  hurried  up,  a  place  of  safety  from  the  fire  was 


KENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  _'<  I 


6 

readied,  then  the  women  in  the  party  held  the  teams,  while  all  of  the  men 
helped  to  put  out  the  lire.  After  fighting  the  flames  till  almosl  sunset,  the 
men,  almost  exhausted,  resumed  their  places  in  the  wagons  and  the  procession 
moved  on  to  the  cemetery,  where  the  burial  was  performed  after  dark. 

NO  one  who  has  seen  a  prairie  lire  at  night  will  ever  forget  the  sight 
nor  the  impression  it  made  on  him,  especially  if  he  has  seen  the  tire  in  da- 
sand  hills,  when  the  wind  had  died  down  and  in  the  darkness  of  the  even- 
ing, the  flames  would  hover  over  the  hills  in  long  lines  of  bright  creeping 
fire.  Fires  that  were  ten  to  fifteen  miles  long  were  no  uncommon  sight. 
There  would  he  no  smoke  visible  in  these  night  fires.;  only  the  creeping 
flames  could  he  seen.  Up  one  side  the  light  conld  he  seen,  then  down  the 
side  of  another  hill,  half  hidden,  would  appear  a  glow  on  the  otherwise 
invisible  smoke,  flaring  up  as  the  flames  reached  some  high  bine  stem  in 
some  low  bottom  spot  between  the  hills;. then  creeping,  creeping  along,  an 
endless  array  of  light,  dying,  but  to  brighten  again:  fading,  but  to  be  reflected 
on  some  dark,  hidden  veil  of  smoke.  It  was  a  fascinating  sight.  All  night 
this  slow  fire  would  gnaw  its  wav  over  the  hills.  On  the  following  dav  onlv 
the  smoke  could  lie  seen.  On  a  still  day  in  the  short  grass  it  would  burn. 
appearing  again  on  the  second  night,  perhaps  dimmer  because  its  flames  had 
devoured  all  the  grass  between — burning  until  some  stream  was  readied,  or 
till  the  hills  hid  the  light  of  the  slow  burning  fire  beyond. 

The  plains  are  devoid  of  timber  because  of  these  prairie  fires.  "When 
the  settlers  reached  Reno  county  there  was  some  timber  on  the  higher  knolls 
of  the  hills,  trees  that  had  gotten  a  start  where  the  wind  whipped  the  sand 
around  until  the  grass  was  covered.  Getting  a  start  in  these  place-,  the  tree- 
soon  grew  until  the  fires  could  not  burn  the  bark,  as  the  ground  would  be 
shaded  and  no  grass  would  grow,  to  add  to  the  fuel  of  the  flames.  In  addi- 
tion to  these  scrubby  trees,  there  were  three  trees  on  Cow  creek  in  Grant 
township,  on  what  was  known  then  as  the  Peter  Shafer  place,  but  in  the 
valley  there  were  no  trees,  because  of  the  prairie  fires. 

The  diversity  in  farming  was  not  one  of  the  virtues  of  the  pioneer 
farmer.  Garden  vegetables  were  very  little  cultivated,  as  it  was  thought 
impossible  to  raise  much  but  corn  and  wheat.  The  Santa  Fe  railroad  put 
out  a  large  variety  of  trees  in  an  earl)-  day,  on  a  tract  of  ground  west  of 
Cow  creek',  doing  so  in  order  to  convince  the  early  settlers  that  tree-  would 
grow  on  the  prairies.  Many  varieties  of  trees  were  started  and  the  success 
of  the  enterprise  encouraged  the  growth  of  other  timber.  Especially  was  the 
planting  of  Cottonwood  and  mulberry  hedges  general.      There  were  but   few, 


204  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

however,  who  put  out  orchards,  hi  the  Arkansas  valley  there  were  some 
farmers  who  believed  that  Fruit  would  grow  in  the  valley.  Among  the 
most  enterprising  of  those  who  had  faith  in  the  soil  and  planted  out  apple 
and  other  kinds  of  fruit  trees  was  W.  1\.  Pennington,  in  North  Reno  town- 
ship in  the  Cow  creek  bottoms.  He  was  one  of  the  pioneers  in  planting 
apples  and  his  rich  harvest  has  brought  the  reward  for  his  work. 

None  but  a  pioneer  can  appreciate  eating  of  the  "first  fruit"  of  an 
orchard.  "The  planting  of  the  apple  tree"  means  something  to  them  that 
their  children  cannol  appreciate.  The  years  of  waiting  and  watching,  in 
years  of  drought,  the  watering,  the  pleasure  at  seeing  the  bloom  come  on  the 
tree  in  the  spring,  the  watching  of  the  apple  as  it  grows  till  the  ripened  fruit 
is  gathered.  The  editor  of  this  history  remembers  well,  although  many 
years  have  passed  since  it  happened,  the  first  apple  of  the  orchard  planted 
and  watered  and  watched.  His  father  bought  the  "first  fruit"  and  it  was 
cut  into  five  pieces,  one  for  each  member  of  the  family.  Since  then,  many 
crops  of  luscious  fruit  have  been  gathered  from  that  orchard,  but  no  apple 
gathered  since  has  had  the  flavor  of  that  first  apple  that  was  gathered  from 
that  orchard.  It  was  an  experience  that  comes  only  to  the  pioneer,  an 
experience  that  made  a  deeper  impression  on  the  mind  than  anything  like  it 
in  later  days. 

Another  who  made  a  success  in  horticultural  lines  was  George  Cole. 
Me  was  an  Englishman  and  his  place,  while  he  lived  on  it  and  cared  for  it, 
was  one  of  the  show  places  of  the  count)".  .Evergreens  were  planted  in 
abundance  and  his  lawn  was  one  of  the  beautiful  places  of  the  count}-.  Mr. 
I  ole  was  among  the  earliest  to  grow  grapes.  His  vineyard  yielded  liberally 
and  he  had  the  market  to  himself  for  several  years,  laying  the  foundation 
of  a  competence  that  he  enjoyed  in  his  later  life. 

Among  the  things  most  neglected  by  the  earliest  pioneers  Avas  one  that 
it  would  seem  were  the  easiest  to  obtain,  and  that  was  butter  and  milk.  One 
of  the  earliesl  of  the  pioneers  of  the  county  remarked  that  there  was  but 
one  milk  cow  in  Hutchinson  when  her  father  reached  Hutchinson.  This 
cow  furnished  the  milk  for  the  town.  She  was  an  aristocrat  among  the 
thousands  of  cattle  on  the  plains,  but  even  she  failed  to  maintain  her  station, 
a-  -he  was  "dry"   six   months  in   the  year. 

Cows,  however,  later  came  to  be  common.  The  "town  herd"  became 
an  institution.  For  a  dollar  a  month,  the  proprietor  of  the  "town  herd" 
would  come  and  gel  the  cow,  drive  her  to  pasture  and  return  her  at  night. 
Tin-  employment  to  one  man  ami  to  several  of  lvjs  hovs.      The  pasture 


RENO   COl    \  I  Y.    KANSAS.  _'<  >5 

was  generally  rented  for  a  small  sum  and  for  the  summer  and  fall  months 
for  seventy-five  to  one  hundred  and   fifty  cows   were  herded   together  and 

returned  to  their  owners  at  night.  This  system  was  kept  up  for  many  year-. 
until  the  ground  close  enough  for  a  range  was  plowed  up,  svhen  the  "town 
herd"  disappeared  and  the  milk  wagon  started  mi  its  rounds.     It   was  soon 

found  more  economical  to  buy  the  milk  than  to  keep  a  COW  the  year  around 
and  the  growing  city  abolished  the  keeping  of  cows  in  town,  as  impractical. 

This  same  pioneer,  who  spoke  of  the  owner  of  a  cow  as  the  "aristocrat 
of  their  street."  also  refers  to  the  luxury  of  hen  eggs.  She  remarked  that 
eggs  were  so  scarce  that  good  cakes  were  impossible  and  soft-boiled  eggs 
were  a  luxury  reserved  for  the  sick.  She  added  that  she  had  keen  tempted 
very  often  in  her  girlhood  to  play  sick  that  she  might  enjoy  the  luxury  of 
an  eee'  for  breakfast. 

This  absence  of  milk,  butter  and  eggs  is  all  the  more  remarkable  in  view 
of  the  extent  to  which  these  industries  have  been  developed  in  recent  times. 
But  the  pioneers  here,  as  in  so  many  other  things,  realized  but  little  of  the 
productiveness  of  the  soil  and  of  the  development  along  lilies  considered 
impossible  then.  Perhaps  those  who  live  here  fifty  years  hence  will  wonder 
at  the  short-sightedness  of  those  of  today,  who  pride  themselves  on  such  a 
wide  development  of  the  resources  of  the  county. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
Reno  County  Fairs. 

The  first  Reno  county  fair  was  held  on  September  28,  29  and  30,  1875, 
three  years  after  the  county  was  organized.  The  early  timers  knew  the 
value  of  such  things,  both  as  a  means  of  affording  a  place  for  comparison 
of  products  and  as  an  advertisement  for  the  county  and  its  resources.  The 
same  spirit  that  acted  as  a  stimulant  toward  having  a  county  fair  actuated 
the  old  settlers  in  organizing  an  old  settlers'  association.  The  first  organ- 
ization of  the  old  settlers,  however,  was  made  when  the  oldest  of  the  old 
settlers  had  been  in  the  county  hut  a  little  more  than  two  years. 

The  first  county  fair  was  held  the  year  after  the  grasshopper  raid. 
The  crops  that  vear  were  abundant  and  immigration  into  this  part  of  the 
state  had  begun  to  be  an  item  to  be  considered.  Every  effort  possible  was 
made  to  attract  settlers.  The  land  agent  was,  of  course,  the  principal  agency 
in  inducing  settlers  to  visit  Reno  county.  The  Santa  Fe  railroad  had  its 
land  and  immigration  department,  that  was  pushing  the  sale  of  land  along 
the  railroad.  When  they  first  built  their  road  over  Reno  county,  they  pub- 
licly declared  the\-  never  expected  to  sell  any  land  beyond  Great  Bend,  and 
they  thought  it  would  be  a  half  century  before  the  lands  outside  of  the  bot- 
tom lands  would  be  settled.  But  the  settlers  crowded  into  the  county  and 
the  railroad  men's  faith  grew  in  the  upland,  SO  that  they  pushed  the  sale 
of  land-  out  of  the  valley  with  the  same  confidence  and  the  same  guarantee 
to  the  land  buyer  that  the  land  was  rich  and  would  yield  abundantly.  They 
-old  land  rapidly,  on  long  time  and  at  a  low  rate  of  interest  and  the  land 
departmenl  of  the  Santa  Fe  always  acted  fairly  and  liberally  with  the  land 
buyer 

The  first  county  fair  was  but  little  more  than  a  reunion.  There  is  no 
record  of  any  cash  prizes  or  of  any  charges.  But  the  next  year  the  fair 
•umed  larger  proportions.  I..  J.  Templin  was  elected  as  secretary  and 
general  manager.  Mr.  Templin  was  a  Methodisl  preacher  and  had  moved 
to  Reno  county  from  Kokomo,  Indiana,  with  his  family  in  1875.  lie  was 
a  stalwart  man  in  appearance;  a  genial,  whole-souled  man.  equally  qualified 
\<<  preach  the  Gospel  or  handle  a  horse  race.      In  either  position  his  sturdy 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  J<  >J 

manhood  was  evident.  There  was  no  gambling  at  the  fair.  Mr.  Templin 
lived  in  the  county  for  many  years  and  reared  a  large  Family,  the  besl  known 
of  them  being  Prof.  ( )lin  Templin,  dean  of  the  facult)  of  the  State  I  Fniversity. 
Professor  Templin  was  only  a  boy  when  his  father  moved  to  Reno  county 
and  he  afterward  became  a  successful  teacher.  When  he  first  came  to  Reno 
county,  Olin  was  considered  too  small  to  load  the  old-fashioned  muzzle- 
loading  shotguns,  but  not  too  small  to  go  out  and  kill  geese  that  were  so 
abundant.  So  the  young  man  would  have  his  father  load  his  shotgun  and 
he  would  do  the  shooting,  coming  hack  generally  with  a  big  goose,  to  have 
his  gun  loaded  again. 

The  managers  of  the  second  fair  charged  an  admission  fee.  The  total 
receipts  of  this  fair,  which  was  held  on  October  17,  [8  and  10.  [876,  were 
three  hundred  thirtv-four  dollars  and  fifty-one  cents.  It  is  not  stated  in  the 
accounting  whether  the  total  included  the  two  hundred  dollars  given  by  the 
state  to  stimulate  county  fair  or  not,  but  the  probabilities  are  that  the  two 
hundred  dollars  was  in  the  item  of  receipts.  There  was  a  "small  balance" 
left,  according  to  the  report;  at  least  there  were  no  unpaid  hills  and  per- 
haps but  little  money  in  the  treasury  of  the  fair  association.  Hut  the  asso- 
ciation  did  not  have 'its  meeting  every  year.  The  burden  of  taking  care 
of  ail  such  organizations  falls  on  the  same  persons  year  after  year.  It 
becomes  irksome,  especiallv  when  there  is  no  compensation.  So  the  Reno 
Count}'  hair  Association  lived  some  years  and  in  other  years  languished. 
Occasionally  a  racing  meeting  would  be  held.  Such  a  meeting  as  this  was 
helil  over  on  a  track  east  of  town  and  at  this  particular  meeting  two  noted 
horses  raced.  "Ashland  Wilkes'5  and  "Joe  Young."  This  race  drew  an 
immense  crowd,  more  than  the  fair  association  could  accommodate  in  the 
small  grandstand. 

The  present  state  fair  had  its  beginning  on  February  7,  [901.  A  few 
men  met  at  the  Commercial  (  lub  rooms  to  talk  over  the  advisability  of  organ- 
izing a  fair  association.  A  canvass  was  made  shortly  after  this  meeting, 
wherein  it  was  agreed  to  raise  money  to  start  a  fair.  Frank  Fearl  carried 
the  subscription  paper.*  The  first  signature  secured  was  that  of  Matthew 
Smith  and  Mr.  Fearl  signed  for  the  second  one.  The  total  number  of  names 
secured  was  fifty-two.  When  the  list  was  completed  a  second  meeting  w;h 
he'd  on  the  date  mentioned  and  the  subscribers  organized  by  selecting  F.  E. 
Fearl  as  president  and  J.  L.  Sponsler  as  secretary.  The  first  directors 
chosen  were  as  follow:  I\.  II.  Holton,  J.  O.  Patten.  Thomas  IT.  Foley.  C. 
W.    Peckham,  H.   S.   Thompson,  John   R.   Price.   W.   H.  Johnson.   E.    Ravi, 


208  ■        RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

W.  II.  S.  Benedict,  J.  U.  Brown,  Henry  Hartford,  Matthew  Smith,  John 
M.  tCinkel  and  J.  B.  Talbot.  This  board  of  directors  met  on  April  24,  1901, 
and  elected  the  following  officers:  President,  A.  1..  Sponsler;  vice-presi- 
dent,  D.  J.  Fair;  treasurer.  \V.  II.  Eagan;  secretary,  Ed  M.  Moore;  assistant 
secretary,  John  I..  Sponsler.  The  prizes  tor  the  fair  were  fixed  at  two 
thousand   five  hundred  dollars. 

The  fair  association  had  no  grounds  on  which  to  hold  this  fair.  They 
made  a  contract  with  the  Park  association,  which  had  a  tract  of  about  fifty 
acres  north  of  town,  to  give  the  park  association  ten  per  cent,  of  the  gate 
receipts  and  one-half  of  the  money  taken  in  from  the  sale  of  privileges. 
The  Park  Association  was  to  erect  all  the  necessary  horse  and  cattle  barns, 
build  a  race  track'  and  put  up  a  grand  stand.  The  total  receipts  of  this  first 
fair  of  the  Central  Kansas  Fair  Association,  as  the  association  called  itself, 
were  8(1,049.47.  The  total  expenditures  for  this  year,  including  the  percent- 
age due  the  Park  Association,  was  $5,293.84,  leaving  a  balance  of  $755.47. 

Encouraged  by  the  success  of  this  first  fair,  the  association  greatly 
enlarged  the  scope  of  the  fair  of  1902,  by  adding  man}-  departments  not 
represented  in  190 1.  More  money  was  added  to  the  speed  ring,  more  and 
larger  prizes  for  hogs,  cattle,  sheep  and  poultry  were  offered.  The  fair  grew 
constantly  in  size  and  interest.  Larger  crowds  attended.  Premiums  were 
always  paid  and  exhibitors  were  satisfied  and  came  year  after  year.  In 
1905  the  total  receipts  were  more  than  four  times  what  they  were  in  1902. 

On  March  ^2,  1907,  the  capital  stock  of  the  fair  was  increased  to  fifty 
thousand  dollars  and  a  contract  made  for  the  purchase  of  grounds  and  build- 
ings of  the  park  association.  The  boys'  and  girls'  corn  contest  was  added 
as  a  feature  of  the  fair,  the  purpose  being  to  arouse  a  deeper  interest  in 
corn  growing  and  to  make  this  feature  of  the  fair  an  educational  one. 

By  1908,  the  fair  had  increased  so  that  the  total  receipts  were  §40,285.71. 
and  netted  the  association  $8,534.51.  The  two  following  years  were  equally 
prosperous  and  in  1910  a  meeting  to  organize  a  movement  for  the  celebra- 
tion of  the  semi-centennial  of  the  admission  of  Kansas  to  the  Union.  The 
result  was  that  the  fair  for  191]  was  the  largest  ever  held  in  the  state.  The 
time  was  extended  to  two  weeks,  the  semi-centennial  pari  ol  the  celebration 
following  the  regular  fail-.  The  total  receipts  for  this  fair  were  $65,520.34, 
the  net  receipt-  being  $11,680.49.  There  were  a  total  of  one  hundred  and 
'htv-thrce  thousand   admissions  during  the   time  ol    the   celebration. 

Two  year-  later  the  state  of  Kansas,  through  the  -tale  agricultural  board. 
took  charge  of  the  fair  and  the  name  was  changed  from  the  Central  Kansas 


W.   B.   HUTCHINSON 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  20<J 

Fair  Association  to  the  Kansas  State  Fair  Association.  As  a  part  of  the 
consideration  of  making  it  a  state  fair,  Reno  county  was  to  turn  over  the 
grounds  and  equipment  free  to  the  state.  Trior  to  this  time  the  fair  associa- 
tion, having  outgrown  the  grounds  on  which  it  first  started,  bought  one  hun- 
dred and  twelve  acres  of  land  immediately  north  of  the  old  grounds.  In 
order  to  pay  for  these  grounds,  the  question  of  buying  the  fair  grounds  of 
the  fair  association  was  submitted  to  a  vote  of  the  people  of  Reno  county. 
The  election  was  held  on  April  22,  1913,  and  resulted  in  Reno  county  voting 
fifty  thousand  dollars,  in  bonds  to  purchase  the  fair  grounds.  The  vote 
on  this  stood  six  thousand  four  hundred  and  forty-nine  votes  for  the  bonds 
and  one  thousand  five  hundred  and  fifty-five  votes  against  the  bonds. 

Having  turned  the  equipment  over  to  the  state,  after  the  Legislature 
had  designated  the  Hutchinson  fair  as  the  state  fair,  it  was  supposed  that 
the  Legislature  would  appropriate  money  with  which  to  run  the  fair.  But 
they  failed  to  make  any  appropriation  in  1913.  In  1915,  after  the  fair  had 
been  handled  by  the  state  agricultural  board,  an  appropriation  for  more 
permanent  buildings  was  made  by  the  Legislature.  Likewise  an  appropria- 
tion was  made  for  a  "revolving  fund"  to  take  care  of  the  expenses  of  the 
fair  up  to  the  time  of  the  fair  meeting.  But  the  governor  vetoed  the  appro- 
priation for  permanent  buildings  and  allowed  only  the  "revolving  fund"  to 
remain. 

The  state  fair  is  thus  an  outgrowth  of  the  efforts  of  the  few  men  who 
met  and  organized  the  Central  Kansas  Fair  Association.  The  growth  of 
the  fair  has  been  phenomenal.  Its  success  is  due  to  many  things.  The 
location  is  right  for  a  great  annual  gathering.  It  is  the  visiting  place  of 
central  and  southwestern  Kansas.  Men  and  women  from  various  points  in 
the  southwest  meet  here,  having  come  for  years  and  enjoy  the  associations 
the  fair  affords.  Tt  has  become  a  common  meeting  ground  for  friends  and 
acquaintances.  The  exhibits  furnish  the  best  in  live  stock  that  is  to  be 
found.  Agricultural  exhibits  form  a  large  part  of  the  attraction  for  visitors. 
And  the  exhibition,  in  more  recent  years,  of  farm  machinery  by  the  various 
manufacturers  adds  to  the  value  of  the  fair. 

Another  element  that  has  been  a  constant  factor  in  the  growth  of  the 
fair  has  been  the  character  of  the  men  who  have  managed  it.  The  directors 
are  now  practically  the  same  men  who  started  with  the  fair  in  1901.  Five 
of  them  have  dropped  by  the  wayside,  John  R.  Price,  D.  J.  Fair,  J.  I". 
Brown,   Matthew   Smith   and  James  Haston.     The   other  directors  are  the 

(  T.L) 


2IO  RENO   COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

ones  who  started  with  the  fair  in  its  beginning  and  were  active  in  its  sup- 
port all  the  years  of  its  growth.  They  have  worked  with  but  little  com- 
pensation and  they  have  achieved  a  success  that  is  worthy  of  their  efforts. 
Recognizing  the  fact  that  much  of  the  success  of  the  fair  was  due  to  the 

personal  efforts  of  the  officers  and  directors,  when  the  fair  was  turned  over 
to  the  state  board  of  agriculture  they  made  no  changes  in  the  directorate  and 
continued  the  officers  for  the  state  fair  who  had  built  up  the  Central  Kansas 
Fair. 

The  future  of  the  fair  is  with  the  Legislature  of  Kansas.  By  the  terms 
of  the  donation,  whenever  the  state  ceases  to  maintain  a  fair  the  land,  now- 
worth  over  a  hundred  thousand  dollars,  reverts  to  Reno  county.  Its  loca- 
tion is  such  that  it  will  increase  constantly  in  value.  The  fair  is  a  great 
element  in  the  development  of  the  resources  of  the  state. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 
The  ( rRAiN  Business. 

The  grain  business  of  Reno  county  today  is  of  such  vast  proportions  it 
is  hard  to  realize  that  it  has  been  only  a  few  years  since  there  was  no  wheal 
or  corn  sold  in  Reno  county.  The  earliest  buyer  of  farm  produce  was  C.  1'.. 
Myton,  who  purchased  all  the  hay  he  could  obtain  and  shipped  it  to  Colorado; 
also  bought  some  corn,  but  very  little  of  that.  The  firsl  person  who  really 
made  a  business  of  buying  grain  was  Chas.  J).  Christopher,  who  began  buying 
corn  in  1875,  which  he  shipped  to  Colorado  where  it  was  used  in  the  mining 
camps.  The  volume  of  business  done  by  Mr.  Christopher  was  not  very  large 
compared  with  what  it  is  now,  but  it  was  of  great  importance  to  the  early 
settlers,  to  whom  the  business  meant  a  money  income  from  their  small  crops. 
In  the  early  days  there  was  very  little  ready  money  in  the  community,  and 
the  chief  source  of  it  from  1872  to  1875  was  from  the  sale  of  buffalo  bones 
in  town.  Mr.  Christopher  purchased  nearly  fifty  cars  of  grain  in  1875.  when 
corn  was  selling  from  thirty  to  forty  cents  a  bushel. 

Shortly  after  Mr.  Christopher  began  buying  grain,  J.  B.  Rotter  came 
to  Hutchinson,  built  a  little  elevator  close  to  where  the  Rock  Mill  Elevator 
now  stands  and  began  buying  wheat.  Empey  and  Burrel  were  in  the  gro- 
cer)' business  then  and  did  a  little  grain  business,  but  their  dealings  were 
more  like  barter  than  sale,  since  they  would  trade  groceries  to  the  farmers 
for  their  grain.  In  1880  J.  M.  and  W.  F.  Mulkey  moved  to  Hutchinson 
from  Illinois  and  began  buying  and  selling  grain.  They  remained  in  this 
business  for  seven  or  eight  years,  after  which  they  went  into  the  salt  burli- 
ness, which  they  later  sold  when  they  moved  to  Detroit,  Michigan. 

There  were  several  other  grain  buyers  in  the  city  from  1880  to  [890; 
among  them  Ken  Ringle,  George  Woodard,  A.  S.  Vance  and  A.  \\  Bontz. 
In  1880  T.  J.  Templar  came  to  Hutchinson,  bought  the  little  elevator  built 
by  C.  B.  Myton  and  added  to  it  until  it  grew  to  the  proportions  of  the 
present  Kansas  Grain  Company's  plant.  In  addition  to  buying  grain  in 
Hutchinson,  the  Kansas  Grain  Company,  which  was  soon  enlarged  by  L.  B. 
Young  joining  the  enterprise  and  becoming  its  secretary,  began  erecting  ele- 
vators at  other  points  in  Kansas,  until  they  were  doing  business  at  fifty  differ- 


212  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

ent  stations  in  this  stale,  this  being  the  largest  and  most  extensive  grain 
firm  that  ever  did  business  in  Hutchinson.  Mr.  Templar  and  Mr.  Young 
continued  with  this  company  until  1917,  when  they  sold  their  interests  to  J. 
B.  Hupp,  T.  L.  Hoffman  and  T.  J.  Holdridge,  who  now  are  the  proprietors 
of  the  business.  Mr.  Templar,  the  biggest  single  factor  in  the  grain  business, 
sold  his  interests  only  a  few  months  before  his  death,  which  occurred  on 
August  6,  1917.  Mr.  Young,  who  was  associated  with  Air.  Templar  until 
the  business  was  sold  out,  is  still  a  resident  of  Hutchinson. 

There  are  many  grain  buyers  in  Hutchinson  now.  The  Board  of  Trade 
was  organized  in  May,  1910,  with  a  membership  of  fifty,  T.  J.  Templar 
being  the  first  president  and  H.  M.  Talcott  the  first  secretary.  There  are 
fifty  firms  buying  grain  in  Hutchinson  at  the  present  time,  and  the  growth 
of  the  enterprise  is  a  fine  index  of  the  growth  of  grain  farming  in  Reno 
county  and  of  the  southwestern  part  of  the  state.  In  1875  probably  fifty 
cars  of  grain  were  bought  and  sold  in  Hutchinson,  but  the  business  increased 
as  the  farms  were  developed  until  in  1880  when  there  were  about  one  million 
bushels  of  grain  of  all  kinds  handled  in  Hutchinson.  In  1890  the  business 
had  increased  until  there  was  about  ten  million  bushels  of  grain  sold  through  the 
various  elevators  and  mills  of  the  count}".  In  1900  this  had  increased 
to  15,000,000  bushels,  in  1910,  25,000,000,  and  in  191 7.  50,000,000  bushels. 
These  figures  represent  the  growth  of  the  grain  production  of  Reno  county. 
It  is  not  long  in  point  of  time  from  1875  to  1917,  but  in  the  amount  of  grain 
grown  the  increase  has  been  very  large.  From  the  25,000  bushels  marketed 
in  1875  to  tne  50,000,000  handled  in  191 7  is  the  measure  of  the  increased  pro- 
duction and  development  of  Reno  county.  The  price  of  grain  has  varied 
much.  Corn  which  has  been  sold  as  low  as  fifteen  cents  a  bushel  in  189] 
and  [892  reached  its  highest  price  in  1917,  when  under  the  stimulus  of  the 
war  and  a  short  crop  it  reached  two  dollars  and  thirty-live  cents  a  bushel. 
Wheat  has  sold  as  low  as  forty-five  cents  a  bushel,  but  in  1917  it  reached  its 
highest  point  of  three  dollars  and  twenty-live  cents  a  bushel.  Rye  and  oats 
have  kepi  along  with  wheat  and  corn,  varying  in  price  with  the  principal 
grain-. 

Vs  an  auxiliary  of  tin-  grain  business,   the  Hour  mills,   have  played   a 

ispicuous  part.      At   die  present  time  there  are  eight  big   flouring  mills  in 
Reno  county,  four  in  Hutchinson,  and  four  in  other  parts  of  the  county 

The  Hutchinson  Flour  Mill,  which  was  built  by  \V  E  McKinney,  is 
now  owned  by  I..  B.  Young.  J.  W.  Burns,  1\.  L.  Burns  and  Fred  Burns,  h 
has  a  capacity  of  two  hundred  barrels  of  flour  a  day  and  a  storage  capacity 

one  hundred   and   fifty   thousand  bushels   of   wheat. 


RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS.  213 

The  Monarch  Mills  were  buill  by  W.  E.  Carr  and  William  Kelly,  and 
now   have  a  six-hundred-barrel  daily  capacity  and  storage   for  one  hundred 

thousand  bushel?  of  wheat. 

The  William  Kelly  Milling  Company,  buill  and  largel)  owned  by  William 

Kelly,  who  was  formerly  one  of  the  owners  of  the  Monarch  Mills,  has  a  daily 
producing  capacity  of  nine  hundred  barrels  of  flour  and  a  storage  capacity 

for  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  bushels  of  wheal. 

The  Larabee  Flour  Mills  Company,  owned  by  the  Larabee  Brothers,  has 
a  daily  capacity  of  two  thousand  barrels  of  (lour,  and  a  storage  capacity    for 

live  thousand  bushels  of  grain. 

The  Turon  Mill  Company,  located  at  Turon,  was  built  by  John  R.  Price. 
It  has  a  capacity  of  producing  one  hundred  and  fifty  barrels  of  flour  daily. 
with  a  storage  capacity  for  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  bushels  of  wheat. 

The  Haven  Milling  Company,  with  mills  located  at  Haven,  has  a  daily 
Hour  producing  capacity  of  two  hundred  barrets  and  a  wheat  storage  capacity 
of  fifty  thousand  bushels. 

The  Buhler  Milling  Company,  with  their  mill  located  at  Buhler,  ha-  a 
capacity  for  producing  five  hundred  barrels  of  flour  a  day  and  a  wheat  stor- 
ing capacity  of  one  hundred  thousand  bushels. 

The  Sylvia  Milling  Company,  located  at  Sylvia,  has  a  capacity  to  make 
two  hundred  barrels  of  flour  daily,  and  has  a  grain  storage  capacity  for  seven- 
ty-five thousand  bushels. 

George  Herr's  mill,  located  in  South  Hutchinson,  has  a  capacity  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty  barrels  daily  and  a  storage  capacity  of  twenty-five  hundred 
bushels  of  grain. 

In  addition  to  these  mills  there  are  located  in  Hutchinson  four  large  ele- 
vators capable  of  storing  five  hundred  and  seventy-five  thousand  bushels  of 
grain,  distributed  as  follows  : 

Kansas  Grain  Elevator,  two  hundred  thousand  bushels. 

Rock  Mill  &  Elevator  Company,  two  hundred  thousand  bushels. 

Hutchinson  Terminal  Elevator  Company,  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
thousand  bushels. 

Pettitt  Grain  Company,  fifty  thousand  bushels. 

.These  mills  and  elevators  receive  grain  from  all  over  the  southwest,  and 
the  tlour  from  the  Reno  county  mills  sells  all  over  the  country.  Besides  these 
big  storage  elevators  there  are  many  smaller  elevators  which  have  facilities  for 
handling  the  grain  from  the  wagon  to  the  car.  Reno  county  has  sufficient  ele- 
vator  and  mill  capacity  to  handle  the  big  wheat  crop,  not  only  of  this  county, 
hut  for  southwest  Kansas. 


.  \  -  \  - 


CHAPTER 

POSTOFFICES   AND   MAIL  ROUTES. 

The  first  mail  came  overland  from  Newton  to  Hutchinson,  as  described 
in  another  chapter.  As  soon  as  the  Santa  Fe  railroad  was  completed  to  this 
city,  these  mail  routes  were  discontinued.  But  there  was  a  great  demand 
for  mail  to  outlying  points.  Hutchinson  began  to  be  the  distributing  point 
for  a  big  territory  south  and  north.  The  mail  was  hauled  in  cumbersome 
stage  coaches.  Six  "star  routes"  were  formed  within  two  years  after  the 
Hutchinson  postoffice  was  established.  Six  more  were  established  in  1878, 
another  six  in  1882,  and  the  last  ones,  five  in  number,  were  established  in 
1886. 

Some  of  the  points  to  which  mail  was  hauled  cannot  now  be  identified 
and  the  postoffice  department:  at  Washington  cannot  locate  them.  Many, 
perhaps,  were  just  private  homes  for  the  distribution  of  mail  and  some 
member  of  the  household  designated  as  postmaster.  The  following  are  the 
various  star  routes  with  the  distances  and  the  name  of  the  contractors : 

Hutchinson  was  supplied  by  service  from  Newton,  thirty-two  miles,  by 
James  A.  Hawkes,  Circleville,  Ohio,  without  pay,  from  December  25,  1871, 
to  April  22,  1872,  when  star  route  No.  14233  was  established  between  those 
offices  and  a  contract  awarded  to  Mr.  Hawkes  at  the  rate  of  $790  per  annum. 
the  route  being  discontinued  July  15,  1872.  Special  service  was  also 
employed  between  these  points  at  eight  hundred  dollars  per  annum  from 
January  1  to  June  30,  1872.  Special  service  was  performed  between  Farland 
and  Hutchinson,  thirteen  miles,  from  October  I,  1872,  to  June  30,  1873.  at 
the  rate  of  eight  hundred  dollars  per  annum. 

A  contract  for  service  on  star  route  No.  [4300,  New  Gottland  to 
Hutchinson,  seventy-five  miles,  three  times  a  week,  was  awarded  April  9, 
[873,  to  Eric  Forsse,  Falun,  Kansas,  at  the  rate  of  $700  per  annum  for  the 
rei  lainder  of  the  contract  term  expiring  June  30.  1874. 

Service  was  authorized  on  star  route  No.  [4293,  Hutchinson  to  Camp 
Supply,  one  hundred  and  sixty  miles,  once  a  week,  and  a  contract  awarded 
.March  _•< -.  [873,  to  D.  T.  Parker,  of  Parker,  Kansas,  at  the  rate  of  $4,975 
for  the  remainder  of  the  contract  term. 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  21$ 

Star  route  No.    14200,    Lindsborg  to   Hutchinson,   5  1 '  _•   miles,  one 

week  service,   was  established,  and   a  contract   awarded    March    20,    [873,   to 
Samuel  D.  Bradley,  of  Salina,   Kansas,  at  the  rate  of  $970  per  annum. 

Contracts  were  awarded  for  service  <>n  star  routes  during  the  four-year 
term  beginning  July   1.   i8t.|,  as  follows: 

Route  No.  33117,  Salina  to  Hutchinson,  via  Marquette,  70  miles,  once 
a  week,  S750  per  annum,   Eric  Forsse,  Falun,   Kansas,  contractor. 

Route  No.  33ns,  Salina  to  Hutchinson,  via  Oasi>  (located  in  Salina 
county),  and  Farland  in  McPherson  county,  70  miles,  three  times  a  week, 
Henry  E.  McKee,  Washington,   I ).  C,  contractor. 

Route  No.  33T26,  Hutchinson  to  Camp  Supply,  180  miles,  once  a  week. 
$2,440  per  annum,  James  Call,  Sun  City,  Kansas,  contractor. 

Route  No.  33237,  Wichita  to  Hutchinson,  55  miles,  twice  a  week,  $750 
per  annum,  Charles   H.   Miller,   Eldridge,  Kansas,  contractor. 

Route  No.  33247,  Hutchinson  to  Leanville  (located  six  miles  west  of 
where  Partridge  is  now),  18  miles,  once  a  week,  $177  per  annum,  A.  H. 
Scott,   (  oncordia,   Kansas,  contractor. 

Route  No.  33313.  Hutchinson  to  Zenith,  41  miles,  once  a  week,  $286 
per  annum,  John  C.  Beem.  Hutchinson,  Kansas,  contractor. 

The  following  contracts  were  entered  into  for  the  four-year  term  com- 
mencing July  1,  1878: 

Route  No.  33145,  Salina  to  Hutchinson,  via  Salenshurgh  and  Leslie 
(now-  Medora),  76  miles,  three  times  a  week,  $750  per  annum,  James  Lehr- 
ing  and  R.  E.  Fletcher,  Hutchinson,  Kansas,  contractors. 

Route  No.  33146,  Falun  to  Hutchinson,  62  miles,  twice  a  week,  $/Jt, 
per  annum,  Beriat  Wagofifin,  Sedalia,  Missouri,  contractor. 

Route  No.  33266,  Wichita  to  Hutchinson,  via  Ferris  (a  farm  house  in 
Sedgwick  county),  55^2  miles,  twice  a  week,  $498  per  annum,  Rolando  L. 
Bell,  Eldridge,  Kansas,  contractor. 

Route  No.  33272.  Hutchinson  to  Medicine  Lodge,  90  miles,  three  times 
a  week,  $947  per  annum,  W.   W.   Warren,   Albany,   Wisconsin,  contractor. 

Route  No.  33273,  Hutchinson  to  Haynesville  (located  near  where  Pratt 
is  now),  68  miles,  twice  a  week,  $775  per  annum,  John  C.  Beem,  Hutchin- 
son, Kansas,  contractor. 

Route  No.  33334.  Iuka  to  Hutchinson,  63  miles,  three  times  a  week, 
$830  per  annum,  U.  W.  Parker,  Atchison,  Kansas,  contractor. 

Contracts  were  awarded  for  the  term  from  July  t.  [882,  to  June  30, 
[886,  as  follows: 


2l6  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

Route  No.  33381,  McPherson  to  Hutchinson,  34  miles,  three  times  a 
week.  vS-ioo  per  annum,  M.    A.  Thompson,  Sedalia,   Missouri,  contractor. 

Route  No.  33382,  McPherson  to  Hutchinson,  via  Westfield  (a  farm 
liouse  in  McPherson  county),  and  Little  Valley  (another  farm  house  in 
McPherson  county  from  which  mail  was  distributed),  $J  miles,  three  times 
a  week,  $535  per  annum.   M.   A.   Thompson,   Sedalia,   Missouri,   contractor. 

Route  No.  33390,  Wichita  to  Hutchinson,  52  miles,  three  times  a  week, 
$694  per  annum,  John  R.  Tuffer,  Graysville,  Vermont,  contractor. 

Route  No.  33409,  Hutchinson  to  Medicine  Lodge.  84  miles,  three  times 
a  week,  $1,790  per  annum,  John  R.  Misser,  Independence,  Missouri,  con- 
tractor. 

Route  No.  33410,  Hutchinson  to  Prattshurgh,  So  miles,  three  times  a 
week,  $1,270  per  annum,  Newell  C.   Keyes,  Windsor,  Missouri,  contractor. 

Route  No.  33-|  t  1,  Hutchinson  to  Iuka,  70  miles,  three  times  a  week, 
$l,OlO  per  annum,  VV.  A.  Stoddard,  Camden,  New  York,  contractor. 

Contracts  were  entered  into  for  the  four-year  term  beginning"  July  1. 
1886,  as  follows: 

Route  No.  33436,  McPherson  to  Hutchinson,  40  miles,  three  times  a 
week,  S618  per  annum,  Vincent  Boring,  London,  Kentucky,  contractor; 
service  discontinued  October  15,   1887. 

Route  No.  33444,  Wichita  to  Hutchinson,  56  miles,  three  times  a  week. 
S727  per  annum,  Edgar  IT.  Gaither,  Harrodsburgh,  Kentucky,  contractor ; 
service  discontinued  November  4,   1886. 

Route  No.  33486.  Stafford  to  Hutchinson,  47  miles,  three  times  a  week, 
$690  per  annum.  Vincent  Boring.  London,  Kentucky,  contractor;  service 
discontinued  August  10.  1886. 

Route  No.  33471,  Hutchinson  to  Kingman,  35J/2  miles,  three  times  a 
week,  $493  per  annum.  II.  W.  Winslow,  Fairmount,  Indiana,  contractor; 
service  discontinued   February  22,    1890. 

Route  No.  53472,  Hutchinson  to  Turon,  46  miles,  three  times  a  week. 
$649  per  annum,  V  M.  Moore.  Red  Creek.  New  York,  contractor;  service 
discontinued  October  26,   1887. 

POSTMASTERS. 

The  following  is  the  record  of  appointments  of  postmasters  of  the 
postufhYcs  in  Reno  county,  since  their  establishment  to  their  discontinuance 
or  to  the  present  time : 


RENO  COUN  I  V,    KANSAS.  _'  I  ~ 

Hutchinson   {present  salary.  $3,300.) 

I  >ate  1  'i   Appointment. 

John   A.   Clapp    (established)    December  6,  (871 

Kdward  Wilcox June  4,  \Xj- 

X.  C.   Boles February  -'J.  [877 

Hiram  Raff November   12.  [878 

R.   M.   Easley January  2.  [883 

I.  I;.  Blackburn January   10.  [887 

Wilson   McCandless May    14,  [890 

Eli   Mead August    10.  r<s<;4 

John  B,  Vincent : July    1,  1897 

Henry  M.  Stewart January  24,  190'' 

Samuel  S.  Graybill  September  25,  1914 

Nickerson  (present  salary,  $1,500.) 

Amanda  J.  Sears   (established)   January  21,    [873 

Lizzie  Boggs \]>ril  8,  1875 

Lizzie  M.  Budd   \pril   29,    1875 

I..  A.  Reeves January    [4.    1870 

E.   W.    Elliott   February  23,   1883 

George  W.   Sain July  20.    1885 

John  W.  Claypool January  30.   1890 

Sarah   M.   Arnold February  27,    1804 

Joseph  E.  Humphrey January    10.   1898 

George  W.  Sain,   Jr.  February  4.   1914 

Zenith  (present  salary  Sylvia,  $1,500.) 

Thomas  J.   Anderson   (established)    . May    12,    187O 

J.  B.  Wright October  1.  1884 

Thomas  J.  Talbott December  21.    18S5 

Sylvia  (name  changed)  Kpril  23.  18S7 

IT.   S.   Austin   M>nl   -\v  '887 

Thomas  Litchfield July  20.  [889 

II.  S.   Austin December    18,  [893 

J.  A.  Whitehurst  August  23,  1895 

C.  W.  Tipton June  26.  1897 


2l8  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

Date  of  Appointment. 

E.    H.   Smith  March   it.    1899 

Amanda  M.  Baird \pril  2.    [901 

Frank  Forney August  22,   1902 

Joseph  E.  Aldrich January  21,   1907 

I..  G.  Waggoner May  1,   1913 

Plevna. 

Frankie  Hazen  (established)   October  25,  1877 

H.   S.   Austin March   11.  1884 

John  \Y.  Campbell August  4,  1886 

E.  M.  Blachly June  27.  1888 

William  ().   Severance January  29,  1890 

Mary  E.  Wilson September  29,  1894 

Levi  W.   Blaisdell August  3,  1897 

Louis  M.  Ipson May  7.  1908 

J.  D.  Likens 

Salt  Creek. 

Nathaniel  Dixon  (established) Decembers,   1873 

W.  W.  Farrand January   19,   1876 

Elias  Palmatier May  15,   1877 

Abbyville  {name  changed) June  1,  1866 

James   McLean June   1,  1866 

Jennette  Wyer June   11,  1889 

James  McLean  August   11,  1893 

Flora  Oliverson  August  2,  1897 

Kate  Robertson 

Reno  Center. 

Thomas  Harris  (established) December  12,  i^y^ 

Samuel    Dilley \pril   30,    1875 

Henry  C.  O'Hara June  12.   1882 

Partridge  (name  changed) May  24,  1886 

M.    I..  Jordan   .May   24,    1886 

1'.    D.   Shoemaker January  5,    18S7 

William    Pilcher May    17,    1889 


RENO  COUN1  Y,    KANSAS.  _'  [9 

I  )ate  of    Appointment. 

Henry  C.  O'llara September   17,  [894 

William   Pilcher December   1.  [897 

Henry  C.  Lusk April    15,  [901 

Robenia  E.  Davis June  3,  [912 

Hamburg. 

Edwin  R.  Rogers  (established)  January  30,  [888 

Dietrich  Enns August   17.  [888 

Buhler  {name  changed) October  20,  1888 

Dietrich   Enns  October  jo,  [888 

Frank   F.  Tows December  jo,  18X0 

Jacob  M.  Pletscher August  4,  [890 

John  J.   Dick March    14,  1894 

John  M.  Enns April    15,  [897 

Theodore  Krehbiel May  8,  [902 

James  F.  McMullen August  7,  1902 

Cornelius  P.  Froese December  ti,  1902 

Peter  H.  Adrian March  4.  [91] 

Haven  (present  salary  $1,100.) 

Caleb  Cupps  (established)   April    ro,  1873 

F.   W.  Thorp May   3,  1886 

Charles  W.  Astle  April    [9,  [889 

George  W.  May September  19,  1893 

John  R.  Payne August  5.  1897 

Charles  W.  Astle August  26,  iqot 

Elmer  G.   Erwin February    [9,  1903 

William  J.  Waterbury October  24,  [907 

M.  F,  Henderson June   17.  1913 

Voder. 

Eli  M.  Voder November  25,  1889 

Samuel  C.  Gaston January    17.  [902 

M.  E.  Hostetler February   [8,   1003 

Annie  B.  McDermed December    15.  [903 

Ben  Boxt November  26,  1004 

Annie  Switzer March    15.  [906 


220  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

Cotton  Grove  i  established.} 

Date  of  Appointment. 

John   B.  Thatcher September  19,  1877 

John  S.   Bates December  28,  1880 

Tnron  (name  changed.     Present  salary,  $1,300) January  13,  1882 

M.  II.  rotter January  13,  1882 

John    Minds July  20,  1891 

Calvin  L.   Ely November  25,  1893 

George   B.    Potter June   10,  1897 

0.  S.  Jenks January  10,  1902 

Florence   Lowe August  3,  1905 

Mrs.  John  Catte 

Arlington. 

II.   H.  Purdy  (established)    February  7,   1878 

John    I.  (iair.es April   15,   1879 

William  A.  Knorr December  21,   1880 

S.   L   Bunch December  28.   1885 

J.  I).  Scott  __ July  17.   1886 

John  F.  Lowe August  2.  1886 

1.  ( '.  Lowe December  8,   1887 

Isaac  S.  Trembler March  3,    1891 

Anthony   Roetzel March   1,   1895 

[saac  S.  Trembley November  23.  1897 

John  Berry 

Langdon. 

John   E.   rimer  (established)   December  16,  1873 

II.    I'..   Evarts October  4.  1880 

Vsa    I.  Judy November  2,  1887 

William    I.    Holland \pril  6.  1889 

Charles  A.   Miller December  10,  1890 

William  I.  Holland May  31.  1893 

Alheri  YV.  Collings February  20.  1895 

Lucy    I.  Jones June   T9.  1897 

Chester  YV.  Wyatt   June  8.  191  t 

Austin    B.   Smith   December  6,  1872 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  _*_'i 

c  'astleton. 

I  >ate  i  »f    \\>\><  >intment. 

William  Wallace December  27,  [872 

Eliza  Wallace August  25,  [884 

Thomas  Fall January   28,  [890 

George  T.  Fall February  i-\  [890 

Horace  N.  Holcomb June    14,  [895 

Ralph  B.  O.  Leary March  25,  [908 

Newell  E.  Fountain January  30,  [91  1 

Maude    E.    Givens    May     9,  [916 

Pretty  Prairie. 

Mary  Collingwood   (established)    January  26,  [873 

William  G.  Graham July  n,  [878 

Thomas  H.  Smith July  29,  [879 

Stephen  P.   Sanders January    17,  1884 

II.  C.  Gault December   18,  1893 

Samuel  G.  Demoret November  24,  1897 

Samuel  E.  Young January  9,  1905 

George  D.    Smith January   25,  1007 

John  F.  Smith 

Booth. 

George  W.  Keedy March  29,  [890 

Ottilia  Umstot \pril   10,  1899 

Darlow  [name  changed) October  2,  1000 

Ottilia  Umstot October  2,  1000 

Floyd  H.  Moore February  5,  1914 

Leslie. 

George  W.  Cooter March   [6,  1874 

Jefferson  Huston  January   31,  1876 

Abraham  Klopfenstein   May    11.  1880 

Samuel  S.  Smith November   17.  [882 

Medora  {name  changed) August  16,  [887 

John  J.  Dick ^ugusl    [6,  1SS7 


•>  t   ) 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

Date  of  Appointment. 

II.  ( '.  Bear January  2=,,  1888 

William   Poulton   February    12,  1890 

Patrick   \Y.   Furlong March  6,  1894 

Man    Richards July  27,  1896 

Jesse   I).    Weaver December  23,  1898 

Lovisa  A.   Harrison February  23,  1900 

Harvey  J.   Rickenbrode October  24,  1901 

Netherla/nd. 

J.   F.   Martin   (established) '. August  12,  1874 

A.    M.   Webb April  3,  1876 

VVylie   Elrown April  29,  1878 

C.  L.   Ely July  24,  1879 

Orlo  S.  Jenks August  8,  1881 

Lerado  ( name  changed) May  2,  1884 

Orlo  S.  Jenks May  2,  1884 

I.    I.  Jones j Vpril   19.  1887  , 

William    P.  Jones  April  6,  1889 

William    II    Cheatum February  4,  1891 

Matthew  S.   Ely November  21,  1894 

Abigail    Frazier March   12,  1895 

Rice  X.  Cheatum July   10.  1897 

John   F.  Cheatum May  20,  1898 

Charles  W.  Dutton September  26,  1900 

David  J.    Davis  March  28,  1901 

I.   Wesley   Barr March  29,  1902 

Discontinued   February   13,  T904 

FREE   CITY    DELIVERY. 

The  city  delivery  system  was  established  at  Hutchinson  on  October  1. 
The  carriers  then  appointed  were  Othello  C.  Furman,  Charles  W. 
<  >-w  aid  and  t  '.rant   W.    I  'rather. 

The  records  of  the  bureau  of  pbstoffice  service  oi  the  postoffice  depart- 
ment -how  thai  additional  carriers  were  appointed  on  the  following  dates: 
One,  September  to,  1889;  one,  January  1.  [904;  two,  October  1,  1906;  two, 
Mav  [,  iqck);  two,   Innc  1  and   15.  roio;  one,  November  24.  [913. 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  22^ 

As  the  records  at  the  presenl  time  shovt  thai  fourteen  carrier-  arc 
employed,  additional  carriers  were  appointed,  probably  on  a  date  between 
the  establishment  oi  the  service  and  September  co,  [889.  The  only  record 
prior  to  that  date  is  a  card  record  in  the  first  assistant  postmaster-general's 
office  which  tails  to  show  whether  the  new  carriers  were  appointed  to  fill 
vacancies  or  to  additional  places. 

TOST  \l.    RECEIPTS. 

Hie  records  either  of  the  postoffice  in  Hutchinson  or  of  the  depart- 
ment in  Washington  fail  to  show  the  receipts  of  the  Hutchinson  postoffice 
prior  to  [.884.  The  following  table  shows  the  postal  receipts  of  the  post- 
office  at  Hutchinson  for  the  fiscal  year  ended  June  30,  [884,  to  the  fiscal 
year  ended  June  30,    T914. 

[884 $6,410.08      J901 $24,014.20 

1885 6,884.74      1002 25,939.15 

1886 8,085.14      1003 28,165.22 

1887 11,539-33  [()°4 3I.235-04 

1888 13,954.20  1905 34,696.99 

[889 16,141.70  190" 40,907.88 

1890 17,745.69  1007 48,150.66 

[891 16.407.3j  1008 52.477.66 

i8<)2 17,357-69  [9°9 62,208.31 

[893 19,615.38  l(;ro 71,977.21 

[894 T7.437.39  r.91  !.•___  75,225.62 

1805 I7.339-I5  [912  -  76.824.4r 

1896 17,467.36  i9J3 79.680.10 

1807 17,338.25  ,ul4 79.163.60 

1898 18,256.37  [9i5 89.048.04 

[899 20.613.14       '6io 105,377.44 

1900 21,802,98 

RURAL    FREE    DELIVERY. 

Rural    routes,    outside    of    Hutchison,    were    established    first    in    1902. 

I  here  are   thirty-three   routes   in   the  county   at   the   present   time,   covering 

practically  the  entire  county.      The   first    rural    route   in    the  county   was   es- 


2_'4  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

tablishetl  out  of  Hutchison  on  September  15,  1900.  Below  is  a  table  of 
the  dates  of  the  establishment  of  all  0  fthe  routes  in  the  count)-  made  on 
those  n  uttes: 

Abbeyville,   Xo.    1,  December   1,    1902. 

Abbeyville,  X".  2,  November   15,   1904. 

Arlington,    No.    1.    December   f,    1902. 

Arlington,   Xo.   2,  January  2,   1905. 

Buhler,  Xo.  1,  October  1,  1903. 

Buhler,   Xo.  2.  August   1.    1905. 

Castleton,  Xo.   l,  April  1,  1907. 

Darlow.  Xo.   1.  Xovember  15,   1904. 

Haven,   Xo.    j,  October   1,   1903. 

Haven,  Xo.  2,  October  1.   1903. 

Haven,  Xo.  3,  August  15,  1904. 

Hutchinson,  Xo.   1,  September  15,  1900. 

Hutchinson,   Xo.  2,  December  1,   1902. 

Hutchinson,   Xo.  3,  December  1,   T902. 

Hutchinson,   Xo.  4,   Xovember   15,   1904. 

Hutchinson.    Xo.   5,   Xovember   15,    1904. 

Hutchinson,  Xo.  6,  August  1,  1905. 

Langdon,  Xo.   1,  X'ovember  2,   1903. 

Langdon,  Xo.  2.  August  1,   1905. 

Xickerson,  X'o.   1,  Xovember  16,   1903.  • 

Xickerson.  Xo.  2.  August  t.   1905. 

Partridge,  X'o.   1,  October   1.   T901. 

Partridge  Xo.   2,  August    r,    1905. 

Plevna,   Xo.   1,  October  1,   1900. 

Plevna,  Xo.  2,  November  16,  1903. 

Pretty  Prairie,  Xo.   1,  July  1,   r904. 

Pretty  Prairie,  Xo.  2,  July  1.  1904. 

Pretty   Prairie,   Xo.  3,  August    1.    1005. 

Sylvia,  No.   (.  October  15.  1903. 

Sylvia,   Xo.  _>.  August   [,   1005. 

Sylvia,   Xo.  3,  Augusl    1.    1005. 

Turon,  Xo.    1.   November  2.    [903. 

Turon,  X>  November  1.   1004. 


^^Uz^i^Tly.  (FLidL 


CHAPTER   XXXI. 

Schools  of  Kf.no  County. 

It  is  impossible  to  write  a  complete  and  accurate  history  of  the  schools 
of  Reno  county.  The  records  are  in  such  a  condition  that  the  information 
necessary  cannot  now  be  obtained,  nor  has  the  state  superintendent  of  public 
instruction  any  adequate  records  of  the  schools  of  this  county.  Until  recently, 
when  the  information  was  supplied  from  other  records,  the  county  superin- 
tendent's office  had  no  records  of  the  first  three  comity  superintendents  of 
this  county;  the  records  of  that  office  being  corrected  from  the  journals  of 
the  county  commissioners.  It  is  recalled  by  some  of  the  old  settlers  that  so 
little  consideration  was  given  this  office  that  ten  years  after  the  organization 
of  the  county  the  county  superintendent  of  that  day  kept  all  his  school  records 
in  a  gunny-sack,  and  pitched  that  sack  in  a  corner  of  a  coal  and  hide  office, 
where  it  was  the  custom  of  the  superintendent  of  that  time  to  spend  his  leisure 
time  playing  chess ;  and  when  school  matters  were  to  be  considered,  the  per- 
son desiring  to  deal  with  the  county  superintendent  hunted  up  the  hide 
house  for  the  superintendent  and  his  gunny-sack.  There  are  no  records 
of  the  organization  of  a  single  school  district  in  the  county.  From  appear- 
ance, those  who  had  charge  of  the  county's  educational  affairs  divided  part  of 
the  county  up  into  spaces  that  would  afterwards  be  settled  up  and  school 
districts  were  informally  organized ;  instead  of  organizing  them  as  the  stat- 
ute provides,  by  a  petition  from  the  patrons  of  the  proposed  school  district 
to  the  county  superintendent,  who  would,  on  hearing  their  statements,  lay 
out  and  organize  the  district.  So  the  present  district  boundaries  have  been 
whittled  and  cut  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  patrons,  but  the  dates  of  the 
cutting  and  whittling  are  gone.  The  nearest  approach  to  that  date  is  the 
date  of  the  first'  issue  of  bonds.  It  is  very  likely  that  this  date  is  not  far 
from  the  date  of  organization,  as  it  was  necessary  in  all  of  the  districts  to 
vote  bonds  to  build  the  school  house. 

FIRST  SCHOOL  DISTRICT  ORGANIZED  IN    1872. 

According  to  this  method  of  fixing  the  dates  of  organization  of  the 
various  districts,   there  was  one  district  organized   in    1872;   in    1873   there 

(15) 


226 


RENO   COUNTY,   KANSAS. 


were  twenty-eight  districts  organized:  in  1874  there  were  twenty  organiza- 
tions'made.  It  was  a  notable  fact  that  all  but  four  of  the  districts  organized 
in  this  latter  year  were  in  the  earlier  part  of  the  year,  ten  in  August  and 
two  later  in  the  year.  The  grasshoppers  had  discouraged  many  persons 
from  all  thoughts  of  permanent  improvement.  However,  new  faith  came 
with  the  spring  of  1875,  for  ten  new  districts  were  organized  that  year.  Nine 
were  made  in  1876,  seven  in  each  of  the  years  1877,  1878  and  187c).  In 
1880  only  one  district  was  formed;  two  in  1881  ;  five  in  1882;  three  in 
J  883:  seven  in  1884,  while  1885  shows  a  marked  increase  in  educational 
matters,  eleven  districts  having  been  organized  in  that  year.  In  1886  seven 
new  buildings  were  erected,  eleven  in  1887,  three  in  1888,  two  in 
1889,  one  in  1890,  four  in  1891,  three  in  1892.  The  years  1893  and  1894 
distinguished  themselves  as  being  the  only  years  in  the  county's  history  when 
no  new  school  houses  were  built  until  the  county  was  completely  organized. 
In  the  year  1895,  1896  and  1897  one  district  was  organized  in  each  year. 
The  last  year  named  closed  the  organization  of  new  school  districts.  The 
following  table  shows  the  number' of  the  districts  and  date  and  the  amount  of 
their  first  bond  issues,  together  with  a  supplemental  table  showing  the  bonded 
indebtedness  of  the  district  at  the  close  of  the  year   1916: 

BONDED  INDEBTEDNESS  OF  SCHOOL  DISTRICTS. 


Dist-  Sale  of  First  Bond            Amount  of  Dist- 

trict.  Issue.                  First  Bonds.  trict. 

1  June    10,    1873 $15,000  21 

2  March  13,  1873 1,000  22 

3  June  10,  1873 500  23 

4  April    24,    1873 500  24 

.March    11,    1874 700  25 

6  .March    1,    1873 1,200  26 

7  February  27.  1873 1,000  27 

8  September    8,    1S76 1,200  28 

9  December   15,   1872 1,000  29 

10  June   1,   1873 1,500  30 

11  .March    17,    1873 600  •">! 

11'       July    26,    1873_i     1.500  32 

L3  March    1,    1873_.  S00  33 

14       June     L'::.     1ST::    1,000  34 

1:,      October  24,   1S74 : 35 

If,       April    26,    ls73_.      600  36 

17       May   17.   1^7::             500  37 

is       May    20,    1873 1,250  38 

L9       May     17.    1873 1.000  39 

20       July  17.   1S73 1,000  40 


Sale  of  First  Bond  Amount  ot 

Issue.                   First  Bonds. 

August   1,   1873 400 

August   9,   1873 500 

June   19,   1873 L,250 

December   10,   1873 1,500 

September    25,    1873 1,000 

December   1,    1873 1,000 

September    9,    1873 1,000 

June  1,   1877 1,300 

March    21,    1S74 600 

September    10,    1873 1,000 

June    16,   1*77 1,300 

September    26,    1874 400 

November   10,    1S73 800 

February    11.    1874 Ton 

November    6,    1873 1,000 

October    16,    1873__.  1.200 

March    7.    1S74 '_ 800 

.March    17.  1874 S00 

November    In.    1873 1,000 

November    1.    1876 600 


RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 


227 


Dist-  Sale  of  First  Bond            Amount  of 

trict.  Issue.                  First  Bonds. 

II  November   17,    1ST:!  1,250 

11  February    18,    1871  250 

42  January  1,   1874 1,000 

43  November   17,    1874 1,000 

44  January    15,    1875 900 

»4      July   15,  1875 lit;:: 

45  December   15,   1875 137 

46  January    16,    1874 200 

47  January   8,   1874 800 

48  November   15,   1875 600 

49  October   1,   1875 S00 

50  November   10,   1874 600 

51  October   1,   1875 .400 

52  June    2,    1874 1,000 

53  February  1,  1875 290 

54  June    1,    1874 550 

55  October   1,   1875 380 

56  March    19,    1874 400 

57  March    2,    1882 400 

58  June   1,   1876 399 

59  November  26,   1884 600 

tit)       August    1,    1874 1,500 

61  August    1,    1874 550 

62  October    22,    1883 500 

63  .March    3,    1875 362 

64  January    3,    1876 270 

65  May    17,    1876 800 

66  August  10,   1882 550 

67  November   30,   1875 425 

68  October   24,   1877 300 

69  une   6,   1877 300 

70  April    1,    1875 150 

71  February  1,  1876 555 

72  November  15,   1875 600 

73  November  27,   1879 100 

74  March    3,    1879 125 

75  September    30,    1876 455 

76  April    16,    1877 700 

77  December   11,   1877 450 

78  September    13,    1878 475 

79  August    1,    1885 800 

80  August    1,    1877 300 

81  March    7,    1879 73 

82  February    6,    1878 236 

S3       July    18,    1882 350 

84  September    1,    1885 200 

85  November  9,   1880 200 

86  September    27.    1S82 400 


Dist-      Sale  of  First  Bond  Amount  of 

i  rid.                  issue                  First  Bonds. 

87  February    7,    1879            .__  152 

88  February    18,    1S7*  260 

89  December   16,    1x79 200 

91)  April    20,    1878 203 

!U  May    1,    I  NTs  325 

92  August     17,    1878 295 

9.-.  July    1.    1879 225 

'14  November    2.     1878 600 

95  March    Hi,   1874 100 

96 

97  

98  August  4,  1882 

99  September    13,    1S79 575 

100  August    1.   1881 475 

101  August   8,   1881 175 

102  September  22,  1886 700 

103  

104  March    16,    1883 

105  March    1,    1884 345 

106  November   1,   1883 830 

107  January    5,    1884 200 

108  July    5,    1884 200 

109  August    25,    1884..-  700 

110  February    1,    1886_.  187 

111  March    2,    1S85 700 

112  December   27,    1884 100 

113  December  22,   1884 1,000 

114  December   9,   1885 300 

115  

116  February    18,    1885_.  300 

117  August    2,    1886 260 

118  August    21,    1886 400 

119  March    15.    1887 600 

120  August    1,    1885 600 

121  October   31,    1885__  350 

122  September    12,    1885 500 

123  October    20,    1885 900 

124  

125  December   10,   1885 1,000 

126  September    26,    1885   

127  December  10,   1885 400 

128  May    5,    1886 450 

129  March    14,    187  300 

130  November  13,   1S86__  464 

131  January    13,    1887 420 

131  September    20,    1888 310 

L33  November    16.    1886 400 

134  November    20.    1886 100 


228 


RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 


Dis- 
trict. 
L35 
136 

i::t 
13S 
139 
140 
141 
142 
34:: 

144 
145 
146 
147 


Sale  of  First  Bond 
Issue. 
February    16.    1SS7__ 
qctober    1,  1887___*_. 

August    1.    1887 

August    3,    1889 

September    1,    1887__ 
January  20,  1887 


Amount  of 

First  Bonds. 

600 

1,980 

1,000 

1,960 

1,960 

300 


January  2,   18S8 

November   30,  1887. 
December  2,  1887__. 

July  25,  1888 

July  13,  1889 

September  1,  1S90_. 


650 
600 
500 
500 
400 
600 


Dist- 
trict. 

148 
149 
150 
151 
152 
153 
154 
155 
156 
157 
158 
159 
160 


S;ile  of  First  Bond 
Issue. 

May  6,  1891 

January  1,  1891 

September  12,  1891__. 


Amount  of 
First  Bonds. 

400 

900 

900 


November   24,   1891. 

August  8,   1892 

September  13",  1892. 
September  15,  1892. 
November   22,   1S95. 


December  1,  1896. 
January  10,  1897. 


600 
500 
800 
400 
500 


200 
200 


LATER   BOND   ISSUES. 


Distr 

i 
io 

12 

13 

24 
36 

45 

57 
62 

74 
99 

[02 

1  >7 
1  36 

'  3«  l 

'57 


ict. 


Present  Bonded  Purpose  of 

Indebtedness  Indebtedness. 

.  .  .$246,500 New  buildings  and  grounds. 

1,700 New  building. 

6,000 New  building. 

3,000 New  building; 

5,000 Experimental  land. 

300 Improvements. 

4,500 New  building. 

600 New  building. 

^oOO New  building. 

.  .  .        6,200 New   building. 

500 Improvements. 

9,275 New  building. 


2,200 New   building. 

T.300 New  building. 

t 5,000 New   building. 

3,000 New  building. 

8.000 New  building. 

1,500 New  building. 


CONSOLIDATED    RURAL    SCHOOLS. 


Hie  creation  of  scl 1  districts  ended  with  district    [60.     A  short  time 

after  the  idea  of  the  school  system  changed  and  instead  of  more  districts  it 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  _•_'<) 

was  urged  that  better  school  teachers  and  better  schools  could  be  obtained  b) 
combining  school  districts.  The  county  superintendent  that  was  most  insist- 
ent on  this  new  feature  of  school  district  formation  was  I.  I..  Dayhoff.  Me 
wanted  to  carry  out  his  idea,  but  was  afraid  to  leave  it  to  the  district-  thai 
were  affected.  To  gain  his  point  he  induced  the  members  of  the  Legislature 
from  Reno  county  to  get  a  hill  through  the  Legislature  combining  districts  num- 
ber 4,  35,  108  and  139.  They  were  merged  by  this  act  into  one  district,  and  the 
new  district  called  "Union  District  No.  139."  At  the  same  time,  and  by  the 
same  act.  districts  (),  25  and  150  were  merged  into  one  district  and  renamed 
"Union  District  Xo.  150."  Considerable  trouble  was  experienced  by  this  act, 
but  it  soon  became  apparent  that  the  new  move  was  a  good  one,  even  though 
the  method  employed  in  obtaining  it  was  questionable.  The  same  Legislature 
passed  a  general  law  allowing  school  districts  to  combine,  and  on  August  [2, 
1912,  after  a  considerable  time  of  discussion,  districts  78  and  85  united  under 
the  name  of  "Union  District  No.  78."  Likewise  on  June  6,  1913,  district  70 
was  combined  with  district  73  at  Turon,  under  the  name  of  "The  Turon 
Lhiion  School." 

Tn  tqoo,  districts  number  123.  125,  124  and  60,  all  in  Medford  township, 
united  under  the  name  of  "Union  District  No.  5." 

RURAL  HIGH    SCHOOLS. 

The  last  step  in  the  development  of  the  schools  of  the  county  and  one  of 
the  most  far-reaching  that  has  ever  been  taken,  was  the  passage  of  the  law 
allowing  rural  high  schools  to  be  formed  in  order  that  the  children  of  the  rural 
schools  might  be  given  substantially  the  same  educational  facilities  as  are 
enjoyed  by  the  children  in  the  city  schools.  This  law  did  not  originate  with 
the  school  teachers  of  the  state,  but  with  the  Grange,  an  organization  composed 
entirely  of  farmers.  The  authors  of  the  law  insisted  that  the  most  economi- 
cal way  to  educate  the  boys  and  girls  of  the  farm  was  to  bring  the  school  to 
the  student,  rather  than  send  the  student  away  from  home  to  the  school. 
They  knew  that  the  age  at  which  boys  and  girls  entered  the  high  school 
was  the  most  impressionable  one  of  their  lives  and  an  age  when  the  parents' 
influence  should  be  most  strongly  exerted,  and  that  to  maintain  this  influ- 
ence it  was  necessarv  to  have  the  schools  close  to  their  homes.  So  they  sug- 
gested to  the  Legislature  the  advisability  of  passing  a  law  that  would  allow 
the  patrons  to  create  such  a  district. 

The  first  place  in  the  county  to  organize  under  this  law  was  Arlington. 
The  Arlington  rural  high  school  was  organized  on  June  22,   r 9 t 5 .     It  has  a 


23O  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

full  high  school  course  and  in  the  school  year  of  1916  it  had  thirty-four  stu- 
dents. 

The  second  rural  high  school  to  he  organized  was  located  at  Partridge  and 
was  organized  on  the  same  date  as  the  new  school  at  Arlington,  as  was  also  the 
school  at  Plevna,  which  is  styled  "rural  high  school  Xo.  3"  but  which,  in  fact, 
shares  equally  the  honor  of  being  the  first  with  Arlington  and  Partridge. 
\bby\ille,  also,  was  organized  on  this  date,  but  was  given  No.  4.  These  four 
districts  were  organized  at  the  earliest  moment  after  the  law  was  passed  and 
shows  how  well  the  authors  of  the  law  gauged  public  sentiment  as  to  the 
needs  of  educating  the  children  at  home  as  far  as  possible.  Langdon  was 
the  fifth  to  organize,  June  29,  191 5.  The  sixth  school  to  organize  under 
the  law  was  Pretty  Prairie,  which  district  voted  for  a  rural  high  school  on 
April  4.  1916. 

THE  STANDARDIZED  SCHOOL. 

One  of  the  advanced  steps  in  education  was  the  adoption  of  what  is  called 
'The  Standard  School."  The  state  superintendent's  office  has  had  added  to 
its  force  two  rural  school  inspectors,  whose  work  is  to  visit  the  various  dis- 
tricts and  work  in  connection  with  the  county  superintendents  to  bring  about  a 
higher  standard  for  the  schools;  bringing  about  a  closer  co-operation  of  par- 
ents and  schools,  and  in  a  general  way  raising  the  grade  of  the  schools  of 
the  state.  They  have  adopted  certain  definite  •  requirements  for  the  district 
before  it  can  become  a  "standard"  school.  There  must  be  at  least  an  acre 
of  school  ground,  which  must  be  kept  in  good  condition.  There  must  be 
such  trees  and  shrubs  as  the  soil  will  grow.  The  outhouses  and  coal  houses 
must  be  kept  in  good  repair.  The  school  house  must  be  kept  in  good  repair, 
papered  and  painted.  It  must  be  well  lighted,  have  adjustable  shades,  suit- 
able cloak  moms,  good  slate  blackboards  and  be  heated  by  a  room  ventilator 
"i-  a  furnace.  The  desks  for  the  students  must  be  suitable  for  their  ages. 
The  school  must  be  supplied  with  books  for  the  library  such  as  are  needed  for 
the  grade-  of  students  attending.  There  must  be  a  good  set  of  maps,  a  globe 
and  a  dictionary,  and  the  water  supply  shall  be  sanitary.  The  rooms  must 
contain  a  thermometer  and  be  equipped  with  a  sand  table  for  the  little  children. 
The  teacher  must  hold  a  state  certificate  or  a  first  grade  county  certificate,  or  a 
Normal  Training  School  certificate.  The  teacher  must  rank  as  a  superior 
cher  and  the  salary  paid  must  be  not  less  than  severity  dollars  a  month. 
With  this  as  a  standard,  there  are  in  [916  thirty-five  standard  schools  in 
Reno  county.  This  j^  one-third  of  the  entire  number  "i  such  schools  in  the 
state  of  Kansas.     The  standard  is  a  high  one  and  there  are  a  good  many  more 


RENO  COUNTY,  KANSAS. 


231 


schools  in  the  count)-  ready  t< »  be  standardized  as  s.  inn  as  the  state  inspector  can 
reach  the  county  and  inspect  them. 

This  "standardization"  is  a  means  by  which  the  schools  are  measured. 
It  does  not  mean  that  there  will  he  no  better  schools,  but  it  means  that  definite 
improvement  is  being  made  in  the  work  of  getting  a  higher  grade  of  work 
done  each  year  in  the  country  schools. 

SOME    DEFINITE    SCHOOL     STATISTICS. 


The  following  tabic  shows  the  valuation  of  the  property  in  each  school 
district  in  the  county,  the  levy  for  1916  on  each  one  hundred  dollars  of  valu- 
ation and  the  enrollment  and  average  attendance  of  each  school  district  in 
the  county : 


Number  Valuation 

1 $21,380,090 

2  .  . 464,686 

3 • 678,417 

5, 1,196,017 

6 390-571 

7 489,783 

8 255,192 

10 255,054 

11 3I3»474 

12 571,068 

13 388,287 

14 592,729 

15 403.936 

[6 325.03/ 

17 458,115 

18 473.902 

19 379.535 

20. > 457,621 

21 457.34'' 

22 735-8i4 

23 ^;-,.i*7 

24 [,726,i95 

26 M)7-l-* 


Average 

Levy 

Enroll- 

Attend- 

Per $100 

Census 

ment. 

ance 

$  .60 

5.013 

378o 

2,994 

20 

43 

36 

28 

•25 

58 

35 

35 

■30 

134 

TOO 

92 

21 

36 

25 

20 

.12 

37 

31 

21 

.20 

33 

22 

16 

.22 

30 

21 

19 

24 

41 

32 

25 

42 

94 

82 

61 

13 

49 

27 

23 

12 

28 

14 

?3 

10 

28 

15 

U 

19 

45 

32 

19 

12 

46 

3^ 

22 

12 

36 

22 

18 

17 

29 

27 

[6 

09 

64 

42 

29 

11 

20 

17 

10 

TO 

39 

28 

21 

OS 

53 

24 

15 

3° 

386 

234 

[92 

IS 

40 

27 

20 

RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 


Number 
_•;.... 
28.... 
29.... 
30.... 
31.... 
32.... 

33 ••  ■■ 
34-. •■ 

36.... 
37.... 

38.... 
39.... 

40 

41 

42 

43 

44 

45  ••  •• 

4'..... 

48 

49 

50 

51 

52 

53. ... , 

55 

56 

57 

58 

59 

61 

62 

63 

64 

... 


- 

\verage 

Le 

vy 

Enroll- 

Attend- 

aluation  Per  $100 

Census 

ment. 

ance. 

V7--5* 

.18 

28 

22 

19 

564.652 

•'3 

40 

33 

3T 

232,811 

3i 

18 

14 

474.958 

.20 

35 

37 

21 

407.463 

'7 

27 

20 

19 

4I3.993 

.12 

30 

14 

12 

476.233 

.15 

45 

36 

28 

354,940 

.20 

H 

14 

10 

400. 1 20 

17 

21 

17 

15 

390.953 

.16 

47 

^7 

20 

41 1. 210 

■15 

19 

16 

>3 

259,423 

.21 

72 

46 

25 

254.043 

24 

37 

21 

19 

484.758 

.10 

39 

33 

21 

947,282 

.16 

1 1 1 

103 

66 

36i,55i 

14 

26 

26 

16 

378,144 

19 

22 

21 

TO 

591,000 

43 

72 

54 

45 

316.378 

16 

30 

H 

6 

492,911 

20 

5i 

46 

35 

462.568 

1  2 

58 

34 

29 

426.522 

1  1 

49 

35 

20 

367,879 

[8 

43 

35 

26 

532,071 

08 

35 

26 

23 

268.925 

19 

^7 

17 

14 

463,197 

T3 

'-- 

34 

0 ". 

217.521 

*9 

12 

6 

,1 

447,682 

16 

29 

_>_> 

16 

264. 1 04 

23 

34 

24 

>_> 

30 1 . 1 04 

r7 

22 

[5 

1 2 

254,715 

20 

20 

'4 

'3 

505.548 

35 

90 

75 

56 

544.305 

T7 

28 

U 

10 

363.652 

14 

48 

32 

27 

526,391 

10 

3i 

18 

13 

246,202 

24 

35 

20 

17 

RENO  COUNTY,    K  WSAS. 


233 


Average 


Number  Valuation 

67 299,552 

68 219,566 

69 340,206 

71 284,457 

7- 354.47° 

73 [,192,763 

74 210,544 

75 214,646 

77 232,294 

7* 355,180 

79 348,105 

80 389,243 

81 [66,833 

82 282,606 

84 725,4?9 

83 275,791 

86 283,788 

87 239.635 

88 373.'^ 

89 [66,472 

90 246,336 

91 -'^-W- 

93 262,586 

04 413,423 

92 300,560 

95 298,404 

96 3 '  4,676 

97 400,212 

98 215,479 

99 922,541 

100 236*564 

101 286,448 

102 1.077,320 

103 459-3  [i 

104 263,955 

105 292,796 


Levy 

Enroll- 

Attend- 

er $100 

( lensus 

ment. 

ance 

>  > 

->  > 

.1- 

21 

[8 

-7 

25 

23 

[9 

15 

39 

28 

■25 

[8 

2 1 

[3 

9 

[3 

.VI 

25 

23 

55 

220 

2<  >8 

[76 

39 

26 

29 

26 

20 

16 

1  i 

20 

[5 

ro 

7 

'4 

88 

59 

26 

20 

41 

44 

31 

[3 

29 

27 

■3 

36 

2A 

[6 

1  j 

14 

34 

21 

[5 

27 

90 

07 

7- 

22 

28 

21 

[8 

18 

?>7 

M 

>  > 

l7 

26 

■5 

8 

08 

?<7 

24 

[9 

24 

25 

U 

i  1 

20 

22 

9 

8 

-'4 

38 

21 

'7 

25 

22 

18 

23 

[8 

64 

57 

39 

26 

21 

13 

8 

16 

25 

11 

10 

[9 

23 

[7 

1 2 

08 

31 

16 

1  1 

20 

3i 

16 

12 

43 

140 

150 

109 

21 

28 

20 

ii. 

U 

28 

15 

[2 

51 

229 

193 

[87 

15 

4-' 

-'9 

24 

3f 

20 

20 

14 

20 

20 

16 

14 

-34 


RENO   COUNTY.    KANSAS. 


Number 

ro6 

07..  .  . 
[09 

10. . . . 
11.... 

1  2 ...  . 
13.... 
14. ... 

I5-- •• 
[6.. .. 

17. . .. 
18.. .. 
19.... 
20. . . . 
21 ...  . 

26.... 

28 .... 
29.... 
30.. .. 
3 1 ... . 
132.... 

33 

34 

35 

36.... 
37.  .  .  . 
38.... 
39.... 

40 

41 

[42.  .  .  . 

'43- ■ • • 

44 

45.  .  .  . 


Levy 

Valuation    Per  $100 

309./ 17 

.16 

180.895 

28 

467,690 

09 

198,719 

30 

436,281 

3i 

322,832 

19 

4I5.430 

27 

205,687 

20 

291.529 

16 

401,381 

20 

207,918 

36 

227,7(M 

27 

196.358 

25 

353>!22 

24 

252,241 

24 

224,036 

29 

440,452 

34 

286,216 

21 

237-772 

30 

178,168 

23 

279,070 

25 

345.191 

23 

233,626 

26 

223,281 

32 

195.660 

20 

233.385 

34 

1,040,207 

54 

586,721 

5' 

309.528 

•5 

[,886,542 

4<> 

[75.548 

23 

248,832 

32 

230,498 

2(  > 

-75-nS5 

29 

490.743 

1  2 

3^'-<>77 

[9 

Average 

Enroll- 

Attend- 

1SUS 

ment. 

ance. 

33 

23 

18 

24 

12 

I  L 

50 

36 

14 

34 

29 

25 

28 

22 

ID 

35 

27 

20 

73 

39 

32 

37 

46 

30 

27 

22 

18 

29 

20 

19 

28 

24 

22 

34 

23 

l6 

22 

16 

12 

45 

38 

34 

54 

43 

39 

16 

U 

12 

50 

34 

26 

18 

13 

12 

40 

32 

25 

26 

21 

12 

47 

5/ 

32 

29 

19 

17 

40 

28 

24 

17 

18 

10 

20 

14 

1  1 

37 

26 

20 

[65 

IK) 

89 

80 

59 

50 

28 

31 

23 

246 

191 

150 

5° 

2  1 

'4 

32 

26 

23 

20 

.  .  . 

-7 

25 

19 

69 

S2 

32 

38 

21 

19 

Kl    \o    (in    \  n  ,    K  \.\S  \>. 


235 


Number  Valuation 

146 £63,750 

'47 221,48*3 

[48 381,564 

149 t,i59,644 

150 <)No,i8o 

I51 256,03s 

152 30/.964 

153 220.304 

154 230,403 

155 174.047 

156 [93,642 

157 226,209 

158 223,001 

i59 T77.o67 

[60 325,084 


Average 

Le\  \ 

Enroll 

Vttend- 

Per  Si 00 

( lensus 

ment. 

ance. 

■33 

36 

[9 

id 

■33 

-'4 

23 

'7 

.20 

-M 

31 

2] 

.40 

[50 

[43 

[O6 

•4' 

204 

142 

'.V' 

.24 

35 

23 

>  > 

•T5 

27 

20 

•4 

.  .  . 

9 

.  .  . 

.  .  . 

.26 

2^ 

•4 

[3 

.20 

20 

.  .  . 

•30 

1  2 

[3 

1  1 

•27 

31 

26 

20 

.18 

6 

1  2 

1  1 

.28 

39 

-'4 

29 

■25 

59 

30 

jS 

COUNTY    SUPERINTH  X  DE  N  TS. 


The  Reno  county  schools  have  had  fifteen  different  superintendents.  \\  . 
E.  Hutchinson  was  elected  superintendent  at  the  first  county  election  on 
March  12,  i$/2.  He  served  until  July  6,  1872,  when  A.  M.  I  hint  was  appoint- 
ed. The  latter  declined  to  serve,  however,  and  shortly  afterwards  left  the 
county.  Alexander  Lynch  was  then  appointed  and  served  until  [873.  The 
following  have  held  the  office  since  that  time  for  the  period  indicated:  Tay- 
lor Flick,  1873;  Lysander  Honk.  1874;  J.  P.  Cassaday,  [875-76;  J.  \\  .  Ivan- 
aga,  1877-1881;  E.  L.  Jewell.  [881-84;  Eli  Payne,  [884-88;  C.  I'.  White. 
1888-1890;  Sam  W.  Hill.  1890-02;  Charles  1'.  Dawson.  [892-96;  I.  I..  Day- 
hoff,  1896-1902;  J.  II.  Jackson,  [902-05;  A.  W.  Hamilton.  [905-08;  Stewart 
P.  Rowland,  1908-1918. 

Mr.  Jackson  died  while  in  office.  Of  all  these  superintendents  only  two 
now  live  in  Reno  county,  the  present  incumbent  and  Eli  Payne.  .Mr.  Row- 
land was  re-elected  on  November  7,  [916.  II*-'  has  served  eight  years  and 
will  have  served  ten  vears  at  the  expiration  of  ln^  present  term. 


236  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

I'll  E    RENO   COUNTY    II  I  ( '.  1 1    SCHOOL. 

The  charter  for  the  ''Nickerson  College"  was  issued  on  June  30,  1898. 
The  Southside  school  building  in  Nickerson  was  fitted  up  for  the  new  school, 
and  the  "Nickerson  College"  and  the  Nickerson  high  school  were  merged. 
The  first  trustees  of  the  college  were:  \Y.  E.  Better,  George  Turbush,  J.  H. 
Jackson,  \Y.  F.  Hendry.  L.  C.  Brown.  The  school  opened  on  August  30, 
[898,   with  an   enrollment  of  seventy-eight  students. 

On  April  [6,  1003.  the  county  commissioners,  on  petition,  established 
the  county  high  school.  The  question  as  to  the  establishment  of  the  school 
had  been  submitted  to  the  voters  of  the  count}'  at  the  election  in  the  fall  of 
1902.  hailing  to  get  a  majority  vote  on  the  proposition,  a  special  act  was 
passed  by  the  Legislature,  allowing  the  count}'  commissioners  to  establish  the 
school  on  a  petition  of  the  voters  of  the  county.  The  first  board  of  trustees 
for  tlie  count}'  high  school  were  appointed  by  the  commissioners  as  follow: 
J.  H.  Jackson,  County  Superintendent  F.  \Y.  Cook  and  Frank  Vincent,  of 
Hutchinson;  Elmer  Everett,  of  Partridge;  C.  B.  Copeland.  of  Haven,  C.  Q. 
VVoodell  and  \Y.  F.  Hendry,  of  Nickerson. 

The  combined  "Nickerson  College"  and  Reno  county  high  school  have 
been  maintained  by  taxation  on  the  entire  count}'  since  the  establishment 
of  the  school.  The  total  amout  raised  by  taxation  to  support  this  school 
in  [916  was  $35,020.  Since  the  establishment  of  the  various  village  high 
schools,  the  necessity  of  a  county  high  school  has  been  challenged  by  the 
districts  maintaining  high  schools  of  their  own,  the}'  objecting  to  the  double 
taxation  required  of  them — the  support  of  their  own  high  school  as  well 
a-  to  pay  their  proportion  for  the  support  of  the  county  high  school,  and 
it  is  likely  that  some  modification  of  the  county  high  school  law  will  be 
brought  about  by  the  portions  of  the  county  that  are  subject  to  the  double 
taxation  to  support  both,  their  own  high  school  and  also  the  county  high 
school. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

Newspapers  of  the  County. 

Reno  county  has  always  had  an  abundant  supply  of  newspapers.  Before 
the  county  was  six  months  old  a  newspaper  man  was  on  the  townsite  with  a 
small  amount  of  type,  an  old  pros  and  a  desire  to  serve  the  community, 
and  in  return  make  a  living  out  of  the  service  rendered.  In  a  new  com- 
munity there  are  always  a  bunch  of  men  who  are  "boomers"  by  nature  and 
they  instinctively  turn  to  the  newspapers  for  the  necessary  advertising.  In 
this  respect  the  average  newspaper  of  Reno  county  has  been  no  exception 
to  that  rule  that  the  newspapers  give  away  more  genuine  advertising  space 
than  they  collect  a  revenue  from.  In  the  early  days  of  the  county,  the 
biggest  boomer  for  the  community  was  the  newspaper.  It  was  the  inspira- 
tion to  many  a  man  in  the  early  daws,  when  crops  were  poor  and  money 
scarce,  to  hold  on;  always  insisting  that  the  better  days  were  just  ahead. 
prophesying  a  big  crop  with  every  little  shower  and  pointing  out  that  a 
town  would  make  everybody  rich  was  just  as  certain  as  death  or  taxes. 
If  it  were  possible  now  to  ascertain  the  number  of  old  settlers  of  Reno 
county  who  have  had  their  faith  in  Keno  county  held  up  through  the  pioneer 
days  by  the  newspapers,  whose  influence  kept  these  old  settlers  on  their 
land;  if  it  were  possible  to  ascertain  the  number  n\  such.,  it  would  he  found 
that  the  newspapers  formed  the  one  most  potent  factor  in  developing  keno 
county  of  all  the  agencies  that  contributed  to  the  present  development  and 
prosperity  of  this  county. 

LIVED   TO    SKI-:    HIS    DREAMS    REALIZED. 

There  was  one  man.  full  of  vigor  and  faith  in  Reno  county  in  the  early 
clays,  who  was  a  fair  sample  of  this  faith  and  who  was  a  more  or  less  regu- 
lar contributor  to  the  newspapers  of  his  time.  Me  was  not  an  educated 
man,  hut  he  was  one  who  thought  clearly  and  expressed  himself  tersely. 
This  was  Zeno  Tharp,  of  Troy  township.  Letter  after  letter  was  published 
in  the  newspapers  of  that  day  that  were  full  of  faith  in  the  comity  and  of 
what  a  man  of  little  means  lint  an  abundance  of  energy  could  accomplish. 
"Uncle  Zeno"   wrote  of  his  own   work,  his   '"little  boys"  and  of  "Beautiful 


-'.Vs  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

Troy."  He  lived  to  see  all  his  dreams  more  than  realized,  his  sons  pros- 
perous and  himself  a  living  rebuke  to  the  did  adage,  "a  prophet  is  not  without 
honor,  save  in  his  own  country.'"  For  die  county  he  wrote  about  honored 
him.  not  with  gifts  of  office  nor  places  of  power,  but  as  a  prophet  should  be 
honored,  a  remembrance  of  his  help  to  others  when  they  needed  that  help,  and 
the  realization  <>i  his  own  prophecies. 

FIRST  NEWSPAPER   IX    RENO  COUNTY. 

The  first  newspaper  in  Reno  county  was  founded  by  Perry  Brothers: 
Their  first  issue  was  printed  on  July  15,  [872.  It  was  called  The  News.  The 
paper  has  retained  that  name  through  all  the  years  of  this  county's  history.  It 
has  had  many  editors,  it  has  had  its  vicissitudes,  its  ups  and  downs;  was  once 
in  the  hands  of  a  receiver  for  two  years,  hut  has  been  the  "constant  factor"  in 
the  newspaper  held.  Terry  Brothers  ran  tbis  paper  for  several  months,  then  it 
passed  into  the  hands  of  Houston  Whiteside,  who  was  a  lawyer,  but  with  plenty 
of  time  in  those  days  to  carry  on  both  his  law  practice  and  run  a  weekly 
newspaper.  Whiteside  was  succeeded  in  the  ownership  of  this  paper  by 
Fletcher  Meredith,  who  was  a  thorough  newspaper  man.  He  was  of  the 
fighting  kind  of  newspaper  men,  a  strong  prohibitionist,  a  Republican  and  a 
partisan.  He  was  a  vigorous  writer  and  as  a  result  "accumulated  a  good  sup- 
ply of  enemies.  He  compromised  with  no  one  and  his  columns  even  today, 
when  the  condition  of  the  county,  its  politics,  its  grafters,  its  builders  and  its 
benefactors  have  completely  changed,  are  still  intensely  interesting,  affording 
for  the  history  writer  a  view  of  conditions  not  otherwise  obtainable;  for  it  is 
not  always  possible,  from  the  mere  narration  of  events,  such  as  most  news- 
papers content  themselves  with,  to  get  a  proper  and  accurate  view  of  the  forces 
that  are  building  and  unbuilding  the  count}'. 

A     "BOOMER"     ox     THE     JOB. 

Meredith  was  succeeded  by  Ralph  M.  Easley,  perhaps  the  most 
resourceful  man  of  Hutchinson  of  that  day.  Me  was  a  "boomer,"  and  the 
development  of  Hutchinson  and  of  Reno  county  was  the  one  thing  the  Nezus 
of  that  day  did.  When  corn  was  selling  for  fifteen  cents  a  bushel.  Easley 
originated  the  idea  of  getting  "an  emergency  rate"  on  corn  from  the  rail- 
roads. He  pounded  away  ai  this  idea,  got  others  interested  and  the  rail- 
roads put  in  a  very  low  rate  on  farm  products  to  the  markets.  It  benefited 
the   farmers   for  a  while,  much  as  the  rebate  system  benefited  the  early  ship- 


RENO  COUNTY,    K  W>  \S.  239 

pers  when  rebating  was  a  practice  common  among  shippers  and  railroads. 
But  prices  soon  adjusted  themselves  and  the  "emergency  rate"  was  repealed. 
Kasley  was  a  politician  and  was  one  of  the  main  factors  in  securing  the 
building  of  the  Missouri  Pacific  railroad  into  this  city,  as  mentioned  in 
another  chapter.  The  discovery  of  salt  was  another  thing  that  Easle\ 
boomed  to  the  fullest  extent,  also  the  packing-house  building.  The  reactioi 
from  the  boom  affected  the  newspaper  business  as  seriousl)  as  it  did  other  lines 
o!  trade  and  the  Nezvs  went  into  the  hands  of  a  receiver,  |.  B.  Vmcenl  being 
appointed  to  run  the  paper.  It  had  various  editors  for  a  short  time,  hut  was 
shortly  afterward  purchased  by  its  present  owner,  \V.  Y.  Morgan.  The 
Weekly  X ezvs  was  founded  on  July  15th,  [872,  and  the  Paily  Neivs,  August 
17.   [886. 

FURTH  ER    NEWSPAPER    DEVELOPM  ENTS. 

The  Interior  was  the  second  newspaper  started  in  Hutchinson.  Fletcher 
Meredith  was  one  of  its  first  editors,  leaving  the  Nezvs  to  become  owner  and 
publisher  of  the  Herald.  Later  it  was  consolidated  with  the  Herald  under 
the  name  of  the  Interior-Herald.  Henry  Inman  was  one  of  the  earliest  edi- 
tors of  this  paper.  Another  man,  a  brilliant  writer,  a  hard  fighter  and  politi- 
cally opposed  to  the  policies  of  the  other  papers  of  Hutchinson,  was  Jap 
Turpin.  The  rivalry  of  the  newspapers  of  that  day  was  far  sharper  than  it 
is  today  and  the  editorial  columns  of  the  papers  were  often  full  of  the  sharp- 
est personalities;  hut  never  were  there  any  platitudes,  which  arc  the  product 
of  politically-edited  papers  that  oppose  no  one  lest  it  loses  some  votes  for  its 
editor,  coupled  with  indifferent  political  writers.  The  combination  of  the 
Interior  and  the  Herald  under  the  editorship  of  Fletcher  Meredith  lasted 
until   1903. 

The  third  paper  that  was  established  was  called  the  Clipper.  It  was 
founded  by  W.  A.  Loe  in  [889.  In  [902  the  paper  was  sold  to  Sheridan 
Ploughe  and  its  name  changed  to  the  Independent,  hi  [908  the  hide  pendent 
was  purchased  by  the  Gazette,  by  I  tarry  A.  Lill.  The  Gazette  was  started 
in  1890  by  Warren  Foster,  who  ran  it  until  [895.  Foster  was  a  vigorous 
writer.  His  paper  gained  a  wide  circulation  through  the  rise  of  the  Popn 
list  party.  It  was  their  organ  and  when  that  party  began  to  lose  its  prestige, 
the  Gazette  suffered.  In  1902  E.  (i.  Xettleton  and  his  brother,  A.  .M. 
Xettleton,  purchased  the  Gazette  and  put  it  on  a  broadei  hasis.  Both  of  the 
Nettletons  were  good  newspaper  men  and  made  the  Gazette  a  vigorous  paper. 
In  1895  Harrv  Scott  founded  the  Bee.  lie  ran  it  for  several  years  and  was 
succeeded  in  its  ownership  by  Frank  Lawson.     In   [902  the  Lawson  Printing 


_'40  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

Company  started  the  Daily  Bee,  which  was  edited  by  them  in  addition  to  the 
Weekly  Bee.  In  1902  the  Independent  Company  purchased  the  Daily  Bee 
and  the  Weekly  Fee  and  consolidated  them  with  the  Independent  until  June 

I.  1908,  when  the  Independent  was  sold  to  Harry  A.  Lill.  the  owner  of  the 
Gazette,  who  issued  the  combined  publication-,  under  the  name  of  the  Gazette. 
That  paper  continues  as  the  morning  daily  of  Hutchinson.  Lill  ran  the  pape'" 
for  four  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  sold  it  to  a  stock  company.  Since 
that  time  it  has  had  several  editors,  some  of  them  speculators,  some  of  them 
newspaper  men.  and  is  now  owned  by  Emerson  Carey  and  Elijah  Rayle  and 
is  independent  in  politics,  supporting  generally,  however,  the  Democratic  can- 
didates. 

SOME  SH0RT-L1YEH    PAPERS. 

There  have  been  other  newspapers  in  Hutchinson  that  have  been  short- 
lived. In  1893  Kelly  &  Palmer  started  a  daily  called  the  Patriot.  It  was 
issued  from  July  10  to  September  19,  1893,  when  it  was  discontinued  and 
moved  to  Oklahoma.  The  Times  was  published  from  December  6,  1889.  to 
1905.  There  have  also  been  some  trade  papers  published,  among  them  the 
Tradesman  that  was  issued  from  November  22,  1902,  to  June,  1907.  It  was 
published  first  by  The  Bee  Company  and  when  that  paper  was  sold  to  the 
Independent,  it  was  continued  by  them  until  that  paper  was  succeeded  by  the 
Gazette.  The  Wholesaler  was  started  in  1908  by  A.  L.  Sponsler  and  T.  G. 
Armour.  It  covers  the  trade  territory  of  Hutchinson  and  is  of  special  bene- 
fit to  the  wholesale  trade  of  Hutchinson. 

An  educational  paper  was  founded  by  F.  J.  Altswager  in  1894  and  for 
some  time  was  issued  monthly.  Another  educational  magazine  was  published 
by  Richard  Price  called  the  School  Visitor  and  was  issued  for  twq  years — 
[893  and  1894. 

OTHER    PAPERS    IX    THE    COUNTY. 

\t  Arlington  there  is  one  paper,  the  Enterprise.  It  was  founded  b)  J.  E. 
Eaton  and  II.  ( '.  Warner  in  1885.  It  is  issued  weekly.  Its  present  owner  is 
M.  I..  Barrett. 

The  Journal,  at  Haven,  now  owned  and  edited  by  K.  G.  Hemenway, 
was  founded  on  Vugust  8,  [896,  by  George  \V.  Way.  It  is  independent  in 
pi  ilitics. 

The  Leader,  issued  at  Langdon,  was  founded  on  November  23,  [9]  1.  by 

II.  B.  Albertson.     It  i-  nOw  owned  and  published  by  B.  B.  Miller. 

The  Argosy  \^  published  at   Nickerson  by  Henry  A.  Lyon.     This  paper 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  24  r 

was  founded  by  J.  \Y.  Sargenl  on  December  7,  [878.  In  [886  he  became  the 
editor  and  publisher.  In  [891  the  Argosy  purchased  another  paper  published 
in  Nickerson,  called  the  Register.  This  paper  was  founded  in  [884  by  C.  X. 
and  H.  E.  Whitaker.  In  [889  the  name  was  changed  to  the  Nickerson 
Industry,  with  Claypool  &  Raisner  a>  editors  and  publishers.  In  the  same 
year  Harry  II.  lirightman  became  the  editor  and  owner  of  the  paper  and 
changed  the  name  to  the  Nickerson  Argosy.  In  1891  it  was  consolidated 
with  the  Nickerson  Argosy,  with  W.  F.  Hendry  and  J.  E.  Humphrey  as 
editors  and  publishers.  Hendry  was  a  capable  newspaper  man.  very  positive 
in  his  views,  and  while  he  was  editor  the  Argosy  was  an  interesting  paper. 

The  Times,  at  Pretty  Prairie,  was  founded  by  Percy  Torrey  in  1910. 
Its  present  editor  and  owner  is  C.  \V.  Claybaugh.  It  is  like  most  of  1  he- 
papers  published  in  the  smaller  towns,  independent   in  politics. 

The  Sylvia  Sun  was  founded  in  1900  by  C.  S.  Eckert.  It  was  discon- 
tinued on  September  13,  1901,  but  was  re-established  on  January  t,  hjoj,  by 
George  Walker.  Its  present  editor  and  owner  is  George  H.  Yust.  It  is 
issued  weekly,  an  all-home-print  paper  and  is  independent  in  politics. 

The  Turon  Press  was  founded  by  T.  G.  Elbury  in  [894  at  I'retty  Prairie 
and  moved  to  Turon  in  1895,  vvith  Elbury  continuing  as  editor.  Its  present 
editor  and  owner  is  B.  S.  Edwards,  and  it  is  Republican  in  politics.  There 
have  been  a  number  of  papers  issued  in  the  count}-  in  the  past  that  have  been 
discontinued.  The  following  list,  furnished  by  the  press  bureau  of  the  State 
Historical  Society,  which  has  a  complete  file  of  all  of  the  papers  ever  pub- 
lished in  the  state,  covers  all  of  these  publications: 

At  Abbeyville :  The  Chronicle,  June  4  to  October  9,  1897;  the  Tribune, 
August  26,  i88'6,  to  1887. 

Buhler:     The  Herald,  October  23,  1913.  to  1914. 

Haven:  The  Dispatch,  July  2S,  1 888-1889:  the  Independent,  June  ro. 
1886,  to  June,  1888;  January  to  March,  1889:  December.  1889-1803:  the 
Item,  March  23,   1894-1895. 

Lerado:     The  Ledger,  November  4,   1886-1888. 

Olcott:     The  Press,  January  n,  1889,  to  November  1,  1889. 

Partridge:  The  Cricket-Press,  November  4,  1886-1887;  the  Republi- 
can, March  6,  1896,  to  1897. 

Plevna:     The  Torchlight,  June   14.  1888-1889. 

Pretty  Prairie:  Press,  February  7.  [889,  to  1894:  the  Record.  Febru- 
ary 2^,  1906,  to  1907. 

Sylvia:  The  Banner,  December  6,  1889,  to  1895;  the  Chronicle,  July 
"(16) 


242  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

io,  T896,  to  December  4,  1896;  the  Herald,  April  4,  1889,  to  August  29, 
1889;  the  Telephone,  .May  -'5.   [886,  to  1889. 

The  last  paper  started  in  Reno  county  is  the  Observer.  It  is  published 
by  the  Observer  Company  and  is  edited  by  Sheridan  Ploughe,  editor  and 
as  publisher  and  owner.  The  paper  is  issued  monthly.  It  contains 
no  advertising',  but  depends  on  its  subscription  list  for  support.  It  is  inde- 
pendent in  politics  and  discusses  in  an  editorial  way  public  questions.  Its 
circulation  is  not  at  all  local,  as  it  has  more  readers  outside  of  Reno  county 
than  in  the  county. 

The  newspapers  of  Reno  county  are  one  of  its  chief  assets:  not  in  the 
taxable  value  of  their  property,  but  because  of  the  stimulus  to  business  and 
the  constant  advertising  the  county  has  received  from  the  newspapers.  The 
tendencv  of  recent  years  has  been  to  reduce  the  number  of  papers  in  the 
county  and  this  has  had  a  tendency  to  strengthen  the  papers  that  remain  in 
the  field :  to  increase  their  circulation  and  consequently  their  value  to  the 
advertisers,  and  the  demand  of  those  advertisers  today  are  for  papers  with 
wider  circulation,  that  their  goods  may  be  known,  not  only  in  the  county  but 
in  the  country  southwest  of  this  city,  in  other  counties.  This  demand  of  the 
big  advertisers  is  a  guarantee  of  the  future  of  the  daily  papers  published  in 
Hutchinson,  that  they  will  increase  in  their  usefulness  as  the  county  develops. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

The  First  Churches  ix  the  County. 

The  first  public  religious  service  in  Reno  county  was  held  on  the  second 
Sunday  in  March,  1872.  The  preacher  was  Rev.  J.  S.  Saxby  of  the  Baptist 
church.  There  were  no  church  buildings  and  the  services  were  held  in  a 
meat  shop.  The  tables  and  meat  blocks  were  pushed  back,  an  improvised 
pulpit  made  from  a  shoe  box  some  early  settler  had  had  in  his  wagon  when 
he  came  to  this  town.  The  meat  of  that  time  was  all  wild  meal — buffalo, 
elk,  deer,  antelope  and  prairie  chicken — meat  that  was  so  common  then,  but 
which  couldn't  be  obtained  today.  The  meat  shop  was  the  largest  building 
and  a  few  chairs  were  taken  to  the  room  and  the  services  held.  There  was 
no  musical  instrument  so  the  preacher,  to  use  the  expression  of  that  time, 
had  to  "pitch  and  tote  the  tune".  There  was  only  an  occasional  song  book. 
but  the  songs  were  those  that  have  stirred  men  and  women  for  years  and 
which  lingered  in  the  memory  of  the  early  settlers  long  after  they  had  left 
their  early  home  "back  East".  The  preacher  of  that  occasion  did  not 
remain  long  in  the  county.  The  prospects  were  too  poor,  lie  could  see 
nothing  in  the  future.  He  couldn't  adapt  himself  to  his  surroundings;  so, 
being  discouraged,  he  remained  only  a  few  months  and  went  back  East. 
Another  preacher  was  sent  to  this  city,  Rev.  M.  J.  Morse,  in  his  place. 
Before  leaving  he  organized  the  first  Methodist  church  in  Reno  countv.  This 
was  done  on  July  n,  187 2,  and  was  composed  of  the  following  persons:  T. 
S.  Scoresby  and  wife,  S.  N.  Parker  and  wife,  H.  Chadeyene  and  wife,  Fred 
Ames  and  wife,  Roxanna  Stout  and  Elva  Stout,  twelve  in  all.  Then-  first 
"quarterly  meeting"  was  held  on  November  9,  t8;-_\  Reverend  Morse 
preached  for  this  church  until  the  following  spring,  when  Hutchinson  was 
organized  as  a  separate  charge  by  the  Methodist  conference,  then  in  session 
at  Ottawa,  in  April,  1873.  Rev.  S.  B.  Presby  was  sent  to  Hutchinson  by 
the  Ottawa  conference.  Reverend  Presby  was  an  active  industrious  man. 
well  liked  by  the  people  of  that  day.  He  secured  lots  and  began  building  a 
parsonage,  and  as  soon  as  the  court  house  was  completed  so  that  it  could 
be  used,  the  services  were  held  in  that  building.  In  the  following  March, 
1873,  R-ev-  J-  W.   Fox  was  sent  to  Hutchinson  by  the  conference,     lie  began 


244  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

the  work  of  putting  up  a  church  building.  Lots  were  secured,  on  the  ground 
now  occupied  by  the  First  Methodist  church,  on  the  corner  of  Walnut  and 
First  avenue,  and  a  building-  that  cost  $5,200  was  erected  and  was  dedi- 
cated on  April   12,   1874,  by  Rev.  H.  Buck. 

The  next  church  organized  in  Reno  county  was  of  the  Congregational 
denomination.  This  organization  was  not  made  in  Hutchinson,  but  in  Center 
township.  On  September  15,  1873,  Rev-  Samuel  Dilly,  his  wife,  his  son 
and  his  son-in-law  and  the  latter's  wife,  reached  Center  township,  where  thev 
expected  to  take  claims  and  make  their  homes.  They  traveled  overland  by 
wagon  and  on  reaching  Center  township  built  a  temporary  board  shanty  on 
the  northeast  quarter  of  section  28,  township  24,  range  7  west.  In  this 
temporary  building  Reverend  Dilly  organized  a  Sunday  school  and  held  the 
first  service  of  his  church  on  December  6,  1872,  with  the  following  member- 
ship: Samuel  Dilley,  Belinda  Dilley,  Clancy  E.  Chapman.  Lucy  Chapman, 
Hugh  Ghormley,  Martha  J.  Ghormley,  Henry  C.  O'Hara,  Darella  O'Hara, 
Zema  A.  Dilley,  Henrietta  E.  Dilley,  Elbert  A.  Dilley,  Alta  L.  Chapman, 
Flora  E.  Ghormley,  Caroline  O.  Daniels,  Sarah  Hawkins  and  Julia  J.  Tav- 
ener. 

The  third  church  organized  in  Hutchinson  was  the  Presbyterian  church. 
Early  in  1872,  realizing  the  need  of  the  community,  C.  C.  Hutchinson  offered 
one  hundred  dollars  and  three  lots  to  any  denomination  that  would  build  a 
church.     The  subscription  was  first  started  as  a  union  of  all  churches,  but 
this  movement  did  not  succeed.     Air.  Hutchinson's  donation  had  been  added 
to  until  it  amounted  to  fifteen  hundred  dollars.     After  the   failure  of  the 
union   plan,   the   Presbyterian  church   undertook  to   build,   taking  the  three 
lots  and  the  fifteen  hundred  dollars,  but  it  was  too  much  for  them  and  after 
thorough  canvass,  they  gave  it  up.     Then  the  Methodists  tried  to  build, 
lug  the  three  lots  and   the  fifteen  hundred  dollars  that  had  been  raised. 
They   failed  likewise.     The   Presbyterians  took  another  turn   at  the  matter 
after  the  Methodists  had  failed  and  this  time  they  succeeded  in  getting  the 
iicctxiry  amount  of  money  to  complete  the  building,  and  on  the  fourth  Sun- 
day in  June.    1873.  their  church,  costing  three  thousand  dollars,   was  dedi- 
cated free  from  debt.     It  was  the  first  and  only  church  building  in  the  county 
nearly  two  year-.     At  a  meeting  on  October  28,   1872,  Rev.  J.  T.   Pot- 
was  hired  and  came  to  Hutchinson  to  preach.     He  came  to  the  call  from 
the  <  >liio  presbytery,  he  having  been  located  then  at  Cincinnati.     This  church 
3  incorporated  on  January  g,   1873.     From  July   15.    1873.  to  January    1. 
1X74,  the  church  was  without  a  regular  pastor.     "At  a  called  meeting  of  the 


CHRISTIAN   CHURCH.    HUTCHINSON 


PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH.    BDTCHINSON 


REV.   J.   T.    POTTER,    FIRST    PRESBYTERIAN    PREACHER    AT    HUTCHINSON 


RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS.  245 

church  On  the  First  Wednesday  evening,  December,  [873/'  so  reads  their 
record,  "Rev.  D.  M.  Moore  of  Lawrence  was  called  to  the  pastorate  of  thi> 
church."     He  came  to  Hutchinson  the  first  Sunday  in  January,   [874.      The 

church  at  that  time  had  twenty-seven  members. 

In   December.    [872,    Reverend   Saxby,    who  preached   the   first    sermon 

ever  preached  in  this  city,  returned  to  Hutchinson  and  organized  the    Bap 
tist  church.     He  had  seven   members   in  this  first   organization.      Reverend 
Saxby  stayed  with  this  church  for  two  years  as  the  pastor. 

The  Christian  church  was  organized  in  Hutchinson  in  July,  [876.  The 
organization  had  no  building  and  met  in  the  court  house  for  some  time. 
The  first  pastor  of  this  church  was  Alexander  Eliot,  who  then  lived  near 
Burrton.  The  first  official  board  consisted  of  A.  FL  Ploughe,  M.  Saunders, 
Henry  Music,  T.  J.  Anderson  and  H.  Eisminger.  This  organization  used 
a  rented  hall  for  its  services  for  several  years.  In  1882  the  congregation 
began  the  erection  of  a  building  on  North  Main  street,  which  cost  ten  thou- 
sand dollars.  This  building  was  later  sold  and  moved  to  Fifth  avenue,  east, 
in  191 1,  and  another  building  erected  on  this  original  site  that  cost  over 
forty  thousand  dollars.  This  church  had  two  of  the  most  notable  revivals 
ever  held  in  this  city.  They  were  conducted  by  Rev.  J.  V.  Updike  and  one 
was  held  in  1885  and  the  other  in  1889.  The  result  of  these  meetings  was  a 
membership  of  over  one  thousand  at  the  close  of  the  second  revival. 

Among  the  earliest  church  organizations  outside  of  Hutchinson  was  the 
one  founded  in  Castleton  township  and  was  called  the  Harmony  Baptisl 
church,  It  was  organized  on  November  3,  1875,  with  ten  members.  The 
first  officers  were  H.  D.  Freeman,  H.  Bramwell,  < '..  R.  Bowser  and  B.  F. 
Tucker.  The  church  building  was  begun  in  Jul}-,  1882,  and  was  completed  in 
April,  1883,  at  a  cost  of  one  thousand  dollars.  It  was  dedicated  on  May  20, 
1883. 

The  first  church  organization  effected  in  "old"  Nickerson  was  made  by 
Rev.  J.  W.  Fox,  the  presiding  elder  of  the  Methodist  church,  and  the  services 
were  held  in  the  school  house  on  the  old  townsite  until  a  building  could  be 
erected,  which  was  in  the  fall  of  1875,  when  a  brick  structure  was  erected 
costing  four  thousand  five  hundred  dollars. 

In  December,  1878,  Rev.  1\.  J.  Schlichter  organized  the  Congregational 
church  in  Nickerson  with  nine  members. 

The  first  Catholic  church  in  the  county  was  organized  in  Nickerson  by 
Rev.  F.  P.  Sweenberg-.  The  early  meetings  were  held  at  the  homes  of  the 
membership  for  a  number  of  years.     Reverend  Sweenberg  also  organized  the 


246  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

church  in  Hutchinson,  he  having-  about  fifty  families  in  his  charge  at  Hutch- 
inson and  Nickerson.     Their  first  building  was  completed  in  Hutchinson  in 

1 879. 

The  first  Universalist  church  in  Reno  county  was  organized  in  Decem- 
ber, 1 881,  with  forty  members  by  Rev.  T.  W.  Woodrow.  Their  first  meet- 
ings were  held  in  the  Baptist  church  until  they  could  erect  their  first  build- 
ing on  Plum  street. . 

The  church  growth  of  Reno  county  has  kept  pace  with  the  material 
growth  of  the  county.  Almost  every  neighborhood  has  a  church.  Nearly 
every  organization  has  its  own  building.  A  few  meetings  are  held  in  school 
buildings.  Sunday  schools  are  maintained  in  all  places  where  there  are 
church  organizations,  and  in  several  communities  Sunday  schools  are  kept 
up.  with  only  an  occasional  church  service. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 
Kaki.y   Doctors  of  Reno  County. 

The  first  doctor  of  any  county  spends  a  particularly  strenuous  life,  and 
the  first  doctors  of  Reno  comity  were  no  exceptions.  They  had  all  of  the 
usual  hardships  of  their  calling,  and  to  these  were  added  the  long  drives  ne< 
sitated  by  the  sparsely  settled  communities  they  served.  Many  of  the  modern 
doctors  do  not  go  out  of  the  city  at  all,  and  when  they  leave  their  offices  to 
call  on  patients  they  have  an  automobile  to  hurry  them  to  their  patients  and 
back  to  the  office.  Others  do  not  leave  their  finely-fitted  rooms,  with  every 
modern  convenience.  But  the  pioneer  doctors  made  their  long  drives,  often 
by  night,  generally  with  a  team  of  mustang  ponies,  the  kind  that  would  strike 
up  a  swift  trot  and  maintain  that  gait  without  either  whip  or  spur.  These 
doctors  would  drive  over  roads  for  miles  and  never  see  a  sight  of  any  human 
habitation.  Their  trips  often  carried  them  one  hundred  miles  southwest, 
over  into  Barber  county.  They  would  necessarily  be  gone  several  days. 
They  were  more  like  the  pioneer  preacher  in  their  visits  than  they  were  today 
when  professional  rules  have  set  the  boundary  lines  for  their  calling.  They 
would  go  into  a  community  and  if  any  were  sick  they  would  minister  to 
them,  leaving  them  such  medicine  as  they  had  with  them,  and  advising  them 
as  to  the  care  of  their  case. 

The  first  doctor  in  Hutchinson  was  Doctor  DeWitt.  who  came  to  this 
community  from  California.  Very  little  is  now  known  of  him,  not  even  his 
initials  being  remembered.  He  had  a  further  distinction  of  being  the  first 
Sunday  school  superintendent  in  Hutchinson.  He  had  been  in  the  village 
but  a  short  time  when  he  began  talking  of  the  organization  of  a  Sunday 
school.  There  wasn't  much  sentiment  among  the  pioneers  of  that  day  for 
such  an  organization,  but  DeWitt  persuaded  ten  or  twelve  of  the  early  set- 
tlers to  gather  together  and  organize  a  Sunday  school.  It  did  not  continue 
very  long,  as  the  men  of  that  day  were  more  interested  in  the  material  devel- 
opment of  the  county  than  they  were  in  the  upbuilding  of  spiritual  things. 
Although  C.  C.  Hutchinson  was  an  ordained  Baptist  preacher,  his  experience 
among  the  pioneers  showed  him  that  the  church  life  of  a  community  was  a 
matter   that   followed   later    in   the   development   of   a   community.      Doctor 


248  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

DeWitt  is  described  by  those  now  living  who  knew  him,  as  being-  a  highly 
cultured  man,  not  used  to  the  pioneer  ways,  but  readily  adapting  himself 
to  his  surroundings. 

Doctor  Easley  was  the  second  doctor  to  reach  Hutchinson.  The  third 
in  the  order  of  arrival  in  Reno  county  was  Dr.  A.  W.  McKinney.  He  lived 
for  years  in  Hutchinson  and  had  a  large  practice,  dying  there  many  years 
ago.  Doctor  McKinney  was  a  public-spirited  man,  taking  a  leading  part 
in  the  early  affairs  of  Reno  county.  He  was  a  prominent  lodge  man,  and 
was  coroner  of  the  count}'  for  many  years. 

Dr.  D.  B.  McKee  was  the  next  doctor  to  come  to  Hutchinson  and  was 
one  of  the  men  accustomed  to  make  the  long  drives  in  the  country.  He  was 
small  of  stature,  genial  in  his  nature,  kindly  and  sympathetic ;  did  much 
work  among  the  poor  for  which  he  never  collected  any  fee,  and  never  expected 
to  when  he  went  to  call  on  his  patient,  but  his  services  were  given  as  cher- 
fully,  and  his  care  and  attention  of  them  were  just  the  same  as  he  gave  his 
best-paying  patients.  Doctor  McKee  practiced  many  years  and  died  in 
Hutchinson  of  hardening  of  the  arteries. 

Perhaps  the  best  known  of  the  early  doctors,  the  one  'who  was  the 
largest  factor  in  the  medical  development  of  Reno  county,  was  Dr.  H.  S. 
Sidlinger.  He  came  to  Hutchinson  in  1874  and  still  lives  in  this  city, 
having  retired  from  the  practice  several  years  ago.  He  is  the  only  one  of 
the  early  doctors  living.  Doctor  Sidlinger  had  an  enviable  record  as  a 
physician.  During  his  practice  he  attended  two  thousand  three  hundred 
and  fifty-seven  confinement  cases,  and  in  all  the  years  he  never  lost  a  patient 
in  all  those  cases.  There  are  hundreds  of  young  men  and  women  in  Hutch- 
inson and  Reno  count  v,  whom  he  attended  at  their  birth,  that  he  calls  'by 
name.  Doctor  Sidlinger  made  many  trips  in  the  early  days  to  the  south- 
west, Sun  City,  in  Barber  county;  Larned,  Tuka.  in  Trait  county,  and  other 
points  equally  distant,  lie  is  still  living,  enjoying  a  competence,  driving  his 
high-power  automobile  as  carefully  and  at  not  much  greater  speed  than  he 
drove  his  mustang  ponies  in  the  early  days  over  the  prairies. 

Dr.  X.  T.  P.  Robertson  was  another  of  the  old-time  doctors.  Me  was 
the  physician  spoken  of  in  the  chapter  on  "Surveyors  and  Coroners"  as  the 
aggressive  Democrat  who  was  generally  pu1  on  his  pari)-  ticket  as  a  candi- 
date for  coroner,  but  who  newer  hesitated  to  impress  his  Democracy  on  all 
casions,  and  for  that  reason  never  was  able  to  be  elected  to  any  office. 
Doctor  Robertson  was  a  tall,  spare  man,  active  even  in  his  advanced  age. 
Me  had  a  large  practice  among  the  old  settlers  even  in  his  later  years,  and 
he  responded  to  calls  as  long  as  his  health  permitted. 


RENO   C<  >UNTY,    K  \.\S AS.  2  \<  I 

Dr.  G.  \V.  Maguire  was  another  of  the  old-tune  doctors.  He  quit  the 
active  practice  years  ago  because  of  Ins  health  and  moved  to  Wesl  Virginia. 

There  are  a  number  of  physicians  who  have  been  practicing  main  war- 
in  this  county  outside  of  Hutchinson.  Among  the  most  active  and  promi- 
nent is  Dr.  C.  II.  Bacon,  living  in  Valley  township.  He  lias  been  in  Reno 
county  many  years,  and  limits  his  practice  to  the  country  surrounding  his 
home.  In  addition  to  the  doctors  named  there  are  aboul  fift)  doctors  prac- 
ticing in   Reno  county  at  the  present  time,  most  of  them  in   Hutchinson. 

The  Reno  County  Medical  Society  was  organized  on  October  u.  [904. 
Dr.  1J.  J.  Duval  was  the  first  president  of  the  organization.  It  meet-  once 
a  month  in  Hutchinson.  The  president  at  the  presenl  time  is  Dr.  \\  .  F. 
Schoor. 

Reno  county  has  never  had  any  epidemics  of  any  sort.  The  rules  laid 
down  by  the  hoard  of  health  are  generally  6bserved.  Hutchinson  has  always 
maintained  a  complete  sewer  system,  and  other  preventative  measure-  are 
enforced. 

The  first  hospital  was  established  in  the  county  by  Dr.  J.  E.  Stewart 
and  Dr.  R.  E.  Stewart,  who  built  a  hospital  on  North  Main  street,  called  the 
Stewart  Hospital  and  maintained  a  high-grade  institute  for  many  years. 
The  hospital  was  sold  in  September,  1015,  to  the  Methodist  church,  which 
organization  has  continued  its  operation. 

In  July,  1917.  another  hospital  movement  was  started.  The  Catholic 
church  started  a  campaign  to  raise  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  for  a  hos- 
pital. This  campaign  lasted  a  week  and  was  only  partially  successful,  about 
thirty-eight  thousand  dollars  having  then  been  subscribed  to  the  fund.  They 
insist  that  the  work  will  soon  begin  on  the  hospital  building,  and  will  be 
continued  until  their  original  plan  for  a  four-hundred-bed  hospital  is  accom- 
plished. 

"While  hardly  a  subject  matter  for  a  chapter  on  doctors  in  a  county 
history,  vet  a  matter  closely  allied  to  the  work  o!  a  physician  was  accom- 
plished in  1917.  It  was  the  raising  by  popular  subscription  of  fifty  thou- 
sand dollars  for  the  Red  Cross  of  America,  as  a  part  of  the  war  plans  of 
the  country.  This  amount  was  assigned  to  Reno  county  as  her  part  of  the 
work  of  helping  care  for  the  soldiers  of  the  country.  The  county  subscribed 
$68,500,  or  $18,500  more  than  was  asked  for.  There  never  has  been  as 
willing"  a  subscription  made  in  Reno  county  as  was  this  one.  The  balance 
above  the  amount  asked  for  will  be  held  in  the  treasury  of  the  local  organi- 
zation in  anticipation  of  other  calls  of  a  similar  nature  before  the  war  closes. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

Tin-;  Banks  of  Reno  County. 

rhe  firSt  bank. in  Reno  county,  which  was  organized  on  October  12, 
[872,  was  started  by  C.  C.  Hutchinson,  the  founder  of  the  town,  and  contin- 
ued in  business  until  1876.  Others  had  stock  in  the  bank  but  it  was  a  private 
institution.  There  is  no  record  of  the  capital  stock,  its  deposits,  its  loans  of 
any  other  features  of  its  activities.  Its  successor  was  the  Reno  County  State 
Bank  which  continued  in  business  until  1884. 

In  [877  James  Redhead  started  a  bank,  also  a  private  institution,  which 
was  owned  by  the  founder  and  his  father.  The  bank  continued  in  business 
until  t888  when  it  was  sold  to  James  St.  John  and  A.  W.  McCandless,  who 
ran  the  bank  until  its  consolidation  with  the  Valley  State  Bank. 

The  First  National  Bank  was  organized  in  1884,  succeeding  to  the  busi- 
ness of  the  Reno  Count}-  State  Bank.  The  directors  of  the  Reno  County 
State  Bank  at  the  time  it  became  the  First  National  Bank  were:  S.  W. 
(  ampbell.  L.  A.  Bigger,  John  Brown,  E.  L.  Meyer,  Id.  Whiteside,  E.  S.  Handy 
and  E.  Wilcox.  The  First  National  succeeded  on  July  1.  1884,  and  contin- 
ued the  directors  of  the  Reno  State  Bank.  This  bank  has  continued  under 
the  same  management  for  fort}'  years,  E.  E.   Meyers  being  its  president. 

The  Citizens  Bank  was  a  private  bank  when  it  was  established  on  August 
1.  [892,  by  the  owner,  J.  B.  Maekav.  It  had  a  small  capital  but  grew  rapidly 
and  continuously.  J.  B.  Maekav  was  president  of  it  from  the  beginning  until 
on'',   when  C.    M.    Branch  became  president. 

There  were  two  banks  organized  in  an  early  day  thai  met  with  reverses; 
one  was  the  1  [utchinson  National  and  the  oilier,  the  Valley  State.  The  shrink- 
e  of  values  during  the  relapse  from  the  boom  was  the  cause  of  their 
Suspension.  The  latter  was  reorganized  and  reopened  under  the  name  of 
the  Hutchinson  National,  but  the  reorganized  bank  did  not  prosper  and  closed 
it>  do.  >rs  after  a  few   m<  »nths. 

The  State  Exchange  Bank  was  organized  in  [89]  by  Willis  X.  Baker, 
the  owner  of  a  bank  at  Pretty  Prairie,  which  he  sold  and  started  the  bank; 
in  Hutchinson.  Mr.  Baker  sold  this  bank  also  and  moved  to  Iowa.  The 
present  officers  of  the  bank  are:  F.  W.  Cooter,  president,  and  B.  E.  Mitch- 
ener.  cashier. 


RENO  COl   \  l  v,    KANSAS.  -5  I 

The  Commercial  National  Bank  was  organized  on  November  26,  1906. 
It  has  t lie  same  officers  now  thai  it  had  when  organized:  A.  E.  Asher, 
president;  and   K.   II.  Suter,  cashier. 

The  Farmers  National  Bank,  the  last  hank  organized  in  Hutchinson, 
resulted  from  the  consolidation  of  the  Reno  State  Hank,  and  another  hank, 
the  Farmers  National,  occupying  the  same  room  and  in  reality,  the  same 
bank  as  the  present  Farmers  National,  except  as  to  ownership.  II.  K.  McLeod 
was  president  of  the  Reno  State  Bank  at  the  time  of  its  consolidation  with 
the  Farmers  National,  and  the  combined  institutions,  which  were  merged, 
June  23,  1917,  took  the  name  of  the  Farmers  National.  II.  K.  McLeod  id 
president;  E.  P.  Bradley,  cashier,  and  Grant  Chamberlain,  assistant  cashier. 
The  Reno  State,  which  became  a  part  of  the  Farmers  National,  was  organ- 
ized in  1909  by  S.  G.  Puterbaugh, 

The  first  president  of  the  Central  State  Bank  was  F.  J.  Altswager.  At 
the  present  time  J.  C.  Hopper  is  president  and  George  T.  McCandless, 
cashier. 

The  State  Bank  of  Haven  was  organized  in  August,  [886,  and  re-organ- 
ized in  September,  1891,  the  original  capital  stock  being  $56,000.  Its  first 
president  was  T.  R.  Hazard,  and  L.  O.  Smith,  cashier. 

The  Citizens  Bank  of  Arlington  was  established  in  [887,  with  the  capi- 
tal stock  of  $12,500.  H.  C.  Warner  was  its  first  president  and  F.  B.  Babbit 
its  first  cashier. 

The  State  Bank  of  Turon,  a  private  institution,  was  organized  in  iXXj 
with  an  original  capital  stock  of  S-i.ooo.  J.  B.  Potter  was  its  first  president 
and  M.  H.  Potter,  its  first  cashier. 

The  State  Bank  of  Pretty  Prairie  was  organized  by  Willis  X.  Baker,  who 
sold  this  bank  when  he  started  the  State  Exchange  Bank  in  Hutchinson.  J. 
A.  Collingwood  was  the  first  president  and  Airs.  Ella  Demorest  was  the  first 
cashier.  The  original  capital  of  this  hank  was  $5,000.  This  hank  has  been 
one  of  the  most  prosperous  in  the  county,  having  paid  over  one  hundred 
thousand  dollars  in  dividends  to  the  stockholders  in  the  thirty  years  of  its 
existence  on  the  original  investment  of  $5,000. 

The  State  Bank  of  Sylvia  was  established  in  [898  with  the  capital  st«  >ck 
of  $>ooo.  W.  H.  Hinshaw  was  the  first  president  and  O.  G.  Ilinshaw  the 
first  cashier. 

The  State  Bank  of  Langdon  was  organized  on  July  7.  [902.  I.  E.  Eaton 
was  the  first  president  and  O.  J.  Windiate  its  first  cashier.  The  original  capi- 
capital  was  $5,000. 


_5-  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

The  Buhler  State  Bank  started  in  business  in  [912.  J.  J.  Wall  was  its 
first  president  and  A.  B.   I  Wilder,  cashier.     It--  original  capital  was  $5,000. 

The  Farmers  State  Bank  of  Turon  was  established  in  1904.  J.  T.  Wal- 
lace was  the  first  president  and  E.  E.  Shears  its  first  cashier.  Its  capital 
stock  at  it>  organization  was  Si 0.000. 

The  Partridge  State  Bank  was  organized  in  [904.  A.  B.  Burke  was 
it-  first  president  and  German  French,  Jr.,  its  first  cashier.  Its  original  capi- 
tal was  Si 0.000. 

0 

The  State  Bank  of  Castleton  was  organized  in  [906.  Charles  D.  Evans 
was  its  first  president  and  J.  A.  Lewis,  its  first  cashier.  Its  original  capital 
was   Si O.OOO. 

The  Nickerson  State  Hank  was  estahlished  in  1907.  F.  R.  Newton 
was  the  first  president  and  (  ).  J.  Windiate  its  first  cashier.  The  original  capi- 
tal was  Si  5.000. 

The  Citizens  State  Bank  of  Sylvia  was  organized  ou  Fehrnary  5.  1909. 
1  >.  C.  Lang  was  its  first  president  and  F.  K.  Lang,  its  first  cashier.  It  started 
with  a  capital  of  $10,000. 

The  Farmers  State  Bank  of  Arlington  was  estahlished  in  1910.  C.  F. 
Fehr  was  its  first  president  and  R.  M.  Taylor  its  first  cashier.  Its  original 
capital  was  812,500. 

'fhe  State  Bank  of  Abbyville  was  organized  on  May  13,  190 1.  J.  H. 
McSherry  was  the  first  president,  John  McKeown,  the  first  vice-president, 
and  F.  S.   Ilinman.  the  first  cashier. 

"fhe  State  Bank  of  Plevna  was  estahlished  in  1900.  Its  original  capi- 
tal stock  was  $5,000.  J.  N.  Hinshaw  was  the  first  president;  George 
McKeown.  the  first   vice-president,  and   \V.    E.   Roach,  the  first  cashier. 

The  State  Bank  of  Xickerson  was  estahlished  in  1881  by  \V.  R.  Mar- 
shall. It  was  then  called  The  Exchange  Bank  of  Xickerson.  It  was  first 
established  to  issue  exchange  and  was  not  intended  as  a  hank  ol  deposit. 
There  was  no  other  hank  in  Xickerson  and  it  was  soon  changed  and  became 
a  hank  of  deposit,  'fhe  name  was  also  changed  to  the  State  Bank  of  Nick- 
erson. This  hank  had  no  slated  capital  at  the  time  of  its  organization.  In 
[888  A.  1).  Butts  and  L.  ( '.  Brown  bought  the  hank  from  Mr.  Marshall. 
Mr.  Butts  was  the  president  and  Mr.  Brown,  the  cashier.  They  capitalized 
it  for  $25,000.  In  a  short  lime  Mr.  Butts  sold  his  interest  in  the  hank  to 
Mr.  Brown,  who  ran  it  as  a  private  hank  until  [898.  In  August,  [898,  the 
hank  was  incorporated  with  Si  5,000  capital.  A.  M.  Brown  was  the  first 
president,  I  >.  E.  Richart  the  first  vice-president,  L.  C.  Brown  the  first  cashier, 
and   II.    L.    Fleming,  the  assistant   cashier. 


KKNO  COUN'M  .    KANSAS.  253 

The  Citizens  State    Hank   of   Haven   was  organized   with   a   capital 
$10,000.     Its  present  capital  and  surplus  is  $22,000      lt>  deposits  at  the  pr< 
ent  time  amount  to  $50,000.     ('.   R.    \>tle  is  the  presenl  cashier. 

These  banks  have  all  prospered,  as  will  be  shown  by  reference  to  th# 
table  which  shows  their  original  capital,  the  presenl  capital  and  their  deposits 
at  the  present  time.  These  hanks  are  a  fair  measure  of  the  prosperity  of 
their  communities. 

The  total  capital  stock  of  the  banks  of  Reno  county  at  the  present  time 
well  show  their  soundness  as  financial  institutions.  The  deposits  at  the  time 
of  their  last  statements  to  the  Bank  Commissioner  show  the  total  to  be 
$9,020,217. 

Original      Present  Cap.  Present 

Name  Location.        Capital.      ami  Surplus.         Deposits. 

First   National   Bank ....  Hutchinson         $5,000         $339,000         $2,025,906 

Central    State    Bank    ...Hutchinson        100,000  106,220  332,110 

Citizens  Bank   Hutchinson  5,000  353>I63  [,519,304 

Commercial  National  ...Hutchinson       100,000  186,552  925,286 

Farmers  National  Bank ..  Hutchinson        150,000  165,000  669,304 

State   Exchange    Hutchinson  10,000  150,000  1.500,000 

State  Bank Turon  10,000  18,500  206,000 

Farmers  State  Bank Turon  10,000  24,000  175,000 

Citizens  State  Bank    Sylvia  10,000  22,000  120.000 

State  Bank  of  Sylvia Sylvia  5,000  25.000  [56,434 

State  Bank  of  Haven Haven  50.000  34o°°  227,000 

Citizens    State    Bank Haven  10,000  22,000  120.1  10 

Farmers    State    Bank Arlington  12,500  15.000  72.000 

Citizens  State  Bank Arlington  12,500  50.000  125.000 

Partridge  State   Bank ....  Partridge  10,000  27.000  114.000 

State  Bank  of  Castleton . .  Castleton  10,000  20.000  50,000 

Xickerson  State   Bank.  .  .  .  Xickerson  15,000  38.000  175.000 

State  Bank  of  Xickerson.  .Xickerson  45.000  100.814 

Ahhyville  State   Bank \hhyville  5.000  10.000  [  1 1,534 

State  Bank  of  Castleton ...  Castleton  10,000  20.000  50,000 

State    Bank   of   Plevna Plevna  5.000  26,500  96,000 

State   Bank   of   Pretty 

Prairie    ...Pretty    Prairie  5.000  25.000  250.000 

State  Bank  of  Langdon ... Langdon  5,000  20,000  [50,763 

Buhler  State  Bank Buhler  5.000  22,600  142.0m 

*No  stated  capital. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 
Tii e  Reno  County  Bar. 

The  lawyers  of  Reno  county  have,  with  few  exceptions,  been  men  of 
high  diameter  and  ability.  The  county  and  city  has  never  had  much  great 
litigation,  although  there  have  been  several  cases  that  have  ended  in  the 
supreme  court  of  the  United  States.  It  has  been  a  general  practice  that 
the  lawyers  have  enjoyed.  A  good  per  cent,  of  their  business  has  never 
shown  on  the  docket  of  the  district  court,  as  it  has  been  conducted  entirely 
in  the  office  of  the  attorneys.  There  has  never  been  a  case  wherein  it  was 
charged  that  the  attorney  betrayed  the  interest  of  his  client. 

Of  course,  the  largest  per  cent,  of  the  litigation  of  the  county  has 
been  civil  business.  While  there  has  been  a  criminal  docket  in  every  term 
of  court  it  always  has  been  an  unimportant  part  of  the  court's  work.  The 
largest  per  cent  of  the  criminal  practice  has  been  for  violation  of  the  prohi- 
bition law.  When  the  prohibition  law  was  first  framed,  a  number 
of  men  undertook  to  sell  liquor  in  defiance  of  law.  They  stayed 
in  the  business  for  a  while  and  apparently  succeeded,  but  public 
sentiment  grew  to  favor  the  law  and  the  jointist  voluntarily  quit  or  was 
put  out  of  business  by  the  expense  of  the  litigation,  even  if  he  escaped  with 
serving  a  term  in  the  county  jail.  Under  some  countv  attornevs  a  large 
number  of  injunctions  were  placed  on  buildings.  One  of  these  was  a  hotel. 
An  injunction  would  be  run  on  one  room  of  that  hotel.  The  "joint"  would 
be  moved  to  another  room.  Another  injunction  was  run,  and  another  move 
'"'  r  the  joint.  This  kept  up  until  there  were  more  than  a  score  of  injunc- 
tions filed  on  the  one  building.  The  purpose  of  this  was  a  nominal  enforce- 
ment of  the  law.  It  resulted  profitably  to  the  county  attorney  of  that  day. 
a>  each  injunction  produced  a  fee  as  a  part  of  the  judgment.  This  was 
continued  until  the  threat  of  ouster  brought  the  means  of  an  apparent  enforce- 
ment of  the  law  to  an  end  and  secured  a  more  complete  enforcement  of  the 
prohibitory  law. 

Occasionally  a  more  drastic  method  was  used.  A  search  would  be 
made  of  tin-  place  and  all  of  the  joint  fixtures  and  intoxicating  liquor  would 
be  confiscated.     I'm  the  liquor  business  today  is  perhaps  as  nearly  prohibited 


RENO    COl    XIY,     KANSAS.  255 

as  is  possible.  So  many  aids  to  the  enforcemenl  of  the  law  have  been  added 
to  the  original  law  thai  the  booze  seller  has  found  thai  it  costs  too  much 
t<>  keep  tij)  the  contest.  There  is  liquor  sold  in  Reno  county,  but  tin-  law 
is  as  well  enforced  as  any  other  criminal  statute.  There  has  been,  of  course, 
criminal  practice  other  than  whisky  prosecution.  There  have  been  several 
murder  cases.  There  have  keen  many  burglary  cases.  But  with  the  dis- 
appearance of  whisky  the  criminal  practice  dwindled  to  the  minimum  and 
the  attorneys  have  paid  bul  little  attention  to  the  criminal  practice,  making 
their  chief  business  the  settlement  of  civil  disputes. 

EARLY    LAWYERS    OF    RENO    Col    NTY. 

Among  the  early  lawyers,  perhaps  the  most  conspicuous  was  Lysander 
Honk,  lie  was  a  highly  educated  man,  and  had  taught  in  a  southern  col- 
lege before  the  Civil  War.  He  was  a  line  jurist  and  later  made  one  of  the 
best  judges  the  district  court  ever  had.  His  brother-in-law,  William  M. 
Whitelaw,  was  also  a  fine  attorney.  While  it  was  operated  as  an  independent 
road,  he  was  general  attorney  for  the  Hutchinson  &  Southern  railroad  and 
in  all  its  litigation,  through  its  receivership  and  its  reorganization.  Mr. 
Whitelaw  represented  the  road,  lie  was  a  man  of  fine  ability;  not  a  fluent 
speaker,  but  a  good  lawyer.  His  brother,  Frank  S.  Whitelaw.  was  an 
accomplished  speaker.  After  leaving  Hutchinson  he  practiced  in  St.  Louis 
and  was  the  trial  attorney  for  one  of  the  largest  law  firms  in  that  city,  until 
the  time  of  his  death.  Among  the  early  lawyers,  one  of  the  ablest  as  a  trial 
lawyer  was  A.  R.  Scheble.  He  defended  William  Moore,  who  killed  his 
neighbor,  a  man  by  the  name  of  Cox,  near  Arlington.  The  trouble  arose 
over  some  grazing  land.  After  killing  Cox,  Moore  came  to  Hutchinson  to 
secure  the  coffin  for  his  victim.  He  was  soon  suspected  and  the  feeling 
against  him  was  intense.  Scheble  went  to  Arlington  to  attend  the  prelimi- 
nary hearing.  The  feeling"  was  as  intense  against  Scheble  as  it  was  against 
Moore.  The  justice  of  the  peace  before  whom  the  preliminary  was  being  held 
asked  Scheble  if  he  wanted  a  guard  while  he  was  attending  the  trial.  Scheble 
pulled  two  Colt  revolvers  out  of  his  hip  pockets,  laid  them  on  the  table 
before  him  and  told  the  justice  that  he  could  protect  himself.  He  made 
a  hard  fight  for  Moore,  but  the  circumstances  were  sufficient  to  convict 
him.     There  was  only  one  eye-witness  to  the  killing — a  daughter  of  Moore. 

Another  of  the  old-time  lawyers  was  James  Mckinstry.  He  was  one 
of  the  most  prominent  Democrats  of  the  state,  and  succeeded  in  being  elected 
county  attorney  one  term  in   this  county  when  the  nominal  majority  against 


' 


;6  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 


him  was  nearly  a  thousand.  He  ran  against  J.  VV.  Jones  in  1892  and  beat 
him  by  four  votes.  Mr.  McKinstry  was  very  popular  with  his  fellow  law- 
yers and  was  a  great  friend  of  the  younger  members  of  the  bar. 

George  A.  Vandeveer  was  another  of  the  early  lawyers  of  Reno  county. 
He  practiced  his  profession  here  for  a  number  of  years  with  A.  R.  Scheble. 
He  moved  to  New  York  and  was  prominent  in  his  profession  there.  He 
returned  to  Hutchinson  and  was  senior  member  of  the  firm  of  Vandeveer  & 
Martin.  He  was  a  candidate  for  judge  of  the  district  court  and  would  have 
without  doubt,  been  nominated,  but  he  was  killed  in  an  automobile  accident 
at  a  railroad  crossing  the  night  before  the  primary.  Had  he  lived  he  would, 
without  doubt,  have  been  elected  judge  of  the  district  court. 

S.  B.  Zimmerman  was  an  early  settler  in  Reno  county.  He  was  made 
principal  of  the  city  schools  of  Hutchinson  in  rS^4  and  continued  as  prin- 
cipal for  three  years.  He  began  the  practice  of  law  in  that  city  in  1877.  In 
[880  he  was  elected  probate  judge  and  served  six  years.  He  practiced 
his  profession  in  Hutchinson  until  his  death.  Mr.  Zimmerman  was  an 
amiable  man.  of  no  exceedingly  great  ability,  but  a  square,  honest  man  and 
well   respected. 

BACHELORS    ARGUE    FOR    WOMAN    SUFFRAGE. 

Theodore  A.  Decker  was  the  bachelor  member  of  the  bar.  An  inci- 
dent of  the  early  day  was  a  public  debate  on  "woman  suffrage,"  at  a  time 
when  the  subject  was  a  new  one.  The  attorneys  furnished  the  argument. 
The  meeting  was  held  in  the  old  opera  house,  the  proceeds  to  go  to  some 
public  purpose.  Both  of  the  lawyers  who  argued  in  favor  of  the  rights 
of  women  to  vote  were  bachelors.  One  of  them  was  T.  A.  Decker,  the 
other  was  J.  Y.  Clymer.  Mr.  Decker  never  reached  a  very  prominent 
place  at  the  bar.  He  was  modest  and  had  only  ordinary  ability.  He  also 
edited  The  Democrat  for  a  while. 

J.  V.  Clymer  was  another  of  the  early  lawyers.  Like  Decker  he  was 
a  -cod  man,  but  with  no  energy,  and  although  be  had  ability,  he  hadn't 
the  energy  to  develop  that  ability.  lie  generally  could  be  found  in  his  office 
on  the  first  floor  of  a  small  building  on  South  Main  street  with  his  feet 
on  his  desk,  listening  to  the  talk  of  those  who  dropped  in.      Clymer  was  a 

g 1   listener,  and  he  had  plenty  of  callers  to  entertain  him.      lie  had  some 

property    in    Hutchinson    and    lived    comfortably,    dying    about    twenty    years 


ago. 


Z.  L.   Wise  was  another  of  the  early  lawyers  of  this  county,     lie  was 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS. 


D/ 


county  attorney  for  two  years,     lie  was  a  great  Friend  of  a  United  States 

judge,  Williams,  and  when  there  was  a  receiver  to  he  appointed,  Wise  was 
generally  appointed,  lie  was  a  member  of  the  Legislature  from  Reno  county 
for  two  terms  and  was  in  Topeka  attending  the  sessions  of  that  body  when 
he  was  taken  suddenly  ill  and  died.  Mr.  Wise  was  a  very  popular  man 
with  the  members  of  the  bar. 

D.  W.  Dunnett  did  not  have  a  general  practice,  hut  represented  some- 
business  firms  as  their  attorney.  fie  seldom  appeared  in  court.  He  was, 
however,  arguing  a  case  in  the  supreme  court  of  this  state  when  he  was 
stricken  with  heart  trouble  and  died  in  the  court  room.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  Reno  count}-  bar  for  about  ten  years. 

The  above  covers  the  members  of  the  bar  who  have  done  their  work. 
Tt  would  be  impossible  to  speak  of  the  present  members  of  the  bar  as  of 
those  who  are  dead.  There  are  now  forty-six  members  of  the  Reno  county 
bar.  Among  its  members  are  some  of  the  oldest  members  and  some  of  the 
youngest.  The  oldest  member  of  the  bar,  from  point  of  service  is  H.  White- 
side. He  was  county  attorney  of  this  county  in  an  early  day.  For  main 
years  he  has  been  president  of  the  Bar  Association.  Mr.  Whiteside  has  been 
an  attorney  in  much  of  the  biggest  litigation  in  the  courts  of  Reno  county 
and  in  the  state  supreme  court.  He  has  retired  from  the  practice,  but  in 
deference  to  his  long  years  of  practice  he  is  still  retained  as  president  of 
the  bar  association. 

Another  member  of  the  bar  of  years  of  practice  is  W.  H.  Lewis,  lie 
was  county  attorney  for  five  terms,  or  ten  years ;  the  longest  period  in  point 
of  service  of  any  member  of  the  bar,  and  he  is  still  actively  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  law  in  this  city. 

SOME   PRESENT   MEMBERS  OF  THE    BAR. 

F.  L.  Martin  is  a  member  of  the  bar  of  long  standing.  He  was  judge 
of  the  district  court  for  four  years.  Mr.  Martin  has  helc]  other  offices.  For 
(two  terms  he  was  a  member  of  the  state  Legislature  and  was  one  of  the 
leaders  of  that  body.  He  has  been  mayor  of  Hutchinson  for  several  terms 
and  he  is  actively  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  at  this  time. 

R.  A.  Campbell  is  likewise  another  of  the  old  lawyers.  He  has  been 
count)-  attorney  and  probate  judge  of  this  county  and  he  is  one  of  the  oldest 
members  of  the  bar  of  this  county. 

\Y.  G.  Fairchilds  has  been  a  member  of  the  Reno  county  bar  for  nearly 

(17) 


258  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

thirty  years.  Perhaps  no  lawyer  in  Reno  county  is  more  constantly  at  the 
practice  than  Mr.  Fairchilds.  He  never  has  taken  an  active  interest  in 
politics;  never  has  been  a  candidate  for  any  office,  but  has  devoted  his  time 
exclusively  to  his  business.  He  is  at  the  prime  of  life  and  enjoys  a  line 
general  practice. 

J.  S.  Simmons  came  to  Hutchinson  from  Lane  county.  He  began  his 
practice  in  this  county  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Whiteside  &  Simmons. 
When  Mr.  Whiteside  quit  the  practice,  Mr.  Simmons  became  the  head  of 
this  firm.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Legislature  of  Kansas  and  was 
chosen  speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives.  He  was  a  candidate  for 
Congress  from  the  seventh  district  in  1914  and  again  in  1916,  but  was 
defeated  both  times  by  the  present  Congressman,  Jouett  Shouse.  Mr.  Sim- 
mons is  actively  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  in  Hutchinson  at  the  pres- 
ent time. 

Another  attorney  who  has  moved  to  Hutchinson  is  Fred  Dumont  Smith. 
He  was  state  senator  for  a  number  of  terms,  moving  to  Hutchinson  from 
Kinsley.     He  has  a  large  practice  in  the  courts  of  this  state. 

Charles  E.  Branine  also  is  a  member  of  the  bar.  He  moved  to  Hutchin- 
son from  Newton  after  his  term  of  service  as  judge  of  the  ninth  judicial 
district  was  over. 

Carr  W.  Tavlor  is  a  Reno  countv  man  and  began  his  practice  in  Hutch- 
insori.  His  father  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Reno  county  and  practiced 
law  in  Hutchinson  for  a  number  of  years,  moving  South  from  here  and 
dying  there  several  years  ago.  Carr  W.  Taylor  is  actively  engaged  in  the 
law  business  in  Hutchinson.  He  was  attorney  for  the  state  railroad  board 
for  several  years,  also  for  four  years  county  attorney  of  Reno  county. 

Howard  S.  Lewis  was  graduated  from  the  high  school  at  Hutchinson 
and  attended  the  law  school  at  Washington,  D.  C.  After  he  was  graduated 
from  that  school  he  returned  to  Hutchinson  and  began  his  work  as  a  lawyer. 
He  is  at  present  judge  pro  tern  of  the  district  court. 

Charles  M.  Williams  began  the  law  practice  in  Hutchinson  with  B.  O. 
Davidson.  Later  he  was  associated  with  F.  F.  Prigg.  When  the  latter 
was  elected  judge  of  the  ninth  judicial  district  the  linn  of  Prigg  &  Williams 
was  dissolved  and  Mr.  Williams  continued  the  business.  Mr.  Williams  was 
appointed  judge  of  the  district  court,  but  soon  resigned  because  of  the  political 
conditions  that  made  it  impossible  for  him  to  continue  in  that  office,  as  i^ 
spoken  of  in  the  chapter  on  "The  Judiciary."  lie  has  a  good  practice  and 
it  would  be  a  difficult  matter  to  get  him  to  consider  any  political  proposition. 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  -So 

Frank  P.  Hettinger  and  James  Hettinger  have  long  been  associated  in 
the  law  business.  James  Hettinger  was  county  attorney  for  one  term  and 
F.  P.  Hettinger  was  a  candidate  on  the  Democratic  tickei  for  judge  of  tin- 
ninth  judicial  district,  but   was  beaten. 

J.  P.  Francis  lives  at  NTickerson.  While  a  member  of  the  bar  he  has 
practiced  but  little  in  the  district  court,  but  does  a  greal  deal  of  the  legal 
work  of  Nickerson  in  consultations. 

PRESENT    JUDGE   OF    DISTRICT    COURT. 

Judge  F.  F.  Prigg-  came  to  Hutchinson  in  1883.     He  was  superintendent 
of  the  city  schools  for  two  years  and  then  began  to  practice  law.      fie  v 
city  attorney  for  years;  was  elected  judge  of  the  district  court  in   [912  and 
was  re-elected  without  opposition  in  1916.     His  term  of  office  ends  in   [920. 

A.  C.  Malloy  began  his  law  practice  in  Hutchinson.  He  is  a  graduate 
of  the  Michigan  University  Law  School.  For  a  number  of  years  he  was 
attorney  for  the  city  of  Hutchinson  and  at  the  present  time,  in  addition 
to  a  general  practice,  he  is  general  attorney  of  the  Anthony  &  Northern 
railroad. 

Ray  H.  Tinder  is  a  graduate  of  the  State  University  Law  School  and 
began  his  practice  in  Hutchinson.  He  was  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Sim- 
mons &  Tinder  for  a  number  of  years,  but  at  the  present  time  is  practicing 
alone.  He  is  active  in  Republican  politics  and  was  a  candidate  for  county 
attorney,  but  was  defeated  in  the  primaries  by  Eustace  Smith. 

George  A.  Neeley  was  graduated  from  the  State  University  Law  School. 
He  was  a  candidate  for  Congress  at  the  election  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused 
by  the  death  of  E.  H.  Madison.  He  was  elected  at  that  time  and  re-elected 
for  the  second  term.  He  was  a  candidate  for  United  States  senator,  receiv- 
ing the  Democratic  nomination,  but  was  beaten  at  the  election.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  Neeley  &  Malloy  and  they  both  have  a  good  general 
practice. 

E.  T.  Foote,  who  was  elected  county  attorney  for  two  terms,  is  one  of  the 
younger  members  of  the  bar.  He  left  the  county  attorney's  office  with  a  good 
court  practice. 

H.  E.  Ramsey  is  the  present  county  attorney.  He  was  elected  in  Novem- 
ber, iqi6,  for  the  second  term,  with  an  increased  majority  over  his  vote  of 
two  years  previous. 

T.  R.  Beeching  is  another  of  the  younger  members  of  the  bar.     He  was 


260  RENO  COUNTY,  KANSAS. 

a  candidate  for  probate  judge  in  1914,  but  was  defeated  by  Charles  S. 
Fulton.  Mr.  Beech  nig  is  a  Democrat  and  is  in  much  demand  as  a  cam- 
paign speaker. 

GOOD  WORK  OF  TROBATK   JUDGE. 

Another  member  of  the  bar  that  is  not  practicing-  law,  but  has  made  a  great 
success  in  a  special  line  is  Charles  S.  Fulton.  For  ten  years  he  has  been 
actively  engaged  in  probate  work,  four  years  as  an  assistant  of  J.  W.  Jordan 
and  six  years  as  probate  judge  of  Reno  county.  His  office  is  regarded  as 
one  of  the  best  systematized  and  perhaps  the  best  probate  judge's  office  in 
Kansas.  In  addition  to  the  probate  court  work,  the  law  imposes  upon  this 
court  the  care  of  the  juveniles  of  the  county  which  requires  a  great  deal 
of  kindness  and  skill  in  handling  these  younger  members  of  society.  Air. 
Fulton's  majority  at  the  election  of  1916,  regardless  of  his  long  service,  was 
nearly  6,000. 

R.  B.  P.  Wilson  has  practiced  law  in  Reno  county  for  a  number  of 
years,  coming  to  Reno  county  from  Western  Kansas  and  is,  at  the  present 
time,  police  judge  of  Hutchinson. 

Walter  F.  Jones  was  raised  in  Hutchinson  and  was  graduated  from  the 
public  schools  of  this  city.  He  later  was  graduated  from  the  State  Uni- 
versity Law  School  and  began  his  practice  in  Hutchinson.  He  has  been 
city  attorney  of  Hutchinson  for  six  years.  He  was  a  candidate  for  county 
attorney  in  1910,  but  was  beaten  by  a  few  votes.  Mr.  Jones  is  prominent 
in  Republican  politics,  taking  an  active  interest  in  the  campaigns  of  that 
party. 

Warren  White  received  his  law  education  in  the  Indiana  State  Univer- 
sity. He  moved  to  Hutchinson  in  1908  and  began  the  practice  of  law.  Fie 
was  a  candidate  for  county  attorney  on  the  "Bull  Moose"  ticket  in  1914. 
but  the  divided  Republican  party  vote  resulted  in  the  election  of  Herbert 
Ramsey,  the  Democratic  candidate. 

Eustace  Smith  was  graduated  from  the  Law  School  of  the  Kansas 
State  University.  Lie  returned  to  Flutchinson  and  began  the  practice  o\  law 
with  hiv  father,  F.  Dumont  Smith.  He  was  a  candidate  for  county  attorney 
in  1014  on  the  Republican  ticket.  With  three  candidates  for  this  office,  two 
of  them,  practically  Republicans,  Mr.  Smith  being  the  Republican  candi- 
date, he  \\;is  beaten  bv  the  presenl   incumbent.   Herbert  Ramsey. 


KKXO   COIN  IV,    K  \NSAS.  _'0| 

VTOUNGER    M  KM  BERS   OF   TH  E    BAR. 

Tliis  short  sketch  of  the  older  members  of  the  bar  leaves  nineteen 
other  members,  who  have  either  recently  begun  the  practice  of  law  or  are 
working  in  the  law  offices  of  older  lawyers.  The  special  mention  covers 
all  who  have  ever  been  candidates  for  office  and  also  the  older  and  bett< 
acquainted  and  longer-established  members  of  the  profession.  Of  the  nun 
teen  members,  Van  M.  Martin  and  John  Martin  are  members  of  the  linn 
of  Martin  &  Sons — they  practicing  with  their  father.  F.  L.  Martin.  Of 
these  two  young  men,  Van  Martin  is  the  elder  and  has  made  an  excellent 
showing  for  the  length  of  time  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  bar.  John,  the 
youngest  member  of  the  firm,  is  a  graduate  of  the  State  University  Law 
School  and  has  recently  begun  the  practice  of  law  with  his  father  and  brother. 
H.  R.  Branine  is  also  a  graduate  of  the  Kansas  University  Law  School  and 
is  practicing  with  his  father,  C.  E.  Branine.  D.  C.  Martindell  is  at  present 
an  assistant  of  C.  W.  Williams  in  the  law  work.  This  same  thing  is  true 
of  K.  K.  Simmons,  practicing  with  his  uncle,  John  S.  Simmons. 

Martin  Alemore  is  practicing  and  is  one  of  the  younger  members  of 
the  bar  that  is  practicing"  independently  of  an  older  attorney.  His  law 
education  was  obtained  in  the  law  office  of  \Y.  G.  Fairchiid  at  Hutchinson. 
W.  A.  Huxman  is  assistant  in  the  office  of  the  county  attorney,  H.  E.  Ram- 
sey. Arthur  L.  Maltby  is  a  graduate  of  the  law  school  in  Washington, 
1).  C.  He  began  his  practice  in  that  city.  When  he  returned  to  Hutchinson 
he  became  a  member  of  the  Machine  Gun  Corps  of  Company  E,  of  the  Sec  md 
Regiment,  Kansas  National  Guard,  and  spent  seven  months  on  the  Southern 
border  with  the  L  nited  States  troops  under  General  Funston.  When  the 
company  returned  home  Mr.  Maltby  resumed  his  law  practice.  B.  A.  Ear- 
hart  is  attorney  for  a  collecting  agency  in  Hutchinson ;  however,  he  has  a 
general  practice,  as  well  as  attending  to  the  collection  business.  C.  E. 
Deming  is  a  graduate  of  the  Kansas  University  Law  School.  He  was  ap- 
pointed judge  of  the  city  court,  an  office  created  by  the  Legislature  of  k>I4. 
The  supreme  court  held  the  law  unconstitutional  and  the  court  was  discon- 
tinued. In  icjif)  Mr.  Deming  was  the  Republican  candidate  for  county 
attorney,  but  was  beaten  by  Herbert  S.  Ramsey.  A.  Coleman,  also  a 
graduate  of  the  Kansas  Law  School,  began  his  practice  in  Hutchinson.  Mr. 
D.  Asher  has  held  the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace  in  Hutchinson  for  sev- 
eral years  and  was  re-elected  in  1916.  William  H.  Burnett  is  an  assistant  in 
the  office  of  Carr  W.  Tavlor. 


262  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

CONVICTED   LAWYER   DISBARRED. 

There  has  been  but  one  disbarment  proceeding  in  the  history  of  the 
Reno  county  bar.  E.  C.  Clark  was  convicted  as  an  accessory  before  the 
fact  of  a  brutal  murder  committed  in  a  joint  in  Hutchinson  and  was  sentenced 
to  the  state  penitentiary.  Immediately  disbarment  proceedings  were  com- 
menced against  him.  The  Reno  County  Bar  Association  is  composed  of 
men  of  high  character  and  ability  and  compares  with  any  bar  association  in 
the  state. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 
The  Ninth  Judicial  District. 

The  Ninth  Judicial  District  was  created  by  the  state  Legislature  in  [867. 
The  hill  creating  the  district  was  approved  by  the  governor  February  26, 
1867,  but  it  did  not  become  effective  until  after  its  publication,  March  4.  [867. 

When  this  hill  was  passed,  the  counties  of  Cha>c,  Marion.  Butler,  How- 
ard, McPherson,  Sedgwick,  Sumner,  Rice,  Reno,  Harper,  Stafford,  Pratt  and 
Barbour  were  embraced  in  the  district,  the  boundary  lines  not  being  the  same 
for  the  counties  then  as  they  are  now.  The  district  included  all  territory  south 
of  Chase  county  to  the  state  line,  all  west  of  Chase,  including  what  is  now 
Barton  county,  and  all  south  from  Barton  county  to  the  state  line,  including 
what  is  Stafford,  Pratt  and  Barbour  counties:  obviously,  not  many  of  these 
counties  were  organized  at  that  time.  The  Legislature  would  add  a  count} 
that  was  unorganized  to  the  nearest  organized  county  in  the  district,  but 
as  soon  as  the  counties  had  enough  population  to  organize  a  local  govern- 
ment, they  would  establish  their  own  courts  whose  sessions  were  transferred 
gradually  to  each  of  the  unorganized  counties.  It  was  such  a  big  territory 
to  cover  that  court  only  lasted  a  week  or  so  in  each  county. 

Reno  county  by  an  act  of  the  Legislature  of  1867,  was  attached  to 
Marion  county  for  judicial  purposes,  there  being  but  few  people  in  the  former 
at  that  time,  chiefly  hunters  and  cattlemen,  for  whom  some  form  of  govern- 
ment was  necessary.  There  is,  however,  no  record  of  any  case  being  tried 
in  Marion  county  for  Reno  county.  By  an  act  of  that  Legislature  of  1870 
Reno  county  was  detached  from  Marion  county  and  attached  to  Sedgwick 
county,  which  had  just  been  organized,  hence  Reno  county's  judicial  mat- 
ters were  transferred  to  Sedgwick  county.  In  1872.  after  Reno  county  was 
organized,  the  judicial  affairs  were  brought  from  Sedgwick  county  to  Hutchin- 
son, and  at  the  same  time  Kingman  county  being  yet  unorganized,  was 
attached  to  this  county  for  judicial  purposes.  These  two  changes,  transferring 
the  judicial  matters  of  Reno  county  from  Wichita  to  LIutchinson,  and  attach- 
ing Kingman  county  to  this  county,  became  effective  March  1,  1872.  Si  1 
Reno  county  has  had  three  seats  of  justice — Marion.  Wichita  and  Hutchin- 
son.     In    1873,  because  n\   their  having  no  county  organization   Pratt.   Bar- 


264  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

hour,  Kiowa  and  Comanche  counties  were  attached  to  Reno  county  for  judi- 
cial purposes. 

The  district  continued  of  the  organized  size  until  1881.  when  other 
judicial  districts  were  formed  and  the  Ninth  district  was  reduced  to  Reno, 
Harvey,  Kingman,  Marion,  Chase,  Rice  and  Harper  counties,  and  in  [883 
the  district  was  again  reduced  until  it  contained  only  Reno,  Rice  and  Chase 
counties.  In  1885.  Rice  county  was  cut  out  of  the  district,  and  in  [903  a 
further  reduction  was  made  when  the  extent  of  Reno.  McPlierson  and  I  larvev 
counties  determined   the  territory  of  the  ninth    judicial   district. 

The  first  judge  of  the  district  was  W.  R.  Brown,  a  native  of  New  York, 
born  July  16,  1840,  who  was  educated  in  Union  Academy  in  Schenectady, 
Xew  York.  After  his  graduation  he  came  west,  settled  in  Lawrence,  Kansas, 
and  began  the  stud)'  of  law  in  the  office  of  Ex-Governor  William  Shannon, 
.and  in  [863  went  to  Topeka,  where  he  received  the  appointment  of  deputy 
clerk  of  the  supreme  court.  Three  years  later  he  moved  westward  again, 
locating  at  Emporia,  where  he  became  associated  with  Judge  R.  M.  Ruggles. 
He  removed  the  next  year  to  Cottonwood  Falls,  and  while  there  was  elected 
the  first  judge  of  the  ninth  judicial  district,  took  his  seat  on  January  13. 
1867,  and  continued  to  preside  over  the  district  court  until  March  1,  1875. 
In  the  fall  of  1874  he  moved  to  Hutchinson,  having  been  elected  as  a  mem- 
ber of  Congress  for  the  third  district  in  the  election  of  1874. 

When  Judge  Brown  resigned  to  take  his  seat  in  the  Federal  Congress, 
Judge  S.  R.  Peters  was  appointed  to  fill  the  vacancy  until  the  next  election. 
He  was  a  candidate  the  following  fall  and  was  duly  elected  for  four  years. 
and  in  1878  was  re-elected  for  another  term.  In  the  fall  of  1882  Judge  Pet- 
ers, like  his  predecessor,  was  elected  congressman  from  the  Seventh  District, 
and  resigned  his  place  on  the  bench  December  13.  1882.  Judge  Peters  was 
a  native  of  Ohio,  born  in  Pickaway  count\',  August  16,  1842.  Attending 
the  Ohio  Wesleyan  College  when  the  Civil  War  started,  where  he  had  reached 
the  sophomore  year,  he  enlisted  in  the  Seventy-third  Regiment,  Ohio  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  as  a  private.  During  service  he  received  various  promotions 
until  he  reached  the  rank  of  captain.  At  the  close  of  the  war  Judge  Peters 
resumed  his  education  in  the  University  of  Michigan,  graduating  from  the 
law  department  in  18O7,  and  began  the  practice  of  law  in  Memphis.  Missouri. 
Me  moved  to  Kansas  in  [873,  locating  at  Marion,  where  he  continued  to 
practice  his  profession,  was  appointed  judge  of  the  ninth  judicial  district 
and  began  his  \\nrk  on  the  bench.  March  8.  1875.  lie  was  elected  judge 
in  the  following  November,  ami  was  re-elected  in  187(1.  Mr  moved  to  Xew- 
ton    in    September,    [876,   to   he   nearer   the   center  of   his   district.      In    June, 


RENO  COl    N  I  Y,    KANSAS.  -'>-, 

[878,  he  was  nominated  for  congressman-at-large,  and  was  elected  in  1 1  u- 
fall,  but  when  the  reapportionment  of  the  state  into  congressional  districts 
was  made.  Judge  Peters  was  assigned  the  Seventh  Congressional   District. 

rhe  third  judge  of  the  ninth  judicial  districl  was  Lysander  Houk,  who 
was  born  near  ECnoxville,  Tennessee,  February  22,  [834,  bul  when  aboul  a 
year  old,  his  parents  moved  to  Morgan  county,  Alabama.  Later  he  tool 
four-year  course  in  Union  University  at  MLurfreesboro,  Tennessee,  and  then 
entered  the  law  school  of  Cumberland  University  at  Lebanon,  same  state.  On 
finishing  his  legal  training  he  began  the  practice  of  law  in  Brownyille,  Ten 
nessee,  in  [857,  and  in  the  same  year  lie  began  teaching  in  the  law  school. 
When  the  Civil  War  broke  out  he  was  dialled  into  the  Confederate  army, 
but  he  was  released  from  service  and  moved  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  remained 
until  1805.  He  came  to  Hutchinson  in  January.  [872,  where  he  was  elected 
county  attorney  of  Reno  county  in  April.  [872,  and  served  until  January  1. 
1873.  He  was  elected  judge  of  the  ninth  judicial  district  in  the  fall  of 
[882,  took  his  seat  on  the  bench  mi  January  1.  [883,  and  served  until  Janu- 
ary 1,  1892. 

The  fourth  judge  of  the  ninth  district  court,  F.  L.  Martin,  now  living 
in  Hutchinson,  was  a  native  of  Illinois.  He  spent  hi^  early  life  in  Hancock 
county,  that  state,  where  he  received  his  early  education  in  the  public  schools. 
Becoming-  imbued  with  the  ambition  to  become  a  lawyer,  he  entered  the  law 
school  at  Carthage,  Illinois,  and  after  he  graduated,  came  to  Hutchinson, 
Kansas,  there  beginning  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  the  law  firm  of 
Scheble  &  Vandeveer.  Later  he  became  permanently  associated  with  these 
lawyers,  and  the  firm  name  became  Scheble,  Vandeveer  &  Martin.  His 
practice  was  so  successful  and  his  personal  integrity  was  so  unimpeachable 
that  he  was  elected  judge  of  the  ninth  judicial  district  to  succeed  Judge  I  touk, 
his  predecessor,  on  January  1  1.  [892,  and  served  out  his  term.  At  the  expira- 
tion of  his  term  on  the  bench,  he  was  re-elected  and  served  one  year  when 
he  resigned  to  resume  his  practice  in  Hutchinson,  where  he  is  now  actively 
engaged   therein  with  his  two  sons, "Van  and  John   Martin. 

Matthew  R.  Simpson,  the  fifth  judge  of  the  district  court,  was  a  native 
of  Harrison  county,  Ohio,  born  in  1857.  lie  remained  in  the  neighborhood 
of  his  old  home,  there  attending  the  public  schools,  until  the  outbreak  of  the 
Civil  War  when  he  enlisted  in  the  Union  army,  in  October,  [861.  He  was 
a  member  of  Company  I,  Fortieth  Regiment.  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  with 
which  he  served  throughout  the  war,  participating  in  all  the  engagements 
in  which  his  company  and  regiment  took  part.  After  he  was  mustered  out 
of  the  service  in  November,   1864,  he  moved  to  Clinton  county,   Illinois,  and 


_•(>(.  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

farmed  until  September,  18O5,  when  lie  entered  the  law  school  of  Ann  Arbor, 
Michigan,  graduating  from  the  institution  in  the  spring  of  1867.  in  1869, 
he  began  the  practice  of  law  at  Taylorville,  Illinois,  where  he  was  engaged 
a  part  of  the  time  as  a  government  surveyor.  1  le  moved  to  McPherson  count)'. 
Kansas,  in  July.  1873.  where  he  was  later  elected  county  attorney  and  served 
three  vears.  In  the  early  years  of  his  residence  there  he  did  much  surveying, 
for  lie  stated  from  the  bench  in  a  case  pending  before  him  in  this  county,  that 
lie  was  a  member  of  a  party  that  surveyed  the  larger  portion  of  this  part  of 
Kansas.  He  was  elected  judge  of  the  ninth  judicial  district,  taking  his  seat, 
lanuarv  1.  iqoo,  and  served  until  he  was  accidentally  killed  in  an  automobile 
accident  on  May  to,  1904. 

Charles  M.  Williams,  the  sixth  judge  of  the  district  court,  was  educated 
in  the  common  schools  of  Lexington,  Kentucky,  and  later  graduated  from  the 
State  University  of  Kentucky,  after  which  he  began  the  practice  of  law  in 
the  office  of  Terrel  ec  Mathe  in  Harrisonville,  Missouri.  He  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  in  1875,  moved  to  Hutchinson,  Kansas,  in  1886.  and  began  the  prac- 
tice of  law  with  McKinstry  and  Whitelaw;  later,  however,  he  formed  a  part- 
nership with  B.  O.  Davidson.  When  the  latter  moved  from  the  city  in  1896, 
he  formed  a  partnership  with  F.  F.  Prigg,  under  the  firm  name  of  Prigg  & 
Williams.  After  the  accidental  death  of  Judge  Simpson,  Mr.  Williams  was 
appointed  judge  of  the  district  court  by  Governor  Bailey,  to  fill  the  vacancy 
until  the  election  in  the  fall.  A  political  condition  arose  which  would  preclude 
any  Reno  county  man  from  receiving  the  nomination,  arising  from  the  fact 
that  each  county  in  the  district,  Harvey,  Reno  and  McPherson,  had  fifteen 
votes  each  in  the  nominating  convention.  Since  McPherson  and  Harvey 
counties  were  in  the  same  state  senatorial  district,  the  politicians  agreed  that 
Harvey  county  should  have  the  state  senator,  and  McPherson  should  have 
the  judgeship.  Knowing  this  condition  to  exist,  and  that  he  would  serve 
only  until  the  January  following,  .Mr.  Williams  resigned  in  September,  1903. 
The  fact  that  hi-  firm  was  largley  interested  in  the  cases  to  be  tried  and  he 
would  be  disqualified  to  try  them  as  judge,  was  an  additional  reason  for  his 
resignation. 

W.  II.  Lewis,  who  was  appointed  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by  the  resig- 
nation of  fudge  ( '.  M.  Williams,  was  born  in  West  Bedford,  Coshocton  county, 
Ohio,  and  moved  to  Hutchinson  in  July,  [874.  Me  formed  a  partnership 
with  J.  <  ).  Ellis  under  the  firm  name  of  Ellis  &  Lewis  but  later  Mr.  Ellis 
moved  away  from  Hutchinson  and  the  former  entered  into  partnership  with 
I.  T.  Cox,  which  continued  until  the  latter  moved  to   Indiana.     Judge  Lewis 


RENO  COUNTY,    K  \.\S As.  267 

was  elected  county  attorney  of  Reno  count)  in  t88o,  and  served  four  terms 
as  such  officer,  having  had  the  rare  distinction  of  receiving  in  one  ol  his 
candidacies  for  county  attorney,  fourteen  hundred  and  twenty-four  votes  out 
of  the  fourteen  hundred  and  sixty-one  votes  cast.  There  was  no  candidate 
opposing-  him,  lint  this  large  a  proportion  of  the  entire  vote  where  there  is 
only  one  candidate  is  exceeded  by  only  one  other  candidate  in  the  history 
of  Reno  county.  In  [878,  when  S.  R.  Peters  was  the  unopposed  candidate 
for  judge  of  the  district  court  he  received  nineteen  hundred  and  sevent)  votes 
out  of  the  nineteen  hundred  and  seventy-four  votes  cast.  Judge  Lewis  was 
appointed  judge  of  the  district  court  on  September  i.  1004,  and  served  until 
January  9,  1905,  when  he  resumed  his  practice  in  Hutchinson,  where  lie  is 
still  actively  engaged. 

The  contest  for  district  judge  in  the  fall  of  0)04  resulted  in  the  election 
of  P.  J.  Galle,  of  McPherson,  who  was  horn  in  Franklin,  Lee  county,  Iowa, 
on  January  10,  i860,  attended  the  public  schools  of  that  state  and  Denmark 
Academy,  located  in  McPherson  county,  Kansas,  in  [876,  where  he  has  since 
made  his  home.  He  graduated  from  the  State  Normal  School  at  Emporia 
in  1883.  and  from  the  University  of  Michigan  at  Ann  Arbor  in  iSSS.  and' 
in  the  same  year  began  the  practice  of  law  at  McPherson.  Kansas.  He  was 
elected  county  attorney  of  McPherson  county  in  the  fall  of  [888,  and  held  that 
office  for  one  term  but  was  defeated  in  the  Populistic  success  of  [892.  He  was 
again  elected  county  attorney  and  held  the  office  from  January.  [895,  to 
January.  1899.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Legislature  of  Kansas  of  1003  from 
McPherson  county  and  after  the  expiration  of  his  term  was  elected  judge  oi 
the  ninth  judicial  district  of  Kansas  and  held'  the  office  from  January,  [905. 
until  January,  1909.  Since  his  retirement  from  the  bench  he  has  been  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  law  at  McPherson.  Kansas. 

The  successor  of  P.  J.  Galle  as  judge  of  the  ninth  judicial  district  was 
Charles  E.  Branine.  who  was  born  in  Fayette  count)',  Illinois,  March  7,  1864. 
He  came  to  Kansas  when  he  was  ten  years  of  age,  attended  the  public  schools 
of  Newton,  and  later  entered  Baker  University,  lie  studied  law  in  the  office 
of  J.  W.  Ady  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  November,  [899.  In  November. 
1908,  he  was  elected  judge  of  the  ninth  judicial  district  and  served  two  terms, 
after  which  he  moved  to  Hutchinson  and  resumed  his  practice  of  law. 

The  present  judge  of  the  ninth  district  is  F.  F.  Trigg,  who  was  a  native 
of  Madison  county,  Indiana,  born  on  June  5,  [853.  IK'  was  a  student  of 
the  normal  school  at  Valparaiso,  [ndiana,  and  later  took  the  scientific  course 
at  Danville,  Indiana.  After  the  completion  of  bis  education  be  studied  law 
at   Middletown,   Indiana,  and   was  admitted   to  the  bar  at    Danville.      In    [883 


J68  RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

he  came  to  Hutchinson,  having  been  elected  superintendent  of  the  city  schools, 
and  served  two  years  in  thai  capacity.  In  [885  he  began  practicing  law  in 
Hutchinson  and  later  in  [896  he  formed  a  partnership  with  C.  M-.  Williams. 
Judge  Prigg  was  city  attorney  for  seven  years.  In  November,  1912,  Judge 
Prigg  was  elected  judge  of  the  ninth  judicial  district,  served  four  years  and 
was  re-elected  without  opposition  either  in  the  primary  or  the  election  in  191C. 
His  term  of  office  expire-  January   15.   1921. 

(  )f  the  ten  men  who  have  served  on  the  bench  of  the  ninth  district  court, 
four  are  dead,  namely:  Judges  Brown,  Peters,  Hunt  and  Simpson;  and  six  are 
living:  Judges  Martin,  William-,  Levis.  Galle,  Branine  and  Prigg.  All  of 
the  latter,  except  Judge  Trigg,  are  actively  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law: 
one,  Galle,  in  McPherson,  the  other  four  in  Hutchinson. 


CHAPTER   XXXVIII. 

The  Civil  War  Soldiers  in  Reno  County. 

in  this  chapter  will  be  found  a  complete  list  of  Union  soldiers  living  in 
Reno  count)-  in  1890,  when  the  census  was  taken,  which  includes  the  name  "i 
the  soldier,  his  rank,  his  company  and  regiment  and,  with  a  few   exceptions, 

the  state  from  which  he  enlisted.  This  list  is  remarkable,  as  it  shows  the  cos 
mopolitan  character  of  the  early  settlers  of  Reno  count}'.  Nearly  every  state 
in  the  Union  is  represented.  The  Southern  states  have  representatives  from 
nearly  every  state  in  the  Confederacy,  and  with  few  exceptions  those  from  the 
seceded  states  were  mostly  colored  soldiers,  there  being  a  total  of  sixteen  col- 
ored regiments  enrolled  as  troops  of  the  United  States  during  the  Civil 
War. 

There  is  perhaps  no  other  complete  list  in  Reno  count)  of  the  soldiers  of 
the  North.  They  were  among-  the  most  active  of  the  old  settlers  of  the  county, 
it  being  named  for  a  soldier,  Major  Jesse  Lee  Reno,  who  lost  his  life  in  the 
battle  of  South  Mountain.  In  a  former  chapter,  in  order  to  preserve  them, 
there  are  six  hundred  and  fifty-nine  names  of  the  men  and  women  who  signed 
the  petition  for  organizing  the  county  in  1873,  likewise  here  is  recorded  the 
list  of  the  old  soldiers  who  were  living  in  the  count}'  in  [890.  This  list  has  been 
taken  from  the  records  of  the  war  department  at  Washington  and  checked 
with  a  similar  list  on  file  in  the  office  of  the  secretary  of  state  of  Kansas.  It 
contains  ten  hundred  and  thirty-five  names,  and  the  number  from  each  stale 
is  set  down  opposite  the  name  of  the  state,  as  follows: 

Illinois    235  Connecticut    ....  11          Colorado    

Indiana 177          Tennessee 12  North  Carolina.  .  1 

Ohio 143          Mississippi    4  Rhode   Island  ...  1 

Iowa 93          U.  S.   Navy 14           Arkansas    1 

Xew  York 71  West    Virginia..  15           Minnesota    1 

Missouri 65          Xew  Jersey 7          Alabama 1 

Pennsylvania  .  .  .    53         Virginia   6         Texas 3 

Michigan    ^o  Massachusetts    .  .  <>        -Nevada 1 

Kansas 28          California 3          Nebraska    1 

Kentucky   26         Maryland 4         Arkansas    1 

Wisconsin    17         Vermont 4 


_-,.  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

Names  Rank        Company 

Alexander.    D.   S Private  B 

Vvery,  B.  G Private  B 

Atwood,  S.  A Private  I 

Uher.  Alvin   B Private  A 

Wher.  C.   B Private  F 

Anderson.  A.   P Private  D 

Albertson,  John    Private  A 

Anderson,   I.  M 2nd  Corporal  C 

Ansley,  Joseph    Private  C 

Vshton,  Daniel   Private  A 

\]>l>k\  I  krnian Private  1) 

Arkebeaner,   1  liram    Private  L 

Vstle,  Wm Private  I 

\t\vood.  M.  V Private  D 

Altenread,  Levi Private  C 

Vnnadown,  Win.  II Private  H 

Andrews,  J.   M Private  F 

Alexander,   Robert   Private  G 

\tliertoii.   |.   R Private  H 

\ndre.  Geo.  W Private  A 

Vines,  <  )rpheus Corporal  Iv 

\dam-.  J Private  K 

Alexander,  Win Private  C 

Mbright,   John    Private  P> 

\kin.  1  hidlev  I ) Sergeant  A 

Adam-.  G Private  I) 

Brinnegar,  J.  II 1  'rivate  I  i 

Bramwell,  II.  S Private  C 

Bums,  V.  O Private  K 

Bennett,  J.  S Private  A 

Bomgardner,  Michael Private     Cogwell's 

Banks,    Rivers    Private  G 

I 'row  11.  Thompson   Private  K 

Burris,   Milt'  »n    ( '.  irpi  >ral  \l 

Black,  (  linton Private  1) 

Blodgett,  L.  W Private  F 

Bussinger,   M.  < Private-  K 


Reg. 

State 

24 

Michigan 

_m 

Wisconsin 

47 

Illinois 

80 

Illinois 

30 

Indiana 

22 

Pennsvlvania 

T9 

Michigan 

9 

Tow  a 

^3 

Indiana 

39 

Illinois 

.  . 

Missouri 

3 

Illinois 

97 

Illinois 

108 

Illinois 

7 

Missouri 

197 

Pennsvlvania 

88 

Ohio 

6 

Iowa 

78 

Illinois 

38 

Ohio 

85 

Illinois 

T3° 

Indiana 

5-' 

Kentucky 

70 

Indiana 

]  T 

Kentucky 

51 

Illinois 

28 

Kentucky 

5 

Indiana 

9 

Indiana 

'5-' 

Ohio 

lattery 

Illinois 

s 

Kentucky 

38 

Ohio 

'3 

Missouri 

85 

Illinois 

"4 

New  York 

85 

Indiana 

RENO  COI    \  l  Y.    K  VNSAS. 

A  antes  Rank       (  ompany 

Bell,  \\.  II Sergeant  II 

Bfady,  T Private  I 

P.urkett.   Peter  S Private  B 

Baughman,  Joseph   Private 

Brown,  Thomas  \V Private  F 

Bridgeman,  J.  C Corporal  I 

Baker,  Sylvester Private  1 1 

Brownfield,  II.  15 Private  1 1 

Byers,  I.  J Corporal  B 

Brightman,  S.  I!.   ..Lieutenant-Colonel 

Booth,  C.  M Sergeant  A 

Barnett,  H.  C Private  ( ' 

Brown,  William   Private  A 

Briggs,  Robert First  Lieutenant  B 

Banett,  John  A Private  K 

Ballew,  Noah    Private  E 

Baynum,  J.  W Private  L 

Bullis,  John  R Private  II 

Bartholomew,  Charles   Private  E 

Beegle,  Adam  H Private  E 

Boner,  Joseph Private  B 

Birch,  G.  H First  Lieutenant  H 

Brewer,  A.  J Private  D 

Batty,  P.  T Private  C 

Barngrover, E 

Brown,  James    Captain  B 

Banks,  James   Sergeant     ,      P> 

Belt,   A.  G Private 

Burchell,   H.   E Private-  E 

Barber.  Nathaniel Private  C 

Bennett,   S Private  I '» 

Bouser,  Thomas Private  I  I 

Branch,  P.  C Private  G 

Bresler,  Nathan    Private  G 

Brooks,  G.  B Private  I 

Battey,  Manhall Captain  A 

Bringle,  Jacob  I Private  C 


-7' 

. 

State 

1 5 

Kansas 

i 

«  >hio 

79 

1  'ennsyh  ania 

165 

1  'ennsylvania 

1  \g 

Indiana 

[28 

Indiana 

[05 

<  >hio 

/ 

Illinois  (  a\  ah\ 

7' 

(  >hio 

43 

\\  isc<  msiii 

8 

\f\\    York 

26 

Indiana 

4 

1  'ennsylvania 

65 

lllin<  lis 

73 

Illiii'  >is 

1   ,N 

<  Ihio 

4 

lllim  >is 

21 

(  >hio 

99 

Indiana 

'47 

Illinois 

[6 

Pennsylvania 

29 

Indiana 

/  / 

Illinois 

-I" 

Indiana 

50 

(  >hio 

60 

\ew   Vork 

1 

Kentucky 

13 

Indiana 

15 

Indiana 

_M 

Michigan 

( >hio 

55 

Illiiii  »is 

[3 

low  a 

?7 

Indiana 

94 

\e\\    ^^  1  irk 

1  1  1 

lllim  Ms 

7" 

Indiana 

_•-_>  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

Names  Rank       Company 

Bramwell,  Joseph   Private  1 1 

Bingham,  S.  L.  J Private  F 

Baughman,  II.  C Captain  F 

Burch,    L.    X Private  I) 

Burdo,   R.   D Private  K 

Baker,  F.  W Captain  I 

Boody,  S.  B Private  C 

Bolton,  Augustus   Private  C 

Brown,  P.   E Private  II 

Baughman,    II Drummer  E 

Bryant,    YVm Private  F 

Blanpied,  Elisha  Private  E 

Baxter,  J.  S Private  J) 

Ballinger,  J.  I Private  H 

Baylan,  John Private  A 

Bosley,    Henry    Private  H 

Brainard,  Jess    Captain  B 

Baker,    R.   W Yeoman 

P>ra<ll>nrn.    ]ame>    Private  C 

Brooks,  G.  B Private  I 

Ballard,  V.  B Private  F 

Banthaner,  J Private  A 

Bartlett,   William    Private  F 

Briggs,   Robert   Private  E 

Blake,    Madison    Private  C 

Benson,  O.  F Sergeant  G 

Barghman,  Joseph   Private  A 

Brink,    Stephen    Captain  D 

Berry,  C.  S B 

Brown,  Wiley Private     1  tfscharge 

Barnes,  J.  S Major 

Beall,  <  reorge    Private  B 

Bradwell,  Silas Private  E 

Batty,    Marshall    Private  I  I 

Bardett,  James   Private  E 

Bi  ggs,   Win I  Yivate 

Beam,  J.   M Private  < " 

Brown,  J.   B Sergeanl  1 1 


Reg. 

State 

125 

Indiana 

8 

.\  1  ichigan 

59 

Illinois 

87 

Indiana 

25 

Ohio 

10 

Tennessee 

1 1 5 

Ohio 

19 

Connecticut 

35 

Mississippi 

1 22 

Ohio 

1 

Michigan 

42 

Kentucky 

118 

Illinois 

13 

United  States 

J3 

Missouri 

104 

Illinois 

4 

Illinois 

New  York 

54 

Indiana 

94 

New  York 

64 

Ohio 

21 

Missouri 

64 

Ohio 

104 

Ohio 

6 

Indiana 

MH 

Missouri 

105 

Pennsylvania 

1 -'4 

Illinois 

1  [8 

Illinois 

Lost 

Ohio 

91 

MlilK  lis 

'54 

Ohio 

26 

Illinois 

[29 

Illinois 

7 

Indiana 

10 

M  issouri 

7<> 

Ohio 

'4 

Ohio 

RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

Names  Rank-       Company 

Bigger,  L.  A First  Lieutenant  F 

Bane,   Ephram   ( Corporal  C 

Barclay,  ( reorge  I ) 

Ballinger,  John   \V Private  M 

Baker,  B Private  E 

Berwick,  W Sergeant  G 

Burns,  VV.  E Private  A 

Basher,  Z.  S Private  E 

Brown,  F Private 

Blackburn,  J.  F Lieutenant  K 

Bruner,  Philip  If Private  F 

Boyd,  Benjamin   Private  G 

Bringle,  Jacob    Private  C 

Burdick,   E.  C Private  D 

Barker,  VV.  H Private  B 

Baker.  H Private  M 

Baker,  William Private  G 

Boglan,  J Private  A 

Carey.   John    Private  C 

Campbell,    S Sergeant  C 

Colee,  C.  C Private  C 

Cathcart,   Samuel    Li Private  F 

Center,  William  H Corporal  F 

Colee.  Theodore  F 

( Chambers,  Charles  C Sergeant  K 

Campbell.  John Private  A 

Colville,  Benjamin  A Corporal  C 

Craig,  Henry  H Private  G 

Campbell,   Robert  A Private  K 

Carew,  Harvey  H Private  B 

Clymer,  John  V Captain  B 

Constant,  Constant  M Private  H 

Collins,   Charles Private  A 

Chase.   Frank  M Private  C 

Cox,  Solomon Private  C 

Crippen,   W Private 

Crandall,  C Private  C 

(t8) 


273 


Reg. 

State 

1 

North  (  arolina 

47 

Illinois 

4 

United  States 

7 

Indiana 

R  R 

Missouri 

7 

Missouri 

123 

Indiana 

ii 

Indiana 

129 

[llinois 

2 

California 

1 

New  York 

70 

Indiana 

38 

Ohio 

4 

Ohio 

9 

Indiana 

30 

Indiana 

13 

Missouri 

118 

Indiana 

5o 

Iowa 

2.2 

Pennsylvania 

16 

Iowa 

1 

Illinois 

.  .  . 

Pennsylvania 

64 

Ohio 

53 

Illinois 

117 

Illinois 

114 

Illinois 

24 

Ohio 

15 

New  Jersey 

156 

Indiana 

30 

Illinois 

2 

Kansas 

9-? 

Illinois 

55 

Kentucky 

.    .    . 

New  York- 

81 

Indiana 

_'/"4  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

Names  Rank       Company 

(  link.  William    Private  I 

Crow.  Martin   Private  D 

Cecil,   Thomas    Private  D 

Cecil.  William Private  D 

Cecil,   Wilford    Private  F 

Calverly,  Richard Private 

Crampton,  H.  H Private  E 

Crampton,  James  H Sergeant  E 

I  lassidy,  R.  T Lieutenant  B 

I  are.  J.  R Private  J 

(  a  »chran,  Private  L 

(  urnutt.  H.  G Private  I 

(  a  ichran,  X.J Private  B 

I  bles,  J.  W Private  K 

I  lark.   Ashbury    Corporal  E 

Cunningham,  H.  C 

I  a  msoe,   L Sergeant  E 

I  ".  impton,  I  )avid Private  K 

(  a  >nnett,rJ.  T Corporal  H 

(  upps.  Cabel Private  E 

Chaffin,  G.  B 2nd  Lieutenant  H 

i  a  men,   John    Private  B 

(  lothier,  J.  B Private  G 

(  Clothier,   Newton   Private  G 

(  riswell,  William Private  G 

'  lollings,    tsaac    Private  G 

<  Tippen,  Miner Private  C 

<  larpenter,  O.  S Corporal  D 

(  "lingan.  G.  A Private  C 

'  i  m  'ten.  ( ',.  W Private  C 

i  laldwell,  John  G Private  A 

Caldwell,  A.  B...Brevt.  ist  Lieutenant  A 

<  lhamberlain,  W Private  A 

<  llearwater,  Rubin   Sergeant  A 

( iharles,  I  &\  i  B Private  L 

t  larver,   John    Private  \ 

(I'm, me.  John  W Private  C 

( lummingfs,  Walter  C Private  <  > 


Reg. 

State 

4i 

Illinois 

90 

Illinois 

/8 

Illinois 

/8 

Illinois 

!55 

Illinois 

.    .    . 

Missouri 

8 

Ohio 

no 

Ohio 

163 

West  Virginia 

3i 

Iowa 

16 

Illinois 

72 

Indiana 

84 

Indiana 

46 

Iowa 

89 

Illinois 

.  .  . 

Ohio 

41 

New  York- 

67 

Indiana 

30 

Xew  Jersey 

136 

Indiana 

15 

Ohio 

26 

Illinois 

8 

Iowa 

7 

Iowa 

86 

Illinois 

145 

Indiana 

113 

Ohio 

142 

Xew  York 

7 

Iowa 

1 

Missouri 

75 

New   V<  irk 

2 

Mississippi 

148 

Indiana 

6 

Indiana 

1 

Colorado 

30 

Maine 

5 

Kentucky 

Si      . 

Massachusetts 

kl-.NO  COUNTY,    K  VNSAS. 

Names  Rank       Company 

( Coleman,  George  A Private  I 

Crommett,  Robert  T.  .  .2nd  Lieutenant  F 

(  row,    Martin    Private  K 

Curliss,   Harklis    Private  l\ 

Caldwell.  S.  J Private 

Cheeseman,  John    Private  I 

('battle.   W'ni.   H Private  \ 

Cowan,  Samuel Private  E 

Clark.  VV.   U Private  E 

Claypool,  J.  W Sergeant  K 

('base,   Wright    Private  F 

Crabb,  J.  E Sergeant  B 

Copeland,  M.  H Sergeant  A 

Carey,   Peter   Lieutenant  K 

Chapin,  CO 

Carson,  William  F Private  C 

Caster,   Joseph    Private  I 

Case,  Oscar Private  H 

Cubbison,  Joseph 2nd  Lieutenant  C 

Counterman,  E 2nd  Lieutenant  I 

Carr,  H.  H Private  B 

Compton,    D Private  N 

Cory,   X.   B Private 

Cox.   J.   L Private  E 

Cade.   ( reorge  C Private  G 

Cooper,  W.  C Sergeant  B 

Coldrult,  S.  J Sergeant  E 

Cox,  Rebecca  J Widow 

Cochrane,  Sanders Private  G 

Cole.  Harry Private  F 

Connett,  William    Private 

Conroe,    Israel    Private  E 

Carpenter,    Orson    S Corporal  S 

Crabbs,   J Major 

Dice.   H.    W Private  C 

Dewitt,  J.   F Private  F 

Decker,    F.    J Lieutenant  C 

Decker,   C.   V 1st  Lieutenant  D 


-75 


Reg. 

State 

70 

Indiana 

1 

Maine  Vet.   Vol. 

92 

( )hio 

1  [8 

Illinois 

37 

Illinois 

118 

New  York 

89 

Illinois 

8 

Illinois 

1 

New  York 

70 

Indiana 

66 

Illinois 

34 

Ohio 

107 

Illinois 

47 

Indiana 

77 

Illinois 

2 

Ohio 

121 

Ohio 

IOI 

Pennsylvania 

11 

Michigan 

15 

New  Jen 

67 

Indiana 

.  .  . 

Indiana 

1 

Missouri 

2 

Illinois 

6 

Missouri 

72 

Indiana 

16 

34 

Indiana 

16 

Indiana 

41 

New  York 

142 

New  York 

89 

Indiana 

132 

Illinois 

14 

New  Jersey 

18 

Wisconsin 

123 

Illinois 

1^6  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

Names  Rank      Company 

I  )elano,  Richard  F 2nd  Lieutenant  B 

1  >eeker,  T.  A 2nd  Lieutenant  B 

1  towns,  John    Corporal  K 

I  )insmore,    Charles    Private  E 

1  )avis,   Ulysses   Private  C 

I  )odge,  A.  R Private  B 

Dutton,  Enos    Private  B 

Davis,   A.   O Private  K 

Dull,  S.  A Private  G 

Dunsworth,  Private  D 

!  )alton,   Private  A 

Dilly,    S.    A Private  F 

!  >avis,    T Corporal  H 

I  >avis,   Samuel    Private  G 

I  >unn,  John  P Private  C 

I  ><  tolittle,  L.   F Private 

I  >avis,  John  J Private  G 

I  )avis,   C Corporal  B 

Duval,   Francis    Ord.  Sergeant  D 

Dickhut;  C.   W Private  H 

Doles.    J.    A Private  G 

Day,    Robert Private  G 

I  Junsworth,   A.   J Private  F 

Dillingham,  W.  H Corporal  H 

Doron,    E Private  I 

I  >ean,  J Private  F 

I  tenison,  G.  A Private  I 

:  Jeering,  ( '.  T 

I  )uckworth,  J.  L Private  F 

I  teane.   Martin    Chaplain 

I  )carl<  ive,  W.  B Private 

I  Juke,   Edward    Private  B 

I  >elono,  W.  II Private 

I  )ugan,   Ferdinand Private 

I  )avis,    Robert 1st   Lieutenant  A 

I  lorman,  Samuel    X Private  C 

Evans,  M.  M Captain  O 

Elliott,  William  H Corporal  G 


Reg. 

State 

49 

Indiana 

1  Cav. 

Ohio 

180 

Ohio 

6 

New  Jersey 

3 

West  Virginia 

.  .  . 

Illinois 

19 

Iowa 

108 

Illinois 

Si 

Ohio 

32 

Illinois 

29 

-Missouri 

83 

Pennsylvania 

H 

Rhode  Island 

14 

Ohio  Infantry 

9 

Iowa  Cavalry 

. .  . 

Kansas 

6 

Virginia 

2 

Maine 

83 

United  States 

118 

Illinois 

22 

Ohio 

5° 

Indiana 

50 

Illinois 

26 

Kansas 

1  " 

Ohio 

40 

Iowa 

61 

Iowa 

36 

Iowa 

45 

New  York 

14 

Ohio 

10 

West  Virginia 

144 

Indiana 

.  . 

U.  S.  N. 

15 

Xew    York 

29 

Illinois 

56 

1  llinois 

1 

.Missouri 

RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

Names  Rank       (  otnpany 

Ely,   David   II Private  I! 

Elliott,   David   II Corporal  <  i 

Ewing,  l\.  M Corporal  B 

Elliott,  George  B Corporal  '  < 

Everett,    Elmer    Corporal  R 

Elliott,    E.   W Corporal  D 

Kw  ing,  J.  K Corporal  G 

Eddie,  John    Private  L 

Eddy,   George    Corporal  I 

Evarts,    II.   E Private  F 

Ellis.    Perse    Private  C 

Ernst,  A ist  Lieutenant  G 

Eusminger,    \Y.    P Private  D 

Erion,    Philip    Private  B 

Ellsworth,  Allen ist  Lieutenant  I 

Epperson,  John  H Private  D 

Eisminger,   Harvey    Private  F 

Dix,  Jonathan  \Y Private  O 

Duffy,  Edward Drummer  D 

Davis.  William  B Private  H 

Dorman,  S.  M Private  C 

Dunn,  Thomas   Private  D 

Dunn,  William   Private  H 

Dodds,   Ira   R Private  F 

Durkell,  Jr.,   D Private  E 

Dimock,  A.   S Private 

Demort,  Samuel Private  C 

Deck,  Isaac Private  Iv 

I  )etter,  G.  W Private  D 

Duer,  Jonathan Private  H 

Dixon,  T.  B Private  D 

Dittman,  Nicholas   Private  D 

1  )<  >dge,  John Private  C 

Dennis.    Edward    Private  G 

Darr,  Andrew  J Private  H 

Dinsmore,  Charles   Private    .       E 

Davis,  H.  A Private  E 

Deane,  Albert Private  E 


-77 

Reg. 

State 

_•  _> 

Iowa 

•5 

Iowa 

50 

Illinois 

[6 

New    York 

83 

Illinois 

89 

Ohio 

4 

i 

I  Inited  States 

8 

Vermont 

16 

Ohio 

4 

Wisconsin 

7 

( California 

6 

Indiana 

3 

Illinois 

118 

Illinois 

83 

Illinois 

73 

Illinois 

10 

Kansas 

33 

Indiana 

5 

Pennsylvania 

29 

Illinois 

16 

low  a 

39 

Iowa 

28 

Illinois 

45 

Missouri 

•    •    . 

Massachusetts 

.    .    . 

Indiana 

7 

Missouri 

78 

Pennsylvania 

2 

Iowa 

18 

Iowa 

2 

Michigan 

44 

Indiana 

100 

Illinois 

[94 

Ohio 

6 

New  York 

88 

Pennsylvania 

88 

New  York 

■78 


RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 


Names  Rank 

I  )river,  Private 

1  Jay,  D.  P Corporal 

I  tevoe,  B.  R Private 

I  )avis,  J.  W Private 

Davis,    1\.    A Private 

Davis,  W.  M Private 

I  >rake,  .Michael Private 

Dodge,  Riley Private 

1  )a\vson,  R.  A H.  Steward 

Eabling,  John  F Sergeant 

Edson,  Lucius  C Private 

Ellis,    William    Private 

Everett,  E.  J Sergeant 

Ellis,  James  K Private 

Elder,  George Private 

Eareant,  J.  J Private 

Elswik,  Thomas Private 

England,  John   Coqx>ral 

Evers.   Elias    Private 

Epperson,  W.  N Corporal 

Ellston,  J.  W Private 

Fisher,  David   Private 

Fish,  George  W Private 

Filley,  Worthington Private 

Fluck,  Casper Private 

Farnsworth,  Lamar Private 

Fastrow,    Herman    Private 

Flohr,  C.   P Private 

Fowler,  T.  J Private 

Freemyer,  David    Private 

France,  E Sergeant 

Fenimore,  J.  C Private 

Fenimore,  E.  R Private 

Fisher,    Alfred    Private 

Frysear,  A.  B Sergeant 

Ferguson,  Thomas    Sergeant 

Fowler,  T.  G Private 

FoSTfirle,     E.    M Private 


Company 

Reg. 

State 

A 

142 

Indiana 

F 

107 

Illinois 

H 

113 

Indiana 

B 

47 

Illinois 

F 

11 

Illinois 

B 

21 

Ohio 

A 

135 

Pennsylvania 

B 

152 

Illinois 
Missouri  Regular 

E 

9 

Illinois 

G 

11 

Vermont 

C 

53 

Kentucky 

K 

83 

Illinois 

D 

39 

Indiana 

A 

46 

Pennsylvania 

H 

2 

Tennessee 

L 

7 

Missouri 

A 

8 

Missouri 

I 

34 

Indiana 

A 

16 

Kansas 

. . 

46 

Indiana 

G 

33 

Indiana 

A     • 

16 

Illinois 

B 

101- 

Illinois 

E 

195 

Pennsylvania 

K 

16 

Illinois 

E 

6 

Ohio 

A 

1 

Iowa 

I 

3 

Pennsylvania 

B 

9 

Missouri 

H 

21 

Illinois 

C 

3&9 

Kansas 

E 

149 

Ohio 

E 

i/ 

Iowa 

.  . 

4 

Arkansas 

T 

122 

Illinois 

B 

47 

[llinois 

G 

18 

Iowa 

RENO   COUN  I  V,    KANSAS. 

Names  Rank       Company 

Franklin,  J.   R Captain  A 

Filson,  John   Private  K 

French,  H.  N Private  < 

Freeman,  Will  II Private 

Frease,   Cyrus    Captain  G 

Frense,  W.  W Private 

Kbsnot,   W.  E Private  G 

Fisher,  B.  S Private  B 

Frost,  J Private  A 

Froyne,  R.  I Lieutenant  F 

Frisby,    O Private  G 

Glanville,  F.  M Private  C 

Gorden,  Henry   Private  B 

Gray,  William  C Private  C 

Grady,  Henry Private  I 

Gregg,  John    Private  F 

George,  John  B Com.  Sergeant 

Grayson,  Joseph  A Private  D 

Guyer,  John    Private  K 

Gehm,    Peter    Private  J 

Green,   Francis    Private  F 

Click.  S.  A Private  C 

Getter,  H.  K Private  F 

Galer,  J.  B Private  K 

Gleichman,    George    Private  A 

Gransen,  M Private  H 

Gallup.   Ed    Private  C 

Green,   D.    B Private  H 

Gray,   Morris  J Private  E 

Grudel,  J.  H Private  I 

( rozder,  Marcus    Private  H 

Gransbury,    John    W Private  A 

Gray,  C.  W Sergeant  H 

( iaston,  S.  D Private  I 

Graves,   Benona    Private  C 

Gould,    William    Private  C 

Grist,   William    Private  B 

( iallnp,    H.    C Corporal  A 


279 


Reg. 

State 

'7 

Iowa 

mi 

Illinois 

-'4 

Missouri 

•5 

Indiana  Battalion 

10 

Ohio 

[84 

Oln.. 

H7 

Pennsylvania 

47 

low  a 

126 

New  York 

22 

Kentuckv 

7 

Illinois 

65 

New  York 

16 

Indiana 

1 

Wisconsin 

7 

Illinois 

5 

New  York 

1 

Michigan 

6 

West  Virginia 

*34 

Pennsylvania 

14 

Illinois 

10 

Minnesota 

45 

Pennsylvania 

20 

Pennsylvania 

18 

Iowa 

42 

Indiana 

116 

Ohi<  1 

21 

Wisconsin 

94 

Illinois 

52 

Ohio 

20 

Indiana 

no 

Alabama 

95 

New  York 

69 

Missouri 

62 

Missouri 

1 1 

Iowa 

(. 

Iowa 

82 

Pennsylvania 

88 

Illinois 

^.'8o  RENO   COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

Names  Rank       Company 

( rillock,  Thomas  C Sergeant 

Grant.  John 

t  rillespie,    Patrick    Private  D 

(  k>dfrey,   J.    H Private  E 

( ribson,    Harrison    Private  G 

(  iinn.   Joseph    Private  I 

( ribbs,    William    E Private  C 

Gillett,    John    Private  C 

Gibson,  J  )avid    Private  E 

( ruller,  John    Private  I 

Gillett.  John   \V.   H.   P Private  C 

<  iroodwin,  Jacob    Private  G 

'  ieorge,  J.  W Corporal  F 

I  rriffin,  J.   D Corporal  A 

Gill,  John  H Private  H 

Grover,  Charles  B Private  B 

Greenamyer,  J.  R Private  A 

I  r<  -rdon,  H Private  B 

Greenlee,  J.  F Sergeant  G 

Grover,  Freeman   Private  PI 

Grant,  G.  E Private 

Handy,  Edward  S Private  F 

Hamlin,    M Private  A 

Hill,   E.    M Colonel  1st 

Holliday,    D.    H Private  F 

I  [ayden,   G.   F Captain  F 

I  [erdick,  J.  M Captain  Q 

I  law  kins,  Frank  J Private  K 

I  lartshorn,  Jacob  C Private  D 

Hasty,   William  W Private  L 

i  [egwer,  Henry   Private  B 

Holmes,    William    15 Private  I 

Hill,   Josephus    Private  F 

Hodson,  Z.  T I) 

I  tiller,  Nathan   Corporal  A 

I  [arris,  William  E Sergeant  E 

I  law  kins.    I.    II Private  F 

i  tinman,  L.  M Third  Corporal  E 


Reg. 

State 

1 1 

Indiana 

13 

Kansas 

1 

Texas 

85 

Ohio 

21 

Missouri 

8 

New  York 

.  .  . 

Indiana 

27 

Kentucky 

81 

Illinois 

J9 

Indiana 

57 

Indiana 

15 

West  Virginia 

8 

Michigan 

46 

Indiana 

*-J4 

Illinois 

129 

Indiana 

16 

Indiana 

142 

Ohio 

16 

Wisconsin 

-'3 

Wisconsin 

79 

Illinois 

15 

Connecticut 

Missouri 

88 

Ohio 

17 

Indiana 

4 

Ohio 

1 

Michigan 

138 

Illinois 

7 

Illi'K  -is 

9 

Kansas 

5 

Calin  irnia 

/6 

Illinois 

28 

Iowa 

172 

Ohio 

1 

Connecticut 

4^ 

Ohio 

134 

Indiana 

RENO  COUNTY.    KANSAS.  28] 


Names  Rank 

Haves,    P.    II Private 

I  [offman,    A I  'rivate 

Hall.    S,    W Private 

Hill,    II.   A Sergeant 

I  lanan,   P>.    1) Hospital  Steward 

Hathaway,   Samuel    Corporal 

I  [egwer,    Augustus    Private 

I  [olland,  William  T Private 

I  [ighbarger,   E Private 

I  [oover,   Michiel    Private 

Hotchkis,    ().    L Private 

Houser,   J.    S Private 

Huston.  Jeff    Private 

Hartford,  William.  .  .  .First  Lieutenant 
Hartford,    Henry.  .Lieutenant-Colonel 

Hehin,    James    Private 

Harper,  Thos.  V Sergeant 

Hodge,   L.    I) Private 

Hadley,  Levi  P Private 

Hodgson,  William    Private 

Hemphill,  John  A Private 

Hand,  Thompson Private 

Holin,  Lewis Private 

Hindrey,  W.  F Private 

Hoskinson,  Geo.  \Y Private 

Haines,    Clayton    Private 

Hoaglan,  Martin    Sergeant 

Hopping,  Thomas    Private 

Harsyman,  J.   S Private 

Hornbaker,   F.   D Private 

Holmes,  John  E Private 

Homes,  William  H Private 

Hardin,   W.    M Private 

Hunt,    Willis Private 

Hinds,  John    Private 

Harbison,  G.  W Private 

Hardy,   W.   G. Sergeant 

,  Tim Private 


npany 

Reg. 

State 

A 

-14 

M  l^M  up  i 

II 

1  1 

Ohio 

.  . 

1 

h  >w  a 

M 

'4 

New     \>,\k 

II 

1 

M  iss<  »ui ' 

G 

3 

|o\\    | 

B 

9 

Kentucky 

A 

•5-' 

lllin.  lis 

V 

63 

Pennsylvania 

B 

7 

Missi  >uri 

K 

22 

h  iw  a 

.  . 

.  .  . 

llliin  lis 

B 

2 

Illinois 

A 

8 

Xew  Jersey 

8 

New   ffersey 

G 

&3 

Illim  lis 

E 

1 

Ohio 

B 

1  i 

Indiana 

E 

26 

Indiana 

E 

4 

Minnes<  >ta 

A 

•  183 

Ohio 

G 

78 

Illinois 

E 

4 

1  'ennsylvania 

H 

36 

(  )hio 

L 

1 

Iowa 

T 

33 

Iowa 

1 

?7 

Illiiic  »is 

I 

20 

Illinois 

A 

6 

Missouri 

I 

145 

Indiana 

B 

]54 

Illinois 

C 

144 

Illinois 

K 

35 

Kent  nek  \ 

II 

1 

West  Virginia 

C 

77 

Ohio 

A 

/i 

Indiana 

G 

4 

Iowa 

B 

8 

Xew    York 

_Sj 


RENO   COUNTY,   KANSAS. 


X  antes  Rank 

Hall,    L.    M Private 

Hadley,  S.  I Private 

Iladley.    I).    \V Captain 

I  [utchinson,  J.  S Private 

Hallinger,  J.   W Private 

Harmony.    Will    Private 

Hammond,  John Private 

I  I  all.    Samuel    W Private 

Hall.   James   B Private 

Hendry.  E.  M Private 

I  1(  >stetter,    Amos    Private 

Holland.  J Private 

1  [arison,  J.   S Private 

Hodges.  G.  W Private 

Hutchinson.  \Y.   E Private 

Hollowell,  L Private 

Holcomb.   H Sergeant 

1  law  ley,  S.  K Private 

I  lnstetter.   A Private 

I  [iggihs,  A.  P Private 

I  I'  nik.    L Sergeant 

I  [erlocner,   J.    M Private 

1  [erdick,  J.  E Lieutenant 

Irwin,   A Corporal 

[ganes,   1 Private 

Inman.    Thomas    Corporal 

Johnson,   Isaac    Private 

Ivy.   J.    W Private 

[reton,    William    Private 

Johnson,  John    1  'rivate 

[ones,  Greenberry  l\ Lieutenant 

Johnson,  Samuel  G Sergeant 

Jewell,    \< Private 

fobes,   Aimer   II Corporal 

Julian.  Stephen  I Private 

[enks,  S.  O Sergeant 

Johnson,   Hugh   X Corporal 

fones,   I  [obert    I  'rivate 


Company 

Reg. 

Slate 

A 

i 

Maryland 

K 

7 

Iowa 

K 

79 

Indiana 

C 

/i 

Illinois 

1) 

5 

Ohio 

B 

6 

Missouri 

C 

8 

Illinois 

i 

Iowa 

I 

88 

Illinois 

I 

153 

Illinois 

C 

6 

West  Virginia 

.   , 

.    .    . 

U.  S.  N. 

B 

IJ3 

Ohio 

F 

40 

H 

102 

New   York 
Ohio 

lv 

T04 

Illinois 

C 

63 

Ohio 
West  Virginia 

H 

120 

Indiana 

B 

1 

Maryland 

E 

49 

Pennsylvania 

D 

1 1 

Illinois 

A 

8/ 

Indiana 

E 

3 

Missouri 

H 

54 

Illinois 

H 

in 

Illinois 

lv 

47 

Wisconsin 

1! 

1  1 

Michigan 

[• 

2 

Missouri 

11 

2] 

Missouri 

.    . 

.     .     . 

Kansas 

K 

?7 

Indiana 

I) 

(» 

West  Virginia 

L 

8 

Missouri 

B 

97 

Xew  York- 

C 

[8 

Kansas 

1 

2 

Illinois 

RENO  COUN  IV,    K  VNSAS. 

Names  l\ank       (  ompany 

Jarboe,  I  )aniel 

Junes,  Seth   Private  I' 

Jones,  Joseph   II Private  I  I 

Jones,   William    G 

Jones.   William  J Musician  K 

Jeffs,   William    E Sergeanl  ( « 

James,  N.  J Corporal  F 

Johnston,   George    A Private  C 

Jones,    Lewis    Private  B 

Jewell,  W.  D Corporal  I 

Johnson,   W.  G Private  C 

Jenkins,    A Private  1 

Johnston,  B.  1) Private  K 

Jeffers.    A Private  F 

Johnson,  W.   W Private  H 

Johnson.    W.    F Private 

Jones,    T 1  'rivate  1 ) 

Knight,    Seth    Private  E 

King,   William    Private  E 

Krneh,    F.    W Private  K 

King,  R.  S Private  D 

Kanaga,  J.  W Private  A 

Kirhy,    Boston    Private  K. 

Kennedy,  David Private  L 

Kyes,   E.   J Private  B 

Kennedy,  William  D Sergeant  G 

Kitchen,   W.  H Private  E 

Kelly,  Andrew  J Corporal  G 

Kingkade,   J.    H Private  C 

Kenoyer,   E Private  I  I 

Kinder,  J.  W Private  D 

Kinder.  Thomas Private  F 

Keller.  G.  W Private  II 

Kirkpatrick,  R.  B Private  E 

Kirkpatrick,  W.  H Private  M 

Knight,   N.  D Private  I ) 

Kohule,  John    Private  H 

Kelsev,  R.  D Private  F 


283 


Reg. 

State 

.  .  . 

Maryland 

1" 

[owa 

•44 

Indiana 

_• 

Kansas 

3 

M  issouri 

90 

Illinois 

101 

Illinois 

[38 

[Hiitois 

40 

[owa 

84 

Indiana 

70 

Ohio 

2 

Tennessee 

70 

Ohio 

•5 

M  iehigan 

34 

Illinois 

.  .  . 

Wisconsin 

1 

Iowa 

22 

Wisconsin 

"4 

illim  lis 

5 

Missouri 

16 

Illinois 

134 

Ohio 

25 

Michigan 

6 

Michigan 

[6 

Illinois 

23 

Missouri 

54 

Xew  York 

49 

Indiana 

89 

Xew    ^  1  >rk 

>5' 

Indiana 

[8 

Missouri 

[2 

Missouri 

21 

Missouri 

89 

Ohio 

5 

Ohio 

4 

W  est  Virginia 

2 

Illinois 

73 

Illini  ris 

-*4 


RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 


Names  Rank 

Karns,  M Private 

Kingkade,  David   Private 

Kinney.   I  Earlow    Private 

Kibby.  I.  F Private 

Lvirkham,    D Private 

Lawson,  J.   II Corporal 

Lindsey,    John    R Com.    Sergeant 

Longstreetle,   Charles   H Private 

Lindsey.  John  C Private 

I  ,acy,    R<  ibert    Major 

Laynion,   Preston   Private 

Langdon,  S.  M Private 

Leutz,  ( r.   W Private 

I  .eeman.  J.   II Captain 

Laughlin,    Robert    .  .  . Private 

Lashbaugh,   W.  H Sergeant 

Leslie.  Alexander    Teamster 

Litchfield.  John    Sergeant 

Lyons,   William    Corporal 

Lamb.  George  W Private 

I  a  iwry,   Robert   Private 

Litchfield,  Thomas.  .Orderly  Sergeant 

Litchfield,   James    Private 

Lai  hike.  Mitchell   Private 

Lawrence,  William Lieutenant 

Libbey,  C.   E Private 

Lible.   Martin    Private 

Lyman,    Hamilton    Captain 

Lance.  A.  J Private 

Lindsley,  W.  I) Private 

Littsell,  W.  W Corporal 

Lloyd,   M.    E Lieutenant  Colonel 

Lyman.    L Corporal 

Laughton,  Charles   Private 

Laucks,  ( iharles   Private 

Lain.   II.  S Private 

Let'y.    I).    I) Private 

Lent/.  ' '..  \\* Private 


npany 

Reg. 

State 

B 

6 

Iowa 

E 

7 

Missouri 

B 

i 

Iowa 

B 

46 

Ohio 

K 

6 

Indiana 

D 

16 

Illinois 

H 

1 

Ohio 

F 

6 

Pennsylvania 

D 

39 

Indiana 

.  . 

79 

Illinois 

E 

2 

Tennessee 

H 

28 

Iowa 

C 

6 

Ohio 

D 

120 

Indiana 

B 

9 

Michigan 

.  . 

1 

Missouri 

D 

64 

Illinois 

E 

5 

Michigan 

.    . 

188 

Ohio 

L 

41 

Ohio 

I 

14 

Ohio 

C 

3 

Ohio 

H 

16 

New  York 

D 

1 

Missouri 

H 

n 

Illinois 

C 

7 

Kansas 

L 

- 

5 

New  York 

I-I 

28 

Iowa 

F 

Post  Command            Kansas 

A 

32 

Illinois 

.    . 

119 

New  York 

L 

5 

Xew  York 

M 

126 

Indiana 

B 

144 

Illinois 

B 

29 

Indiana 

T 

101 

Pennsvlvania 

II 

28 

Iowa 

RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

'Names                                    Rank       (  ompany  Reg. 

Lowe,  I.  A Private  \  3 

Luckey,  J.  R Private  C  14 

Lake,  J.  W I 'rivate  E  50 

Marshall,   W.   R I'm  ate  II  15 

Moulder,  F.  C Corporal  II  [18 

Myers,   John   A Sergeant  I-  51 

Myers,  Abraham  A Private  B  5 1 

Mooney,  R.  M Private  E  37 

Milan,  J.  S Private  A  59 

Melrose,   Henry    Private  C  1 

Monroe,  James Private  A  55 

Marlin,  A.   D Private  D  95 

Maylow,  Joseph   Private  A  10 

Miller.    Alexander    Private  A  ... 

Marteney,  Stalnaker Private  D 

Max,  John    Private  Cogwells  Bat.,  Lig 

Markham,  J.  J First  Lieutenant  E  56 

Magwire,  F .• Private  G  3 

Miskimen,  H Captain  ( i  47 

Middleton,  W.  R Corporal  H  2; 

Moulton,  S.  D Private  L  S 

Alahnsan,  J.  W Corporal  G  59 

Mallory,  J.  W Sergeant  Quarter-Master 

Moorman,  W.  H Private  B  34 

May,  R.  R Private  I)  Si 

Moorhead,    Albert    Private  C  35 

Marshall.  John  H Sergeant  P.          est   Pat. 

Mitchell,   R Private  H  38 

Muck,  Anthony   Captain  I  44 

M unger,  H.  H Sergeant  C  11 

Mount,  Cyrus Private  C  4 

Miller,  C.   P Corporal  D  n 

Manual!.    W.    H Private  II 

Mahoney,   Clemard    Private  E  84 

Magee.    Benjamin    Private  .  .  ... 

Miller.  Robert  C Private  C  Si 

Mayers,   J.   V Private  I 

M  urrv,  C.  H Private  1 1  77 


285 

State 

[1  >\\  a 
low  a 
Illin-  lis 
I  >hio 
Indiana 
(  )ln'o 
Indiana 
New  Yoik- 
Indiana 
Virginia 
Illinois 

Ohio 

Kansas 

Illinois 

West  Virginia 

ht  Art.        Illinois 

Ohio 

Michigan 

Ohio 

(  )hio 
[llin<  >is 
Indiana 
I  >epartment 

Iowa 

Indiana 

Missouri 

Nevada 

[( >wa 

Missouri 

Michigan 

Iowa 

M  issouri 

Kansas 

Indiana 

New  York 

Indiana 

Ohio 

New  York 


^86  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

Names  Rank       Company 

Mousy,  J.   X Private  H 

McMullen,  II.   B Private  K 

Marshall.  I.  F Private  F 

Merles.    John    Private  I 

Miidge,  James   F Landsman 

Masies,  Joseph   Private 

Murphy,   J.   C Second  Lieutenant  I 

Malick.    A.     I Sergeant  I 

Mills.   T.    E Private  I 

Miller.  S.   R Private  C 

Mathews.    A.    I Private  E 

Munis,   S.  J Private  C 

Mercer.  C.  E Private  D 

Marsh.    1  )avid    Private  H 

Myers,  John  C Private  D 

Mo,  »re,   W.   T Private*  C 

Martin,   John    Private  K 

McMurry,  T.  J Private  E 

McNew,  J.    II Private  E 

Merrill,    Major 

Miller,    Peter    Private  C 

Miller,  ( i.   R Private  D 

Morrow,    Mattie    Private 

Myers,   S.   I) Private  Navy 

Maphet,    John    Private  D 

Martin,    I  [ugh    Private 

Martin.  J.    E Private  C 

Mitchell,  VV.   II Private  R 

Mauck,    E.    II Private  G 

Marshall,  (  '<  mrad   I  'rivate  C 

May,  Michael    Private  E 

Miller.    I.   K Private 

Myres,     \.    F Private  I  I 

Matick,   A.  J Sergeant  1 

M  ize,   I .   II Sergeant  I 

Meredith,    F Private  K 

Morehead,  A.  J Private 

.More,  ■ Private  A 


Reg. 

State 

ii 

Ohio 

26 

Indiana 

69 

Indiana 

23 

Illinois 

•    •   • 

12 

Michigan 

9 

New  York- 

36 

Illinois 

100 

Indiana 

14 

New   York 

9 

Indiana 

i/ 

Illinois 

104 

Ohio 

47 

Pennsylvania 

1 

Missouri 

39 

Illinois 

6 

Tennessee 

8 

Indiana 

141 

New  Y<  irk 

S2 

Ohio 

7 

Pennsylvania 

82 

Pennsylvania 

New   York 

9 

Kentucky 

49 

Indiana 

24 

Indiana 

112 

Illinois 

9 

Indiana 

3' 

Indiana 

.  .  . 

Illinois 

89 

Illinois 

9 

New    \  '  n*k 

1 

Illirx  >is 

7 

Indiana 

•    •    • 

1S1 


Ohio 


RENO  COUNTY,    K  WSAS. 

Names  Rank       Company 

Miller,  G.   E Private  B 

More  B.   II Private  G 

Matherly,  \Y.  1 Private  E 

McCandless, Private  O 

McKinney,  A.  W Surgeon 

Mckinstry,   J Private  i 

McClurg,    Joseph    H Farrier  A 

McFarland,   L.  S Private  D 

McCracken,  J.   W Hosp.   Steward 

McCanine,  W.  1 1. ..  Second  Lieutenant  I) 

McAlister,  R 

MeCormick,  M Private  G 

McSherry,    Thomas    Sergeant  K 

McGowan,  Alex Musician 

McGregor,    J.    R Sergeant  Q 

MeCormick,  W.  H Corporal  B 

McMurphy,  Private  A 

D 

McCaslin,  John    Private  H 

McCurdy,  J.   P Private  K 

McColin,   Alexander    Corporal  K 

McClellan,   Robert   Private  B 

McKay,  Frank Corporal  H 

McMurry,   George    Private  G 

M  elver,    Isaac     Private  K 

McKewgie, Musician  A 

McDonald,    F Private  B 

McGregor,    E.    T Private  F 

McCollum,   John    Private  I 

McGibbony,  Levi  C Private 

McArthur,    Duncan    Private  A 

McAngthy,   N Private  D 

McGinley,   John    Private  I 

MeAtee,  George   Private  H 

McGregor,    William    Lieutenant  B 

McCorthe,  L.  A Corpora]  F 

McTnterff,    A Sergeant  C 

Mcintosh,    W Private  A 


287 


Keg. 

State 

27 

Indiana 

86 

Indiana 

78 

[llinois 

31 

Indiana 

135 

[llinois 

'4 

(  >hio 

5 

low  a 

99 

l<  iwa 

[3 

New   Hampshire 

. .  . 

Virginia 

i74 

(  )hio 

115 

Illinois 

50 

[llini  »is 

4 

niim  >c 

2 

Ohio 

7 

Indiana 

1 

Illini  >i> 

6 

Pennsylvania 

1  i 

Pennsylvania 

36 

Ohio 

83 

Illini  >is 

3 

Iowa 

4<> 

Illinois 

40 

Illinois 

20 

New   \  1  irk" 

45 

Iowa 

23 

New  York 

85 

New  York 

_>_> 

Illinois 

Kansas 

•35 

Illinois 

Ji 

Missouri 

7 

Ohio 

6 

U.  S.  V. 

3 

Xew  Hampshire 

7 

Kansas 

J43 

Ohio 

_SS  RENO  COUNTY,  KANSAS. 

.\\iiiit\<  Rank        Com  puny 

McRee,  D.  B Private  G 

McFarland,  D.  T Private  F 

McFadden,  J.  A Private  H 

McClery,  J.  H Private  A 

Northcutt,  H Private  H 

Xeuman,  G.  VV Private  G 

Neeley,  Thomas  H ,.  .  .Corporal  M 

Xall.  W.  H Private  C 

Mishols,   B.   F Private  H 

Nichols,  F.  M Private  G 

N(  u'se,  O.  S Private  F 

Newton,  S.  E Private  C 

Xiivt'<.  C.  J Private  A 

(  >dell,  ( i.  W Qr.-M.  Sergeant  E 

<  >  Tiara.    H.    C Corporal  E 

'  >sler,  Jackson    Private  F 

<  >bee,    1  lenrv    First  Lieutenant  G 

<  )\enseider.  Henry Private  G 

(  )lmstead,  W.  J Private  A 

'  Isborne,  R.  A Private 

<  1st,    William    Private  E 

Parker.   D.   H Private  G 

Tierce.    William    W Corporal  G 

Pricer,    David    Private  1 1 

I  'attcn.    L.   L Private  D 

Philips,  Nelson Private  A 

Piettifer,   Joseph    Private  I ) 

Pistole,  Joseph    Private  I") 

Perkins,  John   Private  F 

Potter,  J.  B Private  G 

Peternian,  Samuel    Private 

Pugle,  Thomas  J Private  I 

Priest.   W.  J Private  E 

Palmer,  '  leorge  E Private  E 

Pinnell,  G.  I Private  K 

Parker,  James   II Private  G 

Pry,  John    II Sergeant 

Phillips,   C.    W Private  L 


Keg. 

state 

4 

6 

Iowa 

H 

Ohio 

U 

Illinois 

i 

Missouri 

59 

Indiana 

i  j 

Illinois 

4 

Kentucky 

128 

Indiana 

6 

Iowa 

47 

Illinois 

64 

Illinois 

11 

Maine 

5th  Cavl. 

Illinois 

7 

Missouri 

1 1 

Indiana 

100 

Ohio 

10 

Iowa 

5 

Michigan 

. . . 

Kansas 

1 

Illinois 

79 

Ohio 

3 

Iowa 

89 

Ohio 

10 

Illinois 

16 

Iowa 

35 

Ohio 

1  JO 

Illinois 

[86 

Xew  York 

'47 

.  .  . 

Kansas 

7 

Indiana 

[29 

illin'  >is 

[2 

Kansas 

6 

Illini  »is 

86 

Illinois 

Iowa 

6 

Michigan 

RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

X aims  Rank      ( 'ompany 

Parker,  John    First  Sergeant  A 

I  'oulton,  William    Private  K 

Potter,    William    ....First   Lieutenant  K 

Pearson,  William Corporal  F 

Penington,  W.  R Private  G 

Petterson,  Alowgo Private  F 

Powers,  John    Private  E 

Pallett,  James  E Private  G 

Peed,    Josephus    Private  F 

Petre,    John    Private  E 

I  'roctor,    John    Private  C 

I  'utnam,   U.  F Private  K 

Parker,  Payton  N Private  F 

I  'aul,  W.  L.  R Private  G 

Pinkston,  Samuel Sergeant  E 

Pyles,   Joseph    Teamster 

Pilcher,    William    Private  H 

Piatt,  L.   H Private  A 

I  'owers,   R Private  I) 

I  'urdy,  E.   T Private  G 

Pieper,  C.  H Private  C 

Parker,  CD Sergeant  Major 

Payne,  Milo    Private  E 

Puterbough,  J Sergeant  E 

I  'lank,    A Private  B 

Prently.  J.  W Private  B 

Pinnell,  G.  L Private  K 

Pumphrey,   A Private 

Quinn,  C.   E Private  A 

Rea.  J.  A Sergeant  C 

Renehard,    S Private  E 

Rhodes,  < ).  W Private  K 

Rogers,  George   Bugler  C 

Rogers,  James    Private  D 

Rusher,    Robert   A Sergeant  C 

Richter,   Elias   Private  K 

Reynolds,    James    Private  C 

(19) 


289 


Reg. 

State 

2 

New   York 

1 

1  uite<l  States 

5» 

Ohio 

79 

New    York 

[56 

Illinois 

57 

Illinois 

56 

New  York 

6 

Missouri 

'5 

Indiana 

23 

Pennsylvania 

52 

Indiana 

C 

Michigan 

1 

Nebraska 

7 

Kansas 

19 

Kentucky 

78 

Illinois 

137 

Illhmi- 

11 

Michigan 

83 

Pennsylvania 

80 

Indiana 

48 

Ohio 

10 

Indiana 

47 

Illinois 

45 

Iowa 

3 

Kentucky 

C 

Illinois 

124 

Indiana 

3' 

Massachusetts 

[06 

Indiana 

14 

Illinois 

153 

Ohio 

10 

Illinois 

7 

Iowa 

_•_■ 

Illinois 

75 

Indiana 

5 

Minnesota 

1<)0  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

Names  Rank       Company 

Reynolds,   Charles    Private  F 

Reid,   Nathan    Private  A 

Ramsey,  William  A Private  H 

Richards,    N Captain  H 

Rogers.  James Bugler  C 

Riddell,  A.  J Private  C 

Reed.  J.  D Private  D 

Russell.    Matthew    Private  B 

Richart.  Henry Private  E 

Rogers,  George  F Private  H 

Roberts,  John Sergeant  A 

Risley,  John   Private  D 

Reynolds.  Jesse    Sergeant  D 

Rodrick.  J.  P Private  E 

Reville.  T.  P Private  C 

Rogers,  John    Private  F 

Ross,  J.  M.  C Sergeant  C 

Rose,  W.  A Sergeant  C 

Robinson.  J.  \Y Private 

Radliff,   William    Sergeant 

Ren  fro,  A.  G Sergeant  R 

Rallins,  Isaac    H 

Rowland,   Perry   Private  B 

Reese,  James  a  J Private  H 

Rehin,  Hugo Sergeant  K 

Rose,  W.  L Chaplain 

Reed.  William  X Private 

Ran.  Jacob Sergeant  M 

Ricks,  A.  T Private  E 

R^(\t  S.  M Private  I 

Reed.  John  A Private  A 

Rowland,   R.   H Musician  F 

Rover.  J.  I) Private  G 

Ross,  W.  I) Private  D 

Roland,  Jacob Private 

Ruddick,  John    Private  L 

Rohlman,   Spencer    Private  D 

\<>:c(\,    [.   M Private  L 


Reg. 

State 

]  22 

Illinois 

•>    - 

35 

Kentucky 

22 

Pennsylvania 

40 

Iowa 

IO 

Illinois 

5 

New  York 

7 

Illinois 

29 

Massachusetts 

21 

Missouri 

15 

Illinois 

28 

United  States 

6/ 

Illinois 

53 

Illinois 

1 

Ohio 

.  .  . 

New  York 

l33 

Illinois 

.  .  . 

Missouri 

13 

Iowa 

7 

Indiana 

1 

Wisconsin 

5 

Kentucky 

10 

West  Virginia 

9 

Ohio 

I23 

Indiana 

Si 

Ohio 

16 

Illinois 

3 

Michigan 

1 

West   Virginia 

'7 

Ohio 

15 

Iowa 

35 

Illinois 

92 

Ohio 

62 

Illinois 

98 

Pennsylvania 

• . . 

Ohio 

1 

Ohio 

120 

Illinois 

Indiana 

RENO  COUNTY,    Kansas. 


2Q 1 


Names  Rank      1 

Rogers,  H Private 

Rice,  A Private 

Rudy,  J.  S Private 

Rising,  J.  B Corporal 

Robinson,  A.  J Private 

Ritchie,  \V.  H Private 

Richards,  Henry Private 

Romig,  P Sergeant 

Rise,  G.  H Sergeant 

Rich,  W-.  R Private 

Rugg,  E.  M. Private 

Staley,  J.  A Corporal 

Sharp,  ALL Private 

Shahan,  J.  N Private 

Sanders,  G Private 

Sharer,  A Private 

Sidlinger,  S.  H.  ...  Sergeant-Adjutant 

Sanders,  M Private 

Shields,  G.  T Private 

Shields,  G.  T Private 

Smith,  S.  C Private 

St.  John,  John  F Private 

Shottenkirk,  C.  F Corporal 

Shore,  J.  H Corporal 

Stambaugh,  Jacob  S Corporal 

Stinnett,  Henry Private 

Sizelove,  Joseph Musician 

Shrader,  Casper Private 

Smith,  H.  W Private 

Smith,  F.  M Private 

Sprout,  G.  A Private 

Strong,  T.  V Sergeant 

Stephenson,  Private 

Shuyler,  John  S Private 

Shuvler,  Joseph  A Private 

Saxton,  G.  W Fourth  Corporal 

Shuvler,  D.  M First  Lieutenant 

Secoy,  J.  B.   .  .  .Sergeant,  First  Major 


ompany 

Reg. 

Si 

D 

7 

[owa 

C 

1  1 

Indiana 

F 

[68 

1  'ennsylvania 

1 

60 

New  York 

1) 

155 

Indiana 

E 

21 

Missouri 

6 

40 

Pennsylvania 

[I 

14 

( )hio 

B 

82 

Indiana 

D 

168 

Ohio 

E 

10 

Virginia 

A 

TO 

Missouri 

L 

I  I 

Missouri 

F 

4' 

Tenne- 

E 

32 

Ohio 

Staff 

■-5 

Ohio 

K 

125 

Ohio 

F 

10 

Iowa 

A 

! 

Illinois 

H 

14 

New   1  [ampshire 

K 

15 

Iowa 

I 

2T 

Illinois 

C 

6 

Kansas 

B 

84 

Illinois 

E 

29 

Indiana 

K. 

IT5 

Illinois 

I) 

25 

Iowa 

A 

33 

Illinois 

H 

'35 

Indiana 

C 

2 

Indiana 

C 

1 

Missouri 

H 

4 

Indiana 

G 

53 

Indiana 

C 

4-' 

Indiana 

B 

105 

Pennsylvania 

E 

4 

Indiana 

.  . 

51 

Wisconsin 

292  RENO  COUNTY,  KANSAS. 

Names  Rank       Company 

Shafer,   Peter  Private  F 

Smith,  J.  X Corporal  B 

Sears.  William   Private  C 

Sewerd,  A.  G Corporal  B 

Smith.  R.  P First  Lieutenant  QM.  B 

Shurburn,  J:  R 

Stetler,  B.  M First  Lieutenant  A 

Sumner,  Levi   First  Sergeant  B 

Schamp,  B.  F Private  F 

Shafer.  Joe Sergeant  E 

Schamp,  A.  V Private 

Sprowl,  Simon   Private  A 

Schoonover,  John  U Private  E 

Stoalal  larger.  Reuben Private  C 

Salmon,  Isaiah  K Private  K 

Shumway,  Edwin Corporal  A 

Stiggins,  T.  J Private  D 

Stuart.   E.   D A 

Swibyer,  A.   M Private  D 

Shulty,  John Private  I 

Seward,  J.  R Private  F 

Seeley,  E Corporal  D 

Show,  1) Private  H 

Spencer,  M.   M Private  E 

Sample,  J.  M Private 

Sharp,  Job Private  H 

Schneeberger,  D Private  G 

Sallee,  John Corporal  A 

Simon-,  Andrew   ....Second  Sergeant  I 

Sly,  James Private  C 

Spangler,  F.  M Private  I  I 

ward,  Jesse  E First  Sergeant  L 

Steven-.  James  A Corporal  K 

Stallman,  F.  IT Private  C 

Shaddock,  Robert   B Private  I 

hardine,  John   Private  C 

Strolil.    \.J Private  F 

•  .  '  ie<  »rge  J Private  E 


Reg. 

State 

2 

Illinois 

16 

Illinois 

9 

Iowa 

24 

Indiana 

50 

Wisconsin 

.    .    . 

Missouri 

H3 

Pennsylvania 

7 

Iowa 

47 

Missouri 

99 

.  Indiana 

.    ■    . 

Pennsylvania 

8 

Indiana 

3 

Iowa 

40 

Iowa 

3 

Michigan 

32 

Illinois 

160 

New  York 

161 

Pennsylvania 

165 

Ohio 

'3 

Indiana 

9 

Kentucky 

18 

Xew  York- 

') 

Ohio 

20 

Iowa 

14 

Michigan 

2 

Iowa 

1 

California 

76 

Illinois 

18 

Kentucky 

22 

Michigan 

107 

Illinois 

1  r 

Kentucky 

1  1 

Indiana 

/  / 

Pennsylvania 

9 

New  York 

1  r 

Indiana 

44 

Indiana 

76 

Illin<  lis 

R]  NO  COUNTY,   KANSAS 

Names  Rank      Company 

Spann,   Harry  C Privatje  15 

Ship,   Preston   Private  G 

Smith,  [chabod First  Sergeanl  C 

Schamp,  R.  G Private  F 

Smith,  Sylva Private  F 

Shulto,  Marion   Private  C 

Skinner,  J.  W Private  G 

Saunders.  J.  M Private  C 

Stone,  J.  S Musician  F 

Sigerson,  William  ..  Hospital  Steward  6  months 

Sigerson,   William   Sergeant  E 

Seward,  G.  A Private  B 

Shepard,  J.  L Private  B 

Stocking,  H Private  G 

Smith,  E.  W Private  C 

Smedley,  Richard Private  G 

Seltzer.  D Private  K 

Smith,  M.  C Private  K 

Smiley.  Robert  .  .  . Private  B 

Smith,  J.  T Private  E 

Shapley,  W.  H Private  A 

Stark.  F.  E Private  I 

Sinclair,  Jesse Chief  Gunner  A 

Seagraves,  W.  I Private  G 

Smith,  W.  F Private  K 

Sizelove,  William Private  M 

Sumner,  O.  L Private  B 

Shrenk,  John    Private  I 

Seams.  VV.  G Private  B 

Smith,  John  R Private  B 

Seibert,  J.  F Assistant  Engineer 

Stephens.  W.  H Private  H 

Sain.  George  W Private  D 

Smith.  J.   N Corporal  B 

Scurlock,  Allen 

Stewart,  James Sergeant  D 

Stephenson,  J.  A Corporal  K 

Surev,  William Private  I 


293 


Reg. 

State 

<4 

\\  ichigan 

133 

Indiana 

89 

Indiana 

44 

Indiana 

1  1  2 

New  York 

'-'4 

(  >hio 

4 

Illinois 

10 

Missouri 

40 

[<  >w  a 

during  war 

with  Mexico 

1 

Arkansas 

52 

Kentuck) 

5° 

Indiana 

107 

New  York 

68 

Indiana 

23 

Ohio 

64 

Ohio 

10 

Michigan 

4 

Pennsylvania 

67 

Indiana 

6 

Maryland 

4     • 

Ohio 

3 

Ohio 

57 

Indiana 

89 

Ohio 

2 

Illinois 

2 

Illinois 

9 

Ohio 

47 

Kentucky 

130 

New   York 

.  .  . 

Missouri 

22 

Michigan 

17 

Illinois 

16 

Illinois 

13 

Pennsylvania 

11 

Indiana 

123 

Ohio 

194  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

Xamcs  Rank       Company 

Slavyenhof,  E.  M Private  G 

Stokes,  C.  S Sergeant  F 

Sampson.   Samuel    Sergeant 

Stotts,   E Private  K 

St.  John,  I.  P Sergeant  K 

Smith.  I.  L Private  K 

Smith,  J.  H Private 

Stephenson,  W.  S Private  H 

Shafer,  

Scott,   I Captain  H 

Stewart,  J.  X Private  G 

Tunnell,  L.  B Private  F 

Taylor,  M.  W 2nd  Sergeant  F 

Taylor,  Calvin   Major 

Theobald,  Joseph Private  E 

Tibbitts,  William   Private  H 

Tucker.  George  B Sergeant  I 

Tapp,  James  B Private  K 

Tishue.  William  R Private  H 

Terrell,   Edmond    Corporal  G 

Tedrick,   M Corporal  D 

Teeter,  W.  L Private  J 

Trimble,  J.  M Private  G 

Thomas,  .Martin   2nd  Corporal  G 

Testei'.  Joseph Private  G 

Thomas,  W.  A Private  D 

Thomap,  W.   A Private  D 

I  aylor,   1  )avid    Sergeant  C 

Totten,  Trustimon  B Corporal  F 

'I  urbush,   George    Private  Iv 

I  oilman.    I) Private  E 

I  aylor,  T.  T Brevt.  Brig.  General 

rhomas,  W.   II Private  II 

rhomas,  <  r.  W Private  I ) 

rry,  J<  >el  F Private  F 

I  urner,  I  tennis I  'rivate  1 1 

1  eter,  Ji  mathan I  frivate  F 

•    S    F Private  K 


Reg. 

State 

155 

Pennsylvania 

3 

Wisconsin 

0 

Massachusetts 

I 

Ohio 

15 

Iowa 

^3 

Ohio 

.  .  . 

Pennsylvania 

4 

Indiana 

50 

Indiana 

94 

Illinois 

122 

Illinois 

10 

Iowa 

2  5 

Iowa 

1 

Illinois 

13 

Illinois 

3 

Massachusetts 

83 

Illinois 

6 

West  Virginia 

O 

3 

Illinois 

92 

Ohio 

28 

Iowa 

!°3 

Pennsvlvania 

57 

Indiana 

■    8 

Kentucky 

x3 

United  States 

8 

L  nited  States 

22 

United  States 

44 

Indiana 

8 

Vermont 

20 

Iowa 

47 

Ohio 

100 

Illinois 

51 

1  'ennsylvania 

85 

Illinois 

'33 

Illin<  n's 

94 

Illinois 

3 

Missouri 

RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

Names  Rank       Company 

Tern-,  George  F Private  K 

rharp,  Zeno 5th  Corporal  A 

Tryon,  Ephraini Private  K 

Tippetts,  J«»hn  A I Surgeon 

Thompson,  \V.  J I Private  K 

Trace.   James    Private  I ) 

T.ift.  Charles Private  A 

Thomas,  Stephen    Private  K 

Themas,  F Corporal  K 

'J  utile,  James    Private  C 

Tuttle,   Judson    Private  C 

Turtle,  A.  C Private  C 

Thomal,  II.  A Corporal  E 

LJngles,  Robert  B Private  I 

Underwood,  Wm.  R Private  F 

Underwood,  Theo.  W Private  B 

Ungles,  M.  J Private  C 

Vessels,   Elijah    Private  E 

Vaughan,  W.  B Private  L 

Van  Emmon,  W.  J Private  F 

Van   Natlian,  Nelson   Private  F 

Van  Natlian,  T Private  C 

Vincent,  J.  B Private  H 

Vest,  John Private  K 

Vandolah,  John  S Private  I 

Vanhorn.  David Private 

Van  Campen,  N.  F Private  B 

Vincent,   \V.  G Sergeant  H 

Vessels.  Thomas Private  I 

Vick,  L.  A Private  K 

Vanviker,  At.  D Private  A 

Vanbibber,  AI.  H 2nd  Corporal 

Vance,  Samuel   Private  E 

Wenstov  .   H Private  G 

Woddell,  I.  X Corporal  E 

Wright,  D.  M Private  C 

Weaver,   Henry  W Private  I 

Wisdom,  A.  S Private  A 


295 


Reg. 

State 

'3' 

Indiana 

34 

Iowa 

161 

Ohio 

13 

Pennsylvania 

78 

Illinois 

169 

Ohio 

1 1 

Missouri 

[89 

Ohio 

91 

[llinois 

04 

New  Y<  >rk 

1 

Wisconsin 

18 

Indiana 

9 

Tennessee 

17 

Illinois 

75 

Indiana 

138 

Indiana 

102 

Illinois 

6 

Indiana 

•3 

Iowa 

15 

Illinois 

39 

Missouri 

50 

Missouri 

5i 

Indiana 

139 

Ohio 

33 

Iowa 

•    •    • 

Ohio 

1 

New  York 

14 

Illinois 

148 

Indiana 

10 

Illinois 

72 

Indiana 

. .  . 

West  Virginia 

16 

Illinois 

19 

Illinois 

12 

Ohio 

"5 

Illinois 

28 

Iowa 

50 

Wisconsin 

^96  RENO   COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

Nantes  Rank       Company 

Wentz,  Lewis  H Private  K 

Wolf,  Roman   Private  C 

Worthington,  Joseph   Private  D 

Wilson.  M.  YV Private  G 

Wallace.  William   Private 

Willanl.  C.  X Private  A 

Wright,  Jonathan Private  G 

Wray,  C.  PI Corporal  .        B 

Wall.    W Private  E 

Wright,  J.  W Private  B 

Wright,  G.  W Corporal  C 

White.  H.   S Private  A 

Wiley.  G.  G Private  C 

Wirt.  S.  M Lieutenant  Colonel 

Wagner,   A Private  B 

Wiley,   F.  M Corporal  G 

W<  ods,  G.  D Private 

Wheeler.  J.  W Private  F 

Wilkinson,  C.  C *. Sergeant  C 

Winsor,  David .  Corporal  B 

Winsor,  G.  R.    Sergeant  B 

Winsor.  James Private  B 

Wolf.    W Private  I 

Wright.  B.  F Private  K 

Walker.  J.  P Private  C 

Wheeler,  William  S Private  H 

Willis,  Joseph Private  H 

Whitinger,  Jacob   Private  E 

Williams,    lames  S Serjeant  F 

Worthington,  Joseph   Private  K 

Williams,  U.  G Private  H 

Wilson,  M Private  C 

Wyman,  Silas  D Wagon  .Master  C 

Witherow,  O.  A Corporal  I 

Whitney,   Barney    Private  F 

Wakins,  William  A Captain  K 

White.  Levi  Firsl  Lieutenant  I 


Reg. 

State 

3 

Virginia 

193 

Ohio 

32 

Illinois 

2 

Iowa 

6 

Iowa 

1 

Illinois 

180 

Ohio 

120 

Indiana 

8 

Indiana 

L52 

Illinois 

94 

Illinois 

L5 

Kansas 

76 

Ohio 

39 

Missouri 

. .  . 

Iowa 

123 

Illinois 

. .  . 

Pennsylvania 

105 

Illinois 

1 

Indiana 

97 

New  York 

97 

New  York 

97 

Xew  York 

94 

Ohio 

43 

Illinois 

156 

Indiana 

10 

West  Virginia 

17 

Iowa 

45 

Iowa 

9 

Kentucky 

83 

Illinois 

28 

Illinois 

36 

Iowa 

117 

Indiana 

94 

Illinois 

79 

Pennsylvania 

76 

Illinois 

I  I  T 

New  York 

RENO  COUN1  VT,    KANSAS. 


297 


Names  Rank 

White,  Levi  M Private 

White,  John  A Private 

Wheeler,  John  () First  Lieutenant 

Weigel,  Jacob Private 

Wright,  William  T Private 

Walters,  Christo  A 

Willis,  L.  .Mortimer Private 

Wilson,  Smith   1st  Sergeant 

White,    Charles    Musician 

Wolgamate,  Jacob   Private 

Wisert,  ].  C Private 

Wells,   William   M Corporal 

Wolfersberger,  Isaac   Private 

Weigle,   Lewis    Private 

Wasnock,  Simeon Private 

Wallace,  William  H Private 

Willard,  Samuel Private 

White,  Joseph    Private 

Wilcox,  J.  1< Corpora] 

White,  John  E Private 

Wright,  B.  F Private 

Waggoner,  J.  H Private 

Withroder,  A.  M Private 

Walker,  J.   \\r Private 

Wvman,    David    Private 

Worthington,  E Private 

Warne,  W Private 

Warren,   E.  E Private 

Wagner,  Gustave Private 

Williamson,  L.  N Private 

Wilson,  Garretson    Private 

Waller,  W Corporal 

Waterberger,  S -.  .  Private 

Wavman,  J.  M Sergeant 

Warren,  G.  W Private 

Wright,  D.  M Private 

Young,  J.  TT Private 


(  ompany 

Reg. 

State 

E 

1  *5 

Illinois 

E 

10 

Illinois 

1 

98 

Illinois 

1 

76 

1  'ennsylvania 

K 

8 

h  >wa 
1  'ennsylvania 

B 

27 

Connecticut 

G 

11 

,   Pennsylvania 

I 

1 1 

New   York 

I 

86 

Illinois 

A 

192 

Ohio 

F 

5 

Pennsylvania 

A 

10 

Pennsylvania 

W 

15 

Pennsylvania 

A 

48 

h  >wa 

H 

2 

Tennessee 

A 

i34 

rihii'  lis 

A 

55 

Illim  >is 

D 

118 

Illiiloi> 

F 

165 

Pennsylvania 

H 

29 

Indiana 

I 

1 

I  nited  States 

I 

81 

Illim  is 

E 

. . . 

Indiana 

K 

23 

Indiana 

G 

155 

Illinois 

H 

L5i 

Indiana 

E 

8 

Ohio 

B 

.  .  . 

Iowa 

K 

^ 

Missouri 

C 

36 

Iowa 

H 

10 

West  Virginia 

G 

183 

Ohio 

H 

130 

Indiana 

B 

20 

Indiana 

C 

IX5 

Illinois 

K 

131 

Illinois 

_«»N 


RENO   COUNTY.    KANSAS. 


Nanms  Rank 

Yoakum,  M.  C Private 

Yust,   I".  S Private 

Yust.  Frederick  J Corporal 

Yeaerer,  W.   I Serjeant 

Yoush,  Jacob    Private 

Yearout,  J.J Private 

Zimmerman,  S.  B Lieut.   Artillery 


Company 

Reg. 

State 

H 

45 

Ohio 

A 

21 

Missouri 

A 

21 

Missouri 

D 

36 

Ohio 

B 

28 

Illinois 

M 

2 

Tennessee 

H 

8th  U. 

S. 

Arnrv. 

CHAPTER   XXXIX. 

State  Militia      COMPANY    E. 

The  first  military  company  of  Reno  county  was  organized  on  August 
12,  1873.  The  occasion, of  its  organization  was  a  reported  raid  of  Indians 
and  the  killing  of  some  hunters  near  .Medicine  Lodge.  The  company  un- 
organized very  hurriedly.  Charles  Collins  was  sheriff  of  Reno  county  at  the 
time  and  was  placed  in  command  of  the  company.  The  state  hurried  guns 
and  ammunition  to  Hutchinson  as  soon  as  the  reported  raid  was  made  known 
to  the  adjutant  general.  William  Astle  was  elected  first  lieutenant  and  A. 
M.  Switzer,  second  lieutenant.  All  were  old  soldiers,  then  in  the  prime  of 
life.  Great  difficulty  was  had  in  getting  enough  horses  to  equip  the  com- 
pany. There  is  no  record  of  the  number  of  men  that  went  out  to  Medicine 
Lodge.  The  company,  as  soon  as  it  was  organized  and  equipped,  left  for  the 
Indian  country.  They  were  gone  three  weeks,  hut  saw  no  Indians,  hut  found 
the  bodies  of  James  Crippen  and  his  father,  William  Crippen  :  a  man  by  the 
name  of  Kimes,  another  one.  Will  Boles,  and  a  surveyor  from  Lawrence,  who 
was  a  member  of  the  hunting  party,  whose  name  can  not  now  he  ascertained. 
They  buried  the  bodies  close  to  where  they  were  found,  and  brought  hack-  to 
Hutchinson  some  of  the  load  of  buffalo  hides  the  party  had  obtained  and 
loaded. 

This  was  the  only  time  a  military  company  ever  saw  any  service  in  the 
early  days.  The  company  disbanded  as  soon  as  the  danger  from  Indians 
was  supposed  to  be  over  and  the  following  spring  the  guns  and  other  equip- 
ment sent  to  Hutchinson  from  Topeka,  were  returned  to  the  adjutant  general 
of  the  state.  This  company  never  had  a  name  and  perhaps  there  is  no  record 
in  the  military  history  of  the  state  of  this  expedition,  except  that  ^i  the 
loss  of  some  guns  and  some  rounds  of  ammunition  that  they  have  charged  up 
to  "Captain  Collins."  It  is  very  probable  that  the  members  of  die  companv  ■ 
thought  that  the  guns  and  ammunition  would  be  of  more  service  in  Reno 
county,  shooting  game  than  the}-  would  be  in  Shawnee  county,  and  the  onl) 
record  there  is  to  offset  this  "shortage"  is,  "'guns  lost,  ammunition  used." 


;00  RENO  COUNTY.    KANSAS. 


IIOMK   GUARD   COMPANY   ORGANIZED. 


•  In  [878  a  military  company  was  organized  at  Langdon.  It  was  more  of 
a  "Home  Guard"  organization  than  a  military  company.  No  record  remains 
of  the  officers  of  this  company.  The  occasion  was  a  reported  "Indian  raid." 
which  started  in  sonic  wild  stories  of  settlers  toward  the  southwest.  It 
resulted  in  a  panic  of  the  farmers  to  get  to  some  place  of  protection.  Fami- 
lies were  loaded  into  wagons,  women  left  their  bread  in  the  ovens,  men  left 
their  horses  in  the  barns,  except  the  ones  they  drove,  while  everybody  was 
chasing  to  refuge.  There  never  was  any  cause  for  this  scare,  as  there  were  no 
Indians  within  a  hundrd  miles  of  Langdon.  The  excitement  soon  died  down 
ami  the  "Military  Company  of  Langdon"  exists  only  as  a  story  that  is  told. 


ORGANIZATION    OI-"    COMPANY   E. 


In  .May,  1890,  Company  E  of  the  Second  Regiment,  Kansas  National 
Guard,  as  it  now  exists,  was  organized  in  Hutchinson.  It  was  mustered  into 
the  service  of  the  state  on  August  25,  1890.  R.  A.  Campbell  was  captain; 
F.  L.  Martin,  first  lieutenant  and  Frank  D.  Roberts,  second  lieutenant.  The 
company  was  armed  with  the  old  Springfield  rifles,  which  were  soon  replaced 
with  Krag-Jorgenson  rifles,  and  these  in  time  replaced  by  the  present  Spring- 
field rifle.  The  company  was  sent  to  Seward  county  on  January  5.  [892,  to 
help  preserve  peace  in  a  county-seat  "war"  that  had  resulted  from  a  county- 
seat  contest.  They  were  out  eleven  days.  Martin  and  Roberts  resigned  and 
Carr  W.  Taylor  was  made  first  lieutenant  and  Frank  W.  Beam,  second  lieu- 
tenant. Taylor  soon  resigned  and  P>eam  was  made  first  lieutenant  and  A.  \\  . 
Eagau,  second  lieutenant.  The  latter  soon  resigned.  T.  R.  Campbell  was 
promoted  to  Eagen's  place  and  in  [895  was  elected  captain  of  the  company. 
on  the  promotion  of  R.  A.  Campbell,  his  father,  to  be  lieutenant-colonel  of 
the  regiment.  T.  I\.  Beebe  was  made  second  lieutenant  in  1895.  lie  soon 
resigned  and  Edward  A.  Campbell,  another  son  of  R.  A.  Campbell,  who  went 
to  the  Philippines  in  [898,  was  appointed  first  lieutenant.  C.  L.  Hawley  was 
elected  second  lieutenant  in  [896,  serving  a  short  time,  when  he  was  succeeded 
by  Dorr  Thompson,  who  resigned  and  was  elected  captain  of  the  company  in 
[898.  This  company  had  a  second  call  when  they  were  sent  to  Greensburg, 
Kansas,  to  proteel  from  mob  violence  a  man  charged  with  murder.  There 
was  but  little  reason  for  the  call,  for  the  militia  and  the  company  returned 
to  I  lutchinson  on  the  evening  of  the  day  they  reached  Greensburg. 


RENO  COUNTY,    K  WS As.  30] 

MUSTERED   tNTO   UNITED  STATES  SERVK  1 

Company  E  did  not  go  into  service  in  a  body,  bul  was  mustered  out  in 

December,  1898,  being  reorganized  in  May,  [899,  with  T.  I\.  Campbell,  cap 
tain;  Matthew  Smith,  first  lieutenant;  Chester  Roberts,  second  lieutenant. 
Campbell  was  promoted  to  major  in  [901.  He  was  succeeded  by  I.  T.  Law- 
son.  During  this  time  Alfred  II.  Toe,  Charles  S.  Meece,  David  Baxter  and 
Howard  Sheelev  were  lieutenants  in  the  company.  J.  C.  Newman  succeeded 
Lawson  as  eaptain  and  Rodney  J.  Kessler  was  made  first  lieutenant.  Kessler 
resigned  and  Fred  L.  Lemmon  became  eaptain  of  the  company  on  September 
21,  1908,  and  has  been  eaptain  of  the  company  since  his  selection. 

Company  E  was  mustered  into  the  United  States  service  on  May  i-'. 
1898,  as  a  part  of  the  Twenty-first  Regiment.  Kansas  Volunteer  Infantry. 
On  May  17,  1898,  the  regiment  left  Topeka  for  Fort  Lysle,  Georgia,  where  it 
went  into  camp  and  remained  there  until  August  25.  [898.  There  was  much 
sickness  in  this  camp  and  twenty  deaths  from  typhoid  fever  resulted.  On 
August  25  the  regiment  was  sent  to  Camp  Hamilton,  Kentucky.  The  regi- 
ment remained  there  until  September  25,  [898,  when  it  was  ordered  to  Ft. 
Leavenworth,  Kansas,  where  it  was  furloughed  and  finally  mustered  out  on 
December  to,  1898.  Below  is  the  roster  of  the  company  at  the  lime  of  it- 
service  (hiring  the  Spanish-American  War: 

Company  li. 

Captain,  Dorr  Thompson. 

First  Lieutenant,  James    C.    Brown. 

Second  Lieutenant,  Charles  S.  Gibbens. 

First  Sergeant,  James  F.  Lawson. 

Ouarter  Master  Sergeant.   Edward  A.  Heffner,   Frank   L.   llnxtahle. 

Serjeants,    Edward   Swift.    Clyde    I.    Botkin,    Frank    Nicholson,    Elmer 

Kenoyer. 

Corporals,  Roy  C.  Whitney.  Lawrence  Meece,  William  II.  Heffner, 
Harry  Squire,  Charles  H.  Shaw.  Percy  F.  Godley,  William  H.  Elder,  James 
K.  Moon,  William  H.  Erwin,  John  M.  Garrison,  Hiram  M.  Dolby,  William 
H.   Ashley,  Frank   H.    McKec    Benjamin   A.   Fleming. 

Musicians,  Marion  A.  keilev.  Teddie  W.  White.  Charles  C.  Hoag,  Earl 
R.  Benson. 

Artificers.  John  (',.  Willard,   Edward  S.    Patton. 

Wagoner,  James  O.  Messinger. 

Cook.  Joseph   R.   Marr. 


302  RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

Privates,  Albert  l\.  Atkinson  (died  in  division  hospital,  September  n, 
[890,  of  typhoid  fever),  William  Tl.  Ashley,  Frank  J.  Baker.,  Walter 
Baker,  William  A.  Barnes,  Harry  Barton.  Samuel  Bedford,  Owen  Bick- 
Ford,  Ethan  E.  Bringle,  Frank  C.  Brown,  Albert  A.  Buck,  Charles  W.  Brown. 
Earl  R.  Benson,  Gilbert  L.  Callard,  Robert  A.  Campbell,  Dexter  Chambers, 
Richard  J.  Coleman,  Andrew  Crichton,  William  Campbell,  Herbert  Davis. 
Ernest  W.  Day,  Richard  Devine,  John  A.  II.  Devitt,  Ernest  DeWalt,  William 
I'..  Duke,  Hiram  M.  Dolby.  Rufus  Edwards,  Frank  J.  Ekey.  Judd  L.  Elliott, 
Albert  B.  Eales  (died  in  division  hospital,  Aug'.  17,  1898,  of  typhoid  fever), 
William  H.  Elder,  William  H.  Erwin,  Henry  Fey,  Robert  P.  Frost,  Benjamin 
A.  Fleming,  William  G.  Gordinier,  Bruce  F.  Grimm,  Herbert  M. 
Grubbs,  John  M.  Garrison,  Edward  A.  Heffner,  Charles  W.  Holsapple, 
James  Hamilton,  Leonard  C.  Harry,  Charles  C.  Hoag,  Frank  L. 
Hnxtable.  Irwin  M.  Ivey,  Marion  A.  Ivelley,  William  T.  Kincade, 
Thomas  Kirk.  George  D.  Koon,  Thomas  H.  Kesner,  deserted  August  20, 
1898;  Dwight  T.  Lawson.  Samuel  E.  Lowe,  Charles  E.  McCormick,  Horace 
Matherly,  Lawrence  Meece,  William  E.  Munson,  Algernon  R.  Murphy,  Rob- 
ert C.  Myers.  James  K.  Moon,  Frank  H.  McKee,  Joseph  R.  Marr,  Ray- 
mond Nally,  Levi  A.  O'Hara,  William  E.  Pinnell,  Edward  S.  Patton,  Albert 
M.  Rardin.  William  E.  Redman,  Carl  D.  Rice,  John  W.  Roberts,  William  G. 
Robertson,  Arthur  C.  Rogers,  Joseph  Rogers,  Frank  M.  Raner,  George 
Schlegel,  Chris  W.  Schrader,  John  H.  Schrant,  Charles  H.  Shaw.  Hiram 
S.  Shaw,  Eads  E.  Shive,  Burtie  E.  Shultz,  Walter  S.  Simms,  Matthew  Smith. 
Ross  L.  Snyder,  Charles  Sommers,  Charles  A.  Starr,  Clarence  Taylor.  Cyrus 
C.  Taylor,  Morgan  M.  Tolle,  Levi  II.  Tuttle,  Joseph  H.  Van  Dorsten,  Clar- 
ence  E.  Warren.  Teddie  W.  White.  John  ( '.  Willard,  Charles  M.  Wilson. 
Frank  Wilson,  Alfred  Yaughgar. 

SECOND    CALL    TO    SERVICE. 

Company  E  received  it--  second  call  to  service  on  June  to,  ioi<>-  It 
was  sent  to  Ft.  Riley  on  June  23,  [916,  and  was  mustered  into  the  service 
of  the  United  States  on  [line  26,  [916.  The  regiment  left  Ft.  Riley  Eor 
Eagle  Pass,  Texas,  on  July  1.  [916,  arriving  there  on  July  3.  The  regi- 
ment was  assigned  to  the  Twelfth  Army  Division  and  was  ordered  to  join 
that  division  at  San  Antonio.  Texas,  making  the  trip  in  motor  trucks:  leav- 
ing Eagle  Pass  on  September  6,  [916,  and  making  the  one  hundred  and 
eighty  miles  in  two  days*  time.  The  division  was  sent  overland  from  San  An- 
antonio  to  Austin,  Texas,  making  the  distance  in  fourteen  days.    It  consisted  of 


RENO  tin    \|V,    K  \.\s.\s.  303 

fourteen  thousand  men  and  six  thousand  horses.  The  regiment  was  ordered 
North  on  October  _'4,  [916,  and  was  mustered  oul  of  the  service  on  Novem- 
ber ij,  [916,  at  Ft.  Riley,  Kansas.  Company  E  automatically  reverted  to 
its  former  state-  as  Company  E,  Second  Regiment,  Kansas  National  Guard. 
The  following  is  a  roster  of  Company  E  as  it  stood  at  the  time  of  it  e<  >nd 
call  to  service,  on  June   10.    [916: 

Captain,   Fred   L.    Lemon. 

Firsl   Lieutenant.   Durward  J.  Wilson. 

Second   Lieutenant,    Walt  it    W.    Brown, 

First  Sergeant,   Harvey    R.    Rankin. 

Mess  Sergeant.  Rex  C.  Houston. 

Supply  Sergeant;  Lee   R.   McMullen. 

Sergeants,  Clarence  T.  Mather,  Donald  P.  Stewart.  Dalbert  W.  Mitchell, 
Charles  O.  Souder,  Thomas   I).    Horr,  Louis  1).   White. 

Corporals,  Earl  K.  Risley,  Albert  Wickendoll,  Fred  A.  Hadel,  Roy  II . 
Newton.  Bert  V.  DaVolt,  Claude  \l.  Hall.  Donald  C.  Potter,  Elton  K.  Giles, 
Morris  J.  Tucker. 

Mechanic,  Leonard  A.  Gibbs. 

Cooks,    Wilber   R.    Lee,    Lloyd    15.   Cox. 

Buglers.  Paul  L.  Black,  Robert  L.  Shields. 

Privates,  First  Class.  Seth  J.  Abbott.  Harry  (i.  Buettner,  Charles  G. 
Diehl,  Leon  L.  Poster.  Lester  O.  Foster,  George  E.  Hobby,  Fred  W.  King. 
Ernest  W.  Parmley.  Edward  W.  Payne,  Ralph  F.  Peck.  Pan  G.  Ramsey, 
William.  F.  Smither,  Howard  E.  Strobel,  Joseph  L.  Ulmer,  Frank  A. 
Vaughan,  John  Vogt,  Leo  Ward.  William  S.  Weir,  Charles  P.  Williams. 

Privates,  Paul  L.  Barstow,  John  A.  Black.  Clayton  W.  Brace.  Charles 
R.  Brundige,  George  H.  Burdick,  James  W.  Campbell,  Clarence  C.  Chapin, 
Dale  L.  Crippen,  John  E.  Davidson,  Hobart  Edwards,  William  F.  Gabbert, 
Prederick  E.  Goodrich.  George  W.  Goodrich,  Philip  \Y.  1  lamer.  Ralph  R. 
Hart,  Roscoe  O.  Hawkins.  Joseph  F.  Harrington.  Pert  L.  Hicks.  Floyd  II. 
Hobson,  Edgar  E.  Howe.  Roy  A.  Howe.  John  P.  Jewell.  Pari  IP  King, 
Archie  D.  McCollum,  Norman  W.  Miller.  Davis  I-;.  Parsons.  Verner  P. 
Porter,  Charlie  L.  Seaman.  Harry  IP  Stephens.  Grant  Stewart.  Albert  X. 
Stockton,  Harvey  AY.  Ulmer,  Hubert  P.  W'aggerman.  lames  IP  Weaver. 
William  J.   Whitehead.  James    IP    Woods,   Charles   L.   Zumalt. 

MACHINE-GUN    COMPANY,    SECOND    [NFANTRY,    KANSAS    NATIONAL   GUARD. 

The  Machine-Gun  Company  was  located  at  Hutchinson  through  the 
influence  of  Guv  C.  Rexroad,  at  the  beginning  ^\  the  year    [916.     The  first 


304  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

drill  was  held  on  January  17.  [916.  Lieutenant  Rexroad  received  his  com- 
mission as  sect  Hid  lieutenant  on  March  6,  [916.  At  that  time  the  Machine- 
Gun  Company  was  composed  of  members  detailed  from  other  organizations 
and  the  regiment  commissary  captain  was  ex-officio  captain  of  the  Machine- 
Gun  Company.  Capt.  C.  S.  Gibbons,  of  Xickerson,  was  regiment  commander 
and  therefore  captain  of  the  Machine-Gun  Company.  Under  the  direction 
of  these  two  officers  the  company  was  brought  up  to  a  high  state  of  effi- 
ciency when  the  call  for  border  service  came  on  June   ig,   [916. 

The  company  left  Hutchinson  for  Ft.  Riley  on  June  2$,  1916,  with 
its  full  strength  of  fifty-three  men.  Captain  Gibbons  failing  to  pass  the 
physical  examination,  was  succeeded  as  captain  by  Jerry  C.  Springstead,  of 
Topeka.  then  ranking  as  colonel  in  the  guard  in  the  paymaster's  depart- 
ment. Meanwhile  the  law  making  the  Machine  Gun  Company  a  separate 
and  independent  unit  of  the  regiment  was  passed  and  the  complement  of  the 
company  placed  at  fifty-three  enlisted  men  and  four  officers,  a  captain,  first 
lieutenant  and  two  second  lieutenants. 

The  company  was  mustered  into  the  service  of  the  United  States  at  Ft. 
Riley  and  left  for  the  border  at  Eagle  Pass  with  the  regiment  on  July  1 , 
1916.  Soon  after  reaching  Eagle  Pass,  Second  Lieut.  Frank  J.  Benscoter, 
of  Hutchinson,  and  Second  Lieut.  William  II.  Burgener,  of  Newton,  both 
of  the  supply  company  of  the  Second  Regiment  were  transferred  to  the 
Machine-Gun  Company,  Lieutenant  Rexroad  having  heen  promoted  to  first 
lieutenant  on  July   1. 

The  company  made  the  trip  from  Eagle  Pass  to  San  Antonio  by  motor 
truck  and  took  part  in  the  march  from  San  Antonio  to  Austin  and  return, 
came  North  with  the  regiment  and  was  mustered  out  at  Ft.  Riley  on  Novem- 
ber i_'.   1916,  and  returned  to  Hutchinson  on  November   r4,  igTf). 

As  the  Machine-Gun  Company  is  now  constituted  the  men  are  armed 
with  automatic  pi>t<>1s  in  addition  to  the  machine-guns.  The  company  con- 
sists <>f  two  platoons  and  each  platoon  is  armed  with  two  machine-guns. 
Each  of  these  guns  is  capable  of  firing  six  hundred  shots  per  minute  and 
i-  estimated  to  equal  fifty  rifles.  The  guns  and  equipment  were  carried 
"ii  pack  muk--  and  the  Hutchinson  company  became  very  efficient  in  packing 
and  caring    for   it-  equipment. 

Captain  Springhead  has  been  transferred  to  another  department,  leav- 
ing tin-  company  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant  Rexroad,  who  was  in 
actual  command  nearly  all  the  time  on  the  border.  Captain  Springstead 
being  occupied  much  of  the  time  with  other  duties. 


RENO  COUNTY,    K  \.\S.\S.  V '5 

ROSTER    OF    THE    MACHINE-GUN    COMPANY. 

The  following  is  a  complete  roster  of  the   Machine-Gun  Company  al 

the  time  it  was  mustered  oul  of  service  on  November  i_\  i<Hf>; 

First  lieutenant.  Guy  C.  Rexroad,  commanding  company;  second  lieu 
tenant,  Frank  J.  Benscoter;  second  lieutenant,  Carl  B.  Schmidt;  firsl  ser- 
geant, Robert  A.  Campbell;  mess  sergeant,  Edward  C.  Clickner;  supply  ser- 
geant, Bertram  J.  Ayres ;  stable  sergeant,  Lester  \\  .  Huston;  sergeants, 
Ezra  J.  Wilson,  John  J.  Barthold,  James  II.  Holdeman,  Kay  \\\  Brown, 
Roy  F.  Parsons;  corporals,  Arthur  L.  Maltby.  Hal.  II.  Crocheron,  James 
B.  Lynas,  Edward  W.  McKee,  Walter  D.  Hyatt,  Howard  J.  Bates;  hor-r 
shoer,  George  S.  Middlehurst ;  mechanic,  Earl  C.  Warnock;  buglers,  Karl  F. 
Schonholz,  Frank  E.  Woodmanse ;  cooks,  Harry  B.  Reynolds,  Berl  C.  Butcser; 
privates,  first  class,  Roy  M.  Crow,  Marcus  (i.  Kecdy,  Alfred  \.  Massoni, 
Arba  F.  Richards,  Leslie  L.  Shawhan,  Ray  F.  Brown,  Darrell  P.  Hagaman, 
John  H.  Ferguson;  privates,  Ray  W.  Arnold.  Chester  I.  Bates,  Vern  O. 
Bobey,  Harry  Elmes,  Martin  E.  Everett,  Paul  F.  Fick.  Karl  M .  Harmon. 
Floyd  M.  Jackson,  Roy  V.  Johnson,  Harland  D,  Kimzey,  Frank  L.  Lloyd. 
Verl  J.  McKenzie,  William  S.  Nelson,  Gerald  Rexroad,  Xed  M.  Rider,  Ray 
E.  Sniffer,  Lee  Slate.  ( reorge  \Y.  Winters. 


(20) 


CHAPTER  XL. 
Community  Music. 

The  early  settlers  were  not  without  their  pleasures.  They  had  more 
leisure  than  their  successors,  for  business  matters  were  not  so  pressing  and 
social  matters  received  more  attention  than  they  do  now.  Formality  was 
less  observed  than  now  and  everyone  in  the  county  knew  his  neighbor.  It 
was  pioneer  days  and  they  enjoyed  pioneer  ways. 

Social  gatherings  were  common.  In  the  early  days  religious  gatherings 
were  largely  attended.  Music  was  one  of  the  features  of  church  work. 
The  musician  was  in  constant  demand  for  church  services,  for  funerals  and 
for  entertainments  of  all  kinds.  There  were  a  few  persons  who  could  always 
he  relied  upon  to  help  out  in  the  service,  of  whatever  nature  it  might  be.  It 
would  be  a  difficult  matter  to  place  a  value  on  the  services  of  a  singer  who 
was  always  ready  and  willing  to  help  with  the  voice.  The  uplifting  influence 
"I  one  good  singer  in  a  county — the  refining  influence  that  comes  from  such 
a  person — has  mure  to  do  with  the  character  of  the  county  than  has  ever 
been  told. 

In  the  early  days  of  Reno  county  there  were  a  number  of  persons  who 
had  good  voices  and  who  were  always  ready  to  help  along.  Among  them 
were  Nettie  Burrell.  now  Mrs.  Joe  Talbott;  Mrs.  A.  W.  Innes,  now  of 
Waukegan,  Illinois;  Mrs.  Dr.  Lucas;  Mr.  Wall  and  B.  S.  Hoagland.  Per- 
haps  a  quartette  of  these  singers  has  sung  for  more  public  entertainments, 
church  services  and  funerals  than  any  other  quartette  that  ever  was  organ- 
ized in  the  county.  For  twelve  years  they  sang  regularly  in  one  of  the 
churches.  It  mattered  not  what  denomination  wanted  their  help  in  any 
special  music  and  it  mattered  not  what  services  they  had  rendered  that  day, 
they  were  always  ready  and  willing.  They  have  a  record  of  two  church 
services.,  one  special  Sunday  school  service  and  three  funerals  in  one  day. 
Without  a  charge  of  any  kind,  they  did  their  work"  for  the  good  of  the  com- 
munity. 

<  >ne  "t'  the  earliest  music  teachers  in  the  county  was  Prof.  W.  F.  Oakes. 
lie  was  a  line  pianisl   and  also  a  splendid   violinist.      He  staved  in  Hutchin- 


KKNO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  $QJ 

son  for  many  years  and  his  services  both  as  a  teacher  and  entertainer  were 
in  constant  demand. 

The  first  public  concert  was  given  in  LS75  in  the  Presbyterian  church. 
Among  the  soloists  were  'P.  F.  Leidigh,  (i.  V.  Ricksecker  and  B.  S.  Hoag 
land.  A  year  or  so  later  the  cantata,  "Queen  Esther/'  was  given  by  Hutchin 
son  musicians.  Among  those  who  participated  in  this  musical  entertainmenl 
were  Mrs.  C.  A.  Robb,  Dr.  A.  W.  McCandless,  I,  T.  Woodrow,  Mr^  Lyda 
Rogers  and  Mrs.  II.  Whiteside.  These  were  some  of  the  occasion^  in  which 
the  community  interests  were  considered.  They  were  the  beginnings  of  gen- 
eral  interest  of  the  entire  public  in  musical  matters.  Of  course  there  were 
numerous  other  musical  events,  but  these  were  the  most  pretentious. 

On  Thanksgiving  day.  1892,  a  big  concert  was  arranged  at  the  audi 
torium,  then  located  at  Riverside  park.  The  principal  feature  of  this  con- 
cert was  a  children's  chorus  of  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  ninety-seven 
voices.  Patriotic  songs  and  school  and  religious  songs  were  on  the  pro- 
gram. The  purpose  of  this  concert  was  to  raise  money  with  which  to  pay 
the  local  expenses  of  the  State  Christian  Endeavor  Union  that  was  to  be 
held  in  Hutchinson  the  following  summer.  There  was  one  soloist  that  daj . 
who  afterwards  became  mayor  of  the  city  and  is  now  at  the  head  of  a  trusl 
company,  Louis  E.  Fontron,  then  but  a  young  man.  He  sang  the  solo  part 
of  'Throw  Out  the  Life  Line,"  the  chorus  and  audience  all  joining  in  the 
chorus.  Jt  was  an  inspiring  sight  and  public  interest  in  this  class  of  public 
entertainments  was  aroused  and  was  responsible  for  the  largest  musical  event 
that  Kansas  has  ever  known.  "The  Musical  Jubilee." 

L.  A.  Bigger,  then  owner  of  the  street  car  line  (only  a  horse-car  line  at 
that  time)  and  who  saw  how  greatly  it  would  1>enefit  the  city  and  help  him 
keep  the  car  line  in  operation  which  was  barely  making  operating  expenses, 
proposed  to  finance  the  preliminary  organization  that  it  would  take  to  estab- 
lish the  jubilee  as  a  state-wide  musical  event.  B.  S.  Hoagland  was  selected 
as  secretary  of  the  jubilee  committee  and  general  field  agent  and  manager 
of  the  matter.  It  was  arranged  through  Theodore  Thomas,  director  of  the 
World's  Fair  music,  to  appoint  a  committee  of  ladies  to  have  charge  of 
the  first  jubilee.  Back  of  the  World's  Fair  proposition  was  the  Hutchin- 
son Jubilee,  providing  the  place  and  prizes  for  the  contests.  All  the  rail- 
roads of  the  state  joined  in  a  low  rate  and  Hutchinson  became  the  musical 
center  of  Kansas.  The  committee  who  had  charge  of  the  jubilee  were  Mrs. 
Gaston  Boyd,  of  Newton;  Mrs.  A.  M.  Dunlap,  of  Lawrence;  Mrs.  G.  II 
Parkhurst.  of  Topeka ;  Mrs.  H.    \Y.  Hodges,  of  Abilene;  Mrs.  S.  W.  Jones 


}08  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

and  .Mrs.  Kate  Blunt,  of  Leavenworth;  Mrs.  Garst,  of  Wichita,  and  Mrs. 
S.  C.  Cross,  of  Emporia.  The  State  Music  Teachers'  Association  met  that 
year  at  Lawrence  and  they  also  joined  in  the  enterprise. 

The  prizes  were  for  ladies'  choruses,  male  choruses  and  for  solos,  duets 
and  quartettes.  Instrumental  contests  were  also  provided  for  the  piano, 
violin,  pipe  organ  and  other  instruments. 

The  street  car  company  guaranteed  two  thousand  dollars  for  the 
expense  of  the  meeting.  The  Commercial  Club  also  joined  in  the  guarantee 
and  raised  the  necessary  guaranty  to  push  the  matter  to  the  end. 

The  result  was  that  the  greatest  anticipations  of  the  most  enthusiastic 
w  ere  more  than  realized.  There  were  mixed  choruses  of  over  a  hundred 
from  Emporia,  Newton,  Topeka,  Leavenworth,  Hutchinson,  Anthony, 
\hilene  and  Salina.  There  were  also  ladies'  choruses  present  from  Wichita 
and  Newton.  There  were  dozens  of  entries  in  all  of  the  other  contests  and 
it  became  necessary  to  continue  the  contests  into  the  night  to  get  through 
with  all  of  the  contestants.  In  this  contest,  W.  L.  Tomlins,  of  Chicago, 
was  the  adjudicator  of  the  choruses;  Carl  Busch,  of  Kansas  City,  was  the 
•  .eal  adjudicator,  and  H.  C.  Schultze,  also  of  Kansas  City,  instrumental 
adjudicator. 

The  jubilee  ran  eleven  years.  Ten  of  these  years  its  was  under  the 
direction  of  B.  S.  Hoagland.  He  traveled  over  the  state,  keeping  in  touch 
with  the  musicians.  He  had  a  job  for  which  he  was  eminently  fitted  and 
for  which  he  had  no  competition.  He  had  the  ability  to  keep  the  notoriously 
hard  bunch  of  high-grade  musicians  in  working  order.  He  kept  down  fac- 
tional jealousies.  He  anticipated  the  opposition  of  other  towns  which  would 
like  to  have  had  the  jubilees  located  in  their  city  and  for  ten  years  he  was 
the  principal  factor  in  the  continuance  of  the  big  musical  event.  The 
eleventh  year  was  one  of  disaster.  LI.  E.  Malloy  was  directing  it  after  Mr. 
Hoagland  declined  to  carry  the  load  further,  but,  with  no  fault  on  the  part 
•  it'  anyone,  the  jubilee  was  a  failure.  The  big  floods  in  eastern  Kansas  made 
railway  travel  impossible.  Hutchinson  was  experiencing  one  of  the  three 
occasions  of  a  Hood  in  <  ow  creek  and  it  was  a  physical  impossibility  to  carry 
the  jubilee  through. 

So  there  were  ten  years  of  musical  jubilees.  During  these  ten  vears 
there  wen-  but  two  years  when  the  jubilee  did  not  pay  all  expenses  and  then 
it  was  but  a  few  dollars  shortage.  There  never  was  a  time  when  all  prizes 
in  contests  were  n"t  paid  the  last  night  of  the  jubilee.  All  of  the  judges' 
salaries  were  paid.     There  never  was  a  time  when  there  was  the  slightest 


RENO  COUN1  Y,    K  \\>.\S.  31  (O, 

question  about  everyone  getting  their  money.  Prizes  were  often  paid  when 
the  strict  construction  of  the  rules  of  the  contest  <li<l  not  require  such  pa) 
mcnt,  hut  no  technicality  ever  was  allowed  to  prevail.  Perhaps  it  was  this 
feature  as  much  as  any,  that  held  the  support  of  those  who  [ived  outside 
of  the  city  and  who  would  perhaps  have  really  favored  some  other  place 
for  the  contest;  the  fact  that  Hutchinson  business  men  guaranteed  every- 
thing and  made  good  that  guaranty,  kept  other  towns  from  organizing  in 
competition. 

It  is  difficult  now  to  comprehend  the  real  value  of  those  ten  years  of 
jubilees  to  Hutchinson  and  to  Reno  county.  Outside  of  the  increased  inter 
est  in  musical  matters  and  the  developing  of  the  musical  talent  of  the  city 
and  community,  it  had  a  financial  value  that  was  very  great.  In  the  ten 
years  thousands  of  people  came  to  attend  the  juhilees  from  points  outside 
Hutchinson  and  Reno  county.  Special  trains  were  provided  even-  year  to 
accommodate  those  who  attended.  The  money  they  left  in  the  city  was 
no  small  item  in  those  days,  when  crops  were  not  so  bountiful  and  when 
prosperity  was  not  so  general  as  it  was  at  a  later  date.  It  kept  alive  one 
institution  alone  that  could  not  possibly  have  survived  the  "hard  times," 
and  that  was  the  street  car' line.  Without  the  added  business  of  the  jubilees. 
it  could  not  have  continued  to  operate.  The  present  electric  system  is  an 
outgrowth  of  the  old  car  line,  and  it  would  not  have  been  established. 

The  interest  in  musical  matters  developed  by  the  jubilees  led  to  the 
present  condition  of  "community  music"  and  the  voting  of  a  small  tax  to 
support  a  "municipal  band,"  which  is  one  of  the  interesting  features  of 
Hutchinson  life.  This  band  gives  a  concert  during  the  fall,  winter  and 
spring  months  in  Convention  hall  every  Sunday  afternoon.  The  capacity 
of  the  building,  four  thousand  five  hundred,  is  nearly  always  used  in  these 
concerts,  the  average  attendance  being  over  four  thousand  weekly.  There 
is  no  charge  whatever  for  these  concerts.  The  highest  and  the  lowest,  the 
wealthy  and  the  poor,  have  equal  access  to  it.  Tt  is  an  exceedingly  popular 
institution  and  has  a  large  part  in  the  community  life.  During  the  summer 
months,  when  it  would  be  uncomfortable  in  a  building,  this  band  plays  one 
concert  during  each  week,  at  some  one  of  the  various  school  yards  of  the 
city,  enabling  the  people  of  each  part  of  the  city,  without  any  expense  and 
with  little  effort,  to  hear  the  music.  It  is  without  doubt  a  great  help  in 
adding  to  the  common  enjoyment. 


CHAPTER  XLI. 

Smaller  Towns  in   Reno  County. 

Hutchinson,  of  course,  is  the  largest  city  in  Reno  county.  Being  the 
county  seat  it  has  always  had  the .  advantage  and  its  location  also  has  helped 
keep  it  growing.  It  has  the  outlet  of  railroads  centering  here  and  has  enjoyed 
a  steady  growth  ever  since  it  was  organized.  Reno  county  has  a  number 
of  smaller  towns  that  have  had  a  steady  growth  ever  since  they  were  laid 
out.  The  largest  of  these  towns  is  Nickerson.  It  got  its  name  from  Thomas 
Nickerson.  who  was  president  of  the  Santa  Fe  Railroad  Company  at  the 
time  the  town  company  was  organized.  It  is  ten  miles  northwest  of  Hutch- 
inson on  the  Santa  Fe  railroad  and  also  on  a  branch  of  the  Missouri  Pacific 
that  runs  to  Hoisington,  where  this  branch  line  connects  with  the  main  line, 
east  and  west. 

NICKERSON. 

The  original  townsite  of  Nickerson  was  laid  out  one  mile  east  of  its 
present  location  in  1875.  A  depot  was  built  on  the  old  townsite  in  1872  and 
the  name  of  Nickerson  was  given  to  it.  In  the  fall  of  1872  the  railroad 
company  erected  a  house  for  the  use  of  their  section  foreman.  In  the 
fall  of  1874  a  school  house  was  built  to  accomodate  the  children  of  the 
settlers  who  had  taken  land  close  to  Nickerson  and  in  August,  1875,  A. 
L.  Reeves  built  a  two-story  building  and  opened  up  a  stock  of  general 
merchandise  in  the  store.  In  1876  he  sold  his  store  and  building  to  A. 
Seivert.  This  was  the  extent  of  the  growth  of  "old"  Nickerson.  In  1878 
the  present  town  of  Nickerson  was  laid  out  on  ground  that  was  then  in 
corn.  A  few  days  after  the  survey  of  the  townsite  James  DeWitt  began 
the  foundation  of  a  hotel  which  he  called  the  Old  Dominion  House.  Soon 
afterward  A.  L.  Harlow  began  the  building  of  a  house  for  a  hotel,  which 
he  called  the  Harlow  I  louse.  I'.efnre  cither  of  these  buildings  were  com- 
pleted, Reeves  moved  his  old  building  from  old  Nickerson  to  the  new  town- 
site:  hence,  outside  of  a  small  building  occupied  by  John  Sears  as  a  resi- 
dence, the  building  of  Reeves  was  the  first  one  on  the  present  townsite  of 
Nickerson.     By  March,  [879,  Mr.  Reeves  had  a  number  of  buildings  erected. 


RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS.  3  l  i 

In  October,   1878,    M.   McCormick  erected  ;i    small  building    and    used    it 
for  a  drug  store.     Soon  after  Seivert  <!v  Smith  had  a  general  store  in  opera 
tion.     In  a  short  time  Nickerson  had  two  hotels,  a  dozen  stores  of  various 
kinds,  two  livery  stables,  two  lumber  yards,  and  a  printing  office. 

The  postoffice  of  Xiekerson  was  established  in  January,  [873.  Amanda 
J.  Sears  was  the  first  postmistress.  The  office  was  first  opened  up  in  a 
sod  house  in  the  southeast  corner  of  the  present  townsite.  The  money- 
order  system  of  the  postoffice  was  established  in    1880. 

The  first  school  in  Nickerson  was  established  in  1874  and  the  first  term 
of  the  school  was  taught  by  Mary  Kinney.  In  1879  the  building  was  moved 
to  the  new  townsite  and  was  occupied  until  1882,  when  the  present  two- 
story  building  was  erected. 

The  first  newspaper  issued  in  Nickerson  was  the  Nickerson  Argosy, 
the  first  copy  of  which  was  printed  on  December  n,  1878.  Sargent  &  Bow- 
man were  the  publishers.  On  February  12,  1879,  Sargent  purchased  Bow- 
man's interest  in  the  paper  and  ran  the  paper  until  September  10,  of  the  same 
year,  when  he  sold  it  to  I.  M.  Bundy. 

Nickerson  was  incorporated  as  a  city  of  the  third  class  on  June  7,  1879, 
and  the  following  were  the  first  officers  under  that  organization:  Mayor, 
L.  A.  Reeves;  councilmen,  M.  McCormick,  C.  S.  Brown,  J.  A.  Moore,  J. 
O.  Smith  and  H.  I.  Nickerson.  The  first  police  judge  of  the  city  was  D. 
D.  Olmstead. 

Nickerson  has  had  a  slow  growth  since  that  time.  It  is  now  the  seat 
of  a  county  high  school  and  has  a  number  of  prosperous  stores  in  operation. 
Its  population  has  increased,   and  it  is  a  center  of  a  good  agricultural  country. 

ARLINGTON. 

Arlington,  named  after  the  famous  Heights  of  Arlington,  is  located 
eighteen  miles  southwest  of  Hutchinson  on  the  Rock  Island  railroad.  It 
was  on  the  route  of  the  "Sun  City  Trail"  of  early  days  and  was  a  stopping 
place  for  haulers  because  of  the  abundance  of  the  water  and  grass.  Later 
it  was  close  to  the  trail  over  which  cattle  were  driven  from  Texas  to  Abi- 
lene. The  townsite  was  laid  off  in  August,  1877.  by  A.  X.  Barrel  and 
G.  T.  Empey.  The  first  building  in  the  town  was  a  three-story  frame  mill, 
which  was  operated  by  water  from  the  Ninnescah.  This  building  was  thirty 
by  forty  feet.  It  had  four  buhrs  and  had  a  daily  capacity  of  fifty  barrels. 
It  was  operated  for  a  number  of  years  and  was  a  great  convenience  to  people 
living  southwest  of  Hutchinson,  offering  the  nearest    flour  supply  they  had. 


312  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

The  next  building-  was  a  hotel  known  as  the  Arlington  House,  erected  by 
P.  Howell.  The  first  postoffice  was  established  on  February  7,  1878,  when 
H.  H.  Purdy  was  appointed  the  first  postmaster.  The  first  store  estab- 
lished in  this  town  was  that  of  M.  C.  Rogers.  The  first  school  in  Arling- 
ton was  established  in  1878.  It  was  taught  by  Miss  Juliet  Courtright  in  a 
small  building,  privately  owned.  In  the  fall  of  1879  a  frame  building  was 
erected  for  school  purposes  and  later  on  a  brick  building  was  erected. 

CASTLETON. 

Castleton  is  located  twelve  miles  south  of  Hutchinson.  It  was  laid  out 
in  1872  by  W.  E.  and  C.  C.  Hutchinson.  When  it  was  first  started  Castle- 
ton was  the  first  stop  out  on  the  Hutchinson,  Kingman  &  Medicine  Lodge 
state  route.  Today  it  is  an  important  stopping  point  on  the  Hutchinson 
&  Southern  Railroad.  The  first  building  in  the  town,  erected  by  William 
Wallace,  was  begun  in  July,  1872.  It  was  used  by  William  Wallace  for 
years  as  a  general  store  and  residence.  It  received  its  name  from  Castleton. 
Vermont,  where  C.  C.  Hutchinson's  wife  was  born.  Today  it  is  a  point 
for  the  shipment  of  grain  and  cattle.  It  has  good  country  around  it,  but 
being  so  close  to  Hutchinson,  its  growth  is  necessarily  limited  to  local 
demands. 

HAVEN. 

The  town  of  Haven  was  laid  out  early  in  the  year  1886.  F.  \\  .  Ash. 
<  W.  Peckham.  Levi  Charles  and  William  Astle  made  an  agreement  with 
the  Eagle  Townsite  Company,  of  Wichita,  whereby  two  hundred  acres  of 
land  was  purchased  on  which  to  build  the  town  by  the  resident  member 
of  this  town  company.  Part  of  the  contract  was  that  the  Wichita  rail- 
road, now  the  Missouri  Pacific  railroad,  should  be  built  to  Haven,  and  in 
consideration  of  this  the  Eagle  Town  Company  received  fifty-one  per  cent. 
of  the  land  purchased  for  the  town.  The  town  was  named  Haven  after 
a  postoffice  located  two  miles  east  of  the  present  town  of  that  name.  As 
soon  as  the  new  town  was  started  the  postoffice  was  moved  to  the  present 
town  of  Haven.  The  old  postoffice  called  Haven  was  one  of  the  oldest 
in  the  county. 

The  first  lot-  in  Haven  were  sold  on  April  12,  1886,  and  within  sixty 
days  Haven  had  sixty  residences  under  construction  and  a  bank  organized. 
A  creamery  and  lumber  yard  soon  were  added  to  the  activities  of  the  town. 

The  first  railroad  train  ran  into  Haven  on  July  4,    1886.      The   build- 


RENO  COl   N  l  Y.    K  ^NSAS.  3]  3 

ing  of  this  road  was  a  erreat  convenience  to  tin-  farmers,  whose  nearest 
market  for  their  grain  was  Hutchinson,  many  <>i  them  having  to  haul  their 
grain  fifteen  to  twentv-five  miles.  Haven  voted  1  >< h  1 1 1  -  to  the  amounl  ol 
$25,000  to  the  railroad  and  took  stock  to  an  equal  amounl  of  the  bonds. 
'This  road  took  up  this  stock  on  a  reorganization  plan  and  paid  Haven 
township  sixty  per  cent,  of  the  face  of  the  stock  of  Si;. 000.  under  an 
arrangement  similar  to  the  one  spoken  of  in  the  chapter  on  Hutchinson,  a 
city  of  the  second  class. 

Haven  was  incorporated  in  1891  and  ('.  W.  Astle  was  its  first  mayor. 
Haven  is  surrounded  by  some  of  the  best  land  to  be  Found  anywhere  in  the 
West.  It  is  a  great  wheat-producing  territory  and  a  grain  market  has  grown 
up  in  that  country  that  handles  nearly  a  half  million  bushels  of  wheat  a 
year  and  half  that  amount  of  corn.  In  addition  to  the  grain  market.  Haven 
has  a  fine  live-stock  market.  Haven  is  a  clean  home  town,  prosperous  and 
healthy.  It  has  a  fine  system  of  schools,  which  the  citizens  foster  and  sup- 
port with  a  good  deal  of  care.  It  has  a  good  live  newspaper  and  is  one  of 
the  most   prosperous  towns  in    Reno  county. 

I 'ART  RIDGE. 

Partridge  is  located  close  to  the  geographical  center  oi  the  county.  It 
was  called,  in  the  early  days,  Reno  Center.  There  was  a  stage  route  through 
Reno  Center  in  1873.  following  the  old  trail  to  Medicine  Lodge,  one  of 
the  oldest  trails  in  Reno  county.  Partridge  now  has  both  the  Kinsley  branch 
of  the  Santa  Re,  and  the  Rock  Island  railroad.  These  roads  from  Hutch- 
inson diverge  at  Partridge,  the  Santa  Re  joining  the  main  line  of  that  road 
at  Kinsley  and  the  Rock  Island  going  on  southwest  to  the   Pacific  coast. 

The  name  of  the  town  was  changed  from  Reno  Center  to  Partridge  in 
March.  1880,  when  the  latter  town  was  incorporated.  Partridge  has  a  good 
country  surrounding  it,  has  elevators  and  facilities  for  handling  grain  and 
live  stock  and  is  one  of  the  best  of  the  smaller  towns  in   Reno  comity. 

ABBYVILLE. 

Abbyville  is  located  on  the  Kinsley  branch  of  the  Santa  Re.  west  of 
Partridge.  It  was  incorporated  as  a  city  of  the  third  class  on  April  6,  [888. 
Like  Partridge,  it  has  a  good  country  surrounding  it  and  is  the  center  of  a 
pr<  >spen  >us  c<  >mmunity. 


314  RENO   COUNTY,   KANSAS. 


I'l.l'.VX  \. 


Directly  west  of  A.bbyville,  on  the  Kinsley  branch  of  the  Santa  he,  is 
Plevna.  Jt  was  established  as  a  city  of  the  third  class  on  November  28.  [891. 
It  has  the  usual  facilities  of  a  small  town — a  good  school,  churches,  a  bank, 
an  elevator  and  an  enterprising  people. 


LANGDON. 


Langdon  was  incorporated  on  April  _»o,  t.ScSj.  It  is  located  west  of 
Arlington  on  the  Rock  Island  and  has  a  bank,  churches,  schools,  and  a  lum- 
ber vard  and  meets  the  needs  of  the  surrounding:  country. 


ME  DORA. 

.Medora's  townsite  plat  was  bled  for  record  with  the  register  of  deeds 
on  April  20,  1887.  The  town  is  located  at  the  crossing  of  the  Rock  Island 
and  'Frisco  railroads  eight  miles  northeast  of  Hutchinson.  It  is  a  shipping 
point  for  grain  and  live  stock. 

BUHLER. 

Buhler  is  located  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  comity  in  the  German 
settlement.  The  plat  of  the  townsite  was  filed  in  May,  1914.  The  town  is 
the  center  of  the  actiyities  of  the  German  population  of  the  northeastern 
part  of  the  county.  It  has  a  fine  mill,  good  schools  and  churches  and  a  very 
prosperous  bank. 

ELMER. 

Elmer  is  the  first  station  out  of  Hutchinson  on  the  Hutchinson  &  South- 
em  branch  of  the  Santa  be  railroad.  It  was  established  when  the  Hutchin- 
son &  Southern  railroad  was  built  south  from  Hutchinson.  The  plat  ol 
the  town  was  filed  for  registry  on  September  25,  [886.  The  town  is  a 
-hipping  point    for  cattle  and  grain  and  serves  a  good  agricultural   country. 

TURON. 

Turon  i>  the  Last  town  in  the  comity,  southwesl  of  Hutchinson,  on  the 
Rock    [si and   railroad.      It   was   intended   to  name   the   town  after  a  city   in 


RENl  I  C0UN1  Y,    KANS  \S.  ,>  I  5 

Italy,  "Turin",  hut  the  postoffice  departmenl  objected  t«>  thai  name  as  there 
was  another  place  named  'Turin",  so  the)  suggested  the  change  in  the 
name  to  its  present  form  —  Tnron.  The  town  was  established  in  [886.  [ts 
plat  was  filed  for  registry  on  Augusl  i  i  of  thai  year,  h  is  a  prosperous 
village,  has  a  system  of  waterworks  and  electric  lights,  two  banks,  a  big 
mill  and  a  grain  elevator.  The-  town  also  has  a  branch  line  <>i  the  Santa 
Fe,  from  Wichita.  It  is  the  center  of  a  wealthy  country  and  the  town  reflet  I 
the  prosperity  of  the  surrounding  country. 


CHAPTER  XLII. 
Forty-five  Years  in   Reno. 

Reno  county  is  forty-five  years  old.  The  progress  of  the  county  in  that 
time  outruns  the  wildest  dream  of  her  early  settlers.  They  had  no  such 
idea  of  the  development  of  the  county.  Lands  they  thought  would  not  be 
settled  for  generations  have  yielded  their  crops  to  their  children  and  to  their 
children's  children.  In  1872  there  was  a  total  of  512  acres  of  corn  in  Reno 
county.  It  was  all  "sod  corn,"  and  no  wheat  was  sown  until  the  fall  of 
1873.  In  I9I7  there  were  149,721  acres  of  corn  planted  in  Reno  county. 
The  wheat  acreage  of  1917  was  255,626  acres,  against  none  in  1872.  The 
"ther  crops  of  which  there  were  none  grown  in  the  first  vear  of  the  county's 
existence  were:  Oats,  2,694  acres;  rye,  8,041  acres;  barley,  613  acres.  There 
was  raised  in  1917,  6.774  acres  of  sorgum.  most  of  it  for  feed  for  stock.  In 
addition  to  these  there  was  703  acres  of  millet  raised  in  this  year  of  Reno's 
existence.  In  addition  to  these  there  was  planted  13,204  acres  of  Kaffir  corn, 
for  seed  and  for  feed,  in  191 7;  also  1,020  acres  of  milo ;  452  acres  of  fetereta 
and  880  acres  of  Soudan  grass.  In  191 7  Reno  county  had  391  silos,  "feed 
canneries,"  where  the  corn  and  fetereta  and  sorghum  are  cut  up  and  "canned" 
for  winter  feed  for  stock.  The  count)-  had  likewise  139  "tractors,"  with 
which  to  plow  the  ground,  contrasting  remarkably  with  the  method  of  1872, 
when  a  large  per  cent,  of  the  sod  of  Reno  county  was  broken  by  oxen. 

In  the  early  days,  regardless  of  the  thousands  of  cattle  driven  through 
Reno  county  every  year,  milk  cows  Avere  scarce.  One  cow  was  all  that  a 
dozen  families  in  Hutchinson  had.  In  11)17.  there  was  made  and  sold  in  Reno 
county  3.01  1 . 1  do  pounds  of  butter.  This  in  addition  to  the  immense  amount 
of  butter  consumed  on  the  farm.  There  was  $236,997  worth  of  milk  sold 
in  addition  to  tin-  butter  made  and  the  milk  used  by   farmers. 

'  >ne  of  Hutchinson's  most  prominent  ladies  tells,  in  1017.  of  the  scarcity 
of  eggs  in  the  early  days.  They  were  reserved  for  the  sick,  and  this  lady 
^'iv^  in  her  childhood  -•lie  was  often  tempted  "to  be  sick,"  so  as  to  have  the 
luxury  of  an  egg  for  breakfast.  In  1017  the  poultry  and  eggs  sold  by  the 
farmers  and  others  amounted  to  $247,170,  and  the  value  of  animals  slaugh- 
tered  b\    the    farmers   of    Reno   county   amount    of   $951,483.      Despite   the 


RENO   COl    VIY,    KANSAS.  317 

heavy  sales  of  horses  for  war  purposes  made  in  [915  and  1916,  there  were 
17,517  horses  in  Reno  county  on  March  1,  1  <;  1 7.  Reno  comity  farmers 
have  sold  off  a  large  number  of  lighter  horses,  keeping  the  draft  horses  for 
farm  work.  The  almost  universal  use  of  automobiles  l>\  farmers  has  enabled 
the  farmer  to  run  his  farm  with  less  horse  flesh,  hi  addition  there  were  6,080 
mules  in  the  county,  despite  the  fact  thai  hundreds  of  mules  likewise  have 
been  sold  for  war  purposes  during  the  past   few  years. 

There  were  11,402  milk  cows  in  the  county  during  this  year  and  37,522 
other  kinds  of  cattle  in  the  county.  There  were  25,179  hogs  in  Reno  county 
in  1917,  although  the  corn  crop  of  the  preceding  year  was  light.  From  the 
small  patch  of  ground  sown  by  W.  G.  Chapin  in  [875  in  alfalfa  there  ha- 
been  sown  and  is  now  growing  20,266  acres  of  this  must  prolific  forage 
plant  ever  grown. 

In  1872  there  were  fewer  than  1,000  acres  of  land  plowed  in  Reno 
county.  Forty-five  years  later  there  were  400.500  acres  under  cultivation 
and  a  total  of  513,696  acres  in  farms  in  the  county. 

This  brief  contrast  of  the  conditions  of  this  county  in  the  forty-five 
years  of  its  existence  is  only  a  small  indication  of  the  progress  that  has 
been  made  in  the  last  forty-five  years.  It  gives  a  partial  idea  of  the  changes 
of  the  time.-  In  appearance  the  county  has  undergone  a  wider  change  than 
these  figures  would  indicate,  for  along  with  the  cultivated  fields  and  the 
increased  live  stock  have  come  line  barns  and  comfortable  home--.  The 
Reno  county  farmer  takes  a  great  pride  in  his  material  progress,  but  that 
takes  a  subordinate  place  to  the  comforts  and  conveniences  of  his  home. 
AYhile  he  has  been  cultivating  his  fields  he  has  not  neglected  to  provide 
schools  for  his  children  as  the  statistics  on  Reno  county  schools  show,  lie 
has  built  the  best  school  houses  and  equipped  them  with  the  very  best  books, 
charts  and  other  school-room  appurtenances  that   he  could  buy. 

Nor  has  the  Reno  county  farmer  disregarded  his  religious  life.  Churches 
are  to  be  found  in  every  community.  Sunday  schools  are  maintained  and 
Sundav  is  not  given  over  to  frivolity,  but  to  the  more  serious  affairs  oi 
his  life. 

The  growth  of  the  village  into  cities  has  been  as  remarkable  as  the 
development  of  this  country.  Hutchinson,  from  a  few  straggling  one-story 
houses  in  1872,  has  grown  to  a  city  oi  over  twenty-five  thousand  population 
and  the  other  villages  of  this  county  have  grown  to  cities  of  the  third  and 
second  classes.  The  industries  that  do  business  in  Hutchinson  are  an  example 
of  the  growth  of  this  interest  in  the  county.  The  salt  plants  have  developed 
to  an  industry  doing  business  in  dozens  of  states.      The  soda-ash  plant  sliip-> 


318  RENO   COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

its  products  all  over  the  United  States.  The  strawboard  works  have  cus- 
tomers  in  Eastern  as  well  as  Western  states.  Flour  made  in  Hutchinson 
is  sold  in  states  bordering  on  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  coasts  and  thousands 
of  barrels  of  the  product  have  found  their  way  to  foreign  countries.  The 
big  elevators  and  flour-mills  testify  to  the  market  opened  up  in  Hutchinson 
for  wheat  and  other  farm  products,  not  only  of  Reno  county,  but  of  adjoin- 
ing wheat-growing  counties.  The  produce  houses  speak  of  the  markets 
opened  up  for  Reno  county  produce.  The  modern  school  building"  reminds 
the  people  thai  the  welfare  of  the  boys  and  girls  is  not  neglected.  The 
great  church  buildings  in  Hutchinson,  the  Y.  W.  C.  A.  building  and  the  Y. 
M.  ( ".  A.  building  tell  of  the  efforts  made  to  improve  the  conditions  of  the 
people. 

It  is  less  than  fifty  years  from  ox-team  to  automobile,  from  forded 
stream  to  concrete  bridges.  Less  than  fifty  years  from  buffalo  grass  to 
alfalfa:  from  unplowed  fields  that  had  been  pounded  by  hoofs  for  a  thou- 
sand years,  to  the  mellowed  soil  of  varied  crops.  Less  than  fifty  years  from 
Bison  to  Shorthorn,  from  the  wandering  tribes  to  the  contented  families. 
The  plodding  pace  of  "Buck  and  Berry"  and  the  gliding  191 7.  model  affords 
no  greater  contrast  than  that  which  obtains  in  all  lines  in  Reno  county. 

It  is  less  than  fifty  years  from  inebriety  to  sobriety,  from  Kansas  drunk 
to  Kansas  sober.  It  is  less  than  fifty  years  from  the  wagon  trail  to  the 
iron  rail.  So  unpromising  was  Reno  count)'  less  than  fifty  years  ago  that 
the  federal  government  surveyors  ran  only  the  township  lines.  But  with 
sedulous  care  the  county  surveyors  now  record  the  exact  location  of  every 
corner  and  every  variation.  Less  than  fifty  years  in  Reno  count}'  from 
"buffalo  chips"   to  natural  gas. 

Reno  county  is  only  forty-five  years  old,  yet  she  has  more  money  on 
deposit  in  her  banks  per  capita  than  main'  an  older  county  of  a  century's 
growth.  Forty-five  years  ago,  only  the  occasional  letter;  today  the  rural 
carrier  visits  every  farmhouse  in  the  county.  The  isolation  of  the  farm 
has  been  remedied,  the  telephone,  the  rural  carrier,  the  automobile,  and  the 
improved  roads  have  made  neighbors  of  -people  living  miles  apart,  closer 
than  the\'   formerly  were   when  a  block  away. 

Reno  county,  the  commonwealth,  has  had  her  infancy  and  manhood  in 

than  the  life  time  of  a  generation.  "Better  five  and  forty  years  of  Reno 
than    a  cycle  of   ( "athav." 


CHAPTER   XLIII. 

'I'll  E    BEG]  N  N  l  NG   OF    I  I  li  (ll  l  NSON. 

In  June,  [872,  C.  C.  Hutchinson,  the  founder  of  the  city  of  Hutchin- 
son, made  a  contract  with  the  directors  oi  the  Santa  Fe  railroad,  at  their 
annual  meeting'  in  Topeka,  to  build  a  town  at  a  point  where  the  railroad 
would  cross  the  Little  Arkansas  river.     The  company  was  to  share  equally 

in  the  proceeds  <>l"  the  sale  of  lots  mi  the  townsite.  At  that  time  it  was 
supposed  that  the  proposed  town  would  he  located  near  where  Sedgwick 
City  is  now  situated.  It  had  been  the  intention  of  the  directors  oi  the  road 
to  build  south,  with  an  ultimate  terminus  of  San  Antonio,  Texas. 

Jt  was  soon  determined,  however,  not  to  build  southward,  hut  to  follow 
up  the  Arkansas  river  and  build  into  Colorado.  The  reason  for  this  change 
of  plans  was  the  discover)  by  the  directors  of  the  railroad  of  a  clause  in 
an  Indian  treaty  made  in  1865,  hut  which  was  not  acted  on  by  the  United 
States  Senate  until  1867,  so  as  to  make  it  effective — that  the  road  not  only 
would  not  he  able  to  secure  a  land  grant  through  the  (  >sage  trust  lands,  as  this 
strip  of  territory  was  called,  which  was  covered  by  the  treaty,  but  that  the) 
would  have  to  buy  their  right  of  way  at  the  price  at  which  it  was  to  be 
sold  to  the  public,  one  dollar  and  twenty-five  cents  an  acre. 

The  Santa  Fe  directors  were  astonished  when  they  found  this  clause. 
They  had  no  money.  They  were  building  and  equipping  the  road  by  mort- 
gaging the  land.  So  this  provision,  put  into  this  treaty  as  a  joker — it  being 
suggested  after  the  treaty  was  practically  made — which  provided  that  rail- 
roads might  be  built  through  the  Osage  trust  lands,  hut  that  the  railroad- 
should  pay  for  the  right  of  way  at  the  price  fixed  for  the  settlers— this  joker 
has  probably  had  more  effect  than  any  other  joker  put  in  a  public  document, 
for  it  changed  the  building  of  a  great  road,  which,  had  it  not  been  built  then, 
would  have  left  southwest  Kansas  without  a  railroad  for  many  years.  It 
caused  the  settlers  to  file  on  lands  in  western  Kansas  instead  of  going  down 
into  southern  Kansas  and  Oklahoma  for  their  farms.  It  changed  the  loca- 
tion of  Hutchinson,  which  would  have  been  established  at  the  point  where 
Sedgwick  now  stands.  Had  this  provision  not  been  added  to  the  treaty,  there 
never  would  have  been  a  Great  Bend  nor  a  Dodge  City.  It  would  have  stop- 
ped the  organization  of  the  Comanche  pool,  the  greatest  cattle  combination 


3^.0  RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

ever  made,  as  it  would  have  rushed  the  settlers  along  the  newly  built  railroad 
iiit>  •  Oklahoma  and  made  the  big  cattle  pool  an  impossibility  in  that  section. 
Perhaps  it  might  have  transferred  its  activities  to  western  Kansas  alone, 
but  the  pool  had  its  base  of  operation  in  the  "Cherokee  Strip/'  which  the 
cattle  men  were  able  to  keep  from  settlement  for  years,  in  order  to  have 
the  range  for  their  stock,  unmolested  by  the  farmer.  Instead  of  the  whole 
of  southwest  Kansas  being  tributary  to  Hutchinson,  the  city  that  Hutchin- 
son would  have  founded  would  doubtless  be  as  it  is  now,  a  small  village  of 
no  great   importance  commercially. 

As  soon  as  it  was  determined  to  build  westward  instead  of  toward  the 
South,  Hutchinson  came  on  west  to  find  a  location  for  his  town.  He  had 
determined  that  his  town  should  be  built  on  a  water  course  for  the  purpose 
of  drainage,  lie  drove  overland  with  S.  T.  Kelsey  and  A.  F.  Horner,  now 
living  in  Topeka.  They  camped  the  first  night  on  the  northwest  corner  of 
section  19,  directly  southwest  of  where  the  town  was  afterwards  located. 
In  the  morning  the  party  drove  over  to  the  point  where  the  railroad  would 
cross  Cow  creek  and  finally  selected  section  [3,  the  present  site,  for  the  loca- 
tion of  the  town.  He  changed  his  agreement  with  the  Santa  Fe  officials. 
paying  them  fifteen  dollars  an  acre  for  the  section,  in  lieu  of  the  equal  divi- 
sion of  the  sale  of  the  town  lots.  However,  it  was  with  many  misgivings 
that  section  [3  was  selected  for  the  townsite,  for,  considered  from  man) 
standpoints,  the  location  was  undesirable.  The  town  was  located  too  close  to 
the  edge  of  the  count}-,  only  six  miles  to  the  east  line  and  two  miles  from 
the  Rice  count\-  line.  As  is  referred  to  in  another  chapter,  the  matter  of 
location  was  helped  later  by  changing  the  boundary  lines.  Another  thing 
that  was  causing  some  uneasiness,  was  that  the  railroad  ran  very  near  the 
north  line  of  the  section  and  a  greater  part  of  the  townsite  lay  on  the 
south  side  of  Cow  creek,  while  on  the  north  of  section  13,  D.  B.  Miller, 
his  son-in-law,  one  of  his  sons  and  his  father-in-law.  Amasa  Smith,  all  three, 
had  located  on  section  1 -\  which  was  directly  north  of  the  proposed  town- 
site  and  it  was  possible  for  them  to  obtain  title  to  their  government  land 
in  a  short  time,  lay  out  their  land  in  town  lots  and  greatly  interfere  with 
the  sale  of  Hutchinson's  town  lots  a-  well  as  his  plans  for  building  up  a 
town.  Hutchinson  made  an  effort  at  the  start  to  have  the  Santa  Fe  railroad 
officials  make  the  city  a  division  point  and  he  made  a  proposition  to  give 
the  railroad  company  a  one-twelfth  interest,  in  addition  to  paying  the  com- 
pany the  fifteen  dollar-  an  acre  for  the  land,  if  they  would  make  Hutchin- 
s< 'ii  the  division  point. 

In  this  firsl  trip,  Hutchinson  endeavored  to  interest   Mr.  Horner  in  the 


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RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  32  I 

proposed  town.  He  was  then  one  of  the  largest  merchants  in  Newton,  had 
opened  up  some  stone  quarries  al  Florence  and  was  a  business  man  of  greal 
ability.  Horner  had  a  peculiar  reputation  as  a  town  builder.  When  Brook- 
ville  was  established  on  the  Kansas  Pacific,  that  town  offered  a  town  lot  to 
the  man  who  would  erect  the  first  building.  Horner  built  a  building  there 
and  got  a  town  lot.  The  building  was  of  black  walnut  lumber,  about  twenty 
feet  wide,  ten  feet  high  and  sixty  feet  long.  It  was  of  ;i  fine  quality  of  wal- 
nut and  would  he  worth  today  many  times  what  a  building  cost  then.  When 
the  Santa  Fe  road  was  built  west  from  Emporia  and  reached  Florence,  the 
same  offer  of  a  town  lot  to  the  man  who  would  erect  the  first  building  was 
made.  Horner  was  on  hands  with  his  black  walnut  house  and  secured  the 
town  lot  in  Florence.  When  the  road  reached  Newton  and  a  lot  was  offered 
there  tor  the  first  house,  Horner's  black  walnut  house  again  won  the  prizr. 
On  the  way  over  from  Newton  it  was  settled  again  that  the  hlack  walnut 
house  should  make  one  more  pilgrimage  and  obtain  a  town  lot  for  its  owner. 
and  the  little  black  walnut  house  was  moved  to  Hutchinson  and  located  on 
what  the  surveyor  afterwards  showed  was  lot  7,  north  Main  street. 

Following  the  putting-  together  of  Horner's  town-lot-getter  came  other 
stores,  the  material  for  which  was  hauled  from  Newton,  then  the  terminus 
of  the  railroad,  and  later  from  Halstead,  when  the  road  was  built  westward 
to  that  place.  On  November  15,  1871,  Mr.  Lehman,  of  Newton,  then  a  part- 
ner of  E.  Wilcox,  who  lived  in  Topeka,  came  to  Hutchinson  and  bought  lots 
1  and  3,  south  Main  street,  paying  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  for  the 
corner  lot  and  one  hundred  dollars  for  the  adjoining  one.  Just  what  put 
that  value  into  the  lots  cannot  be  known.  C.  C.  Hutchinson,  speaking  of 
this  first  sale  of  town  lots,  said  that  "it  took  quite  an  effort  to  make  him 
see  those  values  in  the  lots,"  especially  when  Hutchinson  had  bought  the 
entire  quarter  section  for  fifteen  dollars  an  acre.  On  November  17,  187 1. 
J.  M.  Jordan  and  C.  C.  Bemis  came  to  Hutchinson  and  bought  lot  13, 
north  Main  street,  and  later  put  up  a  building  for  their  dry  goods  and 
grocerv  store.  At  that  time  Hutchinson's  land  office  was  not  equipped  with 
tables  or  writing  desks  and  in  making  the  contract  for  the  sale  to  Bemis  & 
Jordan,  Hutchinson  got  down  on  the  floor  of  his  office,  which  was  only 
partiallv  laid,  and  wrote  the  contract  on  the  finished  part  of  the  floor.  On 
November  25,  1871,  Jacob  Rupert,  of  Newton,  bought  lot  11,  north  Main 
street  and  the  consideration  for  this  lot  was  that  Rupert  should  put  up  a 
building  and  Hutchinson  should  have  it  for  an  office  for  a  term  of  year-. 
Later,  in  this  building  Hutchinson  established  the  first  bank  in  Reno  county. 
(21) 


\22  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

It  was  located  on  lot  i,  north  Main  street.  That  humble  building  crave  but 
little  promise  of  the  handsome  six-story  building  that  now  occupies  this 
lot,  the  building  of  the  First  National  Bank.  Later,  this  building  was  moved 
across  the  street,  then  was  moved  once  more  to  another  location  and  was 
rented  by  Dickey  Brothers  for  a  drug  store.  On  December  7,  1871,  lot  15, 
north  Main  street,  was  sold  to  Fred  Ryde  and  he  immediately  put  up  a  build- 
ing and  occupied  it. 

When  the  "lot-getting"  black  walnut  box  home  was  put  up,  it  had  the 
office  of  C.  C.  Hutchinson  in  the  northwest  corner.  The  southeastern  corner 
of  the  same  building  was  the  postoffice,  and  a  shoe  box  brought  over  from 
Newton  was  partitioned  off  and  that  constituted  the  fixtures  of  Hutchinson's 
first  postoffice.  A  wagon  canvas  was  hung  across  the  middle  of  the  room 
and  the  west  end  of  the  room  became  the  first  hotel  established  in  that  city. 
It  had  four  boarders,  C.  C.  Hutchinson,  W.  E.  Hutchinson,  John  A.  Clapp 
and  ( leorge  Tucker.  The  latter  two  were  called  the  "Boston  Boys,"  after 
the  place  of  their  birth.  Clapp  was  made  the  first  postmaster  and  Tucker- 
obtained  another  position  of  equal  importance  in  the  new  citv — he  was 
the  cook  in  the  first  hotel  in  Hutchinson,  and  after  Tucker  cooked  the  meal, 
washed  the  dishes  and  did  other  duties  as  general  manager  of  the  hotel,  he 
became  assistant  postmaster.  Clapp's  commission  as  postmaster  was  dated 
December  6,  1871.  The  mail  was  brought  by  stage  from  Xewton  twice  a 
week,  except  at  times  when  it  was  impossible  to  ford  Little  river,  and  then 
it  was  delaved  until  a  crossing  could  be  effected.  At  first  the  hauling  of 
the  mail  was  done  by  the  people  of  Hutchinson,  but  on  December  2j,  1871, 
the  first  government  stage,  hauling  the  mail,  reached  Hutchinson.  It  con- 
tinued hauling  passengers  and  mail  for  two  months,  until  the  stage  com- 
pany refused  to  haul  it  any  longer  without  a  bonus.  In  order  to  keep  this 
line  of  communication  open,  C.  C.  Hutchinson  offered  the  stage  company 
a  Main  street  lot  and  some  residence  lots,  if  they  would  continue  to  run  the 
stage  until  the  railroad  could  be  built  to  the  city.  They  accepted,  and  the 
stage  with  the  mail  continued  to  reach  Hutchinson  every  other  da}',  except 
at  such  times  as  it  was  found  impossible  to  ford  Little  river.  The  first 
exclusive  hotel  was  a  frame  building  put  up  by  Charles  Collins  on  the  corner 
"i"  fir^t  avenue  and  Main  street.  The  hotel  was  run  by  Gus  Williams  and 
wife,  Mrs.  Williams  being  the  first  woman  to  live  in  Hutchinson.  They 
-•-in  were  well  patronized  and  C.  C.  Hutchinson  took  down  his  wagon 
cover,  discontinued  the  rear  end  attachment  to  his  real  estate  office  and  the 
postoffice  and  all  of  the  boarders  moved  over  to  the  new  hotel  and  became 
regular  customers. 


RENO  COUN1  V.    K  VNSAS.  323 

There  were  a  number  of  additions  to  the  business  part  of  the  town  as 

soon  as  the  new  hotel  was  finished.  Jordan  &  I'.etnis  started  a  dry  goods 
store;  E.  Wilcox  started  a  hardware  store;  J.  < '.  McClurg,  who  had  settled 
in  Sedgwick  comity,  moved  his  livery  and  feed  stable  there;  T.  I\  Leidigh 
opened  a  grocery  store  and  a  Mr.  liailcv,  of  Emporia,  opened  up  a  general 
merchandise  store.  The  winter  of  [871-1872  was  a  very  severe  one.  The 
principal  loser  by  reason  of  the  severe  weather  was  J.  II.  \).  Rozan.  Il< 
had  no  ived  except  buffalo  grass  and  no  shelter  for  his  stock,  and  his  loss 
was  heavy.  In  the  spring  the  streams  were  all  high  and  greatly  delayed 
the  hauling  of  lumber  from  Newton.  To  remedy  this,  a  raft  was  made, 
on  which  stuff  was  loaded,  and  it  was  then  pulled  oxer  the  stream  by  teams 
with  ropes  attached  to  the  raft. 

There  were  no  stones  in  the  county  for  corner  markers,  so  buffalo 
bones  were  substituted  to  mark  the  boundaries.  Main  street  was  to  he 
the  principal  street.  Another  street  was  surveyed  so  as  to  he  the  business 
street.  The  lots  on  both  Main  and  Sherman  streets  were  made  twenty-five 
feet  wide,  while  residence  lots  were  laid  out  thirty-three  feet  wide.  Sher- 
man street  was  named  after  Miss  Gertrude  Sherman,  of  Castleton.  Vermont, 
a  lady  whom  C.  C.  Hutchinson  expected  to  marry  soon,  he  being  a  widower 
at  the  time  he  started  Hutchinson.  Miss  Sherman  was  a  daughter  of  Carlos 
S.  Sherman,  a  marble  quarry  owner  at  Castleton.  Later,  Mr.  Hutchinson 
remembered  the  place  of  his  prospective  wife's  residence  when  that  name 
was  given  to  a  township  and  a  town  in  the  southern  part  of  the  county. 


CHAPTER  XLIV. 

HUTCHINSON,    A    CITY    OF    THE    THIRD    CLASS. 

Hutchinson  was  incorporated  as  a  city  of  the  third  class  on  August 
[5,  [872.  The  petition  for  the  organization  of  the  city  was  presented  to 
W.  I\.  Brown,  judge  of  the  district  court.  The  petition  contained  the  names 
of  a  majority  of  the  legal  voters  of  the  city  to  be  organized  and  declared 
that  there  were  more  than  two  hundred  and  fifty  people  within  the  boundary 
lines  of  the  proposed  city  and  less  than  one  thousand  inhabitants.  The 
district  court  granted  the  petition  and  fixed  the  time  of  the  first  election  to 
be  held  for  August  26,  1872.  William  Ingham,  E.  Wilcox  and  Josiah  S. 
Fay  were  appointed  by  the  court  as  judges  of  the  election. 

At  the  first  city  election  Taylor  Flick  received  71  votes  for  mayor  and 
C.  S.  Martin  received  17.  For  police  judge  J.  B.  Brown  received  67  votes 
and  \V.  P.  Brown,  2}.  There  were  eleven  candidates  for  councilmen.  The 
result  of  this  first  election  for  council  resulted  in  the  following  vote :  John 
McMurray.  59;  G.  A.  Brazee,  56;  E.  Wilcox,  66;  R.  C.  Bailey,  66;  Gus 
Williams.  24;  G.  Mills,  1  ;  S.  S.  Williams,  32;  W.  W.  Hastie,  30;  William 
Mills.  19:  M.  Sanders,  29;  D.  M.  Lewis,  61.  Of  this  number  the  following 
were  declared  elected :  E.  Wilcox,  D.  M.  Lewis,  R.  F.  Bailey,  G.  A.  Brazee 
and  John  McMurray.  H.  W.  Beat}'  was  appointed  city  clerk  and  city 
treasurer. 

The  first  ordinance  passed  was  one  to  "provide  means  of  getting  the 
smoke  out  of  the  buildings."'  It  provided  that  stove  pipes  might  be  run  up 
through  the  roofs  of  buildings,  but  specified  that  a  double  tin  safety  device 
should  be  inserted  in  the  roof  through  which  the  pipe  should  run.  There 
were  nothing  but  frame  houses  in  Hutchinson  at  that  time,  and  the  first  ordi- 
nance \\a>  a  fire-protection  guarantee.  The  second  ordinance  regulated  the 
running  of  stock  within  the  city  limits,  and  the  third  ordinance  was  one 
prohibiting  the  discharge  of  firearms  in  the  city  limits. 

The  petition  for  the  organization  set  out  the  boundaries  of  the  city. 
Prior  to  this  time  there  had  been  no  organization,  all  of  the  county  being 
then  in  Reno  township,  and  all  of  the  business  of  the  county  was  transacted 
by  Reno  township. 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  325 


EARLY    CITY    ORDINANCES. 


Among  the  first  measures  introduced  in  the  city  council  was  one  author- 
izing- the  mayor  to  take  the  necessary  steps  to  protect  the  city  from  prairie 
tires.  The  buffalo  grass  that  surrounded  the  town  was  burning  up  in  the 
August  heat  and  it  was  thought  necessary  to  have  a  sufficient  number  of 
lire  guards  placed  to  protect  the  new  city.  So  the  first  fire-fighting  appar- 
atus ever  used  in  Hutchinson  was  a  sod  plow  and  a  yoke  of  oxen.  The 
corner  "stones"  used  to  mark  out  the  street  crossings  were  buffalo  bones. 
The  streets  were  covered  with  buffalo  grass,  and  there  were  no  bridges  then 
completed,  Cow  creek  being  forded  where  the  Main  street  bridge  now 
stands.  The  track  that  led  down  into  the  water  did  not  cross  it  squarely,  as 
the  banks  were  three  or  four  feet  high,  and  it  was  necessary  to  angle  down 
to  the  water  so  as  to  have  an  easier  grade  out.  The  first  citv  marshal  for 
Hutchinson  was  J.  R.  Lindsay,  who  was  also  principal  of  the  city  schools 
for  the  first  term.  The  records  do  not  disclose  who  was  on  duty  in  the 
school  house  when  Lindsay  was  discharging  his  duties  as  city  marshal,  nor 
who  was  protecting  the  public  from  disorder  and  riot  while  this  dual  official 
was  discharging  his  obligation  as  a  school  teacher.  It  was  probable,  how- 
ever, with  this  combination,  that  it  was  not  thought  necessary  to  add  the 
modern  school  official  of  "truant  officer.'' 

The  second  election,  which  was  held  on  April  7,  1873,  resulted  in  the 
selection  of  C.  L.  Kendall  for  mayor.  J.  B.  Brown  was  the  candidate  against 
Kendall,  receiving  one  vote  less  than  the  latter.  G.  W.  Hardy,  S.  M.  Bell, 
R.  C.  Brazee,  T.  W.  Cochrane  and  C.  Chambers  were  candidates  for  mem- 
bers of  the  council.  Hardy,  Bell  and  Cochrane  were  elected,  there  being  a 
difference  of  only  one  vote  between  the  losing  and  the  winning  candidates 
for  the  council.  H.  W.  Beatty  was  appointed  city  clerk  and  city  treasurer, 
and  George  Shields  was  appointed  city  marshal.  This  administration  was 
the  first  one  to  start  public  improvement.  The  building  of  sidewalks  was 
agitated.  The  first  walk  put  down  was  on  the  west  side  of  Main  street, 
from  Cow  creek  to  the  Santa  Fe  railroad.  Later  some  of  the  citizens  living 
farther  north.  Dr.  \.  T.  P.  Robertson,  W.  R.  Marshall  and  others,  asked 
for  sidewalks  along  their  property — on  property  now  between  Fourth  and 
Sixth  streets,  on  the  west  side  of  the  street.  The  council  also  appropriated 
"five  hundred  dollars  to  grade  Main  street  and  put  in  street  crossings.'* 
This  council  also  had  trouble  getting  a  city  marshal  to  stay  on  the  job. 
M.  Hale  was  chosen  marshal,  but  he  declined  to  accept  the  office.     Then  the 


3^.6  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

council  selected  George  S.  Shields  for  city  marshal,  but  he  was  not  satis- 
factory. In  just  what  way  his  services  did  not  suit  the  council  is  not  stated. 
They  removed  Shields  and  put  Robert  Chism  in  as  city  marshal.  He  lasted 
just  a  month.  The  city  clerk.  \Y.  R.  Brown,  also  resigned.  H.  A.  Jeffs  was 
selected  marshal  in  Chism's  place,  and  C.  I\  Bailey  was  put  in  Brown's  va- 
cated place.  During  this  year  an  ordinance  was  passed  that  indicated  that  a 
hetter  class  of  houses  were  heing  erected.  Up  to  this  time  one-story  wooden 
buildings,  generally  "sided  up  and  down,"  unplastered  and  unpainted,  were 
about  all  the  town  afforded.  But  an  improvement  era  had  started  and  more 
substantial  buildings  were  being  erected;  so  the  council  repealed  its  first  ordi- 
nance that  provided  that  stove  pipe  might  be  used  as  flues,  if  it  had  a  shield 
around  it  to  keep  the  pipe  away  from  the  wood  of  the  roof.  The  principal 
fuel  of  that  day  was  "cow  chips."  which  make  a  quick,  hot  fire,  and  the  pipe 
would  get  about  as  hot  a^  the  stove.  The  council,  early  in  the  year  1873, 
ordered  that  thereafter  no  flue  should  be  built  that  was  not  made  of  stone  or 
brick,  and  it  w;is  specified  also  how  much  above  the  roof  the  chimney  should 
extended.  Hutchinson  was  improving  and,  in  anticipation  of  better  buildings, 
this  ordinance  was  passed. 

IIITCHING-POST   QUESTION  AN   AGITATING  ONE. 

The  third  city  election  was  a  real  campaign.  There  were  twentv-four 
candidates  for  councilmen.  Four  men  wanted  to  be  mayor,  and  there  were 
four  candidates  for  police  judge.  The  election  resulted  in  the  selection  of 
the  following:  Mayor,  J.  B.  Brown;  police  judge,  R.  A.  Soper ;  councilmen, 
W.  M.  Ingham.  ( ',.  W.  Hardy.  C.  B.  Winslow,  S.  M.  Bell  and  James  Crow. 
When  the  new  council  met  it  chose  H.  \Y.  Beatty  for  city  clerk  and  city 
treasurer.  They  made  no  appointment  for  city  marshal,  but  I\.  M.  Cheney 
was  allowed  pay  as  city  marshal  by  the  council  until  May,  when  George  B. 
Alford  was  chosen  as  city  marshal.  This  administration  began  to  wrestle 
with  a  proposition  that  not  only  worried  it,  but  all  succeeding'  councils,  and 
which  the  progress  of  the  times  and  the  almost  universal  use  of  the  auto- 
mobile has  eliminated  from  the  worries  of  the  city  council  of  today.  It  was 
the  question  of  hitching-posts  on  Main  street.  This  was  one  of  the  questions 
that  all  administrations  from  the  first  until  hitching-posts  were  not  needed 
found  to  be  the  subject  of  endless  debate,  both  in  the  city  council  and  the 
•mmercial  <  Hub  rooms,  and  among  idle  men  in  front  as  well  as  men  behind 
the  counters.  It  was  a  real  question  in  those  days — one  that  the  present  gen- 
eration cannot  appreciate.     The  country  people,  the  farmers,  wanted  places 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  J27 

at  which  to  hitch  their  teams  when  they  came  to  town.  They  likewise  wanted 
the  teams  hitched  in  a  convenient  place,  generally  in  front  of  the  store  wh< 
they  did  most  of  their  trading.  The  merchant  did  not  want  to  object,  as  he 
was  afraid  oi  offending  his  best  customers,  the  farmers.  The  merchant  had 
to  put  up  with  the  odor  arising  from  uncleaned  streets  and,  in  the  summer, 
with  the  pest  of  flies  that  the  teams  attracted.  Bui  he  complained  not.  It 
was  the  town  people  who  complained.  Main  a  lad)  has  had  a  dress  ruined 
by  some  big-fobted  horse  splashing  mud  on  her  while  she  walked  along  the 
street.  The  council  of  [874  was  petitioned  to  "do  away  with  the  hitching 
post  nuisance."  But  the  members  generally  "ducked"'  the  question.  They 
didn't  want  to  offend  the  farmer,  for  the  town  could  not  live  without  the 
trade  of  the  farmer.  The  merchants  were  interviewed.  They  didn't  want 
to  have  anything  to  do  with  it.  They  would  lose  if  they  got  caught  express- 
ing their  opinion.  They  would  lose  the  farmer  trade  one  way  and  the  city 
trade  the  other  way.  A  merchant  is  the  last  man  to  take  hold  of  any  propo- 
sition that  involves  the  good  will  of  his  customers,  It  was  true  in  Hutchin- 
son in  1874  when  the  "hitching-post  nuisance"  was  up  for  consideration,  and 
it  is  true  today  when  any  proposition  is  presented  that  might  lose  the  mer- 
chant trade.  This  controversy  would  he  unsettled  today  in  Hutchinson,  had 
not  the  automobile  put  the  horse  out  of  business.  The  solution  was  dodged 
by  the  council  of  1874  and  by  all  succeeding  councils.  The  council  of  1874 
started  the  "ducking." 

BY    WAY    OF    CONTRAST. 

A  review  of  an  ordinance  passed  in  1874  reveals  the  difference  in  the 
Hutchinson  of  1 874.  and  the  Hutchinson  that  the  present  generation  knows. 
And  it  is  set  down  here  that  the  present  generation  may  have  an  idea  of  the 
changes  thev  can  only  know  of  as  others  tell  of  them.  Hutchinson  was  sub- 
ject to  overflow  from  Cow  creek.  In  1874,  as  a  result  of  the  first  of  these 
high  waters  in  Cow  creek,  pools  of  water  stood  over  the  town.  There  was 
a  e'ood-sfzed  "fishing:  pond"  on  West  First  avenue,  close  to  Main  street.  The 
council  wanted  to  drain  it.  so  they  cut  a  ditch  across  Main  street  and  ran 
the  water  down  past  the  Methodist  church  and  on  south  to  Cow  creek.  With 
a  sewer  system  now  that  provides  for  the  drainage;  of  surface  water  the 
people  of  Hutchinson  today  can  look  hack  and  see  what  conditions  were  in 
the  early  clays,  and  see  what  the  early  settler  had  to  contend  with  and  how 
well  he  has  done  the  work  o\  making  the  city  a  beautiful,  healthful  place  in 
which   to  live. 


3-8  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

In  the  election  for  1875.  there  were  only  ten  candidates  for  city  council- 
men.  The  race  was  a  very  close  one.  The  highest  vote  cast  for  any  candi- 
date was  seventy-nine,  and  the  lowest  candidate  received  seventy- four  votes. 
E.  Wilcox  was  elected  mayor,  he  receiving'  78  votes,  while  ].  B.  Brown  re- 
ceived 74  votes.  The  cotincilmen  chosen  were:  E.  A.  Smith,  George  W. 
Hardy.  John  Paine  and  1\.  E.  Conn.  J.  F.  Dunkin  and  James  Crow  received 
the  same  number  of  votes  and  the  election  judges  "flipped  dollars''  to  see 
which  one  of  the  two  should  have  the  office.  Crow  got  "heads"  and  was 
added  to  the  names  of  the  councilmen  for  that  vear. 

ANOTHER    OLD     POINT    OF    CONTROVERSY. 

Another  matter  came  up  during  this  administration  for  the  first  time 
in  the  history  of  Hutchinson,  which,  like  the  hitching-post  matter,  was  one 
long-drawn-out  controversy,  and  also,  like  its  companion  in  agitation, 
was  one  that  was  settled  by  events  in  which  the  council  and  people  of  Hutch- 
inson had  only  a  small  part  in  settling.  This  was  the  question  of  having 
saloons.  For  the  first  time  since  the  town  was  organized  a  petition  was 
presented  to  the  council  asking  that  license  be  issued  for  the  sale  of  intoxi- 
cating liquors.  A  remonstrance  was  also  filed  and  the  mayor  appointed  a 
committee  composed  of  C.  B.  Winslow  and  G.  W.  Hardy  to  examine  both 
petition  and  remonstrance,  to  "examine  and  compare"  the  two  documents 
and  report  to  the  next  meeting  of  the  council.  The  committee  reported 
against  the  saloon.  What  their  "examination"  consisted  of,  how  thev  "com- 
pared" the  two.  is  not  related;  whether  there  were  more  names  on  the  re- 
monstrance, or  whether  it  was  simply  a  means  to  side-step  the  whole  con- 
troversy, is  not  disclosed  in  the  record.  Later,  in  1879,  on  June  19,  the  first 
saloon  license  was  granted.  Later  in  that  year  two  more  licenses  were 
issued  by  the  city.  The  license  fee  was  fixed  at  five  hundred  dollars  a  vear, 
payable  quarterly  in  advance. 

In  the  granting  of  these  licenses,  the  council  went  squarely  against  the 
wish  of  the  founder  of  the  city,  C.  C.  Hutchinson.  So  anxious  was  he  that 
no  saloon  ever  be  allowed  in  the  town  that  he  put  a  clause  in  everv  deed  to 
every  piece  of  real  estate,  which  stated  that  "in  case  intoxicating  liquor 
should  be  -old  on  that  lot  the  title  should  revert  to  the  grantor."  But  the 
supreme  court  overruled  this  clause,  as  being  "against  public  policy,"  ami 
Hutchinson  had  her  saloons.  But  the  controversy  in  the  city,  that  was  the 
issue  in  every  political  campaign,  was  ended  by  the  passage  of  the  prohi- 
bition law.     Even  then  it  was  not  entirely  ended,  but  the  controversy  changed 


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Kl    XI  I   nil'NTV,    KANSAS.  •_<., 

to  a  contest  to  enforce  the  laws,  lint  through  the  various  enactments  of  the 
Legislature  that  have  made  the  conviction  of  the  one  win.  sells  Liquor  an 
easier  matter,  and  through  the  development  of  a  more  acute  sentiment  against 
liquor  among  the  citizens,  which  has  quickened  the  activit)  of  the  officers 
having  this  in  charge  the  enforcement  of  the  law —  the  prohibitory  law  is 
now  as  well  enforced  as  any  other  criminal  statute  of  tin-  state. 

PROMOTION   OF    PUBLIC   [MPROVEMENTS. 

The  election  oi  1870  brought  out  two  candidates  for  each  office  except 
that  of  police  judge.  George  W.  I  lardy  and  l\  R.  Chrisman  were  candi- 
dates for  mayor.  Hardy  was  elected,  receiving  99  votes  to  95  for  Chrisman. 
John  Jones,  John  McCollough,  S.  C.  Smith  and  R.  E.  Conn  each  received 
enough  votes  to  get  a  certificate  of  election  to  the  council,  hut  William  Ing- 
ham and  J.  B.  Brown  each  received  the  same  number  of  votes,  and  in  the 
drawing  Ingham  was  the  successful  candidate  and  was  made  a  member  of 
the  council  for  the  year  1876.  J.  C.  Linsday  was  chosen  police  judge,  he 
being  the  only  candidate.  He  received  191  votes.  H.  S.  hitch  was  chosen 
citv  clerk  by  the  council.  He  served  until  December  20,  when  he  resigned 
and  Lewis  Mills  was  chosen  as  his  successor.  J.  H.  Leeman  was  chosen  for 
city  marshal. 

This  year  was  one  in  which  considerable  improvement  was  made  in  the 
city.  The  Water  Power  Company  began  to  dig  a  mill  race  to  direct  the  water 
from  Cow  creek  to  the  mill  site;  a  couple  of  new  bridges  were  built,  one  over 
Cow  creek  on  Main  street,  and  one  over  the  mill  race,  which  ran  on  what 
is  now  Avenue  B,  and  emptied  into  Cow  creek  on  the  east  side  of  town.  A 
great  many  sidewalks  were  put  down  and  Alain  street  was  filled  from  dirt 
from  the  mill  race,  so  as  to  raise  it  above  the  water  in  times  when  Cow  creek 
was  more  than  bank  full. 

In  the  election  of  1877,  E.  Wilcox  and  John  McCollough  were  candi- 
dates for  mayor.  Wilcox  received  166  votes  and  McCollough  jH  votes.  T. 
M.  Jordan,  Vernon  Roe,  L.  A.  Bigger.  William  Ingham  and  D.  B.  Melxee 
were  chosen  for  councilmen.  There  were  three  candidates  for  police  judge. 
John  McMurrav  received  147  votes;  J.  C.  Linsday.  89  votes,  and  Lon  Mead, 
one  vote.  C.  B.  Winslow  was  appointed  city  clerk ;  J.  T.  Norman  was 
elected  city  marshal. 

During  June  of  this  year  Cow  creek  overflowed  its  banks  and  covered 
most  of  the   town.      In   August   the  citv   voted  bonds   to   straighten   out   the 


&j 


creek,  cut  out  the  windings  of  the  stream,  build  levees  on  the  banks,  and  bv 


330  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

tin's  means  protect  the  city  from  further  overflow.  The  water  in  the  creek 
this  year  was  the  highest  known  since  the  count}'  was  settled,  and  the  work 
done  was  of  great  value  in  later  years  when  the  stream  got  out  of  its  hanks. 
In  [878  the  annual  election  brought  out  two  candidates  for  each  elective 
office.  E.  Wilcox  and  L.  A.  Bigger  were  candidates  for  mavor.  Bigger 
polled  [32  votes  and  Wilcox.  1  26.  John  McCollough,  H.  S.  Sidlinger,  M.  J. 
Ruddy,  1.  M.  (  arter  and  H.  Raff  were  elected  councilmen  and  John  McMur- 
ray  was  elected  police  judge.  When  the  new  council  met  the  mayor  appointed 
(iu-  Mead  as  city  clerk  and  Pat  Holland  for  street  commissioner.  The  city 
council's  work  for  this  year  was  largely  confined  to  the  completion  of  the 
work  on  the  mill  race,  the  straightening  of  Cow  creek,  and  the  building  of 
bridges.  A  large  number  of  sidewalks  were  put  in  and  the  general  improve- 
ment of  the  town  continued.  Several  ponds  in  the  city,  places  washed  out 
l>v  the  flood  of  the  previous  }  ear,  were  filled  up.  During  this  administration 
for  the  first  time  the  sprinkling  of  Alain  street  was  begun.  During  this  year 
the  city  also  took  an  active  part  in  locating  the  East  Side  cemetery,  moving 
the  burial  ground  from  its  old  locality  northwest  of  the  city  to  the  present 
site.  A  part  of  this  cemeten  was  allotted  to  the  public,  in  consideration  of 
the  financial  aid  given  by  the  city  for  the  purchase  of  the  twenty  acres  of 
ground  originally  bought  for  burial  purposes. 

SHADE    TREES    MAKE    THEIR    APPEARANCE. 

The  election  of  1879  resulted  in  the  usual  number  of  candidates,  and  a 
largely  increased  vote  disclosed  evidence  of  the  growth  of  the  city.  A.  K. 
Burrell  and  C.  P.  Pennington  were  candidates  for  mayor.  Burrell  polled 
[96  votes  and  Pennington.  140.  J.  T.  Lane  led  in  the  fight  for  councilmen. 
] lolling  339  votes,  while  Ruddy  received  197;  Carter.  189;  Sidlinger,  180, 
and  C.  \  .  Decker.  2  1  1 .  D,  W.  Stimmel  received  203  votes  for  city  marshal 
as  againsl  John  McMurray's  141  votes.  Gits  P.  Mead  was  continued  as  city 
clerk,  as  was  Pat  Holland  for  city  marshal.  The  financial  statement  of  the 
city  treasurer,  made  at  the  first  meeting  of  the  city  council,  showed  the  entire 

ipts   for  the  previous  year  as  $2,786.03.     The  expenditures  for  the  year 
were  ^j.jj* >.< >3,  leaving  a  balance  of  $60  on  hand. 

A  feature  of  the  activity  of  this  council  was  the  planting  of  trees.     The 

city  purchased  a  thousand  cottonwood  trees  and  planted  them  along  the  "mill 

Five  thousand  willows  were  planted  along  Cow  creek.     The  idea  was 

that  the  hat  roots  would  be  a  help  in  keeping  the  banks  of  these  waters  from 

w ashing  in  ti> >< id  time. 


RENO    COl    \TY.    KANSAS.  33  I 

As  referred  to  in  another  part  of  this  chapter,  this  council  distinguished 
itself  in  being  the  first  to  gram  licenses  to  sell  liquor  in  Hutchinson.  Th< 
continued  bu1  a  short  time  and  were  a  constanl  source  of  controversy  while 
they  were  running.  The  passage  of  the  prohibition  amendment  to  the  con- 
stitution took  away  the  right  of  city  councils  to  pass  such  ordinances.  One 
thing  is  noticeable,  however,  in  the  proceedings  oi  this  council.  It  became 
necessary  during  this  administration  to  have  a  night  police  force,  arising  out 
of  the  disorders  caused  by  liquor  sales.  This  was  the  first  time  the  city  felt 
it  necessary  to  have  night  policemen,  and  is  sufficient  comment  on  what  the 
presence  of  liquor  for  sale  in  a  city  docs  for  the  orderliness  of  the  city. 

On  March  3,  [880,  a  census  was  taken  of  the  city  for  the  purpose  of 
changing  the  corporation  from  a  city  of  the  third  cla>s  to  one  of  the  second 
class.  The  census  showed  there  were  2,006  residents  of  Hutchinson  at  that 
time.  But  the  resolution  to  change  the  form  of  the  city  government  was 
beaten  in  the  council.  Lane,  Carter  and  Ruddy  voted  "No,"  so  the  matter 
was  dropped  temporarily,  hut  became  an  issue  in  the  spring  election  in  later 
years. 

DEVELOPMENT  OF   "PUBLIC   UTILITIES." 

The  election  in  April  5,  1880,  brought  forth  the  usual  number  of  can- 
didates. John  McCollough  was  elected  mayor,  receiving  212  votes,  and  A.  K. 
Burrell.  168  votes.  E.  Wilcox,  G.  W.  Hardy,  A.  E.  Taylor.  ().  P.  Mayer  and 
John  Brehm  were  chosen  councilmen.  George  Barclay  was  elected  police 
judge,  he  being  the  only  candidate,  receiving  381  votes.  C.  H.  Longstreth 
was  elected  city  marshal  after  several  ballots.  Ted  l\  Halverson  was  elected 
citv  clerk.  George  Hern  was  elected  night  watch  "during  good  behavior." 
Just  what  was  meant  in  that  qualifying  term  of  the  period  of  his  employ- 
ment is  not  declared  by  the  records.  The  report  of  the  council  proceedings 
showed  that  four  saloons  were  running  in  Hutchinson  at  that  time.  The 
election  of  1881  had  the  usual  number  of  candidates:  S.  H.  Sidlinger  re- 
ceived 212  votes  for  mayor,  and  Leo  H.  Albright.  63  votes.  G.  T. 
Lmpev.  J.  B.  Brown,  M.  J.  Ruddy,  W.  R.  Marshall  and  A.  W.  West  were 
elected  members  of  the  city  council.  George  Barclay  and  A.  J.  Higley  were 
candidates  for  police  judge.     Barclay  received  96  votes  and  Higley.  54  votes. 

When  the  new  council  met  D.  S.  Alexander  was  elected  city  clerk,  A.  R. 
Scheble  was  chosen  city  attorney  and  C.  B.  Winslow  was  nominated  b\  the 
mayor  for  city  treasurer.  The  first  vote  on  the  confirmation  of  this  nomi- 
nation resulted  in  a  tie — two  for,  and  two  against.  A  second  vote  was  taken, 
and  the  result  was  a  rejection  of  the  nomination,  three  against  and  two   for. 


33-  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

At  a  later  meeting",  Winslow  was  again  nominated  for  city  treasurer  by  the 
mayor,  and  was  confirmed,  only  three  votes  being  cast — two  for  confirma- 
tion and  one  against.  Allen  Shafer  was  chosen  city  marshal  by  acclamation. 
In  order  to  show  further  how  public  improvements  grew,  how  public 
utilities  developed,  the  council  of  1881  erected  a  wind-mill  and  tank  for 
lire  protection  of  the  city.  This  was  considered  sufficient  in  that  day.  It 
offered  a  contrast  for  those  of  today  who  are  accustomed  to  the  highest 
degree  ni  efficiency  from  the  very  best  forms  of  fire-fighting  apparatus,  in 
connection  with  an  elaborate  waterworks  system.  The  people  of  today  can 
hardly  think  of  the  method  of  travel  of  the  early  days  of  the  county — the 
ax-team,  or  the  horse  and  wagon,  and  roads  that  never  received  the  slightest 
attention,  in  many  cases  on  "angling"  roads  on  the  prairie  across  what  are 
now  cultivated  fields.  This  in  contrast  with  the  automobile  and  the  graded 
road;  the  concrete  bridges,  where  once  were  simply  fords  in  the  stream.  In 
a  like  manner  they  can  hardly  realize,  unless  they  have  lived  through  the 
changes,  the  difference  in  municipal  matters  now  and  what  the  city  was 
thirty-five  years  ago.  and  the  action  of  the  council  of  1881  in  putting  up  a 
wind-mill  and  a  tank  for  tire  protection  shows  the  great  progress  of  Hutch- 
inson  in  a  little  more  than  a  third  of  a  century. 

The  election  of  1882  resulted  in  the  usual  number  of  candidates.  S.  H. 
Sidlinger  and  E.  A.  Smith  were  candidates  for  mayor,  the  former  receiving 
]<)_)  votes  and  the  latter  163  votes.  G.  T.  Empev,  L.  A.  Bigger,  W.  R. 
Mar-hall.  M.  J.  Ruddy  and  J.  T.  Lane  were  elected  councilmen.  George  D. 
Barclay  was  continued  as  police  judge;  D.  S.  Alexander  was  appointed  as 
city  clerk  and  C.  B.  Winslow  was  continued  as  city  treasurer,  as  was  Allen 
Shafer  as  city  marshal.  Very  little  of  general  interest  appears  in  the  min- 
utes of  the  city  council.  The  usual  sidewalks  were  ordered  in,  and  the  usual 
currences  were  provided  for,  but  nothing  of  interest  above  other  years 
appeared  during    1  NN_>. 

BETTER    FIRE    I'KoTKCTlox    DEMANDED. 

The  (In! i. ,n  mi"  [88^  resulted  in  the  selection  of  ].  T.  Lane  as  mayor. 
lie  received  i</<)  s'Otes,  and  ( i.  T.  Kmpev,  176  votes.  J.  B.  Brown,  S.  A. 
Atwood,  J.  F.  Blackburn,  II.  Dice  and  \.  K.  Burrell  were  elected  council- 
men.  George  Barcla)  and  A.  J.  Higley  were  both  candidates  for  police 
judge.  Barcla)  beat  Higley,  a-  he  did  the  year  previous.  \Y.  II.  Lewis  was 
appointed  city  attorney.  I.  I'.  Dillon  was  elected  city  clerk;  S.  H.  Craig 
was  elected  city  marshal,  and  J.  If.  Y6ung  was  elected  city  treasurer. 


RKXO  COIWTY,    KANSAS.  333 

About  the  only  thing  this  council  did  thai  was  out  of  the  ordinary  was 
the  establishment  oi  a  city  scales.     The  agitation  had  been  running  through 

several  years  and  the  council  of  July  23,  [883,  ordered  such  scales,  and  fixed 
the  salary  of  the  city  weigh-master  and  the  prices  to  be  charged  for  the  use 
of  these  scales. 

The  city  council  realized   the  importance  of  better  fire  protection,   and 

realized  further  that  the  wind-mill  and  tank  that  the  city  relied  on  was 
inadequate,  and  ordered  one  lire  engine,  hose  and  other  equipment  for  lire 
proteetion.  The  water  was  obtained  by  sinking  well  points  along  Main 
street,  and  connecting  them  with  one  pipe  from  which  the  water  was  obtained. 
A  volunteer  fire  department  was  organized. 

The  city  council  at  a  meeting-  held  on  July  21,  [884,  passed  an  ordinance 
to  include  land  not  in  the  original  city  plat  as  part  of  the  city.  This  was  the 
first  addition  ever  made  to  the  original  townsite  as  it  was  laid  out  by  C.  C. 
Hutchinson  in  1872. 

The  treasurer's  report  showed  that  the  expenditures  of  the  city  for  the 
previous  year  were  $7, 790.42;  the  total  disbursements,  $7,091.  leaving  a 
halance  of  $699.42  on  hands.  The  items  of  receipts  showed  that  the  sum 
of  $4,430.18  was  received  from  the  county  treasurer  as  direct  taxes;  that 
$29  came  from  hues  in  the  police  court;  $625.11  from  licenses:  $594.55 
from  the  sale  of  city  script;  $776.30  from  occupation  tax:  $208.30  from  the 
city  scales,  and  $5  from  dog-  tax.  The  expenditures  were  divided  as  fol- 
lows:  General  fund,  $4,208.18;  street  fund,  $1,514.67:  interest  fund. 
$1,299.04;  improvement  fund,  $69.11.  The  report  also  showed  that  during 
the  vear.  $1,301.73  of  script  was  issued  in  the  street  fund  and  S3. 781. 88  in 
the  general  fund;  or.  in  a  general  way,  the  city  expended  $4,384.19  more 
than  it  collected.  This  necessarily  resulted,  later,  in  the  issuing-  of  bond-  to 
take  up  the  city  script,  some  of  which  are  still  unpaid.  The- treasurer's  report 
also  showed  the  bonded  indebtedness  of  the  city  to  be  $10,200,  divided  up 
into  improvement  bonds  of  $5,000;  funding-  bonds,  $4,000,  and  bridge  bonds. 
$1,200. 

PERMANENT    IMPROVEMENTS    GOT    UNDER    WAV. 

The  election  of  1884  was  a  peaceful  one.  There  was  only  one  candi- 
date for  mayor,  S.  \Y.  Campbell,  who  polled  365  votes.  The  members  of 
the  council  chosen  were  L.  A.  Bigger,  L.  B.  Young,  J.  M.  Mulkey,  Wilson 
McCandless  and  E.  Wilcox.  George  Barclay  and  L.  S.  Shields  were  candi- 
dates for  police  judge.  Shields  received  228  votes  and  Barclay,  238.  H. 
Whiteside  was  elected  city  attornev,  T.  T\  Dillon  was  continued  as  citv  clerk. 


334  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

Joe  Christ  was  chosen  as  city  marshal  and  Torn  Jarvis  as  street  commis- 
sioner. 

This  year  marked  the  beginning  of  many  of  the  permanent  improve- 
ments i»f  the  present  time.  Early  in  the  life  of  this  council  the  agitation  for 
a  waterworks  system  was  started.  A  committee  was  appointed  to  visit  other 
cities  and  luck  at  their  water  plants.  At  a  later  meeting  an  ordinance  was 
passed  requiring  either  stone  or  concrete  pavements  of  the  present  width 
(fourteen  feet)  on  all  .Main  street  property  between  certain  streets.  All 
of  the  principal  streets  were  brought  to  grade  and  guttering  was  ordered. 
Street  sprinkling  was  started  in  a  systematic  manner.  While  there  had  been 
some  sprinkling  done  before,  it  was  done  in  a  very  inadequate  manner.  The 
council  also,  at  the  meeting  on  April  i,  1885,  took  the  necessary  steps  toward 
getting  the  state  reformatory  located  in  this  city,  one  of  the  things  done  in 
this  connection  being  the  appointment  of  a  special  committee,  composed  of 
T.  T.  Tavlor,  G.  C.  Miller  and  L.  A.  Bigger,  to  handle  the  city's  interests  in 
the  matter  of  the  proposed  location  of  the  reformatory. 

The  election  held  on  April  8.  1885,  resulted  in  the  re-election  of  S.  \Y. 
Campbell  as  mayor,  over  Dr.  X.  T.  R.  Robertson,  Campbell  receiving  394 
votes  and  Robertson.  240.  E.  Wilcox,  L.  A.  Bigger,  J.  M.  Mulkey,  D.  Mc- 
Ixee  and  Robert  Lacy  were  chosen  councilmen.  George  D.  Barclay  was 
elected  police  judge  against  L.  S.  Shields.  J.  P.  Dillon  was  re-elected  city 
clerk  and  George  Hern,  city  marshal. 

On  September  15.  1885,  the  council  granted  a  franchise  to  the  Inter- 
state Gas  Company — a  franchise  granting  that  company  the  right,  for  twenty- 
one  years,  to  use  the  streets  and  alleys  for  the  purpose  of  furnishing  gas  for 
heating  and  lighting  purposes. 

On  October  5.  1885.  the  council  passed  ordinance  Xo.  199,  providing" 
for  a  system  of  waterworks.  This  was  the  last  step  taken  by  the  city  for 
effective  fire  protection.  It  will  be  remembered  that  the  hrst  hre  protection 
provided  for  the  city  was  some  furrows  plowed  around  the  townsite  to  pro- 
tect the  city  from  prairie  tires.  The  second  step  was  the  erection  of  a  wind- 
mill and  tank.  The  third  step  was  a  hand-pump  with  well  points  driven  at 
various  place-  mi  Main  street,  from  which  water  was  to  be  pumped,  and 
then,  this  last  ordinance,  that  provided  for  a  waterworks  system  that  is  so 
constructed  that  it  has  met  the  demands  of  the  city  as  it  has  grown  from  a 
village  \"  a  city,  and  i>  capable  of  expansion  to  any  extent  necessary. 

So  Hutchinson  grew  from  a  few  scattered  houses  on  the  prairie  to  a 
city  of  the  third  class.     It  has  made  much  progress  toward  its  present  con- 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  335 

ditions.  It  has  established  the  streets,  guttered  them,  and  put  permanent 
pavements  in  front  oi  them.  It  has  established  adequate  fire  protection  for 
its  property.  It  has  straightened  Cow  creek  through  the  city,  and  formed  a 
more  permanent  outlet  for  flood  waters.  It  has  established  a  street-lighting 
system.  Its  population  lias  grown  to  2,300.  The  cit)  considered  at  times 
that  it  would  he  made  a  city  of  the  second  cla  — .  in  older  that  it  mighl  have 
increased  authority  over  its  local  matters  to  provide  for  the  increased  popu- 
lation. It  was  made  a  city  of  the  second  class  on  March  J^.  [886,  and  as 
such  citv  of  the  second  class  it  will  he  considered  in  a   following  chapter. 


CHAPTER  XLV. 
Hutchinson,  a  City  of  the  Second  Class. 

After  the  requirements  of  the  statutes  had  been  met,  a  proclamation 
signed  by  Governor  John  A.  Martin,  declaring-  Hutchinson  a  city  of  the 
second  class,  was  received  by  the  city  council  and  was  ordered  recorded  with 
the  register  of  deeds  of  Reno  count}'.  This  was  done  on  March  26,  1886, 
and  Hutchinson  became  a  city  of  the  second  class. 

The  first  thine:  necessarv  for  the  council  to  do  was  to  divide  the  city 
into  four  wards.  At  the  same  time  it  was  ordered  that  all  houses  be  num- 
bered. This  latter  was  also  preparatory  toward  the  establishment  of  the  free 
delivery  mail  system.  The  first  election  as  a  city  of  the  second  class  resulted 
as  follows:  For  mayor,  L.  A.  Bigger;  police  judge.  T.  A.  Decker:  city 
treasurer,  W.  T.  Atkinson:  treasurer  of  the  board  of  education,  E.  A.  Smith; 
councilmen.  first  ward.  O.  Wolcott  and  D.  B.  McKee ;  second  ward,  R.  A. 
Campbell  and  S.  W.  Campbell ;  third  ward,  Herman  Beers  and  John  B. 
Brown;  fourth  ward.  A.  J.  Fisk  and  Frank  Vincent.  Charles  E.  Hall  was 
appointed  city  clerk  and  James  McKinstry,  city  attorney. 

Two  important  matters  were  up  for  consideration  during  this  adminis- 
tration— one  was  the  granting  of  a  franchise  to  John  Severance  for  a  street 
car  line,  the  other  was  the  voting  of  bonds  for  aid  in  the  construction  of  the 
Wichita  &  Western  railroad,  or  what  is  now  the  Missouri  Pacific  railroad. 
Severance  was  granted  the  charter  for  a  street  car  line  on  June  5,  1886,  and 
the  election  for  the  voting  of  bonds  for  the  Missouri  Pacific  was  held  on  June 
30,  1880,  by  which  the  city  subscribed  for  fifty-one  thousand  five  hundred 
dollars  worth  of  stock  in  the  Wichita  &  Colorado  railroad,  which  was  paid 
to  the  railroad  company  on  November  23,  1886,  when  the  road  was  com- 
pleted into  Hutchinson.  This  included  likewise  the  western  extension  of  this 
road,  which  was  constructed  under  the  name  of  the  Salina  &  El  Paso  rail- 
road. This  council  also  submitted  to  the  people  the  question  of  voting  bonds 
for  the  Chicago,  Kansas  &  Nebraska  railroad,  now  the  Rock  Island,  for 
twenty-five  thousand  dollars.  This  bond  vote  was  of  the  same  nature  as  that 
in  behalf  of  the  Missouri  Pacific  railroad,  an  issue  of  the  city's  bonds  in 
hange  \<>v  the  company's  capital  stock  of  equal  amount.     The  council  met 


RENO  COUNTY,    K  VNSAS.  337 

on  July  2i,  [886,  and  called  an  election  for  August  31,  [886.  This  election 
had  the  unique  distinction  of  having  had  bul  one  vote  casl  in  the  negative. 
The  proposition  received  ten  hundred  and  thirt)  two  votes  favoring  it.  and 
only  <»ne  against  it. 

The  election  held  on  Augusl  8,  [887,  the  second  under  the  city's  charter 
as  a  city  of  the  second  class,  resulted  as  follows:  Mayor,  I..  A.  Biefirer; 
police  judge.  J.  S.  llouser;  city  treasurer,  \V.  T.  Atkinson:  treasurer  of  the 
school  hoard.  E.  A.  Smith;  councilmen,  first  ward,  Hiram  Constant;  second 
ward.  O.  Wolcott,  long  term;  1).  McKee,  short  term;  third  ward.  J.  B. 
Brown;  fourth  ward,  Frank  Vincent.  Charles  S.  Mall  was  continued  a-  city 
clerk,  and  George  Hern  as  city  marshal.  The  first  matter  of  importance  this 
council  considered  was  the  establishment  of  a  sanitary  H'\ver.  It  was  esti- 
mated that  the  proposed  sewer  would  cost  forty  thousand  dollars,  and  it  was 
to  be  constructed  in  such  a  manner  that  it  could  he  added  to  as  the  city  grew. 

This  council  did  what  no  other  council  has  ever  done.  It  paid  the 
expenses  of  a  committee  of  Hutchinson  men  who  were  in  Chicago  trying  t<> 
secure  the  location  of  a  packing-house  in  this  city.  Xo  one  ever  questioned 
the  right  of  the  council  to  so  appropriate  money  to  obtain  sufficient  money 
and  property  to  offer  a  bonus,  and  it  was  regarded  as  necessary  to  have  this 
financial  help  from  the  city. 

city's  boundary  ltne  extended. 

During  this  year  the  boundary  lines  of  the  city  were  very  largely 
extended,  petitions  for  fifteen  additions  to  the  city  being  granted  at  one  meet- 
ing in  February,  1888.  It  was  the  beginning  of  the  "boom,"  when  town  lots 
were  laid  out  in  every  direction.  Man}-  of  these  additions  were  vacated  alter 
the  boom  in  real  estate  collapsed.  Some  of  them  went  back  to  farm  land.  In 
some  the  streets  and  alleys  were  vacated.  The  original  corporate  limits  oi 
the  city  were  sufficient  for  a  city  of  twenty  times  the  size  of  Hutchinson:  hut 
of  the  additions  to  the  city  limits,  there  was  no  end  in  the  early  days  of  [888, 
when  there  were  more  real  estate  men  in  Hutchinson  than  those  engaged  in 
any  other  occupation.  The  town  was  boomed  by  everybody.  Values  were 
inflated  in  such  a  manner  that  there  could  be  no  hope  that  those  values  would 
remain.  But  the  council  admitted  every  applicant  for  a  place  within  the  cor- 
porate limits  of  the  city,  on  the  theory  that  the  newcomers  would  have  to  help 
support  the  city  in  taxes  and  the  council  of  1887  and  1888  denied  none  who 
knocked,  but  published  the  ordinances  admitting  them  as  fast  as  they  were 
requested. 
(22) 


338  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

The  council  of  this  period  came  more  nearly  being  one  of  "continuous 
session"  than  any  the  city  has  ever  had.  Besides  the  regular  monthly  meet- 
ings, special  meetings  were  held  almost  every  week,  and  on  some  weeks,  two 
and  even  three  times  a  week  were  they  called  together.  The  boom  was  on 
and  when  some  real  estate  man  wanted  to  plat  an  addition  to  the  town,  he 
induced  three  of  the  members  of  the  council  to  call  a  special  meeting.  Per- 
haps no  council  in  the  city's  history  ever  had  as  strenuous  a  time  as  the  one 
of  this  period.  Perhaps  no  other  council  acted  on  as  many  matters  as  did 
this  council. 

The  election  held  on  April  6,  1888,  elected  only  the  councilmen  and 
members  of  the  city  school  board.  The  mayor  held  his  office  for  two  years. 
The  result  of  this  election  was  as  follows:  Councilmen,  first  ward,  A.  M. 
West;  second  ward,  G.  W.  Hardy;  third  ward.  J,  V.  Clymer;  fourth  ward, 
W.  E.  Hutchinson.  The  members  of  the  school  board  chosen  at  this  election 
were:  First  ward,  J.  B.  Allen;  second  ward,  L.  \Y.  Zinn;  third  ward.  F.  R. 
Chrisman ;  fourth  ward,  B.  S.  Hoagland.  The  mayor  appointed  the  city  offi- 
cers as  follows:  Marshal,  George  Hern;  assistant  marshal,  Eugene  M. 
Rugg;  city  clerk,  Charles  E.  Hall,  and  R.  A.  Campbell,  city  attorney. 

The  most  important  matter  this  council  considered  was  the  construction 
of  a  sewer  system  for  Hutchinson.  On  November  26,  the  council  passed  an 
ordinance  defining  the  sewer  district.  On  January  22.  1889,  the  contract  for 
the  sewer  was  let  and  construction  was  soon  begun. 

ELECTION"    WARMLY   CONTESTED. 

The  election  held  on  April  5,  1889.  was  one  of  the  most  warmly  con- 
tested ones  in  the  history  of  Hutchinson.  There  were  two  candidates  for 
mayor — Hiram  Constant  and  J.  F.  Greenlee.  Constant  greatly  outdistanced 
Greenlee,  although  it  was  confidently  expected  that  Greenlee  would  be  elected. 
(  Constant  polled  1,361  votes  and  Greenlee  received  933  votes.  J.  P.  McCurdy, 
D.  B.  McKee,  1).  W.  Holaday  and  J.  F.  Gardner  were  elected  councilmen. 
I).  \V.  Stimmel  was  elected  police  judge  over  four  competitors.  Mrs.  Sadie 
Lewis  was  elected  city  treasurer.  A.  \Y.  Robbins  was  chosen  by  the  mayor 
for  city  marshal  and  A.  A.  Meredith  for  city  clerk-. 

The  council  of  this  year  had  bill  little  of  importance  beyond  routine  mat- 
ters. '  >ne  of  tin-  mosl  important  was  the  voting  of  twenty  thousand  dollar- 
worth  of  bonds  to  aid  in  extending  the  terminal  facilities  of  the  Hutchinson, 
Oklahoma  &  Gulf  railroad,  now  the  Hutchinson  &  Southern  railroad.  This 
bond  issue  was  carried  by  a  vote  of  jS_j  to  420. 


RENO  COUN  l  Y,    K  VNSAS.  339 

On  August  28,   [889,  a  franchise  was  granted  to  R.  R.  Price  to  many 
facture  and  supply  gas  to  the  citizens  of  Hutchinson  for  heating  and  illum- 
inating. 

This  year  saw  the  beginning  of  the  decline  in  values  from  the  "boom" 
when  prices  for  real  estate  were  pushed  up  to  a  level  for  which  there  was  no 
warrant.  One  of  the  factors  that  carried  the  inflation  so  far  was  the  ei 
with  which  money  could  be  borrowed.  There  were  loan  agents  in  abundance, 
handling  Eastern  money  that  then  was  so  plentiful.  There  was  nol  en-. ugh 
business  in  the  county  to  justify  the  building  that  was  carried  on  and  a-  a 
consequence,  as  soon  as  the  interest  became  due.  it  was  realized  that  there 
were  more  houses,  both  for  business  and  residence,  than  the  town  needed. 

Out  of  the  reaction  there  came  two  men  who  were  newer  bothered  by 
the  terrors  of  a  business  collapse.  One  was  Ben  Blanchard.  The  paralysis 
of  the  boom  in  South  Hutchinson,  which  Blanchard  had  largely  built,  impelled 
him  to  bore  for  oil.  In  his  efforts  to  get  oil  he  struck  salt,  and  this  was  the 
beginning  of  the' salt  industry  that  is  spoken  of  elsewhere. 

AN    ENTERPRISING   EDITOR. 

The  other  man  whose  ardor  was  not  dampened  by  the  decline  in  real 
estate  was  Ralph  M.  Easley.  The  collapse  of  the  boom  had  annihilated  the 
prospective  resources  of  the  Hutchinson  Daily  News,  of  which  he  was  the 
owner  and  editor,  and  Easley,  like  Blanchard,  hunting  around  for  some  way 
out,  of  his  own  volition  and  without  consulting  any  other  citizen  of  Hutchin- 
son, telegraphed  Dold  &  Company,  of  Kansas  City,  a  cash  offer  of  one  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars  to  build  a  packing  house  in  Hutchinson.  Dold  answered 
Easley's  telegram,  and  Easley,  L.  A.  Bigger  and  Sam  Campbell  were  appointed 
a  committee  to  go  to  Kansas  City  and  see  Dold.  and  out  of  this  struggling 
venture  to  hold  on,  finallv  came  the  packing-house,  the  lard  refinery  and  the 
stock  yards,  also  spoken  of  in  another  chapter  of  this  history. 

During  that  period,  for  the  first  and  only  time  in  the  history  of  Hutch- 
inson, the  mavor  died  while  holding  office.  Mayor  Constant  died  on  January 
19,  1890,  and  appropriate  action  was  taken  by  an  extra  session  of  the  city 
council.  Mr.  Constant,  as  noted  in  the  resolutions  passed  by  the  council,  was 
regarded  as  one  of  the  benefactors  of  the  city,  and  his  care  and  consideration 
of  the  poor  and  unfortunate  were  especially  dwelt  upon.  He  was  also  com- 
mended for  his  unselfishness  and  devotion  to  the  public,  as  well  as  to  his 
private  duties.      1.    V.   Clymer,  being  president   of  the  council,   assumed   the 


340  RENO   COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

duties  of  mayor  until  the  regular  annual  election,  when  a  mayor  would  be 
elected  to  fill  out  the  unexpired  term  of  Mr.  Constant. 

The  election  held  on  April  4.  1890,  resulted  in  the  election  of  John  Sev- 
erance as  mayor.  He  was  the  only  candidate  and  received  all  but  two  of  the 
votes  cast.  Frank  Colladay  was  elected  member  of  the  council  from  the  first 
ward;  J.  T.  Norman,  from  the  second  ward;  F.  McCollom,  from  the  third 
ward,  and  Samuel  Matthews,  from  the  fourth  ward.  Jerry  Ballinger  was 
appointed  city  marshal:  William  Ingham  was  chosen  as  city  clerk:  Z.  L.  Wise 
was  appointed  city  attorney  and  Fred  Carpenter,  city  engineer. 

There  was  little  of  public  interest  during  this  administration.  The  city 
ordinances  were  revised  and  the  council  spent  the  greater  part  of  its  existence 
trying  some  policemen  for  misconduct.  They  took  the  time  of  several  meet- 
ings listening  to  the  testimony  in  the  case,  when  they  might  have  suspended 
him  in  a  few  moments;  but  it  was  the  demand  of  the  chief  of  police,  who, 
from  the  testimonv  introduced  before  the  council,  was  more  intent  on  setting 
evidence  of  misconduct  on  the  part  of  some  policemen  than  he  was  in  looking 
after  the  vindication  of  the  law.  But  the  administration  closed  without 
'"getting"  any  of  the  offending  policemen. 

COUNCIL   AND    MAYOR   AT   OUTS. 

In  the  election  of  April  7,  1891,  the  following  were  chosen  for  city  offi- 
cers:  Mayor,  R.  A.  Campbell;  police  judge,  D.  S.  Gibbs;  city  treasurer,  E.  A. 
Smith:  councilmen,  first  ward,  D.  E.  Reid;  second  ward,  D.  B.  McKee ;  third 
ward,  S.  J.  Sipes;  fourth  ward,  H.  Miskiman.  The  mayor  and  council  got 
into  a  wrangle  at  the  first  meeting.  The  council  refused  to  confirm  the  mayor's 
appointments.  After  several  meetings  the  officers  of  the  city  were  appointed 
one  at  a  time.  A.  R.  Little  was  chosen  city  clerk.  Terrv  Ballinger  declined 
the  office  of  city  marshal  by  reason  of  the  council's  refusal  to  confirm  the 
mayor'-  appointment.  At  a  meeting  held  on  October  31,  1890,  Mayor  Camp- 
lull  resigned  and  \V.  L.  Winslow  was  elected  to  fill  his  place.  This  arrange- 
ment met  with  the  approval  of  the  council,  for  all  members  voted  to  accept 
the  nomination.  Though  the  record  doesn't  disclose  the  deal,  it  is  recalled 
that  as  soon  as  Mr.  Campbell's  successor  was  elected  he  appointed  the  former 
mayor  a-  city  attorney,  and  by  this  means  ended  the  row  between  the  mayor 
and  the  council.  Jerry  Ballinger  was  succeeded  by  George  E.  Miller  as  city 
marshal.  Resignations  being  a  part  of  the  activities  of  this  council.  D.  E. 
Reid  fell  railed  upon  to  resign  for  some  failure  of  the  council  to  act  as  he 
desired  on  matter-  he  suggested.     His  resignation  was  unanimously  accepted. 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  34] 

The  election  of  [892  resulted  in  the  selection  of  Frank  Vincent  as  mayor, 
and  councilmen  as  follows:  First  ward,  long  term,  Charles  E.  Brown;  short 
term,  J.  B.  McClirdy;  second  ward,  \V.  L.  Winslow  ;  third  ward,  long  term. 
J.  T.  Norman,  short  term,  David  llolliday;  fourth  ward.  James  Myers.  The 
following  appointments  were  made  by  Mayor  Vincent:  City  attorney,  F.  F. 
Prigg;  city  marshal,  George  E.  Miller;  city  clerk,  George  I).  Barclay.  This 
council  was  a  peaceable  one;  no  friction  developed  and  there  was  only  one 
resignation,  that  of  the  city  clerk,  George  1).  Barclay,  who  resigned  on 
Decemher  20.  W.  1\.  I'nderwood  was  appointed  as  his  successor.  During 
this  administration  the  number  of  the  wards  was  increased  to  six.  The  con- 
demnation of  some  old  hoard  sidewalks,  as  a  result  of  several  accident-  and 
resultant  damage  suits,  was  one  of  the  principal  acts  of  the  council,  and  for 
the  first  time  the  city  began  to  require  permanent  sidewalks  of  stone  or  brick. 
The  drainage  damage  suits  against  the  city  also  received  the  attention  of  the 
council,  many  of  the  people  living  below  the  city  on  Cow  creek,  into  which  ali 
the  sewage  of  the  city  was  emptied,  having  brought  suit  against  the  city 
for  damages  and  for  a  permanent  injunction  against  the  city  so  disposing  of 
the  sewage. 

CITY    WARRANTS    HEAVILY    DISCOUNTED. 

The  city  treasurer's  report  for  1892  showed  the  total  receipts  of  the  city 
for  the  year  to  be  $11,463.48,  and  the  total  expenditures,  $10,338.86,  leaving 
a  balance  of  $1,124.62  on  hands.  There  was  no  detailed  report  of  either 
receipts  or  expenditures,  nor  was  there  any  showing  of  the  bonded  or  floating 
indebtedness  of  the  city. 

The  election  on  April  6,  1893,  resulted  in  the  election  of  Frank  Vincent 
as  mayor;  councilmen,  first  ward,  W.  F.  W'ass;  second  ward,  Marion  Watson; 
third  ward,  D.  H.  Holliday ;  fourth  ward,  F.  P.  Hettinger;  fifth  ward,  long 
term,  C.  A.  Ryker;  short  term,  H.  Miskinnen;  sixth  ward,  long  term,  J.  M. 
Mulkey;  short  term,  E.  Edwards.  The  mayor  appointed  the  following:  City 
attorney,  F.  F.  Prigg;  city  clerk.  W.  R.  Underwood:  city  marshal,  George  E. 
Miller. 

The  records  fail  to  disclose  anything  but  routine  matters  during  the 
existence  of  this  council.  The  election  of  April  4,  1894,  resulted  in  the  elec- 
tion of  the  following  councilmen  :  First  ward,  M.  Hoagland ;  second  ward. 
O.  E.  Comstock;  third  ward,  W.  R.  Bennett:  fourth  ward.  J.  M.  Harsha; 
fifth  ward,  H.  Miskimen;  sixth  ward,  E.  Edwards.  The  appointments  of 
the  mayor  for  the  other  officers  of  the  city  were  the  same  as  that  of  the 


342  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

previous  year.  The  city's  finances  were  in  such  a  shape  that  city  script  was 
at  such  a  discount  that  it  became  necessary  to  vote  nine  thousand  dollars  in 
bonds  to  take  up  the  script  then  outstanding.  Beyond  the  election  and  the 
mayor's  veto  of  guttering  ordinances,  because  of  the  bad  financial  condition 
of  the  city,  this  council  did  nothing  of  importance. 

The  election  held  on  April  i,  1895,  resulted  as  follows:  Mayor,  Frank 
Vincent;  councilmen,  first  ward,  G.  W.  Wright;  second  ward,  M.  Watson; 
third  ward,  S.  H.  Holliday ;  fourth  ward,  A.  L.  Forsha ;  fifth  ward,  C.  A. 
Ryker;  sixth  ward,  H.  W.  Willett.  John  Anderson  was  elected  police  judge; 
the  city  clerk  and  city  attorney  of  the  previous  administration  were  reap- 
pointed, and  S.  V.  Davis  was  appointed  city  marshal.  Among  the  things  this 
d  >uncil  did  was  to  issue  eighteen  thousand  dollars  in  city  warrants  to  take  up 
the  city  script  that  was  being  so  greatly  discounted.  These  warrants  bore 
interest  at  the  rate  of  six  per  cent,  until  paid  by  the  city.  The  entire  trouble 
with  the  city's  finances  was  the  loss  of  taxes  caused  by  the  shrinkage  in  values 
of  property  after  the  boom  had  collapsed.  The  city  was  constantly  running 
behind  in  its  financial  matters. 

Little  interest  was  taken  in  the  election  of  April  7,  1896,  a  very  light 
vote  being  cast  and  only  one  ticket  having  been  nominated.  William  Pells  was 
elected  councilman  for  the  first  ward ;  J.  R.  Campbell  for  the  second  ward : 
A.  H.  Foeltzer,  third  ward;  J.  P.  Harsha,  fourth  ward;  Walter  Kile,  fifth 
ward,  and  J.  S.  George,  sixth  ward.  The  appointive  officers  remained  the 
same  as  during  the  previous  administration.  The  financial  matters  of  the 
city  were  finally  adjusted  by  the  city  voting  bonds  for  fifty-five  thousand  dol- 
lars to  take  up  outstanding  warrants  and  script. 

The  election  held  on  April  4,  1897,  resulted  in  the  election  of  J.  P. 
Harsha,  as  mayor,  F.  P.  Hettinger  being  his  opponent.  The  councilmen 
chosen  were:  First  ward,  J.  W.  Roberts:  second  ward,  AW  S.  Randle:  third 
ward,  J.  B.  Baxter;  fourth  ward,  N.  L.  Hollowell ;  fifth  ward,  Jacob  Schoen- 
f eld ;  sixth  ward.  W.  H.  S.  Benedict.  W.  K.  Underwood  was  elected  city 
clerk.     Charles  J.  Noyes,  police  judge,  and  1).  F.  Benedict,  city  marshal. 

MORE    AID    GRANTED    RAILROAD. 

During  tlii>  administration  the  city  voted  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  in 
bond-  to  the  Hutchinson  <x  Southwestern  Improvement  Company.  These 
bonds  were  for  the  building  of  the  depot  for  the  Hutchinson  &  Southern 
railroad.  This  road  had  been  using  the  Rock  Island  depot  for  its  station.  The 
depot  was  built  by  the  Hutchinson  &  Southern  railroad  and  for  a  couple  of 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANS  \S.  ^4:5 

years  was  so  used  by  that  road,  bul  when  the  road  was  sold  to  the  Santa  Fe, 
the  depol  was  discontinued  and  the  Hutchinson  &  Southern,  then  a  branch  oi 
the  Santa  Fe,  used  the  depot  of  the  latter  road.  Later  this  depol  was  sold  to 
the  Missouri  Pacific,  which  formerly  had  its  depot  on  Avenue  I),  and  the 
Santa  Fe  discontinued  the  use  of  that  depot  and  the  Missouri  Pacific  began 
the  use  of  the  old  Hutchinson  &  Southern  depot. 

The  election  held  on  April  8,  [898,  resulted  in  the  election  of  Jonathan 
Teter  as  councilman  from  the  first  ward;  K.  S.  Handy,  second  ward:  A.  II. 
Foeltzer,  third  ward:  \V.  II.  Kinney.  Fourth  ward:  M.  V.  Whetzel,  fifth  ward, 
and  J.  P.  Shunk,  sixth  ward.  1).  E.  Benedict  was  elected  city  marshal,  and 
W.  R.  Marshall,  city  clerk.     F.  F.  Prigg  was  continued  as  city  attorney. 

The  city  council,  on  February  20,  1898,  bought  a  building  on  Sherman 
street,  west,  lots  29  and  31,  for  city  purposes,  including  council  rooms,  city 
jail,  city  clerk's  office,  police  judge's  office  and  lire  department  headquarters. 
The  city  paid  thirteen  hundred  dollars  for  the  two  lots  and  the  two-story 
brick  building  located  on  the  lots.  It  also  undertook  to  give  Prospect  Park 
to  the  Hutchinson  &  Southern  railroad  for  roundhouse,  shops,  etc..  but  later 
it  was  discovered  that  the  park  could  not  legally  be  used  for  any  purpose 
other  than  that  for  which  it  was  given  to  the  city,  namely,  for  a  park,  hence 
the  inability  of  the  council  to  carry  out  the  liberal  offer  it  had  made  to  the 
Hutchinson  &  Southern  railroad.  Otherwise  there  was  not  much  of  general 
interest  developed  in  Hutchinson  in  1898. 

THE  COMING  OF   NATURAL  GAS. 

The  election  of  1899  was  not  one  of  any  great  interest.  The  mayoralty 
contest  was  between  Frank  Vincent  and  B.  W.  Ladd.  Vincent  beat  Ladd  by 
more  than  a  three-to-one  vote,  he  receiving  1,311  votes,  and  Ladd  388.  For 
councilmen,  William  Pells  was  unanimously  elected  in  the  first  ward.  In 
the  second  ward  Charles  X.  Payne  won  over  J.  I\.  Campbell;  in  the  third 
ward  J.  B.  Baxter  had  no  opposition;  in  the  fourth  ward  Henry  \V.  Wilson 
had  no  opposition;  in  the  fifth  ward  Charles  Crawford  won  over  J.  \Y. 
Schoenifield ;  in  the  sixth  ward  Charles  Brown  and  Harless  Rayle  were  the 
candidates,  and  Brown  was  elected.  Harry  K.  Holadav  was  elected  city 
clerk.  Charles  J.  Noyes  was  elected  police  judge,  and  K.  I  fedden  won  over 
D.  E.  Benedict  for  city  marshal.  J.  V.  Clymer  was  unanimously  chosen  city 
attorney. 

One  of  the  first  things  done  by  this  council  was.  the  granting  of  a  fran- 
chise to     E.  H.  Hoag  to  use  the  streets  and  alleys  of  the  city  to  pipe  natural 


344  RENO   COUNTY.    KANSAS. 

gas  into  this  city  from  the  gas  fields  of  southeastern  Kansas.  During  this 
year  the  start  toward  a  city  library  was  made,  the  council  granting-  the  use 
of  rooms  in  the  city  building  for  a  library  and  reading  rooms.  There  were 
a  limited  number  of  volumes  of  books,  mostly  donated,  at  the  be- 
ginning of  the  library;  but  it  was  a  start  from  which  grew  the  present  city 
library,  with  an  ample  building  on  North  Alain  street  and  a  levy  annually  to 
buy  new  boulo  and  to  maintain  the  library.  It  was  the  beginning  of  one  of 
the  most  helpful  enterprises  of  the  kind  ever  started  in  Hutchinson.  This 
small  start  created  sufficient  interest  in  a  public  library  to  secure  the  passage 
of  a  resolution  submitting  the  question  of  voting  a  half-mill  tax  to  support 
the  library  at  the  next  city  election. 

In  the  election  of  1900,  "Kirkpatrick"  and  "Davis"  were  candidates  for 
mayor.  The  city  clerk  evidently  was  so  bus}-  that  he  did  not  put  down 
either  candidate's  initials,  and  nowhere  in  the  records  do  the  initials  of  the 
successful  candidate.  Mr.  Kirkpatrick.  appear.  In  the  second  ward,  H. 
Schlaudt  was  elected  councilman ;  in  the  third  ward.  YY.  H.  Wilson  was  the 
successful  candidate;  in  the  fourth  ward,  Samuel  Carey  was  elected:  in  the 
fifth  ward.  \Y.  X.  Baker  was  elected,  in  the  fifth  ward,  C.  L.  Vaughn  was 
the  successful  candidate,  and  J.  P.  Shunk  was  chosen  to  represent  the  sixth 
ward.  Harry  I  loladay  was  elected  city  clerk;  E.  Hedden,  city  marshal, 
and  W.  II.  Lewis,  city  attorney.  The  proposition  to  vote  a  tax  of  one  mill 
to  support  a  free  city  library  was  defeated  by  a  small  majority,  but  its  sup- 
porters went  to  work  more  enthusiastically  to  create  sentiment  for  another 
submission  of  die  vote  and  the  council  fixed  May  12,  1900,  as  the  date  of  a 
special  election.  At  ibis  special  election  the  proposition  carried'  by  .277 
majority. 

CITY'S,   FINANCES   IX   A   BAD   WAY. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1900  the  city  entered  into  a  contract  with 
L.  A.  Bigger  to  refund  the  bonded  indebtedness  of  the  city,  then  amounting 
to  one  hundred  and  eighty-four  thousand  dollars,  and  reduce  the  interest  on 
the  bonds  from  six  ner  cent,  to  five  per  cent.  It  was  some  time  before  the 
contract  was  carried  out.  The  city's  finances  were  in  a  bad  way,  the  city 
paying  out  annually  more  than  it  was  receiving  in  taxes.  It  was  running 
behind  so  badly  that  during  this  year  the  council  met  with  the  Commercial 
•  lub  ot  the  city  to  find  some  way  of  keeping  the  city's  credit  good,  keep  the 
city  script  from  selling  below  par  and  to  generally  improve  the  financial  con- 
dition of  the  city   treasury.     The  refunding  plan  proposed  by   Mr.   Bigger 


v-.""NW«-\  *■->/, 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  ^4^ 

was  a  step  toward  getting  the  city  on  a  basis  where  it  could  pay  its  operating 

expenses  without  issuing  script. 

TIk-  city's  financial  condition  became  an  issue  in  tin-  city  election.  It 
was  asserted  that  the  city  administration  showed  its  inability  to  handle  the 
city's  finances,  and  that  some  others  should  he  pnt  into  the  office  to  put  the 
city  on  a  proper  hasis.  So.  on  this  issue,  began  a  series  of  political  cam- 
paigns that  lasted  for  years,  hetween  J.  I'.  Harsha,  tin-  mayor  at  the  time, 
and  F.  I..  Martin.  The  contest  ran  over  several  years,  until  the  returning  of 
better  times  financially,  when  higher  values  for  real  estate  and  the  resultant 
receipt  of  more  money  in  taxes  settled  the  controversy,  and  the  contest  he- 
tween the  two  factions  represented  by  these  two  men  was  settled  1>\  events 
outside  the  control  of  either  faction  or  either  of  the  men  involved.  The 
final  arrangements  for  this  refunding  plan  proposed  by  Mr.  Bigger  were 
closed  up  on  March  30,  1901,  the  council  agreeing  to  pay  Mr.  Bigger  $7,843 
for  his  services  in  securing  the  reduction  of  the  interest  on  the  outstanding 
bonds  of  sixty-two  thousand  dollars. 

The  election  of  April  5.  1901,  resulted  in  the  election  of  Frank  L.  Mar- 
tin. His  opponent  was  Willis  N.  Baker,  who  became  the  first  of  the  candi- 
dates who  alternated  with  Martin  in  the  mayoralty  of  Hutchinson  for  a  few 
years.  William  Pells  was  elected  councilman  for  the  first  ward;  B.  W.  Ladd 
was  chosen  from  the  second  ward;  L.  D.  Pollock  received  a  majority  of  the 
votes  in  the  third  ward;  A.  E.  Asher,  receiving-  six  more  votes  than  his  oppo- 
nent, A.  X.  Bountz,  was  chosen  in  the  fourth  ward;  Charles  Crawford  re- 
ceived a  majority  of  the  votes  for  the  short  term  in  the  fifth  ward,  and 
Walter  Kile  for  the  long  term;  O.  Suttle  was  unanimously  elected  council- 
man from  the  sixth  ward,  and  E.  I.  Parks  was  chosen  to  represent  the  sixth 
ward  in  the  city  administration.  (.'.  J.  Xoyes  was  elected  police  judge.  The 
council  confirmed  the  following  appointments  of  the  mayor;  City  clerk, 
( ieorge  S.  Bourne;  city  attorney,  H.  S.  Lewis;  city  marshal.  Frank  Nicholson. 

MUNICIPALIZATION     PROJECT    FAILED. 

Among  the  first  things  done  by  this  council  was  the  graining  of  a  fran- 
chise to  J.  S.  Bellamy  and  W.  E.  Burns  for  the  erection  and  maintenance  of 
a  telephone  system  in  the  city. 

This  council  began  negotiations  with  the  Water,  Light  and  Power  Com- 
pany  for  the  purchase  of  the  plant  by  the  city.  A  resolution  to  that  effect 
was  passed  on  October  4,  1901,  setting  forth  the  conditions  upon  which  the 
city  would  enter  negotiations   for  the  purchase  of  the  plant,  among  which 


^46  RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

was  one  setting  out  thai  the  city  should  not  he  required  to  pay  cash,  but 
should  be  allowed  to  pay  for  the  plant  by  an  issue  of  bonds  not  to  hear  more 
than  four  per  cent,  interest:  the  city  also  to  have  the  right  to  employ  an 
expert  to  place  a  valuation  on  the  plant.  The  city  further  specified  that  the 
price  paid  must  be  such  that  the  assured  income  of  the  plant  would  pay  for 
the  interest  on  the  purchase  price,  and  that  the  bond  issue  should  gradually 
supplant  all  hydrant  rentals.  In  furtherance  of  this  plan  the  city  employed 
C.  11.  Evans,  a  Chicago  engineer,  to  place  a  value  on  the  waterworks  plant. 
Kvans  made  his  report  to  the  council  on  January  4,  1902.  in  which  he  placed 
the  total  value  of  the  plant  at  $267,160.71,  this  exclusive  of  the  real-estate 
value,  and  of  the  value  of  the  franchise,  or  business,  which  he  placed  at 
>  1 00,000  additional.  His  report  favored  the  purchase  of  the  plant,  he 
claiming  that  the  net  profits  to  the  city  would  be  $14,700  a  vear,  to  which, 
he  claimed,  should  he  added  the  saving  of  foreign  administration,  and  that 
the  saving  of  state  and  county  taxes  would  increase  the  net  earnings  to 
S1N.724.03.  But  nothing  ever  came  of  this  effort  to  purchase  the  water  plant 
and  operate  it  as  a  municipal  plant.  The  agitation  was  kept  up  for  a  while, 
but  it  soon  died  down. 

The  election  held  on  April  4,  1902,  resulted  in  the  selection  of  the  fol- 
lowing for  councilmen :  First  ward,  A.  E.  Asher ;  second  ward,  John  Sev- 
erance: third  ward.  W.  II.  Wislon,  long  term,  and  C.  S.  Woods,  short  term; 
fourth  ward.  F.  G.  Delano,  for  the  long  term,  and  A.  W.  Eagan,  for  the 
unexpired  term:  fifth  ward.  C.  L.  Vaughn :  sixth  ward,  Chester  O'Neal. 

CARNEGIE   LIBRARY  OFFER  ACCEPTED. 

On  fune  2.  [902,  the  city  received  an  offer  from  Andrew  Carnegie  to 
t.-ree;  a  lit  teen-thousand-dollar  building  for  a  public  library,  on  condition  that 
tlie  city  provide  fifteen  hundred  dollars  a  year  for  the  support  of  the  library. 
Tli'-  council  promptly  accepted  Mr.  Carnegie's  offer,  and  the  public  library 
was  soon  an  established  institution  in  Hutchinson. 

Considerable  extension  of  the  sewers  of  the  city  was  made  during  this 
year,  although  a  policy  of  retrenchment  was  the  one  that  governed  the  coun- 
cil, the  aim  bring  to  try  and  get  the  city  on  a  cash  basis.  ,\^  was  leferred 
to  in  an  earlier  part  of  this  chapter,  the  contest  over  mayor  was  begun  and 
was  continued  in  the  election  held  on  April  7.  [903.  The  vote  on  mayor  at 
tin-  election  showed  a  majorit)  of  329,  Martin  receiving  [,638  votes,  and 
Harsha,  2,055.  The  councilmen  elected  were:  First  ward,  C.  YV.  Oswald: 
>nd  ward,  J.    R.  Campbell;  third  ward.  John    Blair;   fourth  ward,   Henry 


RENO  COl    \i  Y,    K  WSAS.  347 

Hartman;  fifth  ward,  Samuel  Hirst;  sixth  ward,  James  Hetlinger.  VV.  R. 
Underwpod  was  elected  police  judge.     S.  L.  Johnson  was  chosen  city  clerk; 

A.  C.  Malloy,  city  attorney,  and  James  Coleman,  citj   marshal. 

In  the  flection  1k-1<1  on  April  s,  1004,  the  following  were  elected  council- 
men:     First  ward,  M.  I.  Units;  second  ward,  I..  A.  Beebe;  third  ward.  LI 
Morris;    fourth   ward,    F.   (',.    Delano;   fifth   ward,    Frank    McDermed;   sixth 
ward,  Chester  O'Neal.     There  were  no  changes  made  in  the  appointive  <<i'ii 
ces  of  the  city. 

SOME   [NTERESTING   FINANCIAL   EXPEDIENTS. 

The  police  judge's  report   for  this  year,  as   for  other  years  during  the 

time  the  "joint  licensing"  policy  was  adopted  by  the  council,  showed  monthly 
fines  running  from  seven  hundred  to  one  thousand  dollars.  But  despite  re- 
ceipts added  to  the  taxable  income  of  the  city,  the  council  proceedings  are 
full  of  plans  of  that  hod}-  to  raise  more  money.  Expedients  of  all  sorts  were 
resorted  to.  Levies  were  made  for  purposes  for  which  no  money  was  spent, 
and  then  the  money  received  by  taxation  for  those  purposes  was  transferred 
from  tlvse  several  funds  to  the  general  fund.  The  judgment  fund  and  the 
sinking  fund  were  the  most  prolific  sources  of  increased  revenue.  Instead 
of  applying  on  the  bonds  as  the)'  matured  the  money  that  was  derived  from 
levies  10  pay  off  bonds,  the  councils  of  these  years  of  licensing  of  joints,  by 
resolution,  would  transfer  the  money  so  raised  to  the  general  fund  and  keep 
it  to  pav  the  expenses  of  the  city.  The  hill  for  extra  police  caused  by  reason 
of  the  joints  that  were  allowed  to  run,  more  than  absorbed  the  revenue  from 
the  joints ;  in  addition,  these  councils  were  extravagant  in  the  extreme  in 
their  expenditures  and  the  city  finances  were  in  a  poor  shape. 

The  election  held  on  April  4,  1905.  was  a  warmly  contested  one.  There 
were  three  candidates  :  J.  P.  Marsha,  A.  \Y.  McCandless  and  I.  C.  Shatton. 
The  first  two  were  running  on  independent  tickets,  the  latter  being  the 
Socialist 'candidate  Harsha  was  elected.  In  the  first  ward  C.  VV.  Oswald 
was  elected  member  of  the  council;  J.  E.  Hostettler,  in  the  second  ward;  John 
Blair,  third:  W.  S.  Thompson,  fourth;  t".  Howard,  fifth,  and  E.  I.  Larks. 
sixth.  W.  R.  Underwood  was  elected  city  clerk:  Joe  Riggs  was  appointed 
city  marshal:  S.  F.  Johnson,  city  clerk,  and  A.  C.   Malloy,  city  attorney. 

The  ordinance  calling  for  the  paving  of  Main  street  was  passed  by 
the  council  of  the  preceding  year,  but  the  contract  for  the  paving  was  made 
by  the  council  of  1905.  During  this  year  the  street  was  paved  from  Avenue 
D  to  Fifth  avenue,  with  bitulitic.     This  was  the  first  pavement  put  down  in 


348  RENO   COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

Hutchinson.  Sherman  street,  west,  was  the  next  pavement  to  be  put  down, 
(lien  Sherman  street,  east.  Avenue  A  was  also  paved  soon  after  the  pave- 
ment^ of  the  other  streets  named  had  been  put  down. 

CONSTRUCTION   OK   DRAINAGE  DITCH. 

During  this  year  the  city  dug  a  big  drainage  ditch  from  Cow  creek  to 
the  river.  It  cost  the  city  over  thirty  thousand  dollars.  It  was  the  purpose 
of  thi-.  ditch  to  take  the  water  from  Cow  creek,  above  the  town,  with  the 
view  to  preventing  Hood  waters  from  coming  through  the  business  part  of 
the  town.  Tin's  canal  has  helped  carry  water  off  in  ordinarily  "high-water" 
periods.  But  there  have  been  no  such  floods  as  swept  over  the  city  in  1877 
or  in  '003  since  it  was  dug.  At  the  present  time  the  ditch  has  grown  up  in 
weeds  and  willows  and  filled  up  with  sand  blowing  into  it  and  washing  into 
it  with  every  rain,  so  that  at  the  present  time  it  would  be  of  very  little  value 
to  the  city  in  flood  time,  such  as  covered  Hutchinson  in  either  of  the  two  big- 
floods  that  have  come  down  Cow  creek. 

This  council  also  brought  on  a  controversy  with  the  Water.  Light  and 
Power  Company  that  was  very  unfortunate.  It  is  probable,  looking  at  the 
controversy  years  afterward,  that  there  was  a  great  deal  of  personal  animos- 
itv  governing  some  of  the  council  members  in  their  dealing  with  the  water- 
works company,  that  contentious  members  of  the  council  allowed  their  per- 
sonal feelings  to  bias  their  judgment  of  the  rights  of  both  the  water  company 
and  the  city;  as  a  result,  the  water  company  cut  off  the  electric  street  lights. 
This  forced  the  council  to  "back  up"  from  some  of  their  positions  and  offer 
i"  deal  with  the  waterworks  company.  The  whole  controversy  was  un- 
called for.  but  was  settled  later  when  the  water  company  changed  hands  and 
a  new  council  was  elected  that  had  no  personal  animosities  to  vent. 

FRANCHISE    GRANTED    ELECTRIC    STREET-CAR    LINE. 

I  >n  December  15.  [905,  the  council  granted  a  franchise  for  an  electric 
street-car  line  in  Hutchinson.  The  franchise  was  given  to  Hutchinson  men. 
and  these  men*  later  bought  the  old  street-car  line.  Idle  men  to  whom  the 
franchise  was  given  were  Emerson  Carey,  EC.  E.  Sentney.  C.  \Y.  Williams. 
C.  II.  McBurney,  A,  W.  Smith,  and  J.  S.  (ieorge,  the  first  three  named  being 
those  upon  whom  the  burden  of  building  the  line  would  fall.  The  line  today 
is  owned  by  Emerson  Carey,  all  the  other  members  having  retired  from  the 
company.      Its  lines  have  been  extended  as  the  city  has  grown,  and  has  be- 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  349 

conic  a  valuable  factor  in  the  city's  ability  to  meel  the  demands  of  the  people. 
Extensions  arc  made  as  fasl  as  traffic  grows,  and  an  adequate  service  is  ren- 
dered the  people  of  the  city. 

The  election  held  on  April  6,  [906,  resulted  as  follows:  Councilmen, 
first  ward.  J.  H.  Buettner;  second  ward.  George  T.  Hern;  thud  ward,  \V.  E. 
Long;  fourth  ward.  Pet  Nation;  fifth  ward.  Frank  McDermed;  sixth  ward. 
Chester  O'Neal.  The  council  retained  all  of  the  former  employees.  Very 
little  of  general  interest  was  accomplished  during  this  year.  Routine  mat- 
ters occupied  the  time  of  the  council.  The  city  gradually  increased  m  size. 
Financially  its  affairs  were  not  bettered  to  any  great  extent :  while  the  income 
from  taxation  was  greatly  increased,  yet  the  expenditures  of  the  city  grew 
equally  as  fast  as  the  income  of  the  city. 

In  the  election  held  April  5,  1907,  J.  P.  Marsha  was  elected  mayor  over 
C.  W.  Oswald.  A.  C.  Hoagland  was  chosen  member  of  the  council  from 
the  first  ward;  A.  L.  Barnes,  from  the  second  ward:  John  Blair,  from  the 
third;  W.  S.  Thompson,  from  the  fourth;  John  Craig,  from  the  fifth,  and 
E.  I.  Barks,  from  the  sixth  ward.  \Y.  R.  Underwood  was  elected  police 
judge,  and  Ed  Metz  was  appointed  city  clerk. 

On  April  8,  1908.  the  city  elected  the  following  members  of  the  council: 
hirst  ward,  J.  H.  Buettner;  second  ward,  George  Hern;  third  ward.  J.  M. 
McVay;  fourth  ward.  Samuel  Hirst;  fifth  ward.  Frank  McDermed:  sixth 
ward.  E.  J.  Canatsey. 

COMMISSION    FORM    OF  GOVERNMENT. 

During  this  administration  the  city  council  passed  an  ordinance  calling 
for  a  change  in  the  form  of  the  city  government  from  that  of  mayor  and 
council  to  that  of  a  commission.  This  ordinance  was  unanimously  passed 
on  January  25,  1909,  and  the  change  was  made  on  a  petition  to  the  council. 
The  election  was  held  on  March  _\  1909,  when  the  change  was  voted  for. 
there  being  970  votes  cast  for  the  proposition  and  619  against  the  change. 


CHAPTER  XLVI. 
Hutchinson  as  a  City  of  the  First  Class. 

Hutchinson  changed  the  form  of  her  city  government  on  April  10,  1905, 
when  the  first  city  commissioners  met.  There  had  been  many  influences 
at  work  to  bring  about  the  change  from  council  to  commission.  One  of  the 
most  practical  of  these  influences  was  the  persistent  policy  of  the  council 
to  "wink"  at  the  violation  of  the  prohibitory  law.  It  was  difficult  to  defeat 
the  councilmen  who  saw  the  law-breaking  and  welcomed  the  revenue  the 
monthly  fines  turned  into  the  city  treasury.  While  it  would  be  difficult  to 
determine,  yet  it  is  quite  probable  that  the  fines  received  into  the  city  treas- 
ury never  by  Ear  paid  the  increased  cost  of  maintaining  the  peace  of  the  city 
or  paid  for  the  expense  of  caring  for  those  whom  the  open  joint  deprived 
of  the  earnings  of  those  who  patronized  those  joints.  So  an  ouster  pro- 
ceeding was  brought  against  the  last  mayor  under  the  council  system.  The 
case  was  heard  in  the  supreme  court,  but  the  decision  was  delayed  until 
the  term  of  the  mayor  expired  and  in  a  technical  sense  he  was  not  ousted 
for  he  was  not  in  the  office  at  the  time  the  judgment  of  ouster  was  rendered 
by  the  supreme  court  of  Kansas.  The  disclosure  of  that  suit  was  the  deciding 
dement  for  the  change  in  the  form  of  city  government.  It  also  was  a 
warning  for  mayors  not  only  of  Hutchinson,  but  of  the  entire  state,  that 
the  persistent  and  continuous  taking  of  tines  from  offenders  without  the 
jail  sentence  being  also  attached  would  be  a  matter  that  would  subject  the 
offender  to  a  judgment  of  ouster  for  his  office.  The  sentiment  arising  out 
of  the  continuous  breach  of  the  prohibitory  law  under  the  guise  of  license 
was  also  the  cause  of  the  passage  of  a  law  by  the  Legislature  making  the  third 
conviction  of  the  law  a  penitentiary  offence. 

So  the  new  commission  went  into  office.  It  had  ;i  plainly  marked  line 
to  follow.  It  not  only  could  not  raise  money  from  this  source  but  it  was 
prohibited  from  spending  more  money  than  it  bad  on  hands,  derived  by 
It  cut  down  the  extravagance  of  cities.  They  could  nol  go  in  debt. 
as  the  councils  of  the  past  did;  issue  warrants  until  those  warrants  would 
not  Ik-  accepted  for  service  or  merchandise,  then  vote  bonds  to  take  up  those 
warrant-   and   continue   their   old    way    of   spending   more    than    thee    had   on 


RENO  COUNTY,    K  ^.NSAS.  1$  I 

hand.  Economies  were  forced  on  the  new  commission  thai  have  been  exceed- 
ingly wholesome,   for  in   the  "joint   days"   the  extravagance  of  the  council 

was  increased  when  the  police  judge  turned  in  his  monthl)  reporl  to  the 
meeting  of  the  council,  the  reporl  of  the  big  sums  of  money  being  turned 
over  to  the  city  treasury   from   funds  collected  during  the  month. 

The  first  commission  consisted  of  three  men,  the  mayor  and  two  mem 
bers.  1\  L.  Martin  was  the  first  mayor  and  George  W.  Winans  and  C.  W. 
Oswald  the  members.  In  the  early  part  of  their  term  they  met  every  day. 
They  were  paid  for  their  services,  the  mayor  receiving  seven  hundred  dollars 
a  year;  the  members,  each  five  hundred  dollars.  Their  first  act  was  the 
election  of  George  Hern  as  city  marshal  and  A.  \Y.  Tyler  as  city  attorney; 
S.  A.  Poe,  city  clerk  and  R.  A.  Campbell,  police  judge.  En  the  early  part 
of  their  administration  they  ordered  many  miles  of  permanent  sidewalks. 
The  commissioners  on  June  14,  [909,  ordered  an  election  to  vote  on  the 
question  of  issuing  internal  improvement  bonds,  the  money  to  be  -pent  in 
building  a  bridge  at  the  corner  of  Avenue  A  and  Main  street.  This  elec- 
tion was  held  on  June  29,  1909,  and  resulted  in  the  bonds  receiving  eight 
hundred  and  forty-nine  majority. 

In  July  the  commissioners  undertook  to  get  some  return  for  the  stock 
in  the  Missouri  Pacific  railroad  that  had  been  voted  for  the  building;  of 
the  road  into  the  city.  As  a  result  of  this  action  of  the  commissioners  the 
railroad  company  paid  twenty-nine  thousand  four  hundred  dollars  for  the 
stock  issued  by  the  city  when  the  forty-nine-thousand-dollar  bond  issue  was 
made  to  the  road.  This  was  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  the  county 
when  any  of  the  municipalities  ever  realized  anything  on  the  sale  of  the 
stock  of  a  railroad  corporation.  This  is  all  the  more  noticeable  when  the 
action  of  the  Rock  Island  railroad  is  recalled.  The  Chicago,  Kansas  & 
Western  railroad,  the  name  under  which  the  Rock  Island  was  built  across 
the  county,  issued  one  hundred  and  seventy  thousand  dollars  worth  of  stock 
to  Reno  county  for  the  bonds  of  the  county  for  a  like  amount.  As  soon  as 
the  road  was  constructed  the  first  payment  of  interest  on  the  bonds  ot 
the  company  was  defaulted  and  the  Rock  Island  Company,  which  was  in 
reality  identical  with  the  Chicago,  Kansas  and  Western  railroad,  foreclosed 
on  its  bonds,  made  Reno  county  a  part}-  to  the  suit  and  wiped  out  the  county's 
stock. 

During;  this  year  Adam  street  from  Avenue  A  to  the  Santa  be  Kail- 
road  tracks  was  paved. 

In  the  second  election  under  the  commission  form  ol  government,  F. 
L.  Martin  and  L.  A.   Rebee  were  candidates  for  mayor.      Martin  was  elected 


35-  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

by  a  majority  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-seven  votes.     The  eitv  appointees 
remained  the  same  as  under  the   former  administration. 

On  December  2,  19 10.  the  board  of  commissioners  passed  a  resolution, 
upon  a  request  of  a  mass  meeting'  of  citizens  of  Hutchinson,  to  make  this 
city  a  city  of  the  first  class,  hut  they  also  declared  that  there  was  a  doubt 
as  to  whether  the  city,  if  it  should  pass  to  a  city  of  the  first  class,  should 
continue  under  the  commission  form  of  government  or  revert  to  the  council 
system,  and  that  any  action  on  the  matter  should  be  deferred  until  the 
Legislature  met  and  had  an  opportunity  to  enact  such  laws  as  would  be 
necessary  to  meet  the  exact  situation  of  Hutchinson;  so  the  matter  of  chang- 
ing t<>  a  city  of  the  first  class  was  deferred  until  the  regular  spring  election. 
But  on  February  21,  191  t.  the  city  became  a  city  of  the  first  class  by  virtue  of 
having  a  population  of  more  than  fifteen  thousand  people.  In  this  election, 
held  on  April  4,  191 1,  there  were  two  candidates  for  mayor,  Frank  Vin- 
cent and  F.  I'.  Hettinger.  Vincent  received  2,277  votes  and  Hettinger 
1,928  votes;  for  the  office  of  commissioner  for  two  years,  Frank  McDermed 
and  George  W.  Winan  were  candidates ;  for  commissioner  for  one  year, 
Sam  S.  Graybill  and  L.  D.  Pollock  also  ran.  Being  a  city  of  the  first 
class,  the  number  of  commissioners  was  increased  from  three  to  five.  The 
city  having  voted  bonds  for  a  new  city  building  that  was  to  have  also  a 
public  auditorium,  the  matter  of  location  was  taken  up  by  the  city  com- 
missioners and  the  site  located  on  Avenue  A,  over  Cow  creek  and  fronting 
Walnut  street.  The  city  building  was  officially  named  "Convention  Hall". 
It  has  a  seating  capacity  of  four  thousand  two  hundred  and  contains  also 
all  of  the  city  offices.  The  corner  stone  was  laid  by  William  H.  Taft,  then 
President  of  the  United  States,  on  September  26,  191 1.  The  building  was 
erected  at  a  cost  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  and  has 
been  in  great  demand  when  large  audience  room  is  needed.  It  is  one  of 
the  chief  a->>et<  of  the  city  in  offering  a  large  auditorium  for  state  conven- 
tion-. It  also  is  valuable  in  bringing  a  larger  number  of  people  together 
frequently  and  promoting  a  better  feeling  among  all  classes.  Fvery  Sunday 
afternoon  the  city's  band  gives  a  concert,  without  any  charges  and  concerts 
of  a  high  standard  are  rendered.  People  of  all  grades  of  life  attend  these 
concerts,  the  rich,  the  poor,  white  and  black.  Perhaps  nothing  has  ever 
done  a-  much  to  promote  a  kindlier  feeling  in  the  city,  nothing  has  broken 
up  the  da--,  feeling,  nothing  has  promoted  the  general  regard  one  for 
another,  in  the  community  a-  has  this  gathering  that  is  supported  by  the 
city  by  taxation,  in  a  building  ample  and  free  to  all.  without  discrimination, 
without   distinction.      The   Sunday   afternoon   concerts  given   by   the   munici- 


METHODIST    HOSPITAL.    HUTCHINSON 


CONVENTION    HALL.    HUTCHINSON 


RENO  COUN  IV,    KANSAS.  353 

pal  band  also  taxes  the  capacity  of  the  building  and  it-  existence  would  be 
justified  For  these  meetings  alone,  if  the  big  auditorium  was  pul  to  no  other 

use. 

The  election  oi  April  2,  [912,  resulted  in  the  election  of  Frank  Vmcenl 
for  mayor  by  a  vote  of  2,113  to  thai  of  1.571  for  C.  I).  Forby  and  36  for 
\V.  \Y.  Tamplin.  I\.  II.  Flynn  and  John  F.  Smith  were  circled  commission- 
ers. J.  Q.  Patten  was  elected  city  marshal;  Edward  Met/,  continued  as 
city  clerk;  Walter  Jones,  city  attorney,  and  M.  Hoagland,  probate  judge. 
The  first  session  of  the  city  commissioners  in  the  new  hall  was  held  on 
May   3,    1 91 2. 

Tile  primary  election  of  [913  was  a  hotly  contested  one.  There  were 
three  candidates  for  mayor  in  the  spring  election  and  of  these  Lincoln  S. 
Davis  and  L.  S.  Fontron  were  the  two  highest  and  became,  by  virtue  of 
this  fact,  the  candidates  on  the  election.  In  this  election  Davis  received 
2,273  v°tes  to  Fontron's  2,/Si  votes.  For  finance  commissioner,  (ieorge  VV. 
Winans  received  2,672  votes  and  Harry  Ragland,  1,072  votes.  For  street 
commissioner  J.  B.  Baird  polled  2,133  votes  and  J.  E.   Buskirk,  -'.701   votes. 

Mayor  Fontron  was  one  of  the  youngest  men  ever  elected  to  this  office, 
perhaps  the  youngest.  He  was  raised  in  Reno  county  and  received  his 
early  education  in  the  county  schools,  later  graduating  from  the  city  high 
school.  He  was  a  successful  business  man  and  was  popular  in  the  election 
and  made  the  city  a  very  fine  mayor.  The  following  offices  were  appointed 
by  the  mayor  and  confirmed  by  the  council  to  act  for  the  ensuing  year: 
City  attorney,  W.  F.  Jones;  police  judge,  J.  M.  Jordan:  city  clerk,  Edward 
Metz ;  chief  of  police,  E.  M.  Davis.  This  council,  like  its  predecessor,  was 
largely  engaged  in  internal  improvements  in  all  parts  of  the  city  not  before 
improved;  rebuilding"  some  of  the  smaller  bridges  of  the  city  and  in  the 
general  routine  of  commission  work,  such  as  admitting  new  additions  to 
the  city,  letting  sprinkling  contracts,  etc.  This  commission  also  established 
the  "White  Way"  on  Main  street,  a  system  of  a  cluster  of  lights  on  stand- 
ards, one  cluster  in  each  block  on  each  side  of  the  street  in  place  of  the  old 
swinging  arc  lights  in  the  center  of  the  street.  This  added  greatly  to  the 
appearance  of  Main  street  at  night.  It  may  be  said  that  Hutchinson  was 
among  the  first  cities  of  the  state  to  put  in  these  kind  of  street  lights. 

This  commission  passed  the  first  ordinance  for  the  parking  of  automo- 
biles on  Main  street.  It  will  be  recalled  that  one  of  the  things  the  early 
councils  had  to  contend  with,  was  the  hitching  of  teams  on  Main  street. 
However,  the  commission  that   handled   the   automobile   parking  matter  did 


354  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

not  have  as  serious  a  time  as  its  predecessor  did  in  dealing'  with  the  hitch- 
ing-post  question.  But  the  question  was  one  that  recurred  so  often  that 
the  plan  of  parking  now  in  use  was  devised  by  this  commission  and  it 
also  passed  speed  regulation  ordinances,  which,  however,  are  not  quite  as 
much  honored  in  the  breach  as  in  the  observance  of  the  ordinance  bv  the 
automobiles,  yet  a  sufficiently  large  number  of  violations  are  found  every 
day  and  automobile  accidents  are  so  common,  because  of  the  great  number 
of  machines,  that  it  perhaps  would  be  about  as  well  for  the  commission  to 
raise  the  limit  of  speed  and  save  having  so  many  violations  of  its  ordi- 
nances, as  there  are  but  few  instances  when  automobiles  are  driven  on  the 
streets  strictly  in  accordance  with  the  ordinance  governing  the  speed  of 
machines  on  the  streets  of  the  city.  This  commission  also  adopted  the  policy 
of  its  predecessors  and  continued  the  improvement,  of  the  citv,  putting  a 
sidewalk  and  curbing  where  desired  by  property  owners  and  where  it  would 
add  to  the  improvement  of  the  city. 

The  election  of  April  7,  1914.  was  not  as  warmly  contested  as  the 
previous  elections.  F.  W.  Cook  and  L.  S.  Davis  were  the  candidates  for 
mayor.  Cook  received  3.102  votes  and  Davis  2,855  votes.  R.  H.  Flinn 
was  elected  commissioner  of  parks  and  John  F.  Smith,  commissioner  of 
public  utilities.  George  Hern  was  appointed  city  marshal  and  Edward  Metz 
continued  as  city  clerk. 

In  the  election  held  on  April  12.  1915.  there  were  two  candidates  for 
mayor,  F.  W.  Cook  and  J.  P.  Harsha.  Cook  received  2^77  votes  in  the 
election  and  Harsha.  2,946  votes.  G.  \Y.  Winans  was  continued  as  com- 
missioner of  finance  and  J.  E.  Buskirk,  street  commissioner.  In  the  ap- 
pointive offices,  "Walter  Jones  was  continued  as  city  attorney:  George  W. 
Hem  as  city  marshal.  This  council  had  the  question  of  "Sunday  closing"' 
to  contend  with.  Some  wanted  all  show  places  closed  on  Sunday.  The 
show  people  resented  being  singled  out  and  began  a  campaign  to  close  all 
business  houses.  In  the  movement  many  of  the  business  firms  joined,  as 
most  of  them  wanted  to  close  and  they  desired  an  ordinance  that  would  force 
their  competitors  who  did  not  want  to  close,  to  conform  to  the  rule.  The 
result  ''i  the  controversy  was  a  "referendum"  vote.  The  Sunday-closing 
ordinance  in  the  "referendum"  vote  lost,  by  a  vote  of  2,<;2o  against  the 
ordinance  to  2,430  for  the  ordinance. 

In  the  election  of  1916,  Doctor  Cook  was  opposed  by  A.  C.  Gleadall. 
The  latter  won,  receiving  2,854  votes  to  Cook's  2,2^2.  For  commissioner 
of  parks  K.  II.  Flynn  received  2,434  votes  and  his  competitor.  H.  X.  [ohn- 
-<>n.    2,384    votes.      For    commissioner   of   utilities.    \V.    A.    Knorr    received 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  355 

2,902  votes  and  J.   F.  Smith   [,865  votes.     Walter  Jones  was  continued 
city  attorney;  Ed.  Met/,  as  city  clerk  and  \\ .   F.  Cody,  city  marshal. 

In  the  election  in  1^17,  F.  W.Cook  was  a  candidate  again.  His  opponenl 
was  Frank  vincent.  Cook  polled  2,383  votes  and  Frank  Vincenl  received 
2,124  votes.  Fqr  finance  commissioner,  George  \\ .  Winans  was  continued, 
he  receiving  3,365  votes  and  E.  E.  Wilson,  953.  For  commissioner  of  streets 
Will  II.  Shears  defeated  J.  E.  Buskirk,  he  polling  -',337  votes  and  Shears, 
2,132  votes.  The  appointive  offices  of  the  former  administration  were  con- 
tinued except  that  of  city  marshal.  The  commission,  acting  on  petition, 
ordered  Adams  street  paved  and  ordered  a  large  number  of  sidewalks  and 
gutters,  and  likewise  approved  the  drainage  plans  proposed  by  the  pro- 
prietors of  the  soda-ash  plant,  the  strawboard  factory  and  the  packing  hous< 
substituting  a   closed   sewer    for   the  Open   ditch    formerly   used. 


CHAPTER  XLVII. 

The  Salt  Industry. 

The  salt  vein  in  Kansas  is  fairly  well  defined.  It  is  a  rock  salt  deposit 
and  is  found  in  the  counties  of  Rice,  Ellsworth,  Kingman,  Harper,  some  in 
Meade  county  and  in  Reno  county.  While  there  are  salt  manufacturers  at 
other  places  than  in  Reno  county,  yet  a  very  large  percentage  of  the  salt  busi- 
ness in  Kansas  is  centered  at  Hutchinson. 

Salt  was  known  to  exist  at  an  early  day  in  Reno  county  and  in  Rice 
county.  It  was  found  on  top  of  the  ground  in  1875  by  some  cowboys 
camping  ten  miles  south  of  Raymond,  in  Rice  county.  This  discovery  was 
reported  in  Hutchinson  and  a  salt  company  was  organized  to  make  salt. 
F.  E.  Gillett  was  elected  president;  E.  Wilcox,  treasurer;  Hiram  Raff,  secre- 
tary; E.  A.  Smith,  engineer,  and  C.  C.  Bemis,  superintendent.  They  pro- 
posed to  pump  the  brine  from  the  salt  marsh  to  Raymond,  on  the  Santa 
Fe  railroad,  ten  miles  distant.  It  was  soon  discovered  that  the  brine  was 
not  strong  enough  to  make  it  profitable  to  evaporate  it.  Very  little  money 
had  been  paid  into  the  project  when  it  wras  found  unprofitable.  Salt  was 
made  in  small  quantities  at  Solomon,  Kansas,  by  the  solar  process,  but  no 
great  amount  was  ever  made. 

Ben  Blanchard  first  discovered  the  rock  salt  in  this  county.  He  was 
drilling  for  gas  in  South  Hutchinson  when  his  drill  struck  salt.  This  was 
on  September  2j,  1887.  Salt  at  that  time  was  selling  on  the  market  in 
Hutchinson  from  three  to  three  dollars  and  a  half  a  barrel.  It  was  all 
brought  here  from  Michigan.  Within  a  year  after  the  discovery  of  salt  by 
Ben   Blanchard  there  were  ten  salt  plants  in  operation  in  Hutchinson. 

In  June.  1888,  representatives  of  the  Michigan  Salt  Association  visited 
Hutchinson.  The  party  consisted  of  W.  R.  Burt,  president,  Edwin  Wheeler, 
W.  I.  Barstow,  Thomas  Cranage,  D.  G.  Holland,  Joy  Morton  and  J.  F. 
Ewing.  They  expected  to  start  the  erection  of  a  plant,  but  they  found  so 
many  plants  in  operation  that  they  considered  it  a  bad  time  to  invest.  Later, 
Morton  bought  many  of  the  plants  that  had  failed  to  make  money  in  the 
manufacture  of  salt  and  today  the  Morton  interests  are  largely  in  the  lead 
in  the  manufacture  of  salt. 


RENO   ('MX  I  Y,    K  \.\S.\S.  357 

The  first  sail  plant  thai  was  built  in  Hutchinson  was  erected  by  Doctor 
Gouinloch,  an  experienced  salt  manufacturer  of  Warsaw,  New  York.  Ik- 
began  the  construction  of  his  plant  in  October,  [887,  and  his  firsl  well  was 
completed  on  December  [6,  1SS7,  after  he  had  bored  through  three  hundred 
feet  of  rock  salt.     On  March  24,  [888,  the  first  salt  was  produced. 

The  "opening  day"  for  the  salt  industry  in  Reno  county  was  on  Sun- 
day. A  large  percentage  of  the  people  living  in  I  [utchinson  and  a  great  many 
from  over  the  county  visited  the  plant  on  this  day.  The  crowd  that  attended 
this  first  day's  manufacture  of  salt  was  estimated  to  be  over  five  thousand. 
Dr.  Gouinlock  associated  with  him  C.  II.  Humphries,  who  was  superin- 
tendent of  the  plant.  The  company  soon  put  down  another  well.  This 
plant  at  the  start  had  a  capacity  of  five  hundred  barrels  a  day.  Five  year- 
later  it  was  enlarged  and  the  capacity  increased  to  one  thousand  barrels  a 
daw  consisting  then  of  nine  open  steel  pans  from  which  the  brine  was 
e\  aporated. 

The  second  plant  started  was  called  the  "Vincent  plant."  The  com- 
pany organized  consisted  of' Thomas  Kurtz,  president;  George  L.  Gould, 
vice-president;  John  1\  Vincent,  secretary  and  treasurer,  and  Frank  Yin- 
cent,  general  manager.  In  addition  to  these,  Calvin  I.  Hood,  C.  A.  Leighton 
and  Preston  B.  Plumb,  then  United  States  senator  from  Kansas,  were  inter- 
ested in  the  plant.  But  the  three  men  from  Emporia  sold  their  interest  to 
Kurtz  before  the  plant  began  operations.  This  company  was  called  the 
Hutchinson  Salt  and  Manufacturing  Company  and  was  organized  in  March, 
1888.  Their  plant,  which  was  completed  in  July,  t888,  was  located  on 
Avenue  ('  east  and  Lorraine  street.  Its  capacity  was  three  hundred  barrels 
a  day.  The  following  year  they  built  the  first  dairy  mill  for  the  manufac- 
ture of  dairy  and  table  salt. 

The  Diamond  Salt  Company  built  the  third  salt  plant.  G.  W.  I  lardy 
was  president  and  Sims  Ely,  secretary.  In  addition  to  these  two  men.  J.  S. 
May,  W.  E.  Burns  and  Grant  Easley  formed  the  company.  Their  plant 
was  located  in  Blanchard's  first  addition  and  consisted  of  two  open  pans. 
Tt  began  the  manufacture  of  salt  in  December,  t888,  with  a  capacity  of  two 
hundred  barrels  a  day.  On  April  25,  [892,  it  was  sold  at  sheriffs  sale 
to  Charles  E.  Phelps,  mortgagee,  who,  in  turn,  sold  it  in  June.  1893,  to 
Joy  Morton,  who  operated  it  until  the  fall  of  1897. 

Late  in  the  fall  of  1888,  G.  H.  Bartlett,  of  Providence.  Rhode  Island. 
built  a  small  plant  of  one  pan,  located  oxer  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the 
city.      Tt  was  not  an  economical  plant   to  operate  and   for  a  short  time  was 


358  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

idle.  I:  was  then  purchased  by  Samuel  Matthews  and  Charles  Collins. 
Shortly  afterwards  Mr.  Matthews  purchased  Collins's  interest  and  operated 
the  plant,  enlarging  it  from  an  eighty-barrel  capacity  to  three  hundred  barrel 
daily  capacity.  Mr.  Matthews  had  had  considerable  experience  in  the  manu- 
facture of  salt  in  England  and  successfully  operated  the  plant  for  main- 
years.      This  was  the  fourth  plant  to  be  started. 

I  [enn  I  fegwer  built  the  fifth  plant,  in  the  northeastern  part  of  town. 
i  ic  began  the  construction  of  his  plant  early  in  the  summer  of  1888  and  had 
it  in  operation  in  the  fall  oi  the  same  year.  Tt  was  a  four-pan  plant.  Early 
in  [889,  l\.  K.  Price  and  \Y.  L.  Moore  leased  the  plant  of  Mr.  Hegwer  and 
operated  it  under  the  name  of  the  Western  Salt  Company.  This  lease  passed 
to  the  Kansas  Salt  Company  when  it  was  organized  and  was  operated  by 
them  until  [897.  The  Kansas  Salt  Company  and  the  Hutchinson  Salt  Com- 
pany consolidated  in  1899  an(l  finally  became  the  property  of  the  Morton 
Salt   <  ompany. 

The  Riverside  Salt  Plant  was  the  seventh  to  be  built.  It  was  erected 
in  South  Hutchinson  and  was  an  open-pan  plant,  with  a  capacity  of  five 
hundred  barrels  a  day.  It  also  had  a  dairy  mill  in  connection,  with  a 
capacity  of  one  hundred  barrels  a  day.  The  company  was  organized  in 
June.  1888.  by  J.  M.  Mulkey.  W.  F.  Mulkey,  N.  White.  J.  F.  DeBras,  A.  M. 
West.  W.  E.  Hutchinson  and  II.  Whiteside,  J.  M.  Mulkey  being  president 
of  the  company.  In  August,  1890,  the  ownership  of  this  plant  passed  to  the 
Kansas  Salt  Company.  In  May,  i8qq,  it  became  the  property  of  the  Hutch- 
inson-Kansas  Salt  'ompany  and  is  now  a  part  of  the  Morton  property. 

The  eighth  plant  to  be  erected  met  financial  troubles  early  in  its  exist- 
ence. It  was  called  the  Xew  York  plant.  Anthony  Oswald  was  president 
of  the  company  and  J.  M.  Zinn,  secretary.  Early  in  1889  it  met  with 
financial  reverses  and  was  not  completed  until  early  in  1891,  when  it  was 
purchased  by  the  Standard  Salt  Company.  It  was  later  sold  to  the  Hutch- 
inson Salt  Company,  finally  becoming  the  property  of  the  Morton  Company. 

The  ninth  plant  was  built  by  Indiana  men.  The  company  consisted  of 
John  II.  Briggs,  Andrew  Crimes,  J.  X.  Phillips.  J.  O.  Button  and  Frank 
Brittleband,  all  of  Terre  Haute,  Indiana.  They  erected  their  plant  in 
Blanchard's  first  addition  to  South  Hutchinson,  beginning  early  in  June  to 
construd  a  plant,  they  called  it  the  Crystal  Salt  Plant.  It  had  two  open 
-ircl  pan-  and  could  produce  three  hundred  barrels  a  day.  It  began  opera- 
tions in  the  fall  of  i8<SS  and  in  March,  [891,  it  was  sold  to  the  Hutchinson 
Sail  Company  and  is  now  the  property  of  the  Mortons. 


RENO  COl   \  I  Y,    K  \.\>  vs.  359 

The  tenth  plant  to  be  put  up  was  erected  by  an  organization  called  the 
Pennsylvania  Salt  Company.  In  the  latter  part  of  [888,  W.  R  Bennett, 
T.  J.   Decker  and  ( '.   R.  Thoburn  organized  the  company.     The  plant   was 

erected  in  South  Hutchinson  and  had  a  daily  capacity  of  three  hundred  bar- 
rels. In  [890  it  was  sold  to  Jay  Gould,  who  soon  sold  it  to  the  Hutchinson 
Salt  Company.  This  company  operated  the  plant  until  May,  (899,  when 
it  passed  to  the  Hutchinson  Salt  Company  and  finally  to  the  Morton  Com- 
pany. 

In  the  latter  part  of  r888,  the  Great  Western  Salt  Company  was  organ 
ized  by  1 ).  T.  McFarland,  Z.  L.  McFarland,  J.  O.  Grimes,  all  of  Hutchin- 
son, J.  II.  Crabbs,  of  Dodge  city,  and  ML  Brandome,  of  Wichita.  The 
company  completed  a  small  plant  on  South  Monroe  street,  in  this  city,  with 
a  capacity  of  two  hundred  barrels  a  day.  It  was  a  poorly  constructed  plant 
and  was  never  operated  successfully.  It  passed  to  the  Gould  interests  in 
November,  [890,  who  sold  it  to  the  Hutchinson  Salt  Company  in  [891. 
It  is  now  one  of  the  Morton  properties.  This  was  the  eleventh  plant  erected 
in  less  than  a  year  after  the  discovery  of  salt. 

In  February,  1888,  some  men  from  Warsaw.  Xew  York,  organized  the 
Wyoming  Salt  Company.  It  was  composed  of  E.  II.  Bucklin.  J.  I>.  Crossett. 
M.  E.  Coffin  and  W.  W.  Hanley.  The  building  of  the  plant  was  handled 
by  Mr.  Hanley  and  the  company  commenced  to  make  salt  in  August,  [888. 
The  management  and  the  business  was  not  profitable.  The  plant  was  sold 
to  an  organization  called  the  Queen  City  Salt  &  Mining  Company,  com- 
posed of  J.  R.  Van  Zandt,  J.  N.  Sweet  and  A.  F.  Smith,  all  of  Hutchinson. 
This  plant  was  operated  until  November  1,  1892,  when  it  was  sold  at  sheriff's 
sale  to  B.  F.  Blaker,  of  Mound  City,  Kansas.  Mr.  Blaker  operated  the  plant 
at  times  until  1895.  Trie  plant  was  then  leased  to  G.  C.  Easley  and  Samuel 
Matthews,  who  operated  it  for  a  short  time.  The  Kansas  Salt  Company 
and  the  Hutchinson  Salt  Company  operated  the  plant  jointly  until  January. 
1900,  when  it  passed  to  the  ownership  of  the  Hutchinson-Kansas  Salt  Com- 
pany. It  was  an  open-pan  plant,  with  a  daily  capacity  of  two  hundred  bar- 
rels. It  is  now  the  property  of  the  Morton  Salt  Company.  This  was  the 
twelfth  salt  plant  built  in  Hutchinson. 

The  thirteenth  salt  plant  bore  the  "hoodoo"'  that  i-  associated  with  that 
number.  E.  H.  Holbrook,  of  Fort  Huron,  Michigan,  started  the  plant  in 
South  Hutchinson  in  loot.  After  building  four  cement  graner  pans  and 
drilling  three  brine  wells,  and  after  receiving  several  carloads  of  lumber 
with  which  to  construct  the  plant,  Mr.   Holbrook  disappeared  from   Hutchin- 


$6  I  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

son.  It  was  generally  supposed  that  he  was  unable  to  finance  the  enterprise 
and  dropped  it  in  that  manner.  The  property  was  foreclosed  in  1903  and 
was  purchased  by  the  Hutchinson  Salt  Company  in  March.  1908.  The  plant 
never  was  completed  and  in  the  consolidation  of  salt  plants  became  the  prop- 
erly of  the  Morton  Company. 

The  fourteenth  plant  to  be  built  was  that  of  the  Hutchinson  Packing 
Company,  owned  by  the  Omaha  Packing  Company,  of  Chicago,  Illinois. 
Its  officers  were  James  viles,  Jr.,  president;  E.  F.  Robbins,  vice-president; 
Sidney  Underwood,  secretary;  Walter  Underwood,  general  manager.  It 
began  the  making  of  salt  as  a  side  line  of  the  packing  plant,  the  brine  being 
evaporated  with  the  used  steam  of  the  packing  house.  It  began  operations 
with  two  pans  and  in  1895  increased  its  capacity  by  adding  two  more  pans. 
The  output  was  then  three  hundred  barrels  a  day.  In  1895  the  company 
put  in  the  Crane)'  Direct  Heat  Vacuum  Pans,  with  a  capacity  of  fourteen 
hundred  barrels  a  day.  The  investment  in  this  plant  was  about  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  thousand  dollars,  with  a  storage  capacity  of  eighty  thousand 
barrels  of  salt.  It  also  had  a  complete  dairy  mill.  Financially  it  was  not 
a  success  and  closed  down  in  1900. 

One  of  the  successful  salt  manufacturers  was  Emerson  Carev.  who 
organized  a  company  on  April  25,  1901.  Emerson  Carey  was  president; 
( '.  \V.  Southward,  vice-president;  Kdith  Carey,  secretary,  and  W.  D.  Puter- 
baugh,  treasurer.  This  plant  was  located  on  South  Main  street  and  the 
steam  to  evaporate  the  brine  was  supplied  from  the  ice  plant.  The  first  car 
of  -air  was  shipped  from  the  plant  in  July.  1901,  to  J.  B.  Baden,  of  Win- 
field,  Kansas.  This  plant  has  continually  grown  until  it  now  has  a  large 
daily  capacity.  In  1905  this  company  installed  a  small  steam  vacuum  'pan, 
but  it  was  not  successful  and  was  later  dismantled,  and  in  1907  the  com- 
pany put  in  the  Lillie  quadruple  vacuum  pans. 

The  second  plant  of  this  company  was  erected  east  of  town,  just  out- 
ride the  city  limits.  It  was  equipped  with  the  Lillie  quadruple  vacuum  pans 
and  has  a  capacity  of  one  thousand  barrels  a  day,  besides  a  dairy  mill  of 
two-hundred-barrel  capacity,  making  a  total  capacity  for  the  two  plants  of 
fifteen  hundred  barrels  a  day. 

In  the  fall  of  [892,  E.  F.  Barton,  Frank  Barton  and  William  Banta 
organized  the  Barton  Salt  Company,  leased  the  packing  house  built  by  the 
Toby  &  Booth  Packing  House  Company  and  installed  a  three-pan  -alt  plant, 
with  a  capacity  of  three  hundred  barrel-  a  day.    In  August,  [903,  tin'-  plant  was 


X 

O 
V. 

H 

H 


d 

H 
O 

a 

X 

o 
3 


RENO  COUNTY,    K  VNSAS. 

destroyed  by  fire  and  on  the  old  site,  in  the  fall,  they  erected  a  new  building 
and  installed  a  five  steel  graner  salt  plain.  They  incorporated  their  com- 
pany on  July  l.  [905,  with  I-'..  E.  Barton,  president;  I'..  M.  Barton,  secretary 
;md  treasurer,  and  II.  M.  Barton,  F.  L.  Martin  and  ( ..  A.  Vandeveer  as 
other  directors.  This  planl  was  operated  by  E.  I..  Barton  until  his  death, 
on  February  26,  101  _>,  when  the  plant  went  into  the  hands  of  C.  II.  Humph- 
reys. The  company  now  operating  it  is  officered  by  C.  II.  Humphreys, 
president;  E.  M.  liarton,  vice-president  G.  A.  Samuelson,  secretary,  and 
George  M.  Bonnell,  sales  manager.  In  June,  [913,  the  company  put  in  a 
vacuum  evaporating  plant  and  has  made  salt  under  this  process  since  its 
completion,  the  latter  part  of  [913.  It  also  has  a  dairy  or  refining  plant  in 
operation. 

The  Union  Ice  and  Salt  Company  was  organized  in  i8<;_\  It  was 
located  on  Avenue  1)  east.  It  began  operations  in  iS<,j  and  has  a  capacity 
of  two  hundred  and  fifty  harrels  daily.'  J.  F.  Redhead  was  president  of 
this  company  until  July  t,  [900,  when  the  plant  was  sold  to  Ed.  Gardner. 
It  has  an  ice  plant  in  connection  with  the  salt  plant  and  perhaps  is  more  of 
an  ice  plant  than  a  salt  plant. 

The  Star  Salt  Company  was  organized  in  1889..  R.  E.  Conn  was 
president;  Will  Randle,  secretary,  and  John  Welsh,  treasurer.  Their  plant 
was  located  west  of  town  on  the  Santa  Ee  railroad.  It  had  a  dairv  mill, 
with  a  fifty-barrel-a-day  capacity.  This  company  operated  the  plant  until 
1894,  when  it  was  sold  to  the  Kansas  Salt  Company. 

Such  was  the  way  in  which  the  salt  business  in  Reno  cnitntv  was  started. 
As  might  have  been  anticipated,  it  soon  became  a  matter  of  elimination. 
There  were  all  classes  of  men  engaged  in  the  business.  Some  of  them  had 
had  experience  in  the  manufacture  of  salt,  many  of  them  had  not.  Some 
had  the  capacity  to  make  salt  at  a  reasonable  cost,  but  they  found  that  mak- 
ing the  salt  was  only  a  part  of  the  business.  They  found  that  the  selling 
of  the  salt  was  equally  important  with  the  cheapness  of  manufacturing  it. 
The  result  was  that  as  soon  as  the  market  was  rilled  and  there  was  no  demand 
for  salt,  the  price  fell  to  a  point  where  the  plants  were  operated  at  a  loss. 
The  salt  makers  stood  this  loss  for  a  while,  then  undertook  to  remedy  it. 
Thev  held  a  meeting,  at  which  the  condition  of  the  salt  business  was  dis- 
cussed and  thev  found  out  that  with  a  restricted  territory  they  would  have 
to  curtail  the  output.  Each  man  thought  the  others  should  cut  down  his 
output.      Agreements   were   made,   with   no   serious   intention   on    the   part    of 


362  REXo    COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

any  making  them  to  keep  the  agreement.  These  meetings  disclosed  some 
interesting  facts  about  the  salt  business  of  the  Hutchinson  territory.  The 
amount  invested  in  these  plants  was  over  six  hundred  thousand  dollars. 
There  were  twenty-nine  open  steel  pans  and  tour  steam  graner  pans,  with 
an  annual  capacity  oi  production  of  nine  hundred  thousand  barrels.  Owing 
to  the  competition  of  the  first  three  years  eight  different  plants  were  either 
sold  »>r  leased  to  stronger  companies.  Those  that  were  sold  brought  less 
than  half  the  cost  of  construction.  Later,  nearly  all  of  these  plants  were 
dismantled,  as  it  was  found  that  the}'  were  too  expensive  to  operate  and  that 
they  could  not  compete  with  the  larger  and  more  compact  plants.  Especially 
was  this  true  when  the  vacuum  pans  were  put  into  operation,  which  reduced 
die  cost  of  production  so  greatly. 

The  railroad  greatly  appreciated  the  value  of  the  salt  business,  which 
consisted  not  only  o\  the  freight  on  salt  shipped  out,  but  on  the  coal  and 
barrel  stuff  shipped  in.  after  the  plants  were  constructed,  and  there  was  an 
immense  tonnage  represented  in  the  plants  themselves. 

The  lir-t  expansion  of  the  salt  market  came  when  the  Goulds  became 
interested  in  the  salt  business.  The  result  was  the  changing  of  freight 
rates  that  enlarged  the  field  for  Hutchinson  salt.  The  larger  companies 
also  had  rebates  on  freight  and  other  advantages  that  enabled  them  to  keep 
their  plant-  running,  much  to  the  disadvantage  of  the  smaller  proprietors, 
who  either  did  not  know  how  to  get  rebates  from  the  railroads,  or  did  try 
and  found  that  some  other  manufacturer  had  the  attention  of  the  railroad 
official  to  an  extent  that  excluded  them  from  sharing  in  the  rebates. 

The  hr^t  plants  were  all  open  steel  pans,  with  heat  applied  directlv  to 
die  pans.  The  salt  was  raked  out  of  the  boiling  brine  and  left  on  the  edge 
of  the  pan  to  drain,  after  which  it  was  hauled  in  carts  to  the  storage  room. 
In  [895  a  -team  graner  was  installed,  steam  being  conveyed  through  pipes 
in  the  pans.  In  [896  direct  heat  vacuum  pans  were  installed,  hut  were  not 
a  success.  Later  steam  vacuum  pans  were  tried  and  the  success  of  this 
method  of  making  salt  revolutionized  the  business,  by  reducing  the  amount 
of  heat  required  to  precipitate  the  sail. 

Michigan  was  early  the  greatest  competitor  of  the  Kansas  -alt  manu- 
facturer-. Ihe  Wolverine  producer-  had  been  long  in  the  business.  The\ 
occupied  the  entire  territory  and  the  Kansas  manufacturers  had  to  contest 
every  inch  of  -round  with  the  Michigan  competitors.  They  had  favorable 
frei-dit  rate-  and.  for  the  first  ten  years,  restricted  the  territorv  of  the  Kan- 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS. 


363 


sas  manufacturers,  who  made  more  sail  than  their  territor)  consumed.  The 
following  is  an  estimate  made  by  Frank  Vincent,  one  of  the  oldest  manu 
facturers  of  salt  in  this  field,  as  to  the  annual  outpul  of  salt  in  the  Kansas 
field.  This  estimate-  embraces  more  than  the  output  of  the  Hutchinson 
plant,  as  it  includes  some  plants  operated  outside  of  Hutchinson,  but  in  gen 
eral  it  gives  the  volume  of  business  of  the  salt  industry  since  it  began  in 
1888: 


1888      [90,000  barrels. 
!  88u — 386,000  barrels. 
1890 — 600,000  barrels. 
1 89 1  —  800.000  1  >arrels . 
[892 — 850.000  barrels. 
[893 — 900.000  barrels. 
1894—875,000  barrels. 
1895 — 839.000  barrels. 
1896 — 850,000  barrels. 
1807 — 812,000  barrels. 
1  898 — 952,000  barrels. 
1 899 —  t  ,  1 97,000  barrels. 
T900 — 1,344,000  barrels. 
1901 — 1.014,000   barrels. 
1902 — 928.000  barrels. 


1903 

I  I  ;'  )_4 
1905 
I  906 
I90; 
I  908— 

T  OO9— 
[9IO- 
[9]  [- 

T9  T  2— 

191 3- 

I9I4- 

19 15- 

1  < )  1 6— 


«>i  5,000  barrels. 
1,070,000   barrels. 
958,000  barrel- 
930,000  barrels. 
97,000  barrels. 

-1,132,000   barrels. 

-1,215,000  barrel-. 

-1,206,000  barrels. 

-1,198,000   barrels. 

-1.137,000   barrel-. 

-946,000  barrels. 

-t,  1 10,000  barrels. 
1 .250,000  barrels. 

-1,400,000  barrels  (partly  esti- 
mated. ) 


The  consolidation  of  the  salt  industry  began  in  March,  [891,  when 
Jay  Gould  agreed  to  the  consolidation  of  all  the  Gould  plants  with  those  of 
the  Hutchinson  Salt  Company.  This  organizing  of  interests  dates  from 
April  22.  [891,  when  an  amended  charter  of  the  Hutchinson  Salt  and  Manu- 
facturing Company  was  granted  to  the  Hutchinson  Salt  Company  and  the 
capital  of  the  company  was  increased  to  two  hundred  thousand  dollars,  one- 
half  of  which  was  paid  up. 

The  Hutchinson  Salt  Company  continued  to  operate  its  plants  until 
May  16.  1899,  at  which  time  this  company  and  the  Kansas  Salt  Company 
consolidated  and  the  name  was  changed  to  the  Hutchinson-Kansas  Salt  Com- 
pany. On  January  1,  1900.  all  of  the  stock  and  plants  of  the  Hutchinson- 
Kansas  Salt  Company  was  purchased  by  a  company,  of  which  Joy  Morton, 
of  Chicago,  became  president.  An  office  was  maintained  in  this  city,  with 
Frank  Vincent  as  general  manager.      This  company,   by  virtue  of  the  con- 


364  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

solidation  of  the  smaller  plants  and  the  building  of  a  new  plant,  has  an 
annual  capacity  of  one  million  barrels  and  a  storage  capacity  of  one-quarter 
million  barrels. 

In  January,  mio.  the  Morton  Salt  Company,  of  Chicago,  Illinois,  was 
organized  with  Joy  Morton,  president;  Mark  Morton,  vice-president:  Sterl- 
ing Morten,  secretary,  and  Daniel  Peterkin.  treasurer.  The  general  offices 
were  in  <  "hicago.  The  Hutchinson  office  was  continued  until  November, 
10,14.  when  the  Hutchinson  sales  office  was  moved  to  Kansas  City,  Mis- 
souri, with  Sterling  Morton  in  charge  of  the  sales  department. 

On  September  21,  rQo6,  Joy  Morton,  president  of  the  Morton  Salt 
»  ompany,  began  the  erection  of  the  largest  salt  plant  in  the  west.  The 
plant  was  almost  completed  when  it  was  completely  destroyed  by  fire  on 
March  25,  1907.  The  debris  was  cleaned  away  and  a  new  plant  was 
immediately  begun.  The  boiler  room  and  salt  warehouse  were  made  fire- 
proof.  On  September  to.  1907,  the  new  plant  was  completed  and  began 
making  salt  on  the  14th  of  September,  1907.  This  plant  has  a  capacity  of 
thirty-three  hundred  barrels  of  salt  per  day.  This  is  by  far  the  largest 
salt  plant  in  the  west  and  perhaps  the  largest  plant  in  the  United  States. 
1 ..  D.  Libbey  was  superintendent  of  the  plant  until  October,  1908,  when 
VV.  E.  Kissick  was  made  superintendent,  which  position  he  held  until  Novem- 
ber 1.  10,14.  when  Wirt  Morton  was  made  superintendent  and  continues  to 
hold  the  position  at  the  time  of  the  writing-  of  this  history. 

There  have  been  one  hundred  and  fifty  salt  wells  drilled  in  the  salt 
fields  around  Hutchison.  The  water  is  pumped  down  the  outside  pipe  and 
is  forced  up  the  inside  pipe,  saturated  with  salt.  These  drill  holes  show 
but  very  little  variation  after  passing  through  the  first  one  hundred  feet. 
The  drill  extend-  down  sixty  feet  before  striking  shale.  The  log  on  well 
7.  drilled  at  Riverside  salt  plant  in  January,  1897,  shows  the  following: 
99  feet  of  clear  sand,  68  feet  of  red  shale  or  soft  stone,  313  feet  of  white 
lime  shale,  soft  -tone,  and  330  feet  rock  salt  strata.  The  salt  strata  shows 
the  following:  35  feet  of  salt  and  shale,  _>o  feet  of  salt,  15  feet  of  salt 
and  -bale,  [o  feel  of  salt,  10  feet  of  salt  and  -bale,  15  feet  of  salt,  5  feet 
of  sail  and  -hale.  20  feet  of  salt.  5  feet  of  salt  and  shale,  5  feet  of  salt,  5 
feel  6i  sail  and  shale,  15  feet  of  salt,  10  feet  of  salt  and  -bale,  30  feet  of 
salt,  15  feel  of  salt  and  -bale.  15  Feel  of  salt,  20  feet  of  salt  and  shale,  50 
feel  "i   -alt,   [5  feel  of  salt  and  -bale.   1-   feet  of  salt. 

The  total  "i   33  1  feel  shows   [90  feet  of  clear  salt  and   140  feet  of  sail 


RENO  COl    NfTY,    KANSAS.  365 

mixed   with   shale.     In   putting  down   the   well   their   was  used   99    feel   "t 
eight-inch  pipe   [68  feel  of  six-inch  pipe  and  jj^  feel  of  three-inch  tubii 
An  analysis  of  the  brine  from  twelve  different  wells  made  in  [906  sho       the 
following  analysis  : 

Specific  gravity  at  j^  degrees   Fahr. [.19980 

Sulphate  of  lime   -39139 

Chloride  of   calcium   20757 

Chloride  of  magnesium   13625 

Chloride  of  sodium,  pure  salt. 25.49380 

Water    72.671*19 

100.00000 


CHAPTER  XLVIII. 
Building   L'i'  the  Salt  Industry. 

In  the  preceding  chapter  the  work  of  constructing  the  various  salt  plants 
has  heen  recorded,  as  well  as  the  expansion  of  the  number  of  plants,  the 
failure  of  some  to  succeed  and  the  dismantling  of  the  older  ones,  ft  took 
large  sums  of  money  to  erect  these  plants.  But  few  of  the  promoters  of 
the  salt  business  in  the  beginning  had  had  any  experience  in  that  line.  When 
the  limited  market  of  that  time  was  .supplied,  the  cutting  of  prices  on  salt 
was  begun.  It  then  was  simply  a  process  of  elimination,  the  survival  of 
the  m<»st  experienced  and  the  driving  out  of  the  business  of  the  smaller  of 
the  salt  men  and  the  passing  of  their  plants  to  others. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  manufacture  of  salt  there  were  no  freight  rates 
that  would  allow  any  great  expansion  of  the  industry.  The  building  up 
of  railroad  tariffs  that  would  enable  the  manufacturer  of  salt  in  Hutchinson 
to  get  to  a  larger  market  was  the  problem.  It  was  thought  necessary  by 
some  of  the  plants  to  get  a  railroad  interested  in  the  business  in  order  to 
help  out  the  marketing  of  the  salt.  This  led  to  the  payment  of  rebates  on 
freight  shipments  of  salt  that  helped  some  of  the  plants.  The  final  outcome 
of  this  rebate  system  was  an  investigation  by  the  interstate  commerce  com- 
mission into  the  entire  question  of  salt  rates.  This  hearing  was  held  in 
Hutchinson.  It  drew  the  presence  of  more  traffic  officials  of  the  railroads, 
not  only  in  Kansas  but  in  other  states  that  had  joined  with  the  Kansas  rail- 
roads  in  joint  tariffs  on  salt,  than  ewer  congregated  in  Kansas  before.  The 
private  ears  of  the  officials  of  these  roads  were  sidetracked  in  the  Hutchin- 
son  yards,   while  the  traffic  men  attended  the  hearing  on  the  rebate  matter. 

Judge  (  'harle-  \.  Prouty,  a  member  of  the  Interstate  Commerce  Com- 
mission, presided  at  the  hearing.  lie  was  a  shrewd,  keen  lawyer  and  knew 
the  various  methods  used  to  evade  the  interstate  commerce  law.  John  T. 
Mart-hand  was  the  attorney  of  the  interstate  commerce  commission  and  con- 
ducted the  examination. 

Commenting  on  this  case  in  the  report  the  commission  made,  ludge 
Prouty  says,  "The  exigencies  some  of  the  shippers  felt  necessary  to  use  to 
evade  the  law    developed  a  crop  of  expediencies   for  the  benefiting  of  par- 


RENO  COUNTY,    k  VNS  \S.  367 

ticular  shippers."  "Hutchinson",  continues  the  report,  "is  the  center  of  the 
salt  industry  of  Kansas,  although  factories  arc  operated  at  several  other 
points  in  that  vicinity,  the  ^alt  beds  being  of  extensive  area.  The  Kansas 
salt  works  at  the  present  time  arc  known  as  the  'trust'  and  the  'independents'. 

It  appeared  that  all  of  the  'trust'  mills,  nine  in  number,  wen-  located  in 
Hutchinson  and  had  a  capacity  <»t  three  thousand  five  hundred  barrels  a 
day,  all  owned  and  operated  )>\  the  Eiutchinson-Kansas  Salt  Company,  while 
the  'independent'  companies,  seven  in  number,  with  a  daih  capacity  of  two 
thousand  five  hundred  barrels,  were  owned  by  individuals."  "11  was  shown 
further."  says  the  report,  "that  the  salt  rates  from  Hutchinson  to  the  Mis 
souri  river  were  not  generally  maintained  previous  to  the  spring  "l  [902. 
The  rate  to  Kansas  City  and  corresponding  Missouri  river  points  was  ten 
cents  per  hundred  pounds  on  hulk  salt  and  twelve  cents  per  hundred  pounds 
on  barrel  salt.  Bulk  salt  was  shipped  loose  in  cars,  with  no  harrels  or  pack- 
ages, and  was  generally  used  by  the  packing  houses,  saving  the  expense  t" 
the  packers  of  harrels  and  also  the  expense  of  barreling  it." 

In  fitly,  IQQ2.  a  railroad  corporation  was  organized  under  the  laws  of 
Kansas,  known  as  the  Hutchinson  &  Arkansas  River  Railroad  Company.  The 
purpose  set  out  in  the  charter  of  the  company  was  to  construct  a  railroad 
from  Kechi,  a  small  town  on  the  St.  Louis  &  San  Francisco  railroad,  t>> 
Hutchinson.  .V  survey  of  this  road  was  effected  and  estimates  made  of 
the  amount  of  grading  required,  hut  nothing  was  ever  done  toward  the 
building  of  the  road.  In  addition  to  this  a  further  purpose  was  to  construct. 
combine  and  connect  all  of  the  plants  owned  by  the  Hutchinson-Kansas 
Salt  Company  in  such  a  way  that  the  cars  could  he  conveniently  handled  in 
and  out  to  the  various  plants  of  the  company. 

The  largest  plant  of  the  Hutchinson-Kansas  company  is  the  Morton 
plant,  south  of  the  Arkansas  river.  It  has  a  capacity  of  eleven  hundred 
barrels  of  salt  a  day.  The  tracks  of  the  Kinsley  branch  of  the  Santa  Fe 
run  on  one  side  of  the  plant  and  the  Rock  Island  on  the  other  side,  and 
there  are  two  switches  connecting  both  sides  of  the  mill  with  these  railroads, 
the  entire  length  of  these  switches  being  about  four  thousand  feet.  These 
tracks  were  built  by  the  Morton  Salt  Company  for  the  purpose  of  furnish- 
ing a  means  of  reaching  the  two  railroads  mentioned  and  had  been  con- 
structed for  several  years  before  the  Hutchinson  &  Arkansas  River  charter  was 
obtained.  As  soon  as  this  charter  was  obtained,  these  switch  tracks  were 
sold  to  the  Hutchinson  &  Arkansas  River  Railway  for  a  consideration  of 
seven  thousand  dollars.  These  were  the  only  tracks  owned  by  the  Hutchinson 
&  Arkansas  River  railroad,  which  had  no  cars  or  engines. 


368  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

The  capita]   stock  of  the    Hutchinson  &   Arkansas  River  railroad  con- 
sisted "i  eight  hundred  shares,  with  a  par  value  of  one  hundred  dollars  each. 
<  H   these  eight  hundred  shares,  seven  hundred  and  ninety-four  were  issued 
to   Joseph    I '.    Tracy,    the   other   six    shares   being   issued,    one   each    to   the 
director-  <>f  the  company.      These  directors  were  Joseph  P.  Tracy,  D.  Peter- 
kin.    Mark'    Morton,   Joy    Morton.    J.    C.    Baddeley,    Frank    Vincent    and    G. 
Phillips.      The  officers  of  this  "railroad  company"  were  President  Joy  Mor- 
ton.  Vice-president   Frank   Vincent,  Treasurer  Mark  Morton,  General  Man- 
ager Joseph    P.  Tracy  and  Assistant  General  Manager  Frank  Vincent.     Joy 
Morton    vvas   at   that    time   president   and    Mark    Morton,   treasurer,    of   the 
Hutchinson- Kansas  Salt  Company  and   Frank  Vincent  was  manager  of  the 
salt  company.     All  the  officers  of  the  Hutchinson  &  Arkansas  River  Railroad 
Company  were  officers  of  the  Hutchinson-Kansas  Salt  Company,  except  Mr. 
Tracy.      Peterkin  was  the  private  secretary  of  Joy  Morton.      In  the  hearing 
that  was  held.  Joy  Morton  testified  that  he  and  those  whom  he  represented 
owned   the   entire   capital   stock   of   the    Hutchinson-Kansas    Salt    Company. 
I'he  testimony  at  the  hearing  disclosed  the  fact  that  all  three  of  the  railroads 
running  into  Hutchinson,  the  Santa  Fe,  the  Rock  Island  and  the  Missouri 
Pacific,  were  approached  by  Mr.  Tracy,  all  in  the  same  manner  and  making 
the  same  statement  to  all  of  them,  namely,  that  competitive  conditions  existed 
on  the  Missouri   river,   both   foreign  and  domestic  salt  being  sold  there  in 
large  quantities,  and  if  bulk  salt  were  to  be  moved  to  Missouri  river  points 
that  some  inducement  would  have  to  be  held  out  to  the  salt  companies  by 
the  railroads.     He  stated  that  he  had  organized  a  railroad,  the  Hutchinson 
&    Arkansas  River  railroad,  and  asked  the  various  railroads  to  make  a  divi- 
sion  of   freight  rates   from  Hutchinson  to  Missouri   river  points,  so  that  a 
price  could  be  rained  to  the  packing  houses  on  the  Missouri  river  that  would 
enable  them  to  compete  with  the  foreign  companies. 

The  hearing  disclosed  further  that  the  rate  of  ten  cents  a  hundred 
on  bulk  salt  to  Kansas  City  and  twelve  cents  to  Omaha  was  then  in  force 
and  thai  upon  this  rate  the  railroads  would  grant  to  the  Hutchinson  & 
Arkansas  River  railroad,  a  division  oi  twenty-five  per  cent  of  the  amount 
paid  in  freight,  but  that  in  no  event  was  the  amount  paid  to  the  "railroad" 
to  exceed  fifty  cents  a  ton  of  the  salt  shipped.  Accordingly,  the  Santa  Fe, 
the  Rock  Island  and  Missouri  Pacific  railroads  all  issued  tariffs  allowing 
this  division  of  rates  to  the  Hutchinson  &•  Arkansas  River  railroad. 

Everybody  entered  a  general  denial  at  the  hearing.  The  railroads 
claimed    they    had    granted   the   Hutchinson    &    Arkansas    River    railroad    the 


y. 

-7. 
y. 


y. 


y. 


y. 

y. 

v. 


v. 


IliilfeS® 


reno  cou  \  ry,  k  vns  ^s.  369 

division  and  thai  they  had  violated  no  law    in  so  doing.     Thai  they  had  a 
right  to  make  division  of  tariffs  to  other  roads.     The   Hutchinson-Kan 
Salt  Company  denied  thai  it  had  received  any  monej    paid  under  this  new 
tariff  with  the   Hutchinson  &  Arkansas  River  railroad.      The  traffic  officials 

el  all  roads  who  were  present  were  urged  to  state-  how  the  paying 
oi  this  sum  oi  money  to  the  Hutchinson  &  Arkansas  River  railroad  could 
in  any  way  help  the  Hutchinson- Kansas  Salt  Company  to  compete  with 
foreign  salt  at  Missouri  river  points,  unless  the  Hutchinson-Kansas  Salt 
Company  received  the  amount  they  had  paid  in  rebates.  The  Hutchinson 
&  Arkansas  River  railroad  were  confronted  with  this  question,  so  that  all 
of  the  various  traffic  officials  admitted  that  the  alleged  purpose  of  the  tariff, 
namely,  to  help  the  Hutchinson  salt  field  to  compete  with  foreign  field-, 
could  not  have  been  accomplished  unless  the  salt  company  received  the 
rebate.  They  said  further  that  had.  they  considered  the  subject  in  this  light, 
they  probably  would  not  have  made  the  division  of  the  rate  thev  did  make. 
Then  Joy  Morton  testified.  He  said  that  he  was  president  of  both  the  salt 
company  and  of  the  "paper"  railroad  company.  He  said  that  neither  he 
nor  the  salt  company  had  received  any  of  the  receipts  for  the  division  of 
freight  rates.  When  pressed,  he  admitted  that  Mr.  Tracy  had  purchased 
the  stock  in  the  Hutchinson  &  Arkansas  River  railroad  at  his  suggestion 
and  that  while  Mr.  Tracy  did  not  hold  this  stock  as  his  (  Morton's)  trustee. 
he  would  prohably  dispose  of  the  stock  in  the  railroad  company  and  vote  it< 
shares  as  he  suggested.  That  being  the  case,  the  proceeds  accruing  to  the 
paper  railroad  could  at  any  time  he  diverted  either  to  Mr.  Morton  or  to  the 
salt  company  of  which  he  was  president. 

One  of  the  keenest-witted  cross-examinations  ever  heard  in  Reno  county, 
conducted  by  Mr.  Prouty,  followed  the  statement  Morton  made  in  the  wit- 
ness stand.  The  shrewd  Yankee  judge  was  matched  against  the  equallv 
shrewd,  keen-minded  head  of  the  salt  company,  also  the  head  of  the  "paper" 
railroad.  Judge  Prouty  begged  Morton  to  tell  him  how  any  good  could 
come  to  the  Hutchinson-Kansas  Salt  Company,  of  which  he  was  president, 
unless  the  proceeds  obtained  by  the  railroad  were  diverted  and  passed  into 
the  treasury  of  the  salt  company.  Morton  answered,  with  a  smile.  "Well. 
Judge,  I  suppose  the  proceeds  of  the  salt  company  went  into  my  right  hand 
pocket  and  the  money  earned  by  the  division  ol  freight  rates  Went  into  my 
left  hand  pocket."  With  a  smile  equally  as  pleasant,  the  Yankee  judge 
responded.  "Then.  Mr.  Morton,  I  suppose  you  follow  the  scriptural  injunc- 
(24) 


3/0  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

tion  of  not  allowing  your  right  hand  to  know  what  your  left  hand  is  doing." 
The  admission  of  Morton  settled  the  case.  The  Hutchinson-Kansas  Salt 
Company  would  receive  the  proceeds  of  the  division  of  the  freight  given  the 
"paper'-  railroad  at  same  time.  The  order  of  the  interstate  commerce  com- 
mission was  the  abolishing  of  the  "paper"  railroad  and  the  cancellation  of 
all  of  the  tariffs  that  had  been  issued  by  reason  of  this  road's  alleged  exist- 
ence. The  effect  of  this  rebate  while  it  was  in  operation  was  exceedingly 
unpleasant  for  the  small  companies  selling  salt  in  Hutchinson.  It  gave  the 
Hutchinson-Kansas  Salt  Company  such  an  advantage  that  they  could  have 
sold  salt  at  cost  and  made  their  profits  out  of  the  rebates.  One  of  the  man- 
agers of  one  of  the  salt  companies  expressed  this  conclusion,  when  he  said 
that  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  rates  granted  on  freight  by  the  railroad  com- 
panies it  would  not  have  been  possible  to  have  operated  the  salt  plants  in  this 
city. 

This  statement  could  not  be  entirely  true.  There  were  salt  manufac- 
turers who  staved  in  the  salt  business  and  are  in  it  yet,  who  never  received 
any  rebates  on  salt  shipment.  Among  these  is  Emerson  Carey.  While  a 
competitor  of  the  Hutchinson-Kansas  Company,  he  made  salt  and  made  a 
profit  on  his  salt.  He  has  constantly  been  urging  before  the  state  railroad 
commission  and  before  the  interstate  commerce  commission,  the  lowering  of 
freight  rates  to  an  equitable  basis  with  other  salt  fields.  He  kept  consist- 
ently and  constantly  working  on  this  line  so  that  this  salt  field  could  be 
extended  and  the  Kansas  field  have  an  equal  show  in  the  hauling  of  salt 
and  in  the  freight  on  coal  and  barrel  stuff  required.  His  plan  of  selling- 
was  to  deal  with  the  jobbers,  shipping  in  car  lots  on  contract.  He  kept  at 
it  until  the  trade  territorv  of  Hutchinson  has  been  enlarged  until  Hutchinson 
salt  is  sold  in  the  following  territory:  Kansas,  Arkansas,  Missouri, 
Nebraska,  Iowa.  Montana.  Wyoming,  South  Dakota,  Idaho,  Colorado,  New 
Mexico,  Arizona,  Texas,  Oklahoma  and  some  territory  in  Tennessee,  Ala- 
bama. California,  Washington  and  Oregon. 

The  companies  doing  business  in  Hutchinson  other  than  those  interested 
in  the  early  rebating  also  aided  in  securing  a  wider  market  for  Hutchinson 
salt.  Among  those  was  the  Barton  Salt  Company.  Ed  Barton  was  ener- 
getic all  the  time,  pressing  the  salt  products  to  the  best  of  his  ability.  Since 
the  rebating' system  has  ceased,  all  of  the  companies  have  sought  by  all 
legitimate  means  to  keep  the  plants  in  this  city  in  operation.  They  have 
nut  the  competition  of  other  field-.  They  have  sought  better  and  more 
equitable    freight    rates   in   competition    with    other    fields.     They    have   kept 


RENO  COUNTY,    K  WSAS.  37  I 

their  plains  up  to  the  highesl  efficiency,  using  the  must  modern  machinery. 
They  have  soughl  to  increase  their  trade,  nut  at  the  expense  of  another, 
perhaps  weaker,  as  was  the  manner  during  the  railroad  rebate  system.     The 

sales  department  of  the  Morton  plant  has  been  removed  to  Kansas  City, 
Missouri.  The  other  companies  retain  their  sales  offices  in  Hutchinson, 
increasing  their  trade  as  the  country  develops  and  as  the  change  of  freighl 
rates  will  permit.     The  output  is  slowly  gaining  in  volume  and  is  becoming 

more  and  more  each  year  a  factor  in  Hutchinson  commercial  life. 


CHATTER  XLIX. 
Locating  the  Packing  House. 

The  boom  days  had  left  Hutchinson  in  a  sad  way  financially.  People 
had  all  their  money  invested  in  town  lots  at  exorbitant  prices.  There  was 
considerable  Eastern  money  invested  in  Hutchinson  during  the  boom  days, 
but  much  of  that  was  put  into  houses,  which  were  not  a  ready  asset,  as 
there  were  too  many  houses  for  the  number  of  people.  Crop  failures  and 
low  prices  had  reduced  the  resources  of  the  country  to  an  alarming  extent. 
The  banks  had  but  little  money  on  hands,  no  account,  according  to  one  of 
the  leading  bankers  of  that  day,  amounting  to  over  ten  thousand  dollars,  and 
but  few  were  over  one  thousand  dollars.  There  were  accounts,  many  of 
them,  overdrawn,  secured  by  collateral  of  real  estate,  which,  after  the  mort- 
gage was  [laid  on  the  collateral,  was  worth  but  little  more  than  the  over- 
draft itself.  This  same  banker  said  the  black  figures  on  the  ledger  fell  over 
like  ten-pins  when  the  boom  collapsed  and  in  their  place  the  sickening  entries 
in  red  figures,  expressed  in  two,  three,  and  even  five  and  six  figures,  appeared 
in  another  column  in  the  same  ledger. 

It  was  at  this  critical  time  that  R.  M.  Easley,  then  editor  of  the  Daily 
News,  without  counselling  anyone  and  without  letting  anyone  know  of  what 
he  had  done,  telegraphed  Dold  &  Son,  of  Kansas  City,  a  cash  bonus  of 
one  hundred  thousand  dollars  to  build  a  packing  house  in  Hutchinson.  To 
Easley's  surprise,  Dold  answered  his  telegram  in  a  hopeful  letter.  Easley 
then  told  some  of  the  leading  business  men  what  he  had  done,  and  also  had 
a  double-column  flash-head  article  the  next  morning  in  the  News,  assuring 
the  people  that  the  packing  house  was  a  certainty.  In  response  to  Dold's 
letter,  l\.  M.  Easley.  L.  A.  [Jigger  and  S.  \V.  Campbell  went  to  Kansas 
1  it}  t"  see  Dold.  They  found  he  was  one  of  the  sons  of  Jacob  Dold.  the 
founder,  a  generation  before,  of  a  packing  house  in  Buffalo,  Xew  York. 
They  were  politely  received  by  Dold  and  one  of  the  committee  says  that  the 
suggestion  to  this  Dold  of  building  a  packing  house  was  too  much  of  a  shock 
to  his  cumbersome  system  to  allow  him  to  make  an  expression  of  his  ideas 
thai  contained  any  meaning  whatever.  At  the  same  time  the  committee 
called  on    Armour  &  Company  and  were  met  by  EC.  B.  Armour,  a  young  man 


RE  \o  (  OUNTY,    K  \\S AS.  373 

of  about  thirty  years,  who  was  then  in  charge  of  the  Kansas  '  itv  plant.  1 [e 
displayed  a  great  interest  in  the  enterprise  and  the  committee  began  to 
worry  a  little  on  the  question  of  how  the)  wnc  going  to  get  the  money  in 
case  any  packer  should  conclude  to  build  a  plant  here  The  story  oi  Hutch- 
inson's effort  to  gel  a  packing  house  and  the  bait  that  was  being  put  up  for 
it  soon  reached  Chicago  and  a  short  time  afterward  Nelson  Morris,  the 
founder  of  the  Morris  packing  house,  came  to  Hutchinson  and  met  with  the 
business  men  of  the  city. 

Matters  soon. took  form.  A  meeting  for  organization  was  held  and  the 
plan  to  secure  a  packing  plant,  or  rather,  to  secure  the  money  for  a  packing 
plant,  was  outlined  by  L.  A.  Bigger  and  \V.  K.  Hutchinson.  The  amounl 
they  proposed  to  raise  was  one  hundred  thousand  dollars,  Hutchinson  sug- 
gested that  the  amount  be  fixed  at  two  hundred  thousand  dollars,  and  that 
real  estate  be  put  into  the  subscription,  and  when  this  was  sold  the  one  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars  could  be  realized.  With  this  proposition,  a  committee 
was  sent  to  Chicago,  consisting  of  VV.  E.  Hutchinson,  L.  A.  lugger,  J.  M. 
Mulkev  and  Charles  Collins.  It  was  thought  that  by  having  a  real  estate 
subscription,  part  of  it  could  be  sold  to  the  packers  themselves.  This  is 
just  what  happened  and  greatly  helped  the  enterprise,  as  it  is  doubtful  if 
one  hundred  thousand  dollars  in  cash  could  have  been  realized;  but,  with 
real  estate,  it  was  possible  to  secure  donations  because  the  owners  realized 
that  it  was  not  a  great  asset  on  the  market. 

One  of  the  men  who  greatly  helped  the  Hutchinson  committee  in  Chi- 
cago was  G.  A.  Walkup.  He  was  not  a  resident  of  Kansas  and  had  no 
property  here  to  increase  in  value,  and  no  consideration  was  offered  him  to 
help  in  the  enterprise.  He  never  intimated  that  he  wanted  any  of  the  profit 
of  the  enterprise,  but  he  was  one  of  the  main  helpers  of  the  committee  in 
Chicago.  Through  him  the  committee  met  Mr.  lord,  the  senior  member 
of  the  firm  of  Lord  &  Thomas.  Cord  suggested  that  the  bonus  be  raised 
to  four  hundred  thousand  dollars  in  real  estate  and  organize  a  company  with 
a  capital  of  two  hundred  thousand  dollars,  to  whom  this  property  should  be 
deeded.  This  would  leave  two  dollars  of  property  out  of  which  it  was 
fjo'ured  one  dollar  of  value  could  be  realized.  Lord  took  an  active  interest 
in  the  organization  matters,  lie  was  related  through  his  wife  to  a  Mr. 
Favorite,  who  was  the  right  hand  man  of  I'.  IX  Armour.  In  order  to  have 
this  avenue  to  Armour  kept  open,  Walkup  bent  all  of  his  energies  and  used 
all  of  his  tact  and  judgment.  Lord  also  interested  J.  P.  Odell,  president 
of   the   Union    National    Bank   of   Chicago.      Through    these   sources.    E.    L. 


0/ 


4  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 


Lobdell,  who  was  in  the  business  of  selling  securities,  was  interested,  in 
order  that  some  means  of  disposing  of  this  real  estate  might  be  provided. 
Lobdell  had  a  good  standing  and  was  a  relative  of  G.  B.  Shaw,  president  of 
another  one  of  Chicago's  banks.  Walkup  kept  "this  Hutchinson  committee 
on  the  go,  meeting  men  of  financial  resources  and  arranging  all  of  the  details 
of  all  of  the  numerous  meetings  of  the  committee  with  the  various  financial 
leaders  of  the  city.  Walkup  arranged  meetings  with  G.  B.  Swift,  the 
thunder  of  the  Swift  Packing  Company,  also  with  Libby,  McNeill  &  Libby, 
Alike  Cuddahy,  of  the  packing  company  which  bears  his  name.  Anderson 
Fowler  and  P.  L.  Underwood  were  all  likewise  interviewed.  Later,  the 
idea  oi  a  lard  refinery  was  added  to  that  of  a  packing  plant  and  N.  K.<  Fair- 
banks &  Company  were  visited  with  an  idea  of  interesting  that  firm. 

For  several  weeks  this  work  was  kept  up  in  Chicago.  Lord  was  inter- 
esting mair\-  in  the  real  estate  end  of  the  proposition  and  the  bonus  question, 
that  was  such  a  big  stumbling  block  to  the  Hutchinson  people,  was  largely 
taken  care  of  outside  of  the  city.  Among  those  who  were  helpful  in  the 
real  estate  proposition  was  E.  S.  Dreyer,  president  of  a  German  bank  of 
i  liicago.  He  had  a  fine  standing  in  Chicago  and  did  more,  perhaps,  in 
helping  finance  the  proposition,  using  his  own  money,  than  any  other  one 
man  the  Hutchinson  committee  met. 

The  next  step  was  to  bring  the  interested  parties  to  Hutchinson,  to  look 
over  the  investments.  There  was  one  matter,  however,  that  the  committee 
in  ( Tiicago  had  to  look  after  when  they  reached  this  city,  namely,  the  mat- 
ter of  raising  four  hundred  thousand  dollars  in  real  estate  instead  of  two  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars  as  was  understood  when  they  left  this  city.  The  town 
had  subscribed  all  of  the  amount  originally  agreed  on,  and  it  required  con- 
siderable diplomacy  to  get  the  citizens  of  Hutchinson  to  take  up  the  burden 
again  and  do  a  double  amount  of  subscribing  of  real  estate.  A  public  meet- 
ing was  called  at  the  old  opera  house.  Even  here  a  systematic  plan  was  car- 
ried out.  The  speakers  were  told  just  how  long  each  was  to  talk,  just  what 
they  were  to  say  and  at  the  proper  time.  This  was  done  for  two  nights. 
The  second  night  the  doors  of  the  opera  house  were  shut  and  locked,  sub- 
scriptions  were  taken,  but  not  enough  was  raised  to  close  up  the  balance  of 
the  two  hundred  thousand  dollars  to  be  added  to  the  original  subscription. 
In  fact,  clearing  up  the  entire  matter  took  from  the  middle  of  May.  when 
the  public  meetings  were  held  until  October.  There  was  much  to  do  in  the 
way  of  examining  titles  and  settling  the  details  of  a  matter  that  covered  so 
many  tracts  of  land. 


R]  SO  (  (M\  i  Y,    KANS  \>.  1J^ 

During  this  time  the  subscriptions  were  being  arranged.  The  «  hie 
capitalists  were  brought  to  Hutchinson  and  they  were-  entertained  in  the 
homes  <>i  the  citizens  of  the  city.  E.  R.  Dreyer  was  among  this  number. 
Before  he  left  Hutchinson  he  subscribed  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  worth 
<>i  town  lots,  which  was  a  great  boosl  to  the  weary  canvassers  for  real  estate 
subscriptions.  After  the  total  amount  had  been  subscribed,  the  committee 
was  sent  to  Chicago  to  complete  the  work  of  getting  the  packing  hou 
Trior  to  that  time  the  committee  had  paid  their  own  expenses,  bul  the  city 
council  met  and  agreed  to  pay  future  expenses.  There  was  no  warrant  for 
such  expenditure,  hut  no  one  questioned  it  and  it  went  through  unchallenged. 

The  committee  that  was  sent  to  Chicago  consisted  of  W.  E.  Hutchin- 
son, J.  M.  Mulkey  and  Charles  Collins.  They  had  -ruled  one  matter  among 
themselves,  and  that  was  that  the  Fairbanks  lard  refinery  and  the  Under- 
wood Packing  Company  were  the  ones  with  which  they  could  deal.  When 
the  Hutchinson  men  reached  Chicago  they  found  Lord  had  not  been  able  to 
do  much  in  the  way  of  selling  the  stock  of  their  real  estate  company  that 
had  been  organized  and  they  had  the  additional  burden  of  selling  most  of 
the  stock  as  well  as  interesting  the  packing-  companies.  At  this  point, 
Wichita  got  interested  in  getting  the  packing  house  away  from  Hutchinson. 
They  sent  fifteen  of  their  leading  men  to  Chicago  to  head  off  Hutchinson 
and  to  land  the  business  for  themselves  The  Wichita  committee  went 
directly  to  P.  I...  Underwood,  but  they  soon  ruined  any  chances  they  had 
with  Mr,  Underwood.  Their  methods  did  not  appeal  to  him.  He  was  a 
man  of  the  highest  integrity  and  he  told  the  Hutchinson  committee  that  he 
would  not  go  to  Wichita  with  his  plant. 

Tn  the  meantime,  the  Hutchinson  committee  got  suspicious  of  Lord. 
They,  through  VValkup,  soon  ascertained  that  Lord  had  agreed  to  help  the 
Wichita  committee  and  leave  the  Hutchinson  committee  to  work  out  its  own 
salvation.  The  Hutchinson  people  concluded  not  to  let  Lord  know  that  they 
knew  of  his  dealings  with  the  Wichita  committee,  but  rather  to  lead  him  to 
think  that  the  Hutchinson  committee  were  depending  entirely  on  him.  The 
plan  worked  all  right.  Lord  thought  he  was  winning  and  the  Wichita  com- 
mittee, instead  of  getting  out  on  their  own  account,  depended  entirely  on 
Lord,  until  the  Hutchinson  committee  got  what  they  wanted  and  had  every- 
thing closed  up  beyond  a  chance  of  failure.  Lord  failed  to  accomplish  any- 
thing for  Wichita  and  sometime  afterward  sued  Wichita  for  sixteen  thou- 
sand dollars,  which  they  had  agreed  to  pay  him,  but  which  he  never  was  able 
to  collect. 


376  RENO  COUNTY)    KANSAS. 

When  the  final  stage  was  reached,  the  contracts  were  ready  to  sign. 
Thev  were  written  by  W.  E.  Hutchinson  and  submitted  to  the  represen- 
tatives of  the  Fairbanks  Lard  Refining  Company  and  the  Underwood  Packing 
Company.  Very  little  change  was  made  in  the  contracts.  This  contract 
provided  for  the  creation  of  the  Chicago  Investment  Company,  the  capital 
of  which  was  stated  and  the  corporation  to  be  organized  under  the  laws  of 
Kansas.  Every  feature  of  the  business  was  completed,  the  last  of  the  sub- 
scriptions needed  to  take  up  the  real  estate  side  of  the  matter  being  sub- 
scribed by  P.  L.  Underwood.  At  the  same  time,  a  deal  was  closed  with 
another  linn  to  build  a  stock  yards  in  connection  with  the  packing  house. 
Mr.  Walkup  did  most  of  the  work  in  getting  this  done. 

This  was  the  work  of  a  town  of  five  thousand  people  raising  four  bun- 
dled thousand  dollars  for  a  stock  yards,  lard  refinery  and  packing  plant. 
Very  much  of  the  credit  should  be  given  to  W.  E.  Hutchinson  for  his  per- 
sistence, his  sagacity  and  his  energy.  L.  A.  Bigger  also  is  entitled  to  a  great 
-hare  of  credit  for  his  work.  Charles  Collins  was  almost  indispensable  as 
an  outside  helper.  The  great  friend  that  this  city  had  in  carrying  forward 
this  enterprise  was  G.  A.  Walkup,  evidenced  by  his  intense  interest  in  help- 
ing Hutchinson  land  this  business  and  his  faithfulness  to  his  trust.  E.  R. 
Drever  also  was  of  great  help,  financially  and  personally.  The  Hutchinson 
business  men  who  helped  are  numerous,  but  it  is  the  intention  here  to  speak 
of  those  who  had  the  active  management  of  the  work  of  getting  the  money 
and  afterwards  getting  the  industries  mentioned. 


(II  VPTER   I.. 
The  Soda-ash   Plant  and  the  Strawboard  Works. 

The  first  person  in  Hutchinson  to  talk  "soda  ash'-  was  Dr.  S.  II.  <  "11a- 
day.  He  was  interested  in  it  and  continued  to  talk  of  its  manufacture  in  the 
early  years  until  a  meeting  was  held  and  a  company  organization  effected. 
S.  H.  Colladay  was  the  first  president.  The  name  given  the  company  was  the 
Hutchinson  Chemical  and  Alkali  Company. 

John  Faulkner  was  the  soda-ash  expert  that  was  employed  by  the  com- 
pany. Faulkner  was  not  a  competent  man;  he  could  make  soda  ash,  but  not 
at  a  profit.  John  R.  Watson  was  the  construction  engineer  of  the  plant.  When 
the  company  found  that  they  could  not  make  soda  ash  profitably,  they  called 
on  Faulkner  for  an  explanation,  lie  blamed  it  onto  Watson,  declaring  the 
latter  had  not  properly  constructed  the  plant.  That  Watson  had  not  properly 
constructed  the  plant  was  shown  by  the  reconstruction  and  practical  rebuild- 
ing of  the  manufacturing  part  of  the  plant  when  an  experienced  and  com- 
petent construction  engineer,  C.  H.  Humphries,  was  employed  by  the  com- 
pany. 

The  plant  was  constructed  to  produce  one  hundred  and  twenty  tons  of 
soda  ash  daily,  but  it  never  produced  that  amount  under  Faulkner's  and  Wat- 
son's direction.  So  the  old"  company  threw  up  the  job  and  a  new  organiza- 
tion was  effected,  with  the  following  directors:  C.  M.  Williams,  L.  A. 
Bunker,  W  Meisenheimer,  Walter  Underwood,  Frank  McDermed,  A.  C. 
Hoagland,  C.  N.  Sentney,  William  Peet,  of  Kansas  City,  Ed  Hornbrook.  of 
Kansas  City;  J.  H.  McNair,  of  Halstead;  Joseph  Sears,  of  Chicago,  and 
Emerson  Carey. 

Mr.  Carey  was  elected  president  and  this  new  company  began  a  com- 
pete reconstruction  of  the  whole  soda-ash  plant.  Mr.  Carey  undertook  to 
rind  out  what  the  trouble  with  the  plant  was  and  when  he  located  that  trouble, 
the  company  let  out  Watson  and  Faulkner  and  employed  C.  H.  Humphries 
to  rebuild  the  plant  and  put  it  in  operation.  1  le  did  this  so  completely  that  it 
was  soon  making  soda  ash  at  a  profit. 

The  original  investment  in  the  soda-ash  plant  was  $007. 250,  of  which 
$347,250  was  in  stock  and  $250,000  in  bonds.     The  stock  subscription  was  at 


378  RENO  COUNTY,   KANSAS. 

par.  but  the.  bonds  sold  for  eighty  cents  on  the  dollar.  In  the  reorganization. 
a  new  block  of  stock  for  $167,000  was  issued  and  sold  to  rehabilitate  and 
operate  the  plant. 

In  1910,  Air.  Carey  sold  the  entire  plant  to  the  Solvay  Company,  of 
Xew  York.  But  few  of  the  stockholders  knew  anything  of  the  sale,  although 
they  all  desired  a  sale  of  the  plant,  until  they  received  an  offer  of  sale  for 
their  stock  at  par.  They  would  have  taken  a  much  smaller  amount,  but  in  the 
-ale  one  of  the  conditions  made  by  Mr.  Carey  was  that  the  stockholders  should 
have  par  for  their  holdings.  These  stockholders,  however,  did  not  get  back- 
all  they  had  invested  in  the  plant,  as  they  had  scaled  down  their  original  sub- 
scription of  $250,000  fifty  per  cent.,  but  it  represented  far  more  than  what 
they  had  hopes  of  getting.  The  incompetency  of  the  men  who  were  supposed 
to  be  experts  and  who  had  been  employed  by  the  company  to  erect  and  oper- 
ate the  plant  cost  them  one-half  of  their  original  investment.  So  all  of  the 
stockholders  received  their  money  and  all  the  bondholders  received  for  their 
bonds  eight}"  per  cent,  of  their  face  value. 

The  sale  of  this  plant  to  the  Solvay  corporation,  of  Xew  York,  was  with- 
out doubt,  the  biggest  business  transaction  ever  made  in  Hutchinson,  nearly 
six  hundred  thousand  dollars  having  been  involved.  The  sale  was  made  with- 
out commission  or  charges  of  any  kind.  Air.  Carey  had  personally  endorsed 
nearly  seventy-five  thousand  dollars  of  the  notes  of  the  corporation  with  his 
individual  endorsement,  as  well  as  his  signature  as  president  of  the  company, 
and  he  was  anxious  not  only  to  get  free  from  this  liability  as  endorser,  but 
was  more  anxious  that  the  stockholders  get  their  money  out  of  the  business, 
as  it  had  been  a  long,  hard  pull  for  many  of  them,  and  the  bringing  of  this 
amount  of  money  at  that  time  relieved  a  hard  strain  in  many  places  in 
Hutchinson.  The  soda-ash  plant  has  turned  out  to  be  a  great  business  insti- 
tution for  Hutchinson.  It  is  a  monument  to  the  men  who  invested  their 
money,  and  who  had  to  deal  with  incompetent  experts  who  cost  them  thou- 
sands of  dollars  because  of  their  incompetency,  and  they  were  indeed  glad  to 
gel  a  fair  proportion  of  their  investment  hack,  but  were  more  pleased  to  know 
that  they  had  helped  build  up  one  of  the  biggest  industrial  concerns  in  the 
West.  Since  the  Solvay  Company  purchased  the  plant,  they  have  more  than 
doubled  its  capacity. 

The  rebuilding  or  remodeling  of  the  soda-ash  plant  by  the  Solvay  Com- 
pany, likewise  the  increased  capacity  of  the  plant,  has  made  it  one  of  the  big- 
gest institutions  in  Hutchinson.  It  is  now  running  full  capacity,  twenty-four 
hours  a  day  with  three  shifts  of  hands.     They  now  have  over  five  hundred 


RENO  COUN1  V.    K  ^NSAS.  379 

hands  employed  and  are  manufacturing  over  fift)  tons  of  soda  ash  daily,  'I  he 
war  greatly  increased  the  demand  for  this  product  and  at  a  greatly  increased 
price  and  at  the  present  time  it  is  one  of  the  best  paying  investments  in  the 
county,  (i.  T.  Lee  succeeded  R.  B.  Rutherford,  who  was  transferred  to  Can- 
ada by  the  Solvay  Company  to  construcl  another  plant  for  the  company. 

I'll  E   STRAWBO  \KI>    W  ORKS. 

One  of  the  manufacturing  institutions  thai  finds  most  of  it-  raw  material 
in  the  county,  and  utilizes  products  that  before  it  was  built  were  largely 
wasted,  is  the  strawboard  plant.  It  was  organized  with  a  capital  stock  of 
one  hundred  thousand  dollars,  and  the  fust  directors  of  the  plant  were  Will- 
iam E.  Corp,  A.  E.  Asher,  B.  E.  Giles,  W.  D.  Eastman  and  C  II.  Farley. 
The  plant  had  its  trials  and  tribulations.  It  did  not  succeed  very  well.  While 
it  made  strawboard ;  like  the  soda-ash  plant  it  did  not  make  a  profil  out  of 
the  business. 

In  191 5  the  company  was  reorganized.  Its  present  capital  i>  three  hun- 
dred and  fifty  thousand  dollars.  At  the  reorganization,  Emerson  Carey  was 
made  president  and  general  manager.  The  market  for  this  product  was 
greatly  increased.  Strawboard  from  the  Hutchinson  plant  is  shipped  to  Chi- 
cago, St.  Louis,  Denver  and  many  western  and  northern  places  where  there 
is  a  demand  for  the  product. 

The  raw  material  used  is  straw,  obtained  from  the  wheat  fields  of  Reno 
county  and  adjoining  counties.  From  this  product  is  made  cardboard,  backs 
for  tablets,  egg-filler  cases  and  boards  used  by  laundries  for  shirts  and  all 
other  places  where  strawboard  products  are  used.  Another  product  of  this 
plant  is  chipboard.  Waste  paper  is  used  in  the  manufacture  of  this  grade  of 
goods.  This  paper  is  gathered  from  all  parts  of  the  state,  tons  of  it  and  baled 
in  cities  and  shipped  to  this  factory  here.  It  affords  a  market  for  waste 
papers,  heretofore  burned  up,  but  which  the  demands  of  the  economy  of 
resources  of  the  country  have  induced  this  saving  of  papers  heretofore  wasted. 
The  plant  at  the  present  time  employs  about  two  hundred  hands  in  addition 
to  the  men  who  haul  straw  to  the  plant  and  to  the  hands  who  gather  and  ship 
the  baled  paper  to  the  institution. 

Another  industry  that  has  been  developed  as  a  result  of  the  building  of 
the  strawd^oard  plant  is  the  Hutchinson  Egg-Case  Filler  Company.  The  offi- 
cers of  this  company  are  Emerson  Carey,  president;  Howard  Carey,  vice- 
president;  secretary,  Charles  Carey,  and  treasurer  and  manager,  Fred  ECaths. 
This  company  has  a  capital  of  thirty-five  thousand  dollars.     It  manufactures 


.1 


8o  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 


egg-case  fillers  out  of  the  product  of  the  strawboard  plant.  The  product  of 
this  company  is  shipped  all  over  the  country  where  there  are  egg's  to  ship. 
It  is  an  exceedingly  profitable  business  and  one  that  is  constantly  growing. 
The  soda-ash  plant  and  the  strawboard  plant,  together  with  the  egg-case  filler 
plant  arc  largely  the  product  of  the  ability  of  Emerson  Carey.  He  put  both 
plants  on  a  paying  basis.  In  the  soda-ash  plant  he  was  instrumental  in  reor- 
ganizing and  selling  it  to  a  company  that  knew  the  business.  The  straw- 
board  plant  was  not  a  paying  institution  when  Air.  Carey  took  hold  of  it,  but 
it  has  recently  become  a  very  profitable  plant.  General  conditions,  higher 
prices  and  the  restricted  competition  caused  by  the  war  has  been  a  big  element 
in  the  success  of  both  companies,  but  the  plants  had  been  put  in  a  position  to 
produce  the  products  economically  and  in  sufficient  amount  to  make  them 
profitable  by  Mr.  Carey.  They  are  manufacturing  industries  that  are  great 
places  for  the  employment  of  labor  and  add  greatly  to  the  resources  of  the 
county. 


JENNIE  HODGSON,  THE  FIRST  SCHOOL  TEACHER  IX  HUTCHINSON. 


CHAPTER   LI. 
The  Schools  of  Hutch  in  son. 

The  first  school  in   Reno  county  was  a  private  school.     When  the  firsl 

settlers  reached  Reno  count)'  they  brought  their  religion  with  them,  for  they 
soon  started  a  church.  They  likewise  realized  that  no  community  could  thrive 
without  schools.  At  that  time  there  were  no  facilities  for  schools.  There  was 
no  property  to  levy  taxes  on  and  it  would  require  nearly  a  year  to  levy  and 
collect  these  taxes,  so  a  "select  school,"  as  it  was  called,  was  started.  It  more 
properly  could  have  heen  called  a  subscription  school,  because  all  of  the  chil- 
dren of  the  community  were  urged  to  attend  the  school,  although  the  parents 
of  some  did  not  contribute  toward  the  support  ot  the  school. 

Miss  Jennie  Hodson  was  the  first  teacher.  Rooms  were  used  wherever 
they  could  be  secured,  locations  being  shifted  as  buildings  thus  occupied  might 
be  needed  for  some  other  purpose.  Thus  from  place  to  place,  wherever  rooms 
were  available,  the  school  was  held. 

The  second  teacher  to  have  charge  of  the  schools  was  Mrs.  San  ford 
Maulsbury.  Mrs.  Maulsbury  was  one  of  the  women  who  signed  the  peti- 
tion to  organize  the  county.  She  and  her  husband  had  a  claim  west  or 
town,  then  a  mile  and  a  half  distant.  Now  it  is  part  of  the  city,  known 
as  "The  Cloverdale  Addition."  There  are  no  records  of  attendance  at 
these  schools. 

In  1872  school  district  No.  i  was  organized.  At  that  time  it  em- 
braced the  townsite  of  Hutchinson,  which  was  but  little  more  than  the 
"site"  of  the  town  then,  and  the  territory  adjacent.  No  strict  boundary 
lines  were  drawn.  It  was  just  district  1.  and  included  everything  in  the 
county  at  that  time.  At  the  present  time  district  1  includes  just  the  city  ot 
Hutchinson.  There  is  no  date  set  down  for  the  organization  of  this  dis- 
trict. It  was  "early  in  [872" — is  all  that  can  be  told  now  because  of  the 
lack  of   records,   as  mentioned  elsewhere. 

FIRST     [SSUE    OF     BONDS     FOR    SCHOOL     PURPOSES. 

On  June  10,  1873.  bonds  to  the  amount  of  fifteen  thousand  dollars 
were    voted    for   a    school    building    in     Hutchinson.      Judge    L.    Honk     was 


382  RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

chosen  to  supervise  the  erection  of  the  building,  which  was  erected  on 
Sherman  street,  east,  where  the  new  junior  high  school  building-  was  erected 
a  year  ago.  During  the  first  year  only  two  rooms  downstairs  were  com- 
pleted. It  is  suspected  that  not  only  were  the  bonds  used  to  erect  the 
building,  but  that  enough  funds  were  kept  out  of  that  first  bond  issue  to 
run  the  school,  as  the  taxes  that  were  levied  were  less  than  half  paid 
during  the  first  two  or  three  years  of  the  county's  existence,  and  without 
any  record  being  made  of  it  the  board  evidently  "saved"'  some  of  the  pro- 
ceeds of  the  sale  of  the  bonds  for  purposes  other  than  the  erection  of  the 
building. 

The  first  teacher  employed  in  this  building  was  J.  T.  Lane,  who  lived 
in  Hutchinson  for  years.  He  was  a  money  loaner  for  several  years  and 
later  moved  to  St.  Louis.  Air.  Lane  taught  in  the  school  for  one  term. 
The  total  enrollment  was  seventy  pupils.  The  second  term  of  school,  about 
-ix  months  for  a  term,  was  taught  by  J.  R.  Lindsey,  who  afterward  was  a 
real-estate  agent,  connected  with  the  firm  of  Brown  &  Bigger.  During 
that  term  there  were  eighty  students  in  school.  Lindsey  taught  three  suc- 
cessive terms  in  the  school.  During  his  second  and  third  terms  he  had  two 
assistants,  Miss  Hattie  Smith  and  Miss  Jennie  Miller,  the  enrollment 
increasing  during  the  third   term  to  one  hundred   and  twenty-five  students. 

GRADUAL    GROWTH    OF    THE    SCHOOLS. 

On  April  14,  1874.  Mr.  DeBurn  was  elected  principal  of  the  school  and 
Miss  Fannie  Frescoln,  assistant.  Only  two  rooms  of  the  new  building  were 
then  in  use.  In  September,  1874,  S.  B.  Zimmerman  was  chosen  principal. 
Zimmerman  afterward  became  a  prominent  lawyer  in  Hutchinson,  and  was 
probate  judge  of  Reno  county  for  two  years.  He  remained  in  the  school  one 
year.  Me  had  two  assistants,  Miss  Jennie  McKinstry  and  Miss  Maud  Zim- 
merman. The  two  rooms  that  were  finished  were  not  sufficient  to  accommo- 
date tin-  students,  SO  the  hall  was  furnished  with  seats  and  used  until  early  in 
[875,  when  the  two  upstairs  rooms  were  completed  and  ready  for  use.  The 
schools  of  Hutchinson  were  generally  in  advance  of  the  place  to  house  them. 
It  has  been,  and  i-*  yet,  an  exceedingly  difficult  matter  for  the  school  board  of 
the  district,  in  its  building  operations,  to  keep  ahead  of  the  growth  of  the  schi  11  >1 
population.  Sonn  after  the  Sherman  street  building  was  completed  it  was 
necessary  to  rent  a  building  down  town  to  accommodate  the  students.  In 
[880  two  frame  buildings  were  erected,  one  in  the  southwest  corner  and  one 
in  the  southeast  corner  of  the  old  Sherman  street  school  grounds.     The  growth 


RENO  COl    \  l  Y.    K  VNSAS.  383 

oi  the  district  has  been  constant  and  continuous,  and  with  the  <  itv  growing 
rapidly  it  will  tax  the  res< iurces  of  the  members  of  the  tx tard  ti i  keep  in  advai 
of  the  increasing  school  population  of  Hutchinson.  There  arc  nine  buildings 
now  in  use.  There  are  one  hundred  and  nine  differenl  class  rooms ;  two  study 
halls,  seating  two  hundred  and  sixt)  :  one  auditorium,  seating  seven  hundred, 
and  two  gymnasiums.  'There  are  now  one  hundred  and  sixteen  teachers  em- 
ployed, ninety  in  the  grades  and  twenty-six  in  the  high  schools.  The  school 
grounds  are  equipped  with  play  apparatus  under  the  direction  of  a  corp  of 
paid  directors.  The  district  also  owns  its  own  athletic  fields,  at  the  turner  of 
Fifteenth  and  Monroe  streets. 

The  school  district  buildings  are  now  valued  at  $397,500.  The  grounds 
have  an  additional  value  of  $124,000.  while  the  furniture  and  equipment  has 
a  value  of  $31,000,  making  a  total  physical  valuation  of  the  school  district 
property  of  district  No.  1,  in  [916,  of  $552,500.  while  the  assessed  valuation 
of  the  district  upon  which  a  tax  levy  is  made  to  support  these  schools  is 
$22,681,000. 

COMPLETE     SYSTEM     OF     RECORDS. 

At  the  present  time  the  school  hoard  has  a  very  elaborate  and  com- 
plete system  of  records  that  makes  it  an  easy  matter  for  it  to  compare 
the  cost  of  operating  the  schools  one  year  with  another.  At  the  present 
time  they  show  the  cost  of  operating  the  school-  for  the  district  to  be 
$115,292.86.  They  further  divide  up  the  expense  so  that  they  show  the 
cost  of  the  grade  schools  to  he  $83,248.02  for  the  year,  or  $4'  12.48  per 
day,  while  the  high  school  cost  $32,049.84  for  the  year,  or  $178.04  per 
day,  a  total  cost  per  school  day  of  $040.52.  They  show  the  cost  per  pupil 
to  be  thirty-six  cents  a  day  for  the  high  school  and  seventeen  cents  a  day 
for  the  grade,  or  an  average  cost  per  student,  per  day  of  twenty  cents. 

The  school  board  has  kept  up  the  high  grade  of  the  teaching  force  at 
all  times.  The  high  school  teachers'  average  pay  is  one  hundred  and  six 
dollars  per  month.  The  grade  principal  receives  on  an  average  "i  one  hun- 
dred dollars  per  month.  The  principal  of  the  high  school  receives  nine- 
teen hundred  dollars  a  year.  The  schools  teach  all  the  regular  academic 
subjects,  including  German  and  French.  Industrial  courses  are  also  taught, 
domestic  science  and  the  art  and  manual  training  extending  down  to  the 
seventh  grade.  The  high  school  course  also  includes  a  manual-training 
course  and   likewise  a  complete  course   in   business   and   stenography. 


384  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

THE    ALUMNI     ASSOCIATION. 

There  have  been  eight  hundred  and  thirty-six  graduates  for  the  high 
schools  of  Hutchinson  since  the  first  class  completed  the  course  in  1882. 
With  the  exception  of  one  year,  when  the  course  was  changed  from  a 
three-year  to  a   four-year  high  school   course,  there  has  been   a   graduating 

class.  These  graduates  are  scattered  all  over  the  world.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  three  or  four,  the  graduates  are  all  living,  a  remarkable  fact  con- 
sidering the  diversity  of  occupations  and  the  variety  of  climates  into  which 
these    srradnates    have    cone.      The    Alumni    Association     holds     its     annual 

o  o 

meetings,  and  its  membership  is  a  constant  encouragement  to  the  boys  and 
girls  in  the  school  to  complete  their  high  school  course.  As  an  incident  of 
unusual  occurrence :  The  president  of  the  Alumni  Association  for  the  year 
1 017  was  C.  W.  Oswald,  a  graduate  of  the  high  school  in  1885.  His  son. 
Lewis  Oswald,  who  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  191 7.  was  chosen  to 
respond  to  the  address  of  welcome  given  by  the  president  of  the  class,  a 
"father  and  son"  incident  seldom  witnessed  in  schools;  the  father  continu- 
ing his  interest  in  school  matters,  an  active  member  of  the  Alumni  Asso- 
ciation, until  his  son  also  becomes  an  alumnus. 

SUPERINTENDENTS    OF    CITY    SCHOOLS. 

The  present  superintendent  of  the  schools  is  Prof.  J.  O.  Hall.  The 
following  is  a  list  of  the  men  who  have  held  the  position  of  superintendent 
of  the  city  schools,  with  the  dates  of  their  terms  of  office:  J.  F.  Lane. 
[872;  J.  I\.  Linsday,  1873;  Percy  DeBurn,  T874:  S.  B.  Zimmerman.  1875; 
J.  R.  Cam] .bell.  [876;  H.  Lewis.  1877;  J.  R.  Leslie.  1878-79:  J.  J.  McBride, 
[880  t<>  January  1.  i88_>;  G.  W.  Winans,  January,  1882,  to  December. 
[883;  J.  R.  Silver,  December,  1883.  and  two  months  of  1884:  F.  F.  Prigg, 
November,  [884,  and  [885;  John  Schurr;  A.  P.  Helm:  C.  H.  Minch;  II.  S. 
Rogers,  acting  superintendent;  /..  W'inans.  1894  to  1902;  Richard  Price. 
[903  to   1007;  J.  O.   Hall,    [907  to  present  time. 

NOTABLE    RECORD    OF    TEACHING    SERVICE. 

The  "constanl  factor"  in  the  educational  work  of  the  schools  ol  Hut- 
chinson has  been    Mrs.    E.    II.    Richardson,   who  began   teaching  in   the  city 

With   the   exception   of  but   a    few   short   periods   she   has 
been   in   the   schools   ever   since   that    date.      She   has   perhaps  more   boys   and 


RENl  >  COl    NTY,    R  \  NS  ^S.  385 

girls  in  Hutchinson,  more  men  and  women  scattered  over  the  country,  who 
honor  her  than  any  other  teacher  that  ever  taughl  school  in  Kansas.  Indeed 
hers  is  a  record  that  would  be  hard  to  beal  any  place  in  the  country.  Mrs. 
Richardson  is  just  as  vigorous  in  mind  and  body,  jusl  as  alert  in  her  school 
work  as  she  was  years  ago.  Her  influence  with  the  boys  and  girls  ol  I 
high  school  is  unbounded.  While-  she  is  strict  and  exacting  in  her  work, 
tolerating  no  slack  work,  yet  that  strictness  is  accompanied  by  a  kindness 
and  a  personal  interest  in  each  student  in  her  classes  thai  commands  the 
highest  regard   for  their  teacher. 


(2O 


CHAPTER  LII. 

The  V.  M.  C.  A.  and  Y.  W.  C.  A. 

The  first  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  was  organized  on  August 
4,  1876.  with  the  following  officers  Rev.  T.  J.  Templin,  president;  Rev. 
D.  Al.  Moore,  vice-president;  R.  M.  Easley,  recording  secretary;  F.  R.  Chris- 
man,  corresponding  secretary,  and  H.  W.  Beatty,  treasurer.  The  president 
of  the  Y.  .U.  C.  A.  was  a  Methodist  minister,  a  tall  angular  man,  full  of 
energy,  who  commanded  the  highest  respect  of  all.  He  had  the  further 
distinction  of  being,  at  the  same  time,  the  first  president  of  the  Reno  County 
Fair  Association,  which  consisted  largely  at  that  time  of  a  small  agricultural 
display  and  an  afternoon  of  horseracing.  But  whether  judging  a  horse 
race  or  superintending  a  Y.  M.  C.  A.  meeting,  Rev.  Templin  was  equally 
at  home,  a  pioneer  that  could  adapt  himself  to  the  surroundings  and  retain 
the  respect  and  confidence  of  all  in  whatever  position  he  occupied.  The 
vice-president  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  was  the  second  resident  pastor  of  the  Presby- 
terian church  here;  and  the  recording  secretary,  then  a  young  man,  ener- 
getic and  industrious,  afterwards  became  postmaster  of  Hutchinson,  and 
editor  and  manager  of  the  News.  At  the  time  he  bought  the  paper,  it  was 
a  weekly  but  shortly  after  he  purchased  it.  he  made  it  a  daily.  F.  R.  Chris- 
man,  the  corresponding  secretary,  who  spent  his  life  in  Hutchinson,  where 
he  was  identified  closely  with  the  religious  activity  of  the  day,  was  for 
ten  years  superintendent  of  the  Methodist  Sunday  school.  The  treasurer 
mained  in  this  county  but  a  short  time. 

Little  record  is  left  of  this  organization.  Its  meetings  were  always  held 
in  one  "f  the  churches  and  it  made  comparatively  but  little  impression  on  the 
community.  \-  long  as  Rev.  Templin  lived  in  Hutchinson  the  enthusiasm 
'•)"  the  organization  was  buoyed  up,  but  after  his  removal,  interest  began  to 
lag  and  the  organization  was  maintained  but  little  over  a  year. 

In  [885,  another  attempt  to  maintain  a  Y.  M.  C.  A.  was  made  which  was 
nunc  successful  than  its  predecessor.  W.  L.  Upshaw  was  the  president  of 
the  organization  and  101.  Lehman,  secretary.  The  Association  occupied  rooms 
in  (Ik-  second  Story  of  the  building  that  formerly  stood  on  the  corner  of  Main 
street  and   First  avenue,  where  tin-  Farmers'   National  bank  is  now   located. 


Y.  M.  C.  A.  BUILDING,   HUTCHINSON 


PUBLIC   LIBRARY,   HUTCHINSON 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  38/ 

They  had  an  assembly  room,  and  a  reading  room.     This  organiaztion  was 
maintained  nearly  two  years,  bul   when   Mr.   Upshaw    lefl  town  and   Secre 
tary  Lehman  obtained  a  position  on  the  road  selling  groceries,  the  interesl  in 
the  organization  lagged  and  gradually  died  out.    Soon  ii  was  discontinued. 

There  was  no  further  attempt  at  organization  until  [909  when  an  agita- 
tion for  a  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building  was  begun,  accordingly  a  provisional  commit- 
tee met,  December  9,  1909,  in  the  Commercial  Club  rooms  to  consider  the 
question  of  beginning  a  campaign  for  that  purpose.  This  committee  consisted 
of  W.  Y.  Morgan,  J.  U.  Brown,  J.  W.  Burns,  S.  W.  Livengood,  1).  A.  Moore, 
Ed  Sweet.  Frank  Colladay,  Will  S.  Thompson.  V.  M.  Wiley,  L.  A.  Bigger, 
Ralph  Glascock,  C.  X.  Sentney,  A.  II.  Schlaudt,  J.  X.  Bailey,  A.  E.  Asher 
and  A.  W.  McCandless. 

The  committee  considered  the  conditions  were  Mich  in  the  town  that  such 
a  building  was  needed  for  young  men.  and  they  started  to  raise  the  monev 
for  a  building.  After  a  campaign  for  one  week  they  raised  $76,801.21,  but 
since  they  intended  at  first  to  raise  $75,000.00,  they  did  better  than  they 
planned.  A  charter  was  applied  for  and  the  following  officers  were  elected 
for  the  first  year:  President.  W.  Y.  Morgan:  first  vice-president,  L.  A.  Dig- 
ger; second  vice-president,  A.  E.  Asher:  treasurer,  J.  W.  Burns;  secretary, 
L.  V.  Starkey. 

Mr.  Starkey  began  his  work  as  secretary  early  in  [910  and  served  the 
association  until  April  15,  1912,  when  he  was  succeeded  l>v  Garland  Craig, 
who  began  his  work  in  June,  ior2,  and  continues  in  that  capacit)  up  to  the 
present  time. 

As  the  lots  for  the  V.  M.  I'.  A.  building  on  the  corner  of  Walnut  and 
First  avenue  were  purchased  for  ten  thousand  dollars:  the  building  cost 
$58,260,  and  the  equipment  an  additional  $28,547,  the  total  cost  of  the  com- 
pleted building  was  $86,807. 

Idie  Y.  M.  C.  A.  was  built  at  a  lime  when  Hutchinson  was  sorely  in  the 
need  of  a  central,  non-sectarian,  undenominational  organization  that  could 
become  the  leader  in  work  that  no  one  denomination  or  organization  could 
alone  do,  but  which  needed  the  united  work  of  all  the  forces  in  the  city  to 
carry  it  forward. 

Among  these  movements  that  have  been  greatly  helped  by  the  Y.  M.  C. 
A.,  the  workers  it  has  developed  and  the  resources  put  behind  the  movement 
was  first  the  building  of  the  Salvation  Army  barrack.  Later  came  the  Red 
Cross  movement,  when  Reno  county  raised  twenty-five  per  cent,  more  mone) 
than  was  asked  as  its  share  <^i  the  hundred  million  dollars,  raised  at  the  besrim 


588  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

nine  of  the  war  for  the  help  of  the  soldiers.  Then  came  the  V.  W.  C.  A., 
which  was  greatly  helped  by  the  organized  workers  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  I  lie 
surgical  dressing  organization,  that  made  bandages  for  the  wounded  soldiers, 
found  a  great  helper  in  this  organization. 

In  addition  to  their  wider  advantages,  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  during  the  year 
[917  maintained  two  large  reading  rooms  which  over  seventy-three  thousand 
men  and  boys  patronized.  It  had  four  hundred  eighty  gymnasium  classes 
annually,  conducted  over  eleven  thousand  games  of  bowling,  and  had  over 
forty-five  thousand  people  make  use  of  the  physical  education  section  of  the 
organization.  It  took  a  great  interest  in  the  Sunday  school  base  ball  league. 
which  afforded  clean  sport  for  thousands  of  people.  It  co-operates  with  the 
city  schools  in  all  phases  of  boys  work,  ft  provides  membership  privileges 
for  young  men  and  boys  situated  so  thev  cannot  pay  the  usual  tee.  and  has 
an  annual  attendance  in  the  building  of  over  one  hundred  and  seventy-five 
thousand  persons. 

In  addition  to  these  activities,  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  has  been  diligent  in  all 
moral  and  uplifting  movements. 

Thev  co-operate  with  rdl  of  the  churches  in  the  county,  supplying  them 
with  speakers,  help  them  with  their  hoys'  organizations,  help  get  "gospel 
teams"  for  fields  of  work,  help  locate  young  men  coming  to  this  city  and  get 
them  interested  in  their  church  work  and  do  all  that  an  organization  of  this 
kind,  non-sectarian  and  non-denominational  can  do.  It  has  been  a  great 
uplifting  force  in  Hutchinson  and  has  demonstrated  its  worth  on  many 
asi<  >ns. 

THE  YOUNG  WOMEN'S  CHRISTIAN  ASSOCIATION. 

Iii  the  spring  of  [917  an  agitation  for  an  institution  for  women  and 
girls,  similar  to  that  which  had  been  erected  for  the  men  and  boys  of  the 
unty,  was  started  and  a  week's  campaign  for  funds  resulted  in  the  subscrip- 
tion of  over  thirteen  thousand  live  hundred  dollars  for  a  Young  Women's 
Christian  Association.  After  the  money  had  been  subscribed  the  officers  for 
the  first  year  were  chosen  as  follow:  President,  Mrs.  R.  E.  Steale;  vice- 
president,  Mr-.  I..  E.  Fontron;  corresponding  secretary,  Mrs.  M.  E.  Hin- 
man  :  recording  secretary,  Mrs.   Val  Adams;  treasurer.  Mrs.  William   Kelly. 

The  association  leased  a  building  on  Sherman  street,  west,  for  two  years 
and  on  <  Ictober  1.  1017.  opened  up  their  rooms  for  the  use  of  the  women  of 
Butchinson  and  adjoining  country.  The  association  started  out  with  a  mem- 
bership "t  seven  hundred.     They  maintain  a  paid  secretary  and  furnish  read- 


RENO  COUNTY,    KANSAS.  \X< ) 

ing  rooms,  rest  rooms,  a  gymnasium  and  rooms  where  the  young  women  "i 
the  count)'  can  rest.  There  are  now  working  in  Hutchinson  over  four  hun- 
dred young  women  who  are  away  from  home,  and  ii  is  expected  thai  the 
continuance  of  the  war  will  bring  others  to  this  city  to  hold  positions,  and  for 
these  the  Young  Women's  Christian  Association  is  a  haven. 

'The  association  affords  a  place  where  working  women  and  girls  can  eat 
their  lunch.     They  will  not  serve  meals  or  lunches  as  dues  the   Young   M< 
Christian  Association,  hut  will  serve  hot  drinks  and  furnish  a  quiet  place  for 
women  and  girls  to  eat  their  lunch.     Their  work,   like   thai   of  the    Young 
Men's  Christian   Association,   is  non-sectarian,   and   will   grow    in   importai 
year  by  year. 


(26) 


CHAPTER  LIII. 

The  Weather. 


COMPLETE    METEORALOGICAL   RECORDS    OF    RENO    COUNTY. 

There  is  no  more  common  topic  of  conversation  than  the  weather.  It 
interests  all;  it  affects  all.  The  weather  records  of  Reno  county  are  among 
the  most  complete  of  any  county  in  the  state.  They  began  two  years  after 
the  county  was  organized  and  have  been  kept  daily  from  January,  1S74,  to 
the  present  date,  September,  19 16.  The  first  person  to  record  the  tempera- 
•ture  and  rainfall  was  C.  S.  Webster.  He  was  not  provided  with  govern- 
ment instruments  until  1893,  when  the  government  established  the  station 
in  Reno  county.  Air.  Webster  kept  these  records  until  September,  1909, 
when  he  moved  to  California  and  the  records  and  instruments  were  turned 
over  to  Sheridan  Ploughe,  who  has  kept  them  since  that  time.  In  this 
history,  Mr.  Webster's  daily  records  are  not  given  from  1874  to  1893,  but 
the  daily  records  from  1893  to  the  present  time  are  a  part  of  Table  I,  which 
is  added  to  this  chapter,  because  of  its  length,  and  the  better  displaying  of 
the  records.     The  tables  that  are  added  to  this  chapter  include  the  following: 

Table  I.  monthly  temperatures,  1874  to  1892,  inclusive. 

Table  If.  daily  temperature,   1893  to   1916,  inclusive. 

Table  III.  monthly  temperature,   1874  to  1916,  inclusive. 

Table    IV.  record  of  days  thermometer  registered  below  zero. 

Table   V,  record  of  days  thermometer  registered  above    too0. 

Table  VI,  unusually  cold  months. 

Table  VII,  dates  of  last  killing  host  in  spring  and  first  killing  frost  in 
fall. 

Table  VIII,  monthly  precipitation.   1889  to  1916,  inclusive. 


RE  \"  I  OUNTY,    K  WSAS.  30] 

GOVERNM  ENT    RECORDS. 

Those  weather  tables  are  of  greal  value.  The}  are  taken  without  any 
qualification  in  all  the  courts  of  the  laud.  They  require  no  verification,  no 
proof  of  their  authenticity.  The  statement  that  they  arc  the  records  of  the 
government,  taken  under  the  direction  of  the  weather  bureau  of  the  govern- 
ment, is  sufficient  proof  of  their  accuracy.  They  are  constantly  consulted 
by  shippers  and  by  railroads,  when  claims  for  damages  from  freezing  are 
made.  They  are  consulted  by  persons  wishing  to  buy  land,  especially  as 
to  the  variation  of  temperature  from  winter  to  summer,  and  from  summer 
to  winter.  They  are  used  in  damage  cases  in  court  to  prove  the  condition 
of  the  Weather  at  a  given  time,  the  direction  of  the  wind,  the  presence  or 
absence  of  snow  and,  because  of  their  general  interest,  some  of  the  things 
indicated  by  the  records  will  be  pointed  out. 

EXTREMES    OF    T  E  M  PERATUR] I . 

These  records  show  that  there  is  but  little  variation  in  the  temperature 
from  one  year  to  another.  A  recapitulation  of  the  forty-three  years  the 
records  have  been  kept  shows  that  the  average  temperature  for  Reno  county 
for  the  forty-three  years  has  been  53.9  degrees.  January  is  the  coldest 
month  and  the  average  of  the  temperature  for  that  month  is  29.2  degrees. 
The  hottest  month  of  the  year  is  July,  with  an  average  temperature  of  74.9 
degrees.  April  and  October  resemble  each  other  very  closely,  so  far  as 
temperature  is  concerned,  the  temperature  of  April  averaging  55,2  degree-, 
while  that  of  October  is  55.8  degrees.  August  and  September  are  also 
very  much  alike  in  temperature,  varying  only  .6  of  a  degree.  March  and 
November  are  almost  identical  in  their  temperature,  there  being  only  one- 
tenth  of  a  degree  difference  between  them.  There  is  a  variance  of  45.7 
degrees  between  January  and  July,  this  being  the  average  yearly  range  of 
temperature.  The  coldest  day  on  record  was  February  13.  1005,  when  a 
blizzard  swept  over  Kansas  from  the  northwest,  and  carried  the  mercury  to 
twenty-seven  degrees  below  zero.  This  storm  started  on  February  n,  with 
a  cold  wave  from  the  northwest.  The  thermometer  dropped  from  twenty- 
seven  to  two  degrees  below7  zero  on  the  night  of  February  n.  The  storm 
increased  in  intensity,  with  a  high  wind,  during  the  12th  and  13th.  Tt 
blew  the  snow,  which  resembled  sleet  more  than  snow,  and  it  was  impossible 


39-2  RENO   COUNTY,    KANSAS. 

for  any  one  to  face  the  storm.  However,  hut  little  damage  was  clone  to 
stock  and  the  morning  of  February  14  opened  up  bright  and  clear.  The 
temperature  soon  rose  and  the  maximum  thermometer  for  *  February  14  was 
33,  a  rise  during  the  day  of  ^J  degrees. 

"Till-:    HOT    SUNDAY." 

The  hottest  day  on  record  was  June  25,  191 1,  which  is  rememhered  as 
'The  Hot  Sunday."  The  temperature  for  several  days  before  this  date 
had  been  above  100  degrees.  There  was  no  wind  and  the  thermometer 
reached  1  t2  degrees  in  the  "shelter  house"  provided  for  the  thermometer. 
Like  the  hlizzard,  this  extreme! v  high  temperature  did  not  last  long.  The 
next  day  the  thermometer  registered  92  degrees.  The  extremes  of  both 
heat  and  cold  passed  away  in  less  than  twenty-four  hours. 

There  have  heen  251  times,  as  shown  by  the  records,  when  the  ther- 
mometer passed  the  100  degree  mark.  Of  these.  May  had  4;  June,  24: 
July.  92;  August.  1  10,  and  September,  21.  May  3,  19T3,  was  the  earliest 
time  during  the  fortv-three  vears  the  thermometer  reached  100  degrees  and 
Scpternher  17th  the  latest  to  reach  this  mark. 

The  latest  date  for  killing  frost  was  May  15,  1907,  and  the  earliest 
frost  in  the  fall  was  September  11.  1894. 

The  average  precipitation,  which  includes  rain  and  snow,  is  29.22  inches. 
There  have  been  hut  three  months  in  the  fortv-three  years  of  these  records 
when  there  was  no  rainfall.  These  months  were  December,  1889,  Novem- 
ber, [9  i  |,  and  July,  [916.  Four  other  months  have  had  but  a  "trace"  of 
rain.  March,  [910,  April.  1914,  November,  19T2,  and  December,  1908.  The 
wettest  year,  as  shown  by  the  records,  was  T898,  when  the  precipitation 
amounted  to  37.10  inches,  and  the  driest  year  was  1914,  when  but  15.71 
inches  of  rain  fell.  July  has,  on  an  average,  the  greatest  amount  of  rain- 
fall, averaging  4.76  inches,  while  January  has  but  .78  inches  on  record. 
The  heaviest  rainfall  for  one  month  was  July,  T904,  when  9.37  inches  of 
rain  fell.  May.   [902,  being  second  with  a  rainfall  of  8.98  inches. 

The  prevailing  direction  of  the  wind  is  southwest.  Next  to  this  direc- 
tion, the  southeast  is  the  direction  of  the  wind.  The  northeast  is  generally 
the  direction  of  the  wind  in  the  spring  and  fall,  during  a  rainy  season.  The 
wind  i-  seldom  ever  from  the  west,  the  cold  waves  coming  from  the  north- 
west.    Seventy-seven  per  cent,  of  the  days  are  placed  on  the  record  as  "clear 


REN<  i  COU  \  l  V,    K  VNS  \.>. 

days",    fourteen   per   cent,   arc   "partiallj    cloudy"   and    nine    pet   cent,    are 

"cloudy". 

The  distribution  of  the  rainfall  is  most  beneficial  for  the  growing  crops 
Seventy-eight  per  cent,  of  the  annual  precipitations  tall  in  the  six  growing 

months  from  April  to  September,  the  fall  and  winter  months  ol  October  t" 
March  being  dry,  with  an  occasional  snow,  bul  which  seldom  becomes  heavj 
enough  to  interfere  w.ith  outdoor  work. 

'ldie   following  tables    furnish    a   complete   review   of   the   temperature 
and  rainfall  for  almost  the  entire  time  that  Reno  county  has  been  organized: 


394  reno  county,  kansas. 

Monthly  Temperature  Reno  County,   [874  to  1892,  Inclusive. 

(Expressed  in  Degrees.) 


.1:11111.11 

■y — 

1 

'ebruary — 

March 

— Apri 

1— 

—Mi 

(>' — 

-June- 

A.M.. 

M. 

P.M. 

A.M. 

M. 

P.M. 

A.M. 

M. 

r.M. 

A.M. 

M. 

P.M. 

A.M. 

M. 

r.M!. 

A.M. 

M. 

P.M. 

1874 



:;4.i 

31.1 

20.7 

::4. 

32.4 

32.3 

40.7 

47.4 

38.7 

55.3 

57.7 

57.7 

70.2 

72.7 

66. 

S5.6 

74.6 

1ST". 

7.!t 

18.9 

17.0 

lii.r, 

32.8 

33.7 

27.1 

46. 

43. 

36. 8 

58. 

50.7 

52.2 

74. 

73.4 

01.9 

S3. 5 

72.7 

1870 

25.4 

41.6 

38.0 

23. 

18.1 

44.4 

27.9 

38.4 

35.3 

44.4 

00.2 

57. 

54.4 

72.  2 

03.5 

50.3 

69.3 

07.4 

ls77 

17.7 

81.1 

27.0 

20. 

15.6 

38.8 

2S.7 

4U.7 

42.7 

41.9 

61. 

53.3 

54.2 

71.8 

63.3 

61.2 

00.8 

09.  S 

Ws 

24.9 

38.2 

34.2 

20.7 

4.-..:; 

10.5 

38..". 

59.7 

53.7 

45.5 

68.5 

59.5 

53.2 

71.0 

02.4 

60.7 

SO. 

69. 

18.8 

31.2 

2:..  7 

22.4 

40. 

34.  li 

34.  (I 

57.5 

50.4 

45.5 

66.7 

57.0 

57.4 

79.4 

68.1 

02.3 

86.2 

74.0 

lss,, 

25.5 

46.2 

40.8 

18. 

45.5 

39.1 

20  2 

52.1 

45.4 

41.9 

09.0 

58. 4 

58.8 

81.1 

70.0 

53.2 

85.3 

75.1 

L881 

9.84 

24. 

19.9 

19.9 

80.9 

26.2 

2N.1 

40.2 

30.5 

40.8 

02.4 

54.6 

59.6 

75.2 

65.9 

00.3 

S8.1 

75.8 

1  ss2 

21   2 

37.1 

:{-.  2 

16.5 

47.:: 

41.8 

35.3 

56.7 

5(1. 

45.4 

04. 

50.7 

40.0 

00.3 

59. 

02.7 

83. 

72.1 

1813 

12.9 

28.8 

24.8 

24.6 

::::.2 

30.2 

30.3 

48. 

42.8 

4:;. 

64.7 

57.  S 

50.9 

71. 

63. 

01.2 

SI. 8 

72.2 

lss4 

13.3 

30. 

25.8 

24.4 

33.1 

22.2 

32.3 

51.5 

44.5 

40.0 

58.0 

51.5 

51.3 

70.4 

62. 

03.3 

83.9 

72.1 

1 885 

12.2 

28.0 

21.1 

16.5 

:;:;.:: 

27. ii 

30.0 

50.2 

44.7 

45.5 

03.3 

57.2 

51.9 

72.0 

61.8 

04.4 

53.4 

73.0 

issi; 

9.3 

20.3 

16.7 

24.0 

3S.7 

34.S 

30.9 

4S.1 

43. 

42.4 

04.5 

56.1 

50.4 

81.4 

71. 

61. 

83.3 

72.2 

tS87 

15. 

32.8 

28.7 

24.4 

37.1 

33. 

31.2 

56.6 

40.7 

44. 8 

68.1 

00.2 

50. 2 

80.1 

09.3 

01.8 

86.1 

75.1 

188S 

11. 

20.7 

23. 

27.C 

42.4 

39.7 

30. 

4S.1 

42.7 

4S.7 

70.7 

02.0 

53. 

77.4 

00.4 

6.8.2 

90. 

79.9 

|ss;, 

21.8 

38.4 

86.4 

20.8 

40.4 

35.7 

34.0 

50.8 

51.9 

46.1 

09.5 

61.3 

55.7 

78.2 

09.3 

02.7 

S6.2 

74.1 

isao 

21.5 

.:.   1 

31.2 

26.2 

39.1 

38.0 

32. 

51.8 

48.6 

47.5 

07.0 

01.7 

53.5 

79.4 

70.8 

67.5 

93.4 

84. 

1893 

25.8 

37.9 

34. !l 

22.2 

::ii.s 

33.7 

28. 

41.0 

30.  S 

46. 

6S.1 

60.6 

51.7 

71.9 

65.2 

63.3 

84.0 

72. 

1S92 

16.8 

35. 

32.9 

20.1 

41.2 

4(1.7 

20.3 

45.3 

42.  G 

43.:; 

61. 

56.1 

51.5 

07.7 

00.1 

61.9 

85.1 

74.3 

Daily  Temperature  Reno  County,  1893  to  1916,  Inclusive. 

(Expressed  in  Degrees.) 

JANUARY. 

1  2  3  4              5  6  7  S  0  Hi  11  12  13  14  15 

II.  I..  II.  I..  II.  L.  II.  I..  11.  I..  II.  I..  II.  L.  II.  L.  H.  L.  H.  L.  II.  L.  H.  L,  II.  L.  H.  L.  H.  I.. 

1893  44  o  51.  25  59  20  67  33  56  84  40  19  41  29  50  21  55  25  42  21  50  21  50  19  34  10  35  19  43  S 

1894  58  2s  61  20  30  20  48  17  33  14  5  1  47  4  47  12  52  4  50  11  55  27  08  10  63  28  54  37  73  27 
is;,;,   35  i;  4::  15  :;3  21  33  13  40  15  43  23  34  IS  33  3  40  8  51  15  34  28  26  0  31  3  52  21  3S  24 

1896  5  1  21  15  24  30  4  45  8  04  19  50  24  52  27  70  24  74  2S  71  2S  To  34  53  23  55  10  38  23  40  32 

1897  O"  id  45  10  34  4  28  10  35  5  53  25  60  22  00  25  02  21  01  25  55  24  05  31  54  2S  4S  34  52  30 

1899   35  s  47  22  47  2s  41  21  37  15  41  12  47  14  42  32  50  20  51  28  44  31  57  38  63  30  6S  26  60  33 

I) 32  10  45  14  41  21  49  25  45  33  50  37  54  38  51  37  52  40  38  30  37  28  62  33  03  30  64  32  63  33 

190J   25  6  23  11  47  12  49  20  31  14  42  19  49  19  35  20  23  18  26  9  37  11  44  18  55  23  GS  27  04  30 

L902   50  34  50  24  24  20  30  7  30  15  03  20  05  25  70  25  71  30  56  30  58  10  45  20  51  15  62  18  52  2S 

1903  37  21  30  3d  40  13  43  36  47  24  03  23  37  25  39  9  32  17  32  14  24  3  37-  1  50  14  4S  17  50  IS 

1904  20  22  24-  3  23-  4  38-  4  39  10  40  15  00  20  68  22  59  31  40  27  40  17  54  IS  44  15  5S  23  65  24 
1003  58  55  40  22  50  11  58  21  4S  21.  41  12  37  13  30  10  24  15  13  4  14  3  14-  5  10-10  10-17  20-19 
1006  33  28  ■•;!  3i.  52  is  3S  IS  49  22  4S  24  41  29  32  9  43  15  30  21  40  21  38  26  33  31  52  31  50  3] 
1907  42  32  56  4(.  47  23  4s  25  10  34  52  27  65  31  33  24  2G  17  44  24  41  27  30  27  45  31  39  21  21  13 
1008  ■"•"  27  57  20  45  30  51  33  53  25  54  25  110  25  54  23  04  25  50  38  44  28  46  23  42  2S  54  19  47  21 
L009   30  10  14  25  54  20  50  23  45  0  0-  4  20  0  .12  11  48  30  37  3  5  2  17-15  27  13  24  13  20  17 

1010  50  31  34  II  is  13  is  '..  20-  3  22-  4  33  2  31  15  35  0  42  28  30  20  4::  32  32  25  29  IS  30  27 

1011  12  3  3   I  is  15  18  12  60  24  50  25  60  22  50  33  56  2::  75  39  71  15  32  17  33  14  23  12  23  20 

1012  27  2  21   7  10  2  21-  8  Hi-  2  3  12  3-10  22-  1  33-  1  20  4  10-  0  -2-19  10-10  41  10  32  8 

1013  52  28  12  20  50  27  34  20  28  IS  2-  1  12-20  15  3  34  15  43  27  12  11  19-  7  13  9  40  10  5S  30 
lid  I  30  27  35  27  31  22  33  21  30  24  4(i  20  50  30  54  3d  45  24  44  20  5d  22  44  19  40  24  4S  20  66  36 
1015  15  21  IT,  is  53  28  5(.  32  52  42  45  24  42  IS  45  10  47  27  47  32  42  25  47  20  47  22  52  25  50  25 
1010   31  10  13  20  46  21  5(.  20  73  37  20  2d  Is  10  30  23  50  32  33  23  23  15  0-  7  0-13  21-  2  20  10 

FEBRUARY. 

I       I  33      3  3.".      3  42      5  37    17  10      2  23      3  37  1  55    14  5   28  48  24  50   20  18  20  2s   1  I  44    1  I 

13  l!  55   10  30  22  53     7  02  17  52  20  72  25  511  2s  45  32  27  20  8     7  28     0  32-  3  38    0  44     1 

is,:,        2'.      2  12      a  10      i:  27      3  28      I'  1"      0  13    11  2H  I  3(1      5  25      S  30      (I  28      3  27      3  2s   111  (Ki    13 

Is!.,;        37       I  08     '■"  63   37  51    32  57    21  4S  28  40   10  52  17  58   20  52   3.3  10    32  17    30  03   20  OS  20  02   34 

ls:>7 

W>s        ::•.    :•,  2:    i::  52    15  50   30  51    23  5s  21  00  31  07  31  5S   47  40  28  57   28  05   27  58  32  41    32  54   34 

21      5  15      I  15      0  IT      0  is      0  20-  5  25-   7  14  --8  S      7  10     2  -5-16  10-24  37  -3  54   10  01    25 

■  I    2':  'II    .;:{  :,i    23  64    27  51    IS  55   21  23  0  35      7  58   2(1  OH   3d  35   80  30    17  29   18  10      s 

1001          I"    12  !  ."   23  10      2  21       2  31     12  33  25  80  28  21       5  37    12  30      S  20      4  44      2  51    2d  40   24 

101,2        23    is  17    IB  '•"      7  14      5  28      1  13      s  12    12  23  12  22   11  32      1  35    10  .",2   20  27   23  33    17  30   11 

20  12   22  27    23  33    10  II    13  31    25  30   23  15  '.I  IS   27  55   3*  00   25  27   24  20    14  25    10  0      0 

21  22    l::  52    Hi  on  35  71    30  35      s  ;;2  11  20     5  28     3  30      1  48   18  62  2S  .".3     7  .".5      S 

M       I  111  0    12  7      O  15      (I  10    11  1:.       I  35  L3  27    15  13      2  5   -2  2    12  20   27  3:1      3  33      7 

U  71    20  57    11  21      (I  33    11  5n    in  57  13  12      0  37    13  52   24  47    20  12   22  22      8  28    10 

I"  7         30   21  :  :,      1  13      5  31      2  12    1  I  06  25  01    80  55   2S  67    2S  66   2S  04    33  50   20  04    80 

11     3  11    17  00  36  51   28  65   18  64   30  59  I"  52  23  14   2:1  12  40  57  35  40  31  36  30  51  20 

1'"''        "•'•    is  ....    is  72   23.  C7    33  63  33  5(1  20  57    15  7n  30  01      1  53      7  07    lo  50  28  31    1".  17      4  19-2 

1010  ■•:••  I    is  :.l    21  is  27  41    22  is  28  38  21  II    10  is  21  38  25  33   11  53    21  00  31  57  27 

1011  7..    O.  -.s  ;.|    23  '17     II  53    is  111   2(1  5  1  17  53    II  56   23  50   37  04    43  50    10  00   31  63   54 

1012  0  33  13  40  20  37  20  33  21  35   17  50  21  50  .".1  41  2G  39  30  45  2s  :;s  28 
-2      ••  18  12  18      0  3  ■       I  22      1.  31       0  21      s  37  s  42    11  17    27  5(1  21  3s    1  1  12    17  5N21  52   28 

1011          ...   24  51      10  80    19  47    20  46   21  1       3  26      6  34  7  45      s  r,4    IS  54   20  14      0  22      9  57    10  57    12 

1015     23  is  28   is  is  22  10  30  81   24  13  23  13  28  13  33  4s  21  no  33  65  47  01   30  30  28  47  30  4s  2:: 

1010       IS    5  13-  5  13  10  30  16  27     0  26    6  36     5  39  17  30  20  30  27  39  38  27  24  28  17  42  17  50  2s 


.   reno  county,  k  vnsas. 

Daily  Temperature  Reno  County,   [893  to  [916,  [ncu  sive. 

(  Expressed  in   1  )egrees. ) 


- 

.luh 

- 

— 

August 

S< 

-1 « 1 4- 1 1 1 1 

tor 

1  letober 

N 

ovembet 

1 ,.    ember 

\M. 

M 

P.M. 

A.M. 

M. 

P.M. 

A.M. 

M. 

P.M. 

A.M. 

M. 

P.M. 

\    M. 

M. 

P.M 

A    \l 

M 

P   M 

70.4 

!)3.r, 

82. 

72.  T 

95.7 

88. 1 

56.4 

73.3 

68  6 

17.3 

66.1 

59.7 

20.  1 

10.9 

89.  1 

6T.3 

85.1 

75.9 

62.6 

83.  1 

72.5 

55.7 

79.6 

71.8 

41. 

67. 

60. 

26.5 

16.1 

H.8 

20.  T 

12  7 

08. 

87.5 

76.5 

67. 1 

88.9 

75.8 

54.5 

78.6 

OT.T 

41.2 

64.9 

55.7 

2S   I 

15.8 

38.3 

1 2  8 

31.6 

24  1 

64.5 

S6.4 

74.4 

63.3 

84.4 

73.6 

56.3 

79. 

67.9 

.5.2 

90.1 

53.9 

35. 

IB  1 

59  2 

86. 

.".I    S 

43.1 

68.5 

89. 1 

78.3 

63.6 

ss.s 

77.1 

.-,.-,.4 

79  '-• 

89. 

14. 

65. 

57.7 

::.".. 

55.1 

4  7.2 

IT  2 

31.1 

IIS.il 

90.9 

79.6 

63.1 

ST..", 

75.7 

54.3 

TS.T 

69  1 

10.  1 

71.2 

61.5 

83. 

19.5 

11  8 

IT   ; 

82  8 

28  - 

65. 

Sli.li 

7.-.. 

63.3 

ss.s 

75. G 

55.1 

TT.T 

0T.1 

41.7 

63. 

53.9 

21.5 

84.9 

BO.S 

17. 

26  5 

G8. 

88.4 

76.5 

67.5 

92.5 

TT.O 

58.3 

80.8 

00.2 

50.3 

65.6 

59.7 

29.2 

47..-, 

40. 

28.8 

1 

88.9 

63.6 

85.1 

72.2 

60.2 

86.7 

T2.0 

53.  T 

83. 

70.  1 

to. 

00.0 

58.8 

80.5 

48.7 

1  :. 

20.  T 

38.3 

32  1 

66.6 

S7.7 

75.9 

63.8 

83.7 

78.6 

53.  1 

74.8 

75.3 

15.2 

69.6 

58. 

32.  ( 

51. 

II 

25. 

11   T 

67.7 

ST. 4 

78. 

66.1 

S2.2 

72.3 

63.5 

85. 

75.5 

50.1 

70.6 

61.3 

82. 1 

51.8 

II  s 

10.1 

26  s 

67.9 

88.1 3 

96.8 

04.2 

83.9 

73.9 

5T.1 

T7. 

67.7 

11. 2 

64.1 

85. 

34.8 

54.4 

47.0 

26.5 

41.7 

37.5 

66. 

91.4 

Ts.T 

66. 1 

SO. 

78. 1 

59.7 

SO.  7 

72.3 

48.5 

70.2 

02.0 

29.3 

19.3 

12, 

19.1 

33.8 

66.6 

92.3 

78.6 

07. 8 

91. 

80.  1 

55.2 

74. 

66. 

40.5 

04. 

56. 

30.3 

51.9 

45. 1 

21  3 

::o  1 

30.5 

72.6 

97.5 

86.3 

70.1 

91.1 

81.5 

55.5 

84. 2 

T2.0 

44.7 

69.2 

0T.2 

34. 

50. 

11. 

3.30 

IT. 2 

TO.  1 

!>2.7 

71.1 

OS.  1 

92.1 

HO.  2 

57.4 

81. 

69.8 

OS.  1 

66.1 

60.1 

20.5 

IT.:: 

11. 

86.3 

52.2 

1-  •, 

72.6 

101.9 

89.3 

6S.4 

03.5 

84.2 

54. S 

70.9 

70.7 

15.2 

00.0 

60.3 

33.2 

15.2 

19.1 

27.6 

15.4 

41.4 

65.4 

84.3 

74.7 

63.7 

S0.1 

70.3 

60. 

79.8 

73. 

43.1 

65.9 

59.2 

30.7 

is.:: 

45. 

3.01 

15  8 

41  9 

66. 

S7.1 

T7.2 

63.5 

ST.  2 

77.1 

5T.0 

S7.4 

74.3 

17.6 

68.3 

61.1 

32.  G 

50.3 

45. 

21.4 

48.8 

Daily  Temperature  Reno  County,   1893  To   1916,   [nclusive. 

(Expressed   in   Degrees.) 

16     IT     IS     19    20     21     22    23   24    25    20     27     28     29     30     31 


II.   L. 

H.   L. 

11.  L. 

II.  L. 

H.  L. 

H.  L. 

H.  h. 

H.  L. 

II. 

L. 

H.  L. 

H.  I.. 

II. 

L. 

II. 

L. 

II. 

L. 

II.  I.. 

11.  I.. 

53   10 

56  11 

45   13 

45   14 

64  19 

05  21 

05  21 

07  21 

1 6 

20 

61  26 

20   11 

26 

in 

21 

is 

35 

4 

in    10 

85  20 

Tl  :u 

61   37 

60  27 

41   31 

51  31 

00   25 

38     8 

12     9 

15 

-14 

16     3 

43     0 

43 

16 

55 

18 

61 

16 

68  29 

32    IT 

48  IS 

45  30 

70  3o 

7S  34 

09  40 

55  22 

59  25 

41   18 

32 

12 

21    10 

41-  1 

28 

4 

31 

8 

38 

5 

28     1 

39     6 

40  32 

42  .33 

37  28 

55  30 

02  30 

45   32 

44  36 

34  21 

45 

14 

31    I'll 

54    IT 

64 

21 

5(1    2(1 

5T 

41 

4s   21 

4s    41 

48  33 

50  30 

GO  33 

51    32 

45  30 

55  28 

54  32 

60  31 

is 

ii 

IS    IT 

2(1      o 

23 

s 

22 

G 

25 

10 

30  15 

39   28 

OT  2S 

39  21 

36   IT 

47  21 

OS  27 

70  27 

63  31 

41  28 

58 

21 

55  3s 

31  23 

39 

12 

30 

10 

31 

o 

i     3 

IT-  0 

4T  34 

48  32 

45   30 

02  23 

63  20 

58  27 

07  37 

07  30 

51 

36 

45   12 

56  23 

51 

22 

21 

in 

57 

9 

IT  20 

38  12 

4S   24 

33  13 

53  20 

03  28 

60  24 

52  32 

50  20 

60   20 

40 

24 

48  2G 

55    30 

00 

22 

55 

20 

42 

35 

S3  12 

41   20 

54  15 

00  30 

4T   20 

4T   20 

30   30 

37  18 

50  23 

28  26 

51 

11 

34  24 

12-lo 

16- 

10 

16 

6 

16 

9 

18-14 

2T    Hi 

44  31 

39  23 

43  12 

43   15 

40  32 

45  10 

45  25 

29   20 

40 

12 

56  25 

44  33 

51 

32 

61 

21 

40 

21 

50  IT 

53   35 

4S    10 

00  17 

61  28 

54   3S 

57  22 

58  11 

28  11 

22   14 

25 

15 

-2-  5 

36-11 

45 

T 

21 

~t 

IT 

o 

53  is 

42      5 

28     5 

39     S 

38  29 

48  21 

44  18 

38  16 

36  15 

43   10 

2* 

15 

16-11 

30     5 

40 

0 

31 

21 

•>•► 

10 

25  11 

19     3 

52   20 

56  34 

53  29 

04  35 

70  34 

37  18 

29     7 

52     7 

59 

21 

47  23 

58  19 

50 

10 

59 

25 

65 

30 

54  26 

68  2  1 

30   16 

30  20 

41   30 

53  35 

47   24 

55  30 

40  28 

Hi   22 

41 

27 

30  15 

25  13 

33 

9 

10 

22 

41 

•>•> 

22      s 

2T   IT 

39   10 

56  19 

52  26 

5T    24 

01   20 

59  31 

56  24 

39    14 

52 

18 

61  21 

01    3S 

60 

11 

54 

IT 

32 

10 

45    13 

30  15 

27    15 

27     4 

20  24 

30  24 

30  2S 

57  31 

56  37 

71   32 

71 

38 

61  30 

40  34 

54 

24 

54 

23 

*\i\ 

35 

36  15 

26     7 

4(1  33 

38  29 

50  28 

45   28 

42  31 

40  21 

42  24 

50   35 

50 

30 

63   35 

56  37 

40 

28 

50 

2S 

42 

23 

4s  21 

66  25 

22  10 

33  19 

45   10 

40  24 

50  38 

4S  23 

40  26 

4G  12 

42 

34 

05    Hi 

70  46 

62 

30 

41 

22 

T2 

34 

60  28 

72  34 

37   10 

33  21 

28  13 

26     4 

32  10 

38  11 

43  14 

42  19 

44 

*>»> 

44  2S 

54  29 

45 

30 

36 

27 

44 

26 

36  19 

47  26 

52  39 

40  20 

40  21 

42  32 

22  15 

is     n 

46  21 

42  36 

44 

16 

62  21 

49  26 

52 

35 

49 

34 

58 

39 

42  31 

24  17 

50  34 

56   34 

56  4ii 

00  28 

40  30 

48  31 

47  27 

54  28 

44 

23 

46  27 

56  24 

60 

34 

67 

41 

35 

2n 

52  16 

54   27 

23  18 

24     2 

40  16 

32  16 

35    IS 

32  19 

IS     2 

26-  2 

36 

IT 

14  11 

36  20 

14 

5 

34- 

-  4 

34 

24 

54  31 

32  20 

10     3 

20  -1 

2T    10 

27  20 

41    30 

50  31 

53   21 

59  34 

on 

35 

21    IT 

30  IT 

IT 

5 

12 

4 

15 

5 

13     0 

11      s 

FEBRUARY. 

54  19  57  22  60  24  63  25  60  21  56  81  66  27  58  33  50  20  56  22  02  37  30  22  57  13 
43  14  50  33  03  27  33  G  23  10  25  0  3G  8  37  13  40  15  55  15  01  25  68  2s  60  25 
It;  3  57  IS  52  26  57  23  73  28  58  2S  60  26  63  31  65  33  55  39  56  41  63  to  75  41 
52  24  57  21  55  25  68  32  44   20  58  23  62   37  75  32  T5   31  T5   35  04  3T  5T   24  54  33 

T2  32  44  33  49  20  30   19  40  15  50  15  56  24  63  26  59  25  50  21  69  29  T3  37  62  26 

57  32  57  31  50  27  74  29  70  38  62  35  52  27  33  3  39  15  31   20  37  20  54   1  l  13  33 

20     8  19  -3  53  13  49  30  35  32  46  24  58  26  41  37  35  27  49   19  35  25  31  26  32  17 

55  23  55  37  45  25  37  25  31  15  45  21  30  13  14  13  53  15  53  23  54  25  68  27  04  35 
51  24  37  25  33  20  26  21  40  15  49  17  49  20  53  27  54  25  50  25  64  36  56  36  19  29 
17-15  33-14  15  -1  34  -2  53  13  44  24  56  23  42  30  40  23  Iti  25  33  2s  41    is  25  15 

32     7  27  IS  23  11  34     1  35  IT  40  10  63  20  81  32  65  30  TO   13  15  lo  73  20  60  37     63  25 

43  20  37  IS  33  22  32  22  54  is  62  25  07  25  59  36  58  50  61   24  68  20  52  20  68  25 

38  26  59  2T  61   30  58  3.2  60  3s  To  20  T5  44  01  38  02  3<i  01   2T  51   31  4s    to  67  31 

oo  28  72  29  71  3T  54  24  65  32  52  23.  35  21  36  20  54  28  56  IT  64  25  55  29  34  26 

51  25  50  29  54  23  20     9  4T   1 1  4T  2T  69  22  02  2T  58  40  52  33  48  28  40  25  04  33     58  32 

35     2  50  23  50  32  64  20  61  24  56  22  68  38  58  32  4T  20  OT  20  00  20  01   22  OT  31 

27     8  28     5  38  12  43  15  3S  19  26  11  23  12  17  3  3T    13  10  21  16  35  4T   19  63  28 

54  39  44  34  35  30  30  22  25   10  21     7  34     9  37  14  40  19  4o  32  39  29  35  23  25  L9 

50  28  57  35  66  33  51  32  43  27  33  10  45  19  47  31  48  37  45  25  20   IT  40     5  3.2  20     2S     T 
T2  32  74  30  72  40  40  32  32  21  31  24  34     7  21  14  22   11  45     G  34  20  12     8  20     C 

51  25  G5  34  33  29  33  26  44  30  56  34  46  18  16  3  26  9  3s  10  40  24  40  32  46  30 
48  25  60  40  38  38  42   35  41   37  42  35  40  32  41  27  44  26  44   23  54   33  45   33  33  23 

04  30  07  32  52  32  OT   30  05   30  T2  31  5T  44  50  24  55  34  05   24  38  26  23  21  3T  2S     30  22 


396 


RENO   COLTNTY,    KANSAS. 


;\iarch. 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

0 

7 

s 

9 

11 

1 

11 

12 

15 

1  1 

15 

II. 

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11. 

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11.  1.. 

11. 

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75 

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74   .17 

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07    20 

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29 

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52 

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35  22 

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86  25 

65 

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07 

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45   25 

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50  32 

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60 

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56  34 

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RENO   COUNTY.   KAN 


DECEMBER. 


[ 

2 

3 

4 

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o 

1 

r      s 

:> 

IN 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

11. 

L. 

II. 

I.. 

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l.h.  r.. 

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83 

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54   22 

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41   31 

48  35 

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32 

46  41 

COLD    NOVEMBERS. 

Sunrise  Noun 

1574      29. 45  40.90 

1575      20.50  40.10 

is?,;      .28.4.".  45.00 

1S77      30.35,  45.15 

lss.1      21.511  54.90 

issi      29.20  47. 50 

COLD  DECEMBERS. 

1870     12.30  31.51 

lsTs     17.22  31.10 

1879     17.32  52.07 

1880     17.05  30.90 

lssi     10.12  26.80 

19 'ii      18.42  2S.45 

COLD    JANUARYS. 

ls75     7.90  18.90 

lssi      9.S4  21.00 

1883     12.93  2.8.87 

iss.-,     12.20  28.65 

1886     9.32  20.32 

isss     H.06  26.74 

1905     13.08  27.20 


COLD     FEBRUARYS. 


Sunset 

ls7.-, 

16.57 

32.82 

33.79 

59.45 

1881     

1S.03 

30.93 

26.21 

41.80 

1SN5       

16.53 

33.35 

27.01 

38.6G 

1891 

17.25 

9.87 

13. 2S 

33.10 
26. 2S 
29.32 

31.32 

39.26 

1899                       _  

21.78 

50.30 

1905      

24.25 

49.06 

RAINFALL 

,     18S9 

TO 

1892. 

24.19 

1889      1S90 

1S91 

1S92 

25.22 

January    , — 

.75 

2.49 

2.00 

.30 

28.22 

February  

.20 

.30 

1.25 

3.56 

20. 5  s 

March    

1.43 

.60 

3.57 

2.32 

23.04 

April     

3.33 

2.69 

1.04 

l!l5 

26.53 

May    

5.47 

2.13 

8.20 

4.7S 

June 

0.71 
2.99 

S.20 
1.35 

3.00 
3.96 

3.26 

July    

3.86 

17.65 

August    

2.54 

5.05 

1.47 

1.51 

18.93 

September    

2.74 

1.52 

2.  SO 

.70 

24.S4 

October    

1.99 

2.04 

2.4S 

3.43 

21.19 

November     

1.35 

.94 

.32 

.49 

10.74 

December   

0 

1.21 

.90 

2.11 

24. 

29.55     27.10 

31.10 

27.50 

RENO  COUN  I  Y.    K  \N>  \-. 


4(>3 


DECEM  BER. 


Hi 

17 

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in 

21 

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1 

22 

23          2> 

1 

20 

2i  1 

27 

2s 

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1 

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II. 

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11. 

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II.   1.   II 

1.. 

11     1 

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II.   1. 

II.  1. 

11      1. 

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(in  24 

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111  33  2:> 

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05  38 

16  84 

37 

27 

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22 

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50  20 

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10  21 

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RECORD    OF    DAYS    WHEN    THERMOMETER     HAS     REGISTERED    BELOW    ZERO 


Date. 

A.M. 

M. 

P.M. 

Date. 

A.M. 

M. 

V  M 

Date. 

A.M 

M 

I'M 

1ST.". 

1SS1 

1885 

T;muary 

1  >, 

o 

5 

0 

—  8 

—13 

o 

January 

10 

11 

13 

—13 
—  2 

—   1 

I'Vliru.try 
Deceinbe 
1886 

Hi—. 
r   14  —  - 

1" 

*  * 

7 

—  1 

" 

14 

—  S 

January 

~ 

__     o 

—  0 

—  S 

*  t 

8 

—  2 

—  6 

—10 

11 

27 

—  4 

8— _  '. 

—  is 

—  l'i 

—   9 

t  • 

9 

—20 

—  2 

—  1 

February 

15.— 

—  9 

•• 

9 

—111 

—   1 

_       •> 

10 

13 

—  2 
—15 

—10 

—  S 

18S2 

19—- 

—  S 

.. 

in 

11 

—   s 
2 

—    1 

«i 

14 

—11 

o 

—  0 

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17 

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